GB2297953A

GB2297953A - Vehicle load cover

Info

Publication number: GB2297953A
Application number: GB9503049A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Janet Overton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-02-16
Filing date: 1995-02-16
Publication date: 1996-08-21
Anticipated expiration: 2015-02-16
Also published as: GB2297953B; GB9503049D0

Abstract

A load cover for concealing goods in the boot of a hatch back or the luggage compartment of an estate car comprises a flexible cover 10 which extends horizontally from a side wall W of the compartment, over the horizontal portion of a floor mounted frame 15 and then vertically down to the floor F. The cover may be retracted onto a roller blind or arranged to concertina. The vertical portion of the cover 10 divides the luggage compartment into two portions, one of the portions C being covered by the horizontal portion of the cover member 10, and the other portion U being uncovered. In use, large objects or animals can be carried in the uncovered portion U of the compartment, whilst small valuable or delicate objects can be carried separately in the covered portion C. The extent of the covered area may be adjusted by moving the frame 15 to a plurality of mounting positions fixed to the compartment floor, or on rails across the compartment floor.

Description

Load Cover This invention relates to a load cover for the luggage compartment of a vehicle.

Some vehicles such as so-called estate cars or hatchbacks comprise an open luggage compartment which is visible through the windows of the vehicle. A disadvantage of this arrangement is that would-be thieves can easily determine whether there are any goods worth stealing in the luggage compartment.

It has been proposed to overcome this problem by providing a load cover which extends over the compartment. One such load cover comprises a blind-like cover member which is wrapped around a roller attached to the upper edge of the vehicle's rear seat. The cover member can conveniently be extended to hide goods in the luggage compartment. A disadvantage of such load covers is that pets or large objects cannot be carried in the luggage compartment when the cover member is extended.

I have now devised a load cover which alleviates the above-mentioned problems.

In accordance with this invention there is provided a load cover for the luggage compartment of a vehicle, the load cover comprising means for defining a vertical division across the luggage compartment and covering means which extends between an upper edge of the vertical division and a side wall of the luggage compartment.

In use the vertical wall serves to divide the luggage compartment into two portions, one of the portions being covered by the covering means. Thus, a dog or other large pet can be carried in the uncovered portion of the luggage compartment, whilst valuable goods can be carried in the covered portion, so that they are hidden from view. This arrangement also has the advantage that dogs or other large pets can be separated from food or other goods being carried in the luggage compartment.

Preferably the vertical division can be moved towards or away from the side wall of the luggage compartment so that the amount of the luggage compartment which is covered can be varied.

Preferably the covering means comprises flexible sheet material. In one embodiment the covering is arranged to concertina as the vertical division is moved. In an alternative embodiment the covering means is attached to a spring-biassed roller for attaching to said side wall.

Preferably the means for defining said vertical division comprises a frame member for attaching to the floor of said luggage compartment. Preferably, in use, the frame member is closed by a portion of said covering means.

Preferably the covering means can be detached from said frame member.

Preferably the load cover comprises guide rails for slidably mounting said vertical wall across the luggage compartment. Alternatively the load cover may comprise a plurality of means each for mounting the vertical division at a selected point across the luggage compartment.

Embodiments of this invention will now be described by way of examples only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle fitted with a first embodiment of load cover in accordance with this invention FIGURE 2 is a side view of the load cover of Figure 1; FIGURE 3 is a front view of the load cover of Figure 1; FIGURE 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a mounting portion of the load cover of Figure 1; FIGURE 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a mounting portion of a second embodiment of load cover in accordance with this invention; and FIGURE 6 is a side view of a third embodiment of load cover in accordance with this invention.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings, there is shown a load cover for concealing goods in the luggage compartment of an estate car or hatch-back. The load cover comprises an elongate cover member 10 formed from flexible sheet material, such as a fabric-backed plastics material. One end of the cover member 10 is attached to a spring-biassed roller 11 that is fixed to a side wall W of the vehicle's luggage compartment. The opposite end of the cover member 10 is attached to a cross-bar 12, as shown in Figure 4. Plastics C-shaped clips 13 are attached to opposite ends of the crossbar 12.

A pair of spaced-apart mounting members 14 are mounted to the floor F of the luggage compartment away from the side wall W, on a line which extends parallel to the axis of the roller 11. Each mounting member 14 comprises a base plate 15 and an upwardly directed tubular socket 16 for receiving respective ends of an inverted U-shaped metal frame member 15.

