U.S. patent application number 10/676501 was filed with the patent office on 2004-07-01 for multi-purpose vehicle cover.
Invention is credited to Kim, Sung-Yeol.
Application Number | 20040123892 10/676501 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32653083 |
Filed Date | 2004-07-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040123892 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kim, Sung-Yeol |
July 1, 2004 |
Multi-purpose vehicle cover
Abstract
A multi-purpose vehicle cover comprising a roof cover portion,
side wings detachably attached to side edges of the roof cover
portion, front and rear flaps correspondingly extending from front
and rear edges of the roof cover portion. Fabric bands are sewn
between the roof cover portion and the front and rear flaps to
facilitate folding of the front and rear flaps against the roof
cover portion. The roof cover portion, the side wings and the front
and rear flaps are each formed of a compound resin sheet having a
layer of air filled material between an upper and lower sheet of
film material.
Inventors: |
Kim, Sung-Yeol; (Ilsan-Gu,
KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Jerry N. Noh
Suite 2741
3435 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles
CA
90010
US
|
Family ID: |
32653083 |
Appl. No.: |
10/676501 |
Filed: |
September 30, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
135/88.08 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04H 6/025 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
135/088.08 |
International
Class: |
E04H 015/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 31, 2002 |
KR |
2002-0039260 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A multi-purpose vehicle cover comprising: a roof cover portion
having a pair of opposed side edges, said roof cover portion having
a front edge and a rear edge; a side wing connected to each side
edge of the roof cover portion; a front flap extending from said
front edge of the roof cover portion; and, a rear flap extending
from said rear edge of the roof cover portion.
2. The multi-purpose vehicle cover as described in claim 1 further
comprising a first band of fabric material attached between the
roof cover portion and the front flap; and, a second band of fabric
material attached between the roof cover portion and the rear
flap.
3. The multi-purpose vehicle cover as described in claim 1 wherein
the roof cover portion, the side wings and the front flap and rear
flap are each formed of a compound resin sheet having a layer of
air filled material disposed between an upper and a lower sheet of
film material.
4. The vehicle cover of claim 1 further comprising: an extension
flap connected to each side edge of the front flap; and, an
extension flap connected to each side edge of the rear flap.
5. The vehicle cover of claim 4 further comprising an opening
formed in a corner of each extension flap for connection to a
canopy pole.
6. The vehicle cover of claim 1 further comprising a third band of
fabric attached to a front edge of the front flap and a fourth band
of fabric attached to a front edge of the rear flap; an elastic
string extending from each end of said third and fourth fabric
bands; each elastic string ending in a hooking member connected
thereto.
7. The vehicle cover of claim 1 further comprising a magnetic
material disposed on each corner of said roof cover portion.
8. The vehicle cover as described in claim 1 wherein said side
wings are detachably connected to each side edge of the roof cover
portion.
9. The multi-purpose vehicle cover as described in claim 8 wherein
a first patch of loop pile members are attached along the opposed
side edges of the roof cover portion; a patch of hooking members
are attached along an edge of the side wings for detachable
connection to the corresponding patch of loop pile members of the
roof cover portion.
10. The multi-purpose vehicle cover as described in claim 8 wherein
a first track of zipper member is attached along the opposed side
edges of the roof cover portion; a second track of zipper member is
attached along an edge of the side wings for detachable connection
to the corresponding first track of zipper member of the roof cover
portion.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to a vehicle cover. More
particularly, the present invention relates to a multi-purpose
vehicle cover to efficiently prevent snow or frost from
accumulating on vehicle windows while simplifying vehicle-covering
and cover-removing steps.
[0002] As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle cover 1 generally functions to
cover a vehicle body 3 other than wheels 2, and a rubber string is
employed to elastically hold the cover 1, to the body of the
vehicle 3. However, such a conventional vehicle cover requires a
relatively longer time period and a substantial endeavor each time
to properly cover up a vehicle. An improved vehicle cover in Korea
Utility Model No. 1999-002.8219 discloses a vehicle cover for
covering vehicle windows and roof; however there still are relative
disadvantages and inconveniences in disassembly and storage.
