Disclosed are expandable compartment cover assemblies for motor vehicles, methods for making and methods for using such cover assemblies, and motor vehicles with expandable tonneau cover assemblies. Disclosed, for example, is an expandable cover assembly for a motor vehicle with a cargo compartment. The expandable cover assembly includes a frame section that releasably attaches to the vehicle body, and extends across some or all of the cargo compartment. The frame section has a central aperture that extends therethrough. A canopy is seated within this central aperture and at least partially surrounded by the frame section. A flexible joint attaches the canopy to the frame section such that the canopy selectively transitions between a collapsed state, whereat the canopy is a first height from the compartment floor of the cargo compartment, and an expanded state, whereat the canopy is a second height, greater than the first height, from the compartment floor.

Methods of transporting a plurality of freight containers are disclosed, including stacking one or more containers on a transportation vehicle, where one or more of the stacked containers is a vertically collapsible container in a collapsed position, where at least one of the vertically collapsible containers includes: a frame assembly including: a plurality of rectangular frame members; a plurality of articulated vertical frame members disposed between the rectangular frame members; and where the articulated vertical frame members are positioned and arranged to retract to within the frame assembly; a lifting mechanism positioned and arranged to elevate the rectangular frame members from each other; and where the lifting mechanism is disposed between the uppermost rectangular frame member of the frame assembly and the lowermost rectangular frame member of the frame assembly.

A collapsible container including frame assembly, a lifting mechanism, a retractable side wall, a retractable end wall, a top member, and a bottom member is disclosed. The frame assembly includes rectangular frame members and articulated vertical frame members disposed between the rectangular frame members. At least one rectangular frame member includes a receptacle member. The articulated vertical frame members are positioned and arranged to retract within the frame assembly. The lifting mechanism is positioned and arranged to elevate the rectangular frame members from each other. The retractable side wall is positioned and arranged to retract into a receptacle member. The retractable end wall is positioned and arranged to retract into a receptacle member. The top member is disposed on an uppermost rectangular frame member. The bottom member is disposed on a lowermost rectangular frame member. A method of transporting a plurality of containers is disclosed.

A truck bed cover may include a top panel and a plurality of side panels. The top panel may be slidably and pivotably connected to each of the side panels. Each side panel may be connected to a truck bed rail. The side panels may be pivotably connected to the truck bed rail, in particular. Each of the top panel and the side panels are configured to selectively move between a tonneau cover configuration and a cap configuration.

A truck bed enclosure assembly for securing contents of a truck bed and attached cabinets includes a lift module and a shell. The lift module is mountable to a bed of a truck, wherein the bed comprises a platform and a pair of sidewalls that define a central pathway. The shell is attached to the lift module so that the shell is selectively positionable in an extended configuration and a lowered configuration. In the extended configuration, the pair of sidewalls and the central pathway are accessible to a user. In the lowered configuration, opposed side panels of the shell bracket and at least partially cover the sidewalls of the bed and a rear panel of the shell covers an opening to the central pathway. The shell thus deters access to the sidewalls and to the central pathway.

A pickup truck add-on assembly is provided, which includes: a base configured to be and fixedly mounted to a pickup truck bed, an upper cover, and at least one driving assembly, wherein the driving assembly comprises a driving mechanism and a support arm, the support arm being respectively hinged to the upper cover and the base, the driving mechanism being hinged to the support arm and configured to drive the support arm to rotate, so that a hinge joint between the support arm and the upper cover in an initial hinge position: i. moves from the hinge position relative to the base in a height direction; and ii. moves laterally, in a direction transverse to the height direction, from the hinge position. In addition, a pickup truck is provided having a pickup truck add-on assembly mounted thereon as described above.

An apparatus for covering at least a portion of a cargo area of a vehicle, the apparatus includes a frame; one or more side panels attached to the frame; one or more quarter panels attached to the frame; a rear panel; a roof panel supported by the frame; and a lifting mechanism configured to reposition the roof panel relative to the frame and/or the one or more side panels. The lifting mechanism has a handle, a lifter, and a track supporting the lifter. Movement of the handle causes the track to move in a first direction, which causes the lifter to slide in the track in a second direction to raise and/or lower the lifter, which causes the roof panel to be moved or repositioned.

A collapsible hard-shell truck cap includes a lift assembly, a top panel, a front panel, a rear panel, and a pair of hinged side panels. The lift assembly is removably mountable in a bottom of a truck bed. The top panel has a front edge, a rear edge, and side edges. The top panel is attached to and movable up and down by the lift assembly. The front panel is attached to the top panel at the front edge, and the rear panel is attached to the top panel at the rear edge. The side panels each include an upper panel portion pivotably attached to the top panel at the side edges and a lower panel portion pivotably attached to the upper panel portion and pivotably connectable to an upper side portion of a truck bed frame.

The present invention relates to a pickup truck cap which includes side enclosure plates and a cover plate. The side enclosure plates fit with and are mounted on a cargo bed of a pickup truck with the cover plate arranged thereabove. The cover plate includes a front cover plate and a rotatable flip cover. The flip cover is connected to the side enclosure plate or the front cover plate, and a telescopic supporting member is provided which can reciprocate between a first state and a second state; when the telescopic supporting member is in the first state, the flip cover is opened; when the telescopic supporting member is in the second state, the flip cover is closed. According to the present invention, the flip cover allows large cargo, especially tall goods, to be loaded and unloaded with the cargo not being exposed to the sun and rain.