Protective cover for the body of an automobile

Abstract

The invention relates to means for protecting an automobile from exposure to precipitation and other environmental factors. The technical result, which consists in providing greater protective capacity when using a cover, is achieved in that the claimed protective cover for the body of an automobile comprises sections configured in the form of a multi-layered structure, a lower layer and an upper layer of said sections are made of a flexible material, and the sections as a whole are designed to be capable of covering the part of a vehicle that requires protection, wherein each section is designed to be positionable lengthwise along a vehicle, the sections are connected to one another by their long sides, and between the upper and lower layers of a section there is a concertina-type resilient frame made of a polymeric material.

Description

[0001] PROTECTIVE COATING FOR VEHICLE BODY

[0002] DESCRIPTION

[0003] The invention relates to means for protecting a vehicle from the effects of precipitation and other environmental factors [B6OJ 11 / 04, B60J11 / 02, B60D1 / 08].

[0004] Numerous types and models of protective vehicle covers are widely known in the art and are available on the market [RU2141643, 2014-06-10[1]]. These covers, in most cases, are designed solely to protect the vehicle from dust and / or sunlight and are composed of fabric of varying compositions and, in some cases, include fastening elements, typically elastic rubber strips sewn along the perimeter edges. Such covers do not provide protection against damage to the bodywork caused by precipitation or falling foreign objects.

[0005] Also known are protective devices, including those made in the form of covers [[RU2048994, 1992-04-14[2]; RU123436, 1998-01-29[3]; RU2215105, 2002-02-19 [4]; RU41479, 2004-10-27[5]], each of which contains a fabric or polymer sheet or shell consisting of a central and / or side sections, a means for providing a gap between the inner surface of the sheet or shell and the body of the vehicle, made in the form of a frame or other structure. A disadvantage of such well-known protective devices and covers is their inability to quickly deploy in emergency situations, such as during a hailstorm, and the need for additional equipment to secure the cover to the vehicle body in its working position, which is attached to the roof and other parts of the vehicle, thus increasing its overall dimensions and windage.

[0006] A protective cover for a car is known [RU2243907 2003-08-04[6]], containing a shell consisting of a central and side panels and a device for forming an arch and voids above the surface of the vehicle.

[0007] A disadvantage of this protective cover is the lack of a frame in the design, which leads to sagging of the central panel during snow or hail, touching the roof of the car, as a result of which reliable protection of the paintwork of the car body during precipitation is not provided. Another well-known solution is a protective screen for a car [RU62168 2016-05-27 [7]], which is a structurally rigid screen, mounted with supports on the roof of the car and covering the roof, front and rear windows, having an aerodynamic streamlined profile with a rounded leading edge and smoothly tapering in cross-section towards the rear section. The protective screen can be made of sheet metal, plastic or composite materials, can have stiffening ribs or contain a power set consisting of longitudinal and transverse elements.

[0008] A disadvantage of this protective screen is the need for additional equipment with strict requirements for securing the screen to the vehicle body during operation to ensure a secure, immobile position above the roof and other vehicle components. Another drawback is the screen's high wind resistance, which increases the risk of tearing or deformation in the event of a hurricane-force wind gust, which often occurs during a threat.

[0009] There are a number of known variants of pneumatic protective frames (RU69807 2007-10-01[8]; RU2483182 2011-10-31[9]; RU636627 2017-11-10

[0010] ), containing, to varying degrees, parallel or crosswise arranged arches and connecting elements and one or more inflatable chambers with a flexible shell, the cavities of which communicate with each other. Such frames are filled with gas or air under pressure when in use, and the gas and air are removed when they are folded.

[0010] The primary and significant drawback of such pneumatic frameworks is that their construction requires an additional means of supplying compressed gas or air into the cavities of the inflatable elements. Another drawback of known devices is the vulnerability of the inflatable chambers to accidental damage, which can prove critical in the event of a sudden threat of precipitation.

