US3185312A

US3185312A - Automotive header protective assembly

Info

Publication number: US3185312A
Application number: US331029A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph E Dzienisiewicz
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-12-16
Filing date: 1963-12-16
Publication date: 1965-05-25
Anticipated expiration: 1982-05-25

Description

May 25, 1965 J. E. DZIENISIEWICZ 3,185,312

AUTOMOTIVE HEADER PROTECTIVE ASSEMBLY Filed Dec. 16, 1963 FIG. I

4 TI'OPNEY United States Patent 3,135,312 AUTOMOTIVE HEADER PRGTEUTIVE ASSEMBLY Joseph E. Dzienisiewicz, 394-4 Virginia Ave., Lynwood, Calif. Filed Dec. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 331,029 2 Claims. (Cl. 211-87) The present invention relates generally to the field of automotive accessories, and more particularly to an automotive header protective assembly adapted to removably support clothes hangers therefrom and to prevent the coat hanger hook from damaging the header at the time the hook is placed in a supporting position on the assembly.

The present day automotive sedan is usually provided with a clothes support in the upper rear portion of the vehicle, which is normally surrounded by an expanse of fabric header that lines the interior top portion of the vehicle. When a garment is supported on a hanger, and the hook thereof is caused to engage this support, the header adjacent the support is frequently torn or otherwise damaged by the coat hanger hook.

After a header has been damaged, it can only be repaired by hand sewing, bringing the material as close together as possible, which can never be a perfect job, which is normally beyond the skill of the ordinary individual. It is almost impossible to take a header completely out of a vehicle without damage to the header as a whole. Replacement of the header material with new, is the only answer, which is, of course, relatively expensive.

A major object of the present invention is to provide a header protective assembly for an automotive vehicle that is adapted to support a clothes hanger therefrom and protect the header against damage caused by the hook of the hanger, even though the hanger is carelessly mounted on the assembly.

Another object of the invention is to furnish a header protective assembly of extremely simple construction that can be fabricated from standard, commercially available materials, is simple and easy to install, can be retailed at a realtively low price, yet is sufficiently rugged as to last the life of the vehicle in which it is installed.

Yet another object of the invention is to supply a header protective assembly that can be furnished in a color matching that of the header of the vehicle in which it is installed, with the assembly while protecting the header from damage in the manner described being sufficiently unobtrusive that it does not detract from the ornamental appearance of the vehicle.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a header protective assembly that is particularly adapted for fabrication as an integral unit from a polymerized resin which can be colored to match that of the header against which it will be mounted.

A further object of the invention is to provide a header protective assembly that includes a stiff but resilient shield, which because of its resiliency is capable of conforming to the interior contour of the top of the vehicle on which it is mounted.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred and an alternate form thereof, and from the accompanying drawing illustrating the same, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a rear interior portion of an automotive sedan, showing a preferred form of the header protective assembly mounted above the window in abutting contact with the header;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged front elevational view of the assembly shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the preferred form of assembly and a portion of the vehicle top on which it is mounted, taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a front elevational view of a first alternate form or" the assembly;

FEGURE 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the rst alternate form of the assembly, taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view of a second alternate form of the header protective assembly.

With continuing reference to the drawing for the general arrangement of the invention, it will be seen that a preferred form of the protective header assembly A is mounted in the upper interior top portion B of an automotive vehicle C. The top portion B of the present day automotive vehicle curves upwardly and inwardly as shown in FIGURE 3, and normally a clothes hanger support (not shown) is mounted thereon as original equipment on the vehicle supported by a screw (not shown) that engages a bore 10. The original clothes hanger support (not shown) is removed prior to installation of either the preferred form A of the protective header assembly or the first alternate form D thereof shown in FIGURES 4 and 5.

The preferred form of the protective header assembly A, as best seen in FIGURES 2 and 3, includes a semicircular shield 12 which is preferably formed from a fibrous sheet material that is stitf but somewhat resilient. A clothes hanger support member E is provided that has a base 14 from which a prong 16 projects upwardly. A bore 1% extends through the base 14 which is adapted to be engaged by a screw 20.

An opening 22 is formed in shield 12 wherein the tubu lar portion 24 of a grommet 26 is disposed.

The shield 12 is placed in abutting contact with the header F covering the interior top portion B (FIGURE 3), and when so disposed the screw 20 is brought into alignment with the bore ill and inserted therein. Thereafter, the screw 21 is rotated to threadedly engage bore 10 whereby the hanger support member E and shield 12 is moved toward the interior top portion B. During this rotational movement, because of the resiliency and deformability thereof, shield 12 is bent in the manner shown in FIGURE 3, and forced into pressure contact with the header F to assume the contour of the interior top portion B. When the assembly A is so positioned on the interior top portion B the hanger support member E is centered longitudinally relative to the shield 12, and in this position the header F is protected from tears or other damage should the hook (not shown) of a hanger come into inadvertent contact therewith at the time the hanger is being mounted on the support member E.

To add to the attractiveness of the preferred form of the assembly just described, it is desirable that the shield 12 thereof be furnished in a variety of colors which match the colors of headers currently in use on vehicles in which it will be installed. It will be noted in FIGURES 2 and 3 that the lower end of header F terminates in a straight edge 38 which is in abutting contact with a head 32 that forms a part of the vehicle C.

