Vehicle cover assembly

A vehicle cover assembly has a body and a lock device. The body has a housing, a reeling device, and a cover fabric. The reeling device is mounted in the housing and has a reeling axle. The cover fabric is connected with and is selectively reeled around the reeling axle. The lock device has a casing, a pushing rod, and a lock cylinder. The casing is mounted on the housing. The pushing rod is moveably mounted through the casing and has an end selectively engaged with one end of the reeling axle. The lock cylinder is mounted in the casing and is selectively engaged with the pushing rod. When the lock cylinder is engaged with the pushing rod, the pushing rod is engaged with the reeling axle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a vehicle cover assembly, and more particularly to a vehicle cover assembly having a lock device.

2. Description of Related Art

An indoor parking lot is a preferable location for vehicle-parking because the indoor parking lot can shade sunlight and rain. However, the indoor parking lot is a building that is costly to build, so to park indoors requires high cost. As the indoor parking lot cannot achieve all the parking needs, many vehicles are stilled parked in outdoor parking lots. In the outdoor parking lots, the vehicles are usually exposed to sunlight, rain, and wind, and further to dust storms in dry countries or snow in high latitude countries.

To protect the vehicle parked in an outdoor parking lot, a cover fabric is applied to cover the vehicle and to separate the vehicle from the outside environment. To conveniently expand and store the cover fabric, the cover fabric is usually reeled in a housing to form a vehicle cover assembly. When in use, the cover fabric is expanded from the housing to cover a vehicle. The cover fabric is connected with a reeling device that provides a torsion force to reel the cover fabric. Accordingly, when the cover fabric is detached from the vehicle, the cover fabric can be automatically reeled in the housing, such that any person, even an unauthorized person, can reel the cover fabric.

To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide a vehicle cover assembly to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of the invention is to provide a vehicle cover assembly that has a lock device to prevent a cover fabric from being reeled by any unauthorized person.

The vehicle cover assembly has a body and a lock device. The body has a housing, a reeling device, and a cover fabric. The reeling device is mounted in the housing and has a reeling axle. The cover fabric is connected with and is selectively reeled around the reeling axle. The lock device has a casing, a pushing rod, and a lock cylinder. The casing is mounted on the housing. The pushing rod is moveably mounted through the casing and has an end selectively engaged with one end of the reeling axle. The lock cylinder is mounted in the casing and is selectively engaged with the pushing rod. When the lock cylinder is engaged with the pushing rod, the pushing rod is engaged with the reeling axle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference toFIGS. 1 to 3, a vehicle cover assembly in accordance with the present invention comprises a body10and a lock device20. The body10comprises a housing11, a reeling device12, and a cover fabric13. The reeling device12is mounted in the housing11and has a reeling axle121. The reeling axle121has a rotator122, and multiple engaging recesses1220are defined in the rotator122and arranged annularly. Preferably, the rotator122is mounted on one end of the reeling axle121, and the engaging recesses1220are defied in one side of the rotator122. Alternatively, the rotator122can be mounted on a middle portion of the reeling axle121, and the engaging recesses1220are defined in a periphery of the rotator122.

The cover fabric13is connected with and selectively reeled around the reeling axle121. The reeling device12may comprise a torsion unit to provide a torsion force to rotate the reeling axle121and to reel the cover fabric13around the reeling axle121. Preferably, the torsion unit may be a torsion spring.

The lock device20comprises a casing21, a pushing rod22, and a lock cylinder23. The casing21is mounted securely on the housing11and has a through hole210defined through the casing21. A protrusion211is formed on and protrudes from an inner surface of the through hole210as shown inFIG. 6.

The pushing rod22is operationally mounted through the casing21. Preferably, the pushing rod22is moveably mounted through the casing21along a longitudinal direction of the pushing rod22and is rotatable along an axis that is parallel with the longitudinal direction of the pushing rod22. The pushing rod22has an end selectively engaged with the rotator122. Preferably, the pushing rod22comprises a first rod body221, a second rod body222, a positioning element223, a resilient member224, and a rotating knob225.

The first rod body221is mounted through the casing21and is moveable and rotatable relative to the casing21. The first rod body221comprises a main body segment2211, a groove2212, an annular flange2213, and a connection segment2214.

The main body segment2211is mounted through the through hole210of the casing21and is selectively held in the through hole210. With further reference toFIG. 6, the groove2212is longitudinally defined in an outer surface of the main body segment2211, and the groove2212is selectively located in the through hole210. The protrusion211in the through hole210extends into the groove2212. The groove2212extends longitudinally along the longitudinal direction of the pushing rod22and has an end that is adjacent to the reeling axle121and extending laterally along a periphery of the pushing rod22. Accordingly, the groove2212is L-shaped.

The annular flange2213is formed around the main body segment2211of the first rod body221. Preferably, the annular flange2213is closer to the reeling device12than the groove2212is. The annular flange2213has a periphery a and a conical surface b formed on a side of the annular flange2213opposite the reeling device12.

