GB2527054A

GB2527054A - Load space covering device and vehicle incorporating same

Info

Publication number: GB2527054A
Application number: GB1410242.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Corrina Barnes; Brian Lidgard; Nicholas Pang; Mark Butler; Sam Henshaw; Derron Smith; Andrew Loughead; Christopher Todd; Steven Smith
Original assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Ltd
Current assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Ltd
Priority date: 2014-06-10
Filing date: 2014-06-10
Publication date: 2015-12-16
Anticipated expiration: 2034-06-10
Also published as: GB201410242D0; GB2527054B

Abstract

A vehicle comprises a retractable load space cover 41; means 67 for coupling the cover 41; and means 65 for guiding the coupling means 67 along a predefined path. The guiding means 65 are configured such that the coupling means 67 is displaced between a first orientation (fig 5) and a second orientation (fig 8) as it travels along said predefined path, preferably due to a downward incline 65R, the coupling means being in an open configuration when in said first orientation and in a closed configuration when in said second orientation, preferably to allow coupling with a pull bar 55 of the retractable cover 41, when a tailgate 7 is in a closed position..

Description

LOAD SPACE COVERING DEVICE AND VEHICLE INCORPORATING SAME

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a load space covering device and to a vehicle ncorporating same. Particularly, but not exclusively, embodiments of the invention relate to a load space covering device, to a deployment apparatus for deploying a load space cover, to a method of covering a load space of a vehicle and to a vehicle incorporating same.

BACKGROUND

It is known to provide a retractable cover for covering the load space of the boot of a motor vehicle. These types of covers are provided for hiding items such as luggage disposed in the load space of the vehicle, and also for improving the aesthetics of the inside of the vehicle.

The cover is usually housed in a cassette which is mounted behind the rear seats of the vehicle. The cover can be selectively deployed from the cassette and secured at the rear of the vehicle to cover the load space. Moreover, the cover is usually guided by a guiding element during its deployment above the load space. A particular issue in this arrangement is the reliability of the coupling between the cover and the guiding element. If the coupling is not effective, the cover may then decouple from the guide element and this can affect the deployment of the cover. Furthermore, when the cover is in a stowed configuration (i.e. an un-deployed state) it is difficult to manually reach the cover from the outside of the vehicle.

Also, the cassette and cover may occasionally be removed from its operative position, but the weight and length of the cassette can make it difficult to stow elsewhere inside or outside the vehicle.

At least in certain embodiments, the present invention sets out to overcome or ameliorate at least some of the shortcomings outlined above.

SUMMARY

Aspects of the present invention relate to a vehicle incorporating a load space covering device; to a deployment apparatus for deploying a load space cover; and to a method of covering a load space of a vehicle.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a vehicle having a load space, the vehicle comprising a device for covering the load space, the device comprising a cover which is movable between a retracted position in which the load space is uncovered and a deployed position in which the load space is at least partially covered; means for coupling the cover; and means for guiding the coupling means along a predefined path. Said guiding means may be configured such that the coupling means is displaced between a first orientation and a second orientation as it travels along said predefined path, the coupling means being in an open configuration when in said first orientation and in a closed configuration when in said second orientation. The guiding means is thereby configured to adjust the orientation of the coupling means to affect changes from said open and closed configurations. The need for a separate actuator to actuate the coupling means can, at least in certain embodiments, be obviated. In use, the cover can be reliably coupled to the guiding means so that the coupling between the cover and the guiding means is effective. At least in certain embodiments, a reliable deployment of the cover can be achieved.

The coupling means can be configured to receive and/or to release said cover when in said open configuration. The coupling means can be configured to retain said cover when in said closed configuration. The coupling means can undergo rotation as it is displaced between said first and second orientations. The coupling means can rotate about a transverse axis of the vehicle.

The guiding means can comprise at least one elongate guide member. The guide member can be a rail or a channel, for example. The guide member can comprise a front part and a rear part. The rear part of the guiding means can be inclined relative to the front part. The rear part of the guiding means can be inclined downwardly. The downward inclnation of the rear part can cause the coupling means to pivot to face towards the rear of the vehicle.

The front part of the guide member can be substantially rectilinear. Alternatively, the front part of the guide member can be curved, for example to curve downwardly behind a second row of seats in the vehicle. The second part can be substantially rectilinear.

