Patent Publication Number: US-2021162847-A1

Title: Padded Multi-Piece Vehicle Cover Apparatus

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The disclosure and prior art relates to vehicle covers and more particularly pertains to a new vehicle cover for protecting a vehicle from hail. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a set of cover panels. Each of the set of cover panels has an inner layer, an outer layer, and a medial layer continuously disposed between the inner layer and the outer layer. The set of cover panels comprises a pair of central panels and a pair of side panels. The pair of central panels comprises a right center panel and a left center panel. The pair of central panels is configured to extend from a rear bumper end of a vehicle, over a vehicle top side, to a front bumper end of the vehicle. Each of the central panels is rectangular. The pair of side panels comprises a right side panel and a left side panel configured to extend across a vehicle right side and a vehicle left side of the vehicle, respectively. Each of the side panels has a vehicle profile shape. A set of zippers is coupled to the set of cover panels and comprises a center zipper coupled between the pair of central panels, a right zipper coupled between the right center panel and the right side panel, and a left zipper coupled between the left center panel and the left side panel. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a padded multi-piece vehicle cover apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevation view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a rear elevation view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a top plan view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 5  thereof, a new vehicle cover embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 5 , the padded multi-piece vehicle cover apparatus  10  generally comprises a set of cover panels  12  each having an inner layer  14 , an outer layer  16 , and a medial layer  18  continuously disposed between the inner layer  14  and the outer layer  16 . The inner layer  14  is a felt material, the medial layer  18  is a foam padding, and the outer layer  16  is a weatherproof canvas material. The canvas may be at least 10.1 ounce weight and the foam padding may be a type No. CV40155 foam between 6.3 to 7.7 centimeters thickness. The medial layer  18  is at least eight times the thickness of the inner layer  14  and the outer layer  16 . Each of the cover panels  12  has a plurality of grommeted apertures  20  extending therethrough adjacent a bottom perimeter  22 . 
     The set of cover panels  12  comprises a pair of central panels  24  and a pair of side panels  26 . The pair of central panels  24  comprises a right center panel  28  and a left center panel  30 . The pair of central panels  24  is configured to extend from a rear bumper end  32  of a vehicle  33 , over a vehicle top side  34 , to a front bumper end  36  of the vehicle. Each of the central panels  24  is rectangular. The pair of side panels  26  comprises a right side panel  38  and a left side panel  40  configured to extend across a vehicle right side  42  and a vehicle left side of the vehicle, respectively. Each of the side panels  26  is a vehicle profile shape. A set of zippers  44  is coupled to the set of cover panels  12 . The set of zippers  44  comprises a center zipper  46  coupled between the pair of central panels  24 , a right zipper  48  coupled between the right center panel  28  and the right side panel  38 , and a left zipper  50  is coupled between the left center panel  30  and the left side panel  40 . The set of zippers  44  allows the set of cover panels  12  to separate and be rolled for easier storage. 
     A plurality of elastic straps  52  is coupled to the plurality of grommeted apertures  20 . Each of the elastic straps  52  has a hook  54  coupled to a distal end  56  thereof. The hook  54  may have a cylindrical joining portion  58  and a hooked portion  60 . The joining portion  58  is coupled to the distal end  56  and the hooked portion  60  is configured to attach to an undercarriage  62  of the vehicle. A heating element  64  is coupled to the set of cover panels  12 . The heating element  64  has a heating coil  66  extending throughout each of the cover panels  12  and a power adaptor  68  coupled to the right side panel  38 . The heating coil  66  is in operational communication with the power adaptor  68  and the power adaptor  68  is configured to receive a standard power cord. 
     In use, the set of cover panels  12  are joined with the set of zippers  44  and placed on to the vehicle  33 . The hook  54  of each of the elastic straps  52  is then attached to the undercarriage  62  to maintain the apparatus  10  in place during high winds. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.