AU2002343281B2

AU2002343281B2 - A cover

Info

Publication number: AU2002343281B2
Application number: AU2002343281A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Gordon Jeffrey Ullyett
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-10-31
Filing date: 2002-10-31
Publication date: 2006-12-14
Anticipated expiration: 2022-10-31
Also published as: WO2003038225A1; GB2397077B; GB0410271D0; GB2397077A; NZ512668A; CA2465666A1

Description

WO 03/038225 PCT/NZO2/00231 A COVER TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to a cover.

In particular it relates to a cover as applied to a window, door or enclosure.

BACKGROUND ART The general method of covering an opening, enclosure or outdoor area is generally by a window, door, or a covering of some description.

The term 'door' or 'window' usually refers to a solid structure in a house or the like which can be transparent, translucent or opaque. In the case of a more temporary or flexible structure with an entrance opening, the need for a flexible cover that does the same job as a door or window becomes necessary.

A cover can be something used to protect an underlying surface, enclose an opening or provide a shield or limitation.

In the example of a tent, a cover can include the 'roll down' or zip type of cover that is positioned over a window or door to block out the elements, keep out insects, block light or provide privacy.

In the example of a transport truck or the like, a cover can be the side flap on the trailer that covers stored goods for transport.

In the example of a caravan, stall or shop, a cover can be the temporary roof that provides shelter from the sun or the elements to protect the underlying items.

In the example of a boat, a cover can be an awning or temporary roof that also provides shelter from the sun or the elements to protect the underlying persons or items.

WO 03/038225 PCT/NZO2/00231 In all cases where a cover is required, the means of storing the cover when not in use, the application of that cover when required and the process of manipulating the same cover can be both tedious and time consuming.

When a person is camping in a tent or residing in a caravan awning, securing or storing the window or door covers is a tedious process. In poor weather situations, the time taken to put a cover in place can lead to the person getting cold or wet.

In a freight-trucking situation, folding back a cover to expose goods for transfer can take time and restrict access to goods while unloading. Any time saved while undertaking a job allows the user to be more economical and provides the possibility of fitting more into a day, providing potential for higher earnings.

In the case of a stall, caravan or shop, the ease of application and removal of a cover allows attendants more time on other jobs, increasing efficiency.

Current inventions address the problems of storage of said covers by means of enclosures or the like. They also address the problem of quick extension and retraction of covers, but in all cases the procedures require either complex mechanisms or a series of support systems. None of the current inventions provide for a quickly retracting cover that is simple, compact, and in the case of a tent or awning, can be incorporated into the design of said tent or awning without limiting the packing size in any way.

All references, including any patents or patent applications cited in this specification are hereby incorporated by reference. No admission is made that any reference constitutes prior art. The discussion of the references states what their authors assert, and the applicants reserve the right to challenge the accuracy and pertinency of the cited documents. It will be clearly understood that, although a number of prior art publications are referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission WO 03/038225 PCT/NZO2/00231 that any of these documents form part of the common general knowledge in the art, in New Zealand or in any other country.

It is acknowledged that the term 'comprise' may, under varying jurisdictions, be attributed with either an exclusive or an inclusive meaning. For the purpose of this specification, and unless otherwise noted, the term 'comprise' shall have an inclusive meaning i.e. that it will be taken to mean an inclusion of not only the listed components it directly references, but also other non-specified components or elements. This rationale will also be used when the term 'comprised' or 'comprising' is used in relation to one or more steps in a method or process.

It is an object of the present invention to address the foregoing problems or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.

Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description that is given by way of example only.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a retractable cover which includes a flexible material portion characterised in that the flexible material includes at least one biasing means.

In preferred embodiments, the retractable cover is used to cover surface. This surface could include an opening, area or enclosure as part of a structure; however, these are listed by way of example only and should not be seen to be limiting in any way.

WO 03/038225 PCT/NZO2/00231 According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of attachment of a biasing means, as described above, to an existing cover for covering a structure characterised by the step of incorporating at least one biasing means to an existing cover.

