Abstract:
In an automotive hatch back vehicle, foldable bonnets are coupled between an underside of the hatch lid and the run-off channels on both the driver and passenger side of the vehicle, pleated to fold outwardly as the hatch lid is raised to divert water accumulations on the lid into the channels, and to fold away inwardly into the vehicle as the lid is lowered.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     A provisional application describing this invention was filed May 28, 2004 and assigned Ser. No. 60/574,979 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]     Research and development of this invention and Application have not been federally sponsored, and no rights are given under any Federal program.  
       REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX  
       [0003]     NOT APPLICABLE  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0005]     This invention relates to automotive hatch-back vehicles, in general, and to the drainage systems employed with their hatch lids, in particular.  
         [0006]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0007]     Automotive hatch-back vehicles are often designed with channels and weep holes to drain rainwater from their hatch lids. Experience has shown that some designs—such as those of the Pontiac Trans Am, the Chevrolet Camaro, the Ford Mustang and the Ford Escort—do not work very well; in them, when the hatch lid is raised, the rainwater gushes from the run-off channels into the interior of the vehicle, wetting the rear seat, the rear seat speaker installations, the carpeting in the hatch area and the rear seat belt retractors (which, in freezing temperatures, then become “locked” and inoperative). Experience has also shown that such channels exhibit a tendency to accumulate rainwater, so that even when the vehicle has dried, raising the hatch lid results in the accumulations dripping into the hatch area once more. This problem is particularly exasperating after the vehicle has been washed clean and then dried off—in that then raising the hatch lid cascades the car-wash water in, to damage the interior, to rust various panelings, and to ruin the owner&#39;s overall investment in the vehicle in general.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     The present invention encompasses a hatch water diverter, or “hatch bonnet”, which is removably securable between the underside of the hatch interior at its top and the run-off channel at its bottom. Installed both on the driver&#39;s side and on the passenger&#39;s side of the vehicle, such diverter is pleated horizontally so that when the hatch lid is closed, each diverter is folded inwardly toward the hatch area; when the hatch lid is raised, on the other hand, the pleat extends each diverter to face outwardly. Preferably constructed of a material which drains water easily (such as vinyl), the diverters thus shunt the cascading channel water accumulations outside the vehicle when the hatch lid is raised, and folds inwardly be concealed from view when the lid is closed. As will be appreciated, such pleat not only forces the diverter to fold inwardly every time, but provides it with a rigidity so as to allow it to withstand wind occurrences when extended. Being removably securable with the underside of the hatch lid and with the run-off channel by hook-and-loop adhesives, the diverters can also be color coordinated to match the interior colors of the vehicle&#39;s seating areas, —and where composed of a “2-piece” lamination, a color coordination on one side with the exterior of the vehicle could be had as well as a color coordination with its interior components. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is a partial driver&#39;s side view of the problem of water intrusion into the interior of the hatch area of an automotive hatch-back vehicle as typified with the Trans-Am, Camaro, Mustang and Escort vehicles identified above;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a partial driver&#39;s side view of such a vehicle employing the hatch water diverter of the invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a partial passenger&#39;s side view of such an automotive hatch-back vehicle with the hatch water diverter of the invention in position according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;  
         [0012]      FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  are inverted side views of the hatch water diverter of  FIG. 3 ; and  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the diverter once installed. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]     In  FIG. 1 , the roof of the automotive hatch-back vehicle is shown at  10 , while the hatch-back lid is shown at  12  in a raised position, with its rear window glass shown at  14 . Run-off water flows in a channel in the direction shown at  16 , but drips or cascades undesirably into the interior hatch area  18  as shown at reference numeral  20 . Such an intrusion of rainwater accumulations wets the interior carpet area of the hatch, the rear seats, any speaker installation located there, the rear seat belt retractors, and anything stored within the hatch area.  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  shows the placement of a pair of hatch water diverter bonnets of the invention  30 , detachably secured to the underside of the hatch  12  and to the run-off channels  46  respectively. Reference numeral  32  identifies the vehicle taillights, with its bumper shown at  34 .  
