GB2466029A

GB2466029A - Thermally insulated boot space of a vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2466029A
Application number: GB0822792A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Torbjoern Johansson
Original assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
Current assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
Priority date: 2008-12-08
Filing date: 2008-12-08
Publication date: 2010-06-09
Anticipated expiration: 2028-12-08
Also published as: GB2466029B; GB0822792D0

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle 1, a trunk, a trunk system 2, a rear seat, and a rear shelf unit 7, especially for defining a wall of a trunk compartment of a vehicle 1, comprising a wall element, wherein said wall element comprises at least one thermal insulating layer (13, figure 2) for realising a thermal insulated wall of said trunk. The rear shelf unit may be pivotably attached to an adjacent body section using hinges (9). The size of the trunk compartment may be variable by moving at least one of the trunk walls. The means of temperature regulation of the truck compartment may comprise air conditioning means, said air conditioning means may be part of a vehicle climate control system.

Description

Rear shelf unit, Rear seat with rear shelf unit, and Trunk system for a vehicle

Description

The invention relates to a wall element according to the preamble of claim 1.

In Addition, the invention relates to a rear shelf unit for a vehicle, comprising a rear shelf body, arrangeable for defining at least partially a wall of a vehicle trunk according to the preamble of claim 2.

Further, the invention relates to a rear seat of a vehicle according to the preamble of claim 6.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a trunk system according the preamble of claim 7.

Additionally, the invention relates to a vehicle according to the preamble of claim 12.

Different trunk systems defined by trunk walls, rear seats, and hat or rear shelves are known from prior art, which are suitable for installing a cooling box in a trunk compartment. The cooling box may be connected to an air condition system and may be dissolvebably fixed in the vehicle.

JP 2004224148 A discloses a cool box disposition structure for a vehicle with improved usability for separately using a luggage room (a trunk room) and a COOl box while iilarging the capacity of the cool box by dividing the trunk room into plurality of independent chambers with a partition wall, providing the cool box to one of the chambers, having an opening accessible to the chamber and a cool box lid. According to JP 2004224148 A in the vehicle with a cabin and the trunk room provided in the rear of the cabin, the inside of the trunk room is divided into the plurality of the independent chambers with the partition wall, the cool box is provided in one of the chambers, the accessible openings are provided to the chamber provided with the cool box, the cool box lids top open and close the openings, and the other chamber is opened and closed with the trunk lid.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a much simpler trunk system for cooling and/or heating goods arranged in the trunk. Another object of the present invention is to provide an effective cooling function integrated in a trunk system of a vehicle.

These and further objects are solved by a wall element according to claim 1. a rear shelf unit according to claim 21, a rear seat according to claim 6, a trunk system according to claim 7, and a vehicle according to claim 12 in conjunction with their features.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.

The technical teachings of the invention includes that a wall element for a trunk of vehicle is provided, wherein said wall element comprises at least one thermal insulating layer for realising a thermal insulated wall of said trunk. The wall element is preferably a rear shelf of the vehiclo. Fiefrabiy some or all wall elements defining a trunk, that is a trunk bottom, a trunk lid, a rear seat back, vehicle body walls and the like have a thermal insulating layer.

Further the technical teachings of the invention includes that a rear shelf unit for a vehicle is provided, comprising a rear shelf body, arrangeable for defining at least partially a wall of a vehicle trunk, in particular for defining in combination with a rear side of a rear seat and trunk walls including at least one trunk deck a trunk of a vehicle, wherein said rear shelf body is a wall element, in particular the rear shelf body preferably being arrangeable adjacent to said rear seat and said trunk walls, more preferably in a horizontal adjustment, wherein said rear shelf body comprises at least one thermal insulating layer for realising a thermal insulated wall of said trunk. Said rear shelf unit is preferably arranged between a passenger cabin or compartment of a vehicle and the trunk. More preferably, the rear shelf unit is arranged horizontally at the rear seat or the rear seat row of the vehicle and is adjacent to the trunk walls, especially a trunk lid. The rear shelf unit, which comprises a rear shelf body, includes at least partly a thermal insulating layer. Preferably, the insulation layer is a thermal insulating layer but may also comprise other insulating layers. Especially the insulating layer is suitable for insulating temperatures for cooling purposes. Thus, the trunk or at least part of the trunk may be used as a cooling box, for example for grocery bags or the like. In a vehicle, the trunk -.4--may be communicated to or connected with a cooling genertrr or n air conditiuxjer of a vetiicle.

