RECEIVER HITCH MOUNTED CANOPY
A receiver hitch mounted canopy structure (20). The receiver hitch mounted canopy structure (20) remains attached to a receiver hitch (70) of a vehicle (24) while it is stowed, during an opening process, while it is fully open in a deployed state, and while it is collapsed back to the storage state. The receiver hitch mounted canopy structure (20) includes a mounting structure (22) that extends upward from a rear portion of one side of the vehicle. The receiver hitch mounted canopy structure extends over and centers an area directly behind the vehicle.
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This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/679,857, filed May 11, 2005 and U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/715,462, filed Sep. 9, 2005, both of which are incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to canopies, and more particularly to a receiver hitch mounted canopy.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONTailgating is a popular activity, usually enjoyed before, during, or after sporting events. In general, tailgating involves a picnic in a parking lot or another place where cars are parked. Tailgaters use grills, smokers, coolers, portable tables, portable chairs, and other accoutrements to make the tailgating experience a comfortable and fun outdoor activity.
Often, weather may make tailgating difficult or less enjoyable. Many tailgaters carry canopies to avoid rain or intense sun. While these canopies work well for their intended purpose, often they take much space within a vehicle when they are not being used, and the canopies may be difficult to erect. In addition, if a canopy is used during the rain, putting a wet canopy into a vehicle can cause a mess.
Prior art canopies often needed guy lines and stakes to prevent the canopies from being turned over by the wind. However, the canopies cannot be staked in an asphalt parking lot, so people often carry heavy weights such as concrete blocks to prevent the shelters from blowing away.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe following presents a simplified summary of some embodiments of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify key/critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some embodiments of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
In accordance with an embodiment, a receiver hitch mounted canopy structure is provided. In an embodiment, the receiver hitch mounted canopy structure remains attached to a receiver hitch of a vehicle while it is stowed in a storage state, during an opening process, while it is fully open in a deployed state, and while it is collapsed back to the storage state.
In accordance with an embodiment, the receiver hitch mounted canopy structure includes a support structure that extends upward from a rear portion of one side of the vehicle. In an embodiment, the canopy for the receiver hitch mounted canopy structure extends over and centers an area directly behind the vehicle. Having the supporting structure extend upward from one side permits a tailgate, trunk, or rear door for the vehicle to be accessible and opened while the receiver hitch mounted canopy structure is in the deployed state. In addition, having the supporting structure extend upward from one side permits tailgaters to picnic directly behind the vehicle to which the receiver hitch mounted canopy structure is attached with limited interference from the supporting structure.
In an alternate embodiment, the supporting structure extends upward from one side, but the canopy is rotatable to different positions behind the vehicle.
Other features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the following description, various embodiments of the present invention will be described. For purposes of explanation, specific configurations and details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will also be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without the specific details. Furthermore, well-known features may be omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the embodiment being described.
Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout the several views,
The mounting structure 22 includes a column 30 attached at a pivot pin 32 to a horizontal extension 34. The horizontal extension 34 is attached at a right angle to a receiver post 36 (
An alternate embodiment of a mounting structure 122 is shown in
The vertical column 130 may be, for example, pivotably attached to this upward-extending portion of the horizontal mount 134, and may be locked in the upright position, for example by a locking pin 138. This locking pin 138, like the locking pin 38, may be threaded into place for secure anchoring of the vertical column 130 to the horizontal mount 134.
A column extension 40 is received within the column 30 (or the vertical column 130) and is slidable therein. A top brace 42 extends from a middle of one side of the canopy 26 (e.g., from a middle of a frame member 50,
A pair of lower spaced apart sidewalls 48 is positioned further down the column extension 40. As with the upper sidewalls 44, the lower sidewalls 48 may each be flanges. As can be seen in
When the canopy 26 is moved outward, the frame member 50 (
The top brace 42 is attached to the frame member 50, approximately half way along the length of the frame member. When the frame member 50 is attached to the sidewalls 48, the top brace 42, the frame 50, and the column extension 40 forms a triangle, with the frame member in one embodiment extending upward at an angle which is equal to an angle that the frame member would extend if the canopy 26 were fully deployed and the canopy extended horizontally.
