Patent Publication Number: US-2007108780-A1

Title: Automatic side door protector

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/735,324 filed Nov. 12, 2005 for Door Guard, which application is incorporated here by this reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
      This invention relates to protective devices that minimize damage to the sides of vehicles from scratches, dings, and dents.  
     BACKGROUND ART  
      It is a frequent occurrence that a vehicle, especially when parked in a parking lot, is subject to being damaged by the doors or occupants of vehicles in adjacent parking spots. Those other occupants may be unaware that their vehicle doors, their shopping carts, or they themselves are causing the other vehicle to be scratched, dinged, dented, or otherwise damaged. As such, there exists a need for a device to protect the doors and sides of vehicles from that damage.  
      A number of previous devices have been created to address this problem. However, those devices are often cumbersome to use, not adjustable for a variety of vehicles, or not theft resistant. Therefore, there exists a need for a protective device that is lightweight, easy to install onto the vehicle, and easy to store. There also exists a need for a protective device that is easily adjusted to fit a variety of vehicle sizes and that is resistant to being removed from the vehicle by someone other than the vehicle&#39;s owner.  
     DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION  
      The present invention is directed to an easy to use, compact device for protecting the sides of a vehicle from damage such as scratches, dings, and dents. The invention provides an automatic side door protector having a protective pad and a support strap. The support strap is connected to the protective pad at one or more places. The protective pad can be divided into two or more segments which can be folded against each other for compact storage. The automatic side door protector is installed on the vehicle to be protected by pinching the support strap either between a window and the window frame or between the door and the door frame. An enlarged end on the support strap helps to prevent the support strap from being pulled back through the closed window or door, the enlarged end being preferably formed by turning an end of the support strap over upon itself at least one time. The automatic side door protector is height adjustable by varying the length of the support strap that is inside of the vehicle when the support strap is pinched by the window or door. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a plan view of an embodiment of an automatic side door protector.  
       FIG. 2  is a side view of the automatic side door protector depicted in  FIG. 1 .  
       FIG. 3  depicts an embodiment of an automatic side door protector installed on a vehicle.  
       FIG. 4  is a plan view of an embodiment of an automatic side door protector.  
       FIG. 5  is a plan view of an embodiment of an automatic side door protector.  
       FIG. 6  is a plan view of an embodiment of an automatic side door protector.  
       FIG. 7  is a side view of a rolled end of an embodiment of an automatic side door protector.  
       FIG. 8  is a side view of a rolled end of an embodiment of an automatic side door protector.  
       FIG. 9  is a partial side view of an embodiment of an automatic side door protector, depicting an optional slot mechanism. 
    
    
     BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION  
      The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of presently-preferred embodiments of the invention and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth the functions and the sequence of steps for constructing and operating the invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments. However, it is to be understood that the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention.  
      Referring to the figures, the automatic side door protector  10  has a protective pad  12  and a support strap  14 . The support strap  14  is connected to the protective pad  12  at one or more places.  
      The protective pad  12  is generally planar, may be generally rectangular, and may have rounded corners to minimize wind resistance. In some versions of the invention, the protective pad  12  may be divided into two or more segments. Each of those segments may be pivotally connected to an adjacent segment, permitting the segments to be folded against an adjacent segment. This allows the automatic side door protector  10  to be made compact for storage, for example, in a vehicle&#39;s trunk. In some embodiments, the protective pad  12  may have one or more magnets  20  to assist in securing the automatic side door protector  10  to a magnetic surface, such as a vehicle&#39;s door. The one or more magnets  20  may be attached to the protective pad  12  or the magnets may be internal to the protective pad  12 .  
      In some embodiments of the invention, the protective pad  12  may have a hub member  18  to increase the rigidity of the protective pad  12 , particularly in its unfolded position. The protective pad  12  may further have fasteners, such as snaps, latches, or hook-and-loop fasteners, to connect one or more of the segments of the protective pad  12  to the hub member  18  and help maintain the protective pad  12  in its unfolded position. In an embodiment of the invention, the fastener may comprise a slot mechanism  22  in the protective pad  12  and a corresponding mating portion on the hub member  18 , the mating portion fitting within the slot  22 . The hub member  18  may further have a reinforcing member  24 , such as a metal, wood, rubber, polymeric compound, or plastic rod. Refer to  FIG. 9 . The reinforcing member  24  provides additional structural integrity to the automatic side door protector  10 .  
      Referring to  FIG. 3 , the automatic side door protector  10  is installed on the vehicle to be protected by inserting the support strap  14  either between a window and the window frame or between the door and the door frame. The window or door is closed onto the support strap  14 , securing it by pinching the support strap  14  between the window and the window frame or between the door and the door frame, respectively. The automatic side door protector  10  is height adjustable by varying the length of the support strap  14  that is inside of the vehicle when the support strap  14  is pinched by the window or door. Where more of the support strap  14  is inside of the vehicle, the protective pad  12  is generally higher up on the side of the vehicle than when less of the support strap  14  is inside of the vehicle. Therefore, the automatic side door protector  10  is adaptable to account for various vehicle types. Further, the structure of the device permits the automatic side door protector  10  to be installed on just one side of the vehicle, if desired. The overall dimensions of an embodiment of the invention permit a single automatic side door protector  10  to protect both doors on one side of the vehicle.  
      To deter theft of the automatic side door protector  10 , the support strap  14  further has an enlarged end  16 . The end is enlarged in that its thickness is generally greater than the thickness of the remainder of the support strap  14 . The enlarged end  16  helps to prevent the support strap  14  from being pulled back through the closed window or door of the vehicle. The enlarged end  16  can be formed, for example, by rolling, turning, or curling the end of the support strap  14  over itself or by wrapping the support strap  14  around an anchor object  17 . The enlarged end may also be formed by attaching an anchor object  17  to the support strap  14 , where the width of the anchor object is greater than the thickness of the support strap  14 . The anchor object  17  may be of any size or shape, provided the support strap  14  can be wrapped around the anchor object  17  or the anchor object  17  can be attached to the support strap  14 , either on the inside or the outside of the end of the support strap  14 .  
      To provide a long-lasting device, in some versions of the invention the protective pad  12  is made of a highly durable material that is resistant to weather, heat, and water. Such materials include, but are not limited to, plastics; laminated wood or cardboard; and felt-covered plastic, metal, wood, and cardboard. Other materials can also be successfully used.  
      While the present invention has been described with regards to particular embodiments, it is recognized that additional variations of the present invention may be devised without departing from the inventive concept.  
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY  
      This invention may be industrially applied to the manufacture and use of protective devices that minimize damage to the sides of vehicles from scratches, dings, and dents.