CA2527592A1 - Portable snow shell for vehicles - Google Patents

Portable snow shell for vehicles Download PDF

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Publication number
CA2527592A1
CA2527592A1 CA 2527592 CA2527592A CA2527592A1 CA 2527592 A1 CA2527592 A1 CA 2527592A1 CA 2527592 CA2527592 CA 2527592 CA 2527592 A CA2527592 A CA 2527592A CA 2527592 A1 CA2527592 A1 CA 2527592A1
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CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
shell
car
snow
vehicle
accordance
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
CA 2527592
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French (fr)
Inventor
Dora Marina Villegas Galeano
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to CA 2527592 priority Critical patent/CA2527592A1/en
Publication of CA2527592A1 publication Critical patent/CA2527592A1/en
Priority to CA 2569706 priority patent/CA2569706A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60JWINDOWS, WINDSCREENS, NON-FIXED ROOFS, DOORS, OR SIMILAR DEVICES FOR VEHICLES; REMOVABLE EXTERNAL PROTECTIVE COVERINGS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES
    • B60J11/00Removable external protective coverings specially adapted for vehicles or parts of vehicles, e.g. parking covers

Abstract

The following is a description of a structure called "Portable Snow Shell for Vehicles."

The snow shell refers to a light, semi-rigid and portable structure that can be used during the winter period to protect stationary vehicles from snow. It also protects the car from other climate factors such as sun, rain and other elements. The structure covers the length of the car (front, top, rear) and a small area around it, and helps keep the snow off the vehicle and allows the car to be moved quickly.
Installation and dismantling of the structure is easy due to the simplicity and lightness of the shell. The shell can thus be set up at any time such as during the night when the car is parked in the street, driveway or open garage. Moreover, the shell can be easily transported and fits into the car's trunk to be used anywhere.
The shell is installed onto the car to cover it without actually resting on the vehicle's surface.
The structure is assembled with the help of different plastic stems located on the lateral and cross-sectional sides of the mould. These stems, used as braces, fortify the structure by giving it its rigidity and stability. The shell is supported over the car by means of solid clips, which are attached to the car's tires or fixed to hubcaps designed for this end. The shell's size and shape may vary according to the make, model and type of the vehicle.
At the moment, there is nothing on the market offering vehicle snow protection such as the portable shell. Such a structure provides a good solution for motorists in countries where snow is the major cause for vehicle problems, saving time and effort.
Nevertheless, a type of protective structure that can be found on the market is the "car shelter." This large tent-like structure is installed in the vehicle owner's driveway for the duration of winter and dismantled when the weather becomes milder.
Also found on the market is the "car tarp." This item, made of a single sheet, is often used to cover new cars or any car not in use and protects it from light and dust.

Finally and more obviously, we can find camping tents made of nylon on the current market.
These tents are evidently used to shelter people from the elements when sleeping outdoors.

Description

Detailed description for a Portable Snow Shell for Vehicles The present description refers to a portable, light and semi rigid structure, which can be used for stationary vehicles. This structure protects from snow as well as other weather elements such as sun, rain, etc., and covers vehicles without direct contact with the car's surface.
Variations of size and shape can be made to conform to all models and types of vehicles.
The shell is made of resistant and quality materials, which can resist extreme climate conditions. Materials utilised are plastics, elastics, a variation of fibre glass, carbon or polyethylene, as well as waterproof and water repellent fabrics. The selected materials may vary and depend on the necessities of the model.
Here we now proceed to schematically illustrate the use of the portable shell.
There is no given scale to the figures as this is only an example of the uniqueness of the present invention.
For the construction of a snow shell, a mould/cast is made out of waterproof and watertight materials such as polyethylene cloth. The size and shape of the base model (Figure 1 ) varies according to the make, model and type of car, and is the one, which will give the shell's final shape.
Figure 1 shows how the model is divided:
- Central part (1 ): covers the upper part of the car, bonnet, windshield, roof and top of the trunk-measurements vary according to the vehicle.
- Right lateral side (2): as the number indicates, the sidelong part of the car, including the doors, is covered from front to end as well as doors, and can vary in size and shape.
- Left lateral side (2): same characteristics and measurements as the right lateral side.

