GB2319759A

GB2319759A - Rain shield over a vehicle door

Info

Publication number: GB2319759A
Application number: GB9624855A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Wen-Ching Liu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-11-29
Filing date: 1996-11-29
Publication date: 1998-06-03
Anticipated expiration: 2016-11-29
Also published as: GB2319759B; GB9624855D0; DE29700396U1

Abstract

A rain shield structure comprises a foldable, two part sector-shaped fabric shield sheet 3 which is mounted by securing units 5, comprising cooperating hooks 50, latches 51 and latch hooks 510, and by securing units comprising hook strips 52 and latch strips 53, between the top edges of a vehicle door 2 and the vehicle roof 3 to shelter the door opening from rain. A first main part (3D, Fig 2) of the shield is provided with ribs 34 and a subsidiary portion (31) is provided with fold lines (310) and elastic belts (37, Fig 3) to allow for extension and retraction of the shield 3 over the door opening. The sheet 3 is attached by rings 340 at each end of the rib strips 34 to wires 40 which are each wound onto a rotary shaft with torque spring within a collection box 4, so that the sheet 3 can be gathered and folded into a compact area (shown in Fig 6) between the vehicle door 2 and body 1.

Description

A RAIN SHIELD STRUCTURE MOUNTED BETWEEN A CAR BODY AND A CAR DOOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to rain shield structure mounted between a car body and a car door. On a rainy day, when a user needs to get into or out of the car body and opens the car door, the rain shield structure is simultaneously automatically stretched to protect the user from the rain when stretching or contracting an umbrella.

It is often experienced that on a rainy day, when a driver or a rider needs to get into or out of a car body and opens a car door, even an umbrella is very quickly stretched or contracted, the driver or the rider will still unevitably get wet by the rain. This always causes inconvenience to the driver or the rider. In case the driver or the rider wishes to stretch the umbrella prior to leaving the car or contract the umbrella after entering the car, it will be almost impossible to do so by reason that the interior space of the car body is generally quite limited. Therefore, the car door must be first opened by a certain angle for the stretched, or contracted umbrella. As a result, in the instant of stretching or contracting the umbrella, the driver or the rider will get wet by the rain.

For solving the above problem, a rain shield structure adapted to be mounted between the car body and car door has been developed. As shown in Fig. 7, such rain shield structure includes a rolling sleeve, a water-collecting bottle, a rear cover, fixing plates and suckers, etc. A conic rolling shaft is disposed on a bearing support in the rolling sleeve and a fabric sheet is wound around the rolling shaft. Several elastic belts are sewn on the fabric sheet at intervals, whereby the fabric sheet can be unwound from the rolling shaft and extended outward to form a sector-shaped rain shield for shielding the rain or the sunlight.

Fig. 8 shows another type of rain shield structure used with the car door. Such structure includes a conic rolling sleeve, a rolling shaft disposed on one side of the rolling sleeve, and a sector-shaped rain shield sheet stretchably and collectably connected between the rolling sleeve and the rolling shaft. Such rain shield structure further includes a housing and a metal clamping board which cooperate with the rolling sleeve and the rolling shaft.

Both the above two conventional rain shield structures provide rain shielding effect for the user when opening the car door and stretching or contracting an umbrella. However, some shortcomings still exist in these structures as follows: When the user closes the car door, the rolling shaft and the rolling sleeve can hardly smoothly collect the rain shield sheet. Therefore, the rain shield sheet often cannot be successfully collected into the rolling sleeve by one action and the user often needs to repeat the door closing movement several times prior to totally collect the rain shield sheet. This causes great trouble to the user and when repeatedly closing the car door, the user is more likely to get wet. Moreover, when rolled into the rolling sleeve, the rain shield sheet more or less will carry the rain water attached thereon into the rolling sleeve. Therefore, after the user gets back into the car and at the second time of opening the car door when the user needs to again leave the car, the rain shield sheet will be extended with the rain water remaining thereon splashing into the car and onto the user. In addition, both the above two conventional rain shield structures only provide the rain shielding effect over the area between the top sides of the car door and car body, while failing to provide the rain shielding effect over the area between the front sides of the car door and the car body. Therefore, in the case of heavier rain or stronger wind, some rain water will still pass through the space to wet the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a rain shield structure which is mounted between a car body and a car door for achieving a more reliable rain shielding effect. The present rain shield structure is simply constructed and can be more smoothly operated.

