GB2431905A

GB2431905A - Load space cover for vehicles

Info

Publication number: GB2431905A
Application number: GB0522246A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Graham Beach
Original assignee: Nissan Technical Centre Europe Ltd
Current assignee: Nissan Technical Centre Europe Ltd
Priority date: 2005-11-01
Filing date: 2005-11-01
Publication date: 2007-05-09
Also published as: WO2007051710A1; GB0522246D0

Abstract

A vehicle 10 has a load space cover arrangement to shield any contents of the vehicle load space from external view. A load space cover comprises a housing or cassette 28 from which a rearwardly-extensible cover section may extend, the cover section comprising a flexible portion 30 that is retractable into the housing 28. A flap 36 is disposed rearwardly with respect to the flexible portion and a hinge 38 is between the flap and the flexible portion whereby the flap is pivotable with respect to the flexible portion. The flap remains outside the housing when the flexible portion is refracted but further includes at least one fastener 44 for attaching the flap to the housing or to a seat 16 of the vehicle when the flexible portion is refracted. The fastener secures the flap against movement when the vehicle is being driven or the seats of the vehicle are being folded or moved.

Description

1 2431905

LOAD SPACE COVER FOR VEHICLES

This invention relates to load space covers for vehicles, particularly covers for the load spaces of hatchback cars, estate cars (otherwise known as station wagons), sports utility vehicles (SUVs, also known as 4x4s), multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs) or vans. Typically, such vehicles have glazed load space doors or hatches that can be swung open or lifted for access to the load space.

For brevity, hatchback cars, estate cars, station wagons, SUVs, 4x4s, MPVs and vans will be referred to generically as hatchback vehicles' hereinafter in this specification, irrespective of their load space door configuration. Most hatchback vehicles have a load space that is accessible from, and shares the same volume as, the passenger compartment. As such, they are distinguished from saloon or sedan cars which have a boot or trunk separate from the passenger compartment and concealed behind a bulkhead, under a lid.

The design of most hatchback vehicles allows their load space contents to be seen through the rear windows of the vehicle. This presents a security risk by attracting opportunist theft. The security risk has led to the use of various load space covers to shield the load spaces of hatchback vehicles from prying eyes. Such covers are often known as tonneau covers or parcel shelves. They can take various forms but most comprise horizontally-extensible roller blinds or rigid hinged panels. To facilitate access to the load space, they may retract or lift in response to opening of the load space door.

Load space covers, especially rigid covers, have the additional benefit of providing a support for items placed upon them. Moreover, when in use, load space covers may help to reduce noise transmission from the load space into the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

In the most common load space cover arrangements, a roller-blind housing known as a cassette is attached at its ends to complementary mounting formations on the upper side walls of the load space, near the front of the load space. The mounting formations are typically recesses into which the ends of the cassette may be located downwardly under gravity or outwardly by spring-loading of telescopic means on the cassette body. The flexible cover section of the roller blind may then be extended by being pulled rearwardly out of the cassette against spring bias, to be latched in the unrolled condition using latch formations in the upper side walls near the rear of the load space. To this end, the free end of the cover section includes a transverse rod that engages with the latch formations and stiffens the cover section for strength and for ease of handling.

The side walls of the load space of a hatchback vehicle are rarely flat, parallel and regular. In particular, it is common for the load space to taper toward its rear opening when viewed in plan: for example, the vehicle body may also taper in plan or have rounded rear corners; there is also a need to accommodate lamp clusters or other items such as rear screen wash bottles or wheel-changing equipment to the sides of the rear opening. This requires the cover section of a load space cover to be correspondingly tapered in plan toward its free end, which presents challenges as to how to support and stow the narrow free end of the cover section.

Whilst, ideally, the transverse rod that stiffens and latches the load space cover section should be positioned at the rearmost free end of the cover section, a narrow free end portion of the cover section precludes that ideal positioning. In this respect, it will be noted that if the rod were placed on the narrow free end portion of the cover section, this would leave the wider portion of the cover section inadequately supported along its sides. Instead, therefore, the rod may be disposed some way inwards with respect to the free end, most preferably where the cover section is still substantially at full width before the narrow free end portion begins. This leaves the challenge of how to support the free end portion; there is also the question of what to do with the free end portion when the rest of the cover section is retracted. It will be noted in this respect that the inboard positioning of the rod prevents anything outboard of the rod being furled into the roller blind cassette. So, the free end portion will always protrude from the cassette. Consequently, when the rest of the cover section is retracted into the cassette, the free end portion can swing freely when the vehicle is driven, causing knocks and rattles. The free end portion can also hamper use of the load space, For example, if the free end portion extends into the load space, it reduces the available volume of the load space. Moreover, the free end portion can get in the way when seats are being folded or otherwise moved to extend the load space.