The three parts to the mould of the shell are held together by the seams (3) (in accordance to the material used) and sealed with quality sealants or thermo sealants to form the final shape (Figure 2). The shell can thus vary in shape and size as well as serve as a base for the final 35 structure.
Once the different parts of the mould are assembled (Figure 2), hems are sewed in the inner face at an interval of 15 to 20 cm. A solid plastic stem is inserted in the cross-sectional side of the mould, within a hem of approximately 8 to 10 mm wide. This will give the shell a rigid and 40 stable structure as the stems serve as braces.
A detail which must be taken into consideration during the elaboration of the mould is the exact location of the vehicle's lateral mirrors. As there are many cross-sectional hems, the mould must be elaborated in a manner which suit the location of the car's mirrors as the 45 distance of the hems will be larger here than elsewhere and thus must be extendable. This can be achieved by adding a series of folds to the given location, creating enough room for the mirrors.
A resistant cord (6) is inserted through the central part (were there is a hem) (5) mould (1 ) 50 within a 8 mm wide hem as shown in Figure 2. The ends of the cord (7) protrudes from both sides of the mould so all one needs to do to dismantle the shell is to pull on the cord.
There is also a hem (8) of approximately 1,5 cm on each of the edges (right and left) of the length of the model (Figure 2). Within each hem is placed a removable plastic stem when the 55 required part of the shell is in use.
All the hems and their respective seams are elaborated in the interior side of the mould to avoid water seepage.
60 As previously mentioned, a solid plastic stem is inserted within each of the hems (4) and (8) to insure the rigidity and stability of the shell.
Within each of the cross-sectional hems are inserted solid plastic stems (Figure 3A), roughly 4 mm in diameter, to brace the structure. To give these stems a semi curved shape, they will be 65 heated by the manufacturer. The final result gives us a rigid and stable shell. As shown in the detail of Figure 3B, the stems are interlinked so they can be folded when not in use.
A stem measuring 8 mm in diameter (Figure 4A) is also inserted in each of the hems of the right and left edges of the mould. These stems are only used when needed as they can be 70 removed when the shell is dismantled. As shown in the detail of Figure 4B, the stems are also interlinked. Like the interior stems, these ensure that the shell is rigid and stable when in use. As demonstrated in Figure 4C, these plastic stems have been designed in such a way to permit them to be folded, thus saving storage space when the shell is not in use.
75 As Figure 5 illustrates, the shell has two cap-like structures (9), which prevent the accumulation of snow on the car, especially on the front and rear of the vehicle.
A series of four removable hooks hold the shell in place. The hooks are designed to be attached to the car's tires (Figure 10).
We now describe the hooks (Figure 6), which can be fastened to the car's tires. As Figure 7A
illustrates, these heavy-duty hooks are installed to hold the structure upright, shown on a larger scale in Figure 7B. They are also designed to hold the weight of snow fallen on top of the car.
The hooks (Figure 6) are made of four parts. One of them extends from the center to the top rear of the tire (10) and completely embarks onto the width of the tire and extends a little toward the opposite one to stabilize the weight. The other parts, three hooks (11 ), are designed to stretch like an elastic band (12) so they can easily be attached to the hollow ring of the tire (16) and another part is rigid (13). At the center of the ensemble is a small rigid stem (14), which extends outwards like a radio antenna and ends with a clip or pincer at its extremity.
The stem's mechanism, located at the center of the hook (Figure 6), enables it to extend and 95 retract to various lengths like an antenna. This permits the shell to cover different sized-areas around the vehicle (Figure 12), one of the many advantages of the portable shell.
The clip or pincer (15), shown on a larger scale in Figure 8, is located at the extremity of the stem and attached to the structure as Figure 7A illustrates. The hook ensemble is shown in 100 Figure 6.
Another way to hold the tent upright is to install specially designed hubcaps.
Figure 10 illustrates these hubcaps. Each one of them has a stem protruding from its center. The hubcaps can be installed permanently or only for the duration of the winter period.

As shown in Figure 10 and Figure 11, the hubcap's stem (19), more or less 1,5 cm in diameter, has inside of it another stem, smaller in diameter, which can extend and retract a given length like an antenna. This stem has the same mechanism as the stem (14) located at the center of the hook in Figure 6.

The stem (19) shown in Figure 10 has at its extremity a similar pincer as the one used with the removable hook in Figure 6 (15). As shown in Figure 9, it is used to fix the shell's structure.
115 The extremity of the stem (19) is where the pincer (15) is fastened. This piece has a mechanism, which permits it to rotate at a 360° angle to enable the clip to be properly aligned to the structure.
The stem is directly fastened to the hubcap's center. When not in use, the stem can be folded 120 at a 90° angle to rest on the hubcap's surface instead of protruding outward.
As Figure 9 illustrates, the shell has four small plaques (17): two on the right edges and two on the left edges of the mould. Each one is fitted inside the clip (15) connected to the tire hooks (Figure 6) hubcaps (Figure 10). These plaques are used to strengthen the part of the 125 structure held by the pincers. Figures 7A and 7B indicate how everything is assembled and supported.
The previous mechanisms and tools described and illustrated in Figure 6 enable the shell's interior to retain the shape of the vehicle and be held upright.

The figure 13 shows the snow Shell for vehicles finished.
What follows are instructions to install and dismantle the portable vehicle shell.
135 Instructions for installation:
1. To commence, one must chose one of two alternatives: A) temporally install the 4 hooks (Figure 6) to the car's tires which can be removed when the shell is not in use or B) permanently install the specially designed hubcaps.
2. Install the extremity of the plaques (18), which are to be fixed to the structure by the 140 pincer (15) on the left and right side.
3. Install the two removable stems (Figure 4A) on the lateral down side (left and right) to give the structure its rigidity.
Instructions for dismantling:
145 1. Lift the cap-like structure (9) located on the opposite side of the person who will remove the shell.
2. To remove the shell, pull the cord (6) by taking hold of one of the extensions (7).
3. Fold the structure in 3 parts and place the cross-sectional stems into their respective cases.
150 4. Remove the four clips (Figure 6), which were temporarily installed to the tires.
There is no need for an extensive description, as one does not need to be an expert to understand the scope of the invention and its advantages. The materials, shape and size, layout and components of the structure are can be modified without changing the overall 155 design.

