Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Auxiliary article compartments
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-08
2001-12-25
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Auxiliary article compartments
C296S037600, C224S401000, C224S413000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06332639
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicular rear trunk suitable for a two-wheeled motor vehicle.
2. Background Art
An example of a conventional vehicular rear trunk is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Sho
62-45985
. The vehicular rear trunk disclosed in this publication includes a trunk body portion which is disposed behind the seat of a two-wheeled motor vehicle. A lid portion is provided for opening and closing the opening of the trunk body portion, and an electric appliance is accommodated within a rear portion of the interior of the trunk body portion. The vertical, transverse and longitudinal directions used in the present invention are described in reference to a mounted state of the vehicular rear trunk on a vehicle.
Because the trunk body portion is usually formed by injection molding, it is required that its opening be as large as or larger than its bottom side. However, it is sometimes required that the rear trunk have a narrow upper shape, and that a lower side of its rear wall extend rearwardly to form an inclined surface when viewed from the trunk's side. In a conventional injection molding process, it is difficult to obtain such a shape, and the freedom of design for the shape is restricted.
It is possible to obtain such a shape for a trunk body portion in a right-left divided form by molding, but in this case it is necessary to seal and bond the right and left mating portions. This results in a complicated structure, and more time and labor are required for production.
It would therefore be desirable to construct a trunk body portion having a relatively narrow upper portion without excessive cost and difficulty of manufacture.
It would also be desirable to construct a trunk body portion which allows for storage of goods separate from vehicle lighting appliances.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is in part addressed to overcoming the shortcomings of the prior art and for achieving other advantages not contemplated by the prior art.
An embodiment of a vehicle trunk according to the present invention includes a trunk body portion in the interior of which is accommodated an electric appliance, such as a light. A lid portion opens and closes the opening of the trunk body portion. The trunk body portion has a shape in which the upper portion of the trunk is narrow, with the opening thereof being narrower than the bottom of the trunk. A rear wall of the trunk body portion extends rearwardly on its lower side to form an inclined surface, and an electric appliance receptacle portion is formed below the inclined surface. The trunk body portion is formed by blow molding.
An inner member may also be provided within the trunk body portion to partition the interior of the trunk body portion into a goods receptacle portion and the electric appliance receptacle portion, the inner member being formed by molding integrally with the trunk body portion.
According to a first aspect of the invention, a trunk body portion having an upper narrower shape with its opening narrower than its bottom, and having a rear wall formed as an inclined surface with an electric appliance receptacle portion formed therebelow, can be obtained as a single body by blow molding. Thus, the degree of freedom of design can be increased with respect to the shape of the trunk body portion. Also, it is not necessary to adopt a right-left divided form for molding, resulting in a relatively simple structure and permitting easy production of the trunk body portion.
According to a second aspect of the invention, because the inner member is formed in one piece with the trunk body portion during molding, it is possible to simplify both the trunk structure and the production process. Moreover, because the interior of the trunk body portion is partitioned into the goods receptacle portion and the electric appliance receptacle portion by the inner member, it is possible to store goods separately from the electric appliance.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
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patent: 5573162 (1996-11-01), Spencer et al.
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Nakano Toshinori
Saiki Terunari
Tanaka Koichi
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Coletta Lori L
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Pape Joseph D.
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