AU2007203656B2 - Weather shield for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

- 12 A weather shield for a vehicle consists of a sheet of fabric with a peripheral drawstring 6, one or more longitudinal ties 10 and three or more transverse ties 14 which gather the 5 sheet into a cover capable of shielding the windows and screens of a vehicle while having a tail which extends through the closed boot and is anchored inside the vehicle to the rear seat in the case of a small car or to an expandible frame 42, 46, 48 inside the boot of a larger vehicle. A baton 18 threaded through the leading end of the shield assists the driver in deploying and removing the cover. A wrapper 60 inside the boot gathers up the 10 bundled cover and a hooked handle 64, 66 suspends the filled wrapped from part of the extendible frame. -~---- -u 74- IUR

Description

Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT (ORIGINAL) Name of Applicant: DA LU ZHOU Actual Inventor(s): DA LU ZHOU Address for Service: SANDERCOCK & COWIE 180B SLADEN STREET CRANBOURNE VICTORIA 3977 Invention Title: WEATHER SHIELD FOR VEHICLE Details of Associated Provisional Application(s): No(s): Australian Provisional Application No. 2006904557 Filed: 10h August, 2006 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: FcJuly 31. 2007.H:Filing\zhou ilewpd. I - la TITLE: WEATHER SHIELD FOR VEHICLE FIELD OF THE INVENTION 5 This invention concerns exterior weather shields for passenger vehicles. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In warmer latitudes drivers favour parking under cover to keep the vehicle interior cool. 10 Fold out sunshields for erection behind the windscreen are better than nothing but the 2007.07.31 H -S rifinnhn- rn wen- I -2 greenhouse effect of the window glass and the exposed roof still causes uncomfortable interior temperatures in the vehicle. A large proportion of the workforce leaves vehicles in open car parks, for example railway station car parks, and experience hot seats and steering wheels. These surfaces reach high temperatures because the window glass is not 5 a barrier to infrared solar radiation and the seats conduct heat. The air inside the vehicle is a poor conductor but also heats up by contact with the hot glass. If the glass could be covered or the air inside the car could exchange with outside air, the interior would cool appreciably. Security considerations require that the car is closed up and locked. If an external sheet is draped over the car, the wind or vandals soon remove it. Fitted car 10 covers which cover all the bodywork are not popular for carpark use because they take too long to arrange and secure, moreover drivers may not be tall enough or strong enough on windy days to deploy them. Such covers tend to be limited to mothball situations where a vehicle is outside and must be protected from tree sap, birdlime and beeswax. 15 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One apparatus aspect of the invention a weather shield inter alia for a passenger vehicle comprising a thermally insulating sheet which in use extends over at least the roof, windscreen, rear window and side windows, a baton attachable to the sheet at or near the 20 sheet's front edge intended to engage the vehicle structure when deployed and anchor means being struts of adjustable length which engage the interior surface, the hook and ties which anchor the rear of the sheet to the struts, all being capable of accommodation in the vehicles interior along with the sheet when the sheet is not deployed. 25 When the vehicle is a sedan, the shield will be normally accommodated in the car boot and the baton being capable of taking the sheet and over the roof to reach the front of the vehicle. The anchor means may have a pair of extendible struts which engage parts of the vehicle 30 body inside the boot and the sheet may extend inside the boot in order to remain attached to the extendible struts. Preferably a transverse extendible tie extends between the boot struts and the trailing edge of the sheet is attached to the extendible tie.

