Reversible cover

Abstract

A reversible soft cover has two sides with patterns thereon. The cover comprises at least one corner assembly capable of reproducing the corner in either of two inversely related configurations. The corner assemblies comprise panels, holes and flat-radius pleats. The flat-radius pleats allow for the two-dimensional cover to assume either of two three-dimensional configurations, and to reproduce the corners in either three-dimensional configuration. Anti-peel snaps prevent the corners from peeling away during use.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/239,932, filed on Oct. 13, 2000, which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to the field of reversible covers. In particular, the present invention relates to reversible soft covers having corners that are reproduced either of two three-dimensional configurations.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Soft covers have been used to provide protection for a large number of items in a wide variety of environments. Soft covers are useful for covering vehicles or parts of vehicles, such as open beds on trucks and trailers, vehicle cabs, etc. Soft covers can also be used to form tents and other portable structures. For instance, a soft cover may be applied over a tent frame or over an already erected tent. A soft cover may be used as part of a hunting blind.

[0004] Open-bed trucks, trailers and similar open-bed vehicles have been used for numerous purposes, including the transport of personnel and cargo, and other military functions. Flat bed trucks and trailers are also used for carrying various types of cargo, including timber, lumber, machines, and in military applications, field pieces, portable radar units, generators, etc. Tents and other temporary or portable structures are known that include internal or external frame structures. Various vehicles, machines, and other items are often located out of doors for periods of time when they are not in use.

[0005] Various tops and covers have been provided to protect cargo and other items located out of doors. Typically open-bed vehicles have a frame structure over the open bed, on which a soft cover may be attached to protect the personnel or cargo within the bed from exposure to direct sunlight, precipitation and wind. The cargo on a flatbed truck may be covered with a tarpaulin or similar soft cover. Tents and other temporary structures, such as hunting blinds, may comprise a cover applied over a frame. Vehicles, wood piles, and other items may be covered by a soft fabric cover while outside to protect them from the elements.

[0006] Soft covers are typically made of pieces of fabric, such as a weatherproof fabric. Fabric covers offer the advantages of lightweight construction and ease of storage, removal and replacement. Soft covers may also be camouflaged for military or sporting purposes. Camouflage patterns may be chosen for specific operating environments. For instance, a military unit operating in a sandy environment may choose a flat tan, or an earth tone camouflage pattern. A hunter operating in a woodland area may choose a green on green camouflage pattern.

[0007] One advantage to soft covers is that the user may obtain additional flexibility of use by stocking multiple covers having different camouflage designs, which may be quickly changed as operating environments change. For instance, a military truck may be quickly readied to operate in a different environment by painting the metal parts with a suitable camouflage pattern and switching the soft cover to one having a pattern that matches the new paint job. A hunter may change the cover on a hunting blind from a woodland green to a broken tan and brown pattern for hunting in mown hayfields.

[0008] Despite the relative convenience of soft covers, their full potential has yet to be realized. For instance, in order for a user to obtain the full flexibility offered by soft covers, the user must have available multiple soft covers having different patterns. Those covers not in use must be stored, and for maximum flexibility, carried with the user. Where the user is a military unit, stocking multiple covers, and distributing those covers to and within a unit before deployment, presents not only storage problems, but also distribution problems. In some cases, the need to store and distribute different soft covers can degrade the improved efficiency provided by soft covers for operating in various environments.

[0009] One problem presented by reversible covers relates to the corner structures. In general, known soft covers cannot reproduce the corner structures properly in both configurations. Thus, the shape performance of the corners of the know reversible covers are different between the two three-dimensional configurations, and the performance of the cover may be compromised in one of them.

