AWNING ATTACHMENT TO NON-MAGNETIC VEHICLE TOP

Abstract

A vehicle awning for a vehicle comprises an awning sheet, a plurality of legs for supporting the awning sheet above the legs, a plurality of above-roof members coupled to the awning sheet at locations away from the legs, the above-roof members adapted for positioning above a non-magnet-attracting roof of the vehicle at respective locations, and a plurality of below-roof members adapted for positioning below the above-roof members and attached to a bottom surface of the non-magnet-attracting roof, wherein one of the above-roof members and the below-roof members is comprised of a magnet and another of the above-roof members and the below-roof members is comprised of one or more magnetic materials.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to awnings and in particular to awnings that are attached to vehicles. More specifically, an awning is disclosed that may be attached to a vehicle top with non-ferromagnetic properties.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The use of tents, awnings, tarps, and other forms of protection from the elements in combination with a vehicle are well known. Many products are sold on the market that provide some type of a head covering in combination with a vehicle.

An exemplary tent/awning system used in combination with a vehicle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,520,290, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. As shown in the aforementioned patent, a vehicle is included. An awning is also included. The awning is part of a tent system that includes multiple tent panels 16, tent panel 18, and awning sheet 20. Situated below tent panel 16 and tent panel 18 are a plurality of vertical support structures 14. Vehicle 12 includes a metallic roof. Awning sheet 20 is attached to the metallic roof of vehicle 12 via a magnet 21.

A further exemplary tent/awning system used in combination with a vehicle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,267,105, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. The awning that is disclosed in aforementioned patent is attachable to the metal side of the vehicle. Because the awning is attaching to a metal side, the attachment is accomplished with the use of magnets.

A magnet is a material that exhibits the properties of magnetism, and that produces a magnetic field. A material may be magnetized so that the material creates a magnetic field. Exemplary materials for inclusion in a magnet include ferromagnetic materials such as iron, nickel, cobalt (and/or their alloys), some alloys of rare-earth metals, and some naturally occurring minerals.

A material may be attracted to a magnet if that material is a magnetic material. A magnetic material may or may not be magnetized. Magnetic materials that are not magnetized may again include ferromagnetic materials such as iron, nickel and cobalt (and/or their alloys). A magnetic material may or may not include multiple magnetic materials.

The above patents disclose a vehicle tarp system that relies on magnets for attachment to a roof that is comprised of a magnetic material(s). There are many vehicles, however, that lack roofs made of magnetic material(s). When a material is not a magnetic material, it is referred to as a non-magnetic material. For example, certain vehicles designed for off-road use typically include roofs made of non-magnetic materials. One example of such a roof is referred to a soft top. Soft top roofs are typically comprised of fabric so they can folded backwards to create a “convertible” effect. Another example of a roof suitable for off-road vehicles is referred to as a hardtop. Hardtop roofs are typically comprised of a non-ferromagnetic materials, such as resin or fiberglass. Examples of offroad vehicles include vehicles with branding such as JEEP (JEEP is a registered trademark of FCA US LLC), SUZUKI (SUZUKI is a registered trademark of Suzuki Motor Corporation.) and MAHINDRA (MAHINDRA is a registered trademark of Mahindra and Mahindra).

When using a vehicle with a roof comprised of a magnetic material(s), attachment of the tarp to the roof may be accomplished with magnets. Such magnets may be attached to corners of the tarp. When the magnets are placed in contact with the magnetic material roof, the tarp is effectively attached to the magnetic material roof. If, however, the roof is comprised of non-magnetic material, magnetic forces are not available to achieve attachment between the tarp and roof. When magnets (attached to a tarp) are placed in contact with the roof comprised of non-magnetic material, attraction between the magnets and the roof do not occur. Therefore, attachment of a tarp to a roof made of non-magnetic material is not easily accomplished with magnets. In such a scenario, either the roof may be modified to include magnetic material, or some other alteration is made to the roof so that the tarp may be attached to the roof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A vehicle awning for a vehicle comprises an awning sheet, a plurality of legs for supporting the awning sheet above the legs, a plurality of above-roof members coupled to the awning sheet at locations away from the legs, the above-roof members adapted for positioning above a non-magnet-attracting roof of the vehicle at respective locations, and a plurality of below-roof members adapted for positioning below the above-roof members and attached to a bottom surface of the non-magnet-attracting roof, wherein one of the above-roof members and the below-roof members is comprised of a magnet and another of the above-roof members and the below-roof members is comprised of one or more magnetic materials.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a rear view that illustrates an awning/tarp that is attached to a vehicle having a non-magnetic roof in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1B is a perspective drawing that illustrates an awning/tarp that is attached to a vehicle having a non-magnetic roof in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1C is a close-up perspective drawing of drawing section 1C of FIG. 1B.

