Abstract:
A rapidly installable for protecting upwardly facing horizontal surfaces of a motor vehicle from falling hail. The barrier may comprise a cover sheet which covers upwardly exposed surfaces of the motor vehicle and an absorbent panel capable of resisting impact of hail. The absorbent panel may comprise an array of parallel cushion panels having a folding joint disposed between each two adjacent cushion panels. The cushion panels may be enclosed within a sleeve which protects them from liquid and solid contaminants, and preferably, ultraviolet rays. The sleeve may comprise one common sleeve, or plural sleeves each enclosing one or more cushion panels. The barrier may include magnets enclosed within the sleeve or sleeves for adhering to steel vehicle bodies, and straps bearing connectors for engaging axle components of the motor vehicle.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to covers and protectors, and more particularly to a cover or protector for protecting motor vehicles from hail. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Hail storms are notorious for inflicting considerable damage to motor vehicles. A hail storm may arise with little warning, and may release hailstones as large as a softball. This obviously has potential to wreak considerable damage to windows and external body panels of motor vehicles. 
         [0003]    While hail damage may be an expense and an inconvenience to individual owners of motor vehicles, it can be financially disastrous to dealers of new and used motor vehicles, who may see their entire retail operation brought to a standstill for weeks if not longer as a result of hail damage to vehicles in inventory. 
         [0004]    It has been proposed to provide covers to protect against hail damage in the past. However, there remains a need for a quickly deployable, inexpensive cover for warding off hail damage to motor vehicles. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention addresses the above stated need by providing an effective hail barrier or shield which is expeditiously installed on a motor vehicle. The hail barrier may comprise a structural substrate or cover sheet and at least one cushion panel enclosed within an outer protective sleeve, fixed to the cover sheet. The cushion panel is of suitable constituency for absorbing energy of hail stones impinging thereagainst. The protective sleeve encloses the cushion panel and prevents the latter from scratching automotive finishes. Also, because the cushion panel may be of open cell foam construction, the protective sleeve opposes ingress of water and environmental contaminants into the cushion panels. Preferably, the outer sleeve is resistant to ultraviolet rays such as UVA, UVB, and UVC. This protects plastics from deterioration due to exposure to ultraviolet rays. 
         [0006]    Unlike other vehicle covers and protectors, the novel hail barrier is generally limited to cover and protect horizontal surfaces of a motor vehicle. To that end, and also to expedite installation, the cushion panels extend only minimally along vertical surfaces of the motor vehicle, terminating just above fender openings for example. 
         [0007]    The hail barrier may be fixed in place on the motor vehicle by straps, assisted by magnets which may be sewn into the cover sheet. 
         [0008]    In a particularly advantageous application of the invention, a motor vehicle retail dealer may protect inventory which is typically kept outside on paved lots or the like, where the motor vehicles are directly exposed to hail. Because hail storms can develop quickly, the novel barrier is readily unrolled for deployment and fixed to the vehicle. 
         [0009]    It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof by apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable, and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes. 
         [0010]    This and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    Various objects, features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will become more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic environmental side view of a hail resistant barrier according to at least one aspect of the invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a side detail view taken from the left of  FIG. 1 , but showing a connector unconnected, and is drawn to enlarged scale. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a side cross sectional detail view of the top of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is similar to  FIG. 3 , but shows an alternative construction of the subject component. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is similar to  FIG. 3 , but shows a further alternative construction. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a top plan view of the hail barrier of  FIG. 1 , showing the latter fully unrolled. 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is an environmental side view of the hail barrier of  FIG. 6 , shown immediately prior to unrolling. 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is an exploded perspective detail view of the upper left of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]      FIG. 1  shows a hail resistant barrier  100  for protecting a motor vehicle  2 , according to at least one aspect of the invention. The hail resistant barrier  100  is intended to be placed on an upwardly facing horizontal surface, such as the hood  4 , roof  6 , and for vehicles having body styles including such a feature, a trunk (not shown), which upwardly facing horizontal surface would be exposed to falling hail (not shown), as depicted in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0021]    It should be noted at this point that orientational terms such upwardly refer to the subject drawing as viewed by an observer. The drawing figures depict their subject matter in orientations of normal use, which could obviously change with changes the orientation of the motor vehicle being protected.  FIG. 1  therefore will be understood to depict the hail resistant barrier installed in the operative condition on the motor vehicle  2 . Orientational terms therefore will be understood to provide semantic basis for purposes of description, and do not limit the invention or its component parts in any particular way. 
         [0022]    The hail resistant barrier  100  The number, location, length, spacing and other characteristics of the straps such as the straps  102  may be varied to suit the intended purpose, and may vary with hail resistant barriers intended for use with particular models of vehicles for example. 
