Front trunk including closure section configurable into two deployed positions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12017615-B2
Application number	US-202217892249-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2022
Priority date	Jun 1, 2022
Publication date	Jun 25, 2024
Grant date	Jun 25, 2024

Abstract

A front trunk includes a closure section configurable into two deployed positions, namely an intermediate deployed position and a fully deployed position. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a motor vehicle, including: a front trunk establishing a cargo space; and a closure assembly configured to selectively cover and uncover the front trunk, wherein the closure assembly includes an upper section and a lower section moveable independent of the upper section, wherein the lower section is configured to move between a closed position, an intermediate deployed position in which the lower section uncovers a portion of the front trunk, and a fully deployed position in which an upper surface area of the lower section is greater than the upper surface area of the lower section in the intermediate deployed position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A motor vehicle, comprising:
a front trunk establishing a cargo space; and
a closure assembly configured to selectively cover and uncover the front trunk, wherein the closure assembly includes an upper section and a lower section moveable independent of the upper section, wherein the lower section is configured to move between a closed position, an intermediate deployed position in which the lower section uncovers a portion of the front trunk, and a fully deployed position in which an upper surface area of the lower section is greater than the upper surface area of the lower section in the intermediate deployed position, wherein the lower section provides at least a portion of a grille of the vehicle, and wherein the upper section provides a hood and a portion of the grille.

2. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein the lower section includes first and second panels moveable independent of one another.

3. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 2 , wherein, when the lower section is in the fully deployed position, at least a portion of an upper surface of the first panel and at least a portion of an upper surface of the second panel are formed of a different texture or finished surface than a remainder of the first and second panels.

4. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 2 , wherein, when the lower section is in the intermediate deployed position, the first panel covers the second panel when the lower section is viewed from a vertically upper perspective.

5. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 2 , wherein, when the lower section is in the fully deployed position, the first panel is forward of the second panel.

6. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 2 , wherein the lower section is configured such that when moving from the closed position to the intermediate deployed position, the first and second panels rotate substantially 90°.

7. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 6 , wherein the first and second panels are rotatable from the closed position to the intermediate deployed position about an axis adjacent a bottom edge of the lower section.

8. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 6 , wherein the lower section is configured such that when moving from the intermediate deployed position to the fully deployed position, the first panel rotates substantially 180° relative to the second panel.

9. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 8 , wherein the first panel is moveable from the intermediate deployed position to the fully deployed position about an axis adjacent a front edge of the second panel.

10. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein, when the lower section is in the fully deployed position, the upper surface area of the lower section is substantially twice the upper surface area of the lower section in the intermediate deployed position.

11. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 10 , wherein:
the lower section includes first and second panels moveable independent of one another,
when the lower section is in the fully deployed position, surfaces of both the first and second panels define the upper surface area of the lower section, and
when the lower section is in the intermediate deployed position, the upper surface area of the lower section is only defined by a surface the first panel.

12. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein the upper section is moveable in a direction generally opposite the lower section to uncover the front trunk.

13. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein the motor vehicle is a battery electric vehicle.

14. A method, comprising:
moving a lower section of a closure assembly of a front trunk relative to an upper section of the closure assembly, wherein the step of moving the lower section includes moving the lower section from a closed position in which the lower section covers a front portion of the front trunk to an intermediate deployed position in which the lower section uncovers the front trunk, wherein the lower section provides at least a portion of a grille of the vehicle, and wherein the upper section provides a hood and a portion of the grille; and
moving the lower section from the intermediate deployed position to a fully deployed position in which an upper surface area of the lower section is increased relative to the upper surface area of the lower section in the intermediate deployed position.

15. The method as recited in claim 14 , wherein the lower section includes first and second panels moveable independent of one another, and wherein, when the lower section is in the intermediate deployed position, the first panel covers the second panel when the lower section is viewed from a vertically upper perspective.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein, when the lower section is in the fully deployed position, the first panel is forward of the second panel.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 , wherein moving the lower section from the closed position to the intermediate deployed position includes rotating the first and second panels by substantially 90° about an axis adjacent a bottom edge of the lower section.

18. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein moving the lower section from the intermediate deployed position to the fully deployed position includes rotating the first panel by substantially 180° relative to the second panel about an axis adjacent a forward edge of the second panel.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Harmon Michael John
• Curea Marius
• Howard Benjamin

Classifications

• B62D25/105

  for motor cars · CPC title

• B62D25/087

  Luggage compartments · CPC title

• B60J5/02

  arranged at the vehicle front {(lids or bonnets B62D25/10)} · CPC title

• B62D25/10

  Bonnets or lids {, e.g. for trucks, tractors, busses, work vehicles (for truck beds B60J7/1607; for boats B63B19/12; doors arranged at the vehicle rear B60J5/10; inlet covers for vehicle fuel tanks B60K15/05; for protecting non-occupants of a vehicle B60R21/38)} · CPC title

• B60R5/02 Primary

  arranged at front of vehicle {(B60R5/003 takes precedence)} · CPC title