Visual parking guide

#A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the public Patent Office file or records but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

#This invention relates to vehicle parking guides, and more particularly, a visual parking guide to assist drivers in parking adjacent to a stationary object without damaging the vehicle.

#Vehicles are in widespread use and car manufacturers produce a multitude of vehicle models that vary in dimensions. Certain vehicle designs make it difficult for drivers to judge the distance between the front and/or rear end of the vehicle and an object immediately in front of the vehicle. For example, vehicles designed to reduce aerodynamic resistance usually have a steeply sloped hood, making the front end of the car imperceptible to the driver seated in the driver's seat. Furthermore, visibility of the front of the car also depends on the height of the driver, which affects his/her ability to see through the windshield and over the hood of the vehicle.

#Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

#FIG. 1 is a front view of a preferred embodiment of the parking guide;

#FIG. 2 is a front view of an alternative embodiment of the parking guide mounted on a sign;

#As illustrated in FIG. 1, a visual parking guide 1 according to the invention includes a flat surface 10 and a multitude of markings 15 positioned on flat surface 10.

#Flat surface 10 is made of a semi-rigid material that has a matte or low lustre finish such as cardboard, plastic, or poster paper. In a preferred embodiment, flat surface 10 is made of an economical grade of poster paper. Flat surface 10 can be any shape or size as long as there is sufficient space on flat surface 10 for markings 15 so that they are clearly visible to the human eye at a distance between the driver's seat of a parked vehicle to the supporting structure where visual parking guide 1 is mounted. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a preferred shape of visual parking guide 1 is generally rectangular and the width is similar to that of typical street signage.

#Markings 15 are printed on flat surface 10 using any type of ink or other means known in the art. Preferably, the ink has reflective properties so that markings 15 are clearly visible when illuminated by the headlights of a vehicle. Markings 15 can be any form but are typically generally curved lines disposed horizontally. Markings 15 can be any size so long as they are clearly visible to the human eye at a distance between the driver's seat of a parked vehicle to the supporting structure where visual parking guide 1 is mounted.