Abstract:
A collapsible protective cover for the trunk of a motor vehicle that extends from the trunk and therebeyond to protect an individual from environmental elements while accessing the trunk. Self-contained telescopically extensible self-supporting multiple panel configurations with individual flexible side flaps can be easily and quickly deployed from inside the open trunk lid to provide a temporary cover for the trunk and the user as they remove or replace items in the trunk for a short period of time.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Technical Field 
   This device relates to motor vehicles and deployable shades or covers that extend therefrom to form a temporary shelter over the trunk area of the vehicle to protect individuals from precipitation when accessing the truck. 
   2. Description of Prior Art 
   Prior art devices of this type have been directed towards awnings and shade covers that attach to a motor vehicle from the trunk area, see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,519,409, 4,544,195, 5,601,104, 5,129,678 and Patent Publication 2003/023032 A1. 
   In U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,409 an awning for attachment to a rear bumper of an automobile is disclosed having a multiple part tubular support frame attached to a bumper with a fabric cover extending from the vehicle thereover. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,195 is directed to a rear cover for a pick-up truck on which a camper cap has been installed. The cover configuration uses a hinge rear access panel of the camper to support the flexible material having a pair of screen window inserts and a central zipper positioned therebetween. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,601,104 claims an auto tent in which a portable canopy formed of tubular sections that extends from a pair of support plates on which the wheels of the vehicle are parked. A weather resistant cover slips over the ends of the extended form defining a canopy thereover. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,678 illustrates a dirt and grease protective cover for the rear of an automobile that essentially hangs out of the trunk of the vehicle providing a cover over the lip of the trunk which typically an individual leans against when accessing the trunk. 
   Finally, in U.S. Patent Publication 2003/023032 A1 a shade cover device for attachment to the tailgate portion of a vehicle is shown having a pair of angularly disposed support struts extending from the bumper and held by return support cables from the open tailgate of an SUV. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A compact deployable cover that selectively extends from the interior of a vehicle&#39;s trunk lid to provide a weather resistant barrier over the trunk and the area adjacent thereto. The cover has rigid interlocking panels with attached flexible side curtain flaps extending therefrom. The cover is preferably attached to the underside of the vehicle&#39;s trunk lid and provides protection from the elements for individuals accessing the trunk. 

   
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing the cover assembly of the invention attached to a vehicle in open deployed position; 
       FIG. 2  is a partial end elevational view of the deployed cover independent of the vehicle; 
       FIG. 3  is a side elevational view of the cover panels fully retracted prior to deployment; 
       FIG. 4  is a side elevational view of the cover with the first panel being deployed with its associated flap; 
       FIG. 5  is a side elevational view of the cover with all of the panels deployed in use position independent of the vehicle; 
       FIG. 6  is a partial enlarged front assembly view of multiple interengaged side slide engagement elements on panels in stored stacked position; 
       FIG. 7  is a partial enlarged side elevational view with portions broken away of multiple interengaging side slide elements on the panels in stored stacked position; 
       FIG. 8  is an enlarged partial top plan view of a portion of the slide element support assembly on the ends of the panels; 
       FIG. 9  is an enlarged partial section on lines  9 — 9  of  FIG. 8 ; 
       FIG. 10  is a front elevational view of the cover assembly with portions broken away in stored position; and 
       FIG. 11  is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view on lines  11 — 11  of  FIG. 7 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring to  FIG. 1  of the drawings, a collapsible cover  10  of the invention can be seen in use on a vehicle  11 . The cover  10  is shown in deployed fully open position over a trunk  12  of the vehicle  11 . The trunk lid  13  is open with the base of the cover  10  secured to its underside surface  14 . The cover  10  of the invention has a mounting bracket assembly  15  from which a multiple panel assembly  16  is pivotally secured. The panel assembly  16  has a plurality of light-weight rigid rectangular panels  17 – 21  which are of equal dimension having oppositely disposed end edges  22  and  23  and interconnecting longitudinal front and back edges  24  and  25 . The end edges  22  and  23  are grooved at  26  therealong with a key way configuration. Each of the panels  17 – 21  are fitted with inner engaging edge support track assembly pairs  26 A,  26 B,  26 C,  26 D and  26 E, best seen in  FIGS. 6–9  of the drawings that are registerably secured to their respective end edges  22  and  23  by corresponding keyed tongues  27  formed on and extending longitudinally from the respective edge support track assembly pairs. 