Against this background, the invention contemplates a load space cover arrangement for a vehicle, the load space cover comprising a housing from which a rearwardly-extensible cover section may extend, the cover section comprising a flexible portion that is retractable into the housing, a flap disposed rearwardly with respect to the flexible portion and a hinge between the flap and the flexible portion whereby the flap is pivotable with respect to the flexible portion, wherein the flap remains outside the housing when the flexible portion is retracted and further includes at least one fastener for attaching the flap to the housing or to a seat of the vehicle when the flexible portion is retracted. The flap may, for example, taper rearwardly in plan and be narrower than the flexible portion in plan.

The housing may be attached to a seat of the vehicle or, conventionally, to walls of the load space. A seat of the vehicle, or indeed the housing, includes a complementary fastener to which the fastener of the flap can be fastened. Where the complementary fastener is on the seat, that fastener is advantageously retractable into the seat to avoid damage or obstruction to a load in the load space.

By means of the invention, the flap of the cover is restrained neatly against movement when the vehicle is moving or when moving or folding seats to reconfigure the load space.

A latch member is suitably disposed forwardly with respect to the hinge, adjacent a rearward end of the flexible portion. The latch member may, for example, be a rod extending across the flexible portion. Side walls of the load space may then define latch formations co-operable with the rod for anchoring the cover section in the extended condition.

Preferably the flap is relatively rigid with respect to the flexible portion, and suitably includes a handle that may simply be an aperture through the flap.

It is preferred that when the cover section is extended, the flap and the flexible portion are supported to be substantially coplanar. For example, side walls of the vehicle load space may define ledges that can support the flap extending rearwardly with respect to the flexible portion. Nevertheless, advantageously, the flap can be pivoted upwardly about the hinge, out of the plane of the flexible portion, to give occasional access to the load space without moving the rest of the cover section.

Indeed, the hinge is preferably bi-directional and permits the flap to pivot through more than 1800 with respect to the flexible portion. This allows the flap to be lifted as aforesaid, but also to be folded downwardly to be secured using the fastener. To this end, the or each fastener is preferably on the underside of the flap when the cover section is extended to shield the load space.

The hinge is preferably a flexible web which, elegantly, may be integral with the flexible portion. In a particularly advantageous arrangement, the hinge permits the flap to move radially with respect to the pivot axis in addition to pivoting about the pivot axis. The radial movement is such as to allow the flap to be manipulated in a manner necessary to engage and disengage the fastener. Preferably, therefore, the hinge is an extensible or compressible web and more preferably, the web is resiliently extensible or compressible.

Where the housing includes a complementary fastener to which the fastener of the flap can be fastened, the housing preferably includes a downwardly-and forwardly-inclined face and the fasteners, when engaged, hold the flap in alignment with, and suitably against, that face of the housing. The fasteners suitably comprise at least one pin on the flap engageable with at least one socket on the housing. The socket may comprise a slot behind which the pin engages and an opening leading to the slot, wherein the slot is disposed in a downwardly-and forwardly-inclined face of the housing. Advantageously, the opening of the socket is disposed in a rearwardly-facing face of the housing.

The invention extends to a load space cover for a vehicle, the load space cover comprising a housing from which an extensible cover section may extend, the cover section comprising a flexible portion that is retractable into the housing, a flap disposed distally with respect to the flexible portion and a hinge between the flap and the flexible portion whereby the flap is pivotable with respect to the flexible portion, wherein the flap remains outside the housing when the flexible portion is retracted and further includes at least one fastener for attaching the flap to the housing or to a seat of the vehicle when the flexible portion is retracted. The invention also encompasses a vehicle having the load space cover arrangement and the load space cover of the invention.

In order that this invention may be more readily understood, reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a rear perspective view of the load space of a hatchback vehicle, the load space being covered by a load space cover in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention in which a rearmost tapered portion of the cover is a flap that, when the cover is retracted, may be fastened to a rear seat of the vehicle using complementary fasteners on the flap and the seat; Figure 2 is a side view corresponding to Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view corresponding to Figure 2 but showing the flap of the load space cover raised for easy access to the load space; Figure 4 is a rear perspective view corresponding to Figure 1 but showing the load space cover in a retracted condition, thus exposing the load space, and with the flap of the load space cover stowed away against and fastened to the rear seat of the vehicle; Figure 5 is a side view corresponding to Figure 4; Figure 6 is a rear view of the seat visible in Figures 4 and 5 with the flap of the retracted load space cover attached thereto; Figure 7 is a side view of an extended load space cover in accordance with a second, preferred, embodiment of the invention in which a flap of the cover may be fastened to a housing of the cover using complementary fasteners on the flap and the housing; and Figure 8 is a side view showing the load space cover of the second embodiment in use attached to a vehicle seat backrest, with the load space cover retracted and the flap fastened to the housing of the cover.

