Garaged vehicle cover

• US 8,733,380 B1
• Filed: 12/09/2010
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Frank Brunckhorst, Thomas W. Roberts
• Original Assignee: Frank Brunckhorst, Thomas W. Roberts
• Inventors: Roberts, Thomas W., Brunckhorst, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): YIP, WINNIE S
• Application Number:
  US12/963,682
• Time in Patent Office: 1,265 Days
• Field of Search: 135/90, 135/96, 135/156, 135159-160, 135/119, 135/117, 135/120.4, 135/121, 135/88.07, 52/63, 52/83, 522/22, 296/136.1, 296/136.01, 296/136.04, 296/136.11, 296/136.13, 254394-365, 254/334, 254/338
• US Class Current: 135/90
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 11/04 for covering at least the roof of the vehicle, e.g. for covering the whole vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 6/02 Small garages, e.g. for one or two cars attached to, or supported by, the vehicle B62D

Abstract

A garage car cover apparatus attachable to a ceiling of a garage including a flexible fabric car cover configured to drapingly cover a vehicle. A power unit attaches to the ceiling and to a lifting shaft having a plurality of spaced sheaves. Attaching points on the cover each connect to one end of a flexible line. A plurality of ceiling pulleys are each connectable to the ceiling directly above one of the attaching points when the cover is draped over the vehicle, each flexible line connected at one end to one sheave, a mid-portion of each line supported on one pulley. The cover is raised or lowered vertically from, and drapingly onto the vehicle by operation of the power unit. An alternate embodiment utilizes an existing power unit of an overhead garage door opener to facilitate automatic deployment and retraction.

Claims

1. A garage car cover apparatus attached or attachable to a ceiling of a garage, said apparatus comprising:

a power unit attached or attachable to the ceiling;

a flexible flat fabric car cover shaped and sized to drapingly cover a generally rectangular vehicle;

a plurality of spaced sheaves operably connectable or connected to said power unit for driven rotation by said power unit;

a plurality of spaced attaching points, one attaching point of said plurality of attaching points located at each corner, centrally of, and at a midpoint along each lengthwise edge of said car cover;

a plurality of line support members each connectable to the ceiling directly above a corresponding one of said attaching points;

a plurality of flexible lines each connected or connectable at one end thereof to one of said sheaves, another end of each of said lines being connected to one of said attaching points, a mid-portion of each of said lines being supported over one of said line support members;

wherein activation of the power unit rotates said sheaves to automatically raise and lower said car cover vertically from, and drapingly onto the vehicle.

2. A garage car cover apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

each of said line support members is an elongated support conduit having a substantially straight mid-portion and first and second end portions orthogonally oriented to said mid-portion, each of said conduits connectable to the ceiling with said first end being directed toward one of the corresponding said attaching points when said cover is deployed over the vehicle, said second end portion of each of said support conduits downwardly oriented and directed toward one of said sheaths.

3. A garage car cover apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein:

said power unit is also operably connected to a garage door wherein activation of said power unit also opens or closes the garage door.

4. A garage car cover apparatus as set forth in claim 3, further comprising:

a deployment weight connected to each said attaching point at said corners and midpoints of said car cover to hold the margins of said car cover against the floor of the garage when said car cover is deployed over the vehicle.

5. A method of deploying a car cover over a generally rectangular vehicle by operation of a power unit of an overhead garage door opener system connected to a ceiling of a garage, the method comprising:

providing a flexible flat fabric car cover shaped and sized to drapingly cover a generally rectangular vehicle, the car cover having a plurality of spaced attaching points located at each corner of, centrally of, and at a midpoint along each lengthwise edge of said car cover;

attaching an elongated rotationally driven lifting shaft with a plurality of spaced apart sheaves connected thereon for driven rotation to the ceiling and to a rotational said output shaft of the power unit;

attaching a plurality of line support members to the ceiling directly above one of the corresponding said attaching points, one of said line support members for each of said attaching points, when said car cover is covering the vehicle;

connecting a plurality of flexible lines, each line being connected at one end thereof to one of said sheaves, another end of each of said lines being connected to one of said attaching points, a mid-portion of each of said lines being supported by the corresponding said line support member;

operating said power unit to open or close the garage door and to automatically rotate said lifting shaft to raise or lower said car cover from or drapingly onto the car, respectively.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

each of said line support members is an elongated support conduit having a substantially straight mid-portion and first and second end portions orthogonally oriented to said mid-portion, each of said conduits connectable to the ceiling with said first end being directed toward one of the corresponding said attaching points when said cover is deployed over the vehicle, said second end portion of each of said support conduits downwardly oriented and directed toward one of said sheaths.

7. A garage car cover apparatus attached or attachable to a ceiling of a garage comprising:

a flexible flat fabric car cover shaped and sized to drapingly cover a generally rectangular vehicle;

a power unit attachable or attached to the ceiling and operably connected or connectable to a lifting shaft having a plurality of spaced sheaves connected thereon for rotation with said lifting shaft;

a plurality of spaced attaching points, one of said plurality of attaching points located at each corner, centrally of, and at a midpoint along each lengthwise edge of said car cover;

a plurality of elongated support conduits each having a substantially straight mid-portion and first and second end portions which are orthogonally oriented to said mid-portion, each of said support conduits connectable to the ceiling with said first end portion being directed toward one of the corresponding said attaching points when said cover is deployed over the vehicle, said second end portion of each of said support conduits downwardly oriented and directed toward one of said sheaths;

a plurality of flexible lines each extending through one of said support conduits, one end of each of said lines exiting from said first end portion and being connected or connectable to a corresponding one of said attaching points, another end of each of said lines exiting from said second end portion and being connected or connectable to one of said sheaves;

wherein said power unit selectively rotates said lifting shaft to raise and lower said car cover vertically from, and drapingly onto, the car.

8. A garage car cover apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein:

said power unit is also operably connected to a garage door wherein activation of said power unit also opens or closes the garage door.

9. A garage car cover apparatus as set forth in claim 8, further comprising:

a deployment weight connected to each said attaching point at said corners and midpoints of said car cover to hold the margins of said car cover against the floor of the garage when said car cover is deployed over the vehicle.

10. A garage car cover apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein:

each margin of said car cover is weighted to hold said car cover against the floor of the garage when said car cover is deployed over the vehicle.