Vehicle Trunk Compartment Cargo Management System

• US 20100270821A1
• Filed: 04/23/2009
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Greg Ulita
• Original Assignee: Greg Ulita
• Inventors: Ulita, Greg
• Granted Patent: US 8,215,693 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/37.140
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 7/02 in separate luggage compartment B60R7/005 takes precedence

Abstract

A vehicle trunk compartment cargo management system is comprised of a trunk floor panel, a seatback and a pair of dividers. The trunk floor panel provides a vehicle trunk compartment floor surface. The seatback has a pair of pockets. Each pocket secures a seatback flange extending from a divider oriented in an upright position. Each divider has a seatback flange which fits within a seatback pocket to secure the divider in an upright position to the seatback. The dividers are pivotally attached to the trunk floor panel such that they may pivot between an upright position and a closed position. When the dividers are locked into an upright position they form three sub compartments within the vehicle trunk compartment. An optional cargo net fits over the dividers to cover the sub compartments.

Claims

1. A vehicle trunk compartment cargo management system comprising:

(a) a trunk floor panel providing a vehicle trunk compartment floor surface;

(b) a seatback having a pair of pockets, each said pocket being adapted to receive and secure a seatback flange extending from a divider oriented in an upright position, said seatback defining a wall of the vehicle trunk compartment; and

(c) a pair of dividers, each divider having a seatback flange sized and shaped to fit within a seatback pocket such that the seatback flange secures the divider in an upright position to the seatback, each said divider being pivotally attached to the trunk floor panel such that each divider may pivot between an upright position and a closed position, said closed position being substantially parallel to the trunk floor panel.

2. The vehicle trunk compartment cargo management system of claim 1, further comprising:

(a) a pair of openings each of which opens on a bottom side of the trunk floor panel for receiving and securing a tongue of a knob and tongue lock; and

(b) wherein each divider has a rotatable knob and tongue, said tongue extending from the knob and said tongue being shaped, sized and positioned to rotate into a tongue opening of the floor panel and to be positioned on the bottom side of the trunk floor panel, for releasably securing the divider to the trunk floor panel.

3. The vehicle trunk compartment cargo management system of claim 1, further comprising:

(a) a backtrim member aligned with and contiguous with another trunk compartment wall, said backtrim member having a pair of pockets, each said backtrim pocket being adapted to releasably receive and secure a backtrim flange extending from a divider oriented in an upright position;

(b) wherein each divider has a seatback flange sized and shaped to fit within a seatback pocket such that the seatback flange secures the divider in an upright position to the seatback, each divider having a backtrim flange sized and shaped to fit within a backtrim member pocket such that the backtrim flange releasably secures the divider in an upright position to the backtrim member.

4. The vehicle trunk compartment cargo management system of claim 1, further comprising:

(a) a pair of side panels forming two walls of the trunk compartment;

(b) at least one net anchor attached to each side panel, each said net anchor being adapted to releasably secure a cargo net;

(c) at least one locator stud extending from the outer periphery of each divider for receiving a net locator;

(d) a net locator releasably attached to the at least one locator stud of each divider, each net locator being adapted to be releasably fit over a locator stud, each net locator being adapted to secure and position a net over the dividers when the dividers are in an upright position such that a net attached to the net locators covers the sub compartments formed within the trunk compartment when the dividers are pivoted into an upright position perpendicular to the trunk floor panel; and

(e) a cargo net releasably attached to the at least one net anchor attached to each side panel and the at least one net locator attached to each divider such that the cargo net covers the three sub compartments formed within the trunk compartment when the dividers are pivoted into an upright position perpendicular to the trunk floor panel.

5. The vehicle trunk compartment cargo management system of claim 1, wherein each pocket of the backtrim member is defined by a plurality of walls, wherein one of the walls is shorter than another and wherein the backtrim pocket walls are shaped, sized and adapted such that their respective divider is capable of snapping into and snapping out of the pocket at the short wall.

6. The vehicle trunk compartment cargo management system of claim 1, wherein each divider is identically shaped and sized.

7. A vehicle trunk compartment cargo management system comprising:

(a) a trunk floor panel having a pair of recesses for receiving a pair of dividers;

(b) a seatback having a pair of pockets, each said pocket being adapted to receive and secure a seatback flange extending from a divider oriented in an upright position, wherein said seatback defines a trunk compartment wall;

(c) a backtrim member aligned with and contiguous with another trunk compartment wall, said backtrim member having a pair of pockets, each said backtrim pocket being adapted to releasably receive and secure a backtrim flange extending from a divider oriented in an upright position;

(d) a pair of dividers, each said divider being shaped to fit within a recess of the trunk floor panel, each said divider being pivotally attached to the trunk floor panel such that each divider may pivot between an upright position with respect to the trunk floor panel and a closed position, each divider having a seatback flange sized and shaped to fit within a seatback pocket such that the seatback flange secures the divider in an upright position to the seatback, each divider having a backtrim flange sized and shaped to fit within a backtrim member pocket such that the backtrim flange releasably secures the divider in an upright position to the backtrim member, each said divider being further shaped such that sub compartments are formed within the trunk compartment when the dividers are pivoted into an upright position with respect to the trunk floor panel.