In one preferred embodiment of the present invention said rear shelf body comprises several body sections connected by hinge means for forming said rear shelf body. The hinge means may comprise fixing means for fixing said body sections in relation to each other, so that a stable and solid rear shelf unit may be realised. The hinge means may be arranged such, that part of the shelf body may be folded or rotated in relation to other body parts or body sections, so that said folded or rotated parts may serve as a dividing or partitioning wall for the trunk. Of course, the connection area, in which adjacent body sections are abutting each other, may comprise insulating means for providing optimized thermal insulation. In one embodiment, the hinge means are formed as integral hinge means. In another embodiment, the body sections are provided with elongation means for varying or changing the dimensions of the body section in at least one direction, so that a flexible rear shelf unit is formed.

In another, preferred embodiment of the present invention said rear shelf body comprises fixing means for fixing said body sections. Said fixing means are suitable to fix the body sections in various positions in relation to each other. Thus, a folded arrangement of the rear shelf unit is provided by fixing said body sections to each other.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention said fixing means comprises at least one abutment surface for abutting an adjacent body section turned around or swivelled about said hinge means. In one embodiment this abutn'ent Gurface is used as a stopper for delimiting the movement of said body sections.

Preferably, the abutment surface is suitable to create a gapless or a gap reduced arrangement of adjacent body sections. More preferably, the abutment surface comprises insulation means, especially a thermal insulation means.

The technical teachings of the invention further includes that a rear side of a vehicle seat, for example a rear side of a rear seat, is provided, especially for a foldable, collapsible or movable rear seat of a vehicle, the rear side defining at least partially a wall of a vehicle trunk and/or for defining in combination with a rear shelf unit and trunk walls including at least one trunk deck a trunk of a vehicle, wherein said rear side or said rear seat comprises at least one thermal insulating layer for realising a thermal insulated wall of said trunk. Thus separately and/or in combination with said rear shelf unit a thermal insulation in direction to the passenger compartment may be realised. The thermal insulating layer is preferably arranged in, on, or at the rear side or the seat back, arranged close or adjacent towards the trunk. The thermal insulating layer may be arranged separately as an additional layer at the rear side or the seat back or may be integrated in the read side or the rear seat, for example serving as rear seat back side.

Further, the technical teachings of the invention includes Drovicling a trunk sysLem having a trunk compartment, especially a trunk system of a vehicle, comprising trunk walls, defining said trunk compartment, and means for thermal regulation of said trunk compartment, wherein at least one trunk wall comprises a thermal insulation for realising a thermal insulated trunk compartment. Said trunk is usually defined or delimited by trunk walls, including vehicle body walls, chassis walls, coverings, trunk bottom, trunk lids, and the like. In accordance with the invention, the term trunk walls also includes walls not delimiting the trunk to the outside of the vehicle, as the aforementioned walls, but delimiting the trunk to the passenger compartment, including a rear side or back of a rear seat or a rear shelf or rear shelf unit. At least one of the limiting trunk walls comprises a thermal insulating layer, preferably all trunk walls comprises at least one thermal insulating layer.

For optimized thermal insulation as many trunk walls as possible comprise thermal insulation layers.

The trunk is divided or partitioned by said trunk walls.

For tempering, that is cooling or heating, trunk energy is required. In the case, not all of the trunk compartment should be used for tempering, the trunk compartment may be partitioned, so that one part of the trunk may be used for tempering and the other may be used for not temperate use.

Preferably, at least one wall of the trunk is formed by sairl inventivc reai shelf unit and/or said inventive rear seat, both mentioned above.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention the trunk compartment is amendable or variable by moving at least one of the trunk walls, in particular by folding the rear shelf unit. The trunk compartment, in particular its size, is variable, for example by folding the rear shelf unit. For a partitioning of the whole trunk compartment, part of the trunk walls may be moved in a manner, that a division of the trunk compartment is realised. For example, the rear shelf unit may be folded, so that one end is no longer arranged adjacent to the trunk lid but is arranged adjacent to the trunk bottom or trunk floor. This may be accomplished by rotating at least one of the body sections about the hinge means. Preferably, the rotation is limited by said abutment surface and/or the trunk

bottom for example.

In yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention said means comprises air conditioning means for thermal regulating said trunk compartment. The means for thermal regulation of said trunk compartment may comprise any suitable tempering system, especially any cooling system. Said cooling system may be formed separately or integrated. A separated cooling system may include a cooling generator, especially a Peltier-element, for example combined with a fan and air evacuation channels.

In still another preferred embodiment of the present inrention, id meaix are at least partially part of a climate control unit of a vehicle the trunk is formed in. The climate control unit may be any device supplying a temperature. The temperature may be in a range from around -50°C to + 100°C, preferably from around -40°C to + 80°C, more preferably from -30°C to + 60°C, and most preferably from -20°C to + 40°C, and is preferably in a range around 0°C.

Further the technical teachings of the invention includes that a vehicle is provided, especially a motor vehicle, having at least one trunk, wherein the trunk is formed as an inventive trunk system as described above.

The vehicle may be any vehicle having a trunk, separated from the passenger compartment and/or an outside environment by trunk walls, so that the trunk is an essentially capsulated environment having a closed trunk compartment.

These and other features of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of an embodiment and the attached drawings. While this invention is described in conjunction with the exemplary embodiment, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Accordingly, the exemplary embodiment of the invention, as set forth below, is intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

An embodiment of this invention will be described in detail, with refexie to the tollowing figures, wherein: Fig. 1 schematically illustrates in a transparent, perspective view a rear part of a vehicle with a trunk system, Fig. 2 schematically illustrates in a cross section view a rear shelf unit in a first position, and Fig. 3 schematically illustrates in a cross section view the rear shelf unit according to fig. 2 in a second position.

Fig. 1 shows schematically in a transparent, perspective view a rear part of a vehicle 1 with a trunk system 2.

The vehicle may be any vehicle having a trunk system 2.

The trunk system 2 has a trunk compartment 3. The trunk compartment 3 is essentially defined by trunk walls 4.

The trunk walls 4 may be separately formed or may be integrated in the vehicle structure, for example as part of the trunk lid (not shown in this figure), the vehicle body 5, the chassis 6 and/or the rear seat (not shown) In Fig. 1, the trunk compartment 3 is further defined by a rear shelf unit 7. The rear shelf unit 7 is adjacent to the rear seat and to the trunk walls 4 and insulates the trunk compartment 3 from a passenger compartment of the vehicle 1. The rear shelf unit 7 according to fig. 1 comprises two rear shelf sections 8, which are linked via hinge means 9. The hinge means 9 connect a front shelf section 8a to a rear shelf section 8b. The front shelf section 8a is arranged in an essentially fixed position, whereas the rear shelf section 8b is arranged in a moveable manner, so that the rear shelf section 8b may be moved in relation to the front shelf section 8a.

-10 -In fig. 1, there are shown two positions of the rear shelf section 8b: nre in an Gssentidily horizontal position and one in an essentially vertical position. In the horizontal position, the trunk is not divided into partitions. In the vertical position, the trunk is divided into partitions, wherein the vertical arranged shelf section 8b serves as a partition wall. The rear shelf unit 7 comprises at least one insulating layer for a thermal insulation. The insulating layer preferably covers the whole or nearly the whole surface of the rear shelf unit 7 facing towards the trunk compartment 3. Of course the insulating layer may be integrated in the rear shelf unit 7. A detailed arrangement of the rear shelf unit 7 is given in fig. 2 and 3.

Fig. 2 shows schematically in a cross section view a rear shelf unit 7 in a first position. In the first position the rear shelf unit 7 is essentially arranged as a plane plate, oriented essentially horizontally, to cover the trunk compartment 3. The rear shelf unit 7 comprises according to the embodiment shown in fig. 2 two rear shelf sections 8a and 8b. The rear shelf sections 8 are formed as plates and are linked together via a hinge means 9, for example a rotable joint. In an area around the hinge means 9, the ends of the plates are chamfered so as to form an abutment surface 10. The plates are preferably made of a foam material, which is sandwiched between an upper surface 11 and a lower surface 12 of the rear shelf sections 8. The lower surface 12 is facing to the trunk compartment 3. For thermal insulation in one embodiment, the lower surface 12 comprises a thermal insulation layer 13, which forms the lower surface 12. In addition or as an alternative, the thermal insulation layer 13 is accomplished by and/or integrated in the foam material.

