Patent Publication Number: US-2010126546-A1

Title: Foldable Car Cover Tent Having An Opening

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a car cover tent and, more particularly, to a foldable car cover tent having an opening that can be folded by pulling each movable support and a cover on the supports via a rope. 
     BACKGROUND  
     Please refer to  FIG. 4  that shows a conventional mobile car tent A. The mobile car tent A has a parallel left and right lateral plates B, B′, a plurality of inverse U-shape metal supports C that are rotatable and foldable in response to the position of the left and right lateral plates B, B′, and a canvas cover D for covering the metal supports C. Thereby, the car tent can be set up when each metal support C is unfolded and an opening for moving cars in and out can be formed by rotating each metal support C to fold the metal supports C and canvas cover D. 
     Above mentioned structure of the car tent can provide effective protection for a car parked therein and the car can be driven in and out of the tent conveniently. If a user folds the metal supports and the canvas cover when a car is parked inside the tent, it will be impossible for the user to exert force on the central part of the metal supports to rotate each metal support. Instead, the user is only able to fold the metal supports and the canvas cover from one side of the metal supports. Since the inverse U-shape metal supports are made of long tubes and are covered by the canvas cover, the metal supports may be deformed when a user folds the cart tent. Besides, it will be laborious for users to rotate the metal supports to fold the car tent due to the effect of the torque formed by the span length of the metal supports. 
     In order to solve the above problems, inventor had the motive to study and develop the present invention. After hard research and development, a foldable car cover tent having an opening is provided for convenient access. Besides, by using the car cover tent of the present invention, the supports thereof can be prevented from being deformed when the car cover tent is being folded, therefore, the lifetime of the car cover tent can therefore be extended. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a foldable car cover tent having an opening, which structurally has a plurality of movable supports that are rotatable in response to the position of a base, covered by a cover. The supports and cover can be pulled simultaneously via a rope. Consequently, it is convenient for users to fold the movable supports and the cover. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a foldable car cover tent having an opening where a space is provided between a front support set and a rear support set. A cover having a side door is also provided for covering the front and rear support sets. Accordingly, when a car door is opened, the door can swing out of the tent through the side door. Thereby, users can conveniently get off and get in the cars. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a foldable car cover tent having an opening where a bottom plate disposed with two stop blocks between a first and a second lateral plates of a base. The bottom plate is adjustable in response to the position of the base. Consequently, a car can be positioned in the cover tent precisely and the cover tent can be flexibly adjusted for cars with different sizes. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a foldable car cover tent having an opening where at least an elastic telescopic tube is provided between rotatable movable supports and rear fixed supports. Thereby, each movable support and the cover thereon can move downward automatically to enclose the opening for protecting the car parked therein. 
     In order to achieve the above objects, the present invention provides a foldable car cover tent having an opening, which comprises a base, a front support set, a rear support set, a cover, and a rope. The base includes a first lateral plate parallel to a second lateral plate. The front support set is connected to a front end of the base. The rear support set has a first and a second movable supports. The two sides of the first movable support are respectively provided with a first left support bar and a first right support bar while two sides of the second movable support are provided respectively with a second left support bar and a second right support bar. The first and second left support bars are pivotally connected to the first lateral plate in a rotatable way while the first and second right support bars are pivotally connected to the second lateral plate in a rotatable way. The cover is used for covering the front and rear support sets. The rope has one end connected to the first movable support and another end passing through the second movable support for users to pull. While another end of the rope is pulled, the first and second movable supports can be pulled simultaneously to form an opening for cars entrance or exit. 
     In practice, the second movable support is provided with a guide for positioning the rope. 
     In practice, the rear support set further includes a rear fixed support that has a rear bridge bar, a left rear support bar, and a right rear support bar. The left and right rear support bars are connected to the two ends of the rear bridge bar and are fixed to the first and second lateral plates respectively. One end of the rope passes through the rear bridge bar. 
     In practice, the rear support set further includes two elastic telescopic tubes. Two ends of one telescopic tube are positioned at the left rear support bar and the first left support bar while two ends of another telescopic tube are positioned at the right rear support bar and the first right support bar. 
     In practice, a horizontal space is provided between the rear end of the front support set and the rear fixed support of the rear support set. The cover is provided with a side door corresponding to that space so that a car door can swing out of the tent through the space and the side door when opened. 
     In practice, the base further includes a bottom plate that is provided with two stop blocks thereon. Two ends of the bottom plate are adjustably connected to the first and second lateral plates respectively. 