         [0016]     Reference numeral  40  in  FIG. 3  represents a rear exterior panel of the hatch-back vehicle, whose interior carpet is shown at  42  along the lower end of the vehicle&#39;s interior panel  44 . With the hatch lid  12  in its raised position (reference numeral  13  representing the top of the hatch), the run-off channel shown at  46  is provided with a factory water seal  48  for any water accumulation. In accordance with the invention, the hatch water diverter  30  is shown secured at its lower end within the channel  46  at the water seal  48 , both on the right side and left sides of the hatch underside. A 2-layer bonnet  30  is shown (of vinyl or any other material which does not readily absorb water), with one of the layers  31  having a Velcro-loop  33  sewn at its upper end, and with the other layer  35  having a similar Velcro-loop  37  sewn at its lower end. A first Velcro-hook  39   a  is adhesively secured at the underside of the hatch lid, while a second Velcro-hook  39   b  is adhesively secured in the run-off channel  46 . Removable securement of the water diverter  30  into the vehicle is by joining the Velcro-loop  33  with the Velcro-hook  39   a  on the one hand, and joining the Velcro-loop  37  with the Velcro-hook  39   b  on the other hand. With this inclusion, water accumulations flowing from the hatch lid upon its raising, and in the water channel  46  are diverted away from the interior panel  44  and carpet  42  when the hatch lid  12  is opened. In this respect, the layer  31  could be color coordinated to match with the exterior of the vehicle, while the layer  35  could be color coordinated to match with its interior. Reference numeral  51  identifies a center pleat within the layers  31 ,  35  of a construction to fold inwardly along the arrow A when the lid  12  is closed.  
         [0017]      FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  respectively show exterior and interior views of the hatch water diverter  30  with the interior view being rotated 180° downward for ease of understanding. The sewn Velcro-loop is illustrated as  33  in  FIG. 4   a , and as  37  in  FIG. 4   b . The two layers  31 ,  35  are stitched together along their respective edges, shown at  77 . The front of the hatch bonnet is indicated at  81 , with its top and bottom sections being shown at  83 ,  85 , respectively. With  FIG. 5  showing a side view of the 2-layer device  30 , its center pleat is shown at  91 , with the exterior side of the diverter  30  being shown at  93  and its interior side at  95 .  
         [0018]     The pleat  91  in  FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  give rigidity to the diverter under windy conditions, and ensures that when the hatch is closed, the diverter  30  automatically folds inwardly of the hatch area of the vehicle. When manufactured of vinyl, for example, the diverter can easily be rolled up for packaging in a plastic tube when originally sold, or for being stored in it after use. The pleat  91  may be formed by folding the two vinyl pieces together in half lengthwise, and sewing a first stitch there across “a”; a space “b” is then left, followed by a second stitch “c”. This produces a water tight pleat.  
         [0019]     Understanding that the particular shape of the vinyl material is such as to fit for each model of hatch-back vehicle manufacture, one construction (for the Pontiac Trams-Am, for example) utilizes a Velcro-loop strip  33  of some  17 1/2 inches in length sewn at the top, and a Velcro-loop strip 37 of    28 1/2 inches sewn at the bottom. The pleat 91 with such construction may be formed with a stitch “a” of  12 inches, a spacing “b” of 3 inches, and a stitch “c” of 6 inches. The automotive hatch-back vehicle will have a matching piece of adhesive backed Velcro-hook of  28 1/2 inches attached to the run-off channel 46 below the water seal 48, and a piece of adhesive backed Velcro-hook of    17 1/2 inches attached to the underside of the hatch. The stitching 77, in this respect, serves to join or laminate, the two layers of vinyl (or similar) material with the double row of Velcro-type adhesives.    
         [0020]     With the inclusion of the hatch bonnet, opening the hatch lid shunts the water away from the interior area and into the intended water run-off channel  46 —thus serving as a diverter, and as a protector of the carpet, installed speaker, rear seats, and rear seat belt retractors—; when the lid is pushed down to close the hatch, the pleat  91  forces the diverter to fold toward the interior of the hatch, hiding it from view from the outside. Fastening the diverter with the Velcro-type adhesive permits an ease of removal and reinstallation when desired.  
         [0021]     As will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, a one-piece diverter may also be employed, instead of the two piece construction of layers  31  and  35 , especially where heavier materials are available. This would serve to give the same type of rigidity as the “two-layer” construction, but without separate color coordinations to the outside and inside vehicle colors. With the “two-layer” construction, the exterior color might be “red” and the interior color “black” (to color coordinate with a bright red color of the hatch-back vehicle and with a black interior), while a “one-layer” diverter might be “black” on both sides. In either event, the utility of the bonnet and the method of its installation would continue the same.  
         [0022]     While there have been described what are considered to be preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the teachings herein. For at least such reason, therefore, resort should be had to the claims appended hereto for a true understanding of the scope of the invention.