The coupling means can be in said first orientation when it is positioned on the rear part of the guide member; and the coupling means can be in said second orientation when it is positioned on the front part of the guide member. Thus, the configuration of the coupling means can depend on its relative position on the guide member.

The device can be mounted to a closure element of the vehicle and arranged such that the cover is introduced into the coupling means when the closure element is closed. The closure element can, for example, be a tailgate. The coupling means can be arranged to travel towards the front of the vehicle to displace the cover to said deployed position. When the closure element is opened, the device can travel with the closure element. Thus, access to the load space is not obstructed by the device when the closure element is opened. The mounting of the device to the closure element can facilitate re-configuring the interior of the vehicle. For example, the device can be left in place when a row of seats (such as the second row of seats) in the vehicle is folded to increase the load capacity of the vehicle. This arrangement is also useful in vehicles having three rows of seats and in which the seats of the rearmost row are occasional seats which can be stowed when not in use. The occasional seat(s) can be deployed in the load space without the need to remove the load space cover device from the vehicle. Thus, the inconvenience of manually removing and/or manipulating a retractable cover from the load space to accommodate different vehicle configurations may be avoided. The rear part of each guide rail can be disposed at or proximal to said closure element of the vehicle for receiving the cover.

In an alternate arrangement, the device can be mounted behind a second row of seats in the vehicle. The coupling means can be arranged to travel towards the rear of the vehicle to displace the cover to said deployed position. The device can be fixedly or removably mounted. In this arrangement, the configuration of the elongate guide member can be reversed such that the front part is inclined downwardly relative to the rear part. The coupling means can be displaced to said open configuration when it is positioned in said front part of the guide member. Thus, the cover can be connected to said coupling means when said coupling means is positioned in said front part of the guide member.

The closure element is associated with an aperture formed in the body structure of the vehicle. The closure element is movable between an open position and a closed position.

The closure element could be a side vehicle door for closing an aperture for passenger ingress/egress. The aperture can, for example, be provided to facilitate loading of the load space. The closure element can be a load bay closure element. For example, the closure element could be a trunk (boot) lid of a vehicle. Alternatively, the closure element can be a tailgate provided at the rear of the vehicle. The tailgate can be hinged to the vehicle about a horizontal axis or a vertical axis. The tailgate can be a split tailgate, for example comprising an upper tailgate and a lower tailgate. The tailgate can be provided at the back of a flat bed or pick-up truck.. A biasing mechanism or drive mechanism can be provided for opening and/or closing the tailgate. For example, a gas strut or an electrically powered actuator can be provided.

The coupling means can comprise at least one latch truck movable longitudinally along said guide means. The latch truck can comprise first and second guide wheels. The first and second guide wheels can be spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction. The latch truck can rotate about a transverse axis as it travels along said guiding means. The latch truck can comprise a hook for engaging the cover, the hook having an opening which is exposed when the latch truck is in said first orientation and which is at least partially obstructed when the latch truck is in said second orientation.

A pull bar can be provided at the leading edge of the cover, and fixing means can be provided on said pull bar for releasably fixing the pull bar to the hook. The fixing means can, for example, be in the form of a locking pin or a locking recess provided at each end of the pull bar.

The vehicle can comprise means for driving the cover from the retracted position to the deployed position. The drive means can, for example, comprise at least one electric machine drivingly connected to said coupling means. A flexible connector, such as a cable or chain, can be provided to connect the drive means to said coupling means. The guide member can also be adapted to retain the flexible connector in a driving configuration. For example, the flexible connector can be disposed in a channel or recess formed in said guide member. The coupling means can couple the cover to said drive means.

A control unit can be provided for controlling operation of the drive means. The control unit can, for example, control the operating direction of the drive means to control the deployment/retraction of the cover. The control unit can be configured automatically to control the drive means to displace the coupling means in a forwards direction when the closure element is closed. At least in certain embodiments, an initial forwards movement of the coupling means can cause the coupling means positively to engage the cover. The continued forwards movement of the coupling means can displace the cover to said deployed position. Conversely, the control unit can be configured automatically to control the drive means to displace the coupling means in a rearwards direction when the closure element is opened. The rearwards movement of the coupling means can uncover the load space. At least in certain embodiments, continued rearwards movement of the coupling means can cause the coupling means positivey to dis-engage the cover.

