GB2468644A

GB2468644A - Storage device for a vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2468644A
Application number: GB0904459A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jesper Lundstroem
Original assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
Current assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
Priority date: 2009-03-16
Filing date: 2009-03-16
Publication date: 2010-09-22
Also published as: GB0904459D0; GB2468732A; GB2468732B; GB0911567D0

Abstract

Storing device for a vehicle comprising a storing box 10 for storing articles, whereas the storing box 10 is mountable in a first position and in a second position, where in the first position the storing box 10 is mounted in the trunk 12 of the vehicle and in the second position the storing box 10 is mounted on the roof of the vehicle. The storage device may have lids which may be opened in different directions to each other. The storage space may be extendable in volume. Articles may be stored on the outer surface of the storage box via fixing elements.

Description

Storing Device

Description

The invention relates to a storing device for a vehicle, especially a storing device for a motor vehicle.

A vehicle is often used for carrying articles, like shopping bags, work equipment or holiday equipment.

These articles are usually stored in the trunk of the vehicle. But, a common problem in a vehicle is that the available space of the trunk or the available space of the passenger area is not big enough to store all articles in the vehicle. This can especially happen during spontaneous shopping tours, if there is no space anymore in the vehicle for carrying the bought articles in the vehicle.

It is the object of the invention to provide a storing device for a vehicle, which is very flexible in using and which provides the possibility of increasing the available storing space of a vehicle when more space is needed.

The solution of the object is achieved by the features of claim 1. Preferred embodiments are given by the dependent claims.

The storing device according to the invention comprises a storing box for storing articles, wherein the storing box is mountable in a first position and in a second position, whereas in the first position the storing box is mountable in a trunk of the vehicle and in the second position the storing box is mountable at a roof of the vehicle.

The inventive storing box has the advantage that it is mountable in two positions, in the trunk and at the roof of the vehicle. In the trunk the storing box can be mounted in place of a rear luggage cover to cover the space of the trunk against the view of outstanding persons, for example. Additionally, the storing box can be used for a safe storing of articles in the trunk, which would otherwise flying around in the trunk. If there is more space needed in the vehicle for storing articles, the storing box can be put out of the trunk and can be mounted at the roof of the vehicle. Thus, the full space of the trunk can be used for storing articles and additionally, articles can be stored at the roof of the vehicle in the storing box. The storing box provides a high flexibility in using the storing box. The storing box is easy in handling and it is possible to increase the available storing space of the vehicle in an easy way.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the storing box comprises mounting elements, whereas the storing box is mountable in the first position and in the second position by said mounting elements. For mounting the storing box in the trunk and at the roof the same mounting elements can be used. Thus, the storing box is very easy in handling. Different mounting systems for mounting the storing box at different places are not needed. The mounting elements can be hook-shaped, for example.

Preferably, the mounting elements are mountable at guide rails arranged in the trunk of the vehicle for a slidable mounting of the box. Preferably, the mounting elements can be hooked inside the guide rails so that the storing box is movable in the guide rails. Thus, the storing box is easily mountable inside the trunk and can easily be removed from the trunk.

Furthermore, the storing box is preferably mountable by the mounting elements at a roof railing system arranged at the roof of the vehicle. For example, the mounting elements can be hooked at the roof railing system or can be inserted into holes arranged at the roof railing system. Thus, the storing box can easily be mounted at the roof of the vehicle.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the storing box comprises a lid with a first lid element and a second lid element, whereas the first lid element can be opened in another direction than the second lid element. By the lid the storing box can be closed so that the stored articles are secured stored inside the storing box. Preferably, the lid is separated into two parts, a first lid element and a second lid element. These lid elements can be can be opened in different directions, so that the storing box is reachable from different positions. The storing box can also be separated into different parts which have separated lid elements which can be opened or closed independent from each other. These different parts can have different sizes, for example, one part can be used for small articles and another part can be used for bigger articles.

Preferably, by mounting the storing box in the trunk of the vehicle the first lid element can be opened in the direction to the passenger's. area of the vehicle and the second lid element can be opened in the direction to the tail gate of the vehicle. Thus, the storing box is reachable for the passengers in the passenger's area, if the first lid element is opened, and the storing box is reachable for a person outside the vehicle, if the tail gate and the second lid element are opened.

Further, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the space of the storing box for storing articles is extendable. For example, the side surfaces of the storing box can be extended so that the inner space of the storing space is enlargeable. Another possibility is to detach the lid of the storing box and to replace the lid by an additional box which has a smaller scope than the storing box but the side surfaces of the additional box are higher than the side surfaces of the storing box and which is integrated in the storing box in a way that the additional box is opened adjacent to the storing box so that the side surfaces of the storing box are part of the additional box. Thus, the space of the storing box is easily adaptable to the articles which have to be stored.

Another preferred embodiment of the invention is that the storing box comprises fixing elements for fixing articles at the outer surface of the storing box.

For example, the fixing elements can be elastic strips so that articles can be fixed between the outer surface of the storing box and the elastic strips. Thus, more storing space is provided and the outer surface can be used for storing articles, especially larger articles, too. Since the fixing elements are made of an elastic material, the fixing elements are adaptable to the size of the articles to be fixed.

Further, the invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising a trunk and a roof, whereas the trunk comprises guide rails arid the roof comprises a roof railing system for mounting a storing device as previously described. Thus, it is possible to mount the storing device easily in two different positions, in the trunk and at the roof of the motor vehicle.

