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US 4,432,581 AGranted
Portable automatic carport
OwnerTesfa Gumainventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle cover which automatically extends over the vehicle and retracts into a storage position. The cover has one end attached to a roller which is rotatably attached to the vehicle. A number of brackets are positioned along the upper surface of the vehicle. Guide elements are attached to the cover and slidably connected to the brackets. A plurality of tubes are attached to the covers, with some extending into flaps on the sides of the cover. When a compressor is actuated, the flaps extend outwardly to protect the sides of the vehicle. A scraper is provided to scrape snow or other extraneous matter as the cover is retracted.
Claims27
A cover for a vehicle, said vehicle having a passenger compartment, said cover comprising:
- cover means attached to said vehicle;
- a plurality of brackets attached to the upper surface of said vehicle;
- means, attached along substantially the entire length of said cover means, for guiding said cover means over said brackets, said guiding means including a first portion attached to said cover means and extending through at least a part of each of said brackets and a second portion, attached to said first portion opposite said cover means attachment, which cannot pass through said at least a part of each of said brackets to slidably lock said guide means to said brackets;
- and
- means for extending and retracting said cover means, said cover means for covering the length of said passenger compartment when said cover means is fully extended.
2 more elements
An expandable cover for a vehicle, said vehicle having a passenger compartment, said cover comprising:
- cover means attachable to said vehicle;
- means for extending and retracting said cover means, said cover means for covering the length of said passenger compartment when said cover means is fully extended;
- said cover means including flaps on opposite sides of said cover means and extending along said passenger compartment when said cover means is extended;
- and
- means for extending said flaps substantially horizontally outwardly from said cover means, and folding said flaps over said cover means in a retracted position.
2 more elements
An expandable cover for a vehicle, said vehicle having a passenger compartment, said cover comprising:
- cover means attachable to said vehicle;
- means for extending and retracting said cover means, said cover means for covering the length of said passenger compartment when said cover means is fully extended;
- said cover means including flaps on opposite sides of said cover means and extending along said passenger compartment when said cover means is extended;
- means for extending said flaps substantially horizontally outwardly from said cover means, and folding said flaps over said cover means in a retracted position;
- and
- means for scraping said cover means as said cover means is retracted so as to eliminate foreign material on said cover means, said scraping means being disposed under said flaps and above the remainder of said cover means.
3 more elements
An expandable cover for a vehicle, said vehicle having a passenger compartment, said cover comprising:
- cover means attachable to said vehicle;
- means for extending and retracting said cover means, said cover means for covering the length of said passenger compartment when said cover means is fully extended;
- said cover means including flaps on opposite sides of said cover means and extending along said passenger compartment when said cover means is extended;
- and
- pneumatic means for extending said flaps outwardly from said cover means.
2 more elements
An expandable cover for a vehicle, said vehicle having a passenger compartment, said cover comprising:
- cover means attachable to said vehicle;
- means for extending and retracting said cover means, said cover means for covering the length of said passenger compartment when said cover means is fully extended;
- said cover means including flaps on opposite sides of said cover means and extending along said passenger compartment when said cover means is extended;
- means, attached to said cover means, for containing a fluid, said containing means being disposed into said flaps so as to extend said flaps outwardly from said cover means when said containing means is filled with said fluid;
- and
- means for filling said containing means with said fluid.
3 more elements
An expandable cover for a vehicle, said vehicle having a passenger compartment, said vehicle comprising:
- cover means attachable to said vehicle;
- means for extending and retracting said cover means, said cover means for covering the length of said passenger compartment when said cover means is fully extended;
- said cover means including flaps on opposite sides of said cover means and extending along said passenger compartment when said cover means is extended;
- means, attached to said cover means, for containing a fluid, said containing means being disposed into said flaps so as to extend said flaps outwardly from said cover means when said containing means is filled with said fluid;
- means for filling said containing means with said fluid;
- and
- means for retracting said flaps when said fluid is released from said containing means.
4 more elements
An expandable cover for a vehicle, said vehicle having a passenger compartment, said cover comprising:
- cover means attachable to said vehicle;
- means for extending and retracting said cover means, said cover means for covering the length of said passenger compartment when said cover means is fully extended;
- said cover means including flaps on opposite sides of said cover means and extending along said passenger compartment when said cover means is extended;
- means, attached to said cover means, for containing a fluid, said containing means being disposed into said flaps so as to extend said flaps outwardly from said cover means when said containing means is filled with said fluid;
- means for filling said containing means with said fluid;
- and
- means for retracting said flaps when said fluid is released from said containing means.
4 more elements
An expandable cover for a vehicle, said vehicle having a passenger compartment, said cover comprising:
- a roller rotatably attached to said vehicle on one side of said passenger compartment;
- cover means having first and second ends and two sides, said first end being attached to said roller, said two sides including flaps extending at least part of the length of said sides;
- a plurality of brackets attached to the upper surface of said vehicle;
- first and second means, attached along the length of said cover means, for guiding said cover means over said brackets, each of said guiding means being slidably engageable with selected ones of said brackets;
- means for drawing said cover means along said brackets over said passenger compartments;
- means, attached to said cover means second end in alignment with said guiding means for connecting said cover means to said drawing means;
- means for driving said rollers so as to wrap said cover means about said rollers;
- means, attached to said cover means, for containing a fluid, said containing means being disposed into said flaps so as to extend said flaps outwardly from said cover means when said containing means is filled with said fluid;
- means for filling said containing means with said fluid;
- and
- means for retracting said flaps when said fluid is released from said containing means.
8 more elements
An expandable cover for a vehicle, said vehicle having a passenger compartment, said cover comprising:
- a roller rotatably attached to said vehicle on one side of said passenger compartment;
- cover means having first and second ends and two sides, said first end being attached to said roller, said two sides including flaps extending at least part of the length of said sides;
- a plurality of brackets attached to the upper surface of said vehicle, each of said brackets including a housing and two wheels rotatably attached to said housing on axes normal to the surface of said vehicle;
- first and second means for guiding said cover means over said brackets, each of said guiding means including a first portion attached to said cover means and extending between said rollers and a second portion attached to said first portion for maintaining said first portion in engagement with said wheels, said brackets being aligned with said guiding means;
- means for drawing said cover means along said brackets over said passenger compartment;
- means, attached to said cover means second end in alignment with said guiding means for connecting said cover means to said drawing means;
- means for driving said roller so as to wrap said cover means about said roller;
- means, attached to said cover means, for containing a fluid, said containing means being disposed into said flaps so as to extend said flaps outwardly from said cover means when said containing means is filled with said fluid;
- means for retracting said flaps when said fluid is released from said containing means;
- and
- means for scraping said cover before it is rolled on said roller.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.