Abstract:
An apparatus that provides protection from precipitation to a vehicle occupant upon entering or exiting the vehicle includes a housing secured to the vehicle roof so that it can be reached by a passenger seated within the vehicle. A housing base is secured to the vehicle roof. A hinge positioned at the leading end of the housing interconnects the housing base to a housing cover. The housing has a fully closed position when the housing cover fully engages the housing base and a fully deployed position when the cover is fully rotated with respect to the base. A sheet of waterproof material has a first end secured to an interior of the base and a second end secured to an interior of the cover. The sheet is folded when the housing is in the fully closed position and is unfolded when the housing is in the fully deployed position.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates, generally, to automotive accessories. More particularly, it relates to an umbrella-like structure that can be deployed when needed by a passenger in a vehicle. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Most of the known umbrella-like devices that are attachable to vehicles have a first end anchored to the roof of the vehicle and a second end attached to a door. Accordingly, the umbrella-like device deploys when the door is opened, even if no rain is falling. Some of these devices enable a passenger to disable the device prior to opening the doors so that the device remains un-deployed when the door opens. 
     One drawback of such devices is that they provide a rain shield only in the area swept out by the door when opened, i.e., the protection stops at the trailing edge of the door. 
     Another type of device provides a greater coverage area. Devices of this type are rather large and cover substantially all of a vehicle&#39;s roof. They are deployed in cantilever fashion so that they project from the roof, extending over the side of the vehicle and shielding an area larger than that of the door-connected shields. 
     The primary drawback of the large devices is that they are so large they cannot be provided for all four doors of a four-door vehicle. A secondary drawback is that their large size renders them unsightly. Moreover, they are strictly utilitarian structures with no aesthetic appeal. 
     Thus there is a need for an umbrella-like rain shield device that is small and which does not detract from the appearance of a vehicle to which it is mounted. The needed device should cover an area larger than the area swept out by an open door and it should be mountable over each door of a vehicle so that all passengers will enjoy rain protection when needed. 
     However, in view of the art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art how the needed structure could be provided. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The long-standing but heretofore unfulfilled need for a device that protects vehicle occupants from rain or other forms of precipitation as they enter or leave the vehicle, providing ample dry space within which to close or deploy a conventional umbrella, is now met by a new, useful, and non-obvious invention. 
     The novel apparatus includes an elongate, streamlined housing having a leading end and a trailing end that correspond to a leading and trailing end of the vehicle. The housing has a longitudinal axis parallel to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle and is secured to the roof of the vehicle near an edge of the roof in proximity to a vehicle door so that the housing can be reached by a passenger standing next to the vehicle&#39;s door or by a passenger seated within the vehicle. 
     The housing includes a hollow base and a hollow cover. The hollow housing base is secured to either the vehicle roof or to accessory rails on the roof. A hinge is positioned at the leading end of the housing and performs the function of interconnecting the hollow housing cover and the hollow housing base to one another. 
     The housing has a fully closed position when the housing cover is fully engaged to the housing base and has a fully deployed position when the housing cover is fully rotated with respect to the housing base. 
     A sheet of waterproof material such as the material used in conventional umbrellas has a first end secured to an interior of the housing base and a second end secured to an interior of the housing cover. The sheet is in a folded or wound-up/coiled configuration when the housing is in its fully closed position and is fully unfolded or unwound when the housing is in its fully deployed position. 
     A first latch is secured to the trailing end of the housing cover and a first catch is secured to the trailing end of the housing base. The housing is therefore held in its closed position when the first latch and catch releasably engage one another. 
     An elongate rod has a leading end that engages a handle that is pivotally mounted to the housing cover at a leading end of the housing cover. The trailing end of that elongate rod engages the catch formed in the trailing end of the housing cover. Activation of the handle, i.e., rotation of the handle about a pivot point, displaces the elongate rod along its longitudinal axis of symmetry in a trailing-to-leading direction, thereby disengaging the trailing end of the elongate rod from the catch and thereby releasing the latch formed in the trailing end of the housing cover so that the cover can be swung open about the hinge at the leading end of the housing, thereby deploying the fabric. 
