Abstract:
Sun shade apparatus for a vehicle includes a canopy housing and an elongated canopy which is retractable into the housing and extendable from the housing over the roof of a vehicle. Support stands positionable on the vehicle roof serve to engage the canopy while holding it away from the roof when the canopy is extended over the roof. Each of the support stands includes a canopy hook for releasably engaging the canopy. The hooks may be made moveable between an unlatched position facilitating engagement and disengagement with the canopy and a latched position securing the canopy.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to sun shade apparatus for a vehicle, the purpose being to reduce the build up of interior temperatures when the vehicle is allowed to stand in the hot sun. 
   BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION 
   It is common practice in apparatus for blocking the sun after a vehicle is parked to use a reflector or other cover to shield the vehicle from the sun from inside of the vehicle. But, this does not stop the sun from heating up the interior of the vehicle by beating down on the vehicle roof. As a result, a number of vehicle sun shades or canopies have been devised to extend over the vehicle roof and thereby provide additional heat insulation. Some of these canopies include a desirable insular air space between the shade and the vehicle roof. However, they are not well adapted for compact storage when not in use, and they are not well adapted to both hold a canopy in an extended working position while permitting retraction into a storage position. 
   For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for new and improved sun shade apparatus which serves to reduce the build up of temperature within a vehicle when parked, and which serves to minimize storage issues when not parked. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In a broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided sun shade apparatus for a vehicle, the vehicle comprising a vehicle body with a roof, front and rear roll down windows on opposed sides of the vehicle, a storage trunk, and a trunk latch for holding the trunk in a closed position. The apparatus includes a canopy housing, an elongated sun shade canopy retractable into the housing and extendable from the housing over the roof, and a plurality of support stands positionable on the roof for holding the canopy away from the roof when the canopy is extended over the roof. Each of the support stands includes a canopy hook for releasably engaging the canopy. Preferably, the hooks are moveable from an unlatched position facilitating engagement and disengagement with the canopy and a latched position securing the canopy. As well, the canopy is preferably automatically retractable under spring tension as, for example, with a window blind. However, it is to be understood that the manner of such retraction forms no part of the essence of the present invention. Retraction may be automatic as is preferred (e.g. using known spring loaded mechanisms such as with window blinds), but it may also be manual as with a hand crank. 
   In preferred embodiments, the apparatus comprises four support stands positionable on the roof of the vehicle as a forward pair of stands and a rearward pair of stands. The pairs are strappable to the roof in respective positions, each pair by an associated strap extending through the associated supports between opposed sides of the vehicle. Further, the canopy includes a first plurality of openings spaced along a first side region of the canopy and a second plurality of openings spaced along a second side region of the canopy. Each of the canopy hooks is engageable with one of the openings. 
   The straps themselves may be secured to the vehicle in various ways. For example, if the vehicle includes window gutters, then the straps may be hooked to those gutters. However, not all vehicles include window gutters. In order to provide adaptability for a range of vehicles, the straps preferably have opposed ends which are releasably couplable with each other and a length which is sufficient to form a continuous loop which extends above the vehicle roof between opposed sides of the vehicle then below the roof through window openings resulting when the vehicle windows are rolled down. It will be readily apparent that with a strap of such length, a continuous loop may be formed either by running the strap through open windows of the vehicle and below the vehicle roof or by running the strap through open doors of the vehicle and below the vehicle roof, the latter distance normally being somewhat shorter than the former. While it may be considered preferable to run a strap through open doors of the vehicle, this obviously may not be a viable option is some cases (e.g. if the vehicle is a two door sedan). Suitable coupling may be achieved with the use of a conventional adjustable buckle or with means such as conventional cooperating VELCRO® material at the opposed ends of each strap. 
   Also in preferred embodiments, the canopy housing is mountable within the trunk of the vehicle (whether that trunk is a forward trunk or a rearward trunk). The canopy includes an opening permitting passage of the trunk latch through the canopy when the trunk is closed and the canopy is extended outwardly from the trunk and over the roof. As well, a plurality of elastic ropes are provided, each extending from a forward end of the canopy to an associated body hook engageable with the body of the vehicle. 
   In preferred embodiments, each of the support stands further comprises a stand housing comprising a housing base, a containment wall, and a cap together defining a containment region. The canopy hook associated with each stand includes a stem extending upwardly from the containment region from a base of the hook through an opening in the cap. At least one flange extends outwardly from the stem. A spring is contained within the housing, the base of the hook being carried by an upper end of the spring. The hook is moveable upwardly and downwardly between:
         an upper position where both the stem of the hook and the flange extend upwardly through the opening in the cap, and where rotation of the hook relative to the support stand is restrained by engagement between the flange and the cap; and,   a lower position where the flange is fully contained within the containment region, the hook then being rotatable relative to the stand to an angular position where upward movement of the hook is restrained by engagement between the flange and the cap.       

   The foregoing and other features of the invention will now be-described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a side view of a vehicle shielded by sun shade apparatus in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a top view of the vehicle and part of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a top view of a shade canopy and housing forming part of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 4  is a top view of one of the support stands shown in  FIG. 1  when sectioned along section line  4 - 4  in  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 5  is a section elevation view of the support stand shown in  FIG. 4 , when sectioned along section line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 6  is a section elevation view as in  FIG. 5 , but with the hook forming part of the stand pushed to a depressed a position. 
