AU2010224334B2

AU2010224334B2 - Car cover

Info

Publication number: AU2010224334B2
Application number: AU2010224334A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Philip Sigglekow
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-09-20
Filing date: 2010-09-20
Publication date: 2016-11-03
Anticipated expiration: 2030-09-20
Also published as: AU2010224334A1

Abstract

A car cover apparatus (10) for covering a roof and windows of a car includes a cover sheet portion (12) for extending over the roof. The apparatus includes a looped sheet portion (26) which is adapted to accommodate a cylindrical container (14). When the looped sheet portion with the container received therein is disposed in the boot of the car with the boot lid closed, the bulk of the container prevents it, and hence the apparatus as a whole, from being removed from the car. The container also serves as a receptacle for storing the cover sheet portion when the apparatus is not in use on the car. I'O ~N (N a C-44 I.o ' It c-3

Description

2010224334 22 Sep 2016 2

CAR COVER

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 5 This invention relates to a cover for a motor car.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION A known car cover, for protecting a car from the elements, includes a sheet of 10 material which can be draped over a motor car, so that the sheet extends over the car’s front, rear and side windows, and at least most of the car’s bonnet, boot and sides. Typically, such a cover has chords or an elasticised hem for assisting to secure the cover to the car. 15 One disadvantage of such a cover is that securing the chords, or stretching the elasticised hem, can be awkward or time consuming. It also does not provide much of an obstacle to the cover being removed from the car with the result that such covers can easily be stolen or blown from the car during strong winds. 20 It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art or to provide a useful alternative.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 25 ACCORDING TO A FIRST ASPECT OF THE INVENTION there is provided a car cover apparatus for covering at least a part of a car of a type having an internal space, an opening to the space, and a barrier for closing the opening, the cover including: a cover sheet portion for extending over a roof of the car, side windows 30 of the car, a front windscreen of the car, and a rear window of the car; and a non-planar interference component at least partly connected to said cover sheet portion, the interference component being adapted, when said cover sheet portion extends over the roof, side windows, front windscreen, and 2010224334 22 Sep 2016 3 rear window, to be disposed within a said internal space of the car, and to be prevented, by a said barrier, from being withdrawn from the internal space, wherein the interference component includes an interference element in the form of a container which is detachably connectable to a remainder of the 5 interference component, and configured to contain within it the cover sheet portion when the container is detached from said remainder of the interference component.

In a preferred embodiment, the car has an opening edge which defines at least part of the opening, and the barrier, when closing the opening, is adjacent to 10 said edge, wherein the dimensions of the interference component prevent the interference component from passing between the barrier and said edge.

In a preferred embodiment, the interference component defines a containment area, and wherein the shape of the interference element is complementary to the shape of said containment area and the interference element is receivable 15 within the containment area.

Preferably, the interference component includes a looped sheet portion adapted to define a tube which constitutes said containment area.

Preferably, the container is substantially cylindrical.

Preferably, the container includes a receptacle and a lid, the receptacle having 20 a closed end and an open end, and the lid being adapted to be secured to the receptacle to close the open end.

In a preferred embodiment, at least a part of the interference component is joined to the cover sheet portion at or adjacent a rear end thereof. ACCORDING TO A SECOND ASPECT OF THE INVENTION there is provided 25 a car cover kit for use with a car of a type having an internal space, an opening to the space, and a barrier for closing the opening, the kit including: a main component including a cover sheet portion for extending in an operational condition over at least a part of a roof, side windows, a front windscreen and a rear window of the car, the main component further including 2010224334 22 Sep 2016 4 a looped sheet portion connected to the cover sheet portion, and being adapted to define a containment area; and a container adapted to accommodate said main component, the container being complementary to, and removably receivable in, said 5 containment area when defined by said looped sheet portion, wherein the kit is adapted so that when the cover sheet portion is in the operational condition, the looped sheet portion with the container received in the containment area, is capable of being disposed within a said internal space of the car, and to be prevented, by a said barrier, from being withdrawn from 10 the internal space.

In a preferred embodiment, the containment area is substantially tubular.

In a preferred embodiment, said looped sheet portion, and said container when received in said containment area, together form part of a non-planar interference component. 15 Preferably, the car has an opening edge which defines at least part of the opening, and the barrier, when closing the opening, is adjacent to said edge, wherein the dimensions of the interference component prevent the interference component from passing between the barrier and said edge.

The looped sheet portion is preferably joined to the cover sheet portion at or adjacent a rear end thereof. ACCORDING TO A THIRD ASPECT OF THE INVENTION there is provided a 25 method of using a car cover kit the method including: 1. providing a car cover kit according to the second aspect of the invention; 2. removing said main component from said container; 5 3. disposing said cover sheet portion so as to extend substantially over a roof of the car, side windows of the car, a front windscreen of the car, and a rear window of the car; 4. configuring said looped sheet portion to define a said containment area; and 5. disposing the container in said containment area.

