WO2005085005A1

WO2005085005A1 - Trunk structure of automobile

Info

Publication number: WO2005085005A1
Application number: PCT/KR2004/000746
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sun Ja Kang
Original assignee: Sun Ja Kang
Priority date: 2004-03-08
Filing date: 2004-03-31
Publication date: 2005-09-15
Also published as: KR200351369Y1

Abstract

A trunk storage device of automobiles comprises a first space serving as a main storing space, and a second space formed as a narrow space between opposed walls of raised wheel housing in front of the first space to serve as an assistant storing space, and a storage cover equipped to the second space in order to improve space utility of the trunk room. The trunk storage device includes a guide means for allowing the storage cover to move back and forth within the second space, and a trunk through hole communicated from the second space to the interior of the automobile through a rear seat so as to be used as a passage for receiving items in front of the second space therethrough. The trunk storage device can enhance space utility of the trunk room.

Description

TRUNK STRUCTURE OF AUTOMOBILE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a trunk storage device of automobiles, and, more particularly, to a trunk storage device of automobiles, which comprises a slidable storage cover equipped to a narrow space defined between opposed walls of raised wheel housings in a trunk room, and a trunk through hole formed between the trunk room and a rear passenger compartment to allow items to be received therethrough, thereby enhancing space utility of the trunk room. Description of the Related Art Generally, a trunk room as a space for storing items is provided, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, to a rear side of an automobile, and is opened or closed by a trunk door 10. The trunk room is configured to store various items, such as luggage, fixing tools for automobile, articles for leisure, and the like. Particularly, the interior space of the trunk room comprises a first space 30 'as a main storing space having a large volume so as to allow predetermined items having a predetermined volume to be stored therein, and a second space 70 as an assistant storing space having a small volume formed between opposed walls of raised wheel housings 20 in front of the first space 30. With the construction of the trunk room comprising the first space 30 and the second space 70, the first space 30 having a large volume is usually used for storing the items, while the second space 70 having a small volume in front of the first space 30 is less frequently used for storing the items. Even if the second space 70 is used for storing the items, its use is restricted so as to be used only when storing a pair of skis in winter through a trunk thorough hole 91 formed through a rear seat 90 of the automobile. That is, with the construction as described above, the second space is a dead space, which is not ordinarily used. Considering the problem of the conventional trunk room as described above, various conventional technologies including Korean Utility Model Registration No. 0268935 issued to the applicant of the present invention have been suggested for providing a trunk storage device, designed to use the second space 70 remained as the dead space in the trunk room. In the disclosure of Korean Utility Model Registration No. 0268935, a storage cover 50 serving as a partition (see Fig. 3) is equipped between a first space 30 and a second space 70 to divide the first space 30 and the second space 70, maximizing an effectual space within a trunk room, while allowing efficient alignment of items stored in the trunk roo . Additionally, a trunk through hole 111 (Figs. 9 and 10) is provided in front of the second space 70 serving as the assistant storing space having a small volume, and is communicated to a rear passenger compartment through the rear seat 90 of the automobile, so that long items such as a pair of skis can be stored in the trunk room through the trunk through hole.111. In the trunk storage device as described above, the storage cover 50 is fixed at a predetermined position to divide the second space 70 from the first space 30, thereby allowing efficient storage of items. However, the trunk storage device of Korean Utility Model Registration No. 0268935 has a problem in that if the items are not stored in the second space 70, the storage cover 50 restricts space utility of the trunk room. Moreover, when storing the items within the second space 70, it is necessary to not only open a lid of the storage cover 50 via the first space 30, and to but also stretch the arm of a user as far as possible with the body bending into the trunk room, thereby providing inconvenience in use. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a trunk storage device of automobiles, which comprises a slidable storage cover movable back and forth within a second space having a small volume, and a trunk through hole communicated from the second space to the interior of the automobile through a rear seat of the automobile to be used as a passage for allowing items to be received therethrough, thereby allowing efficient use of the trunk room as a storage space by an access from the interior of the automobile to the trunk room. In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the above and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of a trunk storage device of automobiles, comprising a first space serving as a main storing space, and a second space formed as a narrow space between opposed walls of raised wheel housings in front of the first space to serve as an assistant storing space, and a storage cover equipped to the second space in order to improve space utility of the trunk room, wherein the trunk storage device includes a guide means for allowing the storage cover to move back and forth within the second space, and a trunk through hole communicated from the second space to the interior of the automobile through a rear seat so as to be used as a passage for receiving items in front of the second space therethrough. The storage cover may comprise a body for covering the narrow space inside the trunk room, an opening/closing