This invention relates in general to motor vehicles and, more particularly, to a storage assembly for motor vehicle cargo areas and trunk compartments which reduces the risk that cargo will shift, slide, or roll about the cargo area and trunk compartment during the operation of the motor vehicle.
Most motor vehicles are provided with cargo areas and trunk compartments for transporting and storing cargo. Cargo areas and trunk compartments are generally defined by a horizontal load surface extending between the motor vehicle side panels and the rearmost seat and rear end of the motor vehicle. The cargo transported and stored on the load surface typically shifts, slides, or rolls about the load surface in response to the motion of the motor vehicle induced by accelerating, braking, and turning.
It is desirable to prevent cargo from shifting about the load surface in an effort to prevent cargo from spilling or from being damaged when being transported or stored. It is also often desirable to separate various cargo to prevent the various cargo from intermixing and/or damaging one another.
Of recent popularity are cargo nets. Such nets are usually formed from flexible elastic cords having hooks or other fasteners that cooperate with eyes strategically located in the motor vehicle cargo area or trunk compartment. Such nets are limited in their applications. They fail to provide a rigid structure for receiving fragile cargo. Fastening the net can require the motor vehicle operator or passenger to bend and stretch into the cargo area or trunk compartment. Moreover, deployment of the net may require tension over the cargo that can crush and damage fragile cargo.
Various organizing arrangements have been proposed for use in motor vehicle cargo areas and trunk compartments. Such arrangements include partitions or racks that divide the cargo area or trunk compartment into a plurality of discrete storage areas. Some arrangements include partitions that are collapsible to allow the arrangement to be folded and stored in a compact form. These arrangements may be expensive to manufacture, especially in the secondary market, and may be cumbersome to assemble. Moreover, such arrangements may vibrate during operation of the vehicle generating undesirable noise.
A storage apparatus is needed that permits cargo to be transported and stored in a motor vehicle without shifting or spilling that does not generate undesirable noise during vehicle operation.
The present invention is directed towards a motor vehicle storage assembly that meets the foregoing needs. The vehicle storage assembly is selectively engagable with an interior component of a vehicle cargo area to define a storage area and includes a first panel and a second panel connected to the first panel by a hinge. At least one of the first panel and the second panel has an attachment member adapted to be selectively engaged with at least one attachment location on the interior component.
Various objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, when read in light of the accompanying drawings.
Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated in
The cargo area 12 is generally bounded by opposing laterally spaced walls, each comprising interior components 14, 16 and a rear seat 18 or a wall of a trunk compartment, illustrated schematically in
A storage assembly, indicated generally at 24, is adapted to be retained in the cargo area 12. As illustrated, the storage assembly 24 generally includes a first panel 26 and a second panel 28, although such is not required. It will be appreciated that the storage assembly 24 may have any number of panels. The first storage panel 26 is connected to the second storage panel 28 by a hinge 30. The storage assembly 24 may include a handle 32 for selectively moving and/or engaging at least one of the first panel 26 and the second panel 28 as will be described below.
In a preferred embodiment, the first panel 26 is generally rectangular, although such is not required. The first panel 26 may have a first end 26a at which the first panel 26 is connected to the hinge 30. The first panel 26 may have a second end 26b that is generally opposed from the first end 26a. The first panel 26 may also have a third end 26c and a fourth end 26d, generally opposed to one another. The first panel 26 may also have a laterally extending storage surface 34. Extending outwardly from the third end 26c and the fourth end 26d in a plane generally parallel to the storage surface 34, the first panel 26 may include attachment members 36, as best shown in
In a preferred embodiment, the second panel 28 is also generally rectangular, although such is not required. Similar to the first panel 26, the second panel 28 may have a first end 28a at which the second panel 28 is connected to the hinge 30. The second panel 28 may have a second end 28b that is generally opposed from the first end 28a. The second panel 28 may also have a third end 28c and a fourth end 28d, generally opposed to one another. The second panel 28 may also have a laterally extending storage surface 40. Extending outwardly from the third end 28c and the fourth end 28d in a plane generally parallel to the storage surface 40, the second panel 28 may include attachment members 42, as best shown in
As illustrated, the first panel 26 and the second panel 28 extend across the width of the vehicle cargo area 12. However, the first panel 26 and the second panel 28 may extend across either the length or the width of the vehicle cargo area 12 to divide the vehicle cargo area 12, or across any other portion of the cargo area 12. It will further be appreciated that the first panel 26 and the second panel 28 may cooperate with a combination of other panels (not shown) and/or other components of the cargo area 12 to divide the vehicle cargo area 12. It will also be appreciated that the first panel 26 and the second panel 28 may be generally rigid, or alternatively, either or both panel 26, 28 may include a flexible member, such as a net or fabric that may additionally have a rigid frame member.