   An adhesive  28  is used within the key way grooves  26  to permanently bond the key tongues  27  of the edge support track assembly pairs in place so as to become integral with their respective panels. 
   The edge support track assemblies  26 A– 26 E have an elongated key way groove at  29  therein at right angular relation to the hereinbefore described tongue key  27 . The key way groove at  29  extends from the respective panels front edge  24  to a point inwardly of its back edge at  25  as best seen in  FIG. 7  of the drawings in dotted lines. 
   A registration slide lug  30  is formed on and extends from the upper surface  30 A of the respective edge support track assembly pairs  26 A– 26 E in oppositely disposed relation to the hereinbefore disclosed key way groove at  29 . The slide lug  30  is spaced inwardly from the end of the edge support track assembly pairs and is configured to be slidable disposed into the corresponding groove at  29  of an adjacent panel as best seen in  FIGS. 9 and 11  of the drawings. 
   The panels  17 – 21  are accordingly arranged in an overlapping front edge  24  to back edge  25  orientation so as to be slidable disposed one on top of another in vertical stacked telescopically extensible relationship. 
   It will be evident from the above description that due to the effective overlap engagement of the front and back panel portions that the inner engaged slide lugs  30  will impart sufficient structural support so each of the panels  17 – 21  will be supported by the adjacent panel providing a self-supporting cantilevered telescopically extensible integral structure when deployed. 
   Each of the panels  17 – 21  have a flexible side flap  31  extending from their respective support tracks  26  outer edge surfaces  31 A as best seen in  FIG. 11  of the drawings. The side flaps  31  are of varying length and overlap adjacent flaps  31  so that they will provide an integral flexible sidewall at  32  as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 3  of the drawings when fully deployed. 
   In use, the panels  17 – 21 , as noted, are initially stacked together, see  FIGS. 6 and 7 , under the trunk lid  13  of the vehicle  11  within the support bracket  15  with the side flaps  31  being pulled together in concentric bundles  33  and  34  which overlie one another and are held in place by auxiliary clips (not shown) as illustrated generally in  FIG. 10  of the drawings. 
   The top panel  17  has a flexible deployment flap  34  extending from along its front edge  24  with an access grip opening at  35  therein. The flap  34  is used to deploy the multiple panels  17 – 21  by manually gripping same by the handle opening  36  as well as providing a return drop down weather shield behind and above the user (not shown) standing in front of the trunk  12  during access. 
   As the flap  34  is pulled the panel  17  slides forward and the adjacent panel  18  slide lugs  30  within the key grooves  29  which then pull the next panel  19  forward when the lugs  30  engage the end of the grooves  29  in the same manner repeating until all of the panels  17 – 21  are fully deployed and locked in position as illustrated sequentially in  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  5  of the drawings. 
   It will be evident from the above description that as the panels  17 – 21  are extended that the corresponding side flaps  31  will extend also in overlapping action until fully opened as seen in  FIG. 5  of the drawings. 
   After use, the cover  10  of the invention is retracted by pulling the panel  17  back towards the trunk lid  13  telescopically collapsing the panels one upon the other and stacking the multiple panels for storage as hereinbefore described. 
   The panels  17 – 21  are molded preferably from synthetic resin material, but could be made of any suitable material with required structural rigidity and weight characteristics to be compliant with the required cantilever support action embodied by their structure. The multiple side flaps  31  are preferably transparent to provide as much natural light as possible for the open trunk  12 . 
   It will thus be seen that a new and novel vehicle trunk cover  10  has been illustrated and described and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.