member formed at a center of the body to open/close a predetermined portion of the body, and wings for fixing both ends of the body to inner walls of the trunk, respectively, each wing being formed at either side surface with fastening holes for fixing the body of the storage cover, so that the body of the storage cover can to fixed to the second space by use of fixing screws . The guide means may comprise a guide member provided to either side surface of the second space, and a fixing screw fastened to either side surface of each wing so as to move along the guide member while contacting an upper surface of the guide member for fixing the storage cover to a predetermined position of the second space. The guide means may comprise a depression formed at the center of a side surface of each wing, a protruded guide member formed along either side surface of the second space to be fitted to the depression, and a fixing screw for fixing the storage cover moved along the protruded guide member to the predetermined position of the second space, so that the storage cover can slide in the second space . The trunk storage device may further comprise an assistant net for storing items attached to the rear side of the storage cover by use of fixing screws fastened to the wings at both ends of the storage cover, thereby enhancing space utility of the second space.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and other objects and features of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a trunk room of an automobile with a trunk door opened; Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the state that a trunk storage device in accordance with the present invention is equipped inside a trunk room; Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the state of the storage device moving within the trunk room; Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C of Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a storage cover of the trunk storage device in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 8 is a perspective view illustrating a net for storing items attached to the rear side of the storage cover of Fig . 7 ; Fig. 9 is a perspective view illustrating the interior of a second space to which the trunk storage device of the present invention is equipped; and Fig. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a trunk through hole formed on a rear seat to be communicated to a rear compartment of the automobile.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the state that a trunk storage device in accordance with the present invention is equipped inside a trunk room, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the state of the storage device moving within the trunk room. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a storage cover of the trunk storage device in accordance with the present invention, and Fig. 8 is a perspective view illustrating a net attached to the rear side of the storage cover of Fig. 7. Referring to the drawings, a trunk storage device in accordance with the present invention is constructed such that a slidable storage cover 50 is equipped to a second space 70, which is an assistant storage space within a trunk room. As shown in Fig. 7, the storage cover 50 comprise a body 51 for covering a narrow space inside the trunk room, an opening/closing member 53 formed at a center of the body 51 to open/close a predetermined portion of the body 51, and wings 59 for fixing both ends of the body 51 to inner walls of the trunk, respectively. Each of the wings 59 is integrally formed to upper and lower portions of either side surface of the body 51, and has a shape extended a predetermined length from the side surface of the body such that the wing comes into contact with the inner wall of the trunk room. The wing 59 is formed at upper and lower side surfaces with fastening holes 57, to which fastening members 80 (see Fig. 8), such as screws, are inserted. Moreover, the storage cover 50 is formed at both sides thereof with depressions 55. More specifically, each of the depressions 55 is formed at either side surface of storage cover 50 between the upper and lower portions of the wing 59, and provided with an opening 58 for a handle adjacent to the depression 55 so as to allow easy gripping of the storage cover 50 upon displacement of the storage cover 50. A net 60 for storing items may be attached to the rear side of the storage cover 50 according to the present invention. The net 60 may be conveniently equipped to the wings 59 of the body by use of fastening members 80 such as fixing screws . Meanwhile, the depression 55 is recessed a predetermined length from the side surface of the wing 59 between the upper and lower portions of the wing 59, so that the depression 55 does not contact the side surface of the second space 70. Referring to Fig. 4, a guide means is provided for moving the storage cover 50 of the present invention back and forth within the second space 70, and comprises the depression 55 formed at either side surface of the wing 59, and a guide member 71 formed on either side surface of the second space 70 to contact the wing 59 at either side surface of the storage cover, such that the storage cover 50 can move back and forth within the second space by virtue of cooperation between the guide members 71 and the wings 59 at both sides of the storage cover 50. Additionally, the guide means further comprises the fastening holes 57 of the wings 59 and the fastening screws 80, so that as the fastening screws 80 are fastened to the fastening holes 57, the storage cover 50 can be fixed at a predetermined position after displacing the storage cover 50. Meanwhile, as shown in Fig. 9, the guide means of the present invention may have a different configuration. For example, the guide means may be constituted by a protruded guide member 113 formed at either side surface of the second space 70, and the depression 55 formed between the upper and lower portions of each wing 59. That is, the protruded guide members 113 formed at both side surfaces of the second space 70 are press fitted to the depressions 55 formed on both side surfaces of the storage cover 50 such that the storage cover 50 can move along a press-fitted