Automobile with rack in the cargo space

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12280743-B2
Application number	US-202217988160-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2022
Priority date	Dec 15, 2021
Publication date	Apr 22, 2025
Grant date	Apr 22, 2025

Abstract

An automobile having a cargo space, a rear door opening for accessing the cargo space and a door pillar which delimits the rear door opening. The vehicle has a rack which in a stowed state is arranged entirely in the cargo space and is at least partially concealed by the door pillar as viewed from outside the automobile in the direction of the vehicle longitudinal axis of the automobile, and in a deployed state is arranged at least partially outside the cargo space. The vehicle has a transfer mechanism to transfer the rack between the stowed state and the deployed state via the rear door opening, wherein the transfer mechanism is configured such that, during a transfer of the rack from the stowed state into the deployed state, the rack moves inward in the direction of the vehicle transverse axis of the automobile.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automobile comprising:
a cargo space;
a rear door opening via which the cargo space is accessible from outside the automobile;
a door pillar which delimits the rear door opening;
a rack which in a stowed state is arranged entirely in the cargo space and is at least partially concealed by the door pillar as viewed from outside the automobile in a direction of a vehicle longitudinal axis of the automobile, and in a deployed state is arranged at least partially outside the cargo space; and
a transfer mechanism configured to transfer the rack from the stowed state into the deployed state, and vice versa, via the rear door opening, wherein the transfer mechanism is configured such that, during a transfer of the rack from the stowed state into the deployed state, the rack moves inward in a direction of the vehicle transverse axis of the automobile, wherein the transfer mechanism has a first guide and a first follower which is configured to move along the first guide, wherein the first guide is arranged so as to be static relative to the cargo space and the first follower is fastened to the rack, or wherein the first guide is fastened to the rack and the first follower is arranged so as to be static relative to the cargo space, wherein the first guide has a starting point of the first guide and an end point of the first guide, wherein, in the stowed state, the first follower is arranged at the starting point of the first guide and, in the deployed state, the first follower is arranged at the end point of the first guide, wherein the first guide defines a trajectory of the first follower from the starting point of the first guide to the end point of the first guide, wherein the trajectory of the first follower has a transverse portion that encloses a third angle of at most 45° with the vehicle transverse axis, wherein the trajectory of the first follower has a longitudinal portion which is arranged between the transverse portion and the end point of the first guide along the trajectory of the first follower and which encloses a fourth angle of at most 45° with the vehicle longitudinal axis, and wherein the trajectory of the first follower has a curvature portion arranged between the transverse portion and the longitudinal portion along the trajectory of the first follower.

2. The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein the transfer mechanism has a second guide and a second follower which is configured to move along the second guide and which is arranged spaced apart from the first follower in the direction of the vehicle longitudinal axis, wherein the second guide is arranged so as to be static relative to the cargo space and the second follower is fastened to the rack, or wherein the second guide is fastened to the rack and the second follower is arranged so as to be static relative to the cargo space.

3. The automobile according to claim 2 , wherein the first guide and the second guide are spatially separate from one another.

4. The automobile according to claim 3 , wherein the second guide has a starting point of the second guide and an end point of the second guide, wherein, in the stowed state, the second follower is arranged at the starting point of the second guide and, in the deployed state, the second follower is arranged at the end point of the second guide, wherein the second guide defines a trajectory of the second follower from the starting point of the second guide to the end point of the second guide, wherein the trajectory of the second follower has a first portion that encloses a first angle of 0° to 80° with the vehicle transverse axis.

5. The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein the first guide has a rail, and the first follower has a slider configured to slide on the rail or has a wheel configured to roll on the rail, or wherein the first guide has a guide slot, and the first follower has a slide block configured to slide in the guide slot or has a wheel configured to roll in the guide slot.

6. The automobile according to claim 2 , wherein the second guide has a rail, and the second follower has a slider configured to slide on the rail or has a wheel configured to roll on the rail, or wherein the second guide has a guide slot, and the second follower has a slide block configured to slide in the guide slot or has a wheel configured to roll in the guide slot.

7. The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein the automobile has a cargo space floor that downwardly delimits the cargo space, and the rack has a bottom end of the rack, wherein the bottom end of the rack is arranged spaced apart from the cargo space floor.

8. The automobile according to claim 7 , wherein the bottom end of the rack is arranged above a wheel housing that delimits the cargo space.

9. The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein the automobile has a locking device configured to lock the rack in the stowed state to prevent a transfer by the transfer mechanism.

10. The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein the rack has a handle.

11. The automobile according to claim 10 , wherein the handle forms a rear end of the rack in the direction of the vehicle longitudinal axis.

12. The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein the automobile has a further door pillar which delimits the rear door opening, a further rack which in a stowed state is arranged entirely in the cargo space and is at least partially concealed by the further door pillar as viewed from outside the automobile in the direction of the vehicle longitudinal axis of the automobile, and in a deployed state is arranged at least partially outside the cargo space, and a further transfer mechanism which transfers the further rack from the stowed state into the deployed state and vice versa via the rear door opening, wherein the further transfer mechanism is configured such that, during a transfer of the further rack from the stowed state into the deployed state, the further rack moves inward in the direction of the vehicle transverse axis of the automobile.

13. An automobile comprising:
a cargo space;
a rear door opening via which the cargo space is accessible from outside the automobile;
a door pillar which delimits the rear door opening;
a rack which in a stowed state is arranged entirely in the cargo space and is at least partially concealed by the door pillar as viewed from outside the automobile in a direction of a vehicle longitudinal axis of the automobile, and in a deployed state is arranged at least partially outside the cargo space; and
a transfer mechanism configured to transfer the rack from the stowed state into the deployed state, and vice versa, via the rear door opening, wherein the transfer mechanism is configured such that, during a transfer of the rack from the stowed state into the deployed state, the rack moves inward in a direction of the vehicle transverse axis of the automobile, wherein the transfer mechanism has a first guide and a first follower which is configured to move along the first guide, wherein the first guide is arranged so as to be static relative to the cargo space and the first follower is fastened to the rack, or wherein the first guide is fastened to the rack and the first follower is arranged so as to be static relative to the cargo space, wherein the transfer mechanism has a second guide and a second follower which is configured to move along the second guide and which is arranged spaced apart from the first follower in the direction of the vehicle longitudinal axis, wherein the second guide is arranged so as to be static relative to the cargo space and the second follower is fastened to the rack, or wherein the second guide is fastened to the rack and the s

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Popov Ilya
• Berger Hendrik
• Oelscher Michael Herbert
• Hegerath Andreas
• Grein Marcel
• Lem Jeroen

Classifications

• B60R5/041 Primary

  extensible externally of the vehicle body, e.g. to create an open luggage compartment of increased capacity (devices for anchoring the boot lid while carrying oversize objects E05C17/042) · CPC title

• B62D33/04

  Enclosed load compartments {; Frameworks for movable panels, tarpaulins or side curtains (side curtains per se B60J5/065; tarpaulins per se B60J7/00, B60P7/04)} · CPC title

• B60R5/003 Primary

  Luggage racks, e.g. for busses (primarily intended for passengers' property smaller than suitcases B60R7/04; B60R7/08; luggage racks for rail vehicles B61D37/003) · CPC title

• B60P7/14 Primary

  the load bracing means comprising a movable bulkhead · CPC title