Referring firstly to Figure 1 of the drawings, a hatchback vehicle 10 has a load space defined between a floor 12, upstanding side walls 14, and a rear bench seat 16. The major, forward parts of the side walls 14 are generally parallel to each other but their minor rearward parts converge toward an access opening at the rearmost end of the load space, closable by a load space door (not shown). Specifically, the forward parts of the side walls 14 each terminate rearwardly in an inward step 18 that leads to a respective inwardly-inclined wall 20. The load space therefore narrows toward the rear to make room for, for example, lamp clusters (not shown) to each side of the access opening, it is also possible to use those regions for small compartments that may accommodate items such as a rear screen wash bottle or wheel-changing equipment.

The seat 16 comprises a backrest 22 and a cushion 24. The cushion 24 is mounted to the floor 12 by a seat base 26 that permits fore-and-aft sliding movement of the seat 16 with respect to the floor 12; moreover, the backrest 22 is pivotally mounted with respect to the cushion 24 by a recliner mechanism (not shown) so that its angle of inclination with respect to the cushion 24 may be adjusted. Both of those movements affect the length of the load space and hence the length of a cover necessary to shield that load space.

In conventional manner, at least the backrest 22 and preferably also the cushion 24 of seat 16 is divided into major and minor portions split in a ratio of say 2:1 or 3:2. In this way, the seat 16 can carry up to three passengers abreast but the seat portions can be folded independently to extend the load space when carrying fewer than three passengers. The seat 16 is therefore analogous to a row of seats, such as the wholly independent and removable seats commonly used in MPVs.

In this first embodiment of the invention, unconventionally, a load space cover housing exemplified here by a roller-blind cassette 28 is removably attached to the rear side of the seat 16, near the top of the backrest 22. When the cassette 28 is attached to the seat 16, a flexible portion 30 of the roller blind may then be extended by being pulled rearwardly out of the cassette 28 against spring bias. Figures 1 to 3 show the flexible portion 30 in an unrolled, extended condition, in which the flexible portion 30 is latched by engagement with latch formations 32 at the upper rear of the parallel parts of the side walls 14, just forward of the steps 18. To this end, the flexible portion 30 terminates rearwardly in a transverse rod 34 that engages with the latch formations 32.

Rearwardly of the rod 34, the flexible portion 30 joins a rigid flap 36 via a hinge 38 extending parallel to the rod 34. The hinge 38 is a narrow flexible web that is suitably an extension of the flexible portion 30. Both the rod 34 and the flap 36 stiffen the flexible portion 30 for strength and ease of handling.

To allow for the steps 18 and the inclined walls 20 in the side walls 14, the flap 36 is narrower than the flexible portion 30 and tapers rearwardly at a taper angle corresponding to the inclination of the walls 20. In use, the flap 36 rests upon horizontal ledges 40 near the top of the inclined walls 20, in a manner that allows the flap 36 to be lifted as shown in Figure 3, being hinged around the hinge 38 without disturbing the flexible portion 30 of the cover. This facilitates occasional access to the covered load space, for example through an opening rear window in the load space door. A handle defined by a rectangular aperture 42 through the flap 36 allows the flap 36 to be grasped for lifting the flap 36 or for pulling the flexible portion 30 out of the cassette 28.

When it is desired to retract the load space cover as shown in Figures 4 to 6, the rod 34 is disengaged from the latch formations 32 so that the flexible portion 30 is allowed to retract under spring bias into the cassette 28. When the flexible portion 30 is fully retracted, the rod 34 lies against the cassette 28 and the flap 36 hangs down from the hinge 38 behind the rod 34. The flap 36 may then be stowed against the backrest 22 of the seat 16. In accordance with the invention, the flap 36 is held against the backrest 22 by complementary fasteners or fixings on the underside of the flap 36 and the rear of the backrest 22. In the embodiment illustrated, those fasteners comprise a pair of T-section pins 44 spaced apart on the rear of the backrest 22, which are received within a pair of undercut sockets 46 correspondingly spaced apart on the underside of the flap 36. Other fasteners could of course be used.

