GB2058682A

GB2058682A - Automobile with luggage compartment

Info

Publication number: GB2058682A
Application number: GB7934355A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Appleton A L
Current assignee: Appleton A L
Priority date: 1979-10-03
Filing date: 1979-10-03
Publication date: 1981-04-15

Abstract

A conventional and enclosed luggage compartment or trunk includes a forwardly and rearwardly movable combination partition 23 and rear seat 22 between the passenger compartment and the luggage compartment so as to permit an occupant to trade-off between leg room in the rear seat and trunk volume, depending upon his or her immediate needs. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Motor vehicles This invention relates to motor vehicles.

Over the past few years, the traditionally large American automobile has been progressively getting smaller, and a like tendency has arisen in other countries also. As automobile dimensions shrink, so also does their trunk or boot volume and their passenger space. The manner in which some automobile manufacturers have attempted to sidestep this problem is to design vehicles where the luggage carrying space is freely communicable with the passenger space. In this way there is less lost space, as might otherwise be caused by a partition, and luggage space is accessible either from the front of the vehicle or from the rear.

However, some owners prefer to keep luggage and other objects carried out of view of the passenger compartment, i.e. they want an enclosed boot.

According to the present invention, a motor vehicle has a forwardly and rearwardly movable rear seat that also acts as the partition between the trunk or boot space and the passenger space.

At those times when only one or two persons are travelling perhaps on an extended trip, the rear seat can be moved all the way forward so as to provide an extremely large trunk or boot volume.

Alternatively, when four or five peope are travelling short distances without large amounts of luggage, the rear seat can be moved as far back as it will so as to provide ample uncramped passenger space in the back seat.

The invention is illustrated by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a cutaway, schematic side view of a vehicle embodying the principles of the present invention and showing the rear seat moved to its extreme rearward position, and, Figure 2 is the same vehicle as shown in Figure 1, but with the rear seat moved to its extreme frontward position.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a vehicle designated generally 10 having an internal passenger compartment 11 and a storage compartment or boot 12. Passenger compartment 11 includes a front portion 1 5 containing seating 1 6 therein, and also a rear portion 1 7 of sufficient dimensions to contain one or more passengers.

The passenger compartment 11 is conventionally accessible by doors (not shown), and boot 12 is also conventionally accessible, by raising lid 1 8 hinged at 1 9. Front seating 1 6 is adjustable e.g.

1 5 cm forwardly and rearwardly to accommodate differently sized drivers and/or passengers. The details of these well known mechanisms that permit forward and rearward adjustment of the front automobile seat is not pertinent to the invention at hand, however many such mechanisms are well known and in use in essentially all such vehicles. Suffice it to say here that such seats normally include a lever, such as Qt 20, that permits release of the seat engagement means and permits the seat occupant to slide his seat either forwardly or rearwardly to a new and more desired location.

Interposed between passenger compartment 11 and storage compartment 12 are combination partition and seat means 21. Combination means 21 include a seat portion 22 and a selectively expandable or retractable rear shelf 23. As with the front seating 16, means 21 include cooperating means 25 that engage the floor of the vehicle for selectively and incrementally moving combination means 21 forwardly and rearwardly.

Referring back now to rear shelf 23, it can be seen in Figure 1 that rear shelf 23 is attached to seat portion 22 at its upper and rear extemities, and further that it slides adjacent but immediately below the rear and upper external surface 27 defining in part the storage compartment volume.

A support or bracket 28 is fixedly arranged within the trunk to support shelf 23 and guide its travel.

In some designs it may be desirable to recess the back of the seat portion 22 to accept the leading edge of bracket 28 to provide additional travel for the rear seat.

Figure 2 shows combination means 21 in its position furthest to the front, at which time the storage compartment 1 2 is of maximum volume.

Other ways of devising an expandable or contractable shelf behind the rear seat might also include telescoping sections (not illustrated), or one attached to surface 27 that folds and disappears into the back of seat portion 22.

1. A motor vehicle having a rear passenger seat and a boot behind the rear passenger seat, wherein the fore and aft position of the rear passenger seat is adjustable, and the back of the rear passenger seat constitutes the front wall of the boot.

