Seal and curtain support means

Abstract

A seal and curtain support means for attachment to the confronting lip portions of the hinged upper and lower shells of a portable compartment useful as a car top sleeper. The curtain and shells form a sleeping compartment when the shells are open and the curtain has door and window flaps. When the shells are open, the curtain is supported in a relatively taut, compartment defining, weather-tight condition, when the shells are closed the seal and curtain support means form a weather-tight seal with the curtain in a collapsed condition therebetween.

Description

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to a seal and curtain support means for the respective, confronting, peripheral lip portions of the upper and lower shells of a portable, roof top sleeper for automobiles. The seal and curtain support means comprises a pair of extrusions, one for engagement with the upper lip and one for engagement with the lower lip. The upper extrusion includes spline means to firmly hold the upper peripheral edge of the curtain and the lower extrusion includes a similar spline means to hold the lower peripheral edge thereof. A seal bead is carried by the upper extrusion which seats firmly against the lower extrusion when the shells are disposed in a closed condition. Appropriate compression fasteners are utilized to hold the two shells in the closed condition, the compression forces of the fasteners serving to compress the seal bead, thus providing a positive weather-tight seal between the two shells.

The portable compartment is hinged together along one edge and, as illustrated and described in my issued U.S. Pat. No. 3,499,175, a telescopic prop is inserted between upper and lower brackets, fixed to the respective shells on the end opposite to the hinge, to maintain the shells in an open condition while in use.

The upper and lower peripheral edges of the curtain are firmly held in the splines, provided by the respective upper and lower extrusions, to open the curtain and form a sleeping compartment when the shells are propped in the open condition.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a seal and curtain support means for attachment to the confronting lip portions of the hinged upper and lower shells of a portable compartment useful as a car top sleeper.

Another principal object of the instant invention is to provide a seal and curtain support means comprised of a pair of cooperating extrusions, preferably of a synthetic material such as a plastic commonly known as PVC, one of said extrusions being adapted for attachment about the lower peripheral lip of the upper shell, the other of said extrusions being attachable to the upwardly extending lip of the lower shell.

A further object of the present invention is to provide spline means on the respective extrusions to firmly hold the upper and lower peripheral edges of a curtain which defines an interior sleeping compartment when the shells are in an open condition.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a seal means, carried by the upper extrusion, which is firmly clamped and compressed against a ledge of the lower extrusion by a plurality of compression fasteners to render the entire assembly weather-tight when the upper shell is closed relative to the lower shell.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a combination seal and curtain support means comprised of two cooperating plastic extrusions, an upper and a lower, which are very inexpensive to produce, easily and quickly installed and serve the dual purposes of sealing the assembly when not in use and firmly supporting a curtain, defining a completely enclosed compartment for sleeping purposes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view illustrating the hinged upper and lower shells of a roof top sleeper, attached to the roof of a vehicle such as an automobile and incorporating the combination seal and curtain support means of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the roof top sleeper partially broken away to reveal the inside thereof;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the car top sleeper in an open condition;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 4--4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a typical, enlarged cross sectional view of the combination seal and curtain support means of the present invention with the upper and lower shells in a closed condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

With reference to the drawings in which like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the the various views and with particular reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the sleeper, generally designated by the numeral 10 includes a lower shell 12 and an upper shell 14, hinged together at one end 16 as by the piano hinge 18.

As best illustrated in FIG. 1, the upper shell 14 is movable between a closed position, relative to the lower shell, in solid lines and an open position 14' in dotted lines. The bottom and top shells 12 and 14 may include raised, decorative, longitudinal ribs 20 and 22. Pressure clamp means 24, spaced about the two sides and the opening end serve to maintain the two shells 12 and 14 in the closed condition, creating sufficient pressure to insure a weather-tight closure thereof as will be hereinafter described relative to the seal and curtain support means 15 of the present invention.

The lower shell 12 includes a bottom wall 26, including the ribs 20, opposed side walls 28 and 30, end hinged wall 32 and a free end wall 34, the side and end walls defining an upwardly extending peripheral lip portion 36.

The upper shell 14 which is complementary to the lower shell includes a top wall 38, including the ribs 22, opposed side walls 40 and 42, end hinged wall 44 and a free end wall 46, the side and end walls defining a depending peripheral lip portion 48.

Fixed centrally of the free end walls 34 and 46 are a pair of channel brackets with confronting open sides, designated 49 on lower end wall 34 and 50 on the upper end wall 46. A telescopic prop member 52, having cross arms 54 and 56 at its opposed ends, disposed in the respective brackets, serves to hold the upper shell 14 in the open position of FIGS. 1 and 3.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, a flexible curtain 58 having opposed side walls 60 and 62 and an end wall 64 closes the normally open three sides, when the upper shell 14 is raised, to define an interior compartment. The telescopic prop 52 is preferably spring-loaded (not shown) to retain the curtain in a relatively taut condition. As illustrated, one side wall 60 contains a zippered opening flap 66 for entry purposes. In addition, each side wall is provided with a flexible woven window 68, a similar window 70 being provided in the end wall 64. All three windows are provided with roll-down interior flap covers (not shown).

