GB2312652A

GB2312652A - Securing a barrier in a vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2312652A
Application number: GB9708686A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nicholas Simon Sharpe
Original assignee: ATHAG Ltd
Current assignee: ATHAG Ltd
Priority date: 1996-04-30
Filing date: 1997-04-29
Publication date: 1997-11-05
Also published as: GB9608845D0; GB9708686D0

Abstract

A barrier is secured within a vehicle by means of at least one hook 26 depending from a lower part 20 of the barrier engaging with a member 44 on the floor of the vehicle. The member may a loop shaped luggage net clip which is pivotally spring biassed into a retracted position within a recess (42 fig 4A). Further securing means for the barrier may be provided by at least one bracket (50 fig 5) engagable with a lug (46 fig 5) in the vehicle, such as seat securing lug on a side wall of the vehicle.

Description

A BARRIER IN A VEHICLE The invention relates to a barrier in a vehicle and particularly to, but not exclusively limited to, a barrier separating the passenger compartment from an animal or cargo carrying compartment of the vehicle.

For many years we have designed and produced a barrier of the aforementioned type of considerable strength with robust fixing means for attaching the barrier to the vehicle and such barriers are the subject of several granted patents and pending patent applications. With ever increasing safety requirements and increasing demands for stronger barriers, particularly strong and reliable fixing means are needed to secure the barriers in the vehicle. Nevertheless, it is necessary to provide a fixing means which is straightforward to use, as many purchasers of barriers are members of the public who like to install such barriers themselves. To that end the barriers need to be retro-fittable into vehicles without difficulty.

An object of the present invention is to provide a barrier in a vehicle which has improved fixing means.

According to the invention there is provided a barrier upstanding in a vehicle, the barrier having fixing means for fixing the barrier to the vehicle, the fixing means comprising at least one hook extending from a bottom portion of the barrier and engaging underneath an existing member on the floor of the vehicle to fix at least the bottom portion of the barrier in the vehicle.

That arrangement provides a strong fixing for the barrier and allows retro-fitting into vehicles with appropriate members on the floor thereof.

Preferably the fixture is normally used to secure a luggage net in the boot of the vehicle. The existing member may be loop-shaped and, preferably, the member is located in a recess in the floor of the vehicle. In such a case, the member may be pivotally located in the recess whereby the member can pivot from a position flush with the floor of the vehicle to a position protruding from the floor of the vehicle. In a particularly preferred embodiment the member is resiliently biased into the aforesaid flush position.

Preferably two or more plurality of hooks are provided extending from the bottom portion of the barrier, each hook engaging underneath a respective member on the floor of the vehicle.

Further fixing means may be provided for further fixing of the barrier in the vehicle. Preferably the further fixing means comprises a bracket engageable with a lug in the vehicle, the bracket being secured or securable to the barrier. The lug is preferably a rear seat securing lug on a side wall of the vehicle.

The bracket may be secured to the barrier by means of a screw threaded fastener which preferably secures the bracket to a plate on the barrier, the plate having a threaded bore therethrough for receiving the fastener. The bracket preferably co-operates with a surface of the vehicle adjacent the lug whereby the said surface and the lug prevent fore-and-aft movement of an upper portion of the barrier.

Such an arrangement provides a strong fixing of the barrier in the vehicle without requiring modification of the vehicle interior.

A barrier in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig 1 is a elevation of the barrier before installation in the vehicle, Fig 2 is an elevation of the vehicle before the barrier is installed looking from the rear of the vehicle, Fig 3 is an elevation of the barrier in position within the vehicle of Fig 2 looking from the rear of the vehicle, Figs 4A and B are partial perspective views of the barrier showing the hook engaging the existing member on the floor of the vehicle, Fig 5 is a perspective view of part of the vehicle showing a fixing bracket for the barrier in position over a seat securing lug, and Figs 6A and B are perspective views of part of the barrier showing the attachment of the bracket to the barrier by means of a screw threaded fastener.

In Fig 1, a barrier, indicated generally at 10 is shown before installation in a vehicle 12 (Fig 2). The barrier 10 comprises a wire mesh 14 with an outline frame 16 which is contoured to follow substantially the shape of the vehicle interior in the region which the barrier is intended to be located.

The outline frame 16 defines a top edge 18, bottom edge 20 and side edges 22, 24 of the barrier. The bottom edge 20 has a hook 26 extending downwardly from each end thereof. Each side edge 22, 24 carries a mounting plate 28 and each mounting plate 28 has a screw-threaded bore 29 formed therein.

Fig 2 shows the interior of the vehicle 12 into which the barrier 10 is to be installed. The vehicle is an estate or hatchback type car. The vehicle has a luggage compartment indicated generally at 30 having a floor 32. The luggage compartment 30 can be bounded by the rear seat backs 34 or, as shown in Fig 2, can be extended by folding the rear seats 34 down to provide luggage capacity up to the front seats 36.

