Abstract:
An automobile display canopy with an anchor system for securing the canopy to the ground using the automobile itself. The general components of the present invention are a collapsible canopy including at least four canopy legs, and four anchor platforms which hold the canopy in place and allow a vehicle to drive onto the plates, thereby securing the entire system to the ground. The anchors may include a single tire stop, signaling to the driver when the wheel reaches a stopping point. An alternative embodiment may include both a front stop and a rear stop. The legs of the canopy must be collapsible. They may telescope or be disassembled temporarily.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of and claims priority in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/085,524, filed Nov. 20, 2013, which is incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is related generally to an automobile display canopy with a specialized anchoring system, and more particularly to a canopy which is anchored by plates secured by the wheels of an automobile while providing optimal viewing display of the vehicle in a car-show setting. 
     2. Background and Description of the Related Art 
     Car shows and other automobile-related events typically feature a large outdoor space where a number of vehicles are on display for the viewing public and other automobile enthusiasts. Ideal weather for such events is a sunny, warm, clear day. This can result in the sun beating down on the expensive custom paint job of a prized automobile for hours at a time. Additionally, rain or other inclement weather can appear at any time. Vehicle owners desire to protect their vehicles from the sun and other weather effects, but often this is impossible during auto-show settings. 
     Currently, if a person wants to protect their vehicle from the elements, they would have to put their vehicle into a garage or shed, cover their vehicle with a tarp or soft cover, or use a common patio tent. However, these means of vehicle protection do not facilitate the display of vehicles at auto-shows. Permanent garages and sheds cannot be transported to show sites, and would make it difficult for viewers to see the vehicle stored within. Similarly, tarps and soft covers conceal the car completely, and therefore are not suitable for protecting a vehicle at a car show or event. 
     While some auto enthusiasts use collapsible patio tents more commonly seen at sporting tailgate events, there are several problems with these tents. First, they are not typically intended for setup on pavement or concrete, where automobiles would typically be parked. Because of this, a tent set up at a car show has a high likelihood of being blown over in the wind. The long metal legs of such tents pose serious danger to the paint and finish of these highly cared-for vehicles at car shows. If such a tent were to blow over, several vehicles could be damaged. Typical means of anchoring these tents have not solved this issue. For this very reason, such tents are banned at most, if not all, car show events. Even still, existing collapsible tents are typically not large enough to accommodate vehicles for these purposes. 
     What is desired is a canopy that may be anchored by the automobile itself, is customizable for automobiles of any size, and which is highly portable. Heretofore there has not been available an automobile display canopy with the advantages and features of the present invention. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is an automobile canopy with an anchor system for securing the canopy to the ground using the automobile itself. The general components of the present invention are a collapsible canopy including at least four canopy legs, and four anchor platforms which hold the canopy in place and allow a vehicle to drive onto the plates, thereby securing the entire system to the ground. 
     The anchors may include a single tire stop, signaling to the driver when the wheel reaches a stopping point. An alternative embodiment may include both a front stop and a rear stop. The legs of the canopy must be collapsible. They may telescope or be disassembled temporarily. 
     An alternative embodiment anchor would include several mounting slots for mounting the base of the canopy legs to accommodate larger and smaller vehicles. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof. 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention incorporated into a typical environment. 
         FIG. 1A  is a detailed isometric view taken about the circle  1 A of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 1B  is a detailed isometric view taken about the circle  1 B of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan elevation of an anchor plate embodying an element of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a side elevational view thereof. 
         FIG. 4  is a front elevational view thereof. 
         FIG. 5  is a side elevational view detailing the connection at the end of a pole element comprising one of the canopy legs, which is an element of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a side elevational view detailing an alternative embodiment thereof. 
         FIG. 7  is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment anchor plate embodying an element of an alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a top plan view of another alternative embodiment anchor plate embodying an element of an alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a side elevational view thereof. 
         FIG. 10  is a rear elevational view thereof. 
         FIG. 11  is a diagrammatic side elevational view of the alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     I. Introduction and Environment 
     As required, detailed aspects of the disclosed subject matter are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed aspects are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art how to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. 
