SUN-CURTAIN FOR CAR WINDOW

Description TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention refers to a sun-curtain for a car window.

BACKGROUND ART

The general public often employs various means in order to shade the interior of their vehicle, and particularly to protect those seated in the vehicle from being directly affected by the sun's rays. The known and common means currently used include inserting a cloth diaper or some other piece of fabric at the top of the window (to shade infants and children), coating the vehicle's windows with a dark coating, using a shade screen that is attached to the vehicle's windowpane by means of rubber suction cups, and so on. The above- mentioned solutions suffer from several disadvantages. For instance, there are many disadvantages to coating a vehicle's window, including the fact that the coating is permanent, some find it unaesthetic, and in several countries such coatings are illegal.

Using a shade screen that is attached to the windowpane by means of rubber suction cups has disadvantages, including the fact that the suction cups are not especially effective, they dirty the windowpane, the shade screen must be removed whenever the window is opened or closed, and in many cases, users forget to remove the shade when opening the window, causing the edges of the screen to get caught between the door of the vehicle and the windowpane. The present invention offers an appropriate, efficient and inexpensive solution to this problem.

THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to a cover designed to protect against the penetration of sun rays through the window of a vehicle. The window cover can be one of a wide variety of possibilities, including a curtain-type cover. For the sake of convenience and fluency of the explanation, the variety of possible covers will hereinafter be referred to as "the curtain". The curtain, subject of the invention, is designed to prevent direct radiation of sun rays from penetrating through all kinds of windows (front, rear, side front, and side rear) on all kinds of vehicles, including private cars, commercial vehicles, buses, trains, airplanes, ships, and so on.

For the sake of convenience and fluency of the explanation, the variety of possible vehicles will hereinafter be referred to as "the car" and/or "the vehicle". In addition, for the sake of convenience and fluency of the explanation, all possible windows will hereinafter be referred to as "the window". The specific implementation of the present invention will be explained in the application, referring, as an example only, to a curtain designed for the side rear window of a car. The curtain is intended for the rear door window of a car and is designed to protect those sitting in the back seat of the vehicle, particularly infants and children. Nevertheless, the present invention and the protection requested in the present application refer to any curtain designed for any vehicle, regardless of the particular window it is intended to cover.

The present invention refers to a curtain (1) that is designed to protect against the penetration of sun rays through the window (2) of the vehicle. The curtain is equipped with a mounting device (3), such as a mounting device based on

Velcro tape, that is designed to attach directly to the upholstery of the vehicle's ceiling (4) or to the upholstery on the side above the vehicle's window (for the sake of fluency, the ceiling and the side will both be referred to as "the ceiling"). The mounting device (3) may be of any kind, including adhesives, clips, and so on.

The first embodiment of the invention depicted in the drawings attached to the application refers to a curtain (1) that is equipped with mounting devices made of Velcro tape that are designed to be attached to the upholstery of the vehicle's ceiling (4).

The curtain (1) may be made of any material and in any shape. Nevertheless, it is desirable that the curtain be made of a fabric or other material that is commonly used in the manufacturing of curtains. It is also desirable that the curtain be shaped so that it covers the entire windowpane of the vehicle, so as to shade those sitting inside the vehicle.

The mounting device (3) may be of any possible kind, although it is recommended and preferable that the mounting device (3) be made of Velcro tape _, and in fact this is one of the innovative aspects of the present invention. The Velcro tape (3) should be permanently attached to the top, out-facing part of the curtain. The part of the Velcro tape (3) used as a mounting device in the present invention is its hook (male) side. The hook side of the Velcro tape attaches easily and efficiently to the standard upholstering of the vehicle's ceiling. The Velcro tape (3), which is attached to the curtain as described, can be a relatively narrow strip (e.g. 1 cm.) that runs the entire width of the window, such that the Velcro strip (3) extends the entire width of the curtain (1), as depicted for instance in Drawing No. 1. Nevertheless, it is also possible that small strips of Velcro be attached to the curtain in several places rather than across its entire width, as depicted for instance in Drawing No. 2. In addition, the Velcro strips can vary in size and dimensions. Drawing No. 4 depicts the way in which the curtain (1) is attached to the ceiling (4) of the vehicle.

The curtain (1) can also be equipped with another mounting device (5), also a piece of Velcro tape, that enables the user to roll the curtain up when it is not in use. The additional mounting device (5) can be a strip of fabric or a piece of string equipped with a piece of Velcro tape (hereinafter referred to as "the roll- up Velcro"). The curtain can be equipped with one or more roll-up Velcros (5); the systems depicted in the drawings have two such roll-up Velcros (5). It is desirable that the roll-up Velcro (5) be permanently attached to the in-facing part of the curtain (1) and preferable to the bottom part of the curtain, so as to enable the user to roll the curtain up and attach the roll-up Velcro to, the ceiling of the vehicle in such a way that the curtain is maintained in its rolled up position, as depicted for instance in Drawing No. 5.

The curtain (1) may also be opened or rolled up in other ways, such as to the sides, or by pulling a string that pulls the curtain upwards.

When the curtain (1) is attached to the vehicle's ceiling, it extends downward by force of its own weight and hangs vertically so that it covers the entire window or part of it.

Use of the curtain (I) ₅ subject of the invention, entails many advantages, including: (a) The curtain is relatively inexpensive; (b) the curtain can be designed in infant- and child-friendly colors and patterns, or it can display marketing and advertising contents; (c) the curtain can be attached to, the vehicle's ceiling in an easy, simple and effective manner; (d) the curtain does not prevent opening and closing of the windowpane when the curtain is in use; (e) the curtain can be rolled up in an easy and simple manner, without having to lay it out on the seat or any other place (as is frequently the case with other shades); (f) the curtain can be washed like any other piece of fabric clothing; (g) the curtain prevents the noise caused at high speeds by the flapping of loose fabric that is inserted over the top of the window; and (h) by using an additional curtain unit and attaching it to the middle of the vehicle's ceiling, an intimate enclosure can be created for nursing a baby.

The present invention also refers to hanging devices (6) that are attached to the vehicle's ceiling and are used to hang accessories from the vehicle's ceiling. A hanging device (6) can be shaped, for instance, like a loop that is attached to the ceiling of the vehicle using Velcro tape. Various objects, such as toys, pacifiers, and so on, can be hung from the loop (6).

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings attached to the application are not intended to limit the scope of the invention and the possible ways of its application. The drawings are intended only to illustrate the invention and constitute only one of many possible ways of its application.

Drawing No. 1 Depicts the curtain (1) including a Velcro strip (3) that is attached to the top of the curtain, across its entire width.

Drawing No. 2 Depicts the curtain (1) including several Velcro strips (3) that are attached at several places across the top of the curtain.

Drawing No. 3 Depicts the (rear) window (2) of a standard vehicle, including part of the ceiling directly above the window, which is usually covered with a fibrous insulation material.

Drawing No. 4 Depicts a window (2) of a vehicle that is covered' by a curtain (1) with two roll-up Velcros (5).

Drawing No. 5 Depicts the situation depicted in Drawing No. 4 but with the curtain in rolled-up position.

Drawing No. 6 Depicts a hanging device (6) that is shaped like a loop.