Patent Application
20200331331
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The disclosure and prior art relates to sunshade assemblies and more particularly pertains to a new sunshade assembly for protecting a vehicle from weather conditions and high temperatures.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a pair of straps and a shading module. Each strap has a first end that configured to couple to an inner surface of a trunk of a vehicle, proximate to both a rear of the vehicle and a respective opposing side of the vehicle. Each of opposing endpoints of the shading module is coupled to a second end of a respective strap. The straps are configured to be extended from the trunk so that the shading module is selectively positionable externally to the trunk with the trunk closed. The shading module is spring-loaded so that a center panel of the shading module is selectively extendable. The center panel is configured to cover at least a portion of an upper surface of the vehicle to protect the portion of the upper surface of the vehicle from weather conditions and sunlight.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
Each opposing endpoint 28 of the shading module 14 is coupled to a second end 30 of a respective strap 12. The straps 12 are configured to be extended from the trunk 20 so that the shading module 14 is selectively positionable externally to the trunk 20, with the trunk 20 closed, as shown in
For example, in one situation where only a rear window 36 of the vehicle 22 would be directly exposed to the sun, a user may elect to extend the center panel 32 to cover the trunk 20 and the rear window 36 of the vehicle 22. In another situation, the user may elect to extend the center panel 32 to also cover a roof 38 and a front window 40 of the vehicle 22, as shown in
The components of extendible shades are well known to those skilled in the art. The present invention anticipates that any workable component combination can be used for the shading module 14. By way of non-limiting example, the shading module 14 comprises a tube 46, a rod 48, and a spring 50, as shown in
The shading module 14 also comprises a bar 58 and a handle 60. The bar 58 is coupled to a second edge 62 of the center panel 32. The handle 60 is coupled to the bar 58. The handle 60 is configured to be grasped in a hand of a user, positioning the user to pull on the handle 60 to extend the center panel 32 over at least the portion of the upper surface 34 of the vehicle 22. The bar 58 ensures that the center panel 32 unrolls evenly from the tube 46.
A channel 64 is positioned in the bar 58. The handle 60 is slidably positionable within the channel 64 so that the handle 60 is selectively positionable between opposing edges 66 of the center panel 32. The handle 60 being slidable relative to the bar 58 allows the handle 60 to be positioned as desired by the user. A user who is tall may elect to position the handle 60 substantially centered on the bar 58, as shown in
A hook 68 that is coupled to the handle 60 is configured to selectively couple to an element of the vehicle 22, such as a wiper housing 70, a bumper 72, and the hood 42, to fixedly position the center panel 32 over at least the portion of the upper surface 34 of the vehicle 22.
A plurality of center magnets 74 is coupled to the bar 58. The center magnets 74 are configured to selectively couple to a paramagnetic surface 76 of the vehicle 22, such as the hood 42 and the bumper 72, to fixedly position the center panel 32 over at least the portion of the upper surface 34 of the vehicle 22. Depending on the degree of extension of the center panel 32, either the hook 68 or the plurality of center magnets 74 are used to fixedly position the center panel 32.
A starter panel 78 is coupled to and is positioned between the center panel 32 and the tube 46. A slot 80 is positioned in the tube 46 so that the slot 80 is positioned to slidably insert a slat 82 that is coupled to a first endpoint 84 of the starter panel 78 to couple the starter panel 78 to the tube 46. A first fastener 86 is coupled to the starter panel 78 distal from the tube 46. A second fastener 88 is coupled to the first edge 52 of the center panel 32. The second fastener 88 is complementary to the first fastener 86. The second fastener 88 is positioned to selectively couple to the first fastener 86 to removably couple the center panel 32 to the starter panel 78. The second fastener 88 and the first fastener 86 comprises a hook and loop fastener 90. The center panel 32 being selectively couplable to the starter panel 78 allows for center panels 32 of different shapes, which correspond to differently shaped vehicles 22, to be coupled to the starter panel 78. Center panels 32 of varying colors and designs may also be attached to the starter panel 78 using the hook and loop fastener 90. The removable nature of the center panel 32 also allows for it to be cleaned.
