Abstract: A vehicle tonneau system having a flexible fabric cover and a rail system having flanges attached to a vehicle for mounting the flexible fabric cover in which elongated fasteners for attaching the flexible cover to the rail flanges are provided with a hinging portion. A portion of the fastener is pivoted about the hinging portion which eases the initial removal of the fastener. Once a distal end of the fastener is moved past a terminal edge of the rail flange, the remainder of the fastener easily peels from the frame, by lifting the flexible fabric cover.

Abstract: A pivoting rail assembly for use in a tonneau cover for covering an area of a vehicle, the vehicle area being bounded by spaced walls and the walls including a forward wall, side walls and a rear wall. The pivoting rail assembly comprises an elongated base rail having a pivot portion and a conjunct feature and further comprises a pivot rail having pivot portion and a conjunct feature. The pivot portions are cooperatively engaged and permit relative rotational movement of the base and pivot rails between a closed position, an open position and a release position. The conjunct features are cooperatively engaged in the closed and open positions to prevent the base and pivot rails from disengaging. In the release position, the conjunct features are not cooperatively engaged and the pivot rail is disengageable from the base rail. The conjunct features are disengaged from one another solely as a result of movement of the base rail and the pivot rail into the release position.

Abstract: A pivoting rail assembly for use in a tonneau cover for covering an area of a vehicle, the vehicle area being bounded by spaced walls and the walls including a forward wall, side walls and a rear wall. The pivoting rail assembly comprises an elongated base rail having a pivot portion and a conjunct feature and further comprises a pivot rail having pivot portion and a conjunct feature. The pivot portions are cooperatively engaged and permit relative rotational movement of the base and pivot rails between a closed position, an open position and a release position. The conjunct features are cooperatively engaged in the closed and open positions to prevent the base and pivot rails from disengaging. In the release position, the conjunct features are not cooperatively engaged and the pivot rail is disengageable from the base rail. The conjunct features are disengaged from one another solely as a result of movement of the base rail and the pivot rail into the release position.

Abstract: An article and method for reinforcing structural members is provided. The article comprises a carbon fiber material, preferably a carbon fiber mesh with a roughened surface defined by an epoxy resin. The article has lateral fibers woven into longitudinal carbon fibers that are in tension, creating a mesh. An epoxy resin is applied to the fiber mesh to form a rigidified fiber mesh tape once the resin is cured. To obtain a roughened surface a plastic sheet is removably attached to the surface of the fiber mesh. The plastic sheet is removed thereby exposing a roughened carbon fiber surface defined by the epoxy. The rigidified fiber mesh tape is adhered to the structural member by applying a second epoxy to the structural member. The roughened surface of the rigidified carbon fiber mesh material is then joined to the second epoxy resin. To firmly adhere the fiber mesh to the structural member an impermeable material and a plastic barrier are placed above the article and the structural member.

Abstract: A tonneau cover for a pick-up truck cargo box in which a flexible cover of sheet-like material is attached to a frame with snap fasteners. The snap portions carried by the frame are slidable there along to change the position of the snap fastener. The snap fasteners include a protrusion, which engages the frame and creates sufficient force to prevent the snap fastener from sliding freely along the rail and losing their longitudinal location when the tonneau cover is not attached.

Abstract: A tie-down anchor for attachment to a side rail of a pickup truck bed. The tie-down anchor assembly comprises an anchor plate having an upright portion that defines a side face having an anchor protruding therefrom. The anchor is positioned on the face beneath the upper end of the plate and at a distance closer to the upper end than to the lower end of the plate. A mounting means for mounting the plate to the side rail is also provided. In this manner, the side rail is loaded in shear generally at its top when the tie-down anchor assembly of the present invention is mounted thereto and a tie-down member is secured to the anchor of the assembly.

Abstract: A tonneau assembly (10) having improved moisture drainage characteristics and including a mounting structure (15) and a tonneau cover (12) which is removably attached to the structure (15) and which is adapted to flexibly and selectively overlay and substantially seal the bed (18) of a vehicle (20).

Abstract: A vehicle bumper assembly 10 including a reinforcement beam member 12, a cover 20, energy absorbing foam 22 and a material 18 which has a relatively low coefficient of friction and which is disposed between member 12 and foam 22. Material 18 allows foam 22 and cover 20 to move longitudinally along member 12 during an "offset" collision, thereby reducing the likelihood of vehicle damage and passenger injury.

Abstract: Accessory system for a vehicle cargo box such as a pickup truck is provided in which multiple accessories can be simultaneously attached to the pickup box. These accessories include a tonneau cover, bed rails, bicycle racks, ski racks, cargo netting, etc. The system includes side rails with a tonneau cover mounting portion along an inboard side that enables bed rails to be attached outward of the tonneau cover enabling both to be simultaneously installed on the vehicle. Accessories can also be mounted below the tonneau cover which can be covered by the tonneau cover if desired.

Abstract: A tonneau cover for covering the cargo box of a pick-up truck in which the rear frame rail of the tonneau cover is attached to the frame side rails by ball and socket latch assemblies. The ball and socket latch assemblies replace thumb screws to provide an inexpensive, tool free attachment of the rear frame member. This enables the rear frame member to be removed from the tonneau cover frame when large objects are loaded into the cargo box without the use of tools and without the risk of using threaded fasteners such as a thumb screws.