The shells 12 and 14 may be mounted on a car top carrier 72, the lower shell being attached thereto in any conventional manner. As illustrated in FIG. 4, a mattress 74 and pillows 75 may be contained within the inner chamber formed by the closed shells. FIG. 4 also illustrates the inwardly folded condition of the flexible curtain 58 with the shells 12 and 14 closed.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the seal and curtain support means 15 is comprised of a pair of complementary extrusions 80 and 81 in fixed engagement about the respective lower and upper confronting, peripheral lip portions 36 and 48. The lower extrusion 80 includes a relative short, depending outer flange 82 for engagement against the outer surface 84 of the lower lip portion 36 and a relatively long depending flange 86, engaged against the inner surface 88 thereof. A top web 90 connects between the flanges 82 and 86 defining an inverted channel which embraces and is preferably adhesively attached over the top portion of the lower lip 36.

An inward extension 92 of the top web 90 terminates in an upwardly disposed C portion defining a spline groove 94 which receives an elongated bead 96 disposed within the length of a bottom hem 98 of the curtain 58. The bead 96 is preferably formed from a flexible plastic material. In practice, the top surface of the web 90 forms a shelf 100 which slopes outwardly and downwardly.

With further reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the upper extrusion 81 includes a relatively short, upwardly extending outer flange 102 for engagement against the outer surface 104 of the upper peripheral lip portion 48 and a relatively long upwardly extending flange 106, engaged against the inner surface 108 thereof. A bottom web 110 connects between the flanges 102 and 106 defining an upwardly opening channel embracing the bottom portion of the upper peripheral lip 48, preferably, adhesively attached thereto.

An inwardly extending spline groove 112 formed integral with flange 106, adjacent the upper end thereof, is adapted to receive an elongated keeper strip 114 confined in a top hem 116 of the curtain 58. The spline groove 112 may be generally rectangular in cross section to receive the complementarily shaped strip 114. A pair of confronting beads 118 and 120 are formed integral with the upper inner extremities of the opposed sides of the spline groove 112 to confine the keeper strip 114 and hem 116 in the groove 112. Alternatively, the spline groove 112 may be generally C-shaped in cross section with a complementarily shaped strip 114.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, a T-slot 121 is provided in the bottom of the web 110 for the reception of a seal bead 122 to render the entire assembly water-tight when the shells 12 and 14 are clamped in a closed condition. When the plurality of clamps 24 are engaged, the seal bead 122 is compressed against the sloped surface 100 of the top web 90 of the lower extrusion 80. Due to the extrusion design and the spline connection to the curtain 58, the assembly is water-tight in both the closed and open positions.

In practice, the upper and lower extrusions 80 and 81 are fabricated from a flexible synthetic material such as Polyvinyl Chloride, commonly known as PVC and the seal bead 122 is formed from rubber or any appropriate compressible synthetic plastic material. The upper and lower extrusions 80 and 81 as well as the seal bead 122 extend around all four sides of the lower and upper shell lips 36 and 48. The curtain and associated bead and strip 96 and 114 also extend around the four sides of the shells 12 and 14 .

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. In a portable compartment for use on vehicles, a seal and curtain support means in combination with confronting peripheral lip portions of upper and lower shells of a portable car top compartment which are hinged together along one end, the shells being movable between closed and open positions and include curtain means, fixed relative thereto, to form an enclosed compartment therein when the shells are in an open position, said seal and curtain support means comprising:

A. a first elongated extrusion extending around the upwardly projecting peripheral lip of the lower shell including

1. a downwardly opening channel portion in fixed engagement over the peripheral lip portion thereof,

2. a shelf portion at the top of said channel portion,

3. a first means formed integral with and inwardly of said channel and shelf portions carrying the lower peripheral edge of the curtain,

B. a second elongated extrusion extending around the downwardly projecting peripheral lip of the upper shell including,

1. an upwardly opening channel portion in fixed engagement over the peripheral lip portion thereof,

2. a second means formed integral with and inwardly of said upwardly opening channel carrying the upper peripheral edge of the curtain,

3. a seal bead fixed relative to the bottom of said upwardly opening channel providing a weather-tight sealing engagement against said shelf portion when said shells are closed;

C. means to hold the shells in an open position, said downwardly opening channel including a relatively short, depending outer flange engaging against the outer surface of said lower lip portion, a relatively long, depending flange engaged against the inner surface of said lower lip portion and providing a reinforcement therebehind and a top web connecting between said flanges defining said shelf, said upwardly opening channel including a relatively short upwardly extending flange engaging against the outer surface of said upper lip portion, a relatively long upwardly extending flange engaged against and reinforcing the inner surface of said upper lip portion and a bottom web connecting between said flanges.

2. A seal and curtain support means as defined in claim 1 wherein said first means formed integral with, comprises a generally C-shaped spline groove having an elongated bead disposed within the length of a bottom edge hem of the curtain.

3. A seal and curtain support means as defined in claim 2 wherein said portion slopes outwardly and downwardly and said C-shaped spline groove is disposed upwardly of said shelf.

4. A seal and curtain support means as defined in claim 1 wherein said second means formed integral with and inwardly of said upwardly opening channel, comprises a spline groove having an elongated strip disposed within the length of an upper edge hem of the curtain.

5. A seal and curtain support means as defined in claim 1 including a seal bead, carried in slot means in said bottom web, to engage against said shelf portion when the upper shell is closed relative to the lower shell.

6. A seal and curtain support means as defined in claim 5 including compression clamp means for locking the upper and lower shells together and to compress said seal bead against said shelf to provide a weather-tight seal between the shells.

7. A seal and curtain support means as defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second elongated extrusions are formed of a tough synthetic material such as Polyvinyl Chloride, commonly known as PVC.