Foldable vehicle cover storable on the vehicle

A vehicle cover foldably storable in a storage case attached to the vehicle and unfoldably deployable to cover the vehicle so that the outside surface of the cover does not come in contact with the inside surface that may be in direct contact with the vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates generally to vehicle covers and more particularly to 
a vehicle cover that may be secured to a vehicle for storage when not 
deployed to cover the vehicle. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Vehicle covers are known that may be secured to the vehicle for storage 
when not in use, however, many of these prior art devices suffer from 
disadvantages that have been successfully attacked and overcome by the 
present invention. For example, some of the prior art covers are wound up 
on rollers for storage in such fashion that the outer surface of the cover 
contacts the inner surface thus both surfaces become soiled if one, 
usually the outer surface, first becomes soiled. When the inner surface 
becomes soiled, then the vehicle itself becomes soiled by the very cover 
that purports to protect it. In some of the prior art devices the sides of 
the vehicle are covered by separately deployed side panels that may be 
subject to flapping about when subjected to a breeze. Some of the prior 
art devices on the other hand, make no provision for covering the sides of 
the covered vehicles. 
Many different vehicle covers have been employed in the attempts to solve 
the problems presented. Most have either presented new problems or only 
partially solved the problems presented, or both. Most of these devices 
have thus met special needs as presented by specific problems and have 
therefore served narrow purposes. These prior art devices, among other 
disadvantages, have caused unacceptable soiling of the vehicle to be 
protected, have been unreliable and unpredictable in operation under 
continued use and have been expensive and complicated to manufacture. Some 
of these prior art devices have been described in the following listed 
patents that were brought to the attention of the applicant through a 
novelty search conducted in the United States Patent and Trademark office: 
______________________________________ 
List of Reference Patents 
U.S. Pat. No. 
Title Inventor 
______________________________________ 
3,222,102 Vehicle Cover James W. Lucas 
2,688,513 Power Operated Ernest J. Poirier 
Vehicle Cover 
1,719,055 Combination Bumper 
John H. Herzer 
Container, Tent and 
Car Cover 
2,723,156 Self Positioning 
Victor Stanziale 
Auto Cover 
4,324,427 Automobile Bumper 
Vincent P. W. Huang 
with Adiabatic Device 
et al 
______________________________________ 
It would thus be a great advantage to the art to provide a vehicle cover, 
the inside of which did not become soiled by the means provided for 
storage thereof. 
A further desirable advantage would be realized by the provision of a 
vehicle cover that covers the sides of the vehicle in a positive manner. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle cover such 
that the interior surface that contacts the vehicle does not come in 
contact with the exterior surface. 
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an easily 
deployable vehicle cover that protects the top and sides of the vehicle. 
In the accomplishment of these and other objects, a vehicle cover is 
provided in which the cover is folded for storage rather than wound upon a 
roller. Additionally, the sides of the cover are maintained under tension 
so that the side coverings are not subject to flapping in a breeze.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Although specific embodiment of the invention will now be described with 
reference to the drawings, it should be understood that such embodiments 
are by way of example only and merely illustrative of but a small number 
of the many possible specific embodiments which can represent applications 
of the principles of the invention. Various changes and modifications 
obvious to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains are 
deemed to be within the spirit, scope and contemplation of the invention 
as further defined in the appended claims. 
Referring to FIG. 1 with greater particularity, the vehicle cover 10 is 
illustrated generally as deployed to cover a vehicle 60. Sight lines 2--2, 
3--3 and section circles 10 and 14 refer to later figures that illustrate 
the mechanism of the invention in finer detail. 
FIG. 2, taken along section sight lines 2--2 of FIG. 1, shows how one of 
the C-frame members 13 is covered by the covering fabric 20. Top fold arms 
15 and bottom fold arms 16 are shown in fragment. The locations of hinges 
17 is indicated, however, details of hinges 17 are presented in a later 
FIGURE. The broken line indicates in general the cross-sectional outline 
of the covered vehicle 60. 
FIG. 3, an illustration taken as viewed along section sight lines 3--3, 
shows how one of the elastomeric tensioning members 22 is covered by 
fabric 20. Tensioning members 22 may be of rubber or other elastomeric 
resilient material. Again, vehicle outline is indicated by the broken 
line. 
FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 show how the C-frames 13 of the C-frame assembly may be 
interconnected, for example, by hingeing. In FIG. 4, the C-frame assembly 
to bottom fold arms 16 is shown as the interconnection of transverse 
members 13 and bottom fold arms 16 by hinges. The structure is shown as 
only partially extended. Central pull member 19 is shown as hinged to the 
common connection of bottom fold arms 16. FIG. 5 is a side view of FIG. 4, 
the interconnected parts being the same while FIG. 6 shows the same 
C-frame assembly fully extended. 