         [0023]    The hail resistant barrier  100  may comprise a cover sheet  102  which is dimensioned and configured to be installed in the operative condition on and to cover the motor vehicle  2  from the top or upwardly facing surface, and to extend downwardly on the lateral sides of the motor vehicle a sufficient distance to enable securement of the cover sheet  102  to the motor vehicle  2 . The cover sheet  102  serves as a structural substrate for engaging the motor vehicle  2  and to anchor a protective cushion panel  104 . The cushion panel is formed from a material which can absorb energy of falling hail (not shown). Whereas the cover sheet  100  may drape over vertical surfaces of the motor vehicle, the cushion panel  104 , which is located at upwardly facing surfaces of the cover sheet  102  when the cover sheet  102  is installed in the operative condition, the cushion panel  104  is generally limited to cover only horizontal surfaces of the motor vehicle  2 . 
         [0024]    The hail resistant barrier  100  may be attached to the motor vehicle  2  by a plurality of attachment straps  106  disposed to engage the motor vehicle  2  for purposes of securing the cover sheet  102  to the motor vehicle  2 . Preferably, there are four attachment straps  106 , each disposed near one of the wheels  8  of the motor vehicle  2 . Because the hail resistant barrier  100  is primarily intended for protection against downwardly falling hail, it is not necessary to cover lateral surfaces of the motor vehicle  2 . Hence, the cover sheet  102  need depend downwardly from the roof  6  no further than wheel openings  10  formed in the body of the motor vehicle  2  when the cover sheet  102  is installed in the operative condition. 
         [0025]    The hail resistant barrier  100  may be conveniently fixed to the motor vehicle  2  by encircling a component of the axles (not separately shown) of the motor vehicle  2 . For the purposes of this invention, axle components may include not only literally axle components such as axle shafts, but also suspension components such as A-arms, steering components, and other sturdy components of the vehicle which may be readily encircled by the attachment straps  106 . 
         [0026]    Referring also to  FIG. 2 , each attachment strap may comprise a relatively short section  108  terminating in a male connector  110  and a complementing, relatively long second section  112  terminating in a female connector  114 . The male connector  110  and female connector  114  may operate by resilient spreading and closing of the legs of the male connector  110 . This arrangement may be of a commercially available type in widespread use for luggage, backpacks, and the like (none shown) for example. The relatively long second section  112  may be passed around the axle component and connected to the relatively short section. With the relatively short section  108  and the relatively long section  112  connected to form a single strap, the strap may be adjusted by an optional cinch feature (not shown) which may, as with the connectors, be of a commercially available type in widespread use. 
         [0027]    Another feature seen in  FIG. 1  is a plurality of magnets  116  which may be entrapped within the cover sheet  102  by stitching  118  for example, such that each magnet  116  is not directly exposed to the motor vehicle  2  when the hail resistant barrier is installed thereon. The magnets  116  may be spaced about the periphery of the cover sheet  102  to promote engagement of a steel body of the motor vehicle  2  when the cover sheet is installed in the operative condition. 
         [0028]      FIG. 3  shows one of several possible forms of the cushion panel  104 . The cushion panel  104  may be formed as a plurality of cushion panel sections  118  each having a foldable joint disposed between adjacent cushion panels  118 . In the example of  FIG. 3 , the foldable joint comprises a discontinuity or gap between adjacent cushion panels  118 . There is no constituent material in this discontinuity or gap which would oppose folding of the cushion panel  104  for stowage despite the fact that the thickness  120  of the cushion panel  104  may be somewhat greater than the thickness  122  of the cover sheet  102 . the cushion panel  104  may of course comprise a flexible protective sleeve  124  which envelops the cushion panel sections  118 , which protective sleeve  124  may be suitably bonded to the cover sheet  102  by stitching, plastic welding, or in any other suitable way. 
         [0029]    It should be noted that the drawings are diagrammatic and not literal in that for example, the cushion panels  118  are depicted spaced apart from the sleeve  124 . This presentation is only for visual clarity. In practice, the sleeve  124  may directly contact the cushion panels  118 . 
         [0030]      FIG. 4  shows another construction for a cushion panel  130 , which may in other ways be a functional equivalent of the cushion panel  104 . The cushion panel  130  may comprise a flexible protective sleeve  132  which encloses a cushion  134 . The cushion  134  may comprise a series of plank-like sections  136  joined by foldable joints each comprising respective narrowed sections  138  of the constituent material of two adjacent cushion panel sections  136 . The narrowed sections  138  may extend between and be formed integrally with two adjacent cushion panel sections  136 . 
