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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
An automobile is often provided with a rack on its roof for carrying luggage. To protect such luggage a tarpaulin is used, which is located by means of elastic bands or ropes. As these bands, or ropes, are separate from the tarpaulin the latter may easily slide off the luggage, or some flap thereof may work free, exposing the luggage. Such free flaps, furthermore, will cause an undesirable noise and they may damage the luggage and/or the roof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention refers to a luggage cover and retaining means to be used with automobiles having a quadrilateral roof rack surrounded by a rail and comprises a tarpaulin including a roof portion having substantially the same extension as that of the rack, as well as marginal portions connected to said roof portion to form a hood-shaped unit adapted to enclose the rail of the rack, a pliable internal strengthening member connected to the roof portion in a manner to form together with the same at least one channel extending longitudinally of the tarpaulin and at least one channel transversely thereof, an elastic member having an attachment means at each end in each of the said channels, a peripheral passage running along the edges of the marginal portions remote from the top portion, and means in said passage to pull the marginal portions tight around the rack.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1 and 2 are a plan view and an elevation, respectively, of a roof luggage rack of a conventional type,
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the tarpaulin covering the rack, with one corner cut-away, and without any pieces of luggage being shown,
FIG. 4 shows the tarpaulin as viewed from below, and
FIG. 5 is a section on an enlarged scale along line V--V of FIG. 4.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In the drawing reference 10 denotes the roof of an automobile, on which a luggage rack, generally denoted by A, is attached in any conventional manner. The rack has a substantially quadrilateral form and includes supports 11 adapted to be attached to the roof and to carry rails formed by rods 12, 12 and 13, 13, which together form a basically rectangular frame with rounded corners, projecting above a trellis formed by rods 14 supported by transverse beams 11'.
The tarpaulin is denoted by B and is made of reinforced plastics or fabric impregnated by synthetic resin. When used the tarpaulin forms a hood including a substantially rectangular roof portion 15 and marginal portions 16, 16 and 17, 17 extending downwardly therefrom. These portions are sewn or welded together along seams 18-20. The lower edges of the marginal portions 16, 17 are provided with a hem forming a peripheral passage 21. In this passage an endless, elastic rope 22 is fitted, the elastic properties of which are used when the mouth of the hood is enlarged to make possible the fitting of the tarpaulin on the rack A to enclose the same as well as possible luggage carried thereby. In fitted position the corner seams 18 will coincide with the rounded corners of the rails.
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To the underside of the roof portion 15, the size of which about corresponds to that of the rack, a strengthening member being a piece of fabric 23, preferably of reinforced plastics, or other pliable material, is fitted, which is sewn or welded to the portion along its margins at 24. According to the embodiment shown two spaced, parallel elastic members 25 are fitted longitudinally and two spaced, parallel elastic members 26, are fitted transversely at the roof portion, extending through channels 27 and 28, respectively, formed between the roof portion and the strengthening member. The channels are obtained by the roof portion and the strengthening member being sewn or welded together along suitably located lines. Inside of the edge seams 24, which also close the ends of said channels 27, 28, an opening is made in the strengthening member at the end of each channel. Each opening is reinforced by a washer 30 of plastics or similar material bonded to the strengthening member. Each elastic member 25, 26 is provided with a hook 31 or the like at each end, the attachment of which to the elastic member, in cooperation with the reinforcing washer will prevent the hook from being retracted into the channel. On the drawing the attachment is shown as a helical extension of the hook encircling the end of the elastic member.
When the tarpaulin has been placed upon the luggage the elastic members are stretched and the hooks are connected to suitable points at the luggage rack. Thereafter the marginal portions 16-17 are folded down to bring the hem 21 with the elastic rope 22 down below the rails as shown in FIG. 3. All hooks 31 will in this position be covered by the tarpaulin.
The elastic members 25, 26 will securely retain the luggage upon the rack, as well as the tarpaulin around the luggage. The lower elastic rope 22 will prevent any portion of the tarpaulin from fluttering or from lifting, so the luggage is fully protected. Due to the channels 27, 28 the elastic members 25, 26 will maintain their position with respect to the tarpaulin and will not slip off any individual piece of luggage, while they simultaneously are protected from being caught by external objects, such as low branches of trees or the like.
The number of elastic members will depend upon the size of the rack, and instead of hooks at the ends of the members loops or eyelets may be used. The elastic rope 22 may be substituted by an ordinary open rope, by means of which the hem is tightened and the rope is tied in conventional manner.
When not in use the tarpaulin, together with the elastic members may be folded to a compact bundle.
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