The control unit can be configured automaticaly to displace the coupling means towards the rear of the guide means when the closure element is closed. The coupling means can automatically be displaced to an aft position in which the cover is coupled to said coupling means. Alternatively, the coupling means can automatically be displaced to an aft position in which the coupling means is adjacent to the cover but decoupled from the couplng means.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a deployment apparatus for deploying a load space cover from a retracted position to a deployed position, the apparatus comprising means for coupling with the cover; and means for guiding the coupling means along a predefined path. Said guiding means is configured such that the coupling means is displaced between a first orientation and a second orientation as it travels along said predefined path, the coupling means being in an open configuration when in said first orientation and in a closed configuration when in said second orientation.

According to a yet further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of covering a load space of a vehicle as described herein, the method comprising coupling the cover to said coupling means; and displacing the coupling means along said predefined path to move the cover from said retracted position to said deployed position. The guiding means causes said coupling means to be displaced from said first orientation to said second orientation as it is travels along said predefined path.

The device has been described with reference to its relative position within the vehicle. The terms "front" and back" used herein are to be given their usual meaning in relation to a vehicle. Furthermore, the term "forward" (and derivatives thereof) has been used to describe a movement from the rear of the vehicle towards the front of the vehicle. Conversely, the term rearward" (and derivatives thereof) has been used to describe a movement from the front of the vehicle towards the rear of the vehicle.

Within the scope of this application it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims and/or in the following description and drawings, and in particular the individual features thereof, may be taken independently or in any combination. That is, all embodiments and/or features of any embodiment can be combined in any way and/or combination, unless such features are incompatible. The applicant reserves the right to change any originally filed claim or file any new claim accordingly, including the right to amend any originally filed claim to depend from and/or incorporate any feature of any other claim although not originally claimed in that manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One or more embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying Figures, in which: Figure 1A shows a rear perspective view of a vehicle incorporating a load space covering device in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 1 B shows a partial sectional view of the vehicle shown in Figure 1 A; Figure 2A shows the rear perspective view shown in Figure 1A with the tailgate ready to be closed; Figure 2B shows the partial sectional view of Figure 1 B with the tailgate ready to be closed; Figure 3A shows the rear perspective view shown in Figure 1A with the tailgate in a closed position and the covering device partialy deployed; Figure 3B shows the partial sectional view of Figure lB with the tailgate in a closed position and the covering device partially deployed; Figure 4A shows the rear perspective view shown in Figure 1A with the tailgate in a closed position and the covering device in a tuly deployed position; Figure 4B shows the partial sectional view of Figure 1 B with the tailgate in a closed position and the covering device in a fully deployed position; Figure 5 illustrates the latch truck in a rearward position with the cover decoupled from the latch truck; Figure 6 illustrates the latch truck advanced from the position shown in Figure 5 to engage the cover; Figure 7 illustrates the latch truck advanced from the position shown in Figure 6 to couple with the cover; Figure 8 illustrates the latch truck advanced from the position shown in Figure 7 to initiate deployment of the cover; Figure 9 illustrates the latch truck advanced from the position shown in Figure 8 with the cover partially deployed; Figures 1OA and lOB illustrate an alternate operating mode in which the cover remains connected to the closure element when it is opened; and Figure 11 illustrates a load space covering device in accordance wth a second embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A motor vehcle 1 incorporating a load space covering device 3 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 1A to 4B. The covering device 3 is described herein with reference to the major axes of the vehicle 1, namely a longitudinal axis X, a transverse axis Y and a vertical axis 7 (shown in Figure 1 A). Furthermore, references herein to left" and "right" refer to the corresponding sides of the vehicle 1 when looking from the rear of the vehicle 1 towards the front.

The vehicle 1 is a three or five-door vehicle such as a sport utility vehicle (SUV). The vehicle 1 in the present embodiment has four side doors 5 and a closure element in the form of a tailgate 7. As shown in Figure 1A, the vehicle 1 has a vehicle body structure 9 which defines a vehicle inner volume 11. As shown in Figure 1B, the vehicle inner volume 11 comprises two front seats 13 extending along a first row 15 and two/three rear seats 17 extending along a second row 19. A load space 21 is provided in the vehicle inner body 11 behind the second row 19, for example for loading luggage. The load space 21 is defined by the second row 19, by the vehicle body structure 9 at its left, right, upper and lower sides and by the tailgate 7. In a variant (not shown), the vehicle 1 comprises a third row of seats disposed behind the second row 19. In this variant, the seats of the third row can be occasional seats which can be stowed when not in use for increasing storage capacity of the load space 21.