Preferably, the insulation layer 13 comprises an -11 -aluminium folio. This material guarantees a thermal insulation towards or frrrn. the trunk corriparL1LLr1t 3. In Fig. 2, the two rear shelf section s 8a and 8b are fixed in a horizontal position by fixing means (not shown) When releasing said fixing means, the rear shelf sections 8a and 8b may be moved in relation to each other. This is shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 shows schematically in a cross section view the rear shelf unit 7 according to fig. 2 in a second position. In this second position, the front rear shelf section 8a is arranged as already shown in fig. 2.

Contrary to fig. 2 the rear shelf section 8b in fig. 3 is moved in relation to rear shelf section 8a. In detail rear shelf section 8b is rotated around the hinge means 9 about approximately 90, so that one end of the rear shelf section 8b distal to the hinge means 9 is adjacent to a trunk floor (not shown) for serving as partition wall to divide the trunk in at least two sections. In this position, the chamfered abutment surfaces 10 contact each other, so that a further rotation of said shelf bodies 8 is stopped. The rear shelf unit 7 thus has a L-shaped form in this view. For access to the section of the trunk being defined at least partly by the lower surface 12, the rear shelf sections 8 may be moved or opened. Alternatively the rear seat may be moved. Thus, a user of the vehicle is able to transport groceries or products sensitive to temperatures in a small division of the trunk compartment without the need to temperate the whole trunk. Thereby, the trunk may be partitioned in a cooling box and a cargo divider or part, with or without cooling. The rear shelf unit 7 comprises a thicker insulating material with a downward folding function.

The trunk allows fixing or holding functions for the rear shelf unit 7 and comprises openings for chilled -12 -airflow, air evacuation, fixings for inlets and cooler systems etc. The trunk floor comprises pieferabiy an insulating material. As well, the rear seat back comprises insulation material and possibilities for access into the cooled volume or trunk compartment 3.

-13 -List of reference signs 1 vehicle 2 trunk system 3 trunk compartment 4 trunk walls vehicle body 6 chassis 7 rear shelf unit 8 rear shelf section 8a front rear shelf section 8b rear rear shelf section 9 hinge means abutment surface 11 upper surface 12 lower surface 13 insulation layer

Claims

-14 -Claims 1. Wall element for a trunk of a vehicle (1), characterized in, that said wall element comprises at least one thermal insulation layer (13) for realising a thermal insulated wall of said trunk.
2. Rear shelf unit (7) for a vehicle (1), comprising a rear shelf body, arrangeable for defining at least partially a wall of a vehicle trunk, characterized in, that said rear shelf body is a wall element in accordance with claim 1.
3. Rear shelf unit (7) according to claim 2, ebaracterised in, that said rear shelf body comprises several body sections (8,8a,8b) connected by hinge means (9) for forming said rear shelf body.
4. Rear shelf unit (7) according to claim 2 or 3, characterised in, that the rear shelf body comprises fixing means for fixing the body sections (8a, 8b)
5. Rear shelf unit (7) according to one of the prior claims 2 to 4, characterised in, that said fixing means comprises at least one abutment surface (10) for abutting an adjacent body section (8a, 8b) swivelled about said hinge means (9).-15 -
6. �<ear seat having a rear side defining at least partially a wall of a vehicle trunk, characterised in, that said rear side comprises at least one thermal insulating layer (13) for realising a thermal insulated wall (4) of said trunk.
7. Trunk system (2) having a trunk compartment (3), especially a trunk system (2) of a vehicle (1), comprising trunk walls (4), defining said trunk compartment (3), and means for thermal regulation of said trunk compartment (3), characterised in, that at least some of the trunk walls (4) comprises a thermal insulation for realizing a thermal insulated trunk compartment (3)
8. Trunk system (2) according to claim 7, characterised in, that at least one trunk wall (4) is formed by a rear shelf unit (7) according claims 1 to 4 and/or a rear seat according to claim 5.
9. Trunk system (2) according to claim 7 or 8, characterised in, that the size of the trunk compartment (3) is variable by moving at least one of the trunk walls (4), in particular by folding the rear shelf unit (7).-16 -
10. Trunk system (2) according to one of the prior r1ip 7 to 9, chractzid irs, LildL means for thermal regulation of said trunk compartment (3) are provided, said means comprising air conditioning means for thermal regulating said trunk compartment (3).
11. Trunk system according to claims 7 to 10, characterised in, that said means are at least partially part of a climate control unit of the vehicle (1)
12. Vehicle (1), especially a motor vehicle, having at least one trunk, characterised in, that the trunk is formed as a trunk system (2) according to one of the claims 6 to 10.