FIG. 1D is a close-up perspective drawing of drawing section 1D of FIG. 1B.

FIG. 1E is a close-up perspective drawing of drawing section 1E of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2A is a top view of the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1A - 1E.

FIG. 2B is a further perspective drawing that illustrates an awning/tarp that is attached to a vehicle having a non-magnetic roof in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2C is a further perspective drawing that illustrates an awning/tarp that is attached to a vehicle having a non-magnetic roof in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3A is a close-up drawing of drawing section 3A of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 3B is a drawing that illustrates the interior of a vehicle in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4A is a sectional view along section line 4A-4A in FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4B is similar to the sectional view that appears in FIG. 4A, but illustrates magnet 50 after removal from roof 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The awnings that are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 7,520,290 and U.S. Pat. No. 8,267,105 are exemplary of many awnings that are known in the prior art for attachment to vehicles. Prior art references thus disclose attachment of an awning to a vehicle having a metallic roof. In many cases, the metallic roof is desirable because the awning is attached to the vehicle via a plurality of magnets. Thus, the magnets that are coupled to the awning have magnetic fields that attach to the vehicle at locations where the vehicle is comprised of metal.

Many vehicles, however, lack tops (and may partially lack sides) that are comprised of magnetic material. With such vehicles, it may be difficult to attach the awning to the non-magnetic material top and or side. Thus, attachment of an awning to a vehicle with a non-magnetic material top or side may be extremely difficult.

For example, JEEP vehicles often include soft tops and hardtops. Soft tops are typically made of fabric (a non-magnetic material) so they can be rolled or folded. In this manner, the occupants of the vehicle are able to be exposed directly to the sky, which may be highly desirable on a warm or sunny day. Alternatively, JEEP vehicles may include what are called hardtops. Hardtops are typically made of fiberglass (a non-magnetic material) which can be lighter than metal, thus facilitating removal and reinstallation of the top. Other vehicles besides JEEP vehicles may include a soft top or a hardtop made from non-magnetic materials.

With regard to the aforementioned soft tops and hardtops, these tops are rarely made of magnetic material. Thus, these kinds of tops are not easily suitable for use with an awning that is attached to a vehicle via magnets.

An awning that could be easily attached to a soft top or hardtop would have significant advantages over the prior art. In particular, if an awning includes magnets, and if there was a simple way to attach the magnets to the soft top or the hardtop (made of non-magnetic material), setting up the awning with the soft top or hardtop would be both simple and fun. Instead, current awning systems are attached to JEEP vehicles by either some kind of mechanical attachment to a roof rack or by making a modification to the top. However, a JEEP vehicle owner typically does not wish to make a modification to the top of the vehicle, as the modification may result in significant cosmetic or structural issues. Also, many JEEP vehicles (such as those with soft tops) do not have roof racks.

As a result of all of the above issues, the inventor is not aware of an awning that is easily attached to a soft top or hardtop with the use of magnets (without modifying or adding features to the top). If there was a way to attach an awning to a soft top or hardtop by using magnets, then JEEP vehicle owners would potentially be very interested in acquiring this product.

Accordingly, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an awning with magnets is attached to a soft top or hardtop of a vehicle. The magnets are placed in contact with the top (or side) of the vehicle. Directly below each magnet (or at the corresponding location that is interior to the exterior location of each magnet), an object is placed that receives magnetic force and causes the magnets to stay attached to the top. Thus, a “sandwich” is formed with the magnet on the vehicle top (e.g. roof), the object below the vehicle top, and the vehicle top sandwiched between the magnet and the object. In one embodiment, the objects that are placed directly below the magnets are metal (or magnetic material) discs. The metal discs have a sufficient amount of metal (or magnetic material) so that the magnets that are attached to the awning are attracted to the objects (and/or the objects are attracted to the magnets). In another embodiment, the objects that are placed below the vehicle top and directly below the magnets are additional magnets, but are oriented with magnetic poles to attract the magnets placed above the vehicle top. Such magnets have sufficient magnetic force to provide attraction between the magnets above the vehicle top and the magnets on the bottom side (or below) the vehicle top. In this manner, the awning stays in place.