2. In a self propelling vehicle having an enclosed passenger compartment and an enclosed storage compartment therebehind, said passenger compartment including a front portion containing seating and a rear portion sufficiently large to carry at least one passenger, the improvement comprising: forwardly and rearwardly translatable, combination partition and seat means interposed between said rear portion and said storage compartment for selectively allowing a substantially linear redistribution of the volume between said rear portion and said storage compartment as said combination means are moved forwardly and rearwardly, the seat part of said combination means being shaped to conform to a seated passenger as well as facing forwardly and being situated behind said front portion seating, whereby a vehicle occupant has the option of trading rear passenger leg room for increased trunk space and vice cersa without substantially changing the configuration of the seat part of the combination means; and cooperating means attached to said vehicle and to said combination means for selectively and

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Motor vehicles This invention relates to motor vehicles. Over the past few years, the traditionally large American automobile has been progressively getting smaller, and a like tendency has arisen in other countries also. As automobile dimensions shrink, so also does their trunk or boot volume and their passenger space. The manner in which some automobile manufacturers have attempted to sidestep this problem is to design vehicles where the luggage carrying space is freely communicable with the passenger space. In this way there is less lost space, as might otherwise be caused by a partition, and luggage space is accessible either from the front of the vehicle or from the rear. However, some owners prefer to keep luggage and other objects carried out of view of the passenger compartment, i.e. they want an enclosed boot. According to the present invention, a motor vehicle has a forwardly and rearwardly movable rear seat that also acts as the partition between the trunk or boot space and the passenger space. At those times when only one or two persons are travelling perhaps on an extended trip, the rear seat can be moved all the way forward so as to provide an extremely large trunk or boot volume. Alternatively, when four or five peope are travelling short distances without large amounts of luggage, the rear seat can be moved as far back as it will so as to provide ample uncramped passenger space in the back seat. The invention is illustrated by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a cutaway, schematic side view of a vehicle embodying the principles of the present invention and showing the rear seat moved to its extreme rearward position, and, Figure 2 is the same vehicle as shown in Figure 1, but with the rear seat moved to its extreme frontward position. Referring to the drawings, there is shown a vehicle designated generally 10 having an internal passenger compartment 11 and a storage compartment or boot 12. Passenger compartment 11 includes a front portion 1 5 containing seating 1 6 therein, and also a rear portion 1 7 of sufficient dimensions to contain one or more passengers. The passenger compartment 11 is conventionally accessible by doors (not shown), and boot 12 is also conventionally accessible, by raising lid 1 8 hinged at 1 9. Front seating 1 6 is adjustable e.g. 1 5 cm forwardly and rearwardly to accommodate differently sized drivers and/or passengers. The details of these well known mechanisms that permit forward and rearward adjustment of the front automobile seat is not pertinent to the invention at hand, however many such mechanisms are well known and in use in essentially all such vehicles. Suffice it to say here that such seats normally include a lever, such as Qt 20, that permits release of the seat engagement means and permits the seat occupant to slide his seat either forwardly or rearwardly to a new and more desired location. Interposed between passenger compartment 11 and storage compartment 12 are combination partition and seat means 21. Combination means 21 include a seat portion 22 and a selectively expandable or retractable rear shelf 23. As with the front seating 16, means 21 include cooperating means 25 that engage the floor of the vehicle for selectively and incrementally moving combination means 21 forwardly and rearwardly. Referring back now to rear shelf 23, it can be seen in Figure 1 that rear shelf 23 is attached to seat portion 22 at its upper and rear extemities, and further that it slides adjacent but immediately below the rear and upper external surface 27 defining in part the storage compartment volume. A support or bracket 28 is fixedly arranged within the trunk to support shelf 23 and guide its travel. In some designs it may be desirable to recess the back of the seat portion 22 to accept the leading edge of bracket 28 to provide additional travel for the rear seat. Figure 2 shows combination means 21 in its position furthest to the front, at which time the storage compartment 1 2 is of maximum volume. Other ways of devising an expandable or contractable shelf behind the rear seat might also include telescoping sections (not illustrated), or one attached to surface 27 that folds and disappears into the back of seat portion 22. CLAIMS

2. In a self propelling vehicle having an enclosed passenger compartment and an enclosed storage compartment therebehind, said passenger compartment including a front portion containing seating and a rear portion sufficiently large to carry at least one passenger, the improvement comprising: forwardly and rearwardly translatable, combination partition and seat means interposed between said rear portion and said storage compartment for selectively allowing a substantially linear redistribution of the volume between said rear portion and said storage compartment as said combination means are moved forwardly and rearwardly, the seat part of said combination means being shaped to conform to a seated passenger as well as facing forwardly and being situated behind said front portion seating, whereby a vehicle occupant has the option of trading rear passenger leg room for increased trunk space and vice cersa without substantially changing the configuration of the seat part of the combination means; and cooperating means attached to said vehicle and to said combination means for selectively and incrementally moving said combination means forwardly and rearwardly.

3. A vehicle according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said combination partition and seat means includes an expandable and retractable surface comprising a shelf behind the upper portion of the seat part of said combination means.

4. A motor vehicle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.