     The following detailed description, given by way of examples or embodiments, will best be understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of another preferred embodiment of the present invention where a base, a front support set, and a rear support set are assembled. 
         FIG. 3  shows a diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention where each movable support is being folded. 
         FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of a conventional mobile car tent. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
     Please refer to  FIG. 1 , a preferred embodiment of a foldable car cover tent having an opening according to the present invention is shown. The car cover tent  1  comprises a base  2 , a front support set  3 , a rear support set  4 , a cover  5 , and a rope  6 . The front and rear support sets  3 ,  4  are respectively connected to a front and a rear ends of the base  2  and covered by the cover  5 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the base  2  includes a first lateral plate  21 , a second lateral plate  22 , and a bottom plate  23 . The first and second lateral plates  21 ,  22  are parallel long plates and have L-shape cross-sections. The first lateral plate  21  has an upright plate  211  provided with a plurality of horizontally arranged first pivotal holes  212  while the second lateral plate  22  has an upright plate  221  provided with a plurality of second pivotal holes  222  corresponding to the first pivotal holes  212 . Besides, the first and second lateral plates  21 ,  22  have flat plates  213 ,  223  at their front ends and the flat plates  213 ,  223  are provided with corresponding threaded holes  214 . The bottom plate  23  is rectangular and provided with two upward protruded stop blocks  231  thereon. Two ends of the bottom plate  23  are fixed with the threaded holes  214  of the first and second lateral plates  21 ,  22  via screws so that two ends of the bottom plate  23  are fixedly positioned. In practice, two ends of the bottom plate  23  can be screwed to other threaded holes  214  of the first and second lateral plates  21 ,  22 . Consequently, it is possible to adjust the position of the bottom plate  23  in response to the position of the first and second lateral plates  21 ,  22 . 
     The front support set  3  includes an inverse U-shape front fixed support  31  and two inverse U-shape positioning supports  32 . The front fixed support  31  has a front bridge bar  311 , a left front support bar  312 , and a right front support bar  313 . The left and right front support bars  312 ,  313  are parallel and respectively connected to the two ends of the front bridge bar  311 . Besides, the bottoms of the left and right front support bars  312 ,  313  are respectively fixed to front ends of the first and second lateral plates  21 ,  22 . The top of one front support bar  33  is connected to the left front support bar  312  and the bottom is fixed to the upright plate  211  of the first lateral plate  21 . The top of another front support bar  34  is connected to the right front support bar  313  and the bottom is fixed to the upright plate  221  of the second lateral plate  22 . Thereby, the left and right front support bars  312 ,  313  are vertically disposed at the front ends of the first and second lateral plates  21 ,  22 . 
     The rear support set  4  includes an inverse U-shape rear fixed support  41 , a first movable support  42 , a second movable support  43 , a third movable support  44 , two rear support bars  45 ,  46 , and two telescopic tubes  47 ,  48 . 
     The rear fixed support  41  has a rear bridge bar  411 , a left rear support bar  412 , and a right rear support bar  413 . The left and right rear support bars  412 ,  413  are connected to the two ends of the rear bridge bar  411  and the bottoms are fixed to the rear ends of the first and second lateral plates  21 ,  22  respectively. The top of one rear support bar  45  is connected to the left rear support bar  412  and the bottom is fixed to the upright plate  211  of the first lateral plate  21 . The top of another rear support bar  46  is connected to the right rear support bar  413  and the bottom is fixed to the upright plate  221  of the second lateral plate  22 . Thereby, the left and right rear support bars  412 ,  413  are vertically above the rear ends of the first and the second lateral plates  21 ,  22 . 
     The bottoms of the left and right rear support bars  412  and  413  of the rear fixed support  41  are fixed to the rear ends of the first and the second lateral plates  21 ,  22 . The bottoms of the left and right front support bars  312 ,  313  of the front fixed support  31  are fixed to the front ends of the first and the second lateral plates  21 ,  22 . A horizontal space W is formed between the left rear support bar  412  and the left front support bar  312 , and between the right rear support bar  413  and the right front support bar  313 . 
     Moreover, each of the telescopic tubes  47 ,  48  is provided with a spring therein (not shown in Figures) so that the telescopic tubes  47 ,  48  are elastically stretchable. The top end of one telescopic tube  47  is fixed to the left rear support bar  412  and another end is positioned at a first left support bar  422 . One end of another telescopic tube  48  is positioned at the right rear support bar  413  and another end is positioned at a first right support bar  423 . 
