US20040238089A1

US20040238089A1 - Self coiling roll-up car cover

Info

Publication number: US20040238089A1
Application number: US10/446,459
Authority: US
Inventors: Xingkang Li; Qiang Li; Xingjian Li
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-05-28
Filing date: 2003-05-28
Publication date: 2004-12-02

Abstract

A self roll-up car cover has a built-in spring between waterproof sheets or a synthetic sheet with a built-in memory to return to a spiral shape when rolled out of the spiral configuration and then released. The rear half of the cover has an end rod and a central opening that allows it to be hooked over a trunk lock mechanism and kept secure when the trunk is then shut. The front half of the cover has a lead rope or belt with two hooks for securing under the hood of the vehicle or any other edged surface. The tension in the cover keeps it stretched out and the overlapping portion of the front and back covers maintains at least a portion of the cover elevated above the vehicle.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the field of car covers and in particular a car cover that has a built-in tension means for normally maintaining the cover in a rolled-up condition so that it is self coiling and rolls up by itself for storage.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Motor vehicles which are not garaged are subject to the harsh outdoor conditions including bright sun overheating the interior and bleaching out the paint job, snow and frost collecting on the windshield and rear window creating hazardous viewing conditions, hailstorms causing major damage to window surfaces and metal painted exterior surfaces.

Many attempts have been made to provide protection for motor vehicles in the form of fabric easily storable coverings. Both complicated and non-complicated means have been devised to protect vehicles from the detriments of the environment. Namely, the sun, dust and dirt, and frozen precipitation. The lack of widespread use of such coverings can be attributed to an inadequate balance of affordability, convenience, adaptability, and performance to make them practical for everyday use.

Simple fabric coverings can be difficult and time consuming to apply for one person. Also adaptability to fixed antennas is often not considered. The user who is faced with removing an antenna to apply a cover is likely to balk at using a cover of this type on a daily basis.

Some covering arrangements create their own problems by changing the outside appearance of the vehicle, even when it is not in use. This is disastrous for acceptability.

Most of the prior art in this classification do not attempt to provide an airspace between the cover and the surfaces of the motor vehicle. Without an airspace and means for cross ventilation, motor vehicle coverings do not address the problem of heat and moisture build-up. Excess interior heat and mildew are the negative results.

Without the use of an airspace, frozen precipitation, such as hail, can damage a motor vehicle even though it is covered. Furthermore, without an airspace the covering is of no use in preventing frozen precipitation from accumulating and bonding to the covering and motor vehicle.

Daily use of covers means that a few seconds can separate a convenient process from an inconvenient process. Much of the prior art falls into the category of inconvenience; making them unacceptable for the daily user.