     Certain terminology will be used in the following description for convenience in reference only and will not be limiting. For example, up, down, front, back, right and left refer to the invention as orientated in the view being referred to. The words, “inwardly” and “outwardly” refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the aspect being described and designated parts thereof. Said terminology will include the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof and words of similar meaning. 
     A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides an automobile display canopy  2  featuring four anchors  4  which allow the canopy to be deployed around the vehicle  6  while being anchored to the ground by the vehicle  6  such that the canopy will not blow over causing damage to the vehicle  6  or other vehicles in the vicinity. 
     II. Embodiment or Aspect of the Vehicle Display Canopy  2  Having Anchors  4   
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the canopy  2  includes a number of collapsible legs  9 , four anchor plates  4 , a canopy covering  8  and connections  22  between the covering  8  and the legs  9 . In a preferred embodiment, each of the legs  9  is separated into at least two portions, shown in  FIG. 1  as a top portion  10  and a bottom portion  11 . The two portions are connected by a pin  19 . Alternatively, the legs  9  could be telescoping legs that lock into place when extended. Other means of combining leg portions together could be used as well, such as joining two threaded ends together or using a temporary fastener. 
     The bottom portion  11  of each leg  9  is pinned into a receiver  14  of an anchor  4 . The receiver  14  is welded to a toe  17  which is formed by a mechanical break in the base plate  16  of the anchor  4 . Each plate also includes one or two tire stops  18  which make contact with the tires  20  of the vehicle  6  being protected and displayed under the canopy  2 . If the anchor  4  employs a single stop  18 , it would be located toward the front edge of the base plate  16 . Once the tire makes contact with the stop, the driver is notified by the impact that the tire is fully located on the anchor  4 . In the case of two stops  18 , the driver would drive over the first stop such that the tire is located between both stops (see  FIGS. 3 and 4 ). The cross section of a stop could vary in shape. A triangular cross section, half-moon cross section, or even square or rectangular cross section would suffice. 
     The covering  8  is intended to protect the vehicle  6  from the sun. Car shows may last all day long, and the sun can cause paint to fade and wear. Paint jobs on show-cars can be extremely expensive, and car owners want to protect their vehicles from any and all elements. Similarly, the covering could be waterproof to protect the vehicle from rain. The cover could partially or fully roll down the sides of the canopy  2 , snapping to or otherwise being connected to the legs to form an enclosed tent. 
     The canopy  2  would cast a shadow around the vehicle, depending on the sun&#39;s position in the sky. Chairs could be placed in the shaded area provided by the canopy. As the sun moves, the shade may shift, and chairs could be moved to follow this shaded space. 
       FIG. 1A  shows the connection  22  between the cap  12  of the upper portion  10  of a leg  9  with the canopy covering  8 . A grommet  24  is located at each corner of the covering  8 . As shown in  FIG. 1A , a threaded post  28  connected to or inserted into the cap  12  of the upper leg portion  10  is inserted through the grommet  24  and a threaded nut  26  is used to fasten the cover  8  to the leg  9 .  FIGS. 5 and 6  show two alternative connecting means in more detail, although these are not the only means by which the cover  8  may be connected to the legs  9 . 
       FIG. 1B  shows the connection between the lower leg portion  11  and the anchor  4  in more detail. Specifically, it shows how the lower leg portion  11  is pinned into the receiver  14  using a removable pin  15 . The pin could be a cotter pin or any other type of connecting means for securing the leg  9  to the anchor  4  while the canopy  2  is in use. The function of the anchor  4  is to use the vehicle&#39;s  6  own weight to hold down the canopy  2 , preventing it from blowing over in the wind, which could potentially damage the vehicle  6  or other vehicles in the vicinity.  FIG. 1B  also shows how the tire  20  could be trapped between two stops  18 , securing the vehicle tire squarely onto the anchor. 
       FIG. 2  shows how the receiver  14  is welded to the toe  17 . The base plate  16  is broken in the manufacturing process to form the toe  17 , which adds structural stability to the anchor  4  and provides additional surface area for welding the receiver  14 .  FIG. 3  shows the receiver  14  connected to the toe  17  via spot weld  21 .  FIGS. 3 and 4  provide additional detail of the anchor  4 , showing how the tire  20  interacts with the stops  18 . 