FIG. 7 presents a plan view in cross section showing part of the cover 
assembly as stored in its storage case 12. Storage case 12 is depicted in 
cross section as a C-shaped trough such that the folded vehicle cover may 
be contained therein when C-frame members 13 have been placed therein by 
means of the hinged folding of top fold arms 15 and bottom fold arms 16 by 
means of hinges 17. Innermost surface 33 denotes that part of storage case 
12 in closer proximity to the vehicle while the outermost surface 32 is 
the part of the storage case cover that becomes the extreme rear of the 
vehicle. 
FIG. 8 shows the vehicle cover in its case 12 from the vantage point of the 
sight lines 8--8 of FIG. 7. The fabric 20 has been cut away in part so 
that the mechanism of the frame assembly may be shown, leaving only a 
fragment of the fabric 20. The hinged members 13 being the rigid C-frame 
members, are shown as interconnected by the hinges 17 with top fold arms 
15 and bottom fold arms 16. The fold arms adjacent the bottom of storage 
case 12 are denoted by the numeral 23 and are attached thereto by means of 
hinges 18. Auto top covering fabric additionally attaches to one of the 
top fold arms so as to completely weatherproof the assembly when the cover 
is deployed. 
FIG. 9 shows an enlarged detail drawing of hinge 17 as attached to fold 
arms 15 and rigid C-frame member 13 by means of hinge pins 28. 
FIG. 10 shows detail of the fabric covered elastomeric tensioning members 
22 as viewed from the vantage point of section circle 10 of FIG. 1. 
FIG. 11 is an enlargement of detail of the forward folding assembly as 
viewed by means of sight lines 11--11 of FIG. 8. 
FIGS. 12 and 13 are perspective views of the C-shaped trough storage case 
12 showing in FIG. 12, the case top 34 closed in place. Storage case 12 
has an outermost surface 32 adapted to be covered by case top 34 which has 
a central portion 35, a first side top portion 36, a second side top 
portion 37 and first and second flexible top portions 38 and 39 
respectively. Central portion 35 has a central portion top lip 40 while 
first side top portion 36 has a first side portion top lip 41 and second 
side top portion 37 has a second side portion top lip 43. Central portion 
35 is interconnected with side top portions 36 and 37 by means of bevel 
gears 45 in such manner that raising of central portion 35 causes side top 
portions 36 and 37 to raise also so as to assume positions with their near 
edges perpendicular to central portion 35. Raising central portion 35 
preparatory to deploying the vehicle cover additionally causes 
accordion-like folding of first and second flexible top portions 38 and 39 
as shown in FIG. 13. Additionally, a latch 44 may operate cooperatively 
with a keyhole 42 and key 56 (FIG. 14) to secure the vehicle cover in its 
case and also when deployed on the vehicle as shown in FIG. 14. FIG. 14 
additionally ilustrates a lock mechanism 58 not detailed, which may be 
adapted to a bumper 57 of the vehicle in cooperation with a locking post 
59 and security chain 11. A first elongated shaft 48 extends lengthwise of 
the length of central portion 35. Bevel gears 45 are fixedly attached at 
each end of shaft 48. A fixed bearing block 46 secures the shaft to the 
inside of innermost surface 33. Two pivoted bearings 47 are attached to 
the shaft 48 and to the inside surface of central portion 35 so that the 
central portion is rotatably connected to the storage case 12. Two 
additional elongated shafts each extend lengthwise of the lengths of the 
first and second side top portions 36 and 37 respectively. Each additional 
shaft is then secured by means of fixed bearing blocks 46 to respective 
sides of innermost surface 33 as appropriately shown in FIG. 13 for first 
side top portion 36. Pivoted bearings 47 serve the same purpose of 
rotatably connecting the side top portions to the inside of innermost 
surface 33. Meshing bevel gears are provided at the appropriate ends of 
the associated side portion elongated shafts so that when the central 
portion 35 is raised, side top portions 36 and 37 are also raised through 
the interaction of bevel gear assembly 45. It should be apparent that 
flexible top portions 38 and 39 must now assume flexed configurations in 
response to the movements of the top portions 35, 36 and 37. As 
illustrated a latch 44 operable in cooperation with a lock having a 
keyhole 42 may be provided for security when the vehicle cover is to be 
stored in storage case 12. Upon deployment to cover the vehicle, the 
bumper 57 of the covered vehicle may be modified so as to provide an 
exemplary locking means comprising, for example, a lock mechanism 58, 
operable in cooperation with a locking post 59 and security chain 11 and 
key 56. 
Thus, there has been described a vehicle cover that provides for storage 
upon the very vehicle it is meant to cover. Because of the way the device 
of the invention is folded for storage, the outer surface of the cover 
does not come in contact with the inner surface, thus, the inner surface 
is not subject to soilage by a soiled outer surface which may become 
soiled, for example, by bird droppings, mud or the like. Deployment is 
easy and once deployed, the cover can be secured to prevent theft just as 
the case containing the cover when undeployed can be locked against 
would-be thieves. 
It is pointed out that although the present invention has been shown and 
described with reference to particular embodiment, nevertheless various 
changes and modifications, obvious to one skilled in the art to which the 
invention pertains, are deemed to lie within the purview of the invention.