GB1600364A - Vehicles - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO VEHICLES (71) We, FUTURAMA SIGNS LI MITED, a British Company of Island Farm House, Island Farm Road, East Molesey, Surrey, KT8 OTR, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a Patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to vehicles and, more particularly. to estate cars in which side windows extend to the rear of the car.

It is known for the rear side windows of estate cars to be concealed by detachable panels which may carry advertising material. The car thus takes on the appearance of a van and is useful for commercial purposes.

The panels are simply detached if it is desired to restore the estate car appearance, e.g. for private use of the car.

It is known for such panels to be held on the exterior of the car by permanent mountings which are inconspicuous when the panels are detached.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an estate car comprising internally of each rear side window a panel assembly including a panel proper and means mounting the panel for pivotal movement between an operative position in which the panel covers the window over the full height thereof and an inoperative out-of-the-way position.

The invention will now be further described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view from inside one embodiment of estate car according to the invention, looking in the direction of one rear side window thereof; Figure 2 is a corresponding view with part of the panel assembly removed; Figure 3 is a sectional view illustrating the construction and operation of the panel assembly; Figure 4 is a detail view of locating means for locating the panel assembly in position; and Figure 5 is a detail view illustrating the construction and mode of operation of a catch of the panel assembly.

Figure 1 shows a panel assembly mounted internally of the left-hand rear side window of an estate car. It will be appreciated that a similar panel assembly will be mounted at the right-hand side window but since the construction and mode of operation of both assemblies are substantially identical (save where a mirror image configuration is required) only the left-hand side assembly will be described in detail.

The panel assembly illustrated in Figure 1 comprises a panel proper 1 secured to a pivotal rod 2 detachably engaged at its ends by spring plunger units 3. A first catch 4 is fixed to the roof of the car and a second catch 5 is secured to the bottom edge of the window frame 6.

In this embodiment, the panel 1 is made of opaque, synthetic plastics material shaped to fit into the window recess.

However, the panel may also be made of translucent, transparent or one-way seethrough material. That surface of the panel 1 which faces outwardly in use may bear advertising material.

The pivotal rod 2 is a square section hollow rod with a longitudinal slot 7 in which an edge of the panel 1 is fixedly received as best seen in Figure 3. The panel 1 may thus be slid forwardly or backwardly to avoid obstacles on the inside of the vehicle. The plunger units 3 each comprise a solid nylon injection moulded body 8 forming part of a mounting bracket permanently secured to the vehicle body. A spring loaded plunger 9 is held in the body 8 and engages in the respective end of the rod 2. The plunger 9 has a shoulder 10 for locating the end of the rod 2.

The catch 4 is a spring clip which snaps over an edge of the panel 1 when the latter is raised into the inoperative position shown in Figure 1. The panel 1 can be snapped out of engagement with the catch 4 merely by exerting a downward pull thereon. The catch 5 is best shown in Figure 5 and comprises a plate 11 fixedly mounted on the car body by bolts 12, 13 extending through a slot 14 in a slider plate 15 held between the fixing plate 11 and the car body. The slider plate 15 has a tongue 16 arranged centrally of its upper edge and in the position of the slider plate 15 shown in Figure 5 the tongue 16 is in overlapping relationship with a flange 17 on the free edge of the panel 1.

Adjacent the flange 17 is a recess 18 with which the tongue 16 is in register when the slider plate 15 is moved to the right in Figure 5, thereby allowing the panel 1 to be lifted clear of the catch 5 into the inoperative position shown in Figure 1.

As already indicated, the panel 1 may be lowered into the operative position in which its free edge is held by the catch 5 or lifted into the inoperative position adjacent the car roof when its free edge will be held by the spring catch 4. In the operative position of the panel 1 the rear side window of the car will be effectively blanked off by the panel 1 extending over the full height of the window and any advertising material on the outer surface of the panel 1 will be visible through the rear side window. When passengers are being carried in the rear seats or the car is being used for private rather than commercial purposes the panel 1 may be lifted into the inoperative position shown in Figure 1. If the panels are not going to be used for a long period of time they may be removed along with the respective pivotal rods simply by disengaging the spring loaded plungers from the rods and lifting the panels and rods bodily out of the car. The only fixtures that remain permanently in the car are the mounting brackets and the catches 4 and 5 all of which are relatively unobtrusive. This condition is shown in Figure 2.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. An estate car comprising internally of each rear side window a panel assembly including a panel proper and means mounting the panel for pivotal movement between an operative position in which the panel covers the window over the full height thereof and an inoperative out-of-the-way position.

2. An estate car as claimed in claim 1, wherein each panel is secured to a pivotal rod mounted inside and above a respective rear side window and detachably engaged at each end by locating means.

3. An estate car as claimed in claim 2, wherein the locating means comprises a spring loaded plunger.

4. An estate car as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each panel is adapted to be held in the inoperative position by a roof mounted catch and in the operative position by a further catch mounted below the respective side window.

5. An estate car substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (5)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. end of the rod 2. The catch 4 is a spring clip which snaps over an edge of the panel 1 when the latter is raised into the inoperative position shown in Figure 1. The panel 1 can be snapped out of engagement with the catch 4 merely by exerting a downward pull thereon. The catch 5 is best shown in Figure 5 and comprises a plate 11 fixedly mounted on the car body by bolts 12, 13 extending through a slot 14 in a slider plate 15 held between the fixing plate 11 and the car body. The slider plate 15 has a tongue 16 arranged centrally of its upper edge and in the position of the slider plate 15 shown in Figure 5 the tongue 16 is in overlapping relationship with a flange 17 on the free edge of the panel 1. Adjacent the flange 17 is a recess 18 with which the tongue 16 is in register when the slider plate 15 is moved to the right in Figure 5, thereby allowing the panel 1 to be lifted clear of the catch 5 into the inoperative position shown in Figure 1. As already indicated, the panel 1 may be lowered into the operative position in which its free edge is held by the catch 5 or lifted into the inoperative position adjacent the car roof when its free edge will be held by the spring catch 4. In the operative position of the panel 1 the rear side window of the car will be effectively blanked off by the panel 1 extending over the full height of the window and any advertising material on the outer surface of the panel 1 will be visible through the rear side window. When passengers are being carried in the rear seats or the car is being used for private rather than commercial purposes the panel 1 may be lifted into the inoperative position shown in Figure 1. If the panels are not going to be used for a long period of time they may be removed along with the respective pivotal rods simply by disengaging the spring loaded plungers from the rods and lifting the panels and rods bodily out of the car. The only fixtures that remain permanently in the car are the mounting brackets and the catches 4 and 5 all of which are relatively unobtrusive. This condition is shown in Figure 2. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. An estate car comprising internally of each rear side window a panel assembly including a panel proper and means mounting the panel for pivotal movement between an operative position in which the panel covers the window over the full height thereof and an inoperative out-of-the-way position.

2. An estate car as claimed in claim 1, wherein each panel is secured to a pivotal rod mounted inside and above a respective rear side window and detachably engaged at each end by locating means.

3. An estate car as claimed in claim 2, wherein the locating means comprises a spring loaded plunger.

4. An estate car as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each panel is adapted to be held in the inoperative position by a roof mounted catch and in the operative position by a further catch mounted below the respective side window.

5. An estate car substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.