Car cover and anchoring assembly

A storable cover for covering the cabin portion of a variety of vehicles, such as sedans, vans, and hatchbacks, carries storage means secured thereto to be disposed in a suitable compartment of the vehicle. The trailing edge of the cover is anchored inside the vehicle when the cover is disposed onto the vehicle. The storage means is affixed firmly inside the trunk or other rear compartment of the various vehicles, such as for example, sedans, hatchbacks, and vans so as to locate part of the over assembly within a locked compartment. The cover is deployed by being taken out of the storage means and fed from the trunk through the opening which is created between the raised closure member for the compartment and the body of the vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention pertains to an improved vehicle cover and more particularly 
to such a cover including storage means which also serve to anchor an end 
of the cover to the vehicle and which are useful with a variety of 
vehicles and in various locations within the vehicles. 
It is known that sunlight damages the exposed surfaces of the interior of a 
vehicle. It is also known that when parked under direct sunlight, the 
vehicle's interior temperature rises due to the familiar greenhouse 
effect. This rise in temperature further damages the vehicle's interior. 
Furthermore, the hot air and the hot surfaces of the interior can prove 
uncomfortable for a person staying in or returning to the vehicle. Some 
articles in the vehicle such as magnetic media and electronic equipment 
can sometimes suffer from the elevated temperature as well. 
In addition, when a vehicle is left to stand outside all night exposed to 
the elements, the finish on the vehicle will be dulled. 
The general object of this invention is to provide sun protection for the 
interior of a vehicle by means of a highly effective, low cost, durable, 
easy to use, theft resistant and reflective sun protection cover to be 
deployed over the cabin of the vehicle. 
The cover, its storage bag or pouch, and its attachment means for securing 
an end of the cover to an end of the vehicle are designed as a single 
integrated unit which significantly reduces the cost of the unit. It 
further makes the unit easier to use. 
As shown herein the pouch is held firmly inside the trunk of the vehicle by 
plastic dipped hooks which engage openings in the trunk lid. The cover is 
deployed by being taken out of the trunk through the opening which is 
created between the trunk lid and the rear windshield or body of the 
vehicle when the trunk lid is opened. Accordingly, the deployment and 
storage of the cover can readily be handled by a single person requiring 
no special tools or the like. Since the cover is anchored or remains 
anchored securely at the trunk end thereof, it remains stable during 
deployment as well as during storage. 
According to another feature of the invention, the cover uses the vehicle's 
own body parts to hold it in place when pulled over the cabin. At least 
one door of the vehicle is used to hold the cover in place by being closed 
onto it whereby the cover will fit underneath the upper portion of the 
door containing the window frame. The leading portion of the cover can be 
held in place by being tucked under the windshield wipers of the vehicle. 
According to a further embodiment, the cover employs elastic strings 
disposed to be wrapped about the side view mirrors of the vehicle. 
The foregoing design of the cover makes it substantially theft proof 
without requiring any specific tie-down or locks or alarms or the like. In 
the deployed position, the cover is firmly anchored to the interior of the 
trunk. With the trunk lid closed and locked it would be extremely 
difficult if not impossible to tamper or remove the cover from the 
vehicle. When the cover is stowed, the cover is safely locked within the 
trunk, concealed and out of sight. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND OBJECTS 
In general as disclosed herein a storable vehicle cover for covering at 
least the cabin portion of a vehicle carries a storage means or pouch 
secured thereto to be disposed in the trunk of the vehicle in a manner 
anchoring the trailing edge of the cover when the cover is disposed onto 
the vehicle. The storage means or pouch remains affixed firmly inside the 
trunk of the vehicle. By opening the trunk lid of the vehicle the cover is 
in position to be readily removed from its associated pouch and fed from 
the trunk through the opening which is created between the raised trunk 
lid and the rear windshield or body of the vehicle. 
In general it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved 
car cover for a variety of vehicles, including sedans, vans, and 
hatchbacks. 
