This document relates generally to the motor vehicle equipment field and, more particularly, to a protective cover system for a bumper and interior cargo floor of a motor vehicle as well as to a related method of protecting an operator's clothing and an interior cargo floor of a motor vehicle from road dirt on a bumper of the motor vehicle.
The rear bumper of a motor vehicle has a tendency to get dirty during motor vehicle operation. This is particularly true when the motor vehicle is operated during inclement weather conditions or off road.
This document relates to a new and improved protective cover system and related method that protects an operator's clothing and an interior cargo floor of a motor vehicle from road dirt and grime on a motor vehicle bumper when an operator opens the trunk, lift gate or tail gate in order to access the interior floor of the motor vehicle.
In accordance with the purposes and benefits described herein, a protective cover system is provided for a bumper of a motor vehicle. That protective cover system comprises: (a) a first cover displaceable between a stowed position and a deployed position, (b) a bumper surface condition sensor, (c) a presence sensor and (d) a control module. That control module is responsive to the bumper surface condition sensor and the presence sensor to deploy the cover over the bumper at a desired time.
The protective cover system may further include a first roller and the first cover may be wound onto that first roller. Further, the control module may include a first roller drive mechanism and a controller.
That first roller drive mechanism may include a first drive motor and a first linkage connecting the first drive motor to the first roller. Further, the controller may be configured to deploy the first cover from the first roller over the bumper in response to signals received from the bumper surface condition sensor and the presence sensor.
In some embodiments, the bumper surface condition sensor may include a window in the bumper and a photoelectric sensor directed toward the window so that the photoelectric sensor detects substances such as water droplets and dirt deposited on the bumper.
Further, the presence sensor may be selected from a group of devices consisting of a photoelectric sensor, a motion sensor, a motion sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor and combinations thereof.
In accordance with yet another aspect, a protective cover system is provided for a motor vehicle. That protective cover system comprises: (a) a first roller, (b) a first cover wound onto the first roller, (c) a second roller and (d) a second cover wound onto the second roller. That first roller is displaceable between a first stowed position wound onto the first roller and a first deployed position covering a bumper of the motor vehicle. The second cover is displaceable between a second stowed position wound onto the second roller and a second deployed position overlying an interior cargo floor of the motor vehicle.
The protective cover system may further include a bumper surface condition sensor, a presence sensor and a control module responsive to the bumper surface condition sensor and the presence sensor to deploy the first cover over the bumper. The control module may include a first roller drive mechanism and a controller. The first roller drive mechanism may include a first drive motor and a first linkage connecting the first drive motor to the first roller.
In addition, the control module may further include a second roller drive mechanism including a second drive motor and a second linkage connecting the second drive motor to the second roller. In addition the controller may be configured to deploy the first cover from the first roller over the bumper in response to signals received from the bumper surface condition sensor and the presence sensor. Further, the controller may be configured to deploy the second cover from the second roller over the interior cargo floor in response to the signals received from the bumper surface condition sensor and the presence sensor.
Still further, a guide roller may be carried on a distal end of the second cover. That guide roller may ride upon the interior cargo floor and support the second cover during displacement of the second cover between the second stowed position and the second deployed position.
Still further, the protective cover system may include a first actuator connected to the control module whereby the first cover may be selectively displaced between the first stowed position and the first deployed position. In addition, the protective cover system may include a second actuator connected to the control module whereby the second cover may be selectively displaced between the second stowed position and the second deployed position.
In accordance with still another aspect, a method is provided of protecting an operator's clothing and an interior cargo floor of a motor vehicle from dirt. That method may be described as comprising the steps of: (a) detecting, by a first device, a substance deposited on a bumper of the motor vehicle, (b) detecting, by a second device, a presence of an operator near the bumper, and (c) deploying, by a control module, a first cover over the bumper. Further, the method may include the step of (d) deploying, by the control module, a second cover over an interior cargo area of the motor vehicle.
In the following description, there are shown and described several preferred embodiments of the protective cover system and the related method. As it should be realized, the protective cover system and related method are capable of other, different embodiments and their several details are capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all without departing from the system and method as set forth and described in the following claims. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
The accompanying drawing figures incorporated herein and forming a part of the specification, illustrate several aspects of the protective cover system and method and together with the description serve to explain certain principles thereof. In the drawing figures:
Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the protective cover system and method, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures.
Reference is now made to
The protective cover system 10 may be generally described as including a first roller 18 and a first cover 20 wound onto the first roller. Further, the protective cover system 10 includes a second roller 22 and a second cover 24 wound onto the second roller.
As will become apparent from the following description, the first cover 20 is displaceable between a first stowed position wound onto the first roller 18 (See
Reference is now made to
More specifically, as illustrated in
The first roller drive mechanism 36 includes a first drive motor 40 connected via the linkage 42 to the first roller 18. Similarly, the second roller drive mechanism 38 includes a second drive motor 44 connected by a second linkage 46 to the second roller 22. In the embodiments illustrated in
As further illustrated in
In one possible embodiment, the bumper surface condition sensor 28 includes a window 60 in the bumper 12 and a photoelectric sensor 62 directed toward the window so that the photoelectric sensor detects substances such as water droplets and dirt deposited on the bumper. Here, it should be appreciated that other devices and arrangements could be utilized for this purpose.