[0011] A pneumatic-framed coating [EP35O1866, 2020-04-15

[0011] ] is related to the protective coatings of the previous group and is the closest to the proposed technical solution. This coating protects the vehicle from damage caused by hail, as well as dust, sun, heat, and cold, and has a multilayer structure equipped with elements for attaching the coating to the vehicle. This multilayer structure is designed as one or more inflatable sections (chambers) formed by two layers—an inner (lower) and an outer (upper) layer made of flexible, air-impermeable material. Together, these layers have an area sufficient to cover the part of the vehicle requiring protection, forming an elastic cushion several centimeters thick in the operating position.

[0012] The main and significant drawback of this well-known covering, like other pneumatic frames, is the need for additional equipment to supply compressed gas to the inflatable chamber and a number of additional steps to activate the covering. While forming a soft cushion in its operating position, this covering cannot withstand falling stones and large hail, which can crush it and damage the vehicle body. Another significant drawback is that the pneumatic frame is made of an airtight material and can contribute to icing of the vehicle body. Another drawback is that this covering does not meet the requirements for quick and secure attachment to the vehicle, as it requires numerous fasteners in the form of elastic straps with hooks on the inner and outer layers of the covering.

[0013] The technical result of the invention consists in providing greater protective capacity when using the coating.

[0014] The claimed technical result is achieved due to the fact that the protective coating of the body of a motor vehicle contains sections made in the form of a multilayer structure, the lower and upper layers of the sections are made of a flexible material, the set of sections are designed with the ability to cover the part of the vehicle that needs protection, wherein each section is made of a rectangular shape with the ability to be placed along the length of the vehicle, the sections are connected to each other by their long sides, between the upper and lower layers of the section there is an elastic frame in the form of an accordion made of a polymeric material, the ribs of the accordion are oriented along the short side of the section and have an adhesive connection with the lower and upper layers to form a corrugated structure, while in the working state of the protective coating, the sections of the fabric material of the lower and upper layers enclosed between adjacent ribs of the accordion are straightened, the distance between said ribs is not more than the height of the compressed accordion,and in the storage condition, the said sections of the fabric material are folded and placed between adjacent planes of the compressed accordion, the ends of the section are provided with slats with the possibility of attaching to them the outer corrugations of the structure formed by the accordion with the material of the upper and lower layers glued to its ribs, as well as elements for fixing to the body of the vehicle.

[0015] In particular, the slats are made of plastic.

[0016] In particular, the slats are made of wood.

[0017] Brief description of the drawings

[0018] Fig. 1 shows a general view of the proposed protective coating in working condition, attached to the body of a vehicle, side view (Fig. 1a) and top view (Fig. 16).

[0019] Fig. 2 shows a photo of the main element of the coating - a polymer frame in the form of an accordion.

[0020] Fig. 3 schematically shows a cross-section of a section of the protective coating in the straightened (working) state.

[0021] Fig. 4 shows a fragment of a section of the proposed protective coating in a state corresponding to the transition from the working state to the storage state.

[0022] Fig. 5 shows a fragment of two contacting sections of a protective coating, one of which is made with a visor formed by the material of the top layer to ensure protection of the vehicle in the event of a possible gap between this section and the one adjacent to it.

[0023] Fig. 6 shows the formation of the side wall of the section by overlapping, hanging edges of the upper and lower layers protruding beyond the accordion.

[0024] Fig. 7 illustrates the use of U-shaped clamps to secure the edges of several sections of corrugations closest to the end in an unstraightened state.

[0025] The following are indicated on the figures: 1 - lower layer, 2 - upper layer, 3 - accordion, 4 - ribs, 5 - adhesive joints, 6 - adjacent planes of the accordion, 7 - slats, 8 - fastening element, 9 - body, 10 - visor, 11 - visor edge, 12 - clamp, 13 - U-shaped body, 14 - clamp handles. 15 - clamp axes.

