Abstract:
A removable cover for the exterior surface of an automotive vehicle&#39;s fuel door. The cover has a securing means, such as one or more straps or fasteners, and a center portion, such as a fabric. Preferably, the cover is secured using a substantially circumferential elastic strap secured within one or more channels formed by folding and sewing the edges of the cover. The cover is designed to substantially cover the outwardly exposed exterior coated surface of the fuel door while avoiding interference with the operation of the fuel door hinges and locks. The cover is further suitable for displaying a message, symbol, logo or other visual display at a noticeable and highly visible location on the vehicle.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates to fuel door protective covers for automotive vehicles. Specifically, this invention relates to covers for automotive vehicle fuel doors, and to covers for making vehicle fuel doors operable and easier to handle in extremely cold, icy or wet conditions.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE RELATED ART  
         [0002]    Original motorized vehicles using liquid fuel had exposed fuel tanks with upwardly turned fill tubes having a cap. As automotive engineers designed more aerodynamic and aesthetically pleasing vehicle exterior designs, fuel tanks were hidden from view by smooth exterior fenders, quarter panels and other body parts, but the fill tube of the gas tank extended through perforations in the exterior fender, quarter panels or other body parts. As automobiles continued to evolve, the end of the fill tube was recessed to terminate within the exterior surface of the vehicle exterior, and were accessed by opening small doors hinged to swing out of the closed position to expose the fill tube.  
           [0003]    Fuel doors are commonly coated with the same paint and coating system used to coat the surrounding body part on the exterior surface of the vehicle so as to provide a smooth, continuous and unnoticeable access door at a convenient height and location for driver refueling. Increasingly, fuel doors are secured in the closed position during normal vehicle operation, and opened only when mechanically released by a switch or lever located inside the vehicle, usually near the driver&#39;s left side. Fuel doors are used upon each refueling of the vehicle, resulting in oil and dirt deposits on the fuel door and wear on the paint and finish from repeated contact by human hands. Also, fuel is often inadvertently spilled or sprayed on the fuel door, or on the hands that later touch the fuel door, and are harmful to the paint and finish of the vehicle.  
           [0004]    Many people choose to display messages, symbols, designs, logos and other forms of communication on their vehicles. These messages may be of a business or commercial nature such as the logo or symbol of the vehicle manufacturer or commercial owner of a fleet vehicle, or of a personal nature such as the logo of a favorite sports team. The most prevalent manner of displaying such messages are bumper stickers.  
           [0005]    There are several problems with using stickers on a vehicle exterior. Stickers are usually usable only once; that is, where more than one driver uses the vehicle, stickers cannot easily be removed by the driver that does not want to drive a vehicle bearing the sticker. Also, the sticker is generally permanent until removed; that is, it cannot be used seasonally or on special occasions when the message may be more appropriate. Stickers are also difficult to remove, especially after being on the vehicle for a prolonged time. When stickers are removed from a vehicle exterior, they often leave an unsightly, sticky residue on the exterior finish of the vehicle, and the paint underneath the location of the sticker will generally be noticeably less faded than the surrounding paint.  
           [0006]    Many drivers display messages on banners or flags hanging from the antennae or other part of the vehicle, but antennae banners cause driver distraction, noise and undesirable antennae movement at high speeds or in high winds. Many drivers use outwardly facing signs or displays usually placed on the inside surface of the vehicle glass, often using suction cups for securing the display to the glass. These displays obstruct precious view and glass area within the vehicle, and may block the driver&#39;s view. Reversed stickers may be applied to the inside surface of the glass and readable from the outside, but these have the same problems as exterior stickers.  
           [0007]    The problems with the existing methods and apparatus for displaying messages deter many from expressing themselves with a display on their vehicle, or from allowing others that may use their vehicle from displaying their messages. Seasonal or event-specific displays or messages are not usually made on vehicles because of the visible long-term effects on the appearance of the vehicle. What is needed is a way of allowing a driver to express or display a message that is temporary, that is, easily applied, removed and cleaned, and one that is not harmful to the exterior finish of the vehicle. This solution would even allow a non-owner driver to express seasonal or event-related messages while using the vehicle, and would leave no noticeable residue or scratches on the exterior finish of the vehicle.  