The frame member 15 has parallel upright arms 15A connected by a horizontal portion 15B, which is slightly longer than the width of the cover member 10. Further pairs of mounting members 14' may be mounted to the floor F of the luggage compartment at different points away from the side wall W.

In use, the frame member 15 is connected to one of the pairs of mounting members 14 depending on how much of the luggage compartment is to be covered. The cover member 10 is then extended from the roller 11 and passed over the horizontal portion 15B of the frame member. The C-shaped clips 13 on the cross-bar 12 at the free end of the cover member 10 are then engaged with respective tubular sockets 16 on the mounting members 14. A stud 17 is disposed on the outside surface of each tubular socket 16 to prevent the C-shaped clips from sliding axially along the sockets.

Once fitted, the cover member extends horizontally from the roller 11 over a portion C of the luggage compartment and along the upper edge of the vehicle's rear seat S. The cover member 10 then passes around the horizontal portion 15B of the frame member and then downwardly towards the floor F.

The load cover enables dogs and groceries to be transported simultaneously in the luggage compartment by placing the groceries in the covered portion C and the dog in the uncovered portion U. The vertically extending portion of the cover member 10 acts as a dividing wall to prevent the dog gaining access to the groceries. The load cover also acts to hide any valuable goods being transported in the covered portion C of the luggage compartment.

The amount of luggage compartment which is covered can be varied by connecting the frame member 15 to different pairs of mounting members 14 on the floor F of the luggage compartment. The spring-biassed roller 11 serves to keep the cover member 10 taut at all times. When not in use, the crossbar 12 is disconnected from the mounting members 14, so that the cover member is retracted by the spring-biassed roller 11.

The frame member 15 is then disconnected from the mounting members 14 and stored in the luggage compartment. With the frame member 15 removed, the cover member 10 may be fully extended over the luggage compartment and fixed to the opposite side wall, so as to cover the entire luggage compartment.

Referring to Figure 5 of the drawings, there is shown an alternative embodiment of load cover, which is similar to the load cover of Figures 1 to 4 and like parts are given like reference numerals. In this embodiment the frame member 15 is connected to mounting members 24 which are slidably mounted in respective parallel channel-section guide rails 26 that extend along the front and rear edges of the floor of the luggage compartment. The mounting members 26 each comprise a plastics block 25 which is journalled in the respective guide rail 26 and an upwardly directed socket 16 for receiving an end of the respective arm of the frame member 15.

It will be appreciated that the parallel guide rails 26 extend perpendicular to the side walls of the luggage compartment, thus the frame member can be slid along the guide rails 26 towards or away from the roller so as to vary the amount of the luggage compartment which is covered by the load cover.

Referring to Figure 6 of the drawings, in an alternative embodiment, one arm of the frame member may be cranked, so that it runs parallel to the inclined back of the vehicle's rear seat S. A triangular flap or plate 30 is fixed to the cranked arm, so as to fill the gap between the vertical edge of the cover member 10 and the arm of the frame.

Claims

1) A load cover for the luggage compartment of a vehicle, the load cover comprising means for defining a vertical division across the luggage compartment and covering means which extends between an upper edge of the vertical division and a side wall of the luggage compartment.

2) A load cover as claimed in claim 1, in which the vertical division is arranged for movement towards or away from the side wall of the luggage compartment.

3) A load cover as claimed in claims 1 or 2, in which the covering means comprises flexible sheet material.

4) A load cover as claimed in claim 3, in which the covering means is arranged to concertina.

5) A load cover as claimed in claim 3, in which the covering means is attached to a spring-biassed roller for attaching to said side wall.

6) A load cover as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the means for defining said vertical division comprises a frame member for attaching to the floor of said luggage compartment.

7) A load cover as claimed in claim 6, in which a portion of the covering means is arranged to close the frame member.

8) A load cover as claimed in claims 6 or 7, in which the covering means is detachable from said frame member.

9) A load cover as claimed in 2, comprising guide rails for slidably mounting said vertical wall across the luggage compartment.

10) A load cover as claimed in claims 2, comprising a plurality of means each for mounting the vertical division at selected points across the luggage compartment.

11) A load cover substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 4, Figure 5 or Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.