The prior art also lacks an inexpensive solution since they usually have somewhat elaborate mechanisms for rolling up the covers if they provide that feature. None of the prior art car covers provide a self-rolling cover.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,480,652, issued Nov. 6, 1984 to Gooch, describes a simple covering mechanism for use as an awning, tent, boat cover, or the like, and a method of utilization thereof. The covering mechanism includes a self-coiling continuous sheet of substantially liquid impermeable material having an upward bow when uncoiled. The sheet is mounted at a first end thereof and is releasably mounted at a second end thereof when the sheet is in an uncoiled position so that the sheet extends generally horizontally with an upward bow when uncoiled. The sheet may be constructed of a single piece of plastic heat set in its coiled position, or may include a cloth covering for ribs that provide the self-coiling function.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,760, issued Mar. 7, 1989 to Lew, claims a self-coiling partition a partition such as a curtain, blind, shade etc. employing the self-coiling sheets which play the dual role of the partitioning medium as well as the mechanism providing the means for extending and retracting said partition. The self-coiling sheets that constitute the self-coiling partition may be a planar plastic sheet of a single or multiple layers in structure with an intrinsic material property of coiling itself into a roll. The self-coiling sheets may also be made from a fabric reinforced with a plurality of the spiral springs providing the self-coiling characteristics. The self-coiling sheets may also be made from a double layer of plastic sheet that includes a thin flat sheet under a tension suprimposedly bonded to a corrugated plastic sheet with a stiffness under compression whereby the combination of the tension and the compression provides the coiling moments distributed over said plastic sheet or double layer structure.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,711, issued Feb. 28, 1984 to Lew, discloses a curtain for the window or skylight, etc., comprising a plurality of coiling sheets connected to each other in series is disclosed. One end of first coiling sheet is spliced to an adjacent end of the second coiling sheet in such a way that the said first and the said second coiling sheets coil together about the common axis which is the line of splicing of said two coiling sheets. The other end of the first coiling sheet is similarly spliced to the adjacent end of the third coiling sheet. A fourth and a fifth coiling sheets can be spliced to said second and third coiling sheets in the same manner and so forth. In the “coiled up state” which is the retracted state of the coil curtain, the coil curtain is of the configuration of a series of rolls of the coiling sheets adjoining each other. When the coil curtain is stretched, each of rolls of the coiling sheets unrolls and the coil curtain extends wherein the residual coils of the coiling sheets left after unrolling plays the role of stiffeners keeping the coil curtain stretched laterally.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,542,445, issued Nov. 24, 1970 to Donker, provides a closure member that comprises a sheet means folded upon itself along a line approximately midway between two overlapping portions. The sheet means is prestressed so that it will roll upon itself around an axis parallel with the fold line with the two said edges adjacent the outside of the roll. The prestressing of the sheet means is such that the roll is self-supporting in a rolled position when it is suspended from one of the said edges. The sheet means has a plurality of relatively small and evenly distributed openings therethrough. The sheet means is adapted to be mounted along said opposite edges upon an access opening of a food freezer.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,254, issued Aug. 20, 2002 to Todd, provides a flexible, retractable assembly for use as a door, space divider, covering or the like. The assembly comprises a sheet such as Mylar polyester film having a permanent memory set to roll up on itself or otherwise retract automatically into a coil, accordion, or other compact configuration. The assembly is adapted to be stored on one side of an opening and then guided across the opening to fully or partially cover the opening. The permanent memory set of the sheet permits it to retract at least partially under its own force to eliminate or minimize the need for separate rewinding apparatus. The sheet may substitute for a variety of standard products including entryway doors, closet, cabinet and shower doors, screen doors and windows, room dividers, machinery guards and covers for various items such as florescent light fixtures. The sheet may be combined with decorative finishes including a tambour composite structure providing aesthetic and functional advantages.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,332,021, issued Jul. 26, 1994 to Todd, shows a flexible, retractable assembly for use as a door, space divider, covering or the like. The assembly comprises a sheet such as Mylar polyester film having a permanent memory set to roll up on itself or otherwise retract automatically into a coil, accordion, or other compact configuration. The assembly is adapted to be stored on one side of an opening and then guided across the opening to fully or partially cover the opening. The permanent memory set of the sheet permits it to retract at least partially under its own force to eliminate or minimize the need for separate rewinding apparatus. The sheet may substitute for a variety of standard products including entryway doors, closet, cabinet and shower doors, screen doors and windows, room dividers, machinery guards and covers for various items such as florescent light fixtures. The sheet may be combined with decorative finishes including a tambour composite structure providing aesthetic and functional advantages.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,513,858, issued Feb. 4, 2003 to Li, indicates a spring tensioned roller and spaced tension bar have a vehicle cover folded in half and rolled around the spring tensioned roller. The rear half of the cover has an end rod and a central opening that allows it to be hooked over a trunk lock mechanism and kept secure when the trunk is shut. The front half of the cover has a lead rope or belt with two hooks for securing it under the hood of the vehicle or any other edged surface on the front of the car. The tensioned cover is elevated above the roof of the vehicle by the roller and tension bar for purposes of ventilation.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,196 issued Jan. 28, 1997 to Gibbs, puts forth a system for the deploying and storing of an automobile cover. The system is provided with a roller assembly that can be made to be pivotally disposed about the axis of an axle. Attached to the roller at one end and the axle at another end is a spring means. The roller assembly has attached to it a full body automobile cover. The cover having one end adapted to covering and being secured to the end of the automobile opposite from the trunk, and the other end attached to the roller. The cover wound around the roller assembly and the roller assembly is stored in the trunk compartment of the automobile. The cover can be easily unwound from and wound back onto the roller with the assistance of the spring biased roller. The operator can quickly deploy the cover by pulling it from the back of the trunk over the trunk lid, and over the car, securing it to front bumper. The trunk can be closed after the cover is secured to the front bumper, thus securing the system inside the trunk.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,759, issued Jan. 11, 2000 to Adamek, concerns a retractable vehicle cover comprising at least one cover reel and at least one extension line reel disposed within a housing. The cover reel and the extension line reel are biased in a retracted position. Each cover reel contains a cover, and each extension line reel contains an extension line. At least one cover leading edge extends from the housing, and at least one extension line extends through each cover leading edge. An extension line cover stop allows the extension line(s) to extend a cover, and an extension line end stop prevents extension line retraction into the housing. The housing is aerodynamically shaped to reduce drag on a vehicle upon which the retractable vehicle cover is mounted. Each cover leading edge is equipped with a cover strip magnet that holds the cover in an extended position. In the alternative, the cover strip magnet may be adhered to a ferromagnetic strip on the housing, which securely holds the cover leading edge in a retracted position. The housing may comprise a housing strip magnet by means of which the retractable vehicle cover may be removably mounted on a vehicle.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,016, issued May 29, 1990 to Kastanis, illustrates a bi-directional protective covering for a vehicle is selectively mountable on an exterior surface of a vehicle. The protective covering includes a pair of extendable and retractable, flexible, sheet-like covering means movable between a full extended position for covering a selected portion of the vehicle and a retracted position for storage. Each covering means is coupled to a means for winding the covering means about an axis and a housing supports the pair of winding means relative to one another such that the winding means are closely adjacent and their winding axes are in substantially parallel relation to one another. Means are provided for selectively securing the housing to an exterior surface of the vehicle and for selectively securing the covering means in their extended positions, to the vehicle to be covered.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,593, issued Aug. 24, 1999 to McCann, is for an aerodynamically stable, form fitting, vehicle top covering system that includes a rectangular shape of fabric attached at opposite ends to spars. The ends of the spars are secured at the ends of the vehicle, typically under the corners of the bumpers, with self-retaining hook and strap assemblies. The spars may be designed to bend and thus create differential tensioning of the fabric by tensioning means, causing it to be draped over the top surfaces of the vehicle in a compound curved, aerodynamic configuration that does not require side tie-downs in cross winds. A self-retracting version has small diameter support extensions, at the ends of a roller spar, which allow extra space for the increased radial build-up of the cover's lateral seams.