The tailgate 7 of the vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment is provided for closing the load space 21 of the vehicle 1. As shown in Figure 1A and 1B, the tailgate 7 is a split tailgate comprising an upper tailgate 23 and a lower tailgate 25. The upper tailgate 23 is mounted to the vehicle body structure 9 by hinges (not shown) disposed along the upper edge 27 of the upper tailgate 23 so as to pivot upwardly to an open position. The lower tailgate 25 is mounted to the vehicle body structure 9 by hinges (not shown) disposed along the lower edge 29 of the lower tailgate 25so as to pivot downwardly to an open position. Left and right struts 31 extend from the vehicle body structure 9 to the distal end of the upper tailgate 23.

The struts 31 in the present embodiment are electrically actuated to provide automated opening and/or closing of the upper tailgate 23. A hydraulically or pneumatically actuated strut could be used in place of an electric drive motor. Alternatively, the struts 31 could be gas or spring-biased to assist opening of the upper tailgate 23. Left and right cables 33 extend from the vehicle body structure 9 to the distal end of the lower tailgate 25. As shown in Figure 2B, the upper tailgate 23 has a support frame 37 which supports a rear window 39 of the vehicle 1. Optionally, a sensor (not shown) can be provided on the tailgate 7 to detect when the tailgate 7 is closed.

As shown in Figure 3A to 4B, the covering device 3 according to the first embodiment of the present invention comprises a cover 41 for covering the load space 21 of the vehicle 1. The cover 41 is a flexible member, for example a fabric, which can be deployed to cover the load space 21. The cover is disposed within a cassette 43 which is mounted to an inner side 45 of the upper tailgate 23 (i.e. to the side of the upper tailgate 23 which faces the vehicle inner volume 11 when the tailgate 7 is in the closed position). A shown in Figures, the cassette 43 is formed with a cassette housing 47 which extends transversely and which defines a hollow volume 49. The cassette housing 47 comprises a mounting plate 51 for mounting to the inner side 45 of the upper tailgate 23, for example below the rear window 39. The cassette housing 47 extends transversely across the upper tailgate 23. Moreover, a roller 53 is provided within the hollow volume 49 of the cassette housing 47. The roller 53 is mounted on fixed end plates 54 and is rotatable about a central axis Y' arranged substantially parallel to the transverse axis V of the vehicle 1. The roller 53 is provided for supporting the cover 41. More precisely, the cover 41 is rolled up about the roller 53. A spring biasing mechanism (not shown) is provided to retract the cover 41 onto the roller 53.

The cover 41 comprises a leading (free) edge 55 and a fixing edge (not shown) opposite to the leading edge 55. The fixing edge is attached to the roller 53 to secure the cover 41. The leading edge 55 has a pull bar 57 extending transversely, parallel to the roller 53. The pull bar 57 comprises left and right side ends 59. Each end 59 comprises a recess (not shown) provided to couple with a latch mechanism 61L of the vehicle 1, as will be explained in more detail below.

As illustrated in Figure 5, the vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment comprises coupling means in the form of left and right latch mechanisms GiL, G1R provided for engaging and drivingly displacing the cover 41 above the load space 21 of the vehicle 1. The latch mechanisms GiL, G1F{ are connected to cables 63 which are slidingly guided in respective guide rails 65 provided on the left and right hand sides of the vehicle. The latch mechanisms 61 L, 61 R in the present embodiment take the form of latch trucks 67 which are connected to the cable 63. A drive means in the form of a motor 69 is disposed at the front of each guide rail 65 and connected to the corresponding cable 63 to drive the latch mechanisms 61L, 61F1. The motor 69 can be operated to drive the cable 63 backwards and forwards in the guide rail 65.

The guide rails 65 are mounted to each side of the vehicle body structure 9, inside the vehicle 1, and extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis X, from proximal to the tailgate 7 to the back of the rear seats 17. A front section 65F of each guide rail 65 has a general rectilinear shape and comprises a longitudinal channel 71 for receiving the cable 63.

A rear section 65R of each guide rail 65 is inclined downwardly towards the floor of the load space 21. The cable 63 extends longitudinally and is arranged to travel within the corresponding longitudinal channel 71. The latch truck 67 is coupled to the rear end of the cable 63.