A protective vehicle cover according to the invention includes a sheet of 
strong, flexible, pliant material sufficient to overlay a substantial 
portion of the front windshield, rear windshield, and the side windows of 
a vehicle to be covered. The sheet carries a storage unit at one end 
thereof with the storage unit being anchored within a compartment of said 
vehicle. The compartment has a closure moveable between open and closed 
positions so that the sheet is clamped between the closure and the body of 
the vehicle when the closure is in its closed position. 
The storage unit comprises a pair of panels joined together along a forward 
edge of each. One of the panels is movable between a first and a second 
position with respect to the other panel to form an open space 
therebetween for receiving the cover for storage therein. 
The storage unit for the protective vehicle cover is mounted in a variety 
of vehicles and locations within the vehicles. For a sedan these locations 
include the floor of the trunk compartment of a vehicle and the rear sill 
of the trunk compartment of a vehicle. For a van, the location for the 
storage units include the rear closure door, where the protective sheet is 
disposed to be clamped between said rear closure door of the van and the 
body of said vehicle when said rear closure doors is in its closed 
position. For a hatchback, the storage unit is mounted in a rear storage 
compartment of a hatchback vehicle in locations such as the inside of the 
hatch door, the floor, the protective internal cover, and the rear sill. 
A protective vehicle cover includes a sheet of strong, flexible, compliant 
material sufficient to overlay the front windshield, rear windshield and 
side windows of a vehicle to be covered. The sheet carries a storage pouch 
at one end thereof to be disposed within a compartment of the vehicle. The 
compartment has a closure member moveable between an open and a closed 
position. Means are provided for mounting the pouch from the interior 
surface of the compartment. The pouch has an opening thereto which is 
accessible for storing the sheet within the pouch. 
The invention provides a method of protecting the interior and exterior of 
a vehicle of a type having a compartment accessible via a movable closure 
carried on a pair of laterally spaced hinges connected to the vehicle 
body. The method includes the steps of forming a sheet of material which 
is sufficient to overlay the front windshield, rear windshield and side 
windows of the vehicle, forming at one end of said sheet a storage pouch 
having top and bottom surface portions, yieldingly retaining said surface 
portions to be carried within the compartment of the vehicle, opening said 
compartment, removing said sheet from the pouch, feeding the sheet from 
the compartment onto the roof of the vehicle via an opening formed between 
the vehicle body and an edge of the closure between the hinges, clamping 
the sheet between the closure and the vehicle body to retain an end edge 
of said cover anchored inplace. 
The method further includes the step of closing a side door in a manner to 
clamp a portion of the sheet covering the side window of the door between 
the vehicle body and the door to retain the sheet in a covering relation 
to the side window. 
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a car cover of the 
kind described having a reflective outer surface to minimize transmittal 
of heat into the vehicle. 
It is yet an additional object of the invention to provide pie-shaped slits 
at the rear corners of the car cover associated with elastic strings 
bounding the space between the open end of the slits and extending further 
along the bottom edge of the cover whereby the cover assembly can 
accommodate a variety of sizes of vehicles. 
Yet an additional object of the invention is the provision of a car cover 
having a relatively large open central region to permit wind to readily 
escape from beneath when it is being deployed. 
Yet a further object of the invention is the provision of an improved 
method of deployment of a car cover onto a vehicle. 
The foregoing and other objects of the invention shall become more readily 
evident from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments 
when considered in conjunction with the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Preferably the nature of the material employed in the car cover 10 should 
be chosen to be wear and tear resistant, weather resistant, lightweight, 
thin, foldable, stain resistant, washable, non-shrinking and able to hold 
print. One such material which provides the foregoing qualifications 
includes nylon. 
Of the foregoing characteristics the sheet of material forming cover 10 
should primarily be strong, flexible, and pliant. Cover 10 carries a 
storage unit or pouch 11 at the trailing end thereof as shown in FIG. 1. 