[0003] There is no known prior art vehicle cover as taught in the
present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present invention is contrived to overcome the
conventional disadvantages. Accordingly, it is an object of the
present invention to provide a multi-purpose vehicle cover capable
of covering a roof and windows of a vehicle easily by a single
person, thereby enhancing usability and product reliability.
[0005] Another object of this invention is to allow a
convertibility of the vehicle cover to a canopy when required,
thereby improving customer satisfaction.
[0006] To achieve these and other objects, a multi-purpose vehicle
cover comprises a roof cover portion, side wings detachably
attached to side edges of the roof cover portion, front and rear
flaps correspondingly extending from front and rear edges of the
roof cover portion. Bands made of a fabric material are sewn
between the roof cover portion and the front and rear flaps to
facilitate folding of the front and rear flaps against the roof
cover portion. The roof cover portion, the side wings and the front
and rear flaps are each formed of a compound resin sheet having a
layer of air filled material between upper and lower film
sheets.
[0007] Although the present invention is briefly summarized, the
full understanding of the invention can be obtained by the
following drawings, detailed description and appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the
present invention will become better understood with reference to
the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional vehicle
cover covering a vehicle;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing assembly of a
multi-purpose vehicle cover to a vehicle according to a first
embodiment of the present invention;
[0011] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in
FIG. 2;
[0012] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in
FIG. 2; and
[0013] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a canopy-converted
vehicle cover according to a second embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0014] With reference to FIGS. 2 to 5, a multi-purpose vehicle
cover according to the present invention will now be described. As
shown therein, the multi-purpose vehicle cover includes a roof
cover portion 1, side wings 2, front and rear flaps 3, 4. The side
wings 2 are each attached to corresponding opposed side edges of
the roof cover portion 1 to become flappable against the roof cover
portion 1. Here, a zipper may be employed between the roof cover
portion 1 and the side wings 2 so that the wings 2, 3 become
detachably engaged to the roof cover portion 1. In the alternative,
an elongated patch of hook members and an elongated patch of loop
members may be interchangeably used along the side wings and the
opposed side edges of the roof cover portion 1 for detachable
engagement of the side wings 2 to the roof cover portion 1. Also, a
compound resin sheet is employed to constitute the respective
portions 1, 2, 3, 4 of the vehicle cover.
[0015] The respective compound resin sheets are each formed by
laminating a layer of air filled material 21 between top and bottom
film sheets 22, 23. The layer of air filled material 21 serves to
reserve heat and cushion to the compound resin sheets. In the
embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the front and rear flaps 3, 4 are
formed to extend from the roof cover portion 1 and partitioned by a
band of respective first and second bands of fabric materials 30,
31. A first band of fabric material 30 is attached between the roof
cover portion 1 and the front flap 3, and a second band 31 of
fabric material is attached between the roof cover portion 1 and
the rear flap 4. Each of the first and second band of fabric
material 30, 31 is sewn from the upper film sheet 22 and through
the compound resin sheets so that the front and rear flaps 3, 4
become also flappable against the roof cover potion 1 resulting
from flexibility caused by the downward sewing of the bands of
fabric 30, 31 and subsequent deflation of the layer of air filled
material 21 in the portion along the length of the first and second
bands of fabric material 30 stitching.
[0016] Likewise, the respective compound resin sheets are formed
such that the layer of air filled material 21 comprises a plurality
of adjacent rows of linear air filled cavities 25. The compound
resin sheets is formed by substantially waving the layer of air
filled material 21 in a heat-treatment between the film sheets 22,
23 in a manner in which the resin sheets respectively form evenly
flat sheet surfaces despite the outline of the layer of air filled
material 21.