As can be seen in
The canopy 26 includes additional frame members 52, as can be seen in
In accordance with an alternate embodiment, a lifting structure may be provided for allowing ease of deployment of the canopy 26. In the embodiment shown in
To deploy the canopy 26 using the cable 160, a user first attaches the frame member 50 to the flanges 48, as described above. After the frame member 50 is attached to the flanges 48, a user may pull down on the end of the cable 160 that extends over the pulley 162 at the top of the column extension 40, such as in shown by the arrows in
If desired, a lock may be provided for locking the internal cylinder 155 relative to the external cylinder 158. In the embodiment shown, a spring biased detent 170 (
When the user has fully deployed the canopy 26, the free end of the cable 160 may be wrapped around a suitable structure, such as a cleat 178 (
After the canopy 26 is deployed, the canopy 26 may be raised to a desired height. In an embodiment, this action is provided by the column extension 40 sliding relative to the column 30. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, as can be seen in
In an embodiment, the receiver post 36 may utilize a spacer cylinder 68 (
To mount the receiver hitch mounted canopy structure 20 on a vehicle, such as the vehicle 24, a user slides the receiver post 36 into a receiving hitch such as the receiver hitch 70 of the vehicle 24. If needed, the spacer cylinder 68 may be utilized to ensure solid mounting of the mounting structure 22 for the receiver hitch mounted canopy structure 20. Once the receiver post 36 is inserted into the receiver hitch 70, the receiver hitch mounted canopy structure 20 is in the storage state shown in
When a user wishes to deploy the receiver hitch mounted canopy structure 20, the user releases the receiver hitch mounted canopy structure 20 (if needed) and rotates the column 30 upward, as indicated by the arrow A in
The user then pulls outward on the canopy 26 and rotates the canopy so that the end of the frame member 50 is aligned between the lower spaced apart sidewalls 48. The pin 53 is then inserted and the canopy 26 is supported in the position shown in
In accordance with an embodiment, the receiver hitch mounted canopy structure 20 provides an advantage in that the canopy 26 remains attached to the vehicle 24 from the deployed state of
The receiver hitch mounted canopy structure 20 provides another benefit in that it extends along one side of a rear portion of the vehicle 24, yet cantilevers the canopy 26 outward so that it is centered directly behind the vehicle 24. This arrangement moves the mounting structure 22 out of the way of picnickers that are located behind the vehicle 24, and also provides access to a tailgate, trunk, or door for the back of the vehicle 24. In an alternate embodiment, the supporting structure also extends upward from one side, but the canopy is rotatable to different positions behind the vehicle.
Other variations are within the spirit of the present invention. Thus, while the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, a certain illustrated embodiment thereof is shown in the drawings and has been described above in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form or forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.
All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. The term “connected” is to be construed as partly or wholly contained within, attached to, or joined together, even if there is something intervening. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate embodiments of the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.
Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.
Claims
1. A canopy structure, comprising:
- a canopy; and
- a mounting structure for supporting the canopy, the mounting structure being configured to remain attached to a vehicle from a stored configuration where the canopy is collapsed and extends along the vehicle to a deployed configuration where the canopy is extended.
2. The canopy structure of claim 1, wherein, in the deployed configuration, the canopy extends over an area directly behind the vehicle.
3. The canopy structure of claim 2, wherein the area is substantially centered behind the vehicle.
4. The canopy structure of claim 1, wherein the mounting structure comprises a receiver hitch post.
5. The canopy structure of claim 1, further comprising a lifting structure for raising the canopy.
6. The canopy structure of claim 5, further comprising a frame for the canopy, and wherein the lifting structure is configured to extend the frame.
7. The canopy structure of claim 6, wherein the lifting structure comprising a cable that is pulled by a user.
8. The canopy structure of claim 1, wherein, in the stored configuration, the canopy is collapsed and extends along a rear of the vehicle.
9. The canopy structure of claim 8, wherein the mounting structure comprises:
- a receiver hitch post;
- a frame section attached to the receiver hitch post; and
- a column hinged to the frame section and movable to a position where the column extends substantially horizontally when the receiver hitch post is inserted into a receiver hitch on a vehicle to a position where the column extends substantially vertically.
10. The canopy structure of claim 9, wherein the mounting structure further comprises a column extension connected to the column and providing an adjustable extension of the length of the column, and wherein the canopy is attached to the column extension.
11. The canopy structure of claim 10, further comprising:
- a frame for the canopy; and
- a brace extending from the column extension to the frame, the brace being hinged to the frame and the column extension.
12. The canopy structure of claim 11, wherein the frame is removably attachable to the column extension so that when the frame is attached to the column extension, the brace, the frame, and the column extension form a triangle.
13. The canopy structure of claim 12, further comprising a lifting structure for raising the canopy.
14. The canopy structure of claim 13, wherein the lifting structure comprising a cable that is pulled by a user.
15. The canopy structure of claim 14, wherein the cable extends along the brace.
16. A receiver hitch mounted canopy structure, comprising:
- a canopy; and
- a mounting structure for supporting the canopy, the mounting structure being attachable to a receiver hitch of a vehicle, and when attached to a vehicle, extending from the receiver hitch of the vehicle to one side of a rear portion of the vehicle and upward to support the canopy at a position substantially centered behind the vehicle.
Type: Application
Filed: May 11, 2006
Publication Date: Nov 16, 2006
Applicant: The Coleman Company, Inc. (Wichita, KS)
Inventors: Gail Matheus (Towanda, KS), Luke Eck (Wichita, KS), Ruben Fernandez (Wichita, KS)
Application Number: 11/382,794
International Classification: E04H 15/06 (20060101);