           [0008]    More than any other part of the vehicle other than the door handle, the fuel door is touched by and handled by human hands. In the process, oils, moisture and dirt are transferred to the fuel door from the hands that open and close the fuel door. Also, fuel doors are generally made of the same metal that comprises the surrounding vehicle body part and may freeze in the closed position if the part becomes covered with ice. Unlike door handles, the shape of the fuel door is usually dictated primarily by aesthetics and not by ergonomics, and it can be difficult to manipulate during extreme cold, icy or wet conditions, especially when the human hands are also cold or wet. What is needed is a fuel door cover that prevents or deters ice formation on or around the fuel door. What is needed is a fuel door cover that makes the fuel door easier to grip and open during bad weather conditions, and one that protects the fuel door exterior surface from corrosion and fading of exterior paint on the fuel door caused by contaminants deposited on the fuel door by human hands.  
           [0009]    “Message” as used herein means message, logo, display, symbol, letter, number, expression, emblem, trademark, sign, picture or other non-moving communication through visual means.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0010]    The fuel door cover of the present invention provides a method and an apparatus for displaying messages at a highly visible location on the vehicle without using stickers or obstructing any view through vehicle glass. The fuel door cover of the present invention provides for easy installation and removal, it may be washable and may be made to allow interchangeable displays viewed through a transparent liner. The fuel door cover of the present invention deters deposit of oil, dirt and grease by human hands on the painted fuel door, and provides a strategically useful storage location for an electronically detectable transducer. The fuel door cover of the present invention deters or prevents ice formation or build-up on the fuel door of a vehicle during inclement weather, and generally makes the fuel door easier to manipulate in wet and cold weather.  
           [0011]    The fuel door of a vehicle offers a strategically favorable place for temporarily or permanently displaying a message. The fuel door is usually in a position that is easily noticeable to the observer. For similar reasons, the fuel door is an ideal place to store electronically detectable transducers of the kind used in commercial transactions and traffic tolls. The present invention provides a method and apparatus for displaying a message on a vehicle without using stickers. The present invention also provides a method and apparatus for storing and presenting an electronically detectable transducer on the vehicle. The present invention provides a fuel door cover that protects and preserves the exterior coating on the fuel door of an automotive vehicle by resisting dirt and oil deposits that affect the exterior paint finish on the fuel door. The present invention provides a fuel door cover that deters freezing shut in bad weather, and a cover that that makes the fuel door easier to manipulate with bare or gloved human hands in cold or wet weather.  
           [0012]    Increasingly, commercial transactions occur using electronically detectable transponders strategically placed on or in the vehicle for detection by strategically placed detectors. These transponders can be used at gas stations, drive-through windows at fast food restaurants, cleaners or banks, and the like. What is needed is a method and device for storing an electronically detectable transducer by the fuel door. The transponder stored within the fuel door cover can be used either to track the locations of the automobile using existing toll roads and traffic monitoring systems, or to enable or to prevent unwanted transactions in the presence of the vehicle where a detector is located and sensitive to the presence of the transponder.  
           [0013]    It is desirable that the fuel door cover is easily removable and washable, and that it have a surface suitable for display of a message. It is also desirable that the fuel door cover be fitted to lay flat across the exterior flat portion of the fuel door, and that it is secured to the fuel door in a manner that does not interfere with either the hinge(s) or with latching or locking mechanisms common on many vehicles. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    So that the features and advantages of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to the embodiments thereof that are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the fuel door cover installed on the fuel door of a typical automobile.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 shows an enlarged, frontal view of the fuel door cover of the present invention installed on the fuel door of a typical vehicle.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 shows an enlarged, frontal view of the fuel door cover of the present invention having a pocket formed between two sheets and installed on the fuel door of a typical vehicle.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 4 shows an enlarged, rear (inside) view of the fuel door cover of the present invention secured to a fuel door using straps and a clip fastener.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 5 shows an enlarged, rear (inside) fuel door cover of the present invention secured to a fuel door using a channel sewn into the fabric and a drawstring therein. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 shows the fuel door cover of the present invention installed onto the fuel door of a typical automobile. The fuel door cover in FIG. 1 is made of fabric or other materials. Fabric is generally a pliable material that can be easily sewn and adapted to fit snugly as a cover for many items, and fabric is the preferred material for making the fuel door cover of the present invention. Fabric is a material that can be stretched or drawn to provide a flat display portion in the center thereof. There are many methods of applying a message to fabric that are known in the art and embodied in T-shirts, banners, flags, ribbons and the like. Fabric may be selected for its particular compatibility with the application of messages to the display portion, or fabric can be manufactured to bear a selected message without post-manufacture application of the message. Fabric can also be pre-washed or treated with chemicals to make it water-resistant, luminescent, wrinkle resistant, fade resistant or shrink-resistant, and these fabric treatments are well known in the art. The display may be applied to the fuel door cover using an applique. As a result of all of these advantages, fabric is the preferred material for making the fuel door cover of the present invention.  