         [0031]    Whereas the two adjacent cushion panel sections  136  and their associated foldable joints  138  are enclosed in common within the sleeve  132  in  FIG. 4 , each individual cushion panel section  140  of a cushion panel  142  may be fully enclosed within a separate sleeve  144 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0032]    Regardless of how cushion panels such as the cushion panels  118 ,  140  and the cushion  134  are arranged, each cushion panel is ultimately bonded to a cover sheet  102  ( FIG. 3 ),  146  ( FIG. 4 ), or  148  ( FIG. 5 ). The cover sheets  102 ,  146 ,  148  may protect their associated cushion panels in several ways. The sleeves may be fabricated at least partially from watertight constituent material, and may be impregnated with a material which resists ultraviolet light. The cushion panels may have constituency of high density polyethylene or a like material, and may take various forms including open or closed cell foams, woven and non-woven fabrics, adjacent sheets adapted to define air bubbles or cells, and still others. 
         [0033]    Preferably, the upwardly exposed face of the sleeve such as the sleeve  124  would be the minimum portion of the entire sleeve  124  which would comprise watertight or water resistant material, and which comprises the material which resists ultraviolet light. Watertight or water resistant material may be inherent in the constituent material of the sleeve, or may comprise a material added to the constituent material to impart the desired quality. The same holds true of the material which resists ultraviolet light. Additives suitable for use with elastomeric materials which confer water and ultraviolet light resistance are known and need not be detailed further herein. 
         [0034]    Regardless of internal construction, as that applies to the options of  FIGS. 3 ,  4 , and  5 , each cushion panel section such as the cushion panel sections  118 ,  140 , or the unitary assembly of the cushion  134  has a length which is oriented perpendicularly to the length (indicated by the arrow  150  in  FIG. 6 ) of the cover sheet such as the cover sheet  102 . The foldable joints of the cushion panel  134  or cushion panel sections  118  or  140  are arranged parallel to one another. This facilitates rolling up the hail resistant barrier (such as the hail resistant barrier  100 , which will serve in representative capacity for explanation of stowage and installation of many types of hail resistant barriers according to the invention) for stowage, as seen in  FIG. 7 . The rolled hail resistant barrier  100  may be expeditiously unrolled when being installed on a motor vehicle such as the motor vehicle  2 . To this end, the cover sheet  102  comprises a main section  152  having the length  150  which is aligned with the length of the motor vehicle  2  when the cover sheet  102  is installed in the operative condition. A pull strap  154  having a fixed end  156  which is anchored to one end of the main section  152  of the cover sheet  102  has a length (indicated by the arrow  158 ) greater than the length of the main section  152  of the cover sheet  102 . The pull strap  154  may be utilized in the following way. As seen in  FIG. 7 , the cover sheet  102  may be placed on a surface of the motor vehicle such as the roof  6 . The mail section  152  may be unrolled from the rolled configuration seen in  FIG. 7  by placing the main section  152  in the rolled condition on the motor vehicle  2  and pulling on the pull strap  154  in a manner which causes the main section  152  to unroll in the same direction as that along which the pull strap  154  is being pulled. 
         [0035]    The free end  160  of the pull strap  154  may be grasped by and pulled to the right as seen in  FIG. 7 . This will unroll the rolled up hail barrier  100  until the hail barrier  100  is spread across the entire roof  6  of the motor vehicle  2 . The attachments straps  106  (see  FIG. 1 ) may then be deployed to secure the hail barrier  100  in place. The pull strap  154  may be quite long, for example possibly exceeding twice the length  150  of the cover sheet  102 . This is to enable a person to stand immediately behind the motor vehicle  2  while the hail barrier  100  is at the front end of the motor vehicle, having just been placed in the initial position depicted in  FIG. 7 , and to walk away from the motor vehicle  2  while grasping and pulling the pull strap  154  until the cover sheet  102  is fully unrolled. 
         [0036]      FIG. 8  shows a tail section  160  which may be an extension of the main section  152  of the cover sheet  102 . The main section  152  and the tail section  160  may each have respective patches  162 ,  164  of hook and loop fastener for retaining the tail section  160  to the main section  152  at the seams bearing the patches  162 ,  164 . The reason for providing the tail section  160  in the form shown herein is to promote orderly rolling and unrolling of the main section  152 , and to enable the main section to be compact when rolled up for stowage. 
         [0037]    While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the present invention is not to be limited to the disclosed arrangements, but is intended to cover various arrangements which are included within the spirit and scope of the broadest possible interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all modifications and equivalent arrangements which are possible.