       FIG. 7  is a section elevation as in  FIG. 6 , but with the hook rotated 90 degrees from the position shown in  FIG. 6 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   In the figures, sun shade apparatus in accordance with the present invention is generally designated  10  and, in  FIG. 1 , is shown when in use to provide shading for a vehicle generally designated  80 . Apparatus  10  comprises an elongated sun shade canopy  12  retractable within a canopy housing  30 , four elastic ropes  26  with proximal ends secured to the forward end  13  of canopy  12 , four support stands  40 , and a pair of straps  70 . Body hooks  28  are secured to the distal ends of elastic ropes  26 . Vehicle  80  (which does not form part of the invention) comprises a vehicle body  82  with a roof  84 , front and rear roll down windows  86 ,  88  on opposed sides of the vehicle, a storage trunk  90  shown in a closed position, and a trunk latch  92  for holding the trunk in a closed position. As well, vehicle  80  comprises a hood  94  and front and rear windows  96 ,  98 . 
   Canopy  12  comprises fabric material and is preferably white or coated with silver paint on the side normally exposed to sunlight. It includes a first plurality of openings  14  spaced along side region  16  of the canopy and a second plurality of openings  18  spaced along side region  20  of the canopy. The openings  14 ,  18  permit the canopy to be engaged by canopy hooks as discussed below. To lessen the chance of damage from such engagement, regions  16 ,  20  are formed from a stitched double layer of fabric (stitching being indicated by broken lines in  FIG. 3 . 
   Canopy  12  also includes an opening  22  centrally disposed widthwise of the canopy. As discussed below, opening  22  permits passage of a trunk latch. The region  24  around the perimeter of opening  22  is formed with a stitched double layer of fabric to provide reinforcement. The region  15  along forward end  13  of canopy  12  is also formed with a stitched double layer of fabric to provide reinforcement where ropes  26  are secured. 
   A support stand  40  is shown in more detail in  FIGS. 4 to 7 . As can be seen, stand  40  includes a stand housing comprising a housing base  42 , a cylindrical containment wall  44  formed integrally with base  42 , and a cap  46  threadingly engaged with wall  44 . Base  42  includes an opening  43  through which a strap  50  may extend and is carried on a protective pad  45  (e.g. rubber). Together, base  42 , wall  44  and cap  46  form a containment region  48 . A canopy hook  50  having a stem  52  extends upwardly from a hook base  54  through a keyhole slot or opening  56  in cap  46  for hooking canopy  12  through a selected one of either holes  14  or  18 . Also, a pair of fins or flanges  58  extend outwardly from stem  52 . A spring  60  contained within housing carries hook base  54  at its upper end. 
   With reference to  FIGS. 5 to 7  it will be seen that hook  50  is moveable from an unlatched upper position ( FIG. 6 ) where stem  52  and flanges  58  extend upwardly through opening  56  in cap  46  to a lower position ( FIGS. 7 ,  8 ) where flanges  58  are fully contained within containment region  48 . In the upper position, rotation of hook  50  relative to stand  40  is restrained by engagement between flanges  58  and  46 , in particular, the perimeter side wall of opening  56  in cap  46 . When hook  50  is pushed down to the lower position, flanges  58  are clear of opening  56  and the hook is then rotatable to a 90 degree angular or latched position as shown in  FIG. 7  where upward movement of the hook is restrained by engagement between flanges  58  and cap  36 , in particular by engagement between the upper edges of flanges  58  and the underside of cap  36 . 
   The use of the invention will now be described for the case of vehicle  80 . Canopy housing  30  with canopy  12  retracted therein is located in trunk  90 . When it is desired to shade the vehicle from the sun, support stands  40  are first positioned atop roof  84  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  where they are then secured by straps  70 . More particularly, with the two front doors of the vehicle open, one strap  70  may be formed into a continuous loop extending through base  42  of the forward pair of stands  40 , through the open doors, and below roof  84 . Similarly, with the two rear windows  88  of the vehicle rolled down, the other strap  70  may be formed into a continuous loop extending through base  42  of the rearward pair of stands  40 , through the open rear windows  88 , and below roof  84 . Each loop is joined by suitable coupling as described above. Then, the windows  88  may be rolled up and the front doors of the vehicle may be closed. If vehicle  80  included rear doors, then the strap  70  extending through base  42  of the rearward pair of support stands  40  could as a matter of choice be looped through the rear doors when open rather than through the rear windows  88  when rolled down. 
   Then, trunk  90  is opened and canopy  12  is pulled from housing  12  until opening  22  in the canopy aligns with trunk latch  92 . Trunk  90  is then closed, thereby clamping canopy  12  while latching through opening  22 . The canopy is then extended over vehicle  90  to the position shown in  FIG. 1  where body hooks  28  engage the front end of vehicle body  82 . 
   At each of the four support stands  40  the closest canopy opening  14  or  18 , as the case may be, is then located. Canopy hooks  50  are then hooked through the openings while in the position shown in  FIG. 5 . Then, the canopy hooks are pushed downwardly to the position shown in  FIG. 6  and rotated to the position shown in  FIG. 7 , thereby securing canopy  12 . 
   Preferably the support stands are sized such that canopy  12  is secured at a distance about  4  inches above roof  84 . This allows air to flow freely beneath the canopy and reduces the degree of heating within vehicle  80  while windows  86 ,  88  are rolled up. 
   A variety of modifications, changes and variations to the invention are possible within the spirit and scope of the following claims, and will undoubtedly occur to those skilled in the art. The invention should not be considered as restricted to the specific embodiments that have been described and illustrated with reference to the drawings.