Device for dividing the storage space behind a seat in a vehicle, especially a private car

• US 20030122397A1
• Filed: 12/31/2002
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johann Borgers GmbH & Company KG (Borgers AG)
• Original Assignee: Johann Borgers GmbH & Company KG (Borgers AG)
• Inventors: Maibom, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 6,729,668 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/69
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/20 the back-rest being tiltable, e.g. to permit easy access B60N2/04, B60N2/22 , B60N2/3002 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3011 the back-rest being hinged on the cushion, e.g. "portefeuille movement"
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/36 into a loading platform B60N2/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/363 characterised by provisions for enhancing the cargo floor surface, e.g. elements closing gaps or enlarging the back-rest surface
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2205/30 Seat or seat parts characterised by comprising plural parts or pieces
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 5/04 arranged at rear of vehicle B60R5/003, B60R5/006 take precedence; external trunks arranged at rear of vehicle B60R9/065

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for dividing (41, 42) the storage space behind a seat, comprising a storage floor (21) having a horizontal hinge (22). The storage floor (21) can be unfolded (46) or folded up in relation to the vehicle floor. Said hinge (22) enables the storage floor (21) to alternate between being in a storage position and a non-storage position. The invention aims to facilitate structure and handling. In order to achieve this, the storage floor (21) is fixed to the rear (19) of the seat by means of the hinge (22), forming a unit comprising the storage floor (21) and seat, which can be pre-assembled. In the non-storage position, the storage floor (21) folds onto the rear side (19) of the back of the seat (12) and is fixed thereto by a retaining means (30). In the storage position (21.2), the storage floor (21) juts out of the back of the seat (12) and is held in position by means of supporting surfaces (28). Said storage floor forms an upper storage floor (25) located above the vehicle floor.

Claims

1. Device for dividing the storage space (40) behind a seat in a vehicle, especially in a passenger car,

where the seat (10) consists of a flat seat part (11) and a backrest (12);

with a cover panel, which has a horizontal hinge along one edge;

which hinge allows the cover panel to fold up and down with respect to the floor (15) of the vehicle and thus moved between a storage position and a non-storage position;

and with stationary support surfaces (28) in the vehicle, which position the cover panel in its storage, i.e., down, position a defined vertical distance from the floor of the vehicle and divide the single large storage space (40) into two levels, one above the other;

whereas the two levels combine to form a single large storage space (40) when the cover panel is in its non-storage, i.e., up, position,

characterized in that

the cover panel (21) is attached by the hinge (22) to the rear surface (19) of the seat (10) and forms a preassembled structural unit (20) together with the seat (10);

in that

the cover panel (21), when in its non-storage position, rests flush against the rear surface (19) of the backrest (12) and is held in this up position (21.1) by retaining means (30) located on the seat (10); and

in that

when the cover panel (21) is in its storage position, it projects out from the rear surface (19) of the backrest (12) and is positioned in this down position (21.2) by the stationary support surfaces (28) to form an upper cover panel (21), carried by the seat (10).

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when in the up position (21.1), the upper cover panel (21) is integrated into the backrest (12).

3. Device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the utility surface (25), which is invisible in the up position (21.1) but which supports the cargo when in the down position (21.2), is designed differently from the other, decorative surface (24) of the upper cover panel (21), which decorative surface is visible in the up position (21.1) of the panel,

where the utility surface (25) is mechanically strong, and the decorative surface (24) matches the style of its surroundings.

4. Device according to one of claims 1-3, characterized in that the upper cover panel (21) is made up of multiple layers, and in that these layers (51-54) are assembled to form a laminate (50),

where, when the upper cover panel (21) is in the down position (21.2), the utility surface (25) forms the uppermost layer (51) in a dimensionally stable support layer (52), and where the decorative surface (24) is the lowermost, decorative layer (54).

5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that an upholstery layer (53), which has acoustic damping properties, is provided between the support layer (52) and the decorative layer (54).

6. Device according to claim 4 or claim 5, characterized in that the utility surface (25) of the upper cover panel (21) is provided with functional parts such as friction strips, tie-down rings, handles, etc.

7. Device according to one of claims 4-6, characterized in that the support layer (52) has a honeycomb structure (48).

8. Device according to one of claims 1-7, characterized in that the storage or down position (21.2) of the upper cover panel (21) is held in place by latching means (35) in the interior of the vehicle.

9. Device according to one of claims 1-8, characterized in that the backrest (12) can pivot with respect to the flat seat part (11) between a seating function at a certain angle (39) to the seating surface (13) and a position opposite the seating surface (13) in which the rear surface (19) can fulfill a storage function;

and in that

the hinge (22) of the upper cover panel (21) is in a position at a certain level on the backrest;

where the utility surface (25) of the upper cover panel (21) and the rear surface (19) of the folded-forward backrest (12) form a single, large, essentially continuous storage surface (45).

10. Device according to one of claims 1-9, characterized in that the outline and/or vertical profile of the upper cover panel (21) is adapted in the up position (21.1) and/or in the down position (21.2) to the 3-dimensional spaces present in the seat area and/or to the shape of the car body in the storage space (40).

11. Device according to one of claims 1-10, characterized in that the hinge (22) of the upper cover panel (21) is located in the transition area between the backrest (12) and the flat seat part (11).

12. Device according to one of claims 1-11, characterized in that:

the upper cover panel (21′

) is made up of at least two sub-panels (26, 27) arranged in sequence in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle;

in that

the sub-panels (26, 27) are connected to each other by an auxiliary hinge (29);

in that

when in the down position (21.2′

), the sub-panels (26, 27) are stretched out and combine to define the utility surface of the subdivided upper cover panel (21′

), and in that, when in the up position (21.1), the sub-panels (26, 27) rest against each other in an accordion-like manner, resting as a compact panel package (34) against the rear surface (19) of the backrest (12).

13. Device according to one of claims 1-12, characterized in that the upper cover panel (21′

) is divided into at least two parts adjacent to each other in the transverse direction of the vehicle,

each part of the panel being foldable by itself, independently of the other, with respect to the backrest (12).

14. Device according to claim 13, characterized in that the manner in which the upper cover panel (21′

) is divided into parts conforms to the way in which the seat (10′

) is divided in the longitudinal direction.

15. Device according to one of claims 1-14, characterized in that at least one additional auxiliary panel is provided, which is underneath and/or above the upper cover panel (21) when the upper cover panel is its down position (21.2);

and in that

this auxiliary panel and the upper cover panel (21) cooperate to divide the single large cargo space (40) of the vehicle into several sub-spaces.