The method preferably includes: passing at least a part of the looped sheet portion, with the container, into a said interior space of the car via a said opening such that the looped sheet portion or the cover sheet portion extends from the interior space via the opening to a position outside said space; and moving a said barrier to close said opening thereby preventing the looped sheet portion or said part thereof, and the container, from being withdrawn from the interior space.

Preferably step 3. includes disposing the cover sheet portion to extend over an inner surface of side windows of the car.

Preferably, step 3. includes disposing a front part of said cover sheet portion over a front windscreen of the car such that the front part is constrained by at least one windscreen wiper of the car adjacent to the front windscreen.

Preferably, the method includes: removing the looped sheet portion or said part thereof, and the container, from the containment area; removing said cover sheet portion from the roof of the car, side windows of the car, front windscreen of the car, and rear window of the car; and disposing said main component in the container. 6

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a partly exploded schematic plan view of a car cover apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of a main portion of the car cover apparatus of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a schematic side view of a car with which the apparatus of Figure 1 is being used;

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail of the car of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view of a container forming part of the apparatus of Figure 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a car cover apparatus 10. The apparatus 10 includes a car cover sheet portion 12 and a substantially cylindrical container 14.

The cover sheet portion 12 includes a main panel 16, and side skirt portions 18 joined to the main panel. It is of a suitable material, such as a white ultraviolet light ray reflecting material.

The container 14 has a receptacle 20 which has closed end 22 and an open end 24. The container also has a lid adapted to be secured to the receptacle 20 to close the open end 24. 7

The cover sheet portion 12 also includes a looped sheet portion 26, in the form of a hem, which is integrally joined to the rear of the main panel 16. The looped sheet portion 26, being of sheet material, can be disposed in a lay-flat form. However, the looped construction enables the looped sheet portion 26 to be configured to define a containment area 28 in the form of a tube as best seen in Figure 2. The containment area 28 is dimensioned so as to be complementary to the container 14 which can be received in therein, as described further, below. Also as discussed further below, the looped sheet portion 26 together with the container 14 when received in the containment area 28, constitute a non-planar interference component.

The apparatus 10 is for use with a motor car 30 (an example of which is illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. The motor car 30 has a roof 32, doors 34 at the side of the car, side windows 36, a front windscreen 38, a rear window 40 and a boot 42 with a boot lid 44. As is conventional for motor cars, the boot 42 has a boot opening 46 defined by an edge 48 in the form of the boot rim, with rubber or other suitable seal 50 against which the boot lid 44 abuts when the lid moves from its open position as shown in phantom lines in Figure 4, to its closed position, as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

The apparatus 10 is used by draping it over the roof 32 of the car 30 so that a front sheet portion 16.1 of the main panel 16 extends over the front windscreen 38 of the car and a rear sheet portion 16.2 of the main panel extends over the rear window 40.

According to a preferred manner of using the apparatus 10, the side skirt portions 18 are disposed across an inner surface of the side windows 36 of the car 30. This is achieved by opening the side doors 34 as the cover sheet portion 12 is being placed on the car, positioning the side skirt portions across an inner surface of the doors, and then closing the doors.

The front sheet portion 16.1 is preferably secured in place by means of windscreen wipers 52 of the car 30, adjacent to the front windscreen 38. This 8 is achieved by lifting the windscreen wipers 52 in the normal manner as would be understood by those skilled in the art, positioning the front sheet portion 16.1 over the windscreen 38, and then lowering the wipers to clamp the front sheet portion in place.

The container 14 is then inserted into the containment area 28 of the looped sheet portion 26, and, after opening the boot lid 44, the looped sheet portion together with the container (together constituting the interference component) are placed in the boot 42. The boot lid 44 is then closed so as to clamp on a portion 54 of the looped sheet portion 26 immediately adjacent to the containment area 28. In the absence of the container 14, it may have been possible to simply withdraw the looped sheet portion 26 from the boot 42 between the boot lid 44 and boot rim 48. This is because of that component’s sheet-like flexible form, the inherent resilience of the boot seal 50 typically used, and the slight gap between the boot lid 44 and rim itself 48. However, it will be appreciated that, due to the dimensions of the container 14, it cannot be withdrawn from the boot 42 between the boot lid 44 and the boot rim 48. Accordingly, if the boot lid 44 is locked in place, the looped sheet portion 26 and container 14 together assist in preventing the car cover apparatus 10 from being stolen, or unintentionally being blown from the car by strong winds.

