Vehicle fenders – Buffer or bumper type – Combined
Reexamination Certificate
2002-08-01
2004-05-25
Gordon, Stephen (Department: 3612)
Vehicle fenders
Buffer or bumper type
Combined
C293S142000, C296S180100, C296S136080
Reexamination Certificate
active
06739634
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of automotive equipment. More particularly, the present invention relates to the field of exterior protective devices for use with vehicles to protect the hood of vehicles from various road hazzards such as rocks, pebbles and other debris and also provides additional impact safety against impacts caused by the vehicle crashing into something or from collisions and fender end impacts such as curbs, tree branches, shopping carts, parking lot walls, posts, etc.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Specifically, exterior protective devices for vehicle hoods are well known in the art. The most common type which is currently in use is a plastic or vinyl type covering which is stretched over the hood of the vehicle and is retained in place by various attaching means. However, none of prior art vehicle hood protectors have means for providing additional impact protection against impacts caused by the vehicle crashing into something or from collisions and fender end impacts. One of the disadvantages with this type of hood protector is that it is bolted or screwed into a vehicle: both requiring the placement of holes into a vehicle; and requiring an individual to have the skills and tools to do so. Another problem with prior art hood protectors is that in most designs, the protector, whether it is made of cloth or plastic, must be removed when the vehicle's hood is to be raised to access the engine well for purposes of checking the oil, battery, etc. A further disadvantage with prior art hood protectors is that they can be easily stolen.
The following nine (9) prior art patents are found to be pertinent to the field of the present invention:
1. U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,667 issued to Dietmar on Jun. 23, 1981 for “Bumper For Motor Vehicles” (hereafter the “Dietmar Patent”);
2. U.S. Pat. No. 4,324,427 issued to Huang et al. on Apr. 13, 1982 for “Automobile Bumper With Adiabatic Device” (hereafter the “Huang Patent”);
3. U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,471 issued to Fishback on Feb. 17, 1987 for “Automotive Vehicle Dent Protection Device” (hereafter the “Fishback Patent”);
4. U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,319 issued to Ziegler et al. on Jun. 27, 1989 for “Deflector Shield And Guard Assembly For Motor Vehicles” (hereafter the “Ziegler Patent”);
5. U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,909 issued to Crane on Sep. 4, 1990 for “Vehicle Hood Protector With Specialized Attaching Apparatus” (hereafter the “Crane Patent”);
6. U.S. Pat. No. 4,997,229 issued to Swanson on Mar. 5, 1991 for “Apparatus For Covering Selected Portions Of A Vehicle Body” (hereafter the “Swanson Patent”);
7. U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,817 issued to Fuller on Oct. 15, 1991 for “Temperature-Rise Limiting Automobile Bra” (hereafter the “Fuller Patent”);
8. U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,324 issued to Flesher on Oct. 27, 1992 for “Protective Cover For Vehicles” (hereafter the “Flesher Patent”); and
9. U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,621 issued to Lefevre on Nov. 2, 1999 for “Vehicle Hood Shield” (hereafter the “Lefevre Patent”).
The Dietmar Patent discloses a bumper for motor vehicles. It comprises a rigid support and a covering made of elastic material. The covering has two arms extending from an edge of the covering that is adjacent to the body in use. First arms are located within the contour of the covering and include a fastening section for attaching the covering to the vehicle, and second arms form an extension of the outside contour of the covering and conceal the first arms. A flexible hinge is utilized to connect the covering to the body.
The Huang Patent discloses an automobile bumper with a flexible adiabatic device. It includes a shock-absorbing device for receiving impact blows to the bumper.
The Fishback Patent discloses an automotive vehicle dent protection device. It comprises a pair of shock absorbing elements joined by connectors. The absorbing elements comprise a series of laterally adjacent pockets that are open at the top for allowing easy removal or replacement of shock absorbing inserts.
The Ziegler Patent discloses a deflector shield and guard assembly for motor vehicles. The device comprises a molded wraparound shield assembly attached along the horizontal and vertical side edges of the hood portion directly behind the grille which is secured in placed by flexible shock mounting strips along the horizontal edge and vertical sides of the hood portion. The device further comprises a molded wraparound cover plate positioned in an overlapping relation to the horizontal edge and opposite vertical side edges of the shield. The device further comprises molded guard members disposed in an overlying relation to a surrounding portion of the front grille of the vehicle together with front fender guard members which conform to and are disposed in overlying relation to the front fender and headlight portion of the vehicle.
The Crane Patent discloses a vehicle hood protector with a specialized attaching apparatus. The attaching apparatus includes four attaching blocks identical to retaining blocks, attached at the two front corners of the hood and at the intersection of the hood protector at the rearmost edges of the hood which are covered by the hood protector.
The Swanson Patent discloses an apparatus for covering selected portions of a vehicle body. It comprises an engaging structure which includes straps, webbing or a fabric sleeve and is configured to engage a member for securing and conforming the cover on the selected portion of the vehicle so that the cover maintains conformity with the first contoured area and edges.
The Fuller Patent discloses a temperature-rise limiting automobile bra which is constructed from four layers of materials, which include a first non-abrasive layer, a second thermal radiation reflective layer, a third elastomeric reticulated foam layer, and a fourth water impervious layer.
The Flesher Patent discloses a protective cover for vehicles. The protective cover comprises a plurality of segments which are made of flexible material. Each segment has a particular ferromagnetic sheet magnetic base portion and a resilient top portion. Each segment is cut to conform to the physical characteristics of the external body surface of the vehicle, and is secured by the magnetic attraction of the magnetic base portion to the magnetically attractive body portion of the vehicle.
The Lefevre Patent discloses a vehicle hood shield. It comprises a layer of flexible magnetically impregnated material to which is contiguously bonded a soft emulsion layer. The shield is cut in the general shape of a vehicle hood and including V-shaped cuts along the reward edge to facilitate placement onto a vehicle hood without bunching.
It is desirable to provide a vehicle impact protective apparatus which is aesthetic in appearance and is functional in that it protects the hood from being dented and damaged by flying objects and debris which may be thrown against the hood, and has an attaching mechanism to prevent it from being easily stolen while at the same time permitting access to the engine compartment without the necessity of removing the impact protective apparatus. It is also desirable to provide a vehicle impact protective apparatus which includes a gel-air impact bumper, a retractable impact spoiler and an impact hood shield for providing impact safety against impacts caused by the vehicle crashing into something or from collisions and fender end impacts such as curbs, tree branches, shopping carts, parking lot walls, posts, etc.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is an external impact protective apparatus for vehicles. The apparatus includes an impact hood shield device, a gel-air impact bumper device and a flexible retractable impact spoiler device. The hood shield device is detachably attached to the vehicle's hood by retaining locking systems such that the hood shield device covers the hood as well as the front fenders of the vehicle. The gel-air bumper device is detachably connected to the hood shield device and hangs down therefrom to cover a portion of t
Chen Tony D.
Gordon Stephen
Rozsa Thomas I.
LandOfFree
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