The latch trucks 67 on each side of the vehicle 1 have the same configuration and only one of them will now be described for brevity. The latch truck 67 comprises a hook 73 which is operable to engage one end 59 of the pull bar 57. The hook 73 has a concave region 75 facing upwardly and arranged to receive the end 59 of the pull bar 57. The latch truck 67 has a front wheel 77 and a rear wheel 79 having substantially similar diameters. The latch truck 67 is connected to the cable 63 through the front wheel 77. The cable 63 is connected to the motor 69, so that when the motor 69 is energized, the cable 63 is driven backwards or forwards within the longitudinal channel 71. As will be explained in more detail below, the latch truck 67 is operable to engage the end 59 of the pull bar 57 when the tailgate 7 is closed.

An electronic control unit (not shown) is provided in the vehicle 1 for controlling the operation of the motors 69. In particular, the control unit can selectively activate the motors 69 and control the direction in which they rotates, thereby determining whether the latch trucks 67 are driven forwards or backwards. The control unit accesses operational data published to the controller area network (CAN) bus to determine the operational status of vehicle systems. The control unit can optionally monitor the operational position of the tailgate 7 (open or closed) in dependence on actuation of a switch provided on the tailgate 7. The control unit can optionally monitor control signals to open/close the tailgate 7, for example in dependence on user-activation of a tailgate control button. The control unit can be configured to provide automated control of the covering device 3.

The control unit can optionally be coupled to a position monitoring unit configured to determine the position of each said latch truck 67. The position monitoring unit can comprise one or more sensors for directly or indirectly monitoring the position of the latch trucks 67. A rotary sensory, such as a Hall effect sensor or an optical sensor, can be provided to monitor operation of each motor 69 (for example, to detect the number of revolutions completed) to determine the relative position of the associated latch truck 67. The rotary sensor can, for example, produce counted pulse signals each representing a relative position of the latch truck 67. Alternatively, or in addition, a sensor can be provided on each latch truck 67 to monitor its movement along the guide rail 65. A rotary sensor, such as a Hall effect sensor or an optical sensor, could monitor rotation of one of the wheels 77, 79 of the latch truck 67.

In the present embodiment, the cover 41 has an auto-detect strip 81 provided at the leading edge 55 of the cover 41. The auto-detect strip 81 extends along the leading edge 55 of the cover 41. The auto-detect strip 81 comprises one or more sensors (not shown) for sensing any obstacle inside the vehicle 1 disposed on the path of the cover 41, such as the back of the rear seats 17 or an item disposed in the load space. The auto-detect strip 81 is provided for determining when the leading edge 55 of the cover 41 encounters an obstacle or obstruction, such as the back of the rear seats 17. The auto-detect strip 81 can comprise one or more of the following sensors: a mechanical switch, an electrical contact, or a capacitive sensor. In the present embodiment, a capacitive strip is provided on the leading edge 55 of the cover 41. The capacitive strip can be used in conjunction with the position monitoring unit described herein. Alternatively, or in addition, the current/voltage drawn by the motor 69 could be monitored to determine when movement of the cover 41 is obstructed.

The control unit could, for example, inhibit operation of the motors 69 if the current drawn exceeds a predetermined threshold. The predetermined threshold can, for example, be based on a typical operating current of one or both of said motor 69. If the drive current drawn via the control unit exceeds the predetermined threshold, this can indicate that one or both of the motors 69 has stalled, for exampe due to the movement of the cover 4 being inhibited. The control unit can operate to deactivate the motors 69 in this scenario. Similarly, if the auto-detect strip 81 detects an obstruction, the control unit can deactivate the motors 69. Rather than monitor the current drawn by the motor 69, an electrical switch could be provided at one or both ends of the guide rail 65 to determine when the latch truck 67 reaches an end thereof.

The auto-detect strip 81 outputs a detection signal to the control unit to indicate when an object is detected. If the motor 69 is operating to deploy the cover 41 when the detection signal is received, the control unit can de-activate the motor 69 to cease deployment of the cover 41. The control unit could optionally also reverse the operating direction of the motor 69 to retract the cover 41 a predetermined distance to space the cover 41 from the obstacle.

If the motor 69 is not operating to deploy the cover 41 when the detection signal is received, the control unit can activate the motor 69 to retract the cover 41. A user could activate the auto-detect strip 81 to retract the cover 41.