     A retraction spring is disposed in the hollow interior of the housing adjacent the hinge. The retraction spring is in an unloaded position of repose when the housing is in its fully closed position and the refraction spring is in a tensioned, loaded configuration when the cover is in its partially or fully open, deployed configuration. A second latch near the leading end of the housing holds the cover open after it is fully open and a latch release is mounted near the handle. A user activates the latch release to enable the retraction spring to pull the cover back to its closed position. 
     The primary object of this invention is to provide a simple-to-operate rain shield for passengers entering or leaving a vehicle by providing them with an umbrella-like rain shield while a conventional umbrella is being opened or closed. 
     Another important object is to provide the rain shield in an aesthetically pleasing and aerodynamic form. 
     A more specific object is to provide a rain shield that is not limited to the space swept out by an open car door so that the protection extends beyond the trailing end of the door. 
     These and other important objects, advantages, and features of the invention will become clear as this disclosure proceeds. 
     The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts that will be exemplified in the disclosure set forth hereinafter and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed disclosure, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1A  is a top plan view of the novel structure when in its fully closed configuration; 
         FIG. 1B  is a bottom plan view thereof when in its fully closed configuration; 
         FIG. 2A  is a side elevation view thereof when in its fully closed configuration; 
         FIG. 2B  is a first end view thereof when in its fully closed configuration; 
         FIG. 2C  is a second end view thereof when in its fully closed configuration; 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view depicting a location where the novel structure may be mounted; 
         FIG. 4  is a view like that of  FIG. 3  but depicting partial deployment of the novel structure; 
         FIG. 5  is a view like that of  FIG. 3  but depicting full deployment of the novel structure; and 
         FIG. 6  is a view like that of  FIG. 5  but depicting the novel structure as it is being returned to its housing. 
         FIG. 7  is a top plan view depicting the structure in its fully deployed configuration; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view depicting the rods that hold the fabric when in their fully deployed configuration; 
         FIG. 9  is the same as  FIG. 8  but without the fabric; 
         FIG. 10  is an exploded view depicting all of the parts of the preferred embodiment; 
         FIG. 11A  is a top plan view of the novel hinge mechanism when the novel apparatus is in its fully closed position; 
         FIG. 11B  is a top plan view of the novel hinge mechanism when the novel apparatus is open about ninety degrees (90) relative to its fully closed position; 
         FIG. 11C  is a top plan view of the novel hinge mechanism when the novel apparatus is open about one hundred sixty degrees (160) relative to its fully closed position; 
         FIG. 12A  depicts the novel device in its closed and locked configuration; 
         FIG. 12B  depicts the novel device when the handle is activated to unlock the device; and 
         FIG. 12C  is an exploded perspective view of the parts depicted in  FIGS. 12A and 12B . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       FIGS. 1A and 1B  depict an illustrative embodiment of the novel structure which is denoted as a whole by the reference numeral  10 . Parting line  10   a  denotes where housing base  10   b  having a hollow interior engages housing cover  10   c  which also has a hollow interior. 
     Handle  12  is pivotally mounted to cover  10   c  in a recess formed therein. 
     As depicted in  FIG. 1B , mounting brackets  14 ,  14  are secured to base  10   b  by screws that are depicted but not numbered to avoid cluttering the drawings. Hinge  16  is positioned inside the hollow interior of base  10   b  adjacent parting line  10   a  as depicted in  FIGS. 1A and 1B . Reference numeral  17  denotes a latch release subassembly. 
     The same parts are depicted in the end views of  FIGS. 2A ,  2 B and the side elevation view of  FIG. 2C . 
     Apparatus  10  has an aesthetically appealing, streamlined appearance and can be mounted on the roof of a vehicle in several different ways. If a vehicle is equipped with a roof rack, apparatus  10  can be secured to the roof rack. Many vehicles lacking roof racks include designated points or areas of the roof where holes for roof racks may be formed. Instead of forming openings at the designated points and mounting a roof rack thereto, followed by mounting apparatus  10  to the roof rack, the user may mount apparatus  10  directly to the roof as depicted in  FIG. 3 . Its longitudinal axis is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and each apparatus is mounted on an edge of the roof in close proximity to a door so that a seated passenger can deploy or retract the novel rain shield without opening the door. 