Illustration descriptions Figure 1 - Top view of every part of the snow shell's mould.
160 Figure 2 - Underside view of the mould showing the location of seams and hems.
Figure 3A - View of the interlinked stems, which will be fitted inside the cross-sectional hems.
Figure 3B - Detail of the interlinked stems.

Figure 4A - View showing the removable stems, which are placed inside the right and left edges of the structure.
Figure 4B - View showing how the stems can be folded.
Figure 4C - Drawing of the folded stems.
Figure 5 - Detail of the cap-like structures which will be installed at the front are rear ends of the snow shell.
Figure 6 - Detail of the hook and pincer ensemble, which will be installed onto the outer face of the tires to support the structure upright.
Figure 7A - Illustration of the way the structure is attached to the wheel.
Figure 7B - Detail of the pincer holding the structure upright.
Figure 8 - Side view of the pincer.
185 Figure 9 - View of the plaques' location on the structure and the way they are held.
Figure 10 - Illustration of the specially designed hubcaps to support the structure.

Figure 11 - Detail of the stem protruding outward from the center of the hubcap.
Figure 12 - Back view of the installed structure illustrating the areas it can cover.
Figure 13 - Perspective showing the installed tent over the car and each of the structure's pieces.

Claims (9)

1. A snow shell which consists of a light, portable, semi-rigid and watertight structure used to protect vehicles during the winter period from snow and other elements such as rain and ice. The shape and size of the base structure, or mould, vary according to the type of vehicle.
2. A snow shell in accordance with claims 1, which prevents the accumulation of snow as it covers the length of the car (front, top, rear) and a small area around it, due to the fact that the length of the stems that support the structure is adjustable in agreement to the needs of the users. This helps to start the car and get it moving easily and quickly during the winter period.
3. A snow shell in accordance with claims 1 and 2, which has no direct contact with the vehicle but is held upright over it. It rests a few centimetres away from the car by means of cross-sectional and lateral stems placed within the inner seams of the structure. The stems give the shell its stability and rigidity. As previously seen, these interlinked stems can be folded to save space when the structure is not in use.
4. A snow shell in accordance with claims 1 and 2, which is held over the car by means of removable clips fixed with hooks to each car tire or by specially designed hubcaps with an integrated resting point for the structure.
5. A snow shell in accordance with claims 1 and 2, having one mode of installation, which include hooks holding the clips. These clips have four parts: one of them extends from the center of the wheel to its top extremity where it is fixed; the other three are extendible like elastic bands and can be easily stretched to be fitted to the wheel. At the center is a stem, which can extend or retract like a radio antenna and can be rotated at a 360° angle to align the clip located at its extremity with the part of the shell inserted into it.
6. A snow shell in accordance with claims 1 and 2, having another way to install the tent over the car by means of the specially designed hubcaps. Each hubcap also has a stem extending from its center. The stem can also extend or retract to a given length and rotate at a 360° angle to permit the alignment of the pincer with the part of the shell inserted into it.
7. A snow shell in accordance with claims 1 and 2, where the structure has four strengthen plaques, two on the right edges and two on the left edges. The plaques' ends are fitted inside the clip connected to the tire hooks or to the hubcaps.
These plaques are used to strengthen the part of the structure held by the pincers.
8. A snow shell in accordance with claims 1 and 2, which include at its front and back ends a cap-like structure which helps prevent snow to spray all over the car when the structure is removed.
9. A snow shell in accordance with claims 1 and 2, with a resistant cord inserted through the central part of the structure. The ends of the cord protrude from both sides of the mould so the snow shell can be dismantled by one person by pulling on the cord running through the length of the structure.
CA 2527592 2005-12-08 2005-12-08 Portable snow shell for vehicles Abandoned CA2527592A1 (en)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA 2527592 CA2527592A1 (en) 2005-12-08 2005-12-08 Portable snow shell for vehicles
CA 2569706 CA2569706A1 (en) 2005-12-08 2006-12-07 Portable semi rigid shell for vehicles

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA 2527592 CA2527592A1 (en) 2005-12-08 2005-12-08 Portable snow shell for vehicles

Publications (1)

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CA2527592A1 true CA2527592A1 (en) 2006-04-07

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Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US10543771B2 (en) 2016-06-05 2020-01-28 Yakima Products, Inc. Vehicle rooftop rack assembly

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US10543771B2 (en) 2016-06-05 2020-01-28 Yakima Products, Inc. Vehicle rooftop rack assembly

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