The hinge 30 allows the first panel 26 to pivot relative to the second panel 28. The hinge 30 may include any mechanism or material capable of connecting the first panel 26 to the second panel 28 while allowing the first panel 26 and the second panel 28 to pivot relative to one another, such as a piano hinge or a flexible carpet layer. It will be appreciated that the first panel 26 and the second panel 28 may be formed integrally and the hinge 30 may be formed by a flexible portion therebetween, such that the hinge 30 is a living hinge. The hinge 30 may be formed by a notch of relatively smaller thickness of the material comprising the first panel 26 and the second panel 28. It will also be appreciated that the hinge 30 may be formed by an outer layer of flexible material, such as a carpet layer, connected to a portion of the first panel 26 and the second panel 28. It will further be appreciated that the hinge 30 may be formed by a portion of an outer layer that is adjacent to such a notch formed in, portion having a lesser amount of, or portion devoid of the material forming the first panel 26 and the second panel 28.
The handle 32 may assist a user in moving and/or positioning the storage panel assembly 24. The handle 32 may include an opening 32a through a portion of the second panel 28. The opening 32a may accommodate the hand of a user so that the user can take hold of the second panel 28 to move the second panel 28. Additionally, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the handle 32 may also include a first release mechanism 32b. The first release mechanism 32b may engage and/or disengage the attachment members 40 of the second panel 28 from the attachment locations 38. For example, the attachment members 42 may extend from the second panel 28 while the first release mechanism 32a is not engaged. When the first release mechanism 32b is actuated by a user, the attachment members 42 may retract inward toward the second panel 28, such that the second panel 28 is free to move relative to the attachment locations 38 and the vehicle 10. The user may position the second panel 28 adjacent the desired attachment locations 38 and then release the first release mechanism 26. When the first release mechanism 26 is released, the attachment members 42 are released so that the attachment members 42 engage the portion of the attachment locations 38 adjacent the attachment members 42 to secure the second panel 28 in the selected position relative to the vehicle. It will be appreciated that the first release mechanism 32a may retract or extend all or only a portion of the attachment members 42 of the second panel 28. In a further preferred embodiment, the handle 32 may include a second release mechanism 32c. The second release mechanism 32c may engage and/or disengage the attachment members 36 of the first panel 26 from the attachment locations 38, in a manner similar to that described above for the first release mechanism 32b. In a more preferred embodiment, a user may actuate the first release mechanism 32b and the second release mechanism 32c at the same time to release both the first panel 26 and the second panel 28 so that the assembly 24 is removable from the vehicle 10. It will further be appreciated that the attachment members 36 may be actuated, removed from the attachment locations 38, and positioned and placed within the attachment locations 38 in any manner in accordance with this invention.
As illustrated in
Preferably, the attachment members 36 may be provided at opposed ends 26c, 26d of the first panel 26 and the attachment members 42 may be provided at opposed ends 28c, 28d of the second panel 28, although such is not required. More preferably, the attachment members 36 are provided at opposed ends 26c, 26d near the second end 26b of the first panel 26 and the attachment members 42 are provided at opposed ends 28c, 28d near the second end 28b of the second panel 28, such that the attachment members 38 are spaced apart from the hinge 30. It will be appreciated that the attachment members 36, 42 may be provided at only one of the sides of each of the first panel 26 and the second panel 28, respectively. It will further be appreciated that the attachment members 36, 42 may extend from or be formed in the first panel 26 and the second panel 28, respectively, in any conventional manner to cooperate with the attachment locations 38. For example, the attachment members 36, 42 may be fixed or retractable pins extending from the first panel 26 and the second panel 28, respectively, to cooperate with tracks or apertures comprising the attachment locations 38, or the attachment members 36, 42 may be apertures formed in the first panel 26 and the second panel 28, respectively, that cooperate with nubs or pins comprising the attachment locations 38. As best shown in
The attachment locations 38 may be provided in or on the either or both of the interior components 14, 16. However, it will be appreciated that the attachment locations 38 may alternatively, or additionally, be provided on any component defining the cargo area 12, such as, for example, the rear seat 18 or the cargo hatch 22. The attachment locations 38 may include any structure capable of cooperating with the attachment members 36 to secure one of the first panel 26 and the second panel 28 to the vehicle 10. For example, the attachment locations 38 may include track members, slots, apertures, nubs, tangs, or pins that may be selectively engaged with corresponding attachment members 36, 42. As illustrated in