What is needed is an easy to use roll-out and roll-up car cover which has a built-in tension means for self-rollup and preferably one end locked in the trunk and maintains the cover elevated above the roof of the car for greater temperature control inside the car.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a motor vehicle covering that uses a process for rapid one-person deployment and rapid one-person removal with a self-tensioning means, which normally maintains a spiral configuration, for rolling up and rolling out the cover.

A related object of the present invention is to provide a motor vehicle covering that anchors in the locked trunk while in use as a deterrent to theft.

An added object of the present invention is to provide a means for adjusting the width of the motor vehicle covering, to accommodate varying widths of vehicles.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a motor vehicle covering that creates an airspace between the covering, the roof and the windshield and rear windows of a motor vehicle to take advantage of the insulatory properties of air and prevent damage from hailstones or other falling debris.

One more object of the present invention is to provide a motor vehicle covering which increases cross ventilation, in conjunction with the airspace, that will aid in temperature and mildew control.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a motor vehicle covering that has a double spiral configuration centrally positioned on the cover so that it is centrally positioned on the roof of the vehicle when the cover is extended to its open position. The double spiral configuration serves to elevate the protective cover above the vehicle roof surface allowing the air pocket to affect the interior temperature of the car.

In brief, a spring tension car cover has front and back overlapping self rolling covers each comprising a series of springs embedded in or sandwiched between a waterproof material or a synthetic sheet with a built-in memory, which returns to a spiral shape when rolled out of the spiral configuration and then released. The rear half of the cover has an end rod and a central opening that allows it to be hooked over a trunk lock mechanism and kept secure when the trunk is then shut. The front half of the cover has a lead rope or belt with two hooks for securing under the hood of the vehicle or any other edged surface. The tension in the cover keeps it stretched out and the overlapping spiral in the middle between the front and back maintains at least a portion of the cover elevated above the vehicle. One person can easily deploy the device without assistance. The cover is applied by beginning with the trunk open, hooking the cover's end over the trunk lock and closing the trunk, next, by extending the leading edge of the cover forward by pulling the belt or rope, and then hooking the front end under the hood of the vehicle or any other edged place.

