GM has filed a patent application for a reconfigurable inflatable pickup truck box cover. The application was assigned patent number US 2024/0383319 A1 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and was published on November 21st, 2024. The GM patent filing was originally submitted on May 17th, 2023, and lists two Michigan-based engineers as the inventors, namely Christopher Stephen Flemming and Paul W. Alexander.
The reconfigurable inflatable pickup truck box cover described in the patent application consists of three key components: a base frame, side walls, and a top cover. At least one of these components – the base frame, side walls, or top cover – is inflatable, allowing the cover to be flexible and easy to configure based on the user’s needs.
The system is installed on the upper edge of the truck’s cargo box. When activated, compressed air is used to inflate the components, forming a protective enclosure over the cargo area. Depending on how it is inflated, the cover can take on different configurations. For instance, it can be used as a flat tonneau cover, a cap-like structure, or a full-height enclosure resembling a camper shell. The system includes valves, an air pump, and a control module to manage inflation and deflation, thus allowing the user to select the desired configuration and control the process at their convenience.
What makes this system particularly useful is its adaptability and ease of use. Traditional pickup truck covers, such as hard shells or soft tonneau covers, are often limited in their functionality or present their own challenges with regard to installation and removal. By contrast, the inflatable cover described in the GM patent application offers a relatively lightweight and flexible alternative, easily stowing away when desired, while still offering adequate protection from weather and theft while in use. Its reconfigurable nature also means it can accommodate different cargo sizes and shapes. For example, users can switch between a low-profile cover for better aerodynamics, or a taller setup to shield large or irregularly shaped items.
Comments
LOL.
It’s kind of silly, but it just might work.
Honestly, making more use of the bed sides would be great without removing much of the bed space unlike the Ram and their ram boxes (which horrible cut in to bed capacity). Maybe the topper can slide in the bed sides with hard panels? Then have a soft or some type of top to add like a sun top on a Jeep or removeable panels? Could even have them come out and fold across the bed to make a tonneau cover that easily stores and deploys? Similar to a Cigarette boat engine cover that opens like this _ _ to this / \ to this l l if that makes sense?
I think it would bring back the covered wheel look of days gone by if it slid down into the bed. It would have to collapse somehow.
I like the idea of a compact truck with rear half doors (the model truck on the patent drawing), but nobody can afford to engineer it for the segment. (Hell I think Ford is the only one to offer it in any segment, and that’s fullsize only.)