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The storage assembly 124 includes an attachment location 138 formed by a track member 138a connected to the vehicle 10. The track member 138a is similar to the track member 38a with the exception that the track member 138a may not include any apertures, like the apertures 48. The storage assembly 124 includes an attachment member 136 having a cam 136a that is pivotable about a shaft 156. As illustrated, the cam 136a is generally elliptical. When the cam 136a is disposed such that the length of the cam 136a extends generally parallel to the track member 138a, the cam 136a is free to move along the track member 138a. The cam 136a is rotatable within the track member 138a, such that the length of the cam 136a is not generally parallel to the length of the track member 138a so that the length of the cam 136a frictionally engages the walls of the track member 138a as indicated by phantom lines 136a′. It will be appreciated that the attachment member 136 may frictionally engage the attachment location 138 in any manner in accordance with this invention. When the cam 136a engages the track member 138a, the cam 136a and the track member 138a cooperate to lock a storage panel (not shown) that is connected to the cam 136a in the selected position relative to the vehicle 10. The cam 136a may be pivoted to engage and disengage the track member 138a by a release mechanism (not shown) similar to the release mechanism 32a of the handle 32.
Referring now to
The storage assembly 224 includes a flexible member 270. The flexible member 270 may be any flexible material including any textile, polymer, or fabric, such as carpet, vinyl, rubber, cloth, thermoplastic olefin (TPO), or any other flexible material or combination thereof. It will be appreciated that the flexible member 270 may be formed in any manner, such as from extruded sheets of material or by molding. It will further be appreciated that, preferably, the flexible member 270 may be comprised of a flooring material, such as UltraFloor™ available from Lear Corporation, Southfield, Mich. The flexible member 270 may extend over at least a portion of a storage surface 234 of a first panel 226 and a storage surface 240 of a second panel 228. A portion of the flexible member 270 disposed between the first panel 226 and the second panel 228 may form a hinge 230. The flexible member 270 may extend beyond the storage surface 234 to form a second hinge 272, such that the flexible member 270 pivotably mounts an end portion 226b to the cargo area 12 of the vehicle 10. As illustrated, the flexible member 270 mounts the end portion 226b to the rear seat 218 and the flexible member 270 extends across a rear surface 218a of the rear sear 218. It will be appreciated that the flexible member 270 may be formed integral to a portion of any other component of the vehicle 10, such as the rear seat 16 or the floor 20. In this embodiment, the first panel 226 is fixedly pivotably mounted to the vehicle 10 by the second hinge 272. Therefore, the assembly 224 is not removable from the vehicle 10, although such is not required. It will be appreciated that the first panel 226 may be removably mounted to the vehicle 10 as described in prior embodiments and the assembly 224 may be removable from the vehicle 10.
As illustrated, the flexible member 270 may extend beyond the second panel 228 and extend across a third panel 274 and a fourth panel 276, although such is not required. It will be appreciated that the assembly 224 may include any number of panels. Between the second panel 228 and the third panel 274, the flexible member 270 may form a third hinge 278. Between the third panel 274 and the fourth panel 276, the flexible member 270 may form a fourth hinge 280. The third panel 274 and the fourth panel 276 may be mounted within the vehicle 10 in a manner similar to that described for the first panel 226 and the second panel 228.
The second panel 226 is removably mounted to the vehicle 10 by at least one attachment member 236 that cooperates with at least one attachment location 238 formed in an interior component 16 of the vehicle 10. The attachment member 236 selectively engages the attachment member 236 to lock the second panel 226 to the vehicle 10. As illustrated, the third panel 274 does not include any attachment members and hangs between the second panel 228 and the fourth panel 276. The fourth panel 276 includes attachment members 236 that cooperate with attachment locations 238 as described for the second panel 228. It will be appreciated that any combination of the first panel 226, the second panel 228, the third panel 274 and the fourth panel 276 may include at least one attachment member 236 in accordance with the present invention. As illustrated, three attachment locations 238 are provided. However, it will be appreciated that any number of attachment locations 238 may be provided, including a single attachment location 238. As illustrated, the fourth panel 276 is movable from the deployed position, as shown in
In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the principle and mode of operation of this invention have been explained and illustrated in its preferred embodiment. However, it must be understood that this invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically explained and illustrated without departing from its spirit or scope.