The connection segment2214is formed on an end of the main body segment2211that is adjacent to the reeling device12and extends toward the reeling device12. The connection segment2214has a diameter smaller than a diameter of the main body segment2211and is noncircular in cross section. Preferably, the connection segment2214may be oval or polygonal in cross section. In the present embodiment, the connection segment2214has two flat surfaces diametrically opposite each other.

The second rod body222has a first end moveably connected with the first rod body221, a second end selectively engaged with one of the engaging recesses1220of the reeling axle12, and an inclined surface2221formed on the second end of the second rod body222. Accordingly, the second end of the second rod body222is wedged in cross section. Preferably, the second rod body222is mounted around the connection segment2214of the first rod body221and is moveable relative to the connection segment2214along the longitudinal direction of the pushing rod22.

The second rod body222has a connecting recess2222and at least one channel2223. The connecting recess2222is defined in an end of the second rod body222that is opposite the reeling device12. The connection segment2214of the first rod body221is slidably inserted into the connecting recess2222. The at least one channel2223is radially defined in the second rod body222and extends along the longitudinal direction of the pushing rod22. In the present embodiment, two channels2223are implemented and are diametrically opposite each other.

The positioning element223is mounted securely on the connection segment2214of the first rod body221and has at least one end held respectively in the at least one channel2223in the second rod body222. In the present embodiment, the positioning element223is mounted through the connection segment2214, and has two ends protruding from the connection segment2214and mounted respectively in the two channels2223. With the arrangement of the positioning element223, the first rod body221is moveable relative to the second rod body222and is kept from being detached from the second rod body222.

The resilient member224has two ends connected respectively with the first rod body221and the second rod body222to push the second rod body222to engage with one of the engaging recesses1220. In the present embodiment, the resilient member224is a compression spring. The rotating knob225is mounted on an end of the main body segment2211of the first rod body221opposite the reeling device12and is exposed from the casing21to allow the pushing rod22to be operated via the rotating knob225.

The lock cylinder23is mounted in the casing21, is selectively engaged with the pushing rod22, and selectively abuts the periphery a or the conical surface b of the annular flange2213. The lock cylinder23has a movable axle231, multiple wheels232, and a resilient member233.

The movable axle231has a pushing end selectively abutting the periphery a or the conical surface b of the annular flange2213of the pushing rod22. Preferably, the pushing end is a block and has an inclined surface2310selectively abutting the periphery a or the conical surface b of the annular flange2213of the pushing rod22. The wheels232are rotatably mounted around the moveable axle231and each of the wheels232is partially exposed from the casing21. The resilient member233is connected with the pushing end of the moveable axle231to push the pushing end to abut against the pushing rod22.

With such an arrangement, when the wheels232are respectively rotated to desired positions, the lock cylinder23is unlocked and the movable axle231can be moved to abut the periphery a or the conical surface b of the annular flange2213. Thus, the abutting position between the pushing end of the movable axle231and the pushing rod22can be changed. When one of the wheels232is not at the desired position, the lock cylinder23is locked and the movable axle231is kept from moving and is engaged with the first rod body221of the pushing rod22.

With reference toFIGS. 1,4, and 5, in a reeled position of the cover fabric13, the second rod body222of the pushing rod22is engaged with one of the engaging recesses1220in the rotator122. To expand the cover fabric13, because the second rod body222has the inclined surface2221, the second rod body222will be pushed to be disengaged from the corresponding one of the engaging recesses1220and is moved toward the first rod body221when the reeling axle121is rotated by expanding the cover fabric13.

When the cover fabric13is expanded to a desired position, the cover fabric13is slightly released and the reeling axle121is rotated in reverse by the torsion unit. With the force provided by the resilient member224, the second rod body222is pushed toward the reeling axle12. Accordingly, the second rod body222will be automatically engaged with the one of the engaging recesses1220. Consequently, the reeling axle121will be kept from rotating, such that the cover fabric13is held in the expanded position. Therefore, the inclined surface2221of the second rod body222can limit the reeling axle121to rotate unidirectionally.

With reference toFIGS. 6 and 7, to reel the cover fabric13into the housing11, the wheels232of the lock cylinder23are rotated respectively to the desired positions to unlock the lock cylinder23. When the lock cylinder23is unlocked, the moveable axle231can be moved along the longitudinal direction of the moveable axle231. At this time, the pushing rod22can be pushed outward and then rotated to move the protrusion211into the end of the groove2212, and the pushing rod22is disengaged from the rotator122. Accordingly, the cover fabric13can be automatically reeled around the reeling axle121and into the housing11by the torsion unit. At this time, the pushing end of the movable axle231abuts the periphery a of the annular flange2213.

After the cover fabric13is reeled around the reeling axle121, the pushing rod22is rotated and pushed backward, and the movable axle231abuts the conical surface b of the annular flange2213. Then, the wheels232are rotated to a locked position, such that the pushing rod22is kept from being pushed outward. Thus, the lock cylinder23is engaged with the pushing rod22, and the pushing rod22is engaged with the reeling axle121.

With the arrangement of the lock device20, the expanded fabric cover13cannot be reeled when the lock device20is in a locked position. The cover fabric13will keep covering the vehicle until the lock device20is unlocked.