CA2317218A1

CA2317218A1 - Protective cover comprising air evacuation vents

Info

Publication number: CA2317218A1
Application number: CA002317218A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Josee Frechette; Jef Steward
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-09-01
Filing date: 2000-09-01
Publication date: 2002-03-01
Also published as: US20020069947A1

Description

PROTECTIVE COVER COMPRISING AIR EVACUATION VENTS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Objects and equipment to be transported on open trailers or tractor trailers often are required to be covered in order to be protected from the elements, such as rain, wind, snow, sunlight, etc. Conventional hoods which are placed over equipment and/or machine typically require the use of drawstrings, and/or other types of strings, bungee cords, etc. which are passed over the hood covering the equipment in order to hold down the covering or hood on the equipment.
This method of holding a hood over equipment may prove to be unsuitable for certain types of equipment. In particular, when transporting sophisticated equipment such as snowmobiles, motomarines, boats, etc., a fitted hood is often used in order to highlight and enhance the visual appearance of the equipment being transported. Further, hoods may be used as a convenient advertising platform for manufacturers of equipment, and it may therefore be important for commercial and marketing reasons to have the hood fit closely and neatly over the equipment.
Therefore, the use of drawstrings and other strings which may otherwise be used to secure the hood to the equipment does not meet with consumer acceptance.
Rather, fitted hoods which are cut to mold over the exterior shape of a piece of equipment, for example, a snowmobile, are often used. Transporting equipment on open flatbed trucks or trailers using this type of hood is fine at low speeds, but once the equipment is transported at speeds exceeding 50 or 60 km an hour, the hoods tend to balloon upwardly and outwardly, through the creation of air pockets therein, resulting in a very unsightly series of bulges, which may in some cases cause the hood to fly off the piece of equipment.

In order to counter this problem, hoods have been developed wherein air evacuation systems have been incorporated in the hood, for example as taught in US patent 5,673,961.
However, the use of a venting member disposed over an aperture in the hood does not prove to be satisfactory under all conditions. For example, if the venting member is broken, or otherwise made inoperative through it being ripped off from the hood, the venting of the hood will no longer occur. Further, the use of a venting member as taught in this patent which is rigid and raised over an opening in the hood requires a significant additional step in the manufacturing of the hood, adding unnecessary expense in the production of the hood.
It would therefore be advantageous to provide for a hood comprising venting means which allow the venting of the air within the hood.
It would further be advantageous to provide for a hood provided with venting means which allow the venting of air present under the hood by differential pressure caused by the drawing out of the air by an air stream flowing over the venting means.
If would further be advantageous to provide for a hood wherein the venting means does not comprise the use of a venting member affixed thereon.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with a general aspect of the present invention, there is provided for a hood which may be fitted or otherwise configured to fit closely over the top of equipment, or goods to be transported. One of the purposes of the hood may be to protect the equipment or object to be transported from the elements, including rain, snow, wind and sunlight. The

2 hood may be made of a variety of materials, or combination of materials, such as cloth, plastic, rubberized cloth, etc. ....
In accordance with a general aspect of the present invention, a hood may have one, S two or more openings therein, which openings may be cut, sewn, or otherwise disposed in the fabric of the hood. In order to induce an air flow, i.e. a movement or evacuation of air, which may otherwise accumulate inside the hood, from the inside to the outside of the hood, the use of differential air pressures may be required. Thus, the opening in the hood may be configured and disposed such that when the hood and the equipment it covers is being displaced in an air stream, a negative air pressure region is created at the open end of the opening, i.e. which communicates with the exterior, i.e. the atmosphere, such that the region of relative high pressure air inside the hood is made to flow out of the vents) and therefore is exhausted to the atmosphere.
In order to accomplish this, and in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention, the aperture in the hood may be fitted with a flap, i.e. a projection which may be disposed over, i.e. on top of the opening or aperture, such that air flowing over this aperture may increase its air speed, and therefore create an area of high pressure immediately above the flap. This may create an area of relative low pressure immediately below this area of high pressure, which area of low pressure may be disposed immediately in front of the opening in the hood, and therefore create the differential air pressure necessary for the venting of air which may be found inside the hood.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a schematic view of an item covered by a close-fitting hood;

3 Figure 2 is a close-up of a section of the opening in the hood;
Figure 3 is an end front view of the opening in the hood.
Figure 1 illustrates an equipment, for example, a motomarine 10, commonly known as a "Seadoo"TM covered by a covering 1 which is closely fitted thereon.
Although not shown, the motomarine 10 may be transported on an open trailer or flatbed truck, and when it is in motion, air stream indicated by motion arrows 2 flows over the hood 1. Motion arrows 3 indicate the direction of the air stream as it deviates and flows over a corner of the motomarine 10. The motion of air flows 2 and 3 flowing over the hood lcauses the flow

4 of air out of opening 5 in the hood.
Turning to figure 2, there is shown a schematic view of the opening 5. As indicated, air flow 3 is shown moving generally from the front of the motomarine towards the back, having its direction of travel modified so that it deviates over the corner of the motomarine, as indicated in figure 1. In accordance with a general aspect of the present invention, opening 5 may comprise a cover or flap A which may be sized and configured to substantially overlap the opening 5. Although not required, flap A may contain therein a rigid member B, or a substantially rigid member which may add stiffness to the flap A. This rigid member B may be sewed intermediate the two layers of flap A. The configuration and disposition of the flap A may cause air flowing over the flap to create an area of low pressure 7 across the face 6 of opening 5, therefore creating an air flow from the inside of the hood which may be at high pressure 8 towards the outside as indicated in motion arrow A.
As may be understood, the flap which may be disposed on top of the opening or aperture in the hood may be integral with the hood material. Alternatively, this flap may be sewn on over the opening, in order to create an overhang over the opening. In accordance with a further embodiment, the flap may be of a rigid or semi-rigid material, and may, for example, be of a type of cloth which is stiffer than the material of the hood.
As illustrated in figure 3, the face of the flap may be closed off by a mesh C
which serves to allow sufficient air flow to flow out of the hood yet at the same time prevent any bugs to fly therein.