     Base  10   b  is secured to roof  18  of vehicle  20  by mounting brackets  14 ,  14 . Hinge  16  interconnects cover  10   c  to base  10   b  at the leading end of housing  10 . The leading end of housing  10  corresponds to the leading end of the vehicle which is to the right as depicted in  FIG. 3 , and the trailing end of housing  10  corresponds to the trailing end of the vehicle which is to the left as depicted in  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 4  depicts housing  10  in a partially deployed configuration. The door remains closed, there being no part of the novel structure attached to a door. Fabric  22  unfolds or unwinds as cover  10   c  swings about hinge  16  in the direction of the un-numbered directional arrows. A first edge of fabric  22  is secured to a fixed position rod, not depicted in  FIG. 4 , disposed within the hollow interior of base  10   b . A second edge of fabric  22  is secured to a fixed position rod, not depicted in  FIG. 4 , disposed within the hollow interior of cover  10   c . The fabric between said first and second edges is supported from sagging by fabric support rods, collectively denoted  24 , that are initially positioned within the hollow interior of base  10   b  and which deploy therefrom as cover  10   c  swings about hinge  16  as aforesaid. 
     In an alternative, undepicted embodiment, a first edge of the fabric is wound about an elongate rod that is mounted in base  10   b  for rotation about its longitudinal axis and a second edge of the fabric is secured to an elongate rod mounted in cover  10   c . A torque spring may be attached to the base-mounted elongate rod and a latch may be employed to hold the cover in its open position. A latch release would enable the torque spring to return to its position of repose and cause re-winding of the fabric about the rotatably mounted elongate rod as the cover swings back to its closed position. 
       FIG. 5  depicts housing  10  in its fully deployed configuration and differs from  FIG. 4  in that additional fabric support rods  24  are now deployed. 
       FIG. 6  depicts the same parts as  FIGS. 4 and 5  but the apparatus is now being closed, i.e., cover  10   c  is being swung about hinge  16  in the direction indicated by the un-numbered arrows. 
       FIG. 7  is similar to  FIG. 5  in that it depicts fabric  22  in its fully deployed configuration. Latch  26  at the trailing end of cover  10   c  engages catch  28  at the trailing end of base  10   b  when housing  10  is fully closed. Elongate rod  30 , not depicted in  FIG. 7 , is fully housed within cover  10   c  and fabric  22  is not attached to it. When handle  12  is pivoted by a user, elongate rod  30  is displaced in the direction indicated by directional arrow  32  in  FIG. 12A , causing latch  26  to withdraw from catch  28  so that base  10   b  and cover  10   c  can separate from one another at parting line  10   a  as aforesaid and as depicted in  FIG. 12B .  FIG. 12  C depicts the parts of  FIGS. 12A and 12B  in a partially exploded view to better depict how the parts are assembled. Elongate rod  30  is depicted in the exploded view of  FIG. 10 . 
       FIG. 8  depicts the fully deployed configuration of housing  10 . 
       FIG. 9  depicts the fully deployed configuration of housing  10  with fabric  22  removed therefrom. 
     The exploded view of  FIG. 10  depicts the parts in their unassembled configuration. A large number of complex parts, denoted hinge  16 , together with another large number of complex parts, denoted  38 , collectively form the hinge but a conventional hinge may be used as well. For purposes of clarity, parts  16  and  38  are depicted about fifty percent (50%) larger than their true relative size. There are many types of conventional hinges that may be used and all of them are within the scope of this invention as is the complex hinge that is illustrated. The complex hinge is capable of holding the cover in a first latched position when it is about one-third open, a second latched position when it is about two-thirds open, and a third latched position when it is fully open. A latch release mechanism enables the retraction spring to pivot cover  10   c  back to its closed position from each of said latched positions. 
     Another large number of complex parts, denoted latch  26 , together with another large number of complex parts, denoted catch  28 , collectively form the latch and catch that interconnect the respective trailing ends of base  10   b  and cover  10   c  but a conventional latch and catch may be used as well to secure the respective trailing ends of base  10   b  and cover  10   c  to one another when housing  10  is closed. For purposes of clarity, parts  26  and  28  are also depicted about fifty percent (50%) larger than their true relative size. There are many types of conventional latch and catch mechanisms, including simple snaps and buckles, for example, that may be used and all of them are within the scope of this invention as is the complex latch and catch mechanism that is illustrated. 
