GB2247651A - Divider apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus (11) for dividing a vehicle boot with luggage compartment/load space comprises one or more partitioning means (12/13) securable in the luggage compartment so as to divide such into more usable load areas, said partitioning means being adjustably securable in said load space between the defining walls thereof by adjustable clamping means. As shown telescoping arms (B) are slid ably located within tubes A attached to a central plate (G), the arms being locked in position by clamping members (D). Two partitions may interengage to provide a cruciform construction. Alternatively a plurality of radial wall partitions may extend from a central hub-like member. <IMAGE>

Description

DIVIDER APPARATUS The present invention relates to an apparatus for dividing a vehicle boot, luggage compartment or load space, suitable for use with private vehicles, taxis or delivery vans to enable the boot or load space to be divided into more useable areas.

The boot or luggage compartment of a private vehicle or a taxi are provided primarily to accommodate the owner's need to store luggage when travelling, but it will be appreciated that the actual amount of time that the luggage compartment is used for this purpose is relatively small, especially in the case of private vehicles. At other times, which may be quite frequent, the luggage compartment is used to carry smaller articles, which may tend to slide or roll about in the luggage compartment and may possibly cause damage, or be themselves damaged, particularly during cornering or acceleration or braking of the vehicle.Similarly, with delivery vehicles, these are primarily intended to carry packaged items which may be stacked in the load space, but again, when the load space is not tightly packed, there is a danger of items or packages moving about in the load space possibly resulting in damage.

Attempts have been made to enable loads to be secured within a luggage compartment or load space, for example, in private vehicles it is known to provide a boot accessory comprising a number of pockets for holding small items, which might otherwise roll around within the boot, whilst at the same time leaving the luggage compartment generally unrestricted. With delivery vans many have internal racks or fixtures to enable the load to be secured. However, such arrangements are not totally satisfactory in that, even if some of the items can be secured by such a manner, the majority of the load space within a delivery van or private vehicle boot has no alternative means of restraining articles placed therein.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for dividing a luggage compartment/vehicle boot/load space which is adjustably secureable within the load space and which is capable of being rapidly assembled and disassembled to enable the luggage area to be divided into a plurality of smaller load areas.

According to the present invention there is provided an apparatus for dividing a vehicle boot/luggage compartment/load space, comprising at least one partitioning means adjustably securable in said luggage compartment/load space, between defining walls thereof by adjustably clamping means.

The dividing apparatus may be of any suitable form, but in its simplest form would simply comprise a central wall portion which is of a height suitable to be accommodated in a vehicle boot or load space, with which it is intended to be used, and may suitably be of a length which is slightly smaller than the minimum dimension of a load space in which it is to be located. Such is preferably adjustable by means of telescopic bracing members, which may be secured in position by suitable clamping means. Preferably, such telescopic bracing members are positioned at or near the upper and lower edges of the dividing wall, although for simple applications a single bracing member may be provided.

Such an arrangement will provide the facility of enabling a load space or luggage compartment to be divided into two substantially separate compartments.

In order to provide a more stable arrangement, a further dividing wall may be provided which interlocks with the first dividing wall in the manner of a cross-halving joint by means of slots provided in the central wall portions so as to provide a cruciform assembly, said second dividing member having similar adjustable securing means, and such an arrangement thereby enabling a load space or luggage compartment to be divided into four smaller load areas.

Whilst it is intended that such would be mounted longitudinally and transversely of the vehicle axis, if preferred such could be mounted diagonally across the corners of the boot, if such would provide a more useful arrangement.

A further alternative could take the form of a central hub-like member from which a plurality of dividing walls may extend in any suitable preferred arrangement to enable the load space to be divided up into a variety of differently sized unshaped load areas.

Indeed, additional means could be provided to enable any of the divided areas to be further divided in a similar manner by additional divider means secureable to the main dividers.

Whilst it is intended that the divider would be made up from tubular or sheet aluminium, suitable plastics materials or plastics coated metals could be utilised as appropriate and as required.

In order to accommodate the various contours and shapings of the interior of a boot or load space, i.e.

to accommodate wheel arches and light fittings and the like, the adjustable securing means should preferably be independently adjustable to accommodate any such variations in the interior contours.

The present invention will now be described further with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a typical example of a vehicle boot having a divider assemble installed therein; Fig. 2 illustrates details of interlocking centre portions of the divider apparatus as shown in Fig.

1; Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate in more detail a preferred arrangement of a portion of the divider of the present invention; Fig. 5 shows various alternative arrangements for adjusting and securing the divider assembly; Fig. 6 shows an adaptor for enabling adjustment of the height or width of the dividers referred to above; and Fig. 7 illustrates a suitable elastic retainer for use with the divider of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates a vehicle boot 10 incorporating a divider apparatus 11 according to the present invention. As shown, the divider apparatus 11 includes a transverse divider or partitioning means 12 and a longitudinal divider or partitioning means 13, these being of substantially similar construction, although such may be differently sized, in view of the fact that normally in a vehicle boot the transverse dimension is usually the greater.

With regard to the construction of the divider members, this can be more clearly seen from Figs.

