The invention relates to a stowage compartment for a motor vehicle, wherein the stowage compartment is designed to be arranged underneath a hood element of the motor vehicle. Furthermore the invention relates to a motor vehicle having such a stowage compartment.
In vehicles having a mid-mounted engine or a rear-mounted engine or in electric vehicles, a space under a front flap can be used for a stowage compartment or a baggage compartment. For example, tools, tire changing parts, and electric charging cables for electrified drives can be housed therein. Forming a stowage compartment to be trough-shaped and lining it with a decoration is known, so that a baggage compartment located under the front flap is formed. This baggage compartment is formed by means of a circumferential seal arrangement toward the lower side of the front hood, so that the baggage compartment is sealed off against environmental influences such as moisture, dust, and the like. Furthermore, unsealed trough-like stowage compartments made of plastic are also known, which are accessible by opening the front flap.
An engine hood is known from DE 10 2005 059 264 A1, which has a stowage space arranged pivotably on the inner side of the engine hood for tools, cleaning rags, and the like.
DE 10 2011 122 321 A1 discloses a hood component having a reinforcing element, wherein shaped holes are formed in the reinforcing element, into which a stowage compartment having cover is insertable.
To meet pedestrian protection requirements, it is required that a seal line for front flaps, which cover a baggage compartment, cannot be in an impact region or has to be designed as labile using special measures. This requires special design measures, which increase costs. If the baggage compartment is loaded too strongly, the front flap can be damaged or deformed in sections upon closing of the baggage compartment. The use of unsealed stowage compartments is restricted and correspondingly linked to comfort losses.
The underlying object of the invention is considered that of providing a stowage compartment for a motor vehicle which avoids the above disadvantages.
This object is achieved by a stowage compartment having the features of claim 1 and by a motor vehicle having the features of claim 15. Advantageous designs having expedient refinements are specified in the dependent claims.
Accordingly, a stowage compartment for a motor vehicle is proposed, which is designed to be arranged below a hood element of the motor vehicle, wherein the hood element forms a part of the outer skin of the motor vehicle, wherein the stowage compartment comprises:
a trough-like container, a cover connectable or connected to the container, wherein the cover is movable relative to the container around the pivot axis between a closed position and an open position, and a hinge device which enables the pivot movement of the cover relative to the container. It is provided here that the hinge device is designed in such a way that the cover is automatically held in an arbitrary open position from a minimum opening angle and up to a maximum opening angle, and the cover automatically moves into its closed position because of gravity below the minimum opening angle.
Simple operation of the cover can take place when the hood element is open in this way. In particular, the loading and unloading of the stowage compartment can be carried out safely with open cover. Furthermore, the reliable closing of the stowage compartment is assisted by the automatic closing of the cover below an opening angle which is no longer relevant for the loading or unloading.
The cover can have a locking device, which is designed to releasably lock the cover on the container in its closed position. In this way, it is ensured that the cover reliably rests on the container and closes it in its closed position.
The locking device can have a spring pre-tensioned lever element supported on the cover, having a catch section and an actuating section. In this case, the catch section can be engaged in the closed position of the cover with a corresponding support section of the container, so that the locking device is in a locking position. The cover and the container are thus reliably tensioned and secured in relation to one another in the locking position.
The actuating section can be configured to move the catch section relative to the container and against the spring pre-tension force so that the engagement between the catch section and the support section is released. In this case, the actuating section can be designed like a lever. The actuating section enables smooth and in particular one-handed operation, so that the cover can be opened easily.
The locking device can furthermore be designed to automatically assume the locking position upon the gravity-effectuated closing of the cover. It is thus ensured that the cover is also reliably locked upon the automatic closing below the minimum opening angle. This simplifies the operation, because it is possible to move the cover downward with one hand from an open position until it automatically closes below the minimum opening angle and then is also locked.
The maximum opening angle of the cover can be limited in such a way that an acute angle is formed between an upper side of the cover and a lower side of the hood element when the hood element rests on the maximally open cover. In this way, it is ensured that wedging between the cover and the hood element can be prevented. In particular, the hood element moving downward is applied to the cover and the cover moves from its open position in the direction of the closed position. That is to say, the cover slides with a contact section along the inner side of the hood element until it is located underneath the minimum opening angle, from which the cover automatically falls into its closed position because of gravity and moves away from the hood element.
