Trunk cover for vehicle and opening method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11448002-B2
Application number	US-201916520826-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2019
Priority date	Aug 20, 2018
Publication date	Sep 20, 2022
Grant date	Sep 20, 2022

Abstract

A trunk cover for a vehicle includes an upper panel covering one portion of a loading space part formed in a vehicle, a lower panel disposed continuously with the upper panel and covering the other portion of the loading space part; a main body connection part connecting the upper panel to a main body of the vehicle, and a panel connection part connecting the upper panel and the lower panel so that a length formed by the upper panel and the lower panel is variable when opening the loading space part.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A trunk cover for a vehicle, comprising:
an upper panel covering one portion of a loading space part formed in the vehicle;
a lower panel disposed continuously with the upper panel and covering an other portion of the loading space part;
a main body connection part connecting the upper panel to a main body of the vehicle;
a panel connection part connecting the upper panel and the lower panel so that a length formed by the upper panel and the lower panel is variable when opening the loading space part;
a sensor unit comprising a rear sensor sensing an obstacle to the rear of the vehicle and an upper sensor sensing an obstacle above the vehicle; and
a control unit controlling a rotation angle of the upper panel according to a sensing signal of the sensor unit when opening the loading space part,
wherein the trunk cover is controlled, by the control unit, to open in:
a) a first mode when the first mode is set, in the first mode the lower panel hangs freely from the panel connection part such that a rotation angle of the lower panel changes as the lower panel rotates freely due to gravity,
b) a second mode when the second mode is set, in the second mode a rotation angle of the lower panel is controlled by the control unit to be folded towards the upper panel at a set speed, and
c) a third mode when the third mode is set, in the third mode the control unit maintains a constant angle between the upper panel and the lower panel.

2. The trunk cover for the vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the panel connection part comprises a hinge device rotatably connecting the lower panel to the upper panel.

3. The trunk cover for the vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control unit comprises:
a sensor signal input part for receiving an input of a signal sensed by the sensor unit;
an operation determination part for determining a rotation angle and order of the upper panel and the lower panel according to position information of the obstacle, which is input through the sensor signal input part; and
an operation control part for controlling an operation of the main body connection part or the panel connection part according to the results determined by the operation determination part.

4. An opening method of a trunk cover for a vehicle, comprising:
an opening standby step of installing an upper panel and a lower panel to cover a loading space part formed in a vehicle;
a mode determination step of determining a method in which the lower panel is operated while the upper panel is opened; and
a panel opening step of moving at least one side of the upper panel and the lower panel to open the loading space part, the panel opening step including:
sensing, by a rear sensor of a sensor unit, an obstacle to the rear of the vehicle,
sensing, by an upper sensor of the sensor unit, an obstacle above the vehicle, and
controlling, by a control unit, a rotation angle of the upper panel
according to a sensing signal of the sensor unit when opening the loading space part,
wherein the trunk cover is controlled, by the control unit, to open in:
a) a first mode when the first mode is set, in the first mode the lower panel hangs freely from the panel connection part such that a rotation angle of the lower panel changes as the lower panel rotates freely due to gravity,
b) a second mode when the second mode is set, in the second mode a rotation angle of the lower panel is controlled by the control unit to be folded towards the upper panel at a set speed, and
c) a third mode when the third mode is set, in the third mode the control unit maintains a constant angle between the upper panel and the lower panel.

5. The opening method of the trunk cover for the vehicle of claim 4 , wherein in the mode determination step, when moving the upper panel, any one of a first mode in which the lower panel is maintained in a state of being hung by its own weight, a second mode in which the lower panel is moved at a set speed so as to be folded toward the upper panel, and a third mode in which a relative angle between the upper panel and the lower panel is constantly maintained is determined.

6. The opening method of the trunk cover for the vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the panel opening step comprises a first opening step of moving the upper panel to open the loading space part.

7. The opening method of the trunk cover for the vehicle of claim 6 , wherein in the first opening step, when moving the upper panel, when a distance between the upper panel or the lower panel and the obstacle is within a set distance, the movement of the upper panel is stopped.

8. The opening method of the trunk cover for the vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the panel opening step further comprises a second opening step of moving the lower panel after the first opening step to further open the loading space part.

9. The opening method of the trunk cover for the vehicle of claim 8 , wherein in the second opening step, when rotating the lower panel, when a distance between the upper panel or the lower panel and the obstacle is within the set distance, the rotation of the lower panel is stopped.

10. The opening method of the trunk cover for the vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the panel opening step further comprises a second opening step of moving the lower panel after the first opening step to further open the loading space part.

Assignees

• Continental Automotive Gmbh

Inventors

• Lee Sanghun
• Kessler Erwin

Classifications

• E05Y2900/548

  Trunk lids · CPC title

• E05F2015/434

  with cameras or optical sensors · CPC title

• E05Y2900/546

  Tailboards, tailgates or sideboards opening upwards · CPC title

• B60J5/101

  for non-load transporting vehicles, i.e. family cars including vans · CPC title

• E05Y2400/53

  Wing impact prevention or reduction · CPC title