8. The vehicle trunk compartment cargo management system of claim 7, further comprising:

(a) a pair of side panels forming two walls of the trunk compartment;

(b) at least one net anchor attached to each side panel, each said net anchor being adapted to releasably secure a cargo net;

(c) at least one locator stud extending from the outer periphery of each divider for receiving a net locator;

(d) a net locator releasably attached to the at least one locator stud of each divider, each net locator being adapted to be releasably fit over a locator stud, each net locator being adapted to secure and position a net over the dividers when the dividers are in an upright position such that a net attached to the net locators covers the sub compartments formed within the trunk compartment when the dividers are pivoted into an upright position with respect to the trunk floor panel; and

(e) a cargo net releasably attached to the at least one net anchor attached to each side panel and the at least one net locator attached to each divider such that the cargo net covers the sub compartments formed within the trunk compartment when the dividers are pivoted into an upright position with respect to the trunk floor panel.

9. The vehicle trunk compartment cargo management system of claim 7, wherein each divider is pivotally attached to the trunk floor panel by a living hinge extending from that divider.

10. The vehicle trunk compartment cargo management system of claim 7, wherein each pocket of the backtrim member is defined by a plurality of walls, wherein one of the walls is shorter than another and wherein the backtrim pocket walls are shaped, sized and adapted such that their respective divider is capable of snapping into and snapping out of the pocket at the short wall.

11. The vehicle trunk compartment cargo management system of claim 7, wherein each divider is identically shaped and sized.

12. The vehicle trunk compartment cargo management system of claim 7, wherein each divider has an upper half and a lower half with a plurality of ribs positioned between both halves.

13. The vehicle trunk compartment cargo management system of claim 12, wherein the upper half of each divider, the lower half of each divider and the ribs are adapted to be sonically welded together.

14. A vehicle trunk compartment cargo management system comprising:

(a) a trunk floor panel having a pair of recesses for receiving a pair of dividers, a pair of recesses for receiving a pair of hinges, a pair of openings each of which opens on a bottom side of the trunk floor panel for receiving and securing a tongue of a knob and tongue lock, a pair of recesses for providing a hand access area between the trunk floor panel and a divider;

(b) a seatback having a pair of pockets, each said pocket being adapted to receive and secure a seatback flange extending from a divider oriented in an upright position, wherein said seatback defines a trunk compartment wall;

(c) a backtrim member aligned with and contiguous with another trunk compartment wall, said backtrim member having a pair of pockets, each said backtrim pocket being adapted to releasably receive and secure a backtrim flange extending from a divider oriented in an upright position; and

(d) a pair of dividers, each said divider being shaped to fit within a recess of the trunk floor panel, each said divider being pivotally attached to the trunk floor panel with a hinge, said hinge being positioned within a trunk floor panel hinge recess, such that each divider may pivot between an upright position perpendicular to the trunk floor panel and a closed position wherein each divider fits within a trunk floor panel divider recess such that the trunk floor panel and the divider have a common coplanar flat upper surface, each divider having a rotatable knob and tongue wherein the tongue extends from the knob and is shaped, sized and positioned to rotate into a tongue opening of the floor panel and to be positioned on the bottom side of the trunk floor panel for releasably securing the divider to the trunk floor panel, each divider having a seatback flange sized and shaped to fit within a seatback pocket such that the seatback flange secures the divider in an upright position to the seatback, each divider having a backtrim flange sized and shaped to fit within a backtrim member pocket such that the backtrim flange releasably secures the divider in an upright position to the backtrim member, each said divider being further shaped such that three sub compartments are formed within the trunk compartment when the dividers are pivoted into an upright position perpendicular to the trunk floor panel.

15. The vehicle trunk compartment cargo management system of claim 14, further comprising:

(a) at least two recesses within the trunk floor panel for receiving a locator stud extending from each divider;

(b) a pair of side panels forming two walls of the trunk compartment;

(c) at least one net anchor attached to each side panel, each said net anchor being adapted to releasably secure a cargo net;

(d) at least one locator stud extending from the outer periphery of each divider for receiving a net locator, each locator stud fitting within a trunk floor panel locator stud recess when the divider from which it extends is in a closed position;

(e) a net locator releasably attached to the at least one locator stud of each divider, each net locator being adapted to be releasably fit over a locator stud, each net locator being adapted to secure and position a net over the dividers when the dividers are in an upright position such that a net attached to the net locators covers the three sub compartments formed within the trunk compartment when the dividers are pivoted into an upright position perpendicular to the trunk floor panel; and

(f) a cargo net releasably attached to the at least one net anchor attached to each side panel and the at least one net locator attached to each divider such that the cargo net covers the three sub compartments formed within the trunk compartment when the dividers are pivoted into an upright position perpendicular to the trunk floor panel.

16. The vehicle trunk compartment cargo management system of claim 14, wherein each divider is pivotally attached to the trunk floor panel by a living hinge extending from that divider.

17. The vehicle trunk compartment cargo management system of claim 14, wherein each pocket of the backtrim member is defined by a plurality of walls, wherein one of the walls is shorter than another and wherein the backtrim pocket walls are shaped, sized and adapted such that their respective divider is capable of snapping into and snapping out of the pocket at the short wall.

18. The vehicle trunk compartment cargo management system of claim 14, wherein each divider is identically shaped and sized.

19. The vehicle trunk compartment cargo management system of claim 14, wherein each divider has an upper half and a lower half with a plurality of ribs positioned between both halves.

20. The vehicle trunk compartment cargo management system of claim 19, wherein the upper half of each divider, the lower half of each divider and the ribs are adapted to be sonically welded together.