These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to a preferred embodiment described hereinafter.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 a first schematic view of the storing device according to the invention arranged in a first position in a trunk of a vehicle; Fig. 2 a second schematic view of the storing device according to the invention arranged in the first position in the trunk of the vehicle; Fig. 3 a third schematic view of the storing device according to the invention arranged in the first position in the trunk of the vehicle; Fig. 4 a first schematic view of the storing device according to the invention arranged in a second position at a roof of the vehicle; Fig. 5 a second schematic view of the storing device according to the invention arranged in the second position at the roof of the vehicle; and Fig. 6 a third schematic view of the storing device according to the invention arranged in the second position at the roof of the vehicle.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of the storing device according to the invention comprising a storing box 10 for storing articles, whereas the storing box 10 is arranged in a first position in a trunk 12 of a vehicle. The articles to be stored are preferably stored inside the storing box 10.

Inside the trunk 12 guide rails 14 are arranged in which the storing box 10 is slidable mountable (the slidable direction is shown by the arrow in Fig. 1). The storing box 10 can be mounted in place of a rear luggage cover to cover the space of the trunk 10 against the view of outstanding persons, as it can be seen in Fig. 2. For mounting the storing box 10 in the guide rails 14 the storing box 10 comprises mounting elements (not shown), for example hook-shaped mounting elements.

As it can be seen in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the storing box 10 comprises a lid 16 with a first lid element 18 and a second lid element 20, whereas the first lid element 18 can be opened in another direction than the second lid element 20 (opening directions shown by the arrows in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3). By the lid 16 the storing box can be closed so that the stored articles are secured stored inside the storing box. The storing box 10 can also be separated into different parts (not shown) which have separated lid elements 16, 18 which can be opened or closed independent from each other. These different parts can have different sizes, for example, one part can be used for small articles and another part can be used for bigger articles.

The first lid element 18 can be opened in the direction to the passenger area 22 of the vehicle and the second lid element 20 can be opened in the direction to the tail gate 24 of the vehicle. Thus, the storing box 10 is reachable for the passengers in the passenger's area 22, if the first lid element 18 is opened, and the storing box 10 is reachable for a person outside the vehicle, if the tail gate 24 and the second lid element are opened.

The storing box 10 shown in Fig. 1 to 3 can also be mounted in a second position at a roof 26 of the vehicle, as it is shown in Fig. 4 to 6. If there is more space needed in the vehicle for storing articles, the storing box 10 can be put out of the trunk 12 and can be mounted at the roof 26 of the vehicle. Thus, the full space of the trunk 12 can be used for storing articles and additionally, articles can be stored at the roof 26 of the vehicle in the storing box 10. For mounting the storing box 10 at the roof 26 of the vehicle the same mounting elements can be used than the mounting elements used for mounting the storing box 10 in the trunk 12. The storing box 10 is mountable by the mounting elements at a roof railing system 28 arranged at the roof 26 of the vehicle. For example, the mounting elements can be hooked at the roof railing system 28 or can be inserted into holes (not shown) arranged at the roof railing system 28.

Fig. 5 shows a further possibility for storing articles at the storing box 10. The storing box 10 comprises fixing elements 30 for fixing articles at the outer surface of the storing box 10. For example, the fixing elements 30 can be elastic strips so that articles can be fixed between the outer surface of the storing box and the elastic strips 30. Thus, more storing space is provided and the outer surface of the storing box 10 can be used for storing articles, especially larger articles, too.

Moreover, as shown in Fig. 6, the space of the storing box 10 for storing articles is extendable. For example, the side surfaces of the storing box 10 can be extended so that the inner space of the storing box 10 is enlargeable. Another possibility is to detach the lid 16 of the storing box 10 and to replace the lid 16 by an additional box 32 which has a smaller scope than the storing box 10 but the side surfaces of the additional box 32 are higher than the side surfaces of the storing box 10 and which is integrated in the storing box 10 in a way that the additional box 32 is opened adjacent to the storing box 10 so that the side surfaces of the storing box 10 are part of the additional box 32. Thus, the space of the storing box 10 is easily adaptable to the articles which have to be stored.

Ref erencesigns Storing box 12 Trunk 14 Guide rails 16 Lid 18 First lid element Second lid element 22 Passenger's area 24 Tail gate 26 Roof 28 Roof railing system Fixing element 32 Additional box

Claims

Claims 1. Storing device for a vehicle, comprising a storing box (10) for storing articles, characterized in that, the storing box (10) is mountable in a first position and in a second position, whereas in the first position the storing box (10) is mountable in a trunk (12) of the vehicle and in the second position the storing box (10) is mountable at a roof (26) of the vehicle.
2. Storing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the storing box (10) comprises mounting elements, whereas the storing box (10) is mountable in the first position and in the second position by said mounting elements.
3. Storing device according to claim 2, characterized in that, the mounting elements are mountable at guide rails (14) arranged in the trunk (12) of the vehicle for a slidable mounting of the storing box (10) -
4. Storing device according to anyone of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that, the storing box (10) is mountable by the mounting elements at a roof railing system (28) arranged at the roof (26) of the vehicle.
5. Storing device according to anyone of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, the storing box (10) comprises a lid (16) with a first lid element (18) and a second lid element (20),whereas the first lid element (16) can be opened in another direction than the second lid element (18).
6. Storing device according to claim 5, characterized in that, by mounting the storing box (10) in the trunk (12) of the vehicle the first lid element (18) can be opened in the direction to the passenger's area (22) of the vehicle and the second lid element (20) can be opened in the direction to the tail gate (24) of the vehicle.
7. Storing device according to anyone of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, the space of the storing box (20) for storing articles is extendable.
8. Storing device according to anyone of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, the storing box comprises fixing elements (30) for fixing articles at the outer surface of the storing box (10).
9. Motor vehicle comprising a trunk (12) and a roof (26), whereas the trunk (12) comprises guide rails (28) and the roof (26) comprises a roof railing system (28) for mounting a storing device according to anyone of claims 1 to 8.