1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure of a rear part in a body of a vehicle, which has an independent trunk compartment (or luggage room) on the rear side of the interior in the vehicle.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-349237, filed Dec. 26, 2006, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, in a sedan (or saloon) vehicle, a rear glass window (or a rear windowpane) is provided, which is inclined from the rear end of the roof toward the back of the vehicle body, and a trunk compartment is formed from an area below an attachment part for the rear glass window to the rear end of the vehicle. The trunk compartment is isolated from the interior of the vehicle by a partition wall, which is provided in the vicinity of the lower end of the rear glass window, and the upper part (toward the outside of the vehicle) of the trunk compartment is covered with a trunk lid. The trunk lid is attached via a hinge to the lower edge of the rear-glass-window attachment part in the vehicle body, in a manner such that it can be opened and closed (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2003-343154).
When a large-sized part such as a tank or a cylinder is installed on the back side of a rear seat in a sedan vehicle, such a large-sized part occupies a front space of the trunk compartment. In order to solve this problem, the overhang on the back side of the vehicle body, or the width of the vehicle may need to be enlarged. However, such enlargement may be difficult due to design or applied standards.
In this case, the height of the trunk lid may be increased so as to provide a desired height of the trunk compartment. However, in accordance with an increase in the height of the trunk lid, the vertical width of the rear glass window is decreased, which narrows the rear visual field observable from the interior of the vehicle.
In light of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a structure of a rear part in a body of a vehicle, which can enlarge the capacity of the trunk compartment without narrowing the rear visual field observed from the interior of the vehicle.
Therefore, the present invention provides a structure of a rear part in a body of a vehicle, wherein:
a rear glass window (e.g., a rear glass window 2 in embodiment explained later) is provided at a rear end part of a roof (e.g., a roof 1 in the embodiments) of the vehicle, and the rear glass window is inclined downward toward the back of the vehicle body;
a trunk compartment (e.g., a trunk compartment 3 in the embodiments) is formed from a part below an attachment part of the rear glass window to a rear end part of the vehicle body;
a trunk lid (e.g., a trunk lid 7 in the embodiments) is attached to a lower edge of the attachment part of the rear glass window in a manner such that the trunk lid can be opened and closed freely; and
a visual window (e.g., a visual window 8 in the embodiments) for observing a field on the back side of the vehicle body is provided in a wall (e.g., a rear wall 7b in the embodiments) of the trunk lid, the wall being positioned on the back side of the vehicle body.
In accordance with the above structure, it is possible to observe a field on the back side of the vehicle, from the interior thereof through the rear glass window and the visual window of the trunk lid. Therefore, a large rear visual field can be provided even when the height of the trunk lid is increased. Accordingly, the capacity of the trunk compartment can be increased without narrowing the rear visual field observed from the interior of the vehicle.
In the above structure, a visual-field control device (e.g., a visual-field control panel 10 in the embodiments) for permitting observation of the field on the back side of the vehicle body from the interior of the vehicle and for preventing the trunk compartment from being observed from the back side of the vehicle body may be provided at the visual window.
Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the trunk compartment from being observed though the visual window from the back side of the vehicle body.
It is possible that:
a partition wall (e.g., a rear tray 12 in the embodiments) for parting the trunk compartment from the interior of the vehicle is provided below the rear glass window; and
an interior window (e.g., an interior window 15 in the embodiments) for observing the field on the back side of the vehicle body through the visual window of the trunk lid is formed in the partition wall.
Accordingly, it is possible to observe a field on the back side of the vehicle, from the interior thereof through the interior window in the partition wall and the visual window of the trunk lid. Therefore, the rear visual field can be enlarged while providing a sufficient space in the trunk compartment by increasing the height of the partition wall.
In this case, preferably, a visual-field control device for preventing the trunk compartment from being observed is provided at the interior window. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the trunk compartment from being observed through a side window and the interior window of the vehicle body (i.e., from the side window through the interior window).
When the visual-field control device is provided at the visual window or the interior window, it may have a visual-field control film, whose transparency varies depending on a visual angle.
In this case, the visual field can be appropriately made opaque at an angle which is not included in the visual angle range for observing a field on the back side of the vehicle from the interior thereof. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the trunk compartment from being observed, by using a simple structure.
Typically, the visual-field control film provided at the visual window of the trunk lid is formed so as to set an opaque angle range of the film to an angle range at which the bottom side of the trunk compartment is observable from the back side of the vehicle body.