In the forgoing explanation, the object being placed on top (above) the roof may be referred to as an above-roof member. The object being placed on the underside of (below) the roof may be referred to as the below-roof member. In one embodiment, the above-roof member is a magnet, and the below-roof member is a magnet. In another embodiment, the above-roof member is magnetic material that is not a magnet, and the below-roof member is a magnet. In another embodiment, the above-roof member is a magnet, and the below-roof member is magnetic material that is not a magnet.

FIG. 1A is an exterior rear view of vehicle 100 with awning 2 attached thereto in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Top 11 is either a soft top or a hardtop comprised of non-magnetic materials (so that attractive force does not exist between a magnet and the top). Awning sheet 20 extends horizontally away from top 11. Awning sheet may be flexible (comprised of cloth, rubber, etc.), semi-rigid (comprised of thin metal, thin resin, etc.) or rigid (comprised of rigid metal, wood, rigid resin, etc.). Poles 30 (only one pole 30 is visible in FIG. 1A) extend from awning sheet 20 towards the ground. Poles 30 may penetrate the ground or terminate with stands that are positioned on the top surface of the ground. Poles 30 may be located at one end of awning sheet 20 while awning sheet 20 terminates at an opposite end. Multiple connectors 35 (only one connector is visible in FIG. 1A) may extend from an end (or near and end) of awning sheet 20 opposite from where poles 30 are coupled to awning sheet 20. Couplers 40 are coupled to connectors 35 respectively.

FIG. 1B is a perspective view of awning 2 that appears in FIG. 1A. Poles 30 are shown as positioned at opposite edges of awning sheet 20. Support member 70 extends across awning sheet 20 from multiple edges and helps to maintain a shape of awning 2. In an exemplary embodiment, awning 2 has a concave shape, but a flat shape is also contemplated. Multiple couplers 40 are shown as positioned between ends of awning sheet 20 and roof 11.

FIG. 1C is a close-up view of section 1C that appears in FIG. 1B. Support member 70 includes an end that is inserted into sleeve 72 that is affixed to (extends from, is attached to, etc.) awning sheet 20. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, pole 30 includes pin 29 that extends through opening 28 in awning sheet 20. Pin 29 may stay in place as a result of force from pole 30, or an additional attachment member may be attached to pin 29 to keep pin 29 in place.

FIG. 1D is a close-up view of section 1D that appears in FIG. 1B. Tie 80 may be attached to awning sheet 20. When tied, tie 80 maintains awning sheet 20 in place relative to support member 70. The use of a tie is exemplary. Other forms of attachment may also be used, including hook-and-loop, buckle, etc.

FIG. 1E is a close-up view of section 1E that appears in FIG. 1A. Pole 70, pin 29, opening 28 sleeve 72 and awning sheet 20 are illustrated.

FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Magnets 50 are placed on top of and are in contact with the top surface of top 10 (that includes roof 11). As previously described, top 10 (or portions thereof) may be comprised of non-magnetic materials. Magnets 50 are extremely strong neodymium magnets (for example) having sufficient magnetic strength to attract an object placed on the underside of top 10 and directly below magnets 50. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, magnets 50 include (are covered with) protective silicone booties that help prevent damage to top 10. Affixed to the top of each magnet 50 is hook 52. Awning sheet 20 is also shown. Awning sheet 20 may be made of any awning sheet that includes (but is not limited to) woven cloth materials, plastic materials, rubber materials, etc. Loops 54 are attached to awning sheet 20. Loops 54 may be made of a variety of different materials including metal, cloth, resin, etc. Loops 54 may extend through openings in hooks 52 (or may be attached to hook 52 via other means) and through openings (or open sleeves) included in awning sheet 20. In this manner, awning sheet 20 is attached to magnets 50.

For simplicity, only the edge of awning sheet 20 closest to top 10 is illustrated in FIG. 2A. The side of awning sheet 20 that is not illustrated in FIG. 2A may be supported by various vertical structures, such as the vertical structures shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,520,290, or other vertical structures shown for example in FIG. 2B. Further exemplary vertical structures may include legs, sticks or poles that are inserted into soft ground (soil, sand, etc.) or that extend from a stand placed on the ground.