Figure 6 shows that the sockets 46 are keyhole-shaped, each comprising an enlarged hole 48 for receiving the head of a 1-section pin 30, and a slot 50 extending upwardly from the hole 48 when the flap 36 hangs down from the hinge 38. In use, the heads of the pins 44 are inserted into the respective holes 48 of the sockets 46 whereupon relative vertical movement of the flap 36 with respect to the backrest 22 slides the heads of the pins 44 into engagement behind the slots 50. Specifically, the flap 36 is pulled down to engage the pins 44 behind the slots 50, a movement that works with gravity to keep the pins 44 so engaged under the weight of the flap 36.

Releasing the flap 36 is simply a matter of lifting the flap 36 to disengage the pins 44 from the slots 50 and then pivoting the flap rearwardly to clear the pins 44 from the holes 48.

Being a longitudinally-compressible flexible web, the hinge 38 has the play necessary to accommodate vertical movement of the flap 36 with respect to the backrest 22. That movement, which is radial with respect to the pivot axis of the hinge 38, is necessary to engage and disengage the pins 44 and the slots 50.

The means of attachment of the flap 36 to the backrest 22 may also be changed. For example, the mounting formations defining the fasteners may be reversed so that pins on the flap 36 engage with sockets on the backrest 22. It is also possible to invert the sockets 46 so that the slots 50 depend downwardly from the respective holes 48 instead of upwardly. Other releasable mounting formations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. One possibility is for the pins 44 to be retractable where they otherwise stand proud of the backrest 22 and so could snag on any load carried in the load space, especially when the backrest is folded flat. Specifically, seat-mounted pins 44 may be spring-biased outwardly from recesses in the backrest 22 so that they can be pressed into the recesses against the spring force when a load lies upon or against them.

It is also possible that the flap 36 may be fastened to the cover housing such as the cassette 28 rather than to the backrest 22. This has the advantage of simpler construction and avoids obstruction of the load space due to pins 44 or other fasteners on the backrest 22, hence obviating solutions such as the retractable pins mentioned above. This second, preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 of the drawings, to which the following description refers. Like numerals are used for like parts.

Figures 7 and 8 show a load space cover 52 in accordance with the second embodiment of the invention. Figure 7 shows the cover 52 in isolation, in an extended condition with a flexible portion 30 extending from a roller-blind housing in the form of a cassette 54, the flexible portion 30 extending into and being coplanar with a rigid flap 36 having a fastener underneath, in this instance a T-section pin 44.

In contrast, Figure 8 shows the cover 52 retracted into the cassette 54 with the flap 36 pivoted downwardly and forwardly round a hinge 38 and fastened to the cassette 54, the cassette 54 being attached in turn to the backrest 22 of a seat 16.

The cassette 54 of the second embodiment differs from the cassette 28 of the first embodiment in that the cassette 54 has a complementary socket 56 for receiving the pin 44. Moreover, the socket 56 is disposed on an inclined face 58 of the cassette 54 that inclines downwardly and forwardly. The inclined face 58 supports the flap 36 in an optimally compact orientation and position with respect to the backrest 44. The socket 56 is generally keyhole-shaped and has a slot 60 for receiving the pin, which slot 60 conveniently opens at its upper end into an entry hole 62 at a rearward face 64 of the cassette 54 above the inclined face 58. This positioning of the entry hole 62 makes it easy to insert the head of pin 44 into the socket 56 and then behind the slot 60, again with a downward movement of the flap 36 that is facilitated by the flexibility and extensibility of the hinge 38.

Many other variations are possible within the inventive concept. For example, the present invention does not exclude the possibility of a conventional roller-blind cassette mounting in which the cassette 28 is attached at its ends to complementary mounting formations on the upper side walls 14 of the load space. However, mounting the cassette 28 to the seat 16 is preferred because movements of the seat 16 can be accommodated by extension or retraction of the flexible portion 30 without a gap appearing between the seat 16 and the cassette 28. Specifically, latching the rod 34 into the latch formations 32 anchors the flexible portion 30 in an extended condition over the load space. The seat 16 may then be moved between different seating positions while the flexible portion 30 is anchored in the extended condition.

As the seat 16 moves, the degree of extension of the flexible portion 30 with respect to the cassette 28 varies with the position of the seat 16. For example, the seat 16 may be slid forward with respect to its base 26, or the seat backrest 22 may be pivoted into a more upright position with respect to the seat cushion 24. In both instances, those seat movements will further extend the anchored flexible portion 30.

However, the spring bias applied by the cassette 28 will keep the flexible portion 30 taut and will cause the flexible portion 30 to retract back into the cassette 28 when those movements are reversed.