Accordingly, the visual-field control film is made opaque at an angle for observing the bottom side of the trunk compartment through the visual window from the back side of the vehicle body. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the bottom side of the trunk compartment from being observed through the visual window.
Also typically, the visual-field control film provided at the interior window in the partition wall is formed so as to set an opaque angle range of the film to an angle range at which the trunk compartment is observable from each side window of the vehicle body.
Accordingly, the visual field is made opaque at an angle for observing the trunk compartment through the interior window from a side window of the vehicle body. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the trunk compartment from being observed through the interior window from the side window of the vehicle body.
In a preferable example, a cover, which is arranged substantially horizontally so as to cover the upper side of the trunk compartment, is provided under the visual window.
Hereinafter, embodiments in accordance with the present invention will be described with reference to the appended figures. In the embodiments, identical parts are given identical reference numerals, and duplicated explanations are partially omitted.
First, a first embodiment will be explained with reference to
As shown in
A trunk lid 7 is provided at the lower edge of the attachment part of the rear glass window 2 via a hinge (not shown), and the opening of the trunk compartment 3 on the back side of the vehicle body can be closed and opened using the trunk lid 7.
The trunk lid 7 has a substantially L-shaped section when observed from a side of the vehicle body, and includes an upper wall 7a, which covers the upper side of the trunk compartment 3 when the trunk lid 7 is closed, and a rear wall 7b for covering the back side of the trunk compartment 3. A visual window 8, having an elongated form in the horizontal direction, is provided at the upper edge of the rear wall 7b, where the center of the visual window 8 substantially coincides with the center of the vehicle in the width direction. The visual window 8 is formed through an outer panel and an inner panel of the trunk lid 7, where a transparent resin panel 9 is attached to the relevant opening of the outer panel, while a visual-field control panel 10 (explained later), which includes a visual-field control film, is attached to the relevant opening of the inner panel. Through the visual-field control panel 10, a field on the back side of the vehicle is visible from the interior of the vehicle with respect to an ordinary visual angle range.
In addition, below the rear glass window 2, a rear tray 12 (as a partition wall) for parting the trunk compartment 3 from the interior 11 is provided on the back side of the rear seat 4. The rear tray 12 includes a horizontal wall 13, which has substantially the same height as the lower edge of the rear glass window 2 and covers the upper side of the trunk compartment 3 substantially horizontally, and a front wall 14, which bends downward from the front end of the horizontal wall 13. In the front wall 14, an interior window 15 is provided, through which a field on the back side of the vehicle body is visible also through the visual window 8 of the trunk lid 7.
In the present embodiment, the front wall 14 has an upper block 14a, which is integral with the horizontal wall 13, and a lower block 14b, which is separate from the upper block 14a, where both blocks are coupled with each other via a visual-field control panel 16. Accordingly, the interior window 15 is formed between the upper block 14a and the lower block 14b. In addition, in the rear tray 12, the front and back of the horizontal wall 13 are supported by cross members 17 and 18 of the vehicle body, and the lower end of the front wall 14 is supported by a cross member 19 provided on the back side of the rear seat 4.
Also in the present embodiment, the front edge of the upper block 14 in the rear tray 12 protrudes frontward in comparison with the position where the visual-field control panel 16 is provided. Therefore, the protruding part functions as a pent roof for preventing light from being reflected onto the visual-field control panel 16.
The visual-field control panels 10 and 16, which are respectively attached to the visual window 8 of the trunk compartment 7 and the interior window 15 of the rear tray 12, are each formed by interposing a visual-field control film between polycarbonate resin materials or the like. Owing to a function of the visual-field control film, the visual field is made transparent within a specific visual angle range, while the visual field is made opaque at an angle which is not included in the specific visual angle range. The visual-field control panels 10 and 16 can have an appropriate opaque angle range due to design of the visual-field control film, thereby preventing undesired looking in from the outside of the vehicle. As the visual-field control film, a film named “Lumisty”, manufactured by LINTEC corporation, may be used.