Various other rigid members may be situated along the edges of awning sheet 20. While those structural members are not shown in FIG. 2B, those members may be situated along the edges of awning sheet 20 and attached to each other, and to the vertical structures shown in the figure in order to maintain awning sheet 20 in the position shown for example in FIG. 2B.

FIG. 2C illustrates awning sheet 20 attached to roof 11 from a different perspective than what is shown in FIG. 2B. Roof 11 is attached to sidewall 7. Coupler 40 includes magnet 50 that in turn is attached to roof 11 via magnetic attraction. Ring 52 may also be included in coupler 40. Loop 54 may be coupled to awning sheet 20 via an opening in awning sheet 20 or an open sleeve attached to awning sheet 20. Roof 9 may be situated forward of roof 11 so that roof 9 may stay in place when roof 11 is removed.

The above features are illustrated in FIG. 3A, which is a close-up view of section 3A that appears in FIG. 2A. Open sleeve 55 that is attached to awning sheet 20 is illustrated.

FIG. 3B is in interior view of a vehicle in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The view that appears in FIG. 3B is from the driver (left) side of a vehicle looking towards the passenger (right) side of the vehicle. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 3, passenger side front window 12 is shown and passenger side rear window 14 is shown. A portion of windshield 5 is shown towards the left of the figure and a portion of rear window 6 is shown on the right side of the figure. FIG. 3B illustrates vehicle 100 that further includes top 10 that includes roof 9 and roof 11. As previously described, top 10 may be a hardtop or a soft top that may not be a material which is attracted to a magnetic field. For example, top 10 may not be a ferrous material. FIG. 3B further illustrates objects 18. Objects 18 are simply placed in contact with the bottom surface of top 10 that is shown in FIG. 2C. The location of each object 18 shown in FIG. 3B coincides with the position of each magnet 50 shown in FIG. 2C. Object 18 may be comprised of a plurality of different types of materials that are attracted to each magnet 50. In one embodiment, each object 18 is comprised of a magnetic material (such as metal) that is attracted to each magnet 50. Alternatively, each object 18 may be a further magnet with magnetic poles oriented to enable attraction to each magnet 50. In one embodiment, each object 18 is directly below each magnet 50. In another embodiment, each object 18 is substantially directly below each magnet 50, but is placed in a sufficient position so that each object 18 is attracted to each magnet 50.

In the above embodiments, top 10 is comprised of a thin layer of material. Each magnet 50 is on the top side of material 10. Each object 18 is on the bottom side of material 10.

Each object 18 may be a plurality of different shapes. In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the shapes of object 18 are similar or the same as the shapes of objects 50. In another embodiment, the shapes of object 18 and magnets 50 is different. In one embodiment, the dimensions (e.g. diameter) of objects 18 are the same as the dimensions of magnets 50. In another embodiment, the dimensions of objects 18 are different than the dimensions of magnets 50. The size shape and thickness of each magnet 18 are sufficient so that each object 18 is attracted to each magnet 50 with sufficient strength to hold awning sheet 20 in place.

In the above examples, magnet 50 is positioned above top 10 and object 18 is positioned below top 10. In an alternative embodiment, a magnet is placed below top 10 and magnet 50 is substituted with an object that may not generate a magnetic field.

FIG. 4A is a cross sectional side view showing top 10 sandwiched between magnet 50 and object 18. FIG. 4B is a cross sectional side view showing top 10 after magnet 50 has been lifted from top 10. While not shown in FIG. 4B, when magnet 50 is raised, object 18 will no longer be held against top 10 via magnetic force (although object 18 will stay in place if held in place by another means such as adhesive).

In the manner explained above, a tarp/awning can be attached to a vehicle with a non-metallic (non-magnetic) top and/or side very easily. The attachment can be accomplished without modifying the top, without permanently attaching other objects to the top, without making modifications to the top, and without the need for external structures such as roof racks to be used as anchor points. The awning/tarp can typically be assembled with ease. Then the awning/tarp is easily attached to the vehicle by placing magnets 50 on the top side of the top and objects 18 on the bottom sides of the top. As a result of the magnetic forces between magnets 50 and respective objects 18, magnets 50 are held in place. Because magnets 50 are attached to the awning sheet that comprises the awning/tarp, the awning sheet is attached to the vehicle. After other vertical members support the awning sheet away from the vehicle (on the side of the awning sheet opposite the side that is attached to the vehicle), an awning/tarp is easily suspended in the air and adjacent to the vehicle.

