Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Structural detail
Reexamination Certificate
1997-04-07
2001-03-06
Pike, Andrew C. (Department: 3651)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Structural detail
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196623
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The subject invention is directed toward an accessory for an automobile which is positioned in a doorway or the trunk/hatch area and extends and retracts as the automobile door, trunk, or hatch is opened and closed to guard a person's clothes and shoes from contact with the dirty vehicle exterior upon entering and exiting the automobile, or when loading and unloading cargo.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The exterior surfaces of an automobile are often coated with dirt, mud, snow, salt, sludge, chemicals, and other debris, hereinafter collectively referred to as “soils”. These soils collect most predominately along the outer sill panel, or sometimes referred to as the lower rocker panel, of the automobile where the tires tend to discharge. Upon entering and exiting the passenger compartment of the automobile, a person's shoes or clothes, such as a pant leg or overcoat, frequently brush against the outer sill panel. This causes a transfer of the soils collected along the outer sill panel onto the person's clothes.
This problem is compounded when the vehicle has a high ground clearance, such as with the sport/utility type vehicles, when it is difficult to plant one's foot a safe distance from the automobile to prevent clothing contact with the outer sill panel. Also, physically impaired and elderly persons often do not have the muscle strength needed to step into and out of an automobile from a safe distance so as to prevent clothing contact with the outer sill panel. A similar problem arises for most people when loading and unloading cargo items through the doorway in an automobile. When the cargo item is heavy or particularly fragile, or when placing children in car seats and the like, it is difficult to maintain sufficient body spacing from the vehicle exterior so as to prevent pant legs and overcoats from contacting the protruding edge of the outer sill panel which may be covered with soils. Likewise, when loading and unloading cargo items into the trunk compartment or rear hatch area, a person's legs and midsection often brush against the dirty rear bumper.
To help reduce the collection of soils along the exterior of the automobile, the prior art has long taught the use of fender attached mud guards to block and deflect discharge from the front tires. While this treatment is somewhat effective, it will not completely prevent the collection of soils along the protruding edge of the outer sill panels. Hence, it is inevitable that a person's clothing will become soiled as a result of contact with the dirty automobile exterior. Furthermore, mud guards are considered unattractive by many people and can spoil the aesthetic appearance of the automobile exterior.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGES
The subject invention is directed toward an automobile and clothing protector assembly combination comprising an automobile having an exterior body surface susceptible to the collection of soils and an opening formed in the exterior body surface. The opening includes a sill. A panel is supported on the automobile for movement between an open position allowing human body movement through the opening and a closed position generally covering the opening. The improvement of the subject invention comprises a clothing protector assembly supported adjacent the sill and having a guard moveable between an extended position protruding outwardly from the opening when the panel is in the open position to hold clothing away from the exterior body surface during human body movement through the opening and a retracted position when the panel is in the closed position.
The subject invention also contemplates a clothing protector assembly for an automobile of the type having a panel moveably mounted in an opening with an underlying sill. The clothing protector assembly comprises a base for attaching to the automobile adjacent the sill, and a guard moveably supported on the base between an extended position for protruding outwardly from the opening to hold clothing away from the exterior body surface of the automobile during human body movement through the opening and a retracted position.
The subject invention also contemplates a method for protecting clothing from the dirty exterior surface of an automobile comprising the steps of: providing an automobile having an exterior body surface susceptible to the collection of soils and an opening formed in the exterior body surface, the opening including an underlying sill; supporting a panel on the automobile for movement between an open position allowing human body movement through the opening and a closed position generally covering the opening; and extending a guard outwardly from the opening when the panel is in its open position to hold clothing away from the exterior body surface during human body movement through the opening and retracting the guard to a protected position when the panel is in its closed position.
The moveable guard overcomes the problems inherent in all automobiles wherein the soils collected about the exterior surfaces of the automobile naturally transfer onto a person's shoes or clothes while entering and exiting the passenger compartment of the automobile, or loading and unloading cargo from the trunk or hatch area. The subject moveable guard prevents, or at least substantially reduces the likelihood of, soil transfer from the automobile exterior onto the person's clothing.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2240181 (1941-04-01), Fairbank
patent: 5129678 (1992-07-01), Gurbacki
patent: 5193869 (1993-03-01), Land
Price Gregory E.
Shackelford Jon E.
Tasch Joseph W.
Beacon Development Corp.
Pike Andrew C.
Reising Ethington, Barnes, Kisselle, Learman & McCulloch, P.C.
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