Storage unit 11 comprises a pair of fabric panels 12, 13. Panels 12, 13 
are mutually joined together along a forward edge of each panel. One of 
panels 12, 13 is movable between raised and lowered positions with respect 
to the other said panel to form an open space therebetween for receiving 
the car cover 10 to be stored therein. Preferable, the trailing edge of 
both panels 12, 13 carries a flexible reinforcing material 16 sewn into 
the edge margin thereof so as to both reinforce the edge margin of panels 
12, 13 and to permit the edge margin to flex when removing cover 10 
therefrom. 
Cover 10 includes a tail piece 17 of essentially flat material captured 
between the leading edge margins of panels 12, 13 of storage unit 11. Thus 
the leading edge margins 14 of panels 12, 13 are sewn together therealong 
and capture tail piece 17 therebetween. 
Cover 10 has a sufficient scope so as to cover the trailing windshield, the 
leading windshield, and side windows of the vehicle to which it is to be 
employed. 
Finally, storage unit 11 includes a plurality of plastic dipped hooks 18, 
19 to be connected to the underside of trunk lid 21. 
Thus, trunk lid 21 has been provided with the usual strengthening or 
reinforcing bars 22. Bars 22 as shown have been formed with a number of 
openings 23 therein which can be engaged by the ends of hooks 18, 19. As 
thus arranged, a storage pouch for use in a vehicle has been provided 
comprising confronting flexible side panels 12, 13 wherein the side panels 
are joined along a given edge 14 while an opening is formed along the 
opposite edge of pouch 11. A plurality of hooks 18, 19 coupled to pouch 11 
serve to support same from the underside of the interior of a compartment 
of the vehicle. Hooks 19 each support the trailing edge of a pair of edges 
16 of pouch 11 by means of an elastic band 24. Thus band 24 serves to pull 
the trailing corners of panels 12, 13 together while hook 19 supports both 
of the trailing edges. 
A pair of spaced apart hinges 26 serves to support trunk lid 21 for 
movement between lowered and raised positions. 
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 with trunk lid 21 in its raised position an 
opening 27 is defined between the leading edge of trunk lid 21 and the 
body of the vehicle. 
As shown FIG. 3, the tail piece 17 joins the balance of the cover 10 to 
pouch 11. Accordingly a very small length 10a of cover 10 will underlie 
pouch 11 when the cover has been stored therein. When it is desired to 
employ cover 10 to protect the interior and exterior of a vehicle of a 
type having a compartment such as the trunk accessible via a moveable 
closure carried one pair of laterally spaced hinges connected to the 
vehicle body, the method of installing the cover comprises the steps of 
forming a sheet of reflective material such as cover 10 which is 
sufficient to overlay the front windshield, rear windshield and side 
windows of the vehicle. The next step is to form at one end of the sheet a 
storage pouch having a top and bottom surface portions. Next the surface 
portions are yieldingly retained to be carried within the compartment of 
the vehicle from the underside of the closure thereof. The next step is to 
open the compartment, then remove the sheet of material forming cover 10 
from the pouch 11. Next the sheet of material forming cover 10 is fed from 
the trunk compartment onto the roof of the vehicle via opening 27 formed 
between the vehicle body and an edge of the closure 21 and defined between 
hinges 26. The next step is to clamp the sheet of material forming cover 
10 between closure 21 and the vehicle body to retain an end of the wheel 
opening for a vehicle. (See FIG. 7.) 
As mentioned above, in order to avoid capturing the substantial gust of air 
beneath cover 10 as it is being applied to the vehicle and thereby make it 
difficult to handle, a relatively large opening 33 has been formed in the 
top of cover 10. 
Means for anchoring the forward end of cover 10 to cover with the leading 
windshield of the vehicle includes the step of simply tucking the leading 
end edge margin of cover 10 beneath the windshield wiper blades 34 as 
shown in FIG. 8. 
The embodiment shown in FIG. 8 also shows the concept of closing and 
locking the side doors 36 of the vehicle out to the downwardly depending 
portion of cover 10 so as to cover the door windows from the inside. 
According to another embodiment as shown in FIG. 7, the leading end of 
cover 10 can be secured by means of elastic straps 37 disposed to be 
hooked about the outside mirrors on opposite sides of the vehicle such as 
mirror 39. 