This has the advantage of allowing an existing covering for a structure to be made to be retractable by the addition of a biasing means. The biasing means could be attached by a bonding glue or be sewn in, or encased in a sheath that could either then be sewn onto the cover, or be incorporated into the design of the cover initially, by folding the cover to form a sheath and sewing down each side of it to secure it in place.

In some embodiments, the sheath housing the biasing means could have a zip running the length of it so that the biasing means could be checked, replaced, maintained, or have a number of biasing means added to the first to increase the overall strength of the bias or reinforce the biasing means if the application of the cover had changed.

It should be appreciated that the term 'sheath' in accordance with the present invention should be understood to mean a fitted cover that encases the biasing means and can either be for protection of the biasing means from corrosion or the like, or to enable the biasing means to be affixed to an existing structure. The sheath could be made of fabric, plastic or the like however these are listed by way of example only and should not be seen to be limiting.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a device for securing a retractable cover as described above to an existing structure which includes a retractable cover WO 03/038225 PCT/NZO2/00231 and a securing device characterised in that the retractable cover includes an securing device for attachment to a structure.

The term structure should be understood to include an opening, area or enclosure where a retractable cover can be attached to it, although these are listed by way of example only and should not be seen to be limiting.

The term 'opening' in accordance with the present invention should be understood to include a door, a window, or a cat flap or the like, but these are also listed by way of example only and should not be seen to be limiting in any way.

The term 'area' in accordance with the present invention should be understood to include a surface such as a wall, floor or the like, where a picture, drawing or feature is to be covered, however these are also listed by way of example only and should not be seen to be limiting in any way.

SThe term 'enclosure' in accordance with the present invention should be understood to include a tent, caravan awning, house, caravan, truck trailer, stall, shop, fireplace, box or container, however these are listed by way of example only and should not be seen to be limiting in any way.

It should be appreciated that while a cover for a window, door or enclosure will generally retract in the up-down direction, a cover could also retract in a left to right direction, or at any angle, such as is the case with an awning or caf6 outdoor seating cover.

The term 'flexible material' in accordance with the present invention includes materials such as fabric, canvas, plastic, mesh, nylon or any material that is flexible.

WO 03/038225 PCT/NZ02/00231 The term 'securing device' in accordance with the present invention should be understood to include a means that allows the retractable cover to be attached, in its entirety to an existing enclosure. This means could include a hook and pile fastener such as Velcro

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buttons, domes, or metal clips, but these are also listed by way of example only and should not be seen to be limiting in any way.

The term 'biasing means' in accordance with the present invention should be understood to include a means that causes the flexible material to move from an extended state to a compact position. This, for example, could include a strip which is under toroidal tension when in an extended state, elastic rubber or a tensioned metal strip such as a spring or a constant force spring, however, these are listed by way of example only and should not be seen to be limiting in any way.

In some embodiments, the biasing means is a constant force spring.

In preferred embodiments, the spring is a varied force spring, so designed that when in an extended state, the spring will begin to retract with a with a lesser degree of force compared to when it is in a partially retracted state. As the spring retracts further, it will do so with greater force. This is an advantage when affixed to a flexible material, as when in a fully extended state, the weight of material to be moved into a compact state is less than when the spring is partially retracted. When partially retracted, there is a greater weight of material to retract, so the increase strength of the spring allows the retraction to continue unaided.

Varied force springs can include elgiloy and inconel based springs, inconel springs being high performance nickel alloys based springs that are corrosion resistance.

Elgiloy springs are cobalt/chromium/nickel rich alloy springs with excellent fatigue life, corrosion resistance in numerous environments and are non-magnetic This biasing means allows the cover that it is incorporated into to automatically retract on release of the affixing means.

WO 03/038225 PCT/NZ02/00231 This embodiment has the advantage of providing a quickly retracting cover that is simple, compact, and in the case of a tent or awning, can be incorporated into the design of said tent or awning without limiting the packing size in any way.

A number of biasing means can be incorporated into a cover of, for example, a tent window or door, allowing, on release of any securing device, the cover to retract to the top of the window or door, where it can be secured by a hook and pile fastener such as VelcroM or the like. This means that for a small cover only a single biasing means might be required, but on a larger door or window cover, a number of biasing means could be incorporated to ensure there is enough strength to cause the cover to retract.