Many other variations are possible within the inventive concept. For example, it is possible within the broad scope of the invention that the seat 16 is not divided or that it cannot be folded or moved. Reference should therefore be made to the appended claims rather than the foregoing specific description in determining the scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS

1. A load space cover arrangement for a vehicle, the load space cover comprising a housing from which a rearwardly-extensible cover section may extend, the cover section comprising a flexible portion that is retractable into the housing, a flap disposed rearwardly with respect to the flexible portion and a hinge between the flap and the flexible portion whereby the flap is pivotable with respect to the flexible portion, wherein the flap remains outside the housing when the flexible portion is retracted and further includes at least one fastener for attaching the flap to the housing or to a seat of the vehicle when the flexible portion is retracted.

2. The arrangement of Claim 1, further including a latch member disposed forwardly with respect to the hinge, adjacent a rearward end of the flexible portion.

3. The arrangement of Claim 2, wherein the latch member is a rod extending across the flexible portion.

4. The arrangement of any preceding Claim, wherein the flap is relatively rigid with respect to the flexible portion.

5. The arrangement of any preceding Claim, wherein the flap tapers distally in plan.

6. The arrangement of any preceding Claim, wherein the flap is narrower than the flexible portion in plan.

7. The arrangement of any preceding Claim, wherein the flap includes a handle.

8. The arrangement of Claim 7, wherein the handle comprises an aperture through the flap.

9. The arrangement of any preceding Claim, wherein when the cover section is extended, the flap and the flexible portion are supported to be substantially coplanar.

10. The arrangement of Claim 9, wherein the flap can be pivoted upwardly about the hinge, out of the plane of the flexible portion.

11. The arrangement of any preceding Claim, wherein side walls of the vehicle load space define ledges that can support the flap extending rearwardly with respect to the flexible portion.

12. The arrangement of any preceding Claim, wherein the or each fastener is on the underside of the flap when the cover section is extended to shield the load space.

13. The arrangement of any preceding Claim, wherein side walls of the vehicle load space define latch formations for anchoring the cover section in the extended condition.

14. The arrangement of any preceding Claim, wherein the hinge is bi-directional and permits the flap to pivot through more than 180 with respect to the flexible portion.

15. The arrangement of any preceding Claim, wherein the hinge is a flexible web.

16. The arrangement of Claim 15, wherein the web is integral with the flexible portion.

17. The arrangement of any preceding Claim, wherein the hinge permits the flap to move radially with respect to the pivot axis in addition to pivoting about the pivot axis.

18. The arrangement of any preceding Claim, wherein a scat of the vehicle includes a complementary fastener with which the fastener of the flap can be engaged.

19. The arrangement of Claim 18, wherein the complementary fastener of the seat is retractable into the seat.

20. The arrangement of any of Claims 1 to 17, wherein the housing includes a complementary fastener to which the fastener of the flap can be fastened.

21. The arrangement of Claim 20, wherein the housing includes a downwardly-and forwardly-inclined face and the fasteners, when engaged, hold the flap in alignment with that face of the housing.

22. The arrangement of Claim 21, wherein the fasteners, when engaged, hold the flap against the downwardly-and forwardly-inclined face of the housing.

23. The arrangement of any of Claims 20 to 22, wherein the fasteners comprise at least one pin on the flap engageable with at least one socket on the housing.

24. The arrangement of Claim 23, wherein the socket comprises a slot behind which the pin engages and an opening leading to the slot, and wherein the slot is disposed in a downwardly-and forwardly-inclined face of the housing.

25. The arrangement of Claim 24, wherein the opening of the socket is disposed in a rearwardly-facing face of the housing.

26. The arrangement of any preceding Claim, wherein the housing is attached to a seat of the vehicle.

27. The arrangement of any of Claims 1 to 25, wherein the housing is attached to walls of the load space.

28. A load space cover arrangement for a vehicle, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, or as illustrated in, any of the accompanying drawings.

29. A load space cover for a vehicle, the load space cover comprising a housing from which an extensible cover section may extend, the cover section comprising a flexible portion that is retractable into the housing, a flap disposed distally with respect to the flexible portion and a hinge between the flap and the flexible portion whereby the flap is pivotable with respect to the flexible portion, wherein the flap remains outside the housing when the flexible portion is retracted and further includes at least one fastener for attaching the flap to the housing or to a seat of the vehicle when the flexible portion is retracted.

30. A load space cover for a vehicle, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, or as illustrated in, any of the accompanying drawings.

31. A vehicle having a load space cover arrangement, or a load space cover, as defined in any preceding Claim.