     The exact structures of latch release mechanism  17  and handle mechanism  12  that are depicted are also not critical to the invention. Any conventional latch release and handle structure is within the scope of this invention. Mechanisms  12  and  17  are also depicted about fifty percent (50%) larger than their true relative size. 
     Base end cap  34  houses complex hinge mechanism  16  that enables cover  10   c  to have stop points when fabric  22  is about one-third deployed, about two-thirds deployed, and fully deployed relative to stationary base  10   b  as aforesaid. However, to build an embodiment having no such stop positions, a simple, well-known hinge pin mechanism, not depicted, can be substituted for the complex mechanism. 
     Cover end cap  36  houses hinge block mechanism  38  which forms a part of hinge assembly  16 . Base end cap  34  and cover end cap  36  abut one another when housing  10  is fully assembled. 
     Similarly, at the opposite end of the assembly, base end cap  40  houses catch assembly  28  and cover end cap  42  houses latch assembly  26 . Base end cap  40  and cover end cap  42  abut one another when housing  10  is fully assembled. 
       FIG. 10  also depicts retraction spring  44  which is in its position of repose, i.e., unloaded, when base  10   b  and cover  10   c  abut one another and latch  26  is engaged to catch  28 . A first end of retraction spring  44  is secured to hinge base  16   a  and a second end of retraction spring  44  is secured to hinge block  38  as best understood in connection with  FIGS. 11A-C . Accordingly, unlatching said base and cover from one another in the manner disclosed above and swinging cover  10   c  to an open position causes loading of said retraction spring. As mentioned above, a latch holds the cover in each of its open configurations and latch release mechanism  17 , when user-activated, releases such latch, enabling retraction spring  44  to return to its position of repose, pulling cover  10   b  closed as it does so. 
     More particularly,  FIG. 11A  is a top plan view of the novel hinge mechanism when the novel apparatus is in its fully closed position. Hinge  16  includes hinge base  16   a  which is secured to housing base  10   b . Hinge arm  16   b  is formed integrally with hinge base  16   a  and hinge post  16   c  is a part of the hinge arm  16   b  assembly. Hinge block mechanism, denoted  38  as a whole, is secured to housing cover  10   c  and pivots about hinge post  16   c  when said cover  10   c  is at least partially open. Retainer spring  44  is in its position of repose when cover  10   c  is fully closed. 
       FIG. 11B  is a top plan view of the novel hinge mechanism when the novel apparatus is open about ninety degrees (90°) relative to its fully closed position. Retainer spring  44  is now under tension and extends horizontally under part of hinge arm  16   b  and over other parts of said hinge arm  16   b  as depicted. In a preferred embodiment, a first system of detents holds cover  10   c  in this ninety degree (90°) open position, i.e., the detents are sufficiently strong to overcome the tension of retainer spring  44 . The detents preferably take the form of convexities formed in hinge base  16   b  that align with and enter into concavities formed in hinge block mechanism  38  or the reverse i.e., the concavities may be formed in hinge base  16   a  and the convexities in hinge block mechanism  38 . 
       FIG. 11C  is a top plan view of the novel hinge mechanism when the novel apparatus is open about one hundred sixty degrees (160) relative to its fully closed position. Retainer spring  44  is now under maximum tension. A second set of detents, working in the same way as said first set of detents, is sufficiently strong to resist such tension. 
     When it is desired to close cover  10   c , the strength of the detents is easily overcome by manual closing of said cover. 
     The output shaft of a two-direction motor, not depicted, may be secured to hinge post  16   c  either directly or through a suitable speed-reduction means to enable a user to open and close housing cover  10   c  relative to stationary housing base  10   b  by switching the motor on and then selecting “open” or “close.” The “open” setting would include a sub-setting of ninety degrees (90°) open or one hundred sixty degrees (160°) open, for example. No detents would be required in the motorized embodiment. There would be no need for a latch for holding the cover open nor would a latch release mechanism be required. A motorized version would be remotely activated and the handle would not need to be rotated in order to deploy the device. 
     It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, and those made apparent from the foregoing disclosure, are efficiently attained and since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matters contained in the foregoing disclosure or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 
     It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein disclosed, and all statements of the scope of the invention that, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.