[0010] Reversible soft covers have been developed to further exploit the potential efficiencies engendered by soft covers. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 6,010,176 to Jones teaches a reversible cover assembly comprising a number of separate panels that may be reversed to reveal two distinct designs. However, the Jones cover remains difficult to manufacture, as it requires separate manufacture and printing of camouflage patterns on multiple cover panels. Because the parts are separately manufactured, it is difficult to match the patterns between panels, and it is likewise difficult to match the patterns with the vehicle's body camouflage. The Jones cover is also difficult to reverse, requiring complex buckle and strap arrangements to be permanently attached to both sides of the cover for attaching the cover to the frame.

[0011] There is a need for a reversible soft cover that is capable of being manufactured as a single, integral sheet, but that can conform to two different three-dimensional configurations, wherein the corners are faithfully reproduced in both configurations.

[0012] There is also a need for a reversible soft cover that may be manufactured from a single sheet of fabric having different patterns printed on its opposite sides.

[0013] There also remains a need for a reversible soft cover that is easy to install and reverse.

[0014] There is also a need for a corner assembly that may be used in a reversible cover that may be reproduced in either of two inverse three-dimensional configurations.

[0015] There is also a need for a fastening device for holding corner assemblies so they don't peel apart during use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The foregoing and other needs are met by the present invention, which provides a reversible soft cover, e.g. for a truck or other vehicle, the cover comprising a flexible sheet having a first side and a second side, the first side having a first pattern thereon, the second side having a second pattern thereon, the first and second patterns being the same or different, and the fabric sheet being adapted to be folded into two different three-dimensional configurations.

[0017] The foregoing and other needs are further met by embodiments according to the present invention that provide a corner assembly for a soft cover, the corner assembly comprising a plurality of panels and at least one flat-radius pleat, the panels having holes therein, and the holes and pleats being arranged so the corner assembly may be folded into either of two, inversely related three-dimensional configurations.

[0018] The foregoing and other needs are further met by embodiments according to the present invention, which provide an anti-peel snap for holding together plural layers of flexible material, the snap comprising a first disc having one or more posts protruding therefrom, a second disc for receiving said one or more posts and fasteners for holding the two discs together.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The present invention can be further understood with reference to the attached drawings, which depict an exemplary embodiment according to the present invention. One having skill in the art will recognize that the drawings depict but one embodiment of the invention, and other embodiments are included within the scope of the present invention. Similar numbers are used throughout the description and drawings to refer to the same elements.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a top plan view of one side of an embodiment of the cover according to the present invention.

[0021] FIGS. 2A-2C are expanded views of a first corner assembly of a cover according to the present invention.

[0022] FIGS. 3A-3C are expanded views of a second corner assembly of a cover according to the present invention.

[0023] FIG. 4 is a side plan view of a cover according to the present invention in a folded, three-dimensional configuration.

[0024] FIG. 5 is a plan view of a rear panel of a cover according to the present invention in a folded, three-dimensional configuration.

[0025] FIG. 6 is a plan view of a front panel of a cover according to the present invention in a folded, three-dimensional configuration.

[0026] FIGS. 7A-7E are various views of a snap assembly for securing corners of a folded cover according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] The present invention provides a reversible cover that has corner assemblies that are able to reproduce corners in either of two inversely related three-dimensional configurations. A cover according to the present invention is useful for such applications as covering an open cargo bed on a truck or trailer, a truck cab, a tent or other portable structure, an automobile, machinery, etc. A cover according to the present invention comprises a first side and a second side, and is adapted to form at least one reversible corner, preferably at least two corners, wherein the corner comprises at least one flat-radius pleat. The flat radius pleat allows the corner to be reproduced in either three-dimensional configuration.

[0028] Advantageously, the cover may be manufactured from a single, two-dimensional sheet of a flexible material, such as a fabric. In other embodiments, however, the cover may be manufactured from several conjoined pieces of a flexible material, such as fabric, coated fabric, or polymer. The cover 1 according to the present invention may be reinforced by an art recognized reinforcement method.

[0029] An embodiment of a cover according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings. A person having skill in the art will recognize that the embodiment set forth in the drawings is for illustration purposes only, and there is no intention to limit the claims to the embodiment depicted in the drawings.