portion between the protruded guide members 113 and the depressions 55 back and forth within the second space 70. At this time, each of the protruded guide members 113 may be integrally formed to a raised wheel housing 20, and alternatively, it may be attached to the raised wheel housing 20 as a separate member. If the protruded guide members 113 are integrally formed to the raised wheel housings 20, there is an advantage of simplifying the construction of the guide means . With the construction as described above, if a user wishes to use the trunk room as a single space without separating the first space 30 from the second space 70, the storage cover 50 is pushed, as shown in Fig. 6, in front of the first space 70 to a forefront position "a" of the second space 70, and if the user want to use the trunk room as a double space by separating the first space 30 from the second space 70, the storage cover 50 is located at a border b between the first space 30 and the second space 70. Fig. 9 is a perspective view illustrating the interior of the second space to which the trunk storage device of the present invention is equipped, and Fig. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a trunk through hole formed through a rear seat to be communicated to the trunk room. Referring to Figs. 9 and 10, a trunk through hole 111 is formed through a rear seat 110 of the automobile, and is communicated to the second space 70 within the trunk room. The trunk through hole 111 is opened or closed by operation of an armrest 115 and a lid 117 equipped on the rear seat 110. When the storage cover 50 is located at the border b between the first space 30 and the second space 70 in order to separate the second space 70 from the first space 30, the second space 70 can be accessed from the interior of the automobile. That is, when the size of the trunk through hole 111 formed through the rear seat 110 to be communicated to the second space 70 is increased to a predetermined size or more such that the trunk through hole 111 can be used as a passage for receiving items, various items can be received in the second space 70 through the trunk through hole 111. Accordingly, not only can long items, such as a pair of skis, be received in the second space 70 of the trunk room through the trunk through hole 111, but various items can also be received from the interior of the automobile to the second space 70 of the trunk room, thereby maximizing the space utility of the trunk room. The storage device according to the present invention enables the space of the trunk room to be efficiently utilized, and in particular, the storage cover can prevent noise, if noise is generated in the trunk room, from being transmitted to the interior of the automobile via the trunk through hole . As is apparent from the above description, the trunk storage device for automobiles according to the present invention has the storage cover equipped at the predetermined position within the trunk room so as to divide the first space as the main storage space and the second space as the assistant storage space while being moved back and forth within the second space, and the trunk through hole communicated from the second space of the trunk room to the interior of the automobile through the rear seat .so as to allow the items to be received from the interior of the automobile to the second space of the trunk room, thereby allowing efficient space utility of the trunk room. Additionally, the storage cover also provides an advantageous effect of preventing noise generated in the trunk room from being transmitted to the interior of the automobile via the trunk through hole. It should be understood that the embodiments and the accompanying drawings as described above have been described for illustrative purposes and the present invention is limited by the following claims. Further, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are allowed without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the accompanying claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A trunk storage device of automobiles, comprising a first space serving as a main storing space, and a second space formed as a narrow space between opposed walls of raised wheel housings in front of the first space to serve as an assistant storing space, and a storage cover equipped to the second space in order to improve space utility of the trunk room, wherein the trunk storage device includes a guide means for allowing the storage cover to move back and forth within the second space, and a trunk through hole communicated from the second space to the interior of the automobile through a rear seat so as to be used as a passage for receiving items in front of the second space therethrough.

2. The storage device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the storage cover comprises a body for covering the narrow space inside the trunk room, an opening/closing member formed at a center of the body to open/close a predetermined portion of the body, and wings for fixing both ends of the body to inner walls of the trunk, respectively, each wing being formed at either side surface with fastening holes for fixing the body of the storage cover.

3. The storage device as set forth in claim 1 or 2, wherein the guide means comprises a guide member provided to either side surface of the second space, and fixing screws fastened to either side surface of each wing so as to move along the guide member while contacting an upper surface of the guide member for fixing the storage cover to a predetermined position of the second space.

4. The storage device as set forth in claim 1 or 2 , wherein the guide means comprises a depression formed at the center of a side surface of each wing, a protruded guide member formed along either side surface of the second space to be fitted to the depression, and fixing screws for fixing the storage cover moved along the protruded guide member to a predetermined position of the second space.

5. The storage device as set forth in claim 1 or 2 , further comprising an assistant net for storing items attached to the rear side of the storage cover by use of fixing screws fastened to the wings at both side surfaces of the storage cover.