GB2184701A - Vehicle window protector - Google Patents

Abstract

A vehicle window cover l comprises an elongate flexible strip 2 to extend across a windscreen of a vehicle and is provided with handle portions 3 at respective ends of the strip 1 to facilitate positioning of the ends inside the vehicle with adjacent portions to be trapped between the doors and door frames. The handle portions are preferably of greater thickness than the remainder of the cover to inhibit unauthorised removal of the cover. The cover may bear, on one or both sides thereof wording, numbering, and/or pictorial material 7 printed or otherwise formed thereon. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Vehicle window cover This invention relates to a coverforvehiclewindow, and particu larly the windscreen or rear window.

In orderto prevent the formation of a layer of ice or snow directly on the surface of the windscreen of a vehicle parked in the open for an extended period, such as overnight when frost isto be expected, it has become common practice to cover the windscreen with sheet material, such as newspaper orcard- board, this material being arranged to be held in place by trapping it beneath the windscreen wipers.

This method of secu ring the cover has not proved to be very satisfactory, particularly in conditions of high winds, the securing at the lateral edges ofthe windscreen being particularly poor. Such make-shift covers are also subject to an unauthorised removal.

According to the invention, therefore, there is provided a vehicle window cover comprising an elongate flexible strip of sheet material for extending across and covering the window, such as the windscreen or rear window, of a vehicle and stop members provided at opposite ends of the strip, said stop members being of greaterthickness than the sheet material so that the cover can be positioned across a vehicle window with the strip held at longitudinally spaced positions between edges of openings into the vehicle and the closures therefor and with opposite end portions of the cover trapped insidethe vehicle.

The strip will normally be held between door edges and corresponding door frame members of the vehicle body, the greaterthickness of the stop portions inhibiting removal of the cover from the vehicle with the doors in the closed position since even if the strip can slide outwardly between the window frame and the car body, these stop portions will be unableto and will jam. Thisfeaturetherefore not only serves to retain the cover in high winds, but also enhances the security, and renders the cover pilfer-proof.

The stop members may be formed as handles by which the ends of the strip may be manipulated for positioning ofthe cover.

The cover may bear on one or both sides thereof printed matter whereby the window area may be utilized for the display of, for example, advertising material.

The strip may comprise a single thickness of synthetic plastics material and the stop members may be integ rally formed with, or affixed to the ends of the strip.

According to the present invention there is also provided a method of protecting a window, such as the windscreen or rear window, of a vehicle, comprising positioning a cover across the outerface of the window, the cover comprising an elongate flexible strip of sheet material and stop members provided at opposite ends of the strip, said stop members being of greaterthickness than the sheet material, wherein each of the two opposite end portions ofthe cover, including the respective end stop members, is positioned so that it becomes trapped inside the veh icle upon closure of an opening in the vehicle body, the strop thereupon being held at longitudinally spaced positions between edges ofthe openings and of closure memberstherefor.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure lisa plan view of a windscreen coveraccording to the invention; Figure2 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which the cover of Figure 1 may be secured across the windscreen of a vehicle.

With reference to the drawings, a windscreen cover 1 comprises a flexible, elongate rectangular strip 2 provided at its opposite ends with respective handle members 3. As shown in Figure 2, each handle member comprises an attachment strip 4 affixed centrally of a respective edge of the strip 1 and, integ rally formed with the attachment strip, a C-shaped holding element 5. The strip 2 and handle members 3 may be of synthetic plastics material. Oil derivative materials such as ethylene by-products (e.g. polyethylene) are suitable. The attachment strips of the handle members may be heat-sealed to the strip 2, or affixed thereto by any other app- ropriate means.

As an alternative, the opposite ends ofthe strip 2 may be reinforced, for example by folding to provide a double orother multiplethickness of material,the handle portions being provided by the formation of appropriately shaped apertures through the reinfor- ced ends.