Abstract: A connector assembly effective to selectively form a tonneau cover frame. In one embodiment of the invention, the connector assembly comprises a plurality of corner members 12 having a base 14 from which two substantially similar plugs 16, 18 project, and from which two substantially similar clips 20, 22 project. The assembly further includes a plurality of generally hollow rails 36, each having substantially identical ends which include a plurality of openings 40, 42 which allow one plug 16, 18 to be removably secured into one of the rails 36 by means of one of the clips 20, 22.

Abstract: A ventilated insulation bat having longitudinal channels formed in the top of the bat. The channels are resiliently compressible and flattenable when the bat is rolled, but the channels resume their depth when the bat is unrolled. The channels are manufactured by means for forming such as by molding or melting the channels into the bat or by affixing a flattenable perforated corrugated device to the bat. The transverse distance across the flattenable perforated corrugated device extends less than the width of the bat. The flattenable device when flattened is smaller than the bat to prevent the device from extending beyond the width of the bat when the bat is compressed and rolled into a roll for storage or transportation.

Abstract: A tonneau cover for covering an area of a vehicle bounded by upright walls of the vehicle in which a flexible cover sheet is attached to a frame rail mounted to the vehicle by the use of a pivot lever. The pivot lever has an inner or proximal end which engages an outward facing bearing surface of the frame rail. Once engaged, the sever is rotated outward and downward to apply tension to the cover sheet. The pivot lever is held to the rail in the downward pivoted position by complementary magnets carried by the pivot lever and the frame rail. The magnetic force resists the rotational moment applied to the pivot lever by the tension in the cover sheet.

Abstract: A rail and attaching member for mounting the rail to a cargo box side wall in which the rail is formed with an upwardly open channel along its inboard side. An attaching member has a downwardly open hook which enables the attaching member to be hung onto the rail by seating the hook into the rail channel. This enables the attaching member to be installed on the rail after the assembled rectangular frame is placed on the cargo box. There is no need to tilt the rail or the attaching member to mount the attaching member on the rail, thus avoiding undesired contact of the attaching member with the cargo box walls.

Abstract: A folding hard panel tonneau cover for a pickup truck cargo box having a pair of rails for mounting the tonneau cover to the side walls of a pickup truck cargo box. The rails carry a seal member having a pair of deflectable walls forming a receiving pocket extending the length of the rails. The panels of the tonneau cover have frame members along their side edges which include a downwardly projecting tongue which is insertable into the receiving pocket by deflection of the seal member walls. The receiving pocket and tongue thus serve as a latch means for attaching the panels to the cargo box side wall and also provide a water tight seal to prevent water from entering into the cargo box. Identically shaped frame members at the front and rear edges of the tonneau cover carry rubber seals for engagement with the front wall and tailgate of the cargo box. Continuous gear hinges are used to pivotally join the panels together to fold in an accordion-style fashion.

Abstract: A vehicle tonneau cover having a flexible fabric cover and a frame attached to the vehicle for mounting the flexible fabric cover in which elongated fasteners for attaching the flexible cover to the frame flanges or the frame flanges are provided with a short end portion having a taper. The taper reduces the distance by which the fastener must be moved relative to the frame to achieve the initial removal of the fastener. Once the distal edge of the fastener is moved passed the terminal edge of the frame flange at the end of the fastener, the remainder of the fastener easily peals from the frame, by lifting the flexible fabric from the rail.

Abstract: A vehicle including a vehicle frame having a pair of longitudinally extending support rails disposed in spaced relationship with respect to one another and terminating at one end proximal to a front of the vehicle, at least one pair of wheels and a steering mechanism operatively connected to the wheels for controlling the direction of the vehicle in response to driver input through the steering mechanism, the steering mechanism including a pair of tie rods operatively connected to the wheels to control the rotation of the wheels about a vertical axis, and a pair of tie rod impact members fixedly mounted to the support rails and movable in a direction substantially longitudinally along the support rails in response to a predetermined force acting on the vehicle such that the tie rod impact members engage the tie rods to cause the wheels to rotate about a vertical axis independent of driver input through the steering mechanism.

Abstract: A vehicle frame (10) including longitudinally extending side rails (12). Each of the side rails (12) has a hollow beam structure and includes a series of sets of corner divots (24) along the corners (22). Each corner divot (26) extends along one side (20) a distance (L) and along an adjacent side (20) a shorter distance (S). The long and short portions of each corner divot 26 are oriented opposite to the corner divots (26) on either side of it along the same corner (22), and the long portion (L) is located on a side where it and the adjacent corner divot both have their respective long portion (L) on this side (20). This forms an asymmetrical pattern of divots on each of the frame rails (12), providing improved crush characteristics along the frame rails (12).

Abstract: A vehicle frame has longitudinally extending left and right frame members with each member laterally deformable in response to a lateral force component of a preselected magnitude. A front end structure connects the left and right frame members to tie the them together so that both frame members absorb energy by laterally deforming in response to a lateral force component of a preselected magnitude acting on either of the left and right frame members. The front end structure also deforms longitudinally with the left and right frame members.