[0026] In the case shown in Fig. 1, the proposed protective coating has two sections—1 and II. Each section is formed by a lower 1 and upper 2 layers of flexible material, has an elongated rectangular shape, and in the operating state shown in the drawing is located along the length of the vehicle. In each section, between the indicated lower 1 and upper 2 layers, an elastic frame is placed, made in the form of an accordion 3 made of polymer material (Figs. 2, 3). An example of such a material is polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which has high mechanical strength and impact resistance, resistance to abrasion and repeated deformation under tension and bending, maintaining its high impact-resistant and strength characteristics in the operating temperature range from -40°C to +60°C (see: Polyethylene terephthalate (PET). History of creation. Scope of application. URL: https: / / www.pettara.ru / blog / pet-history /

[0012] ).The ribs 4 of the accordion are oriented along the short side of the section and are adhesively bonded to the lower 1 and upper 2 layers. The adhesive bonding locations are shown in Fig. 3 by positions 5. In the working state of the protective coating shown in the drawings Figs. 1-3, the sections of the fabric material of layers 1 and 2 enclosed between adjacent ribs 4 of the accordion are straightened out (Fig. 3). In the storage state, they are folded and placed between adjacent planes 6 of the compressed accordion. In Fig. 4, they are shown in an intermediate state during the process of folding the section to transfer it from the working state to the storage state.

[0027] The ends of the sections are provided with plastic or wooden slats 7 (Fig. 16), intended for fastening to them the outer corrugations of the structure formed by an accordion with the material of the upper 1 and lower 2 layers glued to its ribs, as well as the fastening elements 8 to the vehicle body 9. The upper layer 2 of each section has a water-repellent and reflective coating.

[0028] In the described case, when the protective coating has two sections, in one of them (I) the upper layer 2 has a width that is several centimeters greater than the width of the accordion 3, and its material protrudes beyond the accordion towards the adjacent section, forming a visor 10 hanging over its edge (Fig. 5). In Fig. 16, the visor also corresponds to the position 10, and its edge, which is the edge of the upper layer 2 of section I, is designated by the position 11 in Fig. 5 and Fig. 16. The dashed line, parallel to the edge 11 in Fig. 16, corresponds to the position of the ends of the upper ridges 4 (see Fig. 2) of the accordion 3, spaced from the edge 11 by the width of the visor 10.

[0029] Another possible design feature of the proposed protective coating is one in which the material of both layers of any section on the side not in contact with the other section protrudes beyond the accordion so much that the protruding edges, when bent toward each other, can be glued together in an overlapping manner. This situation is illustrated in Fig. 6. As already noted, this creates a structure that is closed on all sides.

[0030] Depending on the length of the vehicle being protected and to provide the required rigidity to the structure, the working length of the device can be adjusted by passivating (disabling) part of the frame section using U-shaped clamps. Their use is shown schematically in the left part of Fig. 7. Clamp 12 comprises a U-shaped housing 13 made of spring material and two handles 14. Housing 13 has left and right walls and an upper part connecting them. Handles 14 are mounted so as to be able to rotate about axes 15 located in the lower part of the left and right walls. Due to the aforementioned spring properties of the housing material, its walls are pressed against each other in a free state. When pressing the handles, as shown in Fig. 7, the housing walls move apart. In terms of the described design and properties, this clamp belongs to the widely used "binder" type clamps, which have remained virtually unchanged since their invention (see US Patent No. 1,189,627, published May 18, 2008).1915

[0013] and the right part of Fig. 7).

[0031] In the proposed protective covering, clamps 12 are mounted so that they encircle rail 7 (see Fig. 16), to which the end edges of the upper 2 and lower 1 layers and the edge of the accordion 6 are secured, along with several of the covering's corrugations closest to its end edge. The portion of the corrugations encircled by clamp 12 does not straighten out when the section is unfolded to convert it from storage to use. Handles 14 can be easily removed if necessary.

[0032] The case under consideration, illustrated in Fig. 1a, Fig. 16, when the protective coating contains two identical sections deployed side by side on the vehicle body,

[0033] The protective coating according to the proposed invention is manufactured in several stages.

[0034] The first stage involves forming an elastic corrugated structure – an accordion. This can be based on an adapted (mainly through temperature control) technology for producing corrugated paper automobile filters, for example, using NG model machines (see: NG model machine. URL: http: / / www.grand-i nd ustry. ru / avtofi ltri /

[0014] ) based on a knife corrugating machine with a working belt width of up to 1200 mm and a pleat depth of 5 to 100 mm.

[0035] In production, a sheet (roll) of PET sheet is used with the above parameters and a length of 9000 - 15000 mm, which corresponds to the range of selected values ​​​​of the height of the structure and the above-mentioned criteria for sufficient rigidity of the coating structure.