When deployed the spiral configuration of the device is positioned in a central location on the roof of the motor vehicle with the cover rolled out over the vehicle. The cover unwinds in both a forward and backward direction. There may be attached side flaps to cover the sides or a portion of the sides of the vehicle. The cover has a leading edge attached that has a soft belt or a rope with two position-adjustable hooks on the belt or the rope, which can be hooked on the edge of the hood of the vehicle or any other edged places, such as the bumper or grill. The belt or rope assists the easy guiding of the cover over the vehicle. The width can be adjusted by using an overlapping double version of the car cover. When not in use the car cover is easily stored in the trunk of the car.

An advantage of the present invention is the rapid one-person deployment and rapid one-person removal of the motor vehicle covering.

Another advantage of the present invention is to be difficult to steal when the motor vehicle covering is anchored and held by a locked trunk.

An additional advantage of the present invention is that it has a compact nature and can easily fit into the trunk for storage and portability when not in use.

One more advantage of the present invention is to create an airspace between the motor vehicle covering and car which takes advantage of the insulatory properties of air to prevent damage from hailstones or other falling debris.

A related advantage of the present invention is cross ventilation enabled by the airspace which will positively effect surface and interior car temperature and control mildew.

Yet another advantage of the present invention is the double spiral configuration which is centrally positioned on the roof of the vehicle when the cover is spread over the vehicle.

A final advantage of the present invention is the double spiral configuration that serves to elevate the protective cover above the vehicle roof surface allowing the air pocket to affect the interior temperature of the car.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other details of my invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are furnished only by way of illustration and not in limitation of the invention, and in which drawings: [0039]
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the vehicle cover of the present invention covering a vehicle; [0040]
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vehicle cover of FIG. 1 partially unrolled, showing the vehicle attaching means on the ends; [0041]
FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the parallel straightened spring elements and the top and bottom sheets aligned for sandwiching the springs therebetween; [0042]
FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the straightened vehicle cover having the parallel flattened spring elements sandwiched between the top and bottom sheets; [0043]
FIG. 3C is a perspective view of the vehicle cover having the parallel flattened spring elements sandwiched between the top and bottom sheets in the normally rolled spiral configuration; [0044]
FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a rear cover in a straightened configuration and a spiral configuration showing the free end being pulled to the right; [0045]
FIG. 4B is a perspective view of a front cover and a rear cover in a straightened configuration and a double spiral configuration showing the free end of the front cover being pulled to the left and the free end of the rear cover being pulled to the right; [0046]
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a double front cover and a double rear cover in a straightened configuration and a double spiral configuration showing the free ends of the double front cover being pulled to the left and the free ends of the double rear cover being pulled to the right, the double covers being adjustable in width.[0047]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