The present invention can be best understood through the following description and accompanying drawing, wherein: BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention which is mounted between a car body and a car door in a stretched state; Fig. 2 is a plane view of the shield sheet of the present invention in a stretched state; Fig. 3 is a perspective exploded view of the securing unit of the present invention; Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing that the shield sheet is secured on the top edge of the car door by the securing unit, in which the shield sheet is stretched; Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing that the shield sheet is secured on the door frame of the car body by the securing unit, in which the shield sheet is stretched; Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing that the car door is closed and engaged with the car body with the shield sheet folded and collected and hidden between the car door and car body; Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the application of a conventional car-used rain shield structure; and Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the application of another conventional car-used rain shield structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Please refer to Fig. 1. The rain shield structure of the present invention is mounted between the top and front edges of a car door 2 and a car body 1. When the car door 2 is opened, the rain shield structure is automatically stretched to prevent a user from being wetted by rain during stretching or contracting an umbrella. The rain shield structure includes a shield sheet 3, two collection boxes 4 and several securing units 5.

Please refer to Fig. 2. The shield sheet 3 is substantially a foldable sector-shaped fabric sheet formed by a main vane portion 30 and a subsidiary vane portion 31 connected therewith. Two rib rods 32, 33 are fixedly disposed along two lateral edges of the main vane portion 30. In addition, multiple rib strips 34 are fixedly disposed on an inner face of the main vane portion 30 between the rib rods 32, 33 at different intervals. Two ends of each rib strip 34 respectively extend out of a front and a rear edges of the main vane portion 30 and are equipped with ring members 340. The subsidiary vane portion 31 is connected with the front side of the main vane portion 30. Two rib rods 35, 36 are fixedly disposed along two lateral edges of the subsidiary vane portion 31. In addition, multiple folding lines 310 are formed on the subsidiary vane portion 31 between the rib rods 35, 36 corresponding to the rib strips 34 of the main vane portion 30, whereby the main and subsidiary vane portions 30, 31 can be cooperatively folded. Three elastic belts 37 are sewn on an inner face of the subsidiary vane portion 31 at predetermined intervals.

The collection box 4 contains an inner rotary shaft with torque spring ( not shown ). A rolling wire 40 is wound around the rotary shaft for stretching or collecting the main vane portion 30 of the shield sheet 3. The rotary shaft with the torque spring pertains to prior art and will not be further discussed hereinbelow.

The collection box 4 is disposed on an outer side of the main vane portion 30 with the rolling wire 40 passing through the ring members 340 of the respective rib strips 34 of the main vane portion 30. A starting end of the rolling wire 40 is secured to the ring member 340 of a last rib strip 34 so that by means of the winding and unwinding of the rolling wire 40, the main vane portion 30 can be folded or unfolded.

Please refer to Fig. 3. Each securing unit 5 includes a hook member 50, a latch member 51 cooperating with the hook member 50, a hook strip 52 and a latch strip 53 cooperating with the hook strip 52. A latch hook 510 is pivotally disposed on a lower edge of the latch member 51. A certain number of latch members 51 and latch strips 53 are fixedly connected. to the rib rods 32, 35 and 33, 36 of the shield sheet 3, while the hook members 50 and hook strips 52 are respectively inserted into an insertion channel of a window frame bar 20 of the car door 2 and an insertion channel of a door frame bar 10 of the car body 1 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. When installed, the window frame bar 20 and the door frame bar 10 are taken out with the insertion channels exposed outside. Then a certain number of hook members 50 and hook strips 52 in accordance with the latch members 51 and the latch strips 53 are spacedly inserted into the insertion channels. Then the window frame bar 20 and the door frame bar 10 are restored to their home positions with the hook members 50 and the hook strips 52 firmly clamped and secured thereto.