The presence sensor 30 may be selected from a group of devices consisting of a photoelectric sensor, a motion sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor and combinations thereof. However, this listing should not be considered limiting as other devices could be used for this purpose.
A guide roller 64 is connected to the distal end 66 of the second cover 24 by means of the guide roller support housing 68. As should be appreciated, the guide roller 64 rides upon the interior cargo floor 14 and supports the second cover 24 as that second cover is displaced between the second stowed position wound upon the second roller 22 as illustrated in
Consistent with the above description, a method is provided for protecting an operator's clothing and the interior cargo floor 14 of the motor vehicle 16 from dirt and water being transferred from a bumper 12. That method includes detecting by a first device or bumper surface condition sensor 28, a substance, such as water droplets or dirt, deposited on the bumper 12 of the motor vehicle 16. The method also includes the step of detecting, by a second device or presence sensor 30, the presence of an operator near the bumper 12. In addition, the method includes the step of deploying, by means of the control module 32, the first cover 20 over the bumper 12. In addition, the method includes the step of deploying, by the control module 32, the second cover 24 over the interior cargo floor 14 of the motor vehicle 16. As previously noted, the controller 34 of the control module 32 controls the displacement of the first cover 20 and the second cover 24 between the stowed and deployed positions in response to input from the first actuator 56, the second actuator 58 and the data provided by the bumper surface condition sensor 28 and the presence of the sensor 30.
Reference is now made to
If the closure is open, the controller 34 reviews the data received from the presence sensor 30 to determine if a user or operator is in the proximity of the rear or bumper 12 of the motor vehicle 16. See Box 82. If the presence sensor 30 indicates that the user is not at the rear of the motor vehicle 16 near the bumper 12, the operating cycle ends at Box 80. In contrast, if the presence sensor 30 indicates that the user is in the proximity of the bumper 12 at the rear of the motor vehicle 16, the controller 34 considers the data being provided by the bumper surface condition sensor 28 at Box 84. If the data provided by the bumper surface condition sensor 28 does not indicate the presence of water droplets and dirt, the operating cycle ends at Box 80. However, if water droplets or dirt is detected by the bumper surface condition sensor 28, the controller 34 responds by deploying the first cover 20 over the bumper 12 and the second cover 24 over the interior cargo floor 14. See Box 76. The first cover 20 remains deployed over the bumper 12 unless (a) the user leaves the area behind the motor vehicle 16 adjacent the bumper 12 as indicated to the controller 34 by the presence sensor 30 or (b) the operator activates the first actuator 56 to stow the first cover 20 (see Boxes 86 and 88). Similarly, the second cover 24 remains in the deployed position overlying the interior cargo floor 14 unless the user or operator activates the second actuator 58 to stow the second cover (see Boxes 90 and 92).
In summary, the protective cover system 10 provides a number of benefits and advantages including automated protection for user clothing and the interior cargo floor 14 from dirt and debris commonly found on the bumper 12 of a motor vehicle 16.
The foregoing has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. For example, as illustrated in
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2688513 | Poirier | Sep 1954 | A |
4432581 | Guma | Feb 1984 | A |
4657298 | O | Apr 1987 | A |
4718711 | Rabbit | Jan 1988 | A |
4727898 | Guma | Mar 1988 | A |
4856842 | Ross | Aug 1989 | A |
4966406 | Karasik | Oct 1990 | A |
5022700 | Fasiska | Jun 1991 | A |
5029933 | Gillem | Jul 1991 | A |
5129678 | Gurbacki | Jul 1992 | A |
5176421 | Fasiska | Jan 1993 | A |
5342260 | Markland | Aug 1994 | A |
5364155 | Kuwahara | Nov 1994 | A |
5409286 | Huang | Apr 1995 | A |
5423588 | Eglinton | Jun 1995 | A |
5511845 | Hindson | Apr 1996 | A |
5567002 | Tair | Oct 1996 | A |
5597196 | Gibbs | Jan 1997 | A |
5823607 | Hindson | Oct 1998 | A |
6196623 | Shackelford et al. | Mar 2001 | B1 |
6371547 | Halbrook | Apr 2002 | B1 |
6663156 | Kincaid | Dec 2003 | B1 |
9776465 | Merino Almeida | Oct 2017 | B2 |
20060214465 | Chau | Sep 2006 | A1 |
20070029827 | Meyer | Feb 2007 | A1 |
20070096501 | Tan | May 2007 | A1 |
20080191507 | Farber | Aug 2008 | A1 |
20150076857 | Iifliyandskyi et al. | Mar 2015 | A1 |
20150367717 | Hu | Dec 2015 | A1 |
20170136838 | Merino Almeida | May 2017 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
102632842 | Aug 2012 | CN |
202528916 | Nov 2012 | CN |
103241107 | Aug 2013 | CN |
1347595 | Jan 2014 | KR |
Entry |
---|
English Machine Translation of CN102632842A. |
English Machine Translation of CN103241107A. |
English Machine Translation of CN202528916U. |
English Machine Translation of KR1347595B1. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20180009303 A1 | Jan 2018 | US |