Rain shield device for vehicle

• US 9,302,570 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2013
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dong-A University
• Original Assignee: Dong-A University
• Inventors: Yeom, Jeongkuk, Youn, Jungmin, Hwang, Chanwon, Baek, Seunglok, Lee, Minwoong, Choi, Jungsik, Shin, Sangyun
• Primary Examiner(s): Pedder, Dennis H
• Application Number:
  US14/646,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20150283887A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 160/370.21, 296/99.1, 296/152, 296/136.1, 296/136.11, 13/880.5, 13/880.7, 135/88.05, 135/88.07
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/0494 Rain covers deployed upon opening door

Abstract

An automotive rain shield system including: an air compressor that injects and sucks air to operate a rain shield; a shield module including a lift tube that operates an X-shaped frame so that the rain shield like a tent expands, by expanding when the air compressor injects air into the lift tube, and a rain shield tube that expands when the air compressor injects air into the rain shield tube so that the rain shield like a tent expands; an external switch that inputs a signal for making the air compressor inject air, outside a vehicle; and a door sensor that senses a door of the vehicle closing so that the air compressor returns the rain shield by sucking the air.

Claims

1. An automotive rain shield system comprising:

an air compressor that injects and sucks air to operate a rain shield;

a shield module including a lift tube that operates an X-shaped frame so that the rain shield like a tent expands, by expanding when the air compressor injects air into the lift tube, and a pair of rain shield tubes each connected to the rain shield, wherein each rain shield tube expands when the air compressor injects air into the pair of rain shield tubes so that the rain shield like a tent expands;

an external switch that inputs a signal for making the air compressor inject air, outside a vehicle; and

a door sensor that senses a door of the vehicle closing so that the air compressor returns the rain shield by sucking the air.

2. The automotive rain shield system of claim 1, wherein the shield module is mounted on a door of the vehicle, and

when the signal for making the air compressor inject air is inputted, the lift tube is expanded by the injected air and lifts the X-shaped frame, so the rain shield is lifted and each of the pair of rain shield tubes expands, thereby expanding the rain shield retracted.

3. The automotive rain shield system of claim 1, wherein the air compressor injects and sucks air and has a capacity of 200 to 300 LPM.

4. The automotive rain shield system of claim 1,

wherein the X-shaped frame is expanded upward by the lift tube expanded by the air injected by the air compressor and retracted down by the lift tube contracting by air sucked by the air compressor,

wherein the shield is expanded or folded by the pair of rain shield tubes respectively coupled to upper ends of the X-shaped frame,

wherein the shield module further includes:

a guide rail that is coupled to a lower end of one frame member of the X-shaped frame by a hinge shaft and is coupled to a lower end of the other frame member of the X-shaped frame by a movable pin, and guides the X-shaped frame when the X-shaped frame is moved; and

a coupling pin that couples both frame members of the X-shaped frame so that the X-shaped frame moves in a coupling groove.

5. The automotive rain shield system of claim 4, wherein the guide rail is curved, and each frame member of the X-shaped frame and the guide rail have the same curvature.

6. The automotive rain shield system of claim 1, wherein the shield module includes an X-shaped frame housing for receiving the X-shaped frame, the lift tube is disposed in the X-shaped frame housing, and as the lift tube expands or retracts, the X-shaped frame expands upward or is stowed into the X-shaped frame housing.

7. The automotive rain shield system of claim 1, wherein the shield module includes a shield housing coupled to upper ends of the X-shaped frame,

the pair of rain shield tubes are connected to both ends of the shield housing, and

the rain shield is disposed between the pair of rain shield tubes,

so as the pair of rain shield tubes retracts, the pair of rain shield tubes and the rain shield are stowed into the shield housing, and as the pair of rain shield tubes expands, the pair of rain shield tubes and the rain shield expand out of the shield housing.