       FIG. 5  shows an embodiment of the connection  22  between the upper leg portion  10  and the grommet  24  which is connected to the covering  8 . A plug  30  is threaded into the cap  12  of the upper leg portion  10 . The embodiment shown in  FIG. 5  includes a threaded post  28  extending from the plug  30 . The post  28  is inserted through the grommet  24  and a threaded nut  26  is threaded onto the post  28 , securing the grommet  24 , and thus the cover  8 , to the upper leg portion  10 . 
       FIG. 6  shows an alternative embodiment connection  122 . Again, a plug  130  is threaded into the cap  12  of the upper leg portion  10 . The plug  130  includes a threaded receiver  128 . A threaded bolt  126  is inserted through the grommet  24  and is threaded into the receiver  128 , thereby securing the grommet  24 , and thus the cover  8 , to the upper leg portion  10 . 
     Any other conceivable means of securing the cover  8  to the upper leg portion could also be used. For example, a simple hook, clasp, or carbineer could be used to connect the grommet  24  to a hook or loop located or connected to the cap  12  of the upper leg portion  10 . Similarly, bungee cords or ties could be used. 
     III. Alternative Embodiment Anchor  104   
       FIG. 7  displays an alternative embodiment of the anchor  104  which may be used with the same legs  9  and canopy cover  8  as the system described above. 
     The wheelbase of vehicles can range from around 112 inches to around 129 inches. Thus it may be necessary for a system to accommodate multiple vehicles using the same anchors  104 , legs  9 , and cover  8 . The embodiment shown in  FIG. 7  includes a single wheel stop  118  as discussed above. The base plate  116  features a similar break forming a toe  117 . Four receivers  114  are shown aligned along the break and welded to the toe  117  via spot welds  121 . The receivers are shown facing in different directions to further accommodate the different wheel-base lengths of different automobiles; however, they could all point out in the same direction. 
     Four receivers  114  are shown, however as few as two may be used or as many as are necessary to accommodate all vehicle types. Alternatively, a single receiver on a sliding track may be used. The sliding track could be locked in place against the plate  116 , unlocked and slid into a new position accommodating a larger or smaller vehicle, and then re-locked in the new position. 
     IV. Alternative Embodiment Display Canopy  202  with Anchor  204   
     Yet another alternative embodiment display canopy system  202  with anchor  204  is shown in  FIGS. 8-11 . This embodiment includes several features which add strength and utility to the embodiments disclosed above. 
       FIG. 8  shows an anchor  204  having a base plate  216  including a toe  217  featuring several bolt holes  221 . The entire plate  216  and toe  217  are laser cut from a single piece of aluminum or other suitable metals. Aluminum is ideal for weight and functionality. The base plate is further laser cut to form the detent  218  which acts as a wheel stop. The detent  218  is broken from the base plate  216  using a press break. This provides the most affordable and effective way of placing a wheel stop on the anchor  204 . 
     A selectable receiver plate  220  is bolted to the toe  217  via several bolts  225  passing through a set of bolt holes  223  located on the receiver plate  220  along with the bolt holes  221  located on the toe. 
     A leg post  214  is inserted into a notch  222  of the receiver plate  220  and welded into place. The post is a solid roll pin which slots over the notch via a cap in the receiver, and includes a pin hole  215  for receiving a pin. A leg segment  210  of the canopy  202  is placed over the leg post  214 , and a pin is inserted through the leg and the receiver, thereby locking the leg to the anchor  204 . Again, the leg segments  210  would ideally be aluminum, though other suitable metals could also be used. 
     As shown in  FIG. 11 , a preferred embodiment includes at least eight leg segments  210 , which allows for two segments per leg. The segments are interchangeable and fit together using a connecting post  228  and a pin in the same way that a leg portion  210  connects with the leg post  214 . The connecting post  228  ideally is simply a swedged end of the leg portion  210 , although the post  228  could be a separate element. The connecting post  228  of the top-most leg segment  210  is fitted through the grommet  24  of the canopy  8  and a pin is used to prevent the grommet  24  from slipping off of the post  228 . As the leg portions  210  are interchangeable, any such leg portion could connect to the leg post  214  or the grommet  24 . 
     It is to be understood that while certain aspects of the disclosed subject matter have been shown and described, the disclosed subject matter is not limited thereto and encompasses various other embodiments and aspects.