         [0021]    The fuel door of the present invention is comprised of a sheet  12  of pliable material having a display portion  11  generally located in the center of the sheet  12 . Some fuel doors are round, some are oval and some are of a rounded-rectangular shape, and the sheet of pliable material  12  should be cut to accommodate the size and shape of the fuel door to be covered. The amount of and dimensions of the sheet of material  12  used to make the fuel door cover of the present invention, whether fabric or other pliable material, may vary according to the physical dimensions and shape of the vehicle fuel door to be covered. In a preferred embodiment, the sheet of material  12  should be cut to provide a rounded sheet approximately 9.5 inches in diameter thereby providing a display portion  11  approximately 7 inches in diameter in the center thereof. The display portion  11  is to be disposed on the exterior side of the fuel door with the message or the applique visible to the observer when the fuel door is in its closed position shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 2 shows an enlarged view of the display portion  11  of the fuel door cover  10 , along with many of the components of the vehicle fuel door  20  and the fuel door cover  10 . FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the present invention adapted to cover the fuel door  20 , the fuel doorbeing of a round shape, and having a hinge  22  located at one side of the fuel door  20  and a finger notch  24  at the opposite side of the fuel door  20 . In the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 2, the message is placed directly on the sheet  12  comprising the fuel door cover  10 . The message may be applied to the sheet  12  according to the chemical and physical compatibility of the material comprising the message and the sheet  12 , and includes printing, hot pressing, silk screening, embroidering, stitching, marking, writing, stamping, dyeing, adhering, staining, treating and other methods of imposing a visible message on the display portion  11  of the fuel door cover  10 . Also included within the scope of the present invention is the application of chemicals or agents to the message or the display portion  11  of the sheet  12  for luminescence during darkness and photo-reactive chemicals.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 3 shows one embodiment of the present invention having two sheets of material, the outside sheet being a transparent sheet  39  secured to the sheet  12  in the area of the display portion  11 . The pocket  37  formed between the transparent sheet  39  and the sheet  12  can be used for inserting and displaying an interchangeable message. This embodiment allows the same fuel door cover to be used for different messages as opposed to the message being applied to the sheet  12  comprising the fuel door cover  20 .  
         [0024]    The fuel door cover of the present invention allows the use to display any message including, but not limited to logos and trademarks related to sports or music, seasonal and holiday symbols, political statements, humorous displays and the like, may be displayed on the display portion  11  disposed on the exterior side of the fuel door  20 .  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 4 shows one embodiment of the fuel door cover  20  having an arrangement of straps secured to the edge  52  of the sheet  12  to keep the display portion  11  of the sheet  12  generally flat and free of wrinkles. Keeping the display portion  11  generally flat makes the message on the display portion  11  more aesthetically pleasing and easy to read or view to the observer, and can generally be done by any securing means that generally draws substantial portions of the edge  52  of the sheet  12  inwardly toward the approximate center of the fuel door on the reverse (inside) side of the fuel door  20 .  