The container 14, apart from being dimensioned to assist in preventing withdrawal from the closed boot 42, is also dimensioned to accommodate the cover sheet portion 12 within the receptacle 20. Thus, the cover sheet portion 12 can be stored in the container 14 when the apparatus 10 is not being used to cover a car 30. Thus, when it is later desired to use the apparatus 10 for covering a car 30, the cover sheet portion 12 can be removed from the container 14 and the above procedure for covering the car can be employed. The invention thus also involves a car cover kit including the container 14 and the cover sheet portion 12. The invention further involves a method of using the car cover apparatus 10. 2010224334 20 Sep 2010 9

Although the invention is described above in relation to preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that it is not limited to those embodiments, but may be embodied in many other forms.

Claims

1. A car cover apparatus for covering at least a part of a car of a type having an internal space, an opening to the space, and a barrier for closing the opening, the cover including: a cover sheet portion for extending over a roof of the car, side windows of the car, a front windscreen of the car, and a rear window of the car; and a non-planar interference component at least partly connected to said cover sheet portion, the interference component being adapted, when said cover sheet portion extends over the roof, side windows, front windscreen, and rear window, to be disposed within a said internal space of the car, and to be prevented, by a said barrier, from being withdrawn from the internal space, wherein the interference component includes an interference element in the form of a container which is detachably connectable to a remainder of the interference component, and configured to contain within it the cover sheet portion when the container is detached from said remainder of the interference component.

2. A car cover apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the car has an opening edge which defines at least part of the opening, and the barrier, when closing the opening, is adjacent to said edge, wherein the dimensions of the interference component prevent the interference component from passing between the barrier and said edge.

3. A car cover apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the interference component defines a containment area, and wherein the shape of the interference element is complementary to the shape of said containment area and the interference element is receivable within the containment area.

4. A car cover apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the interference component includes a looped sheet portion adapted to define a tube which constitutes said containment area.

5. A car cover apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the container is substantially cylindrical.

6. A car cover apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the container includes a receptacle and a lid, the receptacle having a closed end and an open end, and the lid being adapted to be secured to the receptacle to close the open end.

7. A car cover apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein at least a part of the interference component is joined to the cover sheet portion at or adjacent a rear end thereof.

8. A car cover kit for use with a car of a type having an internal space, an opening to the space, and a barrier for closing the opening, the kit including: a main component including a cover sheet portion for extending in an operational condition over of at least a part of a roof, side windows, a front windscreen and a rear window of the car, the main component further including a looped sheet portion connected to the cover sheet portion, and being adapted to define a containment area; and a container adapted to accommodate said main component, the container being complementary to, and removably receivable in, said containment area when defined by said looped sheet portion, wherein the kit is adapted so that when the cover sheet portion is in the operational condition, the looped sheet portion with the container received in the containment area, is capable of being disposed within a said internal space of the car, and to be prevented, by a said barrier, from being withdrawn from the internal space.

9. A car cover kit according to claim 8, wherein the containment area is substantially tubular.

10. A car cover kit according to claim 9 or claim 10, wherein said looped sheet portion, and said container when received in said containment area, together form part of a non-planar interference component.

11. A car cover kit according to claim 10, wherein the car has an opening edge which defines at least part of the opening, and the barrier, when closing the opening, is adjacent to said edge, wherein the dimensions of the interference component prevent the interference component from passing between the barrier and said edge.

12. A car cover kit according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the container includes a receptacle and a lid, the receptacle having a closed end and an open end, and the lid being adapted to be secured to the receptacle to close the open end.

13. A car cover kit according to any one of claims 8 to 12 wherein the looped sheet portion is joined to the cover sheet portion at or adjacent a rear end thereof.

14. A method of using a car cover kit the method including: 14.1 providing a car cover kit according to claim 8, 14.2 removing said main component from said container; 14.3 disposing said cover sheet portion so as to extend substantially over a roof of the car, side windows of the car, a front windscreen of the car, and a rear window of the car; 14.4 configuring said looped sheet portion to define a said containment area; and 14.5 disposing the container in said containment area.

15. A method according to claim 14, including: 15.1 passing at least a part of the looped sheet portion, with the container, into a said interior space of the car via a said opening such that the looped sheet portion or the cover sheet portion extends from the interior space via the opening to a position outside said space; and 15.2 moving a said barrier to close said opening thereby preventing the looped sheet portion or said part thereof, and the container, from being withdrawn from the interior space.

16. A method according to claim 15 wherein step 14.3 includes disposing the cover sheet portion to extend over an inner surface of side windows of the car.

17. A method according to claim 15 or claim 16 wherein step 14.3 includes disposing a front part of said cover sheet portion over a front windscreen of the car such that the front part is constrained by at least one windscreen wiper of the car adjacent to the front windscreen.

18. A method according to any one of claims 15 to 17 including: removing the looped sheet portion or said part thereof, and the container, from the containment area; removing said cover sheet portion from the roof of the car, side windows of the car, front windscreen of the car, and rear window of the car; and disposing said main component in the container.