Baggage door

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11325450-B2
Application number	US-202016828245-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2020
Priority date	Mar 25, 2019
Publication date	May 10, 2022
Grant date	May 10, 2022

Abstract

In one aspect, a baggage door is provided for a vehicle. The baggage door includes a plastic outer panel for closing an opening of a vehicle and a hinge base configured to be mounted to a surface adjacent the opening. The baggage door further includes a plastic inner support having a hinge portion of the plastic inner support configured to pivotally connect to the hinge base. The inner support includes an arm portion extending away from the hinge portion for supporting the outer panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A baggage door for a vehicle, the baggage door comprising:
a plastic outer panel for closing an opening of a body of a vehicle;
a hinge base configured to be mounted to the vehicle body adjacent the opening;
an elongate plastic inner support having opposite end portions;
a hinge portion of one of the end portions of the plastic inner support, the hinge portion including at least one knuckle to pivotally connect to the hinge base;
an arm portion of the plastic inner support extending away from the hinge portion to the other end portion of the plastic inner support for supporting the outer panel;
longitudinal strengthening ribs of the plastic inner support extending from adjacent the at least one knuckle at the one end of the plastic inner support, through the arm portion, and to the other end portion of the plastic inner support;
the longitudinal strengthening ribs each including a pair of side wall portions, a wall portion connecting the side wall portions, and an outer channel defined at least in part by the side wall portions and the wall portion;
inner channels of the plastic inner support laterally separating the longitudinal strengthening ribs, the inner channels defined at least in part by the side wall portions of the longitudinal strengthening ribs; and
wherein the inner support includes a gooseneck portion intermediate the hinge portion and the arm portion and the longitudinal strengthening ribs extend through the hinge portion, the gooseneck portion, and the arm portion.

2. The baggage door of claim 1 wherein the at least one knuckle of the inner support includes knuckles that are laterally offset from the longitudinal strengthening ribs.

3. The baggage door of claim 1 wherein the inner support is elongated along a longitudinal axis and has a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the cross-section having a crenulated shape.

4. The baggage door of claim 1 wherein the hinge base and the inner support are each made of a glass-filled polymer.

5. The baggage door of claim 1 wherein the hinge base is plastic; and
a metallic pin connects the inner support to the hinge base.

6. The baggage door of claim 1 wherein the inner support includes struts extending laterally between the longitudinal strengthening ribs.

7. The baggage door of claim 6 wherein
wherein each longitudinal strengthening rib includes struts connecting the side wall portions of the longitudinal strengthening rib.

8. The baggage door of claim 1 wherein the inner support includes intersecting struts extending laterally between the longitudinal strengthening ribs.

9. The baggage door of claim 8 wherein each longitudinal strengthening rib includes intersecting struts connecting the side wall portions of the longitudinal strengthening rib.

10. A baggage door for a vehicle, the baggage door comprising:
a plastic outer panel for closing an opening of a body of a vehicle;
a hinge base configured to be mounted to the vehicle body adjacent the opening;
an elongate plastic inner support having opposite end portions;
a hinge portion of one of the end portions of the plastic inner support, the hinge portion including at least one knuckle to pivotally connect to the hinge base;
an arm portion of the plastic inner support extending away from the hinge portion to the other end portion of the plastic inner support for supporting the outer panel;
longitudinal strengthening ribs of the plastic inner support extending from adjacent the at least one knuckle at the one end of the plastic inner support, through the arm portion, and to the other end portion of the plastic inner support;
the longitudinal strengthening ribs each including a pair of side wall portions, a wall portion connecting the side wall portions, and an outer channel defined at least in part by the side wall portions and the wall portion;
inner channels of the plastic inner support laterally separating the longitudinal strengthening ribs, the inner channels defined at least in part by the side wall portions of the longitudinal strengthening ribs;
wherein the at least one knuckle of the inner support includes knuckles that are laterally offset from the longitudinal strengthening ribs;
wherein the hinge portion of the inner support includes an end wall portion adjacent one of the knuckles of the hinge portion;
wherein the longitudinal strengthening ribs include two longitudinal strengthening ribs, with one of the two longitudinal strengthening ribs including a first side wall portion of the side wall portions and the other of the two strengthening ribs including a second side wall portion of the side wall portions spaced from the first side wall portion by the end wall portion; and
wherein the hinge portion of the inner support includes a web extending intermediate the first and second side wall portions and spaced from the end wall portion to form a box-shaped section of the hinge portion adjacent the one knuckle.

11. A baggage door for a vehicle, the baggage door comprising:
a plastic outer panel for closing an opening of a body of a vehicle;
a hinge base configured to be mounted to the vehicle body adjacent the opening;
an elongate plastic inner support having opposite end portions;
a hinge portion of one of the end portions of the plastic inner support, the hinge portion including at least one knuckle to pivotally connect to the hinge base;
an arm portion of the plastic inner support extending away from the hinge portion to the other end portion of the plastic inner support for supporting the outer panel;
longitudinal strengthening ribs of the plastic inner support extending from adjacent the at least one knuckle at the one end of the plastic inner support, through the arm portion, and to the other end portion of the plastic inner support;
the longitudinal strengthening ribs each including a pair of side wall portions, a wall portion connecting the side wall portions, and an outer channel defined at least in part by the side wall portions and the wall portion;
inner channels of the plastic inner support laterally separating the longitudinal strengthening ribs, the inner channels defined at least in part by the side wall portions of the longitudinal strengthening ribs; and
wherein the inner support includes an inner surface, an outer surface, and a thickness between the inner surface and the outer surface that decreases as the inner support extends from the hinge portion to the arm portion.

12. A baggage door for a vehicle, the baggage door comprising:
a plastic outer panel for closing an opening of a body of a vehicle;
a hinge base configured to be mounted to the vehicle body adjacent the opening;
an elongate plastic inner support having opposite end portions;
a hinge portion of one of the end portions of the plastic inner support, the hinge portion including at least one knuckle to pivotally connect to the hinge base;
an arm portion of the plastic inner support extending away from the hinge portion to the other end portion of the plastic inner support for supporting the outer panel;
longitudinal strengthening ribs of the plastic inner support extending from adjacent the at least one knuckle at the one end of the plastic inner support, through the arm portion, and to the other end portion of the plastic inner support;
the longitudinal strengthening ribs each including a pair of side wall portions, a wall portion connecting the side wall portions, and an outer channel defined at least in part by the side wall portions and the wall portion;
inner channels of the plastic inner support laterally separating the longitudinal strengthening ribs, the inner channels defined at

Assignees

• Cons Metco Inc

Inventors

• Rozanek Joseph
• Davis Christopher
• Larsen Kyle
• Mcgarry Stephen

Classifications

• B60J5/0491 Primary

  lid, e.g. for luggage compartment accessible at vehicle side (B60J5/0498 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60J5/0481

  plastic · CPC title

• B60J5/0415

  Outer panel · CPC title

• B60J5/0431

  the elements being arranged at the hinge area · CPC title

• B62D65/06

  the sub-units or components being doors, windows, openable roofs, lids, bonnets, or weather strips or seals therefor {(assembling sealing arrangements with vehicle parts, e.g. doors, windows B60J10/45)} · CPC title