In FIGS. 1 and 2 a self-coiling self-tensioned roll-up [0048] vehicle cover 20 for covering a top of a vehicle 30 is provided. The device comprises a vehicle cover 20 that has a front cover 20F and a rear cover 20B each with a built-in tension means for normally maintaining the cover 20 in a rolled up spiral configuration 19.
When the [0049] vehicle cover 20 is in the rolled up double spiral configuration 19 (shown in FIG. 2), the free end of one of the front 20F and rear covers 20B is capable of being attached to one end of the vehicle 30 and the free end of the other of the front 20F and rear covers 20B is capable of being pulled toward the other end of the vehicle 30 causing the cover 20 to unroll from the double spiral configuration 19. The free end of the other of the front 20F and rear covers 20B is capable of being attached to the other end of the vehicle 30, thereby covering a top of the vehicle 30. The two overlapping portions 20F and 20B of the cover 20 are apportioned such that the double spiral configuration 19 is positioned on a roof of the vehicle 30 upon attaching the free ends of the covers 20F and 20B to the vehicle so that the double spiral configuration 19 maintains at least a portion of the vehicle cover 20 in an elevated position above the roof of the vehicle 30 thereby creating an air space between the cover and the roof of the vehicle, as shown in FIG. 1.
The built-in tension means causes both of the [0050] covers 20F and 20B to remain in a taught condition and further causes the vehicle cover 20 to roll up into the double spiral configuration 19 upon release of the free end of one of the covers 20F and 20B. The front cover 20F and the bottom cover 20B are each fabricated of a sheet synthetic material and the built-in tension means comprises the built-in memory of the material to be in a spiral configuration 19 and to return to the spiral configuration 19 when rolled out of the spiral configuration 19 and then released. The front cover 20F and rear cover 20B overlap in a mutually engaging double spiral roll 19 so that the front cover 20F and rear cover 20B are normally biased to roll up together in the double spiral roll 19 with each cover 20F and 20B having an overlapping end and a free end. The front cover 20F and the rear cover 20B are capable of being unrolled from the double spiral roll 19 with the free end of the front cover 20F unrolling in an opposite direction to the free end of the rear cover 20B. The cover 20 is capable of rolling up by itself into the double spiral configuration 19 for storage and capable of being stretched out to cover a vehicle 30, as shown in FIG. 1.
The car cover also comprises a rear vehicle attaching means secured to the free end of the [0051] rear cover 20B for removably attaching the free end of the rear cover 20B to a rear end of the vehicle 30, as shown in FIG. 1. The rear vehicle attaching means comprises an end portion of the free end of the rear cover 20B sufficiently narrow to fit within a trunk opening on the vehicle 30. The rear vehicle attaching means further comprising a rigid element 25, such as a rigid rod 25, along a far edge of the free end of the rear cover 20B, the rear cover 20B is provided with an opening 26 in a center portion of the free end. The opening 26 is capable of fitting over a locking mechanism 36 of the trunk 33, so that the free end of the rear cover 20B is capable of being hooked over the locking mechanism and the trunk 33 closed with the rear end of the cover 20B locked in the trunk 33 to retain the rear end 20B of the cover 20 therein.
The [0052] car cover 20 further comprises a front vehicle attaching means secured to the free end of the front cover 20F so that the free end of the front cover 20F is capable of being attached to a front of a vehicle 30, as shown in FIG. 1. The front vehicle attaching means comprises a rigid rod 27 attached across a far edge of the free end of the front cover 20F and a hook means for attaching the front end of the cover 20F to the front of the vehicle 30. The hook means comprises a cord means 28 having at least one hook 29 capable of hooking onto an element on the front of the vehicle 30. The cord means 28 has two hooks 29 attached thereto, the hooks 29 have non-scratching surfaces and configurations such that they are capable of hooking under a hood or under a front bumper 38 of the vehicle 30 without scratching the vehicle 30, as shown in FIG. 1.
The [0053] vehicle cover 20, shown in FIG. 5, comprises a means for adjusting the width of the vehicle cover 20 to accommodate vehicles 30 of varying widths. In this embodiment the front cover 20F and the rear cover 20R each comprise two overlapping mating strips of material 20FA/20RA and 20FB/20RB with built-in tension means positioned side by side along the length of the vehicle cover 20 so that the two separate overlapping mating strips of material 20FA/20RA and 20FB/20RB are capable of overlapping to a greater or lesser degree thereby enabling the width of the vehicle cover 20 to be adjusted to accommodate vehicles 30 of various widths.
The [0054] car cover 20 shown in FIG. 3, has a built-in tension means that comprises a series of spiral spring elements 21 aligned in a parallel manner along the length of the front cover 20F and the rear cover 20R and further comprising a top layer 22T made of waterproof material and a bottom 22B layer of material secured together sandwiching the spring elements 21 therebetween.
The [0055] front cover 20F and the rear cover 20B of the device 20 may each be fabricated from a sheet of synthetic material that has a built-in memory of a spiral configuration 19. The cover may also be fabricated with a built-in tension means that comprises a series of spiral spring elements 21 aligned in a parallel manner along the length of the front 20F and the rear cover 20R. The series of spiral spring elements 21 would be sandwiched by a top layer 22T made of waterproof material and a bottom 22B layer of material, which are secured together.
In practice, the [0056] cover 20 is applied by beginning with the trunk 33 of the vehicle 30 open, hooking the cover's end 20B over the trunk lock 36 and closing the trunk 33. The user would then extend the leading edge 20F of the cover forward by pulling the belt or rope 28, and then hooking the hooks 29 of the front end 20F under the bumper 38, hood or any other edged place of the vehicle 30, as shown in FIG. 1. To remove the car cover 20 a user would disengage the hooks 29 from the front end of the vehicle 30, hold the leading edge of the front cover 20F and walk towards the rear of the vehicle 30 as the car cover 20 automatically returns to its spiral configuration 19. The user would then open the trunk 33 of the vehicle 30 and disengage the opening 26 in the rear cover 20B from the latch 36 of the trunk 33. The car cover 20 could be stored in the trunk 33 for future use.
In practice a user could vary the width of the [0057] cover 20 by using an embodiment, shown in FIG. 5, that comprises a double front cover 20FA and 20FB and a double rear cover 20RA and 20RB. The overlapping sides of the cover 20 may be overlapped to greater or lesser degrees to adjust the width needed to accommodate the varying width of different vehicles 30.
It is understood that the preceding description is given merely by way of illustration and not in limitation of the invention and that various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed. [0058]