[0017] Meanwhile, extension panels 3-1, 4-1 are flappably attached
to respective side edges of both the front and rear flaps 3, 4. In
the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, an opening 41 is formed in
each respective outer corner of each extension panel suitable to
receive a canopy pole 40 when the vehicle cover is alternatively
used as a canopy. Additional engagement members 50, 51 are
preferably formed both in side edge, portions of the side wings 2
and in outer edge portions of the extension panels 3-1, 4-1 to
properly maintain engagement between the side wings 2 and the
extension panels 3-1, 4-1. The additional engagement members 50, 51
may be selected from mutually fixable articles such as hook and
piles, hook and holes, snap buttons, and detachable magic
tapes.
[0018] A third fabric band 13 is sewn to the front edge of the
front flap, and a fourth fabric band is sewn to the front edge of
the rear flap to finish the air mat 21 and the film sheets 22, 23.
Additionally, an elastic string 15 is provided on the ends of each
of the third and fourth fabric bands 13, and a hook 16 is formed in
each end of the rubber string 15 to become hooked onto a hookable
portion of the vehicle such as on the rims of the vehicle between
the wheel spokes.
[0019] Reference numeral 24 in FIG. 3 denotes a groove formed by
linearly suppressing a selected one of the air cavities 25 from
above the upper film sheet 21, and reference numeral 60 in FIG. 4
denotes ferrite magnets either embedded in the lower film sheet 23
or attached to a lower surface portion of the roof cover portion 1
using an adhesive tape 61. Preferably, the ferrite magnet 60 is
formed in each of the four corners of the roof cover portion 1.
[0020] The thusly constituted vehicle cover according to the
present invention is easily folded by the side wings, 2 and the
front and rear flaps 3, 4 along the first and second bands of
fabric material 30, 31 for storage. When required, the vehicle
cover is additionally folded along the groove 24 to decrease the
size of the vehicle cover. That is, the respective side wings 2,
and front and rear flaps 3, 4 are naturally folded over onto the
roof cover portion 1 by the first and second bands of fabric
material 30, 31, and the folded vehicle cover is further folded
along the groove 24 to a smaller size. The serial folding is
implemented by first and second bands of fabric material 30, 31
sewn between the roof cover portion 1 and the respective wings and
flaps 2, 3, 4 and then by the groove 24.
[0021] Specifically, when the first and second bands of fabric
material 30, 31 are sewn down from the upper film sheet 22 and
through the lower resin sheets, the corresponding portion of the
layer of air filled material 21 becomes depressed since the
corresponding air cavity 25 becomes eliminated accordingly, whereby
the subsequently thinned resin portion sewn down by the first and
second bands of fabric material 30, 31 produces foldable
characteristics. This mechanism also enables an easy spread of the
folded vehicle cover. The two step folding and unfolding mechanism
allows a user to easily spread the vehicle cover for covering a
target vehicle and at the same time to fold the spread vehicle
cover for storage with ease without a helping hand.
[0022] For a better performance, the multi-purpose vehicle cover
according to the present invention selectively adopts a magnetic
engagement where a magnet 60 is attached to selected portions of
the roof cover portion 1 so as to maintain stability when covered
over a vehicle. Also, the engagement members 50, 51 are selectively
employed to make a complete vehicle covering irrespective of
vehicle kinds and the vehicle covering is completed by hooking the
hooks 16 in the vehicle wheels.
[0023] The side wings 2 are detachably connected to the roof cover
portion 1, for example, using a zipper so that vehicle side windows
can remain uncovered to guide more sunshine into the vehicle by
detaching the side wings 2 in winter whereas the side wings 2 can
remain attached to the roof cover portion 1 for heat control in
summer.
[0024] As shown in FIG. 5, the vehicle cover is alternatively
employed as a canopy by attaching or detaching the side wings 2 to
or from the roof cover portion 1 in which a top of the canopy pole
40 is hooked in the opening 41. The vehicle cover can be used
comfortably as a mat.
[0025] Although the invention has been described in considerable
detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other
versions are possible by converting the aforementioned
construction. Therefore, the scope of the invention shall not be
limited by the specification specified above and the appended
claims.
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