Vehicle Door Protection Apparatus

Abstract

Apparatus for protecting vehicle doors from being damaged by impacts received from the opening of doors of adjacent vehicles. An impact-absorbing shield is suspended from a ceiling of a vehicle shelter. A retractor moves the shield between a deployed position protecting an adjacent vehicle surface from lateral impact damage, and a retracted position out of the way of vehicles entering and exiting the shelter. The retractor is carried by the vehicle shelter ceiling and is configured to move the shield vertically between a retracted position and a deployed position.

1 . A vehicle door protection apparatus for protecting vehicle doors from being damaged by impacts received from the opening of doors of adjacent vehicles, the apparatus comprising:
 an impact-absorbing shield;   a suspension including at least one suspender connected to the shield and connectable to a ceiling of a vehicle shelter;   a retractor connected to the suspension and configured to move the shield between a deployed position protecting an adjacent vehicle surface from lateral impact damage, and a retracted position out of the way of vehicles entering and exiting the shelter; and   the retractor being carried by the vehicle shelter ceiling, connected to an upper end of the at least one suspender, and configured to move the shield vertically between a retracted position and a deployed position by alternately extending and retracting the at least one suspender.   
     
     
         2 . A vehicle door protection apparatus as defined in  claim 1  in which the retractor includes:
 at least one ceiling-mountable spring-loaded reel connected to an upper end of the at least one suspender and configured to allow an operator to pull the shield downward into a deployed position, unrolling the at least one suspender against the spring bias of the reel, the retractor including; and 
 a locking mechanism configured to releasably lock the reel against retraction once the operator has ceased pulling downward on the shield, the locking mechanism being configured to release in response to a downward tug applied to the shield by an operator and draw the shield upward to the retracted position by rolling up the at least one suspender onto the reel. 
 
     
     
         3 . A vehicle door protection apparatus as defined in  claim 2  in which the spring-loaded reel includes the locking mechanism. 
     
     
         4 . A vehicle door protection apparatus as defined in  claim 2  in which the suspender includes at least two straps connected between the shield and the reel. 
     
     
         5 . A vehicle door protection apparatus as defined in  claim 4  in which the reel includes strap guides configured to guide the respective straps as the straps roll-up on the reel during retraction. 
     
     
         6 . A vehicle door protection apparatus as defined in  claim 5  in which:
 the strap guides comprise spools carried at spaced-apart locations along the reel, each spool including a pair of annular flanges carried in a coaxial, generally parallel orientation relative to one another on the reel and spaced-apart by a distance slightly greater than a width of the straps; 
 the straps are connected to the reel at locations between the flanges of the respective spools; and 
 the annular flanges of each spool are disposed in respective coaxial orientations relative to a rotational axis of the reel. 
 
     
     
         7 . A vehicle door protection apparatus as defined in  claim 5  in which:
 the apparatus includes a roller housing configured to cover the reel; and 
 the strap guides comprise slots formed in the roller housing in positions spaced along a length of the housing to receive the respective straps, the slots having widths slightly greater than the widths of the respective straps. 
 
     
     
         8 . A vehicle door protection apparatus as defined in  claim 5  in which:
 the strap guides comprise pairs of guide arches supported in positions spaced along and arching over the reel; and 
 the straps are connected to the reel at locations between the guide arches of the respective strap guides. 
 
     
     
         9 . A vehicle door protection apparatus as defined in  claim 1  in which the shield includes a shield panel comprising a plurality of pads interlocked to form a single elongated rectangular prism-shaped shield panel. 
     
     
         10 . A vehicle door protection apparatus as defined in  claim 9  in which the pads of the shield panel are separably interlocked and configured such that any number of the pads may be interconnected to form a shield panel of any desired height and length. 
     
     
         11 . A vehicle door protection apparatus as defined in  claim 9  in which the shield includes a shield panel mount that is connected between the suspender and the pads of the shield panel, a lower edge of the shield panel mount being interlocked with respective upper edges of the pads of the shield panel. 
     
     
         12 . A vehicle door protection apparatus as defined in  claim 11  in which:
 the shield includes an elongated top channel formed along an upper surface of the shield panel mount; 
 the suspender includes a sleeve connected to lower ends of the straps; 
 the suspender includes a rod received in and along a length of the sleeve, and 
 the sleeve and rod are removably received in the elongated top channel of the shield panel mount. 
 
     
     
         13 . A vehicle door protection apparatus as defined in  claim 12  in which the suspender rod and sleeve are retained in the top channel of the shield panel mount by fasteners that extend through transverse holes formed through the shield panel mount and corresponding holes formed through the suspender rod and sleeve. 
     
     
         14 . A vehicle door protection apparatus as defined in  claim 9  in which:
 rebar channels are formed into and along respective surfaces of the shield panel pads and are aligned with one another when the shield panel pads are interconnected; and 
 a reinforcing bar is received in the rebar channels. 
 
     
     
         15 . A vehicle door protection apparatus as defined in  claim 14  in which the reinforcing bar has a cross-sectional size and shape complementing those of the rebar channels. 
     
     
         16 . A vehicle door protection apparatus as defined in  claim 15  in which:
 each rebar channel has a generally trapezoidal cross-section; and 
 the reinforcing bar has a trapezoidal cross-section slightly smaller than that of the rebar channels. 
 
     
     
         17 . A vehicle door protection apparatus as defined in  claim 1  in which the apparatus includes a pull-down strap connected at an upper end to the shield and having a length sufficient to hang down within reach of an operator when the shield is in its retracted and stowed position.