In a specific example, as shown in
In addition, as shown in
As described above, in the present sedan vehicle, the visual window 8 is formed above the rear wall 7b of the trunk lid 7, and the interior window 15 is formed between the upper block 14a and the lower block 14b of the front wall 14. Therefore, a field on the back side of the vehicle is visible through the visual window 8 and the interior window 15. Accordingly, the rear visual field through the visual window 8 and the interior window 15 is added to the rear visual field through the rear glass window 2, so that totally, a wide rear visual field can be provided. Therefore, in the present sedan vehicle, the trunk lid 7 or the rear tray 12 can be sufficiently high so as to sufficiently increase the capacity of the trunk compartment 3 in the vertical direction, without sacrificing (i.e., narrowing) the rear visual field.
In addition, the visual-field control panel 10 for providing the upward opaque angle range from 0 (i.e., the position of a plane perpendicular to the panel) to 55 degrees is attached to the visual window 8 of the trunk lid 7. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the trunk compartment 3 from being observed from the back side of the vehicle, without affecting the rear visual field observed from the interior of the vehicle. Furthermore, in the opaque area, an outside view is reflected on the panel, thereby improving the quality of outward appearance.
Additionally, the visual-field control panel 16 for providing the opaque left-to-right angle range between 25 to 55 degrees on each of the right and left sides of the vehicle with respect to the vehicle's progress direction is attached to the interior window 15 at the front wall 14 of the rear tray 12. Therefore, also in this part, it is possible to reliably prevent the trunk compartment 3 from being observed from each side of the vehicle, without affecting the rear visual field observed from the interior of the vehicle.
The visual-field control device applied to the interior window 15 is not limited to the visual-field control panel 16, and another device may be employed.
For example, as a second embodiment shown in
Additionally, in a third embodiment shown in
The visual-field control device applied to the visual window 8 is also not limited to the visual-field control panel 10, and another device may be employed.
For example, as a fourth embodiment shown in
Below, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to
Similar to the first embodiment, in a sedan vehicle of the present embodiment, a rear glass window 2 is provided at a rear end part of a roof 1, where the rear glass window 2 is inclined downward; and a trunk compartment 3 is provided from an area below the rear glass window 2 to the back end of the vehicle body. In the present embodiment, a space below the upper wall 7a of the trunk lid 7 is divided into an upper space 40, which joins the interior of the vehicle, and a lower space (i.e., below the upper space 40) inside the trunk compartment 3 by a tonneau cover 41 provided under the visual window 8 of the trunk lid 7.
The tonneau cover 41 has a sheet 42, which has substantially the same width as the interior 11 and is a main part of the tonneau cover 41. The base end of the sheet 42 is contained in a roll-type container 43 in a manner such that the base end is forced by a spring in the winding direction. The container 43 is installed on the back side of the rear seats 4. The top end of the sheet 42 is coupled to the back-face side of the trunk lid 7, at a position under the visual window 8. Therefore, the sheet 42, which is pulled out from the container 43, is arranged substantially horizontally, so that it does not obstruct a rear visual field observed from the interior 11 through the visual window 8 of the trunk lid 7. That is, as shown in
Also in this embodiment, a part of the tonneau cover 41 is made by a hard board 44, whose front end is rotatably supported at the back side of the rear seats 4, and the lower face of the hard board 44 is supported by the sheet 42. Therefore, the hard board 44 can improve the appearance of the interior of the vehicle, and also can stabilize the motion of the sheet 42. In addition, in the case of using the tonneau cover 41 having the sheet 42 as the main part, when the height of baggage contained in the trunk compartment 3 is high, a part of the tonneau cover 41 slightly expands upward (see a virtual line in
In the sedan vehicle of the present embodiment, the visual window 8 is provided at the rear wall 7b of the trunk lid 7, and the tonneau cover 41 is provided in a manner such that it is basically positioned lower than the visual window 8. Therefore, a wide rear visual field can be obtained, which includes both the rear visual field through the rear glass window 2, and the rear visual field through the visual window 8. Therefore, also in the present embodiment, the trunk lid 7 can be sufficiently high so as to sufficiently increase the capacity of the trunk compartment 3 in the vertical direction, without sacrificing the rear visual field.
Also in this embodiment, it is preferable to attach a visual-field control device (such as the visual-field control panel 10 of the first embodiment or the acrylic resin boards 31 of the fourth embodiment) to the visual window 8 of the trunk lid 7.
While preferred embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated above, it should be understood that these are exemplary of the invention and are not to be considered as limiting. Additions, omissions, substitutions, and other modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be considered as being limited by the foregoing description, and is only limited by the scope of the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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P2006-349237 | Dec 2006 | JP | national |