Patent Publication Number: US-7717484-B2

Title: Vehicle partition

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
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   STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
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   DESCRIPTION OF ATTACHED APPENDIX 
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   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates generally to the field of restraining devices located inside a passenger motor vehicle and more specifically to a vehicle partition for restraining pets from entering the front passenger portion of the vehicle. 
   When a dog owner travels in a motor vehicle, it is wise to restrain the pet in the rear seat portion of the vehicle, and in so doing, prevent the dog from interfering with the driving activity of the owner as well as to offer some protection to the dog in the event of a sudden stop by the vehicle. 
   A number of inventors have tried to solve this problem by offering restraining barriers of various designs including W. M. Johnson U.S. Pat. No. 3,190,687, S. A. Abruzzino U.S. Pat. No. 3,169,781, A. Beaudet U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,814, D. J. Kacar et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,105, John H. Nichaus U.S. Pat. No. 5,848,817, Michael A Traxler U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,700, Gordon C. Spater application number 2006/0103155 and Kurt r. Murray et al U.S. Pat. No. 7,195,297. 
   While all of the above mentioned inventions seem to provide a barrier between the front seats and rear seats of a passenger vehicle, there is a deficiency in the prior technology. None of the designs shown in the prior art allow the user of the partition to easily and quickly retract the partition into a storage enclosure when not in use. Additionally, none of the prior art designs allow the user to easily and quickly remove or replace an upper partition that is located in the space between the two head rests of the front passenger seats. Finally, none of the prior art designs provide alternate methods and locations of attachment depending on the style of the vehicle. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The primary object of the invention is to provide a portable vehicle partition that can be easily mounted on the head rest posts of a standard passenger motor vehicle. 
   Another object of the invention is to provide a portable vehicle partition that rolls up into a cylindrical enclosure when not in use. 
   Another object of the invention is to provide a portable vehicle partition that includes a secondary upper partition that can plug into the roll up enclosure. 
   A further object of the invention is to provide a method of securing the rolled down partition to the pockets found on the back of the front passenger seats. 
   Yet another object of the invention is to provide an alternate method of securing the rolled down partition to the back wall of the center console of the vehicle. 
   Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. 
   In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed a vehicle partition comprising: a flexible partition constructed of standard netting, a rigid partition enclosure, a standard roll up spring within said enclosure allowing said partition to roll up into said enclosure when not in use, a left and right retaining strap that holds said enclosure to the head rest posts of a standard vehicle, a plurality of upwardly facing sockets located on the upper surface of said enclosure, a secondary partition having a plurality of downwardly facing posts that can engage said enclosure sockets, a pair of retaining clips each attached to each end to the lower horizontal bar of said flexible enclosure, and said clips can clamp to the lip of a standard seat pocket. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments to the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention. 
       FIG. 1  is a view of the invention in use as seen from the back seat of a passenger motor vehicle. 
       FIG. 2  is a view of the invention in the storage mode as seen from the back seat of a passenger motor vehicle. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or manner. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 1  we see a view of the vehicle partition of the present invention as seen from the rear seat of a standard passenger motor vehicle. This view shows the invention in the use position. The main partition  4  consists of standard netting trimmed on each side with standard biased tape  5 . A rigid bottom bar  6  is fastened to the bottom portion of the netting  4 . The netting has been rolled out of a rigid cylindrical enclosure  2 . A roll up spring, not shown, within the enclosure allows the netting to retract back into the enclosure in the same way that a standard roll up window shade does. The cylindrical enclosure  2  is held at each end by straps  12 ,  14  to the head rest posts  20 ,  22  of the front seats  7 ,  9 . Standard buckle clasps  16 ,  18  secure the straps  12 ,  14  and can also act to adjust the length of the strap in a standard way. The bottom bar  6  can be held in place in a variety of ways. One way is to use the spring clips  8 ,  10  that are fastened to the bottom bar  6  and to attach those clips  8 ,  10  by a clamping means to the lips of standard seat pockets  40 ,  42 . found in many standard passenger vehicles. An alternate method of attachment is provided where a central strap  36  is fastened to a loop  35  which is fixed to the mid point of the bar  6 . The central strap  36  includes a loop which can engage a downwardly facing hook  34  which has been fastened to the central portion of the rear surface of the center console  38  found in many standard passenger vehicles. A third method of attachment can be to hook a standard bungee cord from each side of the bar  6  to the front seat mounting brackets  39 ,  41  as shown by dotted lines  43 ,  45 . 
   Secondary upper partition  24  takes up the space between the front passenger seat head rests. The partition  24  can by used as needed, for example when a large dog is being restrained in the back seat and is large enough to poke his or her head over the rigid enclosure  2 . The partition  24  has a plurality of downwardly facing posts  26 ,  28  which removably and replacably plug into sockets  30 ,  32  located on the top surface of the enclosure  6 . The present embodiment of partition  24  shows a rigid frame structure with standard netting filling the space created by the frame. This embodiment allows the driver to have a relatively unobstructed view when looking in the rear view mirror, or when checking on the dog located in the back seat. 
     FIG. 2  shows a view of the vehicle partition of the present invention as seen from the rear seat of a standard passenger motor vehicle where the partition  4  is in the stored position within the enclosure  2 . This view also shows how the downwardly facing posts  26 ,  28  of the secondary upper partition  24  plug into mating sockets  30 ,  32  located on the top surface of the enclosure  2  as indicated by dotted lines  48 ,  49 . Central fastening point  34  can be clearly seen as it is adhered by standard means, such as double sided adhesive tape, to the rear portion of the center console. 
   With the upper partition  24  removed and the main partition  4  rolled up into enclosure  2 , the present invention becomes less obtrusive when the passenger vehicle is being used without having to restrain a pet in the back seat. And yet, the invention can be quickly and easily be deployed when necessary. 
   While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.