At least in certain embodiments, the control unit can control the motors 69 independently of each other. This control functions allows the control unit to maintain the pull bar 57 in a transverse arrangement (i.e. substantially parallel to the transverse axis Y of the vehicle 1).

The control unit can implement a reset or calibration function to determine an end-stop position of the latch truck 67 in order to maintain the pull bar 57 in the appropriate (i.e. transverse) alignment. An anti-trap algorithm can be used to ensure a correct alignment of the pull bar. The control unit performs an initialisation routine in which the latch truck 67 is driven forwards and backwards until a stall condition is detected for the drive motor 69 on each side of the vehicle. The control unit can thereby determine the end travel positions of the latch trucks 67 on each side of the vehicle. The control unit subsequently utilises the determined end travel positions to control the respective drive motors 69 to maintain the latch trucks 67 in the same longitudinal positions to ensure that the pull bar 57 remains in said transverse orientation. The control unit can periodically repeat this calibration to compensate for count drift overtime. Anti-trap algorithms of this type are employed to control operation of electric sunroofs, side windows, powered closures, convertible tops etc. The operation of the load space covering device 3 in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 1A to9.

Initially, as shown in Figures 1A and 1B, the tailgate 7 of the vehicle 1 is opened so that objects can be loaded in the load space 21 at the rear of the vehicle 1. As shown in Figures 2A and 2B, the objects are moved into the load space 21 to allow the tailgate 7 to be closed.

The lower tailgate 25 is pivoted upwardly and then the upper tailgate 23 is pivoted downwardly to close the load space 21, as shown in Figures 3A and 3B. The closure of the tailgate 7 could be performed manually or by activating a tailgate operating button, for example inside the load space 21. When the tailgate 7 is closed, the sensor disposed on the tailgate 7 sends a signal to the control unit which is configured to output an actvation signal to the motors 69. The motors 69 on each side of the vehicle 1 are activated to retract the cable 63, thereby driving the latch trucks 67 forwards to couple with respective ends 59 of the pull bar 57 as it is driven forwards. Then the cover 41 is drawn forwards above the load space 21, as illustrated by the arrows A represented in Figures 3A to 4B. More precisely, the motors 69 drive the cable 63 forwards, and the cover 41 is thereby pulled forwards until the sensors of the auto-detect strip 81 detect an obstacle on the path of the cover 41, for example the back of the rear seats 17 or an item stored in the load space 21. When an obstacle is detected, the sensors of the auto-detect strip 81 send a signal to the control unit which in return sends a deactivation signal to the motors 69 to deactivate the motors 69.

Figures 5 to 9 show in more details the operation of the coupling of the left hand latch mechanism 61 L with the cover 41. Initially, the latch truck 67 is located in the rear portion 65R of the guide rail 65 and the ends 59 of the pull bar 57 are located in the hook 73, as shown in Figure 5. The rear portion 65F1 is inclined downwardly towards the rear of the vehicle 1 such that, when the latch truck 67 is located therein, the concave region 75 of the hook 73 is open towards the rear of the vehicle 1 thereby permitting the ends 59 of the pull bar 57 to be introduced into the hook 73 when the upper tailgate 23 is closed; or removed from the hook 73 when the upper tailgate 23 is opened. As the latch truck 67 travels from the rear portion 65R to the front portion 6SF of the guide rail 65, the hook 73 pivots to retain the ends 59 of the pull bar 57, as shown in Figures 6 and 7. The continued operation of the motor 69 retracts the cable 63 and drives the latch truck 67 forwards along the front portion 6SF. The cover 41 is thereby carried towards the front of the vehicle 1, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, until the auto-detect strip 81 detects the back of the rear seats 17, or any other obstacle disposed in the path of the cover 41. The operation of the right hand latch mechanism SiR is the same.

To uncover the load space 21, the control unit sends an activation signal to the motors 69.