It should also be appreciated that several biasing means could be incorporated into a sheath or the like to increase the strength of the retracting means, or reinforce the first spring if the application of the cover has changed or the strength of the spring has decreased over time.

Affixing means can include a hook and pile fastener such as Velcro

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buttons, material ties, clips or magnets or zips, but these are examples only and should not be seen as being limiting in any way.

Means for retrieving a retracted cover to pull it down to an extended state could include a string tied to the ends of the cover or elastic cords or the like, but these are by way of example only and should not be seen as being limiting in any way.

In a preferred embodiment the retractable cover could be applied to a tent window, whereby the cover is affixed to the tent by means of zips down each side of the cover.

Upon retraction of the zips to a half way position, the cover would retract to that position also, allowing for the window to only be half covered, or at any position where the zips would be retracted to. This has the advantage of allowing in a limited amount of light or air for circulation, adjustable to personal preferences.

7 WO 03/038225 PCT/NZ02/00231 In another preferred embodiment, the retractable cover attached to a tent window would be accessible from the inside, if the mesh covering the window were attached by a zip. The mesh zip could be undone and the window cover accessed and adjusted, then the mesh zip done up again. This has the advantage of allowing the window cover to be adjusted without having to step outside.

Use of the retractable cover in the trucking industry allows for quick retraction of covers, speeding access to goods and ensuring the cover is keep out of the way of loading and unloading.

Use of the same cover in outside cafes and stalls and the like to create shelter against the elements allows for quick packing up of a site at closing, and easy storage of the covers when not in use. The ability to attach the same cover to a caf6 or stall by a detachable means such as a hook and pile fastener also has the advantage of allowing the covers to be brought inside overnight and therefore protected from the elements, theft or vandalism.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Further aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatical representation of a retracted cover; Figure 2 is a diagrammatical representation of an extended cover, and Figure 3 is a diagrammatical representation of a retracted cover being incorporated into a tent to be folded, in accordance with one representation of the present invention..

WO 03/038225 PCT/NZ02/00231 BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION With reference to Figures 1 and 2 there is illustrated a retractable cover with biasing means indicated by arrows 1 and 3, and attachment means 2.

With reference to Figure 3 there is illustrated one embodiment of the present invention, being a tent with a retractable cover positioned over either window or door. It is envisaged that an advantage is gained not only by the convenience of the automatically retractable cover, but also by the ability to disassemble and fold the tent to a compact size without detaching the covers. The retraction mechanism does not provide a limitation to the minimum compactable size of the tent.

The biasing means as represented by arrows 1 and 3 is by way of example only could also include a spring, but this example should not be seen to be limiting in any way.

The direction of the retraction of the cover, as represented in Figure 1 is by way of example only and should not be seen as limiting in any way.

The attachments indicated by arrow 2 can be any standard attachment means, for example, a hook and pile fastener such as Velcro

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buttons, material ties, clips or the like, but the example is not meant to be in any way limiting.

Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and it should be appreciated that modifications and additions may be made thereto without departing from the scope thereof.

Claims

1. A retractable cover for covering structures, the cover comprising: a flexible material portion; 00 at least one biasing means along an extendable length of the flexible material portion, the at least one biasing means providing for retraction of the flexible material portion from an extended state to a rolled-up state; and (Ni means for-attachment of the at least one biasing means to the flexible material portion.

2. A retractable cover as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said biasing means is of a length relative to at least the predetermined extendable length of the flexible material portion.

3. A retractable cover as claimed in claim 2 wherein the biasing means is a spring.

4. A retractable cover as claimed in claim 3 wherein the biasing means is a constant force spring.

A retractable cover as claimed in claim 3 wherein the biasing means is a variable force spring.

6. The retractable cover as claimed in claim 5 wherein the biasing means is a variable force spring, the retraction force of the spring can be selected from a range of about 0.25 kg to about at least 50 kg as determined by one or more of at least the weight of the flexible material portion, the dimensions of the flexible material portion, and the structure to be covered.

7. The retractable cover as claimed in claim 4 wherein the biasing means is attached 0 Z permanently to the flexible material portion via use of the attachment means, _wherein the attachment means is selected from the group consisting of: a) an adhesive; and 00 b) welding means.