Luggage net clip assemblies 38 are provided in the floor of the luggage compartment, adjacent the rear seat backs 34, one each side of the vehicle. The luggage net clip assemblies 38 are located adjacent respective inner rear wheel arches 40 of the vehicle.

One of the luggage net clip assemblies 38 is shown in more detail in Figs 4A and 4B. Each assembly 38 comprises a D-shaped recess 42 just large enough to accommodate a D-shaped clip 44 which is pivotally mounted therein in known manner. The clip 44 can be pivoted between a flush position in which it lies in the recess 42 and a protruding position in which it protrudes from the recess. The D-shaped clip is resiliently biased in known manner into the flush position.

Seat securing lugs 46 are provided and are located one each side of the car adjacent the inner rear wheel arches 40. Those lugs 46 normally engage with seat securing catches 48 on the rear seat backs 34. However, when the barrier is mounted in the vehicle, as shown in Fig 3, the lugs 46 locate mounting brackets 50 which will be described in more detail with relation to Figs 5, 6A and 6B.

In order to fix the bottom edge 20 of the barrier 10 in the vehicle, the barrier 10 is positioned so that the hook 26 on each end of the bottom edge 20 of the frame 16 lies adjacent a respective luggage net clip assembly 38. Each D-shaped clip 44 is then raised against the aforementioned resilient bias and the adjacent hook 26 can be located underneath the clip 44 (see Fig 4B). The hook 26 is preferably dimensioned so that once it is engaged underneath its clip 44 it can be received in the clip recess 42 so as to further secure the barrier 10 in the vehicle.

Referring to Figs 5, 6A and 6B, the aforesaid further fixing means will be described. The further fixing means comprises a bracket 50 having a W-shaped body 52 with an open slot 54 formed in one outer limb 55 thereof for receiving the seat securing lug 46. The body 52 is dimensioned to follow the profile of the interior surface of the vehicle. The other outer limb indicated at 57 is formed with a through bore 56.

As shown in Figs 6A and 6B, the open slot 54 of each bracket 50 is located on the associated seat securing lug 46 and the barrier 10 is positioned so that the bore 56 in the bracket and the screwthreaded bore 29 in the plate 28 on the barrier are aligned. The bracket can then be fixed to the barrier by means of a screwthreaded fastener 58. The fastener 58 preferably has a knurled knob 60 to aid tightening.

Once the open slot 54 has been located on the seat securing lug 46, an inner limb 55a of the W-shaped body 52 lies closely adjacent a forwardly facing vertical surface 61 of the vehicle. That arrangement prevents the body 52 disengaging the seat securing lug 46 and, therefore, the bracket 50 and seat securing lug 46 secure the top of the barrier 10 in the fore-and-aft direction.

The barrier shown is particularly easy to install without using special tools, does not require drilling of holes in the vehicle and yet is particularly robust, providing extremely firm fixing in the vehicle.

Claims

1. A barrier upstanding in a vehicle, the barrier having fixing means for fixing the barrier to the vehicle, the fixing means comprising at least one hook extending from a bottom portion of the barrier and engaging underneath an existing member on the floor of the vehicle to fix at least the bottom portion of the barrier in the vehicle.

2. A barrier according to claim 1 in which the existing member is normally used to secure a luggage net in the boot of the vehicle.

3. A barrier according to claim 1 or 2 in which the existing member is loop-shaped.

4. A barrier according to claim 3 in which the member is located in a recess in the floor of the vehicle.

5. A barrier according to claim 4 in which the member is pivotally located in the recess whereby the member can pivot from a position flush with the floor of the vehicle to a position protruding from the floor of the vehicle.

6. A barrier according to claim 5 in which the member is resiliently biased into the flush position.

7. A barrier according to any preceding claim in which two or more hooks are provided extending from the bottom portion of the barrier, each hook engaging underneath a respective member on the floor of the vehicle.

8. A barrier according to any preceding claim in which further fixing means is provided for further fixing of the barrier in the vehicle.

9. A barrier according to claim 8 in which the further fixing means comprises a bracket engageable with a lug in the vehicle the bracket being secured or securable to the barrier.

10. A barrier according to claim 9 in which the lug is a rear seat securing lug on a side wall of the vehicle.

11. A barrier according to claim 9 or 10 in which the bracket is secured to the barrier by means of a screw-threaded fastener which secures the bracket to a plate on the barrier, the plate having a threaded bore therethrough for receiving the fastener.

12. A barrier according to claim 9, 10 or 11 in which the bracket co-operates with a surface of the vehicle adjacent the lug whereby the surface and the lug prevent fore and aft movement of an upper portion of the barrier.

13. A barrier constructed and arranged substantialty as described herein and with reference to the accompanying drawings.