         [0026]    One embodiment of the fuel door cover securing means is shown in FIG. 4 along with the other components of the fuel door cover. The embodiment in FIG. 4 has an arrangement of four straps  42  secured at evenly distributed locations to the edge  52  of the sheet  12 . Two opposing pairs of straps  42  are each secured together to form center straps  43 , and the center straps  43  are secured to a hook  44 , and the other to a loop  46 , and one secured to the other near center of the reverse (inside) side of the fuel door by fastening the hook  44  and the loop  46 . The arrangement of the straps  42  and the use of the hook  44  and loop  46  fastener are shown as a typical embodiment of the present invention, and other embodiments may use any arrangement of straps, drawstrings, elastic and fasteners. The fuel door cover  10  of the present invention can be secured to the fuel door  20  using a variety of securing means including clips, buckles, zippers, straps, strings or straps, Velcro™ or other hook-and-loop fasteners elastic ribbon, drawstrings or other securing means.  
         [0027]    Another embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 5 shows two channels  56  formed by removing portions of the edge  52  of the sheet  12  adjacent to the hinge  22  and the pull tab  34 , folding the remaining original edge  52  of the sheet  12  over onto itself, and then sewing or stitching the edge  52  of the sheet  12  to form two opposing channels  56 . A drawstring  58  having a first end  62  and a second end  64  is threaded through the channels  56 , pulled taught and tied one to the other. An alternative embodiment of the present invention substitutes a piece of elastic band or ribbon threaded through the channels  56  and then sewn one end to the other to form a substantially continuous elastic ring member in the place of the drawstring  58  shown in FIG. 5, the elastic member being of sufficient diameter and elasticity that it pulls the edge  52  of the sheet  12  sufficiently taught to secure the fuel door cover  10  to the fuel door  20  during high vehicle speeds and winds, and to allow easy removal of the fuel door cover  10  from the fuel door  20  by stretching the elastic ring member and slipping the edge  52  of the sheet  12  over the outer edge of the fuel door  20  and remove the fuel door cover  10  from the fuel door  20 .  
         [0028]    A message can be applied to the sheet  12  of material from which the fuel door cover  10  is made or, as shown in the embodiment in FIG. 3, it can be applied to a second sheet  39  of material, preferably paper or a decal, that can be inserted into a pocket  37  formed between the second sheet  39  and the sheet  12 . The decal or second sheet  39  is inserted into and removed from the pocket  37  through a resealable flap  38 , such as a Zip-loc™ seal. The water-tight or water-resistant seal prevents moisture and precipitation from entering the pocket  37  and compromising the appearance of the display or decal stored therein.  
         [0029]    If the outwardly exposed portion of the fuel door cover  10  is a dark color that has a high sunlight absorption factor, the fuel door cover  10  will cause the fuel door  20  to remain at a higher temperature than the surrounding exterior body part due to insulation of the fuel door  20  by the fuel door cover  20  and to absorption and storing of heat energy during sunlight. Thus the fuel door cover  10  of the present invention deters freezing shut of the fuel door  20  during icy, wet and cold weather conditions. The sheet  12  comprising the fuel door cover  10  can be treated with chemicals or agents to impart high visibility, appearance and moisture resistance to prevent icing and wetness of the cover and to improve handling of the fuel door. The sheet  12  can also be chemically treated or otherwise manufactured in a way that promotes the adherence of any messages applied to the display portion  11  of the fuel door cover  20 .  
         [0030]    The fuel door cover  10  of the present invention can be used to store and conceal electronically detectable transducers which are becoming more and more common in electronically assisted commerce. Depending on the size and configuration of the transducer, and many are already as small as credit cards, it may be advantageous to store the transducer in a pocket  37  or other storage compartment sewn onto the inside of the fuel door cover  10 . The electronically detectable transducer stored within the fuel door cover  10  in this manner is strategically placed for easy detection by any strategically located electronic detector. For example, detectors could be installed at gas stations and at fast food drive-throughs for improved efficiency in commercial transactions. The electronically detectable transducer could be used to debit an account for transactions completed from the vehicle, or it could be used in tandem with other transducers, credit cards or personal identification numbers or codes. A transaction might be enabled only by the presence of all needed transponders, credit cards, PINs and codes, and any failure to meet certain criteria or conditions, or failure of all needed transponders, credit cards, PINs or code numbers to be present, can defeat any transactions from the vehicle.  
         [0031]    While the foregoing is directed to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims which follow.