[0030] In FIG. 1, a top plan view of one embodiment of a cover 1 according to the present invention is depicted as it would appear when laid out flat on a substantially planar surface prior to folding it into a three-dimensional structure suitable for covering a vehicle, a portion of a vehicle, a frame, or other item to be covered. This is referred to as a two-dimensional configuration of the cover 1. The cover 1 may be cut from a single piece of flexible material, such as fabric, coated fabric, or polymer sheet. In some embodiments according to the present invention, seams and other parts of the cover 1 may be reinforced by an art-recognized reinforcement method. It is also possible for the cover 1 to be manufactured from separate pieces of flexible material.

[0031] The cover 1 may be died, tinted, coated or otherwise treated with one or more pigments or coatings to create a design or solid color on one or both sides. In particular embodiments of the invention, the cover 1 has a first pattern on a first side, and a second, different pattern on a second side. The term “pattern” can include a solid color or a plurality of colors, such as are typical of a camouflage pattern. In some embodiments, the first side bears a tan camouflage pattern, while the second side bears a green camouflage pattern. In other embodiments, one or both sides may be a solid color, such as tan or green, while the other side is a camouflage pattern, such as brown, tan or green camouflage. Such embodiments can be useful especially in military and sporting applications. For embodiments intended for use in sporting environments, one side may be a mixed fluorescent camouflage, such as a fluorescent orange-brown camouflage pattern. In some embodiments, such as those for use in camping and hiking enclosures such as tents, the first side may be a bright color, such as red, yellow or fluorescent orange, while the second side may be a different, more attenuated color, such as brown, tan or black. In some embodiments, such as where the cover will be used as a vehicle cover, the first side may be emblazoned with a logo, such as a team logo, a school logo, or a corporate logo, while the second side is either a single plain color or a second pattern, such as a different logo. One skilled in the art will recognize that the principle of reversibility can be used in numerous contexts, and will be able to mix and match solid and non-solid patterns as necessary for the particular application.

[0032] The cover 1 can be envisioned as comprising different sections as depicted in FIG. 1. The cover 1 includes a main panel 2, a rear curtain panel 3, a front curtain panel 5, rear panel flaps 4, front curtain flaps 6, side panels 7, rear corner assemblies 10 and front corner assemblies 20. While the cover 1 is depicted with both rear corner assemblies 10 and front corner assemblies 20, some embodiments of the cover according to the present invention will possess one or the other type of corner assembly. For instance, where a cover according to the present invention is intended for covering a vehicle, a wood pile, etc., the cover may have corner assemblies of the type according to rear corner assembly 10 only. In other embodiments, the cover may have corner assemblies according to front corner assembly 20 only. The embodiment depicted in FIG. 1 is especially suitable for covering open-bed vehicles comprising a frame for supporting the cover. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, the combination of two front corner assemblies 20 and two rear corner assemblies 10 provides optimal aerodynamics, as the rear-facing corners prevent the corners from acting like sails and permit airflow around the cover. This arrangement prevents the cover from experiencing a balooning phenomenon. In embodiments wherein aerodynamics are not so important, for instance when the cover is intended for covering a stationary item such as a stationary vehicle, a tent frame, a wood pile, and so forth, other arrangements of corner assemblies may be used. A person skilled in the art will recognize that the principle of reversibility requires only that a plurality of corner assemblies 10 or 20 according to the present invention be used, and will mix and match the particular corner assemblies as necessary in order to meet the objectives of the particular application for which the cover will be employed.

[0033] FIG. 2A depicts the rear corner assembly 10 according to the present invention, in an expanded view, before folding to form the three-dimensional corners. Visible in this view are the rear curtain panel 3, the rear tab 11, rear panel flap 4, flat radius pleats 15, 16, rear curtain hole 12, rear flap hole 13, and rear panel flap hole 14. Although the rear corner assembly 10 is described as having distinct parts, a person skilled in the art will recognize that the whole assembly may be cut from a single piece of flexible material, such as fabric, coated fabric, or a polymer sheet. In some embodiments according to the present invention, additional support may be provided by reinforcing portions of the cover 1 by art-recognized reinforcement method.