Magnets 50 and objects 18 are shown placed near the passenger side edge of the vehicle, but this is merely exemplary. Magnets 50 and objects 18 may be placed at other locations including the driver side edge of the vehicle, the rear edge of the vehicle, or some location in between as desired by the user.

Various exemplary embodiments are described above. It is understood that exemplary embodiments (or portions thereof) described above may be combined without limitation to yield further exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

Whereas many alterations and modifications of the disclosure will no doubt become apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art after having read the foregoing description, it is to be understood that any particular implementation shown and described by way of illustration is in no way intended to be considered limiting. Therefore, references to details of various implementations are not intended to limit the scope of the claims, which in themselves recite only those features regarded as the disclosure.

Parts
2   Awning
11  Roof
20  Awning Sheet
30  Pole
35  Connector
40  Coupler
100 Vehicle
70  Support Member
72  Sleeve
28  Opening
29  Pin
80  Tie
81  Cable
50  Magnet
52  Ring
54  Linkage
55  Sleeve
9   Roof
5   Windshield
18  Object
12  Front Window
14  Rear Window
6   Back window

Claims

1. A vehicle awning for a vehicle, comprising: an awning sheet;a plurality of legs for supporting said awning sheet above said legs;a plurality of above-roof members coupled to said material at locations away from said legs, said above-roof members adapted for positioning above a non-magnet-attracting roof of said vehicle at respective locations;a plurality of below-roof members adapted for positioning below said above-roof members and attached to a bottom surface of said non-magnet-attracting roof,wherein one of said above-roof members and said below-roof members is comprised of a magnet and another of said above-roof members and said below-roof members is comprised of one or more magnetic materials.

2. A vehicle awning according to claim 1, wherein said above-roof members are each comprised of said magnet and said below-roof members are each comprised of said one or more magnetic materials.

3. A vehicle awning according to claim 1, wherein said one or more magnetic materials is a further magnet.

4. A vehicle awning according to claim 1, wherein said awning sheet defines a space between a side of said vehicle and said plurality of legs.

5. A vehicle awning according to claim 1, wherein said awning sheet is maintained in a substantially concave shape.

6. A vehicle awning according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of above-roof members are attached to said awning sheet at multiple above-roof locations separated from each other.

7. A vehicle awning according to claim 1, further comprising a support member that extends across said awning sheet and that maintains said awning sheet substantially horizontal.

8. A vehicle awning according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of legs are attached to said awning sheet at multiple leg locations separated from each other, and said multiple leg locations are separated from said multiple above-roof locations.

9. A vehicle awning according to claim 1, wherein said awning sheet lacks magnetic material.

10. A vehicle awning according to claim 9, wherein said magnet creates magnetic force that is greater than gravitational force on said below-roof members.

11. A method of attaching a vehicle awning to a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of: providing a awning sheet;supporting said awning sheet above a plurality of legs;positioning a plurality of above-roof members that are coupled to said awning sheet on a non-magnet attracting roof of said vehicle;positioning a plurality of below-roof members below said above-roof members so said plurality of below-roof members attach to a bottom surface of said non-magnet-attracting roof;wherein one of said above-roof members and said below-roof members is comprised of a magnet and another of said above-roof members and said below-roof members is comprised of one or more magnetic materials.

12. A method of attaching a vehicle awning to a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein said above-roof members are each comprised of said magnet and said below-roof members are each comprised of said one or more magnetic materials.

13. A method of attaching a vehicle awning to a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein said one or more magnetic materials is a further magnet.

14. A method of attaching a vehicle awning to a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein said awning sheet defines a space between a side of said vehicle and said plurality of legs.

15. A method of attaching a vehicle awning to a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein said awning sheet is maintained in a substantially concave.

16. A method of attaching a vehicle awning to a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein said plurality of above-roof members are attached to said awning sheet at multiple above-roof locations separated from each other.

17. A method of attaching a vehicle awning to a vehicle according to claim 11, further comprising a support member that extends across said awning sheet and that maintains said awning sheet substantially horizontal.

18. A method of attaching a vehicle awning to a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein said plurality of legs are attached to said awning sheet at multiple leg locations separated from each other, and said multiple leg locations are separated from said multiple above-roof locations.

19. A method of attaching a vehicle awning to a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein said awning sheet lacks magnetic material.

20. A method of attaching a vehicle awning to a vehicle according to claim 19, wherein said magnet creates magnetic force that is greater than gravitational force on said below-roof members.