-3 Alternatively the trailing end of the sheet may be attached to the anchor means by elastic ties. The ties may extend along the side edges of the sheet from the baton to exert a clasping 5 force on the sheet urging the sheet into close contact with the vehicle surface and suppressing movement in response to wind. The sheet may have edge darts at the sites of the wing mirrors to form mirror pockets. 10 The sheet may be a water impervious top plastic layer backed by a foam plastic layer. The plastic may have a metallised film to render it light reflective. Whereas covering the roof and glazed areas of the car leads to significant reduction in the interior temperature of the parked vehicle further improvement is obtainable by increasing the coverage of the sheet to include the bonnet. In such a version, the baton may engage the bumper. 15 Accordingly the sheet may cover the headlights and air intake. A satisfactory sheet material for manufacture of the shield is TYVEKTM made by DuPont. The grade of TYVEK is a base ply of woven synthetic yarn on which is deposited an aluminium layer giving the sheet a silvered appearance. The base ply is cream coloured. 20 This metal has excellent reflection but is not a particularly good thermal insulator. It crumples readily being 1-2mm thick and drapes well. Higher performance is obtained by using a laminate with an outer metallised ply, made of synthetic fabric joined to an intermediate ply of plastic foam which in turn is joined 25 to a 100% woven cotton ply. The latter is intended to be in contact with the glass and bodywork of the vehicle. The laminate is about as thick as a light bed blanket and weighs somewhat more. The laminate drapes well and bundles up readily when stowed in the boot. The perimeter is finished with a hollow seam through which a drawstring is threaded. The thickness is 2mm. 30 When the vehicle is a hatchback, the anchor means may be a rear baton which is removably attachable to the rear wiper arm. 2007-07-26.H:\Specificatons\zhou cap.wpd,3 -4 When the vehicle is a van with rear doors which swing open about an upright axis, the anchor means may be a rear strut which is removably attachable to the door handle. When the vehicle is a ute, the anchor means may be a baton capable of removably 5 engaging the structure of the vehicle behind the cab. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS One embodiment of the invention is now described with reference to the accompanying 10 drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan of the weather shield. Figure 2 is a section of the boot of a sedan with the weather shield deployed. 15 Figure 3 is a perspective of the boot area of the sedan in Figure 2 showing the anchor frame and the wrapper. Figure 4 is an end view of the baton showing the position of the clasp. 20 Figure 5 is a front view of the baton clasp engaging a wiper arm. Figure 6 is a side view of the weather shield deployed on a sedan. 25 Figure 7 is a side view of the weather shield deployed on a sedan covering the bonnet. Figure 8 is a side view of the sunshield deployed on a hatchback. Figure 9 is a diagrammatic side section of the weather shield deployed to the hatchback 30 of Figure 8 showing the anchorage to the grille. Figure 10 is a cutaway plan view of the weather shield ready to be deployed showing the tie which anchors the weather shield to the rear seat. 2007-07-26,H:\Spefcations\zhou. p.wpd.4 -5 DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH RESPECT TO THE DRAWINGS Referring now to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the weather shield is a generally elliptical sheet 2 of TYVEKTM made by DuPont in a grade which has a ply of non woven synthetic textile and 5 a top ply of aluminised film. A continuous pocket 4 defines all but the front of the perimeter of the sheet which measures about 4m x 2.4m and the pocket houses a drawstring 6. The size of the shield is adjustable by an adjustable polyester webbing tie 8 housed in a 10 central pocket 10 extending from the front of the shield to the rear of the shield. The tie is adjusted by a slide buckle 12 (see enlarged insert). Three transverse pockets 14 permit adjustment of the depth of the shield. Once adjusted, at installation the shield size does not change. The adjustment produces some pleating but this does not detract from the insulating function of the shield. The shield is at its fullest in the region of the side 15 mirrors indicated at 16. The front of the shield is incised to admit a telescopic baton 18 about 1200mm long with end discs 20. These assist the driver in holding on to the baton in windy conditions. The baton has an exposed central portion which carries a wiper arm clasp 22 (better shown 20 in Figures 4 and 5). The baton pieces are out of round in order to be adjustable by twisting. The ends of drawstring 6 are tied to the ends of baton 18. The rear tail end of the shield tapers in width and upon deployment remains inside the boot. Straps 24 extend from the tail for anchoring the shield to the vehicle. Aperture 26 25 is about 1 50mm in diameter and registers with the boot lock 28 (see Figure 2). Aperture 30 is about 200mm in diameter and allows the hand to reach the reverse face of the shield during the bundling and unbundling which occurs in stowing and deployment. Ties 32 with hook and pile pads assist these operations. The tail of the 30 shield is about as wide as the boot and remains permanently within the boot. In a sedan the straps 24 attach to an expandible frame made of corner tubes 40 which takes frame tubes 42. Screws and wing nuts 44 provide adjustment for various boot 2007-07-31.H \Secifications\zhou. ca. wd5 -6 sizes. Aluminium sheet upstands 46 fixed to tubes 42 and support posts 48. These are telescopic in order to ensure plastic knob 50 engages the bodywork 52 behind the rear seat 54. Posts 48 support telescopic brace 56. The telescopic adjustments are locked by moulded over centre clips 58. 