[0034] FIGS. 2B and 2C depict the folding of the rear corner assembly 10 to form the rear corner. In FIG. 2B, rear panel flap hole 14 is pulled over rear curtain hole 12. The flat radius pleats 15, 16 allow rear flap hole 13 to rise over rear panel flap hole 14. In FIG. 2C, rear flap hole 13 has been pulled over rear panel flap hole 14. The three panels, 3, 4 and 11 may then be joined together by putting a suitable fastener through holes 12, 13 and 14. Suitable fasteners include the anti-peel snap, described infra as well as other suitable fastening means including nut, bolt and washer assemblies. The person having skill in the art will recognize that other fasteners are possible, and while the anti-peel snap, described infra is preferred, other fasteners may be employed within the scope of the present invention.

[0035] FIGS. 3A-3C depict the folding of the front corner assembly 20. In FIG. 3A, the front corner assembly 20 is depicted in the unfolded, two-dimensional state. The front corner assembly 20 comprises side panel 7, main panel 2, front curtain panel 5, flat radius pleats 22, 26, front curtain flap 6, front panel tab 21, side panel hole 23, tab hole 24 and front panel flap hole 25. The entire corner assembly may be manufactured from a single sheet of flexible material, such as fabric, coated fabric or polymer sheet, or may constructed from separate panels of flexible material. The corner assembly may reinforced by art-recognized reinforcement method.

[0036] In FIG. 3B, front panel flap hole 25 has been folded over side panel hole 23. The flat-radius pleats 22, 26 allow the front panel tab 21 to rise upward over the rest of the corner assembly 20.

[0037] In FIG. 3C, tab hole 24 has been placed over front panel flap hole 25 to complete the folded, three-dimensional front corner assembly 20. Once the rear corner assembly has been properly folded, it can be held in place by a fastening device, such as an anti-peel snap, described infra or a washer, nut and bolt assembly.

[0038] The cover 1 may be folded in either of two three-dimensional configurations. The cover may be thought of as having a first side and a second side. When the cover is folded, it encompasses a space referred to herein as the inside of the cover, the space outside of the boundaries established by the cover are referred to as the outside of the cover. A first three-dimensional configuration results when the first side of the cover is on the outside of the folded, three-dimensional cover. The second three-dimensional configuration results when the second side is on the outside of the folded, three-dimensional cover. The cover according to the present invention may be folded in either of the two distinct, three-dimensional configurations and the corners will be accurately produced in either configuration, the first three-dimensional configuration differing from the first only in the pattern that is on the outside of the cover.

[0039] Of course the cover according to the present invention may be folded for storage, and the person having skill in the art will recognize that there are many different configurations that the cover may assume other than the three described herein.

[0040] A reversible cover according to the present invention employs one or more flat-radius pleat structures at one or more of the corners, preferably at least two corners. In some embodiments, the flat radius pleats permit the two-dimensional cover to be folded to conform to a shape of a frame structure, such as a rectangular, arcuate or semi-arcuate shape. Suitable frames for use with the present invention include open cargo beds of trucks, trailers and other vehicles, entire vehicles, frames for tents and other portable structures, etc. In other embodiments, no frame will be employed, such as when the cover is used to protect an entire vehicle, or other item such as a wood pile, a stack of lumber on the back of a flat-bed truck, portable radar units, generators, etc. The flat radius pleats allow the corners to be reproduced in either three-dimensional configuration.

