Tailgator/sunshade protective cover

• US 7,789,097 B1
• Filed: 08/15/2008
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Charles Peter Sotirkys, Kenn Weldon Medeiros
• Original Assignee: Charles Peter Sotirkys, Kenn Weldon Medeiros
• Inventors: Medeiros, Kenn Weldon, Sotirkys, Charles Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hawk; Noah Chandler
• Application Number:
  US12/228,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20100212709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 135/88.01, 135/88.05, 135/88.06, 135/88.07
• US Class Current: 135/88.01
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 15/06 Tents at least partially supported by vehicles

Abstract

A portable sunshade used in conjunction with and supported by a vehicle. The sunshade has a lightweight protective fabric cover engaged by a up to five flexible poles. The protective cover rear is magnetically attached to the vehicle. The protective cover front terminates in two fabric legs, which are engaged by an elongated, flexible pole inserted through the legs and the front of the protective cover. The leg bottoms are engaged by a footing or a stake driven into the ground. Removable sidings may also be attached to the protective cover for enclosing the area beneath the protective cover. The portable is easily assembled and disassembled.

Claims

1. A sunshade used in conjunction with a vehicle, comprising:

a protective cover having a front, a rear, two opposite sides, a top surface and an opposite bottom surface, said front and rear defining a protective cover longitudinal axis, said cover front terminating in two, downwardly extending leg sections, at the junctions of the protective cover front and each protective cover side;

a continuous sleeve in one leg section near a bottom of said leg section, extending in and across the protective cover front down through the other leg section near to a bottom of the other leg section;

an upwardly opening pocket attached near to the leg section bottom of each leg each section;

two lateral sleeves formed in the protective cover top surface, each said sleeve beginning adjacent the protective cover front near to a side, and terminating near to the protective cover rear adjacent a central pocket section;

two, rearwardly opening pockets attached to the protective cover front and facing the lateral sleeves;

a central sleeve connected to said protective cover top surface, said central sleeve beginning centrally near to the protective cover front and terminating near the central pocket section;

a rearwardly facing central pocket attached to said protective cover front in alignment with the central sleeve;

wherein the central pocket section is located centrally at the protective cover rear and has three side-by-side forwardly facing pockets attached thereto, wherein two outside pockets are aligned with the lateral sleeves and a center pocket is aligned with the central sleeve;

a holding sleeve formed at the protective cover rear and extending from one opposite side to the other opposite side, said holding sleeve having opposite sealable ends;

a flexible, magnetic hold bar for securing the protective cover rear to a vehicle, said magnetic hold bar inserted into said holding sleeve;

a plurality of flexible, collapsible poles engaging said protective cover, comprising;

a front pole comprised of a plurality of rods elastically interconnected, end to end, by means of a stretchable line, said front pole positioned within said continuous sleeve, said front pole having two ends, each end being inserted into a said upwardly opening pocket attached near to the leg section bottoms;

two lateral poles comprised of a plurality of rods elastically interconnected, end to end, by means of a stretchable line, each said lateral pole positioned within a said lateral sleeve, each said lateral pole having two ends, one end being inserted into a said central pocket section lateral pocket and the other end into a said rearwardly opening pocket facing a lateral sleeve;

a central pole comprised of a plurality of rods elastically interconnected, end to end, by means of a stretchable line, said central pole positioned within said central sleeve, said central pole having two ends, one end being inserted into said central pocket section center pocket and the other end into said rearwardly facing central pocket;

a webbing loop attached to the bottom of each said leg section; and

two stakes, one for engaging each said leg section webbing loop and securing each said leg section bottom to a ground surface.

2. A sunshade as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the central sleeve is comprised of a separate, central, elongated sleeve having a longitudinal axis parallel to the protective cover longitudinal axis, said separate, central, elongated sleeve being attached to a protective cover central longitudinal axis by a plurality of webbing tabs.

3. A sunshade as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

a plurality of webbing loops attached to the protective cover rear at each side and along the protective cover rear.

4. A sunshade as recited in claim 3, further comprising:

two bungee-type cords, each said bungee cord having an end engaging a said webbing loop at each protective cover side and another end engaging a vehicle anchoring point.

5. A sunshade as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

two footings, each comprised of a hollow, annular disk having a central aperture and a radial aperture, said radial aperture adapted to permitting the disk to be filled with a weight substance, each said footing adapted to rest on a ground surface;

two plugs, each said plug adapted to seal a disk radial aperture;

wherein each leg section bottom webbing loop is positioned through the weighted disk central aperture;

wherein each said stake horizontally engages a said leg section webbing loop securing the footing to the protective cover leg section bottom.

6. A sunshade as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

a mesh-covered, rectangular, wind vent centrally formed in the protective cover, near to, and forward of the central pocket section, said wind vent having a front, a rear, and two sides;

a loose flap continuously secured about the wind vent front and sides.

7. A sunshade as recited in claim 6, wherein:

the protective cover is made from a lightweight, water-resistant fabric having ultra violet protection.

8. A sunshade as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

a plurality of mesh bags attached to said leg sections.

9. A sunshade as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

an attachment pole comprised of a plurality of rods interconnected, end-to-end, by means of a stretchable line, said attachment pole positioned within said protective cover rear holding sleeve and having ends protruding from said protective cover rear holding sleeve, said attachment pole ends each adapted to engage a pickup truck bed existing utility hole.

10. A sunshade as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

two sidings removably attached to the protective cover for enclosing an area beneath the protective cover, said sidings having a top edge, a bottom edge, a forward edge and a rear edge;

a plurality of siding fasteners are attached to the siding front and top edges;

a plurality of protective cover fasteners attached to the protective cover sides and leg sections, said protective cover fasteners adapted to engage the siding fasteners.

11. A sunshade as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

a generally rectangular, extended, truck bed shade cover having a proximal side with a plurality of webbing loops attached thereto and an opposite distal side with a sleeve having two sealable ends formed therein;

a flexible, magnetic, hold bar positioned within said bed shade cover sleeve and provides means for attaching the bed shade cover distal end to truck cab;

a bungee-type cord inserted through the bed shade cover proximal end webbing loops and the protective shade cover rear webbing loops.