Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Lining
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-05
2001-09-18
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Lining
C296S037300, C296S097230
Reexamination Certificate
active
06290278
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The field of the present invention is that of an automotive vehicle having a rear trunk and trunk liner. More particularly, the field of the present invention is that of an automotive vehicle with a rear trunk liner that incorporates a cap or door for a sunken well in which a spare tire for the vehicle is stored.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Most automotive vehicles, especially passenger-type vehicles, have a trunk located in a rear region of the vehicle. The floor of the trunk typically has a sunken well for storage of a spare tire. With the exception of the sunken well, the floor of the trunk is typically covered with a blanket of sound insulation to prevent road noise from passing through the trunk region and into the passenger compartment via the rear seat of the vehicle. A carpet is installed on top of the sound insulation. The carpet usually covers the sunken well cap or door that encloses the spare tire, jack and wheel lug wrench. The tire stored in the sunken well may be a temporary small-size spare tire or a regular full-size spare tire. It is desirable to provide a trunk liner that essentially covers most of the trunk region of the vehicle and incorporates an enclosure door over the sunken well which stores the spare tire. It is desirable to provide a trunk liner that can be quickly assembled onto the trunk floor of an automotive vehicle. It is also desirable to provide an automotive vehicle trunk liner that will maintain its position within the trunk without the extensive use of fastening devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To make manifest the above-delineated desires, the revelation of the present invention is brought forth. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a trunk liner for a trunk region of an automotive vehicle that has a conventional trunk floor having a rear portion with a sunken well for storage of a spare tire. The trunk floor rear portion also has side sections laterally adjacent the sunken well giving the trunk floor rear portion a first width. The trunk floor front portion is laterally bordered by raised wheel wells of the vehicle. The trunk floor front portion has a second width less than the first width. The trunk liner includes a first generally rigid board having a first width spanning over the sunken well extending over the trunk floor rear portion between the trunk floor rear portion side sections. A second generally rigid board having a width spanning over the sunken well is also provided. The second board has a rear edge extending over the sunken well. A rear edge of the second board is foldably connected with a front edge of the first board. A generally flexible carpet cover is connected with and extends over the first and second boards. The flexible carpet cover also extends over the trunk floor rear portion including the trunk floor rear portion side sections. The flexible carpet cover also extends over the trunk floor front portion. In a preferred embodiment, sound insulation is added with the carpet cover.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an automotive vehicle with a trunk liner which incorporates the carpet cover for the trunk floor and also includes an enclosure door for a sunken well which stores a spare tire. It is an object of the present invention to provide a trunk liner as described above which can be utilized when a temporary spare or full-size spare tire is stored in the sunken well.
The above noted and other objects and features of the present invention will be more apparent as the present invention is further revealed in the accompanying drawings and detailed description.
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Calcaterra Mark P.
Coletta Lori L.
DaimlerChrysler Corporation
Pape Joseph D.
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