The motors 69 on each side of the vehicle 1 are activated, and, in conjunction with the spring biasing mechanism provided in the cassette housing 47, drive the cables 63 backwards, thereby driving the latch trucks 67 rearwards, towards the tailgate 7. The cover 41 is thereby drawn backwards and wound onto the roller 53. The rearwards movement of the latch trucks 67 continues until they are displaced into the rear portion 65F1 of the guide rail 65. The rotation of the latch trucks 67 as they enter the respective rear sections 65R opens the concave region 75 of the hooks 73 on each side. The ends 59 of the pull bar 57 are no longer positively engaged by the hook 73 such that the pull bar 57 can be released from the latch truck 67 when the upper tailgate 23 is opened. During the deployment and/or retraction of the cover 41, the longitudinal position of the latch truck 67 in the guide rail 65 can be monitored by the position monitoring unit.

Alternatively, as shown in Figures 1OA and lOB, the tailgate 7 can be opened and closed while the cover 41 is coupled to the latch truck 67. The cover 41 can comprise additional material which can, for example, be wound onto the roller 53. In Figure bA, the dashed lines represent the cover 41 at different stages of its course during the opening of the tailgate 7 while the cover 41 is coupled to the latch truck 67.

The control unit can be configured to uncover the load space in dependence on a user request. The control unit can operate in dependence on a user-activated tailgate control switch (for example, disposed in the vehicle or on a remote control, such as a vehicle access fob) arranged to open the lower tail gate 21 and/or the upper tail gate 23.

The control unit can be configured to control the motors 69 to displace the latch trucks 67 in a rearwards direction more quickly that they are displaced in a forwards direction. Thus, the retraction of the cover 41 can be performed more quickly than the deployment of the cover 41. This approach is desirable to reduce the total time required to retract the cover 41 and to open the tailgate 7. It is envisaged that a total time of 7 seconds for retraction of the cover 41 and raising the upper tailgate 23 would be reasonable.

A second embodiment of the covering device according to the present invention is shown in Figure 11. Only the differences in relation to the first embodiment are described below. In this second embodiment, the tailgate 7 comprises a tailgate body 83. The tailgate body 83 comprises an outer portion 85 and an inner portion 87 and defines a tailgate nner volume 89. The inner portion 87 comprises a transverse opening 91. The cassette 43 is integrated into the inner volume 89 of the tailgate 7, and the cover 41 can deploy itself through the transverse opening 91. The retractable cover 41 is again wound onto a roller disposed within the tailgate inner volume. In a variant, the cassette could be omitted, and the transverse roller could be directly mounted to fixed end plates of the tailgate in the tailgate inner volume.

It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications can be made to the load space covering device described herein without departing from the scope of the present application.

A single switch could be provided to move the cover towards the retracted position and to open the tailgate in parallel.

The cassette could be mounted to the lower tailgate. The tailgate could be formed in only one part mounted to the vehicle body structure along its upper edge so as to pivot upwardly to the open position. In a variant, the cassette could be omitted, and the transverse roller could be directly mounted to the inner side of the upper tailgate.

The guide rail could be non-linear. The guide rail could have a curved or inclined portion at its forward end. The curved or inclined portion could drop down towards the floor of the load space, for example behind the rear seats of the vehicle.

The auto-detect strip could be coupled with the motor, for example to deactivate the motor when the auto-detect strip encounters an obstacle.

The coupling between the pull bar and the motor could be electromagnetic.

Further aspects of the present invention are set out in the following set of numbered paragraphs.

1. A vehicle having a load space, the vehicle comprising: a device for covering the load space, the device comprising a cover which is movable between a retracted position in which the load space is uncovered and a deployed position in which the load space is at least partially covered; means for coupling the cover; and means for guiding the coupling means along a predefined path; wherein said guiding means is configured such that the coupling means is displaced between a first orientation and a second orientation as it travels along said predefined path, the coupling means being in an open configuration when in said first orientation and in a closed configuration when in said second orientation.

2. A vehicle as described in paragraph 1, wherein the coupling means is configured to receive said cover when in said open configuration; and the coupling means is configured to retain said cover when in said closed configuration.

3. A vehicle as described in paragraph 1, wherein the coupling means undergoes rotation as it is displaced between said first and second orientations.

4. A vehicle as described in paragraph 1, wherein the guiding means comprises at least one elongate guide member comprising a front part and a rear part, the rear part being inclined relative to the front part.

5. A vehicle as described in paragraph 4, wherein the rear part of the guiding means is inclined downwardly.

6. A vehicle as described in paragraph 1, wherein the coupling means is in said first orientation when it is positioned on the rear part of the guide member; and the coupling means is in said second orientation when it is positioned on the front part of the guide member.