5 Folded fabric wrapper 60 extends between posts 48 and is fixed to tubes 42 by cords 62. Wrapper 60 has a grip 64 by which the bundled shield and all metal parts can be carried to the vehicle. 10 The leading end of the wrapper is connected to handle 64 which ends in hook 66. Hook 66 is intended to hang from brace 56 when the shield is stored in the wrapper. Straps 24 attach to the upstands 46 and the metal posts react against the wheel arches and the boot interior bodywork. 15 In Figures 4 and 5 clasp 22 is a right angle bracket projecting from near the centre of the baton 18. This engages wiper arm 70 which stands about 40mm from the windscreen. This allows the baton to remain in the position shown in Figure 7. If the shield is adjusted to its fullest extent the shield extends over the bonnet and the baton 18 fits under 20 the front bumper. If the driver wishes to increase security or seeks a closer fit in windy conditions, the front doors may be held ajar beneath the shield and a fold 72 of shield thrust behind the door which is then shut and locked. The shield covers the portions of the vehicle indicated in Figures 6 and 7. Rubber strips 74 about 150mm long are glued at sites on the cover which form the folds referred to above. The strips have a high 25 friction coefficient and when trapped in the door, the rubber seal renders the shield difficult to steal. In Figures 8 and 9, the straps 24 are tied to the grille 76 behind the driver and the wrapper 60 is suspended from the grille which separates the cab from the cargo compartment. 30 Hatchback 78 closes on the tail of the shield. In a small sedan as shown in Figure 10, the metal parts are absent and the tail of the shield attaches to a polyester webbing tie 80 which encircles the rear seat 82. Webbing -7 ties 8 are replaced by elastic ties for small cars. Pulling the cover over the wing mirrors elongates the ties and a reasonable fit is possible. In a non-illustrated variant, the single fore and after webbing tie 10 is replaced by a pair 5 about 500mm apart. The transverse ties 14 are retained but the edges from the wing mirrors to the rear window are gathered by sewing an elasticated fabric band in the edge zone occupied in Figure 1 by the drawstring pocket. This has the affect of pleating the perimeter so that the shield when deployed hugs the glazed part of the bodywork. 10 The sequence for applying the cover to the vehicle when the vehicle is a sedan is as follows: 1. The driver opens the boot. 15 2. The hooked handle is detached from the brace and placed on the boot floor. 3. The driver reaches into the wrapper and takes hold of the baton. The baton is pulled rearwardly which tightens the straps and brings the boot lock aperture into register with the lock. 20 4. The driver reaches through the tie aperture and releases the VELCROTM tie wrapped around the cover during stowing. With the main part of the cover outside the boot of the car, the driver closes the boot. 25 5. With the VELCROTM tie unfastened, the cover is placed on top of the boot. 6. The baton is extended to its full length and twisted to lock the baton at the extended length. 30 7. Lifting the cover by the baton the driver walks to the front of the car draping the cover over the roof of the car and any aerial. 8. The hook on the baton is placed beneath the wiper and the pipe is pulled to the 2007-07-11 H \Sn ifiestannrh-n enn wnd 7 -8 right at the same time covering the left wing mirror. 9. If there is a security issue and the cover is likely to be stolen, one or both car doors are opened, a fold of the cover is pushed inside and the car door is locked 5 trapping the fold inside the car. The removal sequence is as follows: 1. The baton is pushed to the left to remove the hook from wiper contact. 10 2. The baton is lifted over the body of the car as the driver walks towards the boot. 3. The driver untwists the baton shortening it sufficiently to fit inside the boot. The VELCROTM tie is wrapped around the gathered cover which is somewhat wider 15 than the boot opening. 4. The driver opens the boot. 5. The driver reaches through the tie aperture and re-ties the VELCROTM tie in order 20 to create a waist in the cover. 6. The gathering reveals the bonnet catch aperture. The driver pushes the baton into the wrapper and gathers up the ends of the cover and pushes that into the wrapper itself. The handle is then grasped and pushed forward toward the brace. The 25 action of pushing the handle forward wraps the wrapper around the cover. 7. The hook of the handle engages the brace leaving all the parts in a position for the redeployment of the cover. 30 We have found the advantages of the above embodiment to be: 1. Considerable size adjustment of the cover is possible using fabric ties across the width in several places and along the longitudinal axis of the car using a single 2007-07-31 .H \Specificatons\zhou cap wpd.8 -9 fabric tie. The pleats created by such adjustment assist thermal insulation. 2. In summer the cover shades the windows and extends over the windscreen. In winter the baton is pulled over the front bumper and underlies the radiator of the 5 car to preserve engine heat. 3. Although in Summer the inside temperature of the car is only a few degrees cooler than the outside temperature, it is considerably lower than the temperature which would have been generated inside the car without the cover. 10 It is to be understood that the word "comprising" as used throughout the specification is to be interpreted in its inclusive form, ie. use of the word "comprising" does not exclude the addition of other elements. 15 It is to be understood that various modifications of and/or additions to the invention can be made without departing from the basic nature of the invention. These modifications and/or additions are therefore considered to fall within the scope of the invention. 2007-07-31,H \Specifications\zhou cap pd.9