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An self-coiling roll-up vehicle cover for covering a top of a vehicle, the cover comprising:

a vehicle cover comprising a front cover and a rear cover each having a built-in tension means for normally maintaining the cover in a rolled up spiral configuration, the front cover and the rear cover overlapping in a mutually engaging double spiral roll so that the front cover and rear cover are normally biased to roll up together in the double spiral roll with each cover having an overlapping end and a free end, so that the front cover and the rear cover are capable of being unrolled from the double spiral roll with the free end of the front cover unrolling in an opposite direction to the free end of the rear cover, the cover capable of rolling up by itself in the double spiral for storage and capable of being stretched out to cover a vehicle;

a rear vehicle attaching means secured to the free end of the rear cover for removably attaching the free end of the rear cover to a rear end of the vehicle;

a front vehicle attaching means secured to the free end of the front cover so that the free end of the front cover is capable of being attached to a front of a vehicle;

wherein with the vehicle cover in the rolled up double spiral configuration, the free end of one of the front and rear covers is capable of being attached to one end of the vehicle and the free end of the other of the front and rear covers is capable of being pulled toward the other end of the vehicle causing the cover to unroll from the double spiral configuration and the free end of the other of the front and rear covers is capable of being attached to the other end of the vehicle, thereby covering a top of the vehicle with the double spiral configuration over a portion of the vehicle elevating at least a portion of the vehicle cover above the vehicle and the built-in tension means causing both of the covers to remain in a taught condition and further causing the vehicle cover to roll up into the double spiral configuration upon release of the free end of one of the covers.

2. The vehicle cover of claim 1 wherein the rear vehicle attaching means comprises an end portion of the free end of the rear cover sufficiently narrow to fit within a trunk opening on the vehicle and further comprising a rigid element along a far edge of the free end of the rear cover, the rear cover being provided with an opening in a center portion of the free end, the opening capable of fitting over a locking mechanism of the trunk, so that the free end of the rear cover is capable of being hooked over the locking mechanism and the trunk closed with the rear end of the cover locked in the trunk to retain the rear end of the cover therein.

3. The vehicle cover of claim 1 wherein the two overlapping portions of the cover are apportioned such that the double spiral configuration is positioned on a roof of the vehicle upon attaching the free ends of the covers to the vehicle so that the double spiral configuration maintains at least a portion of the vehicle cover in an elevated position above the roof of the vehicle thereby creating an air space between the cover and the roof of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle cover of claim 1 wherein the front vehicle attaching means comprises a rigid rod attached across a far edge of the free end of the front cover and a hook means for attaching the front end of the cover to the front of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle cover of claim 4 wherein the hook means comprises a cord means having at least one hook capable of hooking onto an element on the front of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle cover of claim 5 wherein the cord means has two hooks attached thereto, the hooks having non-scratching surfaces and configurations such that they are capable of hooking under a hood of the vehicle without scratching the vehicle.

7. The vehicle cover of claim 5 wherein the cord means has two hooks attached thereto, the hooks having non-scratching surfaces and configurations such that they are capable of hooking under a front bumper of the vehicle without scratching the vehicle.

8. The vehicle cover of claim 1 wherein the vehicle cover further comprises a means for adjusting the width of the vehicle cover to accommodate vehicles of varying widths.

9. The vehicle cover of claim 1 wherein the front cover and the rear cover each comprise two overlapping mating strips of material with built-in tension means positioned side by side along the length of the vehicle cover so that the two separate overlapping mating strips of material are capable of overlapping to a greater or lesser degree thereby enabling the width of the vehicle cover to be adjusted to accommodate vehicles of various widths..

10. The vehicle cover of claim 1 wherein the built-in tension means comprises a series of spiral spring elements aligned in parallel along the length of the front cover and the rear cover and further comprising a top and a bottom layer of material secured together sandwiching the spring elements therebetween.

11. The vehicle cover of claim 10 wherein at least the top layer of material is a waterproof material.

12. The vehicle cover of claim 1 wherein the front cover and the bottom cover are each fabricated of a sheet synthetic material and the built-in tension means comprises the built-in memory of the material to be in a spiral configuration and to return to the spiral configuration when rolled out of the spiral configuration and then released.