Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Door or window with specified vehicle feature
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-24
2001-07-10
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Door or window with specified vehicle feature
C296S050000, C296S106000, C296S147000, C049S074100, C160S202000, C160S211000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06257651
ABSTRACT:
The invention concerns a hatchback door for a motor vehicle with hatchback door parts displaceably mounted in relation to the hatchback door.
Besides the common one-piece roof-mounted hatchback doors whose disadvantages are no doubt widely known, especially the necessary stepping-back for opening, the restricted standing height due to the limited opening angle, the problematic opening in tight parking spaces or in garages, there are also already known to be hatchback door constructions with two parts, some of which have also been produced. Such a solution permits, for example, a top and bottom hatchback door part which are respectively attached to the top and bottom of the hatchback opening and can be swivelled. However, the top and bottom hatchback doors can only be opened one after another, and usually two hands are necessary for opening.
Two-part hatchback door constructions are also known where the two hatchback door parts are laterally mounted on the hatchback opening and can be swivelled open and closed. In this case, both lid parts can also only be opened one after another and usage of the loading space in tight parking spaces is still uncomfortable. At an opening angle over 90° there is the further possibility of endangering other road-users. Also, the opening and closing is also problematic with wind load.
A hatchback lid for a motor vehicle is known from EP-A 0 774 370 which consists of a hatchback lid frame that can be swivelled from a closed to an open position. With this hatchback lid frame, at least one bottom sliding element (which can be pushed upwards) is held in a sliding track which makes it possible to open a bottom lid area while the hatchback lid frame is closed. This construction can also contain a top sliding element for opening a top lid area which is attached to the hatchback lid frame and can be moved downwards. This solution is supposed to create a simply constructed hatchback lid which enables a comfortable and easy access to the bottom trunk sill of the hatchback opening. However, with loading bigger objects it is still necessary to swivel the total hatchback door upwards in the usual manner in order to be able to use the complete hatchback opening for loading.
The purpose of this invention consists of producing a simply constructed hatchback door which requires almost no space for opening and closing, neither in a backwards nor upwards direction, thus no longer restricting the standing height. Furthermore, it should make a completely automatic opening and closing of the hatchback door possible.
The invention solves this task by having the hatchback door consist of lamellas which are rotatable in relation to the opening of the hatchback and which can be pushed together into at least one lamella package in the open position.
Thus, the required space for opening and closing such a hatchback door is reduced to a minimum according to this invention. The slidable and rotatable lamellas can be pushed together into a lamella package which requires hardly any or very little space. Besides this, the “lamella door” model according to the invention also enables a simple hatchback door construction and a fully automatic operation using corresponding mechanisms.
In a preferred construction design of the invention, the hatchback door lamellas are arranged in such a way that they are perpendicular to the hatchback opening and can be pushed together into a single lamella package at the bottom area of the hatchback opening (claim
2
). This arrangement allows for a constructively simple and very useful hatchback door design.
The special advantage of this construction design is the possibility of concealing the lamella package into the rear bumper (claim
3
). Thus, the complete hatchback opening is available for loading and unloading of the vehicle.
A very functional detail of this construction design provides the bottom lamella with a cover for the opening in the bumper into which the lamella package can be pushed. (claim
4
).
Another construction design according to the invention allows the lamellas being arranged in a top to bottom direction in relation to the hatchback opening, more particularly for two lamella packages which can be pushed together at each of the respective outer- edge areas of the hatchback opening (claim
5
). This variant is especially useful if it is not possible, due to constructional reasons, to either lower the lamella package into the bumper, or to assemble it in such a way so that the bottom loading edge is accessible without any obstacles.
Functionality in opening and closing is supported by the lamellas being successively rotatable at the pushing together into a lamella package (claim
6
).
In order to put a “rear window” at disposal, the construction design according to the invention allows for transparent lamellas at the top area of the hatchback opening or as well just the relevant lamella areas (claim
7
).
The slidable lamella arrangement can be constructed in a simple fashion, for instance, by supplying the narrow end faces of the lamellas with guide parts. By using these guide parts the lamellas can be slid along the coulisses located at the outer edges of the hatchback opening (claim
8
).
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Hofer Carsten
Kraus Matthias
Morbach Nick
Schmidt Werner
Schutt Stephan
Chenevert Paul
Clark Hill PLC
Magna Europa AG
Pape Joseph D.
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