This invention relates generally to vehicle accessories and, more particularly, to vehicle windshield covers.
When transporting vehicles, flying rocks and debris often cause damage to the windshields of such vehicles. This is especially a problem when transporting excavators or backhoes, which have fairly extensive windshields, are often simply placed on a transport truck and travel at fairly significant velocities on such transport trucks, and hence are subjected to various flying debris and rock along the transport route.
Covers, which are sheets of plastic or metal material and that can be temporarily mounted in front of the windshields of vehicles such as excavators, are one proposed solution to the aforementioned problem. Although useful, the inventor herein has determined that such covers are inconvenient because a significant amount of effort is required to place such covers in front of the windshields prior to transport, and remove them thereafter. Additionally, in a construction site scenario such cover are often lost or misplaced.
Applicant is not aware of permanently mounted vehicular windshield cover, suitable for protecting the windshield of a vehicle from rocks and other debris during transport, that is simple to operate, has minimal moving parts and can be easily and inexpensively manufactured and installed.
In one aspect of the invention there is provided a window cover system for protecting a window of a vehicle from projectiles. The system comprises a cover material which is rollable up on a shaft of a blind and rollable off the shaft of the blind, mounting means suitable for mounting the blind to the vehicle; and tensioning means suitable for applying a tension to the cover material. When the blind is mounted on the vehicle using said mounting means and the cover material is unrolled to cover the window and the tensioning means applies a tension across the cover material, a buffer zone results between said cover material and said window.
In one embodiment of the above aspect, the tensioning means comprises a spring to impart torque to the shaft and cover material hold-down means. In another embodiment, the tensioning means comprises a crank and ratchet system to impart torque to the shaft and cover material hold-down means.
In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of protecting a window of a vehicle from projectiles. The method comprises providing a cover material which is rollable up on a shaft of a blind and rollable off the shaft of the blind, mounting the blind to the vehicle, unrolling the cover material so as to cover the window, and applying a tension to the cover material so as to create a buffer zone between the cover material and the window.
In a broader aspect of the invention, there is provided a window cover system for protecting a window of a vehicle from projectiles. The system comprises a cover material, cover-material rolling means, mounting means suitable for mounting said rolling means to the vehicle and tensioning means suitable for applying a tension to the cover material. When the rolling means is mounted on the vehicle using said mounting means and the cover material is unrolled to cover the window and the tensioning means applies a tension across the cover material, a buffer zone results between said cover material and said window.
Preferably the buffer zone is in the range of 2 to 6 inches.
a-5l are various components of the cover-material rolling means and the cover tensioning means of the embodiment of
a and 6b are side and top views respectively of one embodiment of a mounting bracket, suitable for mounting the invention to a Hitachi or John Deere excavator;
a and 7b are side and top views respectively of another embodiment of a mounting bracket, suitable for mounting the invention to a Caterpillar model 300 series excavator;
a-8c are top, rear and side views respectively of a third embodiment of a mounting bracket, suitable for mounting the invention to a Komatsu model 400 series excavator;
a and 10b are top and side views respectively of a spacer bar;
a and 11b are side views of two alternate embodiments of cover material hold-down means;
a-12k are various views of an embodiment of a cover tensioning means comprising a crank and ratchet system; and
a-13j are perspective views of various components of the embodiment of
Generally, and referring to
In operation, the windshield cover 10 is mounted on the vehicle 14 via the mounting means 30 such that when the cover material 22 is unrolled from the rolling means 20, and thus covering the windshield 12, a space, passage or buffer zone 60 results between the cover material 22 and the windshield 12 (as more clearly seen in
Further in operation, the cover tensioning means 40 apply a tension across the cover material 22 which causes the cover material 22 to absorb the impact of a rock or other debris (not shown) across all or part of the buffer zone 60, such impact otherwise having hit the windshield 12. Advantageously, the cover material 22 when unrolled to cover the windshield 12 and tensioned by the tensioning means 40 reflects rocks and other debris.
Although the cover rolling means 20 is shown mounted on the top of the vehicle 14, it could also be mounted near the bottom of the vehicle 14 or on one of the sides of the vehicle 14.
More specifically, and referring to
Referring to
When assembled, end pieces 20h, 20i attach to the ends of the shell 20, and the end caps 20m, 20n attach to the ends of the square shaft 20c. Further, the ends of the shafts 20d, 20e protrude through the end caps 20m, 20n and engage the shaft receiving opening 20k of the end pieces 20h, 20i; thereby rotatably supporting the square shaft 20c between the end pieces 20h, 20i. The spring 20f slides over the shaft piece 20e. One end of the spring 20f attaches to shaft piece 20e at one of three points 20m (depending on the desired spring tension) and at the other end attached to the square spring end 20g which attaches to the other end of the shaft piece 20e. The spring 20f and spring end 20g are therefore also inside the hollow square shaft 20c, with the square spring end 20g sized so as to engage the square inner walls of the hollow square shaft 20c. One of the end pieces 20i, further comprises a groove 20L for receiving a set screw (not shown) to lock the shaft piece 20e in place.
Thus in operation, the shaft 20e and spring end 20g float inside the square hollow shaft 20c with the spring end 20g sliding back and forth inside and along the axis of the shaft 20c as assembly is rotated thereby imparting or relieving torque to the shaft 20c.
Alternatively, in another embodiment, the cover tensioning means 40 may further comprise a crank and ratchet system wherein the cover material 22 is unrolled from the rolling means 20, the free end 22a is engaged by hold-down means 44 and the crank and ratchet system are then employed to draw tension across the cover material 22. Crank and ratchet systems are well known in the art and one embodiment of such a system in shown in
In one embodiment, and now referring to
In a second embodiment, and now referring to
In a third embodiment, and now referring to
Referring now to
Referring to
Referring now to
In
Suitable cover material 22 include swather canvas, canvas, conveyor belting material and a coated polyester material such as IP-18E from Inland Plastics Ltd. of Drumheller, Alberta, Canada.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2,4612,49 | Mar 2004 | CA | national |
This application is a regular application of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/553,938 filed Mar. 18, 2004 and entitled, “PROTECTIVE BLIND FOR EXCAVATOR WINDOWS”, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60553938 | Mar 2004 | US |