8. The retractable cover as claimed in claim 4 wherein the biasing means is attached in (Ni Sa removable relation to the flexible cover via use of the attachment means, wherein the attachment means is selected from the group consisting of: a) a hook-and-pile system attached both to the flexible material portion and to the biasing means in a complementary manner; b) a full sheath capable of enclosing a substantial portion of the biasing means; c) a partial sheath capable of providing the attachment means to one or more designated portions of the biasing means; and d) attachment apparatus, including screws, bayonet fittings, domes, and buttons.

9. A retractable cover as claimed in claim 8 wherein the flexible material portion forms the sheath.

A retractable cover as claimed in claim 9 wherein the sheath is sewn onto the flexible material portion

11. A retractable cover as claimed in either claim 9 or claim 10 wherein the sheath is configured to allow access to the biasing means.

12. A retractable cover as claimed in claim 11 wherein the sheath includes a zip. O IND

13. A retractable cover as claimed in any one of claim 12 wherein either or both the 0 Z flexible material portion and the structure includes means for securing the cover relative to the structure with which the cover is used.

14. A retractable cover as claimed in claim I wherein the retractable cover includes at 00 least one affixing means for removably restraining the cover in an extended form to cover a surface of the structure with which the cover is used.

A retractable cover as claimed in claim 14 wherein the affixing means enables the cover to be restrained at any position along its extendable length to effect a partially or completely rolled up cover as required.

16. A retractable cover as claimed in claim 15 wherein the affixing means is at least one zip.

17. A retractable cover as claimed in claim 16 wherein each zip is double sided.

18. A retractable cover as claimed in claim 14 wherein the affixing means is a hook and pile fastener complementarily located on both the cover and the structure with which the cover is used.

19. A retractable cover as claimed in claim 14 wherein the affixing means is magnetic means complementarily located on both the cover and the structure with which the cover is used.

A structure incorporating a retractable cover, as claimed in Claim I to 19.

21. A method of adapting an existing cover having a flexible material portion with an extendable length for covering an opening or enclosure, the method comprising the step of: O >attaching at least one biasing means along the extendable length of the flexible 0 Z material portion of the existing cover.

22. A method of manufacturing a retractable cover for covering structures, the cover including a flexible material portion, the flexible material portion including thereon, 00 or adapted to include means for attachment of, at least one biasing means along an extendable length of the flexible material portion, the at least one biasing means providing for retraction of the flexible material portion from an extended state to a 8 rolled up state, the method comprising the steps of: a) determining the dimensions of the structure with which the cover is intended to be used and preparing the flexible material portion to the predetermined dimensions, and including therewith; and b) arranging the at least one biasing means relative to a substantial portion of the extendable length of the flexible material portion in a permanent or removable arrangement by use of restraining means, the restraining means being added to or being a portion of the flexible material portion.

23. A method of varying retraction of a retractable cover for covering structures, the cover including a flexible material portion, the flexible material portion including thereon, or adapted to include means for attachment of, a first biasing means along an extendable length of the flexible material portion, the biasing means providing for retraction of the flexible portion from an extended state to a rolled up state, the method comprising the steps of: a) determining one or more of at least the weight of the flexible material portion, the dimensions of the flexible material portion, the structure to be covered, and the retraction force of the first biasing means; and providing a second biasing means attached along the extendable length of the O Z flexible material portion.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of providing the second biasing means includes the step of: 00 ,I bl) replacing the first biasing means with the second biasing means of greater force.

The method of claim 23, wherein the step of providing the second biasing means includes the step of: b2) adding the second biasing means to the flexible material portion to effect a combined retraction force in accordance with predetermined retraction force requirements.

26. A retractable cover for covering structures, the cover comprising: a flexible material portion; means for attachment; and at least one elongate biasing means operable between an extended state and retracted state, the at least one elongate biasing means being maintained by the means for attachment along an extendable length of the flexible material portion, the at least one biasing means providing for retraction of the flexible material portion from an extended state of the flexible material portion to a rolled-up state of the flexible material portions. 111