Thus cover 10 can be clamped by the side doors of the vehicle and locked, 
whereby the sides serve to cover the side windows while the vehicle 
remains locked. 
From the foregoing it will be readily evident that there has been provided 
an improved car cover capable of being locked securely to the vehicle and 
in which the car cover carries its own storage pouch within a compartment 
of the vehicle. 
In addition to the above, it will be evident that the number of appropriate 
openings such as for antenna and the like can be located variously through 
the cover. 
The side edges of cover 10 further include elastic drawstring bands 30, 35 
serving to accommodate variations in the size of the cabin portion of 
various vehicles. 
In addition, it will be evident that pouch 11 can also be provided by 
employing a single panel 12 located closely in confronting relation to the 
underside of trunk lid 21. 
Thus, as shown in FIG. 9, a single panel 12' hung from hooks 18', 19' 
disposes panel 12' in confronting relation with respect to the underside 
of trunk lid 21'. The trailing edge margin 16' can flex away from trunk 
lid 21' to accommodate the storage of a car cover therebetween. 
FIGS. 10-17 illustrate a number of examples of a car cover being used with 
a variety of vehicles and locations within each type of vehicle. For 
example, the vehicles include sedan-type vehicles as described herein 
above, vans, and hatchbacks. The pouch for containing the cover can be 
mounted in a variety of places within a vehicle. For example, in a sedan, 
the pouch can be mounted to the inside surface of the truck lid or to 
various other places within the trunk on the trunk deck and rear sill. 
Similarly, the pouch can be mounted in various places within a hatchback 
or a van vehicle, as described herein below. Mounting of the pouch to the 
various locations is accomplished, for example, using a plurality of 
straps and hooks as discussed previously. Deployment and storage of the 
car cover is similar to that described herein above. 
FIG. 10 shows a sedan 50 with a car cover 52 stored in a pouch 54 located 
on the deck 56 of the trunk compartment 58. The car cover is threaded 
between the rear edge of the truck lid 60 and the body of the vehicle. 
FIG. 11 shows a sedan 60 with a car cover 62 stored in a pouch 64 located 
on the rear sill 66 of the trunk compartment 68. 
FIG. 12 show a van-type of vehicle 70 with a car cover 72 stored in a pouch 
74 located on the inside surface of the rear hatch door 76 and threaded 
through the opening between the bottom of the hatch door 76 and the lower 
body of the van 70. The sheet of material forming the cover 72 is fed from 
the pouch in the van compartment onto the roof of the vehicle in several 
ways. As illustrated one way is to feed the cover through the opening 
formed between the vehicle body and the bottom of the rear hatch door 
closure with the cover being held between the rear hatch door and the 
lower body of the van 70. 
FIG. 13 shows a van 80 with a car cover 82 stored in a pouch 84 located on 
the inside surface of the rear hatch door 86 and threaded through the 
opening between the top of the hatch door 86 and the rear edge of the roof 
of the van 82. 
FIG. 14 shows a van or hatchback-type vehicle 90 with a car cover 92 stored 
in a pouch 94 located on the floor or rear deck surface 96 of the rear 
cargo area 98 of the vehicle. 
FIG. 15 shows a hatchback-type vehicle 100 with a car cover 102 stored in a 
pouch 104 located on the inside surface of a privacy screen 106 for 
covering the rear cargo area 108 of the hatchback. 
FIG. 16 shows a hatchback vehicle 110 with a car cover 112 stored in a 
pouch 114 located on inside surface of the rear sill 116 of the rear cargo 
area 118 of the hatchback. 
FIG. 17 shows a hatchback vehicle 120 with a car cover 122 stored in a 
pouch 124 located on the inside surface of the rear hatch door 126 of the 
vehicle. The cover 122 is deployed through the space between the top of 
the door 126 and the rear edge of the roof of the vehicle, as illustrated. 
The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention 
have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are 
not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise 
forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are 
possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and 
described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its 
practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best 
utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications 
as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the 
scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto and their 
equivalents.