Horizontally supported planar surfaces – With structural installation – Vehicle supported
Patent
1998-01-21
1999-10-26
Cuomo, Peter M.
Horizontally supported planar surfaces
With structural installation
Vehicle supported
108 6, 296 3716, B60R 504
Patent
active
059708840
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a device for mounting the rear shelf of a motor vehicle and, more particularly, to such a device intended for mounting the shelf on its lateral supports.
Motor vehicles of the three-door or five-door type have, in a known way, a removable rear shelf, so as to make it possible for the volume located behind the back seat to be freed completely. Moreover, these shelves are usually mounted pivotably so as to be capable of being raised in order to have easier access to the boot. For this purpose, they are often attached to the rear tailgate by means of a flexible tie, so as to be raised at the same time as the latter.
In order to achieve these aims, the known shelves comprise an articulation system, for example two cylindrical fingers for support and rotation which are mounted on either side of the shelf, in the extension one of the other, perpendicularly to the plane of symmetry of the vehicle. These fingers may be mounted on the shelf by any known means, for example in the form of an insert, or else screwed into an insert which is itself moulded on. They are intended to engage into receiving pieces integral with lateral receiving supports which are themselves fastened to the chassis of the vehicle.
These devices have some disadvantages. In the first place, the fingers for support and rotation project beyond the lateral edges of the shelf when the latter is removed from its position of use. This results in a risk that these fingers may become caught while the shelf is being mounted or demounted and may damage the inner walls of the vehicle or damage themselves.
Furthermore, these arrangements are complicated, and therefore costly to manufacture, and they require parts, the number of which must be reduced as far as possible.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention aims to mitigate these disadvantages.
To this effect, the subject of the invention is a device for mounting the rear shelf of a motor vehicle on its lateral supports, characterized in that it comprises the two front corners of the said shelf and two coupling elements integral with the said supports and arranged to receive the said corners, the said elements and said corners being arranged to allow the shelf to rotate relative to the said support, and complementary abutment surfaces being provided on the said corners and on the said coupling elements, in order to prevent a rearward movement of the shelf when it is in the substantially horizontal position of use.
In a particular embodiment of the invention, the said coupling elements are arranged to allow the corners to engage into the coupling elements by means of a forward movement of the shelf relative to its lateral supports, with the shelf being at a slight angle relative to the horizontal.
More particularly, the said corners and said coupling elements may be arranged to allow the said shelf to be extracted by means of a rearward and upward movement of this shelf relative to its lateral supports, with the shelf being at some inclination relative to the horizontal.
In particular, each of the said coupling elements may form a generally cylindrical cavity which has generatrices substantially perpendicular to the mid-plane of the vehicle and which is open at least on the same side as the said plane and between two generatrices, so as to form an orifice for the engagement of the said corners, the said orifice being generally directed upwards and rearwards.
More particularly, the said cavity may be delimited by a casing, of which at least the part near the orifice is elastic, the said corner having a thickness such that the said elastic part is deformed when the shelf is in the horizontal operating position.
There may be provision, in particular, for the said abutment surfaces to form a shoulder directed rearwards and formed on each of the said corners and a shoulder directed forwards and formed on each of the said coupling elements, the said shoulders co-operating when the said corners are engaged in the said coupling elements, with
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patent: 5288122 (1994-02-01), Pilhall
patent: 5538306 (1996-07-01), Ament
Penhoat Vincent Du
Taille Olivier De La
Cuomo Peter M.
Establissements Treves
Tran Hanh V.
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