[0041] One advantage to a cover according to the present invention is that it may be manufactured as a single sheet of fabric, a first pattern being imprinted on one side thereof, and a second, optionally different pattern being imprinted on the other side. This obviates the necessity of manufacturing the cover with multiple fabric panels, or of placing two panels back-to-back to produce a cover having two different patterns thereon. The cover according to the present invention thus allows for simplified manufacturing processes. This also makes it easier to ensure continuity of the camouflage pattern on the outward-facing side of the truck cover, as multiple panels do not have to be precisely cut and sewn together to manufacture the inventive cover. This also minimizes the number of seams that must appear in the cover, thereby greatly improving the inventive cover's leak resistance as compared to prior art covers employing multiple camouflage panels.

[0042] FIG. 4 depicts a side plan of a cover 1 on the back of a truck 40 having a flat-bed 41 and frame members 42 (dashed lines). The cover 1 is over the frame members 42 and may be attached to the frame members 42, the flat bed 41 and/or other truck parts (not shown) by means of snaps, hooks, ropes, etc. (also not shown). Although in some applications it is desirable to fasten the cover 1 to a frame structure of some type to prevent the cover 1 from being blow off by the wind, in other applications it is not necessary for the cover to be attached to a frame. For instance, a heavy fabric may be used to cover a vehicle under mild weather conditions, and the present invention is contemplated to include covers having no built-in attachment system. In other applications, an attachment system may be useful, however the type of system actually employed, whether it be ropes, grommets, snaps, hook-and-loop fasteners, snaps, etc., is not critical to the invention. A particularly useful attachment system, however, is the multi-purpose straps set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,630, incorporated herein by reference.

[0043] FIG. 5 is a rear plan view of the folded, three-dimensional cover 1. Visible in this view are the rear curtain panel 3, the rear tab 11 and an anti-peel snap 30, described infra.

[0044] FIG. 6 is a front plan view of a folded, three-dimensional cover 1. Visible in this view is the front curtain panel 5, the remainder of the corner assembly being folded forward as depicted in FIG. 4.

[0045] Depicted in FIGS. 7A-7E is an anti-peel snap 30 in various views. The anti-peel snap comprises two discs, top disc 30b and bottom disc 30a, that are held together by one or more attachment devices, such as a bolt 36 and nut 37 combination as depicted in FIG. 7C. FIGS. 7A and 7B show the interior portions of bottom disc 30b and top disc 30a, prior to the installation of snap 30. Top disc 30b comprises bolt holes 31b and interlocking posts 32. Bottom disc 30a comprises bolt holes 31a and an island structure 33 that has recesses 34 for receiving the interlocking posts 32 upon installation of the snap 30.

[0046] FIG. 7C shows an expanded view of the snap 30 to demonstrate how the snap 30 is assembled. The interior portions of bottom disc 30b and top disc 30a are positioned so bolt holes 31a line up with bolt holes 31b, and so the interlocking posts 32 line up with, and can be received within, the recesses 34 as depicted by the arrows. A bolt 36 is passed through each pair of holes 31a, 31b and mates with a corresponding nut 37 on the other side of the snap as depicted by the arrows, to hold the discs 30a, 30b together. Although only one nut-and-bolt combination is depicted, the person skilled in the art will recognize that where the snap 30 comprises two pairs of holes 31a, 31b, two fasteners would be used.

[0047] Although the snap is depicted with two bolt-and-nut combinations, it is possible for there to be only one nut-and-bolt combination. It is also possible for the anti-peel snap 30 to comprise a plurality of nut-and-bolt combinations, such as three, four, five or six or more. It is also possible to use fastening means other than nut-and-bolt fasteners. For example, the snap may be machined from a metal, such as stainless steel or brass. The bolts may then be received by threaded recesses machined, pressed, molded or stamped into the bottom disc. In some applications, washers may also be advantageously employed as part of the anti-peel snap assembly. The two-part anti-peel snap 30 may be made of a suitable material, for instance a metal or polymer material. Advantageously, the anti-peel snap is made of nylon or polyvinyl chloride.