[0036] The next stage of the process involves applying glue to the upper ridges of the corrugations of the frame, which is in a compressed (non-working) state, fixing it with the help of a prepared template in a stretched (working) state and connecting (gluing) the upper fabric layer (upper layer 2 in the manufactured covering) by pressing it to the frame at the places where the glue was applied, drying, turning the frame over and repeating similar operations for the underside of the frame and the lower fabric layer (lower layer 1 in the manufactured covering).

[0037] Then the remaining protruding parts of the fabric of the upper and lower layers are folded and glued along the entire perimeter with an overlap, forming a structure that is completely closed on all sides.

[0038] It should be noted that adhesive selection is one of the key challenges in coating production. Its consistency must be balanced in viscosity to ensure reliable adhesion of the polymer and fabric surfaces, without leaking between the corrugations or bonding the ridges (peaks) of adjacent corrugations in the bending area. Commercially available, high-strength, toluene-free Moment adhesive meets these requirements (see: Moment 88 Universal Adhesive. URL: https: / / vertical.ru / product / kleyuniversalnyymoment-88-osoboprochnyy-30-ml /

[0015] ).

[0039] The final step involves pleating the fabric layers, which then take on the shape of corrugations consisting of a series of folds (pleats) with sides of equal width, pressed on edge and hidden between adjacent corrugations of the frame, so that their overall appearance resembles an accordion. This pleating also occurs on the overlapping edges of the material of layers 1 and 2.

[0040] 2, protruding beyond the accordion and bent toward each other (Fig. 6). Moreover, the synthetic origin of the fabric used, due to the modification of the molecular structure in the deformation zone, contributes to the stable formation of the "memory" of this shape.

[0041] At the stage of closing the accordion with the fabric of the upper 2 and lower 1 layers, the end edges of these layers and the accordion are attached to the polymer or wooden slats 7

[0042] 3. The vehicle's protective covering fastening elements are subsequently attached to the rails 7 using any available method, such as gluing. Obviously, the protective covering and its components can have various sizes to suit various vehicle types, including large and small vehicles, minivans, crossovers, SUVs, all-terrain vehicles, as well as motorhomes, trailers, motorcycles, trucks, vans, and buses. For example, the protective covering for the most common type of passenger vehicle consists of two identical sections, deployed side by side over the vehicle body. When in use, due to their elastic properties, they form a continuous covering (approximately 6000 x 1900 x 30 mm) across the entire vehicle body, with no gap between the sections. As already noted, an option with a visor on one of the sections, covering the joint between the two sections, is also possible.The protective coating made according to the proposed invention is used as follows.

[0043] If precipitation threatens or is otherwise necessary, the compactly folded protective covering is removed from the vehicle trunk and unfolded onto the vehicle body 9 so that both sections I and II of the device, initially folded in the trunk, are positioned side by side on the vehicle body. They are secured to the vehicle body using fastening elements 8 in convenient locations on or near the front and rear bumpers.

[0044] Example of implementation.

[0045] The protective covering, the design of which is presented above, is lightweight thanks to its elastic frame, which, when in use, has the described "geometry." It is rigid and can withstand the fall of large and heavy objects (note that the compressed height of the accordion, mentioned in the condition regarding the aforementioned "geometry," is nothing more than the dimension of the accordion plane from the bottom edge to the top edge). The covering is easy to unfold and fold. As can be seen, it does not require inflation with air or gas under increased pressure, nor does it require the necessary equipment. All fastening elements to the vehicle body are concentrated in two places – at the ends of the section.Due to the presence of a non-hermetic air cavity created by the frame between the upper and lower layers of the section, the proposed protective covering, unlike its closest known counterpart, possesses good ventilation properties and can be successfully used as an effective and convenient covering material, ensuring rapid snow removal from the vehicle and preventing icing in freezing weather, and in summer, protecting from the sun, rain, and hail, while maintaining a comfortable interior temperature. Widely available polymer and fabric materials can be used for the accordion and upper and lower layers. These materials offer sufficient strength with thicknesses of 50-110 µm and 200-500 µm, respectively, and possess the required properties (respectively, allowing for thermal molding during corrugation and maintaining shape after repeated folding and unfolding).If the protective coating consists of multiple sections, the top layer in one section of each pair of adjacent sections may be several centimeters wider than the width of the accordion, and its material extends beyond the accordion toward the adjacent section, forming a canopy overhanging its edge. This eliminates the potential impact of a gap in the joint area between adjacent sections on the protective properties of the coating.

