Hood scoop assembly

• US 5,157,377 A
• Filed: 05/04/1990
• Issued: 10/20/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mark Wayne
• Original Assignee: Mark Wayne
• Inventors: Wayne, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US07/519,286
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 340/468, 340/461, 340/472, 340/473, 362/80, 362/83.3, 180/68.3, 180/69.2, 296/91
• US Class Current: 340/468
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2615 mounted on the vehicle body, e.g. with magnets
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/14 lighting through the surface to be illuminated

Abstract

A hood scoop assembly for selective placement upon an external surface of an automotive vehicle, a boat and the like comprises a hood scoop body portion having a front end portion, a back end portion and an underside. Removably fittable in the underside of the back end portion is a panel unit. The panel unit may be either a filler panel having an insignia or a name placed thereupon, or may be a signalling and indicating box unit that is situated facing the driver to thereby visually deliver to the driver pertinent information relating to the operating condition of the vehicle. The panel unit is held either to a flange situated along the back end portion or may be disposed within a channel defined on the underside of the hood scoop body and positioned approximately at the back end portion thereof.

Claims

1. A hood scoop assembly for use with a vehicle having a passenger compartment, a windshield and a hood portion extending forward of said windshield, said assembly comprising:

a scoop body having a front end portion, a back end portion, and an underside;

means for attaching said underside of said scoop body to said hood portion so that said panel is positioned forward of the windshield;

a panel unit removably insertable in said back end portion of said body;

said back end portion having a recess for releasably attaching said panel unit;

said panel unit having a front side and a back side;

said panel unit being interchangable with other panel units; and

wherein when said panel unit is received in said recess said front side is selectively viewable to the occupants of said vehicle.

2. The hood scoop assembly of claim 1 wherein said means for releasably attaching includes one or more barbed clip fasteners.

3. The hood scoop assembly of claim 2 wherein said panel unit includes a box assembly, said box assembly having a front side, a back side, a top side and a bottom side.

4. The hood scoop assembly of claim 3 wherein said front side includes a removably interchangable panel.

5. The hood scoop assembly of claim 4 wherein said box assembly includes at least one means for indicating the operation of said vehicle, a boat or the like to the occupants thereof.

6. The hood scoop assembly of claim 5 wherein said means for indicating the operation of an automotive or marine vehicle comprises a bulb.

7. The hood scoop assembly of claim 6 wherein said top side of said box assembly includes at least one barbed clip fastener fitted thereon.

8. The hood scoop assembly of claim 7 wherein said clip fastener comprises a U-shaped channel having a pair of spaced apart walls, each of said spaced apart walls having an interior side, each interior side being fitted with a plurality of downward-depending barbs.

9. The hood scoop assembly of claim 8 wherein said back portion of said underside of said body includes a plurality of cantilevered stud members, the number of said stud members being equal to the number of barbed clip fasteners whereby said barbed clip fasteners and said stud members fittingly interconnect.

10. The hood scoop assembly of claim 9 wherein said panel has signal indicia marked thereon by selective masking whereby said means of operation indication may be shown therethrough.

11. The hood scoop assembly of claim 1 wherein said underside of said body defines an interior and wherein said body has a longitudinal axis, said body further includes an end flange, said end flange being positioned perpendicularly to said longitudinal axis so as to keep said panel visible only to the operator of an automotive vehicle.

12. The hood scoop assembly of claim 11 wherein said means for attaching comprises a channel defined on said end portion of said underside for receiving said panel unit therein, said channel being spaced apart from and parallel to said end flange.

13. The hood scoop assembly of claim 11 wherein said flange includes a lip facing said interior of said body, said lip defining a surface for removably receiving said panel unit thereupon.

14. The hood scoop assembly of claim 13 wherein said panel unit is held against said lip by a plurality of removable fasteners.

15. A hood scoop assembly for use with a vehicle having a passenger compartment, a windshield and a hood portion extending forward of said windshield, said hood scoop assembly comprising:

a hood scoop body having a longitudinal axis, an underside, a front end, a back end, and an underside;

means for attaching said underside of said scoop body to said hood portion so that said panel is positioned forward of the windshield;

said body further having a flange member defined at its back end, said flange member being situated perpendicularly to said longitudinal axis of said hood scoop body; and

a panel unit removably attached to said flange member, said panel unit having a front side and a back side.

16. The hood scoop assembly of claim 15 wherein said panel unit includes means for signalling and indicating operating conditions relating to said automotive vehicle.

17. A hood scoop assembly for use with a vehicle having a passenger compartment, a windshield and a hood portion extending forward of said windshield, said hood scoop assembly comprising:

a hood scoop body having a longitudinal axis, an underside, a front end, a back end, and an underside;

means for attaching said underside of said scoop body to said hood portion so that said panel is positioned forward of the windshield;

said body further having a flange member defined at its backs ends, said flange member being situated perpendicularly to said longitudinal axis of said hood scoop body so as to keep said front of said hood scoop visible only to vehicle occupants; and

means indicating operating conditions relating to said automotive or marine vehicle, said means indicating conditions being removably attachable to said flange member.

18. The hood scoop assembly of claim 17 wherein said means for operation indication comprises a panel unit having a display face.

19. The hood scoop assembly of claim 18 wherein said means for operation indication is attachable to said flange member by one or more of a barbed clip.

20. The hood scoop assembly of claim 18 wherein said flange includes an interior lip, said means for operation indication being fitted thereupon.