The cover may be transparent, white, or any desired colour. While the coiour of the cover does not affect its efficiency as a means for preventing icing of the windscreen or as a snow shield, the use of are latively dark coloured material will enhance the cover's versatility by enabling itto be effective also as a sunshield to prevent excessive heating of the vehicle interior when the vehicle is left parked in direct sunlight.

In a specific example the cover is of 300 gauge (75 microns thick) plastics sheet and is approximately 30 inches (76 cms) in width and 70 inches (178 cms) in length. These are the optimum width and length dimensions as they have been found to permitthe cover to be used on most present day carwindscreens. Moreover, more generally, the length of the covershould be not lessthan 45 inches (114cm) and more preferably at least 50 inches (127 cm). Bymak- ingthecover60 inches (152cm) or more in length, it can be used on at least a third of present day car windscreens.

One side ofthe cover may carry alpha numeric and/ or pictorial matter 7 thereon. This matter may be, for example, advertising material, in which case the windscreen area is effectively used as advertising space. In the particular example, the advertising mat- erial is applied to the polyethylene sheet by a flexographic printing process.

Figure2 illustratesthemannerinwhichthecover is positioned overthewindscreen of an automobile.

First one, and then the other end of the sheet is grasped by means of the respective handle member 3 and positioned inside the carwith the adjacentpor tion ofthe sheet projecting through the gap between the sloping portion of the forward door pillar 8 and the corresponding sloping portion ofthe window frame9 (in phantom) ofthe respective front door of the vehicle, with that door held open. The door is then closed and the end ofthe sheet is thereby held firmly between the door and the doorframe. The windscreen wipers may be manipulated to bear upon the outer printed surface of the cover to provide additional security.

The greaterthickness of the handle members serves to inhibit accidental or unauthorised removal of the coverwith the doors in the closed position since these portions constitute end stop members by which the passage through the narrow gap between the door and doorframe is prevented oratleastren- dered extremely difficult. It will be appreciated that otherforms ofthickening at the ends of the strip can provide this security and that the use of handles, though advantageous for ease of manipulation, is only one example.

In the particularembodimentthe handle members are provided with complementary interengageable projections and recesses by which they may be held together to assist in the folding ofthe coverforstorage after removal from the windscreen.

The above described cover may also be used for the protection of the rear window of the vehicle.

Although the above description refersto each end of the strip being held between a door and the corresponding doorframe, one, or even both ends could be held between the edge of a window and the corresponding windowframe.

Accordingly, the above embodiment provides a convenient, pilfer-proof windscreen cover which when folded occupies a very small space and which can utilize the windscreen area as an advertising space.

Claims (7)

1. A vehicle window cover comprising an el ongateflexible strip of sheet material for extending across and covering a window, such asthewindscreen or rear window, of a vehicle and stop members provided at opposite ends ofthe strip, said stop members being of greaterthickness than the sheet material so thatthecover can be positioned across a vehicle window with the strip held at longitudinally spaced positions between edges of openings into the vehicle and the closures therefor and with opposite end portions of the cover trapped inside the vehicle.

2. Avehiclewindowcover according to claim 1, wherein at least one side ofthe strip bears alphanumeric and/or pictorial matter visually represented thereon.

3. Avehiclewindowcoveraccordingtoclaim 1 or claim 2 wherein the stop members are in the form of handles.

4. A method of protecting a window, such as the windscreen or rear window, of a vehicle, comprising positioning a cover across the outerface ofthe window, the cover comprising an elongate flexible strip of sheet material and stop members provided at opposite ends of the strip, said stop members being of greater thickness than the sheet material, wherein each of the two opposite end portions of the cover, including the respective end stop member, is positioned so that it becomes trapped inside the vehicle upon closure of an opening inthevehicle body, the strip thereupon being held at longitudinally spaced positions between edges ofthe openings and of closure memberstherefor.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the strip is held at said spaced positions between door edges and corresponding doorframe members of the vehicle body.

6. A vehicle window cover substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompany- ing drawings.

7. A method of protecting a window of a vehicle, substantially as hereinbefore described with referpence to the accompanying drawings.