[0046] In another specific case, on the side of each section that does not contact the other section, the top and bottom layers are made with edges extending beyond the accordion, folded toward each other with an overlap, and glued together. This design results in a structure that is closed on all sides.

[0047] In a specific case, the proposed protective coating can also be designed to reduce the section's operational length to suit the dimensions of a specific vehicle by preventing a number of corrugations in the structure, formed by an accordion with upper and lower layers glued to its ribs, from unfolding. These corrugations are adjacent to one of the aforementioned plastic or wooden slats located at the section's ends. For this purpose, the protective coating is equipped with removable U-shaped clamps designed to secure the edges of several corrugations closest to the section's end to prevent them from unfolding when the section is unfolded.

[0048] The above-described features of the proposed protective coating in particular cases may be inherent to it both individually and in various combinations.

[0049] Following the process described above, a prototype protective cover for a standard sedan was manufactured, consisting of two sections. When folded, the protective cover measures 170 x 950 x 70 mm and fits easily in the trunk. When deployed, it measures 6000 x 1900 x 30 mm and completely covers the entire car body.

[0050] The two accordion-shaped frames included in this coating sample were made from two 12-meter sheets of PET film, 950 mm wide and 300 µm thick, at a temperature of 80-905C on a corrugating machine for the production of HEPA filters by Alterra LLC (see: Operation of a corrugating machine for the production of HEPA filters. URL: https: / / youtu.be / c_3QEDs_lvs

[0016] ).

[0051] To form the top and bottom layers, two pieces of water-repellent and reflective 190T Polyester blackout fabric with a silver coating (made in China) measuring 6060 x 1100 mm and 90 µm thick were used. They were bonded to the frame using high-strength, toluene-free Moment adhesive. A screw press with sufficient force was used to pleat the fabric layers. Plastic slats measuring 950 x 35 x 3 mm were glued to the ends of both frames to secure the sample fixing elements to the vehicle body, ensuring sufficient rigidity and strength at the frame ends. Then, before covering the sections with fabric on the sides, magnetic strips with an adhesive layer, 25.4 mm wide, purchased commercially (see: Magnetic tapes with an adhesive layer. URL: https: / / magnitnayalenta.ru /

[0017] ) were glued to the plastic strips indicated above along their entire length.

[0052] The prototype was attached to a car body by "magnetizing" its edges near the front and rear bumpers to the metal surface. 100 kg of ice cubes of varying sizes were prepared and tested, demonstrating successful protection of the car body from large ice chunks weighing 150-200 grams falling from the height of a five-story building. The coating also demonstrated reliable protection against icing in winter and solar radiation in summer, while maintaining a comfortable interior temperature.

Claims

FORMULA 1. A protective coating for the body of a motor vehicle, comprising sections made in the form of a multilayer structure, the lower and upper layers of the sections are made of a flexible material, the set of sections are designed to cover the part of the vehicle that requires protection, wherein each section is made of a rectangular shape with the possibility of placement along the length of the vehicle, the sections are connected to each other by their long sides, between the upper and lower layers of the section there is an elastic frame in the form of an accordion made of a polymeric material, the ribs of the accordion are oriented along the short side of the section and have an adhesive connection with the lower and upper layers to form a corrugated structure, wherein in the working state of the protective coating, the sections of the fabric material of the lower and upper layers enclosed between adjacent ribs of the accordion are straightened, the distance between said ribs is not more than the height of the compressed accordion,and in the storage condition, the said sections of the fabric material are folded and placed between adjacent planes of the compressed accordion, the ends of the section are provided with slats with the possibility of attaching to them the outer corrugations of the structure formed by the accordion with the material of the upper and lower layers glued to its ribs, as well as elements for fixing to the body of the vehicle.

2. A protective coating according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the slats are made of plastic.

3. A protective coating according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the slats are made of wood.

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