According to the above arrangements, the present invention is mounted between the top edges and front edges of the car door 2 and the car body 1. The latch members 51 and latch strips 53 fixedly connected with the rib rods 32, 35 and 33, 36 of the vane portions of the shield sheet 3 are respectively latched with the hook members 50 and hook strips 52 secured on the car door 2 and car body 1. Finally, the collection boxes 4 are attached to a portion of the window frame of the car door 2. On a rainy day, when a user needs to get into or out of the car body and opens the car door, the rolling wire 40 in the collection box 4 is unwound and pulled outward so as to gradually unfold and stretch the shield sheet 3. At this time, the main and subsidiary vane portions 30, 31 of the shield sheet 3 are gradually stretched corresponding to the open angle of the car door 2, forming a substantially arch umbrella-like rain shield structure. Therefore, the user is protected from the rain after opening the car door to stretch or contract an umbrella.

It should be appreciated that the present invention is able to also shield the rain over the area between the front side of the car door 2 and the car body 1 so that a better rain shielding effect is achieved.

After the user stretches ( contracts ) the umbrella and gets out of ( into ) the car body, the car door 2 is closed. At this time, the rolling wire 40 is gradually collected into the collection box 4 and wound around the rotary shaft corresponding to the gradually reduced open angle of the car door 2. Simultaneously, the main vane portion 30 is gradually folded, following the collected rolling wire 40. Also, following the folded main vane portion 30, the subsidiary vane portion 31 as well as the elastic belts 37 are folded and contracted. When the rolling wire 40 is totally collected in the collection box 4, the main and subsidiary vane portions 30, 31 of the shield sheet 3 are entirely folded into a compact body which is hidden between the car door 2 and the car body 1 as shown in Fig. 6.

It is to be understood that the above description and drawings are only used for illustrating one embodiment of the present invention, not intended to limit the scope thereof. Any variation and derivation from the above description and drawings should be included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A rain shield structure adapted to be mounted between a car body and a car door, said rain shield structure comprising a shield sheet, two collection boxes and several securing units, said rain shield structure being characterized in that: the shield sheet is substantially a foldable sector-shaped fabric sheet formed by a main vane portion and a subsidiary vane portion connected therewith, rib rods being fixedly disposed along two lateral edges of the main vane portion and multiple rib strips being fixedly disposed on an inner face of the main vane portion between the rib rods at different intervals, permitting the main vane portion to be folded, two ends of each rib strip respectively extending out of a front and a rear edges of the main vane portion and being equipped with ring members, the subsidiary vane portion connected with the main vane portion having two rib rods fixedly disposed along two lateral edges of the subsidiary vane portion, multiple folding lines being formed on the subsidiary vane portion between the rib rods thereof corresponding to the rib strips of the main vane portion, whereby the subsidiary vane portion is foldable in cooperation with the main vane portion, several elastic belts being sewn on an inner face of the subsidiary vane portion at predetermined intervals; each collection box contains an inner rotary shaft with torque spring, a rolling wire being wound around the rotary shaft for stretching or collecting the main vane portion, the rolling wire passing through the ring members of the respective rib strips of the main vane portion, a starting end or the rolling wire being secured to a ring member of a last rib strip so that by means of winding or unwinding the rolling wire, the main vane portion 30 is foldable or unfoldable; and the securing units secure the shield sheet between a top and a front edges of the car door and the car body, whereby when a user gets into or out of the car body and opens the car door, the rolling wire is unwound and extended outward from the collection box so as to gradually unfold and stretch the shield sheet to form an arch umbrella-like rain shield structure.