In the closed position of the cover, a seal arrangement can be provided between the cover and the container along a container edge section facing toward the cover, so that the container is sealed closed by the cover. The seal arrangement can be arranged on the cover and/or on the container edge section. In this way, the interior of the stowage compartment can be protected from environmental influences such as moisture, dust, and the like.
The cover can furthermore have a circumferential cover edge section, which extends downward beyond a container upper edge in the closed position of the cover. Lateral penetration of moisture, dust, and the like is counteracted in this way.
A venting path between the interior of the container and the environment can be formed between an inner side of the cover edge section and an outer side of a container edge section, wherein the venting path is formed in particular by a recess in the seal arrangement. Upon the automatic closing of the cover, this enables the reliable and rapid escape of air from the interior of the container, so that the cover is not prevented from securely closing due to an air cushion.
The hinge device can be a friction hinge. In this way, the desired behavior of the cover with respect to the minimum opening angle or the maximum opening angle can be set.
The container and the cover can be produced from a weather-resistant plastic. This enables the installation below the hood element without the hood element having to be specially sealed.
The hinge device can be connected to the cover and can have a free coupling section facing away from the cover, which is releasably fastened in a corresponding coupling opening on the container, wherein the coupling opening is arranged on an outer side of the container. In particular, the coupling section can be pluggable into the coupling opening. This enables simple assembly of the stowage compartment or the subsequent insertion of the cover when the container is already installed in the motor vehicle.
The above-mentioned object is also achieved by a motor vehicle having a vehicle body, wherein the vehicle body comprises at least one hood element, which covers a stowage space delimited by the vehicle body in a closed state, wherein a stowage compartment having at least one of the above-mentioned features is accommodated in the stowage space.
Further advantages, features, and details of the invention result from the claims, the following description of preferred embodiments, and on the basis of the drawings. In the figures:
The cover 14 is movable in relation to the container 12 around a pivot axis SA. For this purpose, the cover 14 is connected by means of at least one hinge 24 to the container 12. Accordingly, the cover 14 can be moved starting from a closed position, in which it rests on an upper edge section 26 of the container, into different open positions. An operating element 30 is provided on a front edge section 28 of the cover 14. The operating element 30 is designed in particular so that the cover 14 can be moved with one hand from a closed position into an open position.
Nubs 42 formed protruding downward are provided in the region of the base 22 of the container 12. The nubs 42 are used in particular to be able to fasten the container 12 on a part (not shown here) of a vehicle body. In particular, recesses or depressions embodied corresponding to the nubs 42 can be provided on a vehicle body. In addition to the nubs 42, which do not necessarily have to be provided in every conceivable embodiment of a container 12, the container 12 can be connected by means of fastening brackets 43 to the vehicle body. Exemplary arrangements of such fastening brackets 43 are shown in
The nubs 42 can also be designed so that liquid possibly located in the container 12, for example water, can be drained off. For this purpose, an opening can possibly be provided in one or more corresponding nubs 42. Such an opening can be closed by means of a removable plug or can simply be left open without closure. In embodiments of the container which do not have nubs 42 as shown here, such an opening can generally be provided as much as possible at a lowest point of the trough-like container 12.
The positions S1, S2, and S3 of the cover 14 illustrated in
In the intermediate position SH2 shown here, the hood element 44 comes into contact with its inner side 45 with the cover 14 of the stowage compartment 10. The contact between hood element 44 and cover 14 can occur in any open position of the cover 14 within the angle range Wauf (see
Alternatively to a venting channel 50, providing at least one recess or a notch on the seal element 48 can also be considered, through which the displaced air can escape from the interior of the stowage compartment upon closing of the cover. Such a recess can be provided, for example, at multiple points along the seal element 48. The recesses can be dimensioned here in such a way that the air volume to be displaced can escape reliably and the penetration of water or dirt through these recesses can be nearly completely avoided.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2018 206 316.8 | Apr 2018 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2019/055380 | 3/5/2019 | WO | 00 |