     The first, second, and third movable supports  42 ,  43 ,  44  are in inverse U-shape. The first movable support  42  includes a first bridge bar  421  having two ends respectively connected to the first left support bar  422  and the first right support bar  423 . The second movable support  43  includes a second bridge bar  431  having two ends respectively connected to a second left support bar  432  and a second right support bar  433 . The third movable support  44  includes a third bridge bar  441  having two ends respectively connected to a third left support bar  442  and a third right support bar  443 . Each of the second, third, and rear bridge bars  431 ,  441 ,  411  is at its center provided with a ring that serves as a guide  7 . 
     The bottoms of the first, second, and third left support bars  422 ,  432 ,  442  are pivotally connected to the first pivotal hole  212  of the first lateral plate  21 . The bottoms of the first, second, and third right support bars  423 ,  433 ,  443  are pivotally connected to the second pivotal hole  222  of the second lateral plate  22 . Thereby, the first, second, and third movable supports  42 ,  43 ,  44  are rotatable in response to the position of the first and second lateral plates  21 ,  22  of the base  2 . 
     The cover  5  is made of waterproof fabric and used for covering the front and rear support sets  3 ,  4 . One side of the cover is provided with a side door  51  having the size corresponding to the space W (as shown in  FIG. 1 ). When a car is parked under the cover  5 , a front seat car door of the car will coincide with the space W and the side door  51 . Thereby, the car door can be opened and swung out of the cover  5  through the space W and the side door  51 . Consequently, a user can get off the car and leave the car tent conveniently through the side door  51  or open the car door through the side door  51  when the user stands outside the tent and wants to get into the car. 
     One end of the rope  6  is tied to the center of the first bridge bar  421  of the first movable support  42  while another end of the rope  6  goes through the guides  7  of the second bridge bar  431 , the third bridge bar  441 , and the rear bridge bar  411  and tied to the front support set  3 . Alternatively, another end of the rope  6  can directly pass the central position through the second bridge bar  431 , the third bridge bar  441 , and the rear bridge bar  411 . Thereby, by pulling another end of the rope  6 , a user can pull the first movable support  42  and compress the springs within the two telescopic tubes  47 ,  48 , and further push the second and third movable supports  43 ,  44 . After the first, second, and third movable supports  42 ,  43 ,  44  are simultaneously moved toward the rear fixed support  41 , an entrance or exit opening for cars can be formed (as shown in  FIG. 3 ). When the rope  6  is released, the first movable support  42  is pulled via the elastic force provided by the springs in the telescopic tubes  47 ,  48 , and the second and the third movable supports  43 ,  44  will also be pulled to enclose the opening. 
     In practice, plural ropes  6  can be used to pull the first, second, and third movable supports  42 ,  43 ,  44  simultaneously and to prevent the cover  5  on the first, second, and third movable supports  42 ,  43 ,  44  from drooping downward. Besides, another end of the rope  6  can be connected to an electric capstan (not shown in figures). The electric capstan can be driven by remote control conveniently. 
     Therefore, the present invention has the following advantages: 
     1. According to the present invention, one or plural ropes and two telescopic tubes can be respectively provided for pulling and unfolding each movable support, and the cover on the movable supports; thus, it is convenient to use the car cover tent. 
     2. As described above, the present invention provides one or plural ropes for preventing the cover from drooping downward when each movable support and the cover on the movable supports are folded. Thereby, the external surface of a car will not be scratched by the drooping of the cover. 
     3. It is convenient for a user to open the car door either when the user stands outside the car tent or in the car. 
     4. According to the present invention, the space between supports can be effectively reduced, hence, the amount of required materials can be reduced and the manufacturing cost can be decreased. 
     5. According to the present invention, a car can be positioned in the car cover tent precisely by adjusting the position of the bottom plate, so that the car cover tent can be adjusted flexibly for cars with different sizes. 
     As disclosed in the above description and attached drawings, the present invention can provide a foldable car cover tent having an opening, where the car cover tent can be conveniently folded and the lifetime thereof can be extended since the supports of the car cover tent can be prevented from being deformed. It is new and can be put into industrial use. 
     Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, many modifications and variations may be made by those skilled in the art from the teachings disclosed hereinabove. Therefore, it should be understood that any modification and variation equivalent to the spirit of the present invention be regarded to fall into the scope defined by the appended claims.