Each of a pair of side panels 92 is coupled to and extends from a respective opposing edge 66 of the center panel 32. The side panel 92 is configured to position over at least a portion of an associated opposing side 26 of the vehicle 22 to cover a side window 94 that is positioned in the associated opposing side 26. The side panel 92 is tapered adjacent to each of the first edge 52 and the second edge 62 of the center panel 32 so that the pair of side panels 92 and the center panel 32 together are elongated octagon shaped.
The pair of side panels 92 and the center panel 32 comprise at least one of plastic, fabric, or the like, so that the pair of side panels 92 and the center panel 32 are flexible. The pair of side panels 92 and the center panel 32 comprise at least one of cotton, linen, hemp, polyester, nylon, polyether-polyurea copolymer, polypropylene, carbon black, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, or the like, so that the pair of side panels 92 and the center panel 32 are configured to block at least one of ultraviolet radiation, airborne debris, rain, sleet, snow and hail.
Each of a plurality of panel magnets 96 is coupled to a respective side panel 92 proximate to a rim 124 of the respective side panel 92. The panel magnet 96 is configured to magnetically couple to the associated opposing side 26 of the vehicle 22 to removably couple the respective side panel 92 to the vehicle 22 to fixedly position the respective side panel 92 over the side window 94.
The assembly 10 also comprises a housing 98 that is configured to couple to the inner surface 18 of the trunk 20 of the vehicle 22 proximate to the rear 24 of the vehicle 22. The housing 98 has a top 100, which is open so that the top 100 is positioned to insert the shading module 14 into an interior space 102 that is defined by the housing 98.
The housing 98 comprises a base plate 104, a rear plate 106, and a front plate 108. The front plate 108 is coupled to and extends perpendicularly from a front edge 110 of the base plate 104. The rear plate 106 is coupled to and extends perpendicularly from a rear edge 112 of the base plate 104 so that the housing 98 is open-ended rectangularly box shaped. Being open-ended, the housing 98 is positioned to receive the rolled up center panel 32 with each side panel 92 being stowed between the housing 98 and the associated opposing side 26 of the vehicle 22. As the side panels 92 are flexible, they also can be folded over the center panel 32.
A plurality of holes 114 is positioned in the base plate 104. Each hole 114 is selectively alignable with a corresponding orifice (not shown) that is positioned in the trunk 20 of the vehicle 22. The hole 114 and the corresponding orifice are configured to insert a respective item of mounting hardware, not shown but may include a screw, a bolt, or the like, to couple the base plate 104 to the vehicle 22. The plurality of holes 114 comprises four holes 114 that are positioned singly proximate to each corner 116 of the base plate 104. The present invention also anticipates the use of other fastening means, which are obvious to those skilled in the art of fasteners, to fixedly position the base plate 104 within the trunk 20 of the vehicle 22. These other fastening means include, but are not limited to hook and loop fasteners, and, with the base plate 104 comprising metal, welding.
A recess 118 is positioned in the base plate 104. The recess 118 is arcuate so that the interior space 102 is substantially semicircularly shaped when viewed longitudinally. A lid 120 is hingedly coupled to the front plate 108 proximate to the top 100 of the housing 98. The lid 120 is semicircularly shaped when viewed longitudinally. The lid 120 is configured to pivot relative to the housing 98 to selectively close the top 100 to secure the shading module 14 within the housing 98.
In use, the trunk 20 is opened, and the shading module 14 is removed from the housing 98 so that the straps 12 extend over a lip 122 of the trunk 20. The trunk 20 then is closed to fixedly position the straps 12, which support the shading module 14. The handle 60 is grasped and pulled to selectively extend the center panel 32 over the trunk 20, the rear window 36, the roof 38, the front window 40, and the hood 42. Depending on the degree of extension of the center panel 32, either the hook 68 or the plurality of center magnets 74 are used to fixedly position the center panel 32. As the center panel 32 is being extended, the pair of side panels 92 fall into place over the opposing sides 26 of the vehicle 22 and the panel magnets 96 removably couple the side panels 92 to the vehicle 22.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