2, 3 and 4. In Fig. 3 the transverse divider member 12 is shown, although one pair of the adjustable clamping means has been omitted to save space, although it will be appreciated that both assemblies would be substantially identical. Firstly, it will be seen that each of the dividers 12 and 13 comprise a central interlocking plate G, which plates may be interlocked with one another by means of interengaging slots 15, in the manner of a crosshalving joint, to form a cruciform construction which will enable such to be stably supported on the floor of the luggage compartment. From each side of each of the centre plates G pairs of tubular arms A are provided which are mutually supported by means of vertical stiffening ribs E, the inner ends of the tubes A being attached to the central plate G by suitably fixing means, for example bolts F. Within the tubes A telescoping arms B are slidingly locatable, which arms B may be of solid metal or plastics material or may be of a tubular construction, as required. The lateral extension of the arms B, once selected, may be determined and secured by means of suitable clamping means D, which may be of any appropriate type, but may for example include thumb screws, as shown.

The ends of the extendable arms B may be provided with suitable engaging means, made of a soft material, e.g. a rubber or foam material which enable such to engage the sides of the vehicle compartment securely but without causing any damage. It can be seen from Fig. 4 that the dividing member 13 for extending longitudinally of the vehicle axis is slightly shorter than the dividing member 12 in view of the reduced dimension in this direction.

Referring now to Fig. 5, Figs. 5A to 5D show alternative arrangements for adjusting and locking the extension of the extendable arms B. With reference to Fig. 5A, this shows an arrangement in which the tubular arm A includes a plurality of spaced holes P for receiving a pin R to determine the position of the extendable arm B, which shows the buffer C thereof, which is compressible when engaged against the inner wall of the luggage compartment.The compressibility of the buffer, together with the spacing the pin holes P, providing for -substantially continuous adjustability, the dimension S representing the free (uncompressed) length of the buffer C, whilst the dimension T illustrates the minimum compressed length of the buffer to ensure that such is securely located, and the dimension U indicates the maximum compressibility of the buffer, so that the spacing between the pin holes P should be T minus U for normal use.

Referring now to Fig. 5B, this shows an alternative for varying the length of the extendable arm B, and in this arrangement the end of the outer tube terminates in a slightly tapered thread and has three slits cut into it to allow to reduce in size when the nut X is tightened. Referring now to Fig. 5C, this shows the locking thumbscrew arrangement as referred to previously in connection with Fig. 3 and finally, the arrangement of Fig. 5D shows a similar arrangement to that of Fig. 5A, except that the extendable arm B is secured in a spring biased manner between the vehicle sides and the tubular arm A, by means of a compression spring Z, which is adjustable against pins M, locatable in pin holes provided in the tubular member A.

In the event that the dividers, at maximum extension, will not fit within the boot space, or if the divider member requires to be made higher, then additional plates J may be provided which are securable to the cross pieces G. The additional plates J are securable to the cross pieces G by, for example, bolting these on and for this purpose are provided with similarly spaced securing holes H.

Referring now to Fig. 7, this shows an example of an elastic retaining member which may be utilised for providing additional securing of the small articles within the already divided luggage compartment.

Whilst the preferred embodiment shows a central cross piece having arms extending therefrom, tubular members may be provided within the walls of a central divider and could have additional securing means, for example, hooks or cleats moulded or attached thereto for directly securing articles to the divider member.

Alternatively, the central cross piece of the divider could be provided as a hub like member, having means enabling a plurality of radially extending wall portions to be securable thereto, to enable the compartment to be divided into a variety of differently sized compartments.

It may additionally include means for supporting additional divider members within each of the divided compartments to enable even small, possibly fragile articles to be supported in a secure and reliable manner.

Further, whilst the central cross piece is shown located centrally of the luggage space, this could, if preferred, be mounted off-centre with unevenly sized wall portions and extendable supporting arms. Indeed, by an appropriate arrangement of the longitudinal and transverse walls, a plurality of each could be provided extending longitudinally or transversely and may be interengaged with one another, if required, to provide a compartmentalised luggage or load space area, if such is considered desirable.

Thus, the present invention has described a simple and versatile divider apparatus which is capable of readily dividing a load space/luggage compartment/vehicle boot into a plurality of smaller more convenient storage areas which is readily usable and adaptable according to personal requirements.

Claims (7)

1. An apparatus for dividing a vehicle boot/luggage compartment/load space, comprising at least one partitioning means adjustably securable in said luggage compartment/load space, between defining walls thereof by adjustably clamping means.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said partitioning means comprises a central wall portion supporting at least one adjustable clamping means, extending therefrom.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said partitioning means comprises a central wall portion having adjustable clamping means extending longitudinally thereof for engagement with spaced apart wall portions of a load space to be divided.

4. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which two partitioning means are provided, said two partitioning means being mutually interengagable in a cruciform manner, each of said partitioning means having adjustable clamping means extending therefrom for securing the respective partitioning means in a load space or luggage compartment.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said partitioning means comprises a hub-like member supporting one or more radially extending dividing wall portions adjustably securable within the load space by means of adjustable clamping means provided thereon.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which a plurality of radially extending wall portions are provided each including means for adjustably engaging defining walls of the load space/luggage compartment.

7. Dividing apparatus in which extension members are provided for increasing the maximum width, depth or height of the partitioning means to enable such to be accommodated in areas of greater width, depth or height than the maximum extension of the adjustable securing means.

An apparatus for dividing a vehicle boot/luggage compartment with load space, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.