[0048] Corner assemblies 10, 20 may be held together in their three-dimensional configurations using the anti-peel snap 30 depicted in FIGS. 7A-7E. For ease of understanding, the plural layers of a corner assembly are depicted in FIG. 7C as a single structure 43, which may be thought of as representing multiple layers, having a hole 44. In this embodiment, bottom disc 30a is placed on one side of layered structure 40 so the island 33 lines up with the hole 44. Then the top disc 30b is placed on the other side of the layered structure 43 so the interlocking posts 32 are lined up with the recesses 34. The top disc 30b and the bottom disc 30a are then pushed together so the posts 32 are received within the recesses 34. Bolts 36 are passed through the hole pairs 31a, 31b and secured in place by turning the bolts 36 into the washers 37.

[0049] FIGS. 7D and 7E show top and bottom views, respectively, of the snap 30 after assembly. The heads of bolts 36 are visible in FIG. 7D, while the tips of bolts 36 are visible within the nuts 37 in FIG. 7E.

[0050] The anti-peel snap 30 according to the present invention is advantageously suited for holding together corner assemblies 10, 20. The anti-peel snap 30 holds together layers of fabric by spreading the holding force over a wide surface area, thereby preventing the folds of the corner assembly from peeling apart during use. The anti-peel snap 30 may also be quickly and easily disassembled, after which the cover may be inverted (turned inside out). The snap 30 may then be quickly and easily re-installed.

[0051] The foregoing embodiments are provided for illustration purposes only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The person having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention, as encompassed by the claims. All documents referred to herein are expressly incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A reversible soft cover comprising:

a two-dimensional flexible sheet having a first side and a second side;

the sheet being foldable into a first three-dimensional configuration and a second three-dimensional configuration, each three-dimensional configuration having an inside and an outside, wherein in the first three-dimensional configuration the first side is on the outside, and in the second three-dimensional configuration the second side is on the outside;

and further wherein the cover has at least one reversible corner that is produced in both the first and the second three-dimensional configuration.

2. The reversible cover according to claim 1, wherein each reversible corner comprises at least one flat-radius pleat.

3. The reversible cover according to claim 2, wherein the cover has four corners, each corner comprising at least one flat-radius pleat.

4. The reversible cover according to claim 1, wherein the first side bears a first pattern, and the second side bears a second pattern, the first pattern being different from the second pattern.

5. The reversible cover according to claim 4, wherein the first pattern is a solid color and the second pattern is a camouflage pattern.

6. The reversible cover according to claim 5, wherein the first pattern is a solid tan and the second pattern is a woodland green camouflage pattern.

7. The reversible cover according to claim 4, wherein the first pattern is a first camouflage pattern and the second pattern is a second camouflage pattern.

8. The reversible cover according to claim 7, wherein the first pattern is an earth-tone camouflage pattern and the second pattern is a green camouflage pattern.

9. The reversible cover according to claim 4, wherein the first pattern is a solid color and the second pattern is a different solid color.

10. The reversible cover according to claim 9, wherein the first pattern is a solid tan and the second pattern is a solid green.

11. The reversible cover according to claim 1, further comprising at least one member of the group consisting of a multi-purpose strap and an anti-peel snap.

12. The reversible cover according to claim 1, wherein the cover comprises a single sheet of fabric.

13. A corner assembly for a soft cover, the corner assembly comprising a plurality of panels and at least one flat-radius pleat, the panels having holes therein, and the holes and pleats being arranged so the corner assembly is adapted to be folded into either of two, inversely related three-dimensional configurations.

14. The corner assembly according to claim 13, comprising at least two flat radius pleats.

15. The corner assembly according to claim 13, further comprising a means for holding the folds of the corner assembly together.

16. The corner assembly according to claim 15, wherein the means for holding the folds of the corner assembly together is an anti-peel snap.

17. An anti-peel snap comprising a first disc having one or more posts protruding therefrom, a second disc for receiving said one or more posts and at least one fastener adapted to hold the two discs together.

18. The anti-peel snap according to claim 17, wherein the at least one fastener is a bolt and nut combination.

19. The cover according to claim 1, wherein the cover is reinforced.