The transition from walking with an umbrella to sitting in my car always seems like a drippy affair. The rain blaster is a powerful flat fan mounted in the ceiling of the vehicle (or inside the trunk and directed up to the roof). When a water sensor detects it is raining, the door of your car has just opened, and you have just sat down - it sends out a blast of air along the top edge of the door, giving you a rain-free "canopy" so you can sit, shake out your umbrella, then get in your car without getting wet.

This could probably be done much easier with a real canopy that pops out like a wing above the door to shelter you while you get settled in the car, but I liked the idea of the air-powered rain re-direction. The cheaper version would be this pop-out - button-activated type.

For clarification - air blower type would be powerful enough (and angled correctly). to keep the rain off the door.

The pop-out (manual) type would be like the wings on Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang (see link), but above the door (not below it). Perhaps you could even have the Chitty-Chitty sound going on as it engaged.
-- trekbody, Nov 12 2004

Try this, [dentworth] http://www.cnn.com/.../flame.thrower.car/
You'll certainly get a warm blast [angel, Nov 13 2004]

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang http://www.hollywoo...release%20Loose.JPG
Closeup [trekbody, Nov 15 2004]

Door umbrella Car_20Door_20Pop-out_20Umbrellas
I gave a long annotation with this very idea, only to find it already halfbaked. [kamathln, Nov 26 2008]

Too cool. http://www.cnet.com...ir/#ftag=CAD590a51e
[2 fries shy of a happy meal, Oct 14 2014]

car underdoor Car Underdoor
[pashute, Oct 14 2014]

This would make for such a cool patio umbrella.

"Quick kids it's starting to sprinkle, everyone under the force field."
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Nov 13 2004


neat!
-- po, Nov 13 2004


I want a portable one--"invisible umbrella"!
-- 5th Earth, Nov 13 2004


'Hold onto your hat, glasses and dentures, Grandma. I'm going to open now.'
-- FarmerJohn, Nov 13 2004


I love the warm blast I get in some store fronts, (in cold weather) when you first open the door. This would be nice feature in cars.
-- dentworth, Nov 13 2004


[dentworth] - That's one thing that even the most expensive luxury cars haven't sorted out - the ten minutes of freezing cold interior between when you get in at 07:00 on a winter's morning and when the engine warms up enough to make the heating work.
-- wagster, Nov 13 2004


Perhaps this could be done by the car itself building up interior air pressure when it detects rain outside. More rain = more pressure. The pressure is suddenly vented when the door is open, leaving you toasty warm and dry. Oh yes: hot air. Unfortunately this will not work for your passenger, unless your timing is perfect, and then only half as well.

It occurs to me that the patio version could be made with a series of leaf blowers. You would want them angled, not straight up, or a puddle will accumulate in the air over the leaf blowers, writhing and churning ominously in the bitter wind.
-- bungston, Nov 13 2004


Exploding car?
-- wagster, Nov 13 2004


I use a butler with a large black umbrella.
-- wagster, Nov 14 2004


nice idea, trek. +

a piece of fabric attached to the top of the door, which can then be retracted into the roof vis a vis a roll-up window shade would work nicely as well.
-- mihali, Nov 14 2004


I was wondering if we can have "Umbrella standards".

Cars can have a concealable holder in the door. Once you "hand over" the umbrella to the umbrella holder, you just sit inside the car.

The holder is precaliberated to hold "standard" following umbrellas in such a way, that it covers you completely till you are inside the car. Deluxe versions even attempt to tilt the umbrella if the rain is coming in sideways.

Once you are inside the car, you just press a button. As the umbrella follows a particular standard, the folding and storage of the umbrell in the door itself can be automated.

This accomplishes two tasks.

1) you dont get wet

and

2) you dont get wet.

Ah well, both the "you dont get wet"s are different. in the first one, you dont get wet when trying to fold the umbrella, which is outside while you are inside.

The second "you don't get wet" is from the water dripping from the umbrella, as the umbrella is stored upright in the door itself.

This also has a third advantage. If, when you reach your destination, it is still raining, then you can use the same button you used to fold it, to now reverse the process. as soon as you open the door, the umbrella, still on the holder, comes out of the car and opens up. Care must be taken so the points don't poke your eye (seasoned halfbakers must have by now noticed the oppurtunity to solve another problem). The umbrella is now ready for use, and you can get out of the car without getting wet. Oh! and dont forget to pick it form the holder before leaving the car.
-- kamathln, Nov 24 2008


<link>
-- kamathln, Nov 26 2008


'nother [link].
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Oct 14 2014



random, halfbakery