Cargo securing mechanism for a trunk door of a vehicle

• US 10,118,558 B1
• Filed: 05/03/2017
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Worthen, Reid, Schein, Victoria Leigh
• Primary Examiner(s): LYJAK, LORI LYNN
• Application Number:
  US15/585,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20180319342A1
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/101 for non-load transporting vehicles, i.e. family cars including vans
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/00 Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0036 Luggage compartment
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0071 using latches, clips, clamps, straps or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0085 with adjustment by rotation in their operational position
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0092 with motorization
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 5/006 stowing or holding means for elongated articles, e.g. skis inside vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 5/041 extensible externally of the vehicle body, e.g. to create an open luggage compartment of increased capacity devices for anchoring the boot lid while carrying oversize objects E05C17/042
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/105 for motor cars
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 17/003 Power-actuated devices for limiting the opening of vehicle doors
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 17/38 with a curved rail rigid with the frame for engagement with means on the wing, or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/1028 for maintaining the hinge in two or more positions, e.g. intermediate or fully open
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/619 using flexible or rigid rack-and-pinion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/63 operated by swinging arms
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/20 in hinges
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/548 Trunk lids

Abstract

A vehicle trunk door includes a door panel. A hinge is coupled to the door panel for rotating the door panel between a plurality of rotational positions. A motor is coupled to the hinge, wherein the motor applies a rotational force to the hinge, wherein the rotational force biases the door panel toward a closed position. When cargo is disposed within a trunk aperture, the door panel is biased against the cargo to at least partially secure the cargo within the trunk aperture.

Claims

1. A vehicle trunk door comprising:

a door panel;

a hinge coupled to the door panel for rotating the door panel between a plurality of rotational positions;

a motor coupled to the hinge, wherein the motor applies a rotational force to the hinge, wherein the rotational force biases the door panel toward a closed position; and

wherein when cargo is disposed within a trunk aperture, the door panel is biased against the cargo to at least partially secure the cargo within the trunk aperture.

2. The vehicle trunk door of claim 1, wherein the motor operates to apply a consistent biasing force against the cargo.

3. The vehicle trunk door of claim 2, wherein upon shifting of the cargo to define a shifted cargo, the motor operates the door panel to maintain the consistent biasing force against the shifted cargo.

4. The vehicle trunk door of claim 3, wherein after the consistent biasing force is established, a braking mechanism maintains the rotational position of the door panel to apply the consistent biasing force.

5. The vehicle trunk door of claim 4, wherein the braking mechanism includes a caliper that applies a braking force against a portion of the hinge.

6. The vehicle trunk door of claim 4, wherein when the cargo defines the shifted cargo such that the shifted cargo is free of the consistent biasing force, the braking mechanism operates to a release position and the motor operates to reestablish the consistent biasing force.

7. The vehicle trunk door of claim 4, wherein the braking mechanism includes a protrusion that engages at least one recess of a plurality of recesses defined within a portion of the hinge, and wherein engagement of the protrusion with the at least one recess maintains the consistent biasing force against the cargo.

8. The vehicle trunk door of claim 4, wherein the braking mechanism operates to prevent movement of the door panel toward a fully-open position, and wherein when the cargo defines the shifted cargo, the motor can be selectively operated to reestablish the consistent biasing force while the braking mechanism is engaged with the hinge.

9. The vehicle trunk door of claim 8, wherein the braking mechanism includes a one-way ratcheting mechanism, and wherein engagement of the braking mechanism defines selective operation of the door panel toward the closed position to maintain the consistent biasing force and further defines an absence of movement toward the fully-open position until the braking mechanism is disengaged.

10. The vehicle trunk door of claim 1, wherein the motor includes a gearing mechanism that meshes with a portion of the hinge.

11. The vehicle trunk door of claim 1, wherein the motor includes a piston-operated actuator.

12. The vehicle trunk door of claim 4, wherein the hinge includes an arcuate arm that slidably engages a hinge channel, and wherein the motor and the braking mechanism are disposed proximate the hinge channel to selectively engage the arcuate arm.

13. A vehicle comprising:

a trunk door having a hinge;

a motor that operates the trunk door toward a closed position to define an intermediate rotational position that is distal from the closed position; and

a braking mechanism that selectively secures the trunk door in the intermediate rotational position.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the intermediate rotational position is further defined by the trunk door engaging an obstructing cargo positioned within an aperture of the trunk door and the trunk door applying a consistent biasing force against the obstructing cargo, wherein the obstructing cargo prevents the trunk door from reaching the closed position.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein when a position of the obstructing cargo within the aperture is modified, the obstructing cargo defines a shifted cargo that is free of the consistent biasing force, and wherein when the obstructing cargo defines the shifted cargo, the motor operates to define a shifted intermediate rotational position that reestablishes the consistent biasing force against the shifted cargo.

16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein operation of the motor to operate the trunk door from the intermediate rotational position to the shifted intermediate rotational position is performed without disengaging the braking mechanism.

17. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the motor and the braking mechanism selectively engage the hinge for the trunk door.

18. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the braking mechanism includes an operable caliper that selectively secures the hinge in the intermediate rotational position.

19. A method for securing shifted cargo with in a vehicle trunk, the method comprising steps of:

operating a motor to move a trunk door into engagement with an obstructing cargo placed within an aperture for the trunk door;

activating a braking mechanism to secure the trunk door in an intermediate rotational position, wherein the intermediate rotational position defines a consistent biasing force exerted by the trunk door against the obstructing cargo;

maintaining the consistent biasing force as the obstructing cargo defines a shifted position, wherein the motor activates to redefine the intermediate rotational position based upon the shifted position of the obstructing cargo;

deactivating the motor and the braking mechanism to remove the consistent biasing force; and

operating the trunk door to a fully-open position.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of maintaining the consistent biasing force is performed while the braking mechanism is activated, wherein the braking mechanism in an active state is adapted to prevent operation of the trunk door in a direction of the fully-open position, and wherein the braking mechanism in the active state allows for operation of the motor to redefine the intermediate rotational position to be closer to a closed position.