Claims (15)

1. A weather shield inter alia for a passenger vehicle comprising a thermally insulating sheet which in use extends over at least the roof, windscreen, rear 5 window and side windows, a baton attachable to the sheet at or near the sheet's front edge intended to engage the vehicle structure when deployed and anchor means being struts of adjustable length which engage the interior surface, the hook and ties which anchor the rear of the sheet to the struts, all being capable of accommodation in the vehicles interior along with the sheet when the sheet is not 10 deployed.

2. A weather shield as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the baton is extendible to reach across the width of the car when deployed and collapsible to fit inside the boot when stowed. 15

3. A weather shield as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the baton has a bracket for reversibly engaging a windscreen wiper arm.

4. A weather shield as claimed in any one of Claims 1-3, wherein the sheet has a 20 boot lock aperture which registers with the boot lock when the sheet is deployed enabling the boot to lock when the sheet is deployed.

5. A weather shield as claimed in any one of Claims 1-4, wherein the sheet has a bundling aperture large enough to give hand access to bundling ties on the top 25 face and bottom face of the sheet.

6. A weather shield as claimed in any one of Claims 1-5, wherein the sheet is enlarged to cover the headlights and air intake. 30

7. A weather shield as claimed in any one of Claims 1-6, wherein an adjustable tie lying in a pocket which extends around a substantial portion of the sheet edge changes the length of the sheet perimeter.

8. A weather shield as claimed in any one of Claims 1-7, wherein an adjustable tie - 11 in a linear pocket extends along a longitudinal axis of the cover to change the length of the sheet.

9. A weather shield as claimed in any one of Claims 1-8, wherein one or more 5 transverse adjustable ties in linear pockets extend across the width of the sheet to change the depth of the sheet when deployed.

10. A weather shield as claimed in any one of Claims 1-9, wherein edge darts extend inwards from the sheet perimeter at the sites of the wing mirrors. 10

11. A weather shield as claimed in any one of Claims 1-12, wherein a flexible, flat wrapper extends transversely between the struts capable of containing the bundled sheet, having a leading edge and a trailing edge and a hook fixed to the trailing edge for attaching the wrapper and the contained sheet to a tie which 15 extends between the struts.

12. A weather shield as claimed in any one of Claims 1-11, wherein the sheet is made of a laminate of a light reflective metallised ply and a pliant ply made of material compatible with glass and vehicle paint. 20

13. A weather shield as claimed in any one of Claims 1-11, wherein the sheet is laminated from a top light reflective metallised ply, a bottom ply made of cotton weave and an intermediate ply made of thermally insulating polymeric foam. 25

14. A weather shield for a passenger vehicle for a sedan substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1-7.

15. A weather shield for a passenger vehicle for a sedan substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 9 and 10. 30