Vehicle trunk

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018354425-A1
Application number	US-201715621032-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 13, 2017
Priority date	Jun 13, 2017
Publication date	Dec 13, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle trunk includes a retractable carriage that is extendable from a position flush with a floor of the trunk, and mountable to opposing walls of the trunk when extended. The trunk further includes retractable dividers that are extendable from the floor, each having a rod at a free end thereof. The carriage is configured to receive first ends of the rods for supporting the respective divider when extended to form a customizable array of storage receptacles.

First claim

1 . A vehicle trunk comprising:
a retractable carriage that is extendable from a retracted position where a top surface of the carriage is flush with a floor of the trunk, and mountable to opposing walls of the trunk when extended; and retractable dividers that are extendable from the floor, each having a rod at a free end thereof, the carriage having mounts configured to receive first ends of the rods for supporting the respective divider when the carriage is extended to form a customizable array of storage receptacles, wherein the mounts are disposed on the carriage below the top surface such that the mounts are positioned below the floor when the carriage is in the retracted position.

2 . The vehicle trunk of claim 1 , further comprising spaced-apart mounts disposed along an interior wall of the trunk opposite the carriage and at least partially defined by seatbacks in the vehicle, each of the mounts being configured to receive a second end of at least one of the rods to support the respective divider when extended.

3 . The vehicle trunk of claim 1 , wherein the mounts are disposed along a length of the carriage.

4 . The vehicle trunk of claim 1 , wherein opposing ends of the carriage are mountable to the opposing walls of the trunk when extended.

5 . The vehicle trunk of claim 4 , wherein the opposing walls of the trunk are lateral walls, and wherein each of the opposing walls of the trunk has a recess formed therein for receiving the respective opposing ends of the carriage when extended.

6 . The vehicle trunk of claim 1 , wherein each of the dividers has a lower end opposite the respective free end coupled to a divider roller that is configured to rotatably bias the respective rod to a position adjacent the floor, and wherein each of the divider rollers is rotatably supported below the floor.

7 . The vehicle trunk of claim 6 , wherein each of the dividers winds around the respective divider roller when retracted.

8 . The vehicle trunk of claim 6 , wherein each of the divider rollers extends between two end caps that are fixed relative to the respective divider roller, and wherein each of the end caps has a notch formed therein for receiving the respective rod when retracted.

9 . The vehicle trunk of claim 6 , wherein each of the divider rollers is spring-loaded.

10 . A vehicle trunk comprising:
a retractable carriage that is extendable from a retracted position, where a top surface of the carriage is flush with a floor of the trunk, through a first aperture formed in a floor of the trunk, having opposing ends that are mountable to opposing walls of the trunk when extended, and having spaced-apart mounts that are disposed on the carriage below the top surface such that the mounts are positioned below the floor when the carriage is in the retracted position; and a retractable divider that is extendable through a second aperture formed in the floor, and having a rod at a free end thereof with one end of the rod being mountable to each of the spaced-apart mounts when the carriage is extended.

11 . The vehicle trunk of claim 10 , wherein the divider has a lower end opposite the free end coupled to a divider roller that is configured to rotatably bias the rod of the divider to a retracted position adjacent the floor, and wherein the divider roller is rotatably supported below the floor.

12 . The vehicle trunk of claim 11 , wherein the divider winds around the roller in the retracted position.

13 . The vehicle trunk of claim 10 , wherein the carriage has a main portion and wings protruding therefrom, and wherein the floor of the trunk defines recesses adjacent the first aperture that are configured to receive the wings of the carriage such that the carriage is flush with the floor in a retracted position.

14 . The vehicle trunk of claim 10 , wherein the opposing ends of the carriage protrude from a main portion of the carriage, and wherein each of the opposing walls of the trunk has a recess formed therein for receiving the respective ends of the carriage when extended.

15 . The vehicle trunk of claim 10 , wherein the carriage has a main portion and the spaced-apart mounts are disposed along the main portion.

16 . The vehicle trunk of claim 15 , wherein the carriage has a retractable partition with a free end coupled to the main portion.

17 . The vehicle trunk of claim 16 , wherein the partition has a lower end opposite the free end that is coupled to a carriage roller configured to rotatably bias the main portion of the carriage to a retracted position flush with the floor, and wherein the carriage roller is rotatably supported below the floor.

18 .- 20 . (canceled)

21 . The vehicle trunk of claim 1 , wherein the carriage defines a cavity between the top surface and a bottom interior surface of the carriage, and wherein the mounts extend upward and into the cavity from the bottom interior surface.

22 . The vehicle trunk of claim 10 , wherein the carriage defines a cavity between the top surface and a bottom interior surface of the carriage, and wherein the mounts extend upward and into the cavity from the bottom interior surface.

23 . A vehicle trunk comprising:
an extendable carriage having a top surface that is flush with a trunk floor when the carriage is retracted, defining a cavity below the top surface, and having mounts that extend into the cavity from a bottom interior surface; and a retractable divider that is extendable from the floor, and having a rod that is configured to engage the mounts when the carriage is extended to form storage receptacles.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Smith Joshua Scott
• Schein Victoria Leigh

Classifications

• B60R7/02

  in separate luggage compartment {(B60R7/005 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60R7/00

  Stowing or holding appliances inside vehicle primarily intended for personal property smaller than suit-cases, e.g. travelling articles, or maps (for radio sets, television sets, telephones or the like, mounting of cameras operative during drive, tools, or spare parts B60R11/00; for receptacles for refuse, food, beverages, cigarettes B60N) · CPC title

• B60R7/005 Primary

  Nets or elastic pockets tensioned against walls or backrests · CPC title

• B60R5/04 Primary

  arranged at rear of vehicle {(B60R5/003, B60R5/006 take precedence; external trunks arranged at rear of vehicle B60R9/065)} · CPC title

• B60R5/00

  Compartments within vehicle body primarily intended or sufficiently spacious for trunks, suit-cases, or the like (primarily intended for stowing loads in load-transporting vehicles B60P; arrangements for stowing spare wheels B62D43/00) · CPC title