The preferred form of the assembly, as can best be seen in FIGURES l and 3, is aliixed to the interior top portion B of the vehicle C in a position directly above a window G therein. The bead 32 (FIGURE 1) defines the termination of the header F and extends around the window G.

The first alternate form of the invention D shown in FIGURES 4 and 5 includes a semi-circular shield 12 of the same configuration as shield 12, and is formed from a stifif, but resilient polymerized resin.

A clothes hanger supporting member E, identical in construction as support member E, serves the same function and projects from the central portion of shield 12', and is preferably formed integral therewith. Member E includes a base 14' from which a prong 16 projects upwardly. A bore 18' extends through the base 14, and a screw 20' extends through this bore to threadedly engage the bore 10. When the screw 26 is tightened it forces the base 14 and shield 12' towards the top portion B of the vehicle C into abutting contact with the header F. Due to the resiliency thereof, the shield 12 conforms to the interior configuration of the top portion B, in the manner shown in FIGURE 5.

The first alternate form of the assembly serves the same function as the preferred form thereof, and the polymerized resin defining the shield 12' and the hanger supporting member E is preferably colored to blend with the color of the header F against which it will be positioned.

A second alternate form of the header protective assembly is shown in FIGURE 6, wherein a base 30 is provided that has a prong 32 extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom. A number of vertically spaced grooves 34 are formed on the interior surface of prong 32 in which the hooks of clothes hangers (not shown) may be supported. A bore 36 extends through base 30. A tube 38 is provided, one end portion 49 of which is fit in bore 36 to frictionally engage the same, or is otherwise bonded to the base 30. End portion 40 includes an end piece 42.

The outer surfaces of base 30 and end piece 42 abut against a washer 44, which washer in turn is in contact with the inner surface of shield 12. A lower edge 46 or" shield 12 conforms to the lower boundary of liner F, which is also true of the shield, as shown in FIGURE 3 The shield 12 abuts against the liner F in the same manner as in the preferred form of the assembly.

A screw 48 is provided that extends through a bore 59 in end piece 42, and then through washer 44, shield 12, liner F to end portion B of vehicle C. The screw 48, as can be seen in FIGURE 6, serves to hold the above described assembly in place in a vehicle C to protect the liner 12' thereof. The tube 38 has a number of pairs of diametrically aligned openings 52 formed therein, which are adapted to removably engage and support the hooks of clothes hangers (not shown).

The use and operation of the invention have been described in detail herein and need not be repeated.

Although the present invention is fully capable of achieving the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore mentioned, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments thereof and I do not mean to be limited to the details of construction herein shown and described, other than as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A header protective assembly for removably supporting at least one clothes hanger within the interior of an automotive vehicle covered by a header, including:

(a) a base having a bore formed therein;

(b) a prong extending upwardly and outwardly from said base;

(c) a tube, an end portion of which is disposed in said bore and afiixed to said base, with the balance of said tube projecting from said base and having at least one pair of diametrically aligned openings formed therein for removably engaging and supporting a hook on one of said hangers;

(d) an end piece that closes said end portion of said tube, which end piece has a bore formed therein;

(e) a washer against which the outersurfaces of said base and end piece abut;

(f) a deformable protective shield that is in contact with said washer and said liner; and

(g) a screw extending through said bore in said end piece and said washer, shield and liner to enter a top portion of said vehicle to removably support said assembly therefrom.

2. A header protective assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein a plurality of vertically spaced grooves are formed in said prong, each of which grooves is capable of engaging and supporting a hook of one of said hangers.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,796,226 3 /3l Tombler 16-1 2,520,051 8/50 Newland 211123 X 2,695,152 11/54 Parulski 248-304 X 2,765,998 10/56 Engert 24829 3,063,669 11/62 Bell 248-304 FOREIGN PATENTS 874,524 8/ 61 Great Britain.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A HEADER PROTECTIVE ASSEMBLY FOR REMOVABLY SUPPORTING AT LEAST ONE CLOTHES HANGER WITHIN THE INTERIOR OF AN AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE COVERED BY A HEADER, INCLUDING: (A) A BASE HAVING A BORE FORMED THEREIN; (B) A PRONG EXTENDING UPWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY FROM SAID BASE; (C) A TUBE, AN END PORTION OF WHICH IS DISPOSED IN SAID BORE AND AFFIXED TO SAID BASE, WITH THE BALANCE OF SAID TUBE PROJECTING FROM SAID BASE AND HAVING AT LEAST ONE PAIR OF DIAMETRICALLY ALIGNED OPENINGS FORMED THEREIN FOR REMOVABLY ENGAGING AND SUPPORTING A HOOK ON ONE OF SAID HANGERS; (D) AN END PIECE THAT CLOSES SAID END PORTION OF SAID TUBE, WHICH END PIECE HAS A BORE FORMED THEREIN; (E) A WASHER AGAINST WHICH THE OUTER SURFACES OF SAID BASE AND END PIECE ABUT; (F) A DEFORMABLE PROTECTIVE SHIELD THAT IS IN CONTACT WITH SAID WASHER AND SAID LINER; AND (G) A SCREW EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BORE IN SAID END PIECE AND SAID WASHER, SHIELD AND LINER TO ENTER A TOP PORTION OF SAID VEHICLE TO REMOVABLY SUPPORT SAID ASSEMBLY THEREFROM.