7. A vehicle as described in paragraph 1, wherein the device is mounted to a closure element of the vehicle and arranged such that the cover is introduced into the coupling means when the closure element is closed.

8. A vehicle as described in paragraph 1, wherein the rear part of each guide member is disposed at or proximal to said closure element of the vehicle for receiving the cover.

9. A vehicle as described in paragraph 1, wherein the coupling means comprises at least one latch truck movable longitudinally along said guide means.

10. A vehicle as described in paragraph 9, wherein the latch truck comprises a hook for engaging the cover, the hook having an opening which is exposed when the latch truck is in said first orientation and which is at least partially obstructed when the latch truck is in said second orientation.

11. A vehicle as described in paragraph 10, wherein a pull bar is provided at a leading edge of the cover, and fixing means are provided on said pull bar for releasably fixing the pull bar to the hook.

12. A vehicle as described in paragraph 1, comprising means for driving the cover from the retracted position to the deployed position.

13. A vehicle as described in paragraph 12, comprising a control unit for controlling the operation of the drive means.

14. A deployment apparatus for deploying a load space cover from a retracted position to a deployed position, the apparatus comprising: means for coupling with the cover; and means for guiding the coupling means along a predefined path; wherein said guiding means is configured such that the coupling means is displaced between a first orientation and a second orientation as it travels along said predefined path, the coupling means being in an open configuration when in said first orientation and in a closed configuration when in said second orientation.

15. A method of covering a load space of a vehicle as described in paragraph 1, the method comprising: coupling the cover to said coupling means; and displacing the coupling means along said predefined path to move the cover from said retracted position to said deployed position; wherein the guiding means causes said coupling means to be displaced from said first orientation to said second orientation as it is travels along said predefined path.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A vehicle having a load space, the vehicle comprising: A cover for covering the load space; A mechanism for moving the cover between a retracted position in which the load space is uncovered and a deployed position in which the load space is at least partially covered; means for coupling the cover to the mechanism; and means for guiding the coupling means along a predefined path; wherein the guiding means is configured such that the coupling means is displaced between an open configuration and a closed configuration as it travels along sad predefined path.
2. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coupling means is configured to receive said cover when in said open configuration and to retain said cover when in said closed configuration.
3. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the coupling means undergoes rotation as it is displaced between said open and closed configurations.
4. A vehicle as claimed in any one of claims 1 * 2 or 3, wherein the guiding means comprises at least one elongate guide member comprising a front part and a rear part, the rear part being inclined relative to the front part.
5. A vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the rear part of the guiding means is inclined downwardly.
6. A vehicle as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the coupling means is in said open configuration when it is positioned on the rear part of the guide member; and the coupling means is in said closed configuration when it is positioned on the front part of the guide member.
7. A vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the device is mounted to a closure element of the vehicle and arranged such that the cover is coupled to or received in the coupling means when the closure element is closed.
8. A vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rear part of each guide member is disposed at or proximal to said closure element of the vehicle for receiving the cover.
9. A vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the coupling means comprises at least one latch truck movable longitudinally along said guide means.
10. A vehicle as claimed in claim 9, wherein the latch truck comprises a hook for engaging the cover, the hook having an opening which is exposed when the latch truck is in said open configuration and which is at least partially obstructed when the latch truck is in said closed configuration.
11. A vehicle as claimed in claim 10, wherein a pull bar is provided at the leading edge of the cover, and fixing means are provided on said pull bar for releasably fixing the pull bar tothehook.
12. A vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising means for driving the cover from the retracted position to the deployed position.
13. A vehicle as claimed in claim 12, comprising a control unit for controlling the operation of the drive means.
14. A deployment apparatus for deploying a load space cover from a retracted position to a deployed position, the apparatus comprising: means for coupling with the cover; and means for guiding the coupling means along a predefined path; wherein said guiding means is configured such that the coupling means is displaced between a first orientation and a second orientation as it travels along said predefined path, the coupling means being in an open configuration when in said first orientation and in a closed configuration when in said second orientation.
15. A method of covering a load space of a vehicle as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, the method comprising: coupling the cover to said coupling means; and displacing the coupling means along said predefined path to move the cover from said retracted position to said deployed position; wherein the guiding means causes said coupling means to be displaced from said first orientation to said second orientation as it is travels along said predefined path.
16. A deployment apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying figures.
17. A vehicle substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying figures.