Abstract:
20An integrated extendable load floor assembly is provided for a vehicle having a rear end with a floor and sides extending upwardly and along the floor to form a cargo area and a decklid for closing an upper portion of the cargo area. The integrated extendable load floor assembly includes a plurality of rails adapted to be to be disposed upon the sides above the floor of the rear end. The integrated drawer assembly also includes a load floor operatively cooperating with the rails for sliding movement therealong and to close a longitudinal end of the cargo area.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates generally to vehicles and, more specifically, to an integrated extendable load floor assembly for a vehicle.  
           [0002]    It is known to provide a rear end for a vehicle such as a sedan type automotive vehicle. Typically, the vehicle body has a rear end with a cargo or trunk area and is closed at an upper portion thereof by a trunk lid or decklid. The decklid is hinged to the body of the vehicle to have an up or open position to open the cargo area and a down or closed position to close the cargo area.  
           [0003]    It is desirable to expand a carrying capability of the cargo area in a conventional sedan type automotive vehicle without compromising an exterior appearance of the vehicle. It is also desirable to provide an extendable load floor assembly for a sedan type automotive vehicle to aid in carrying large or oversize objects. It is further desirable to provide an extendable load floor assembly that is integrated with a rear end of a vehicle.  
         SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
         [0004]    Accordingly, the present invention is an integrated extendable load floor assembly for a vehicle having a rear end with a floor and sides extending upwardly and along the floor to form a cargo area and a decklid for closing an upper portion of the cargo area. The integrated extendable load floor assembly includes a plurality of rails adapted to be to be disposed upon the sides above the floor of the rear end. The integrated extendable load floor assembly also includes a load floor operatively cooperating with the rails for sliding movement therealong and to close a longitudinal end of the cargo area.  
           [0005]    One advantage of the present invention is that an integrated extendable load floor assembly is provided for a vehicle such as a sedan type automotive vehicle. Another advantage of the present invention is that the integrated extendable load floor assembly provides expanded carrying capability of the cargo area in a conventional sedan type automotive vehicle without compromising the exterior appearance of the vehicle and integrated with the rear end of the vehicle. Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the integrated extendable load floor assembly allows the cargo area to expand to carry long or tall items that previously could not be accommodated in a conventional sedan type automotive vehicle. Still another advantage of the present invention is that the integrated extendable load floor assembly has a decklid that minimizes the lift over height required to load items in the cargo area of the rear end of the vehicle.  
           [0006]    Other features and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated, as the same becomes better understood, after reading the subsequent description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an integrated extendable load floor assembly, according to the present invention, illustrated in operational relationship with a vehicle.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of the integrated extendable load floor assembly illustrated in an open position.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the integrated extendable load floor assembly of FIG. 1 illustrated in an open position.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the integrated extendable load floor assembly of FIG. 3 illustrating an endgate in an open position.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the integrated extendable load floor assembly of FIG. 1.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the integrated extendable load floor assembly of FIG. 3 illustrating an inner panel of a floor in an open position.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the integrated extendable load floor assembly of FIG. 6 illustrating the endgate in an open position.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 8 is an enlarged elevational view of a portion of the endgate of the integrated extendable load floor assembly of FIG. 3.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the integrated extendable load floor assembly of FIG. 3.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the integrated extendable load floor assembly of FIG. 3 illustrating an inner panel of an endgate in an open position.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the integrated extendable load floor assembly of FIG. 3 illustrating the endgate in an open position with an optional endgate extender. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0018]    Referring now to the drawings and in particular FIGS. 1 and 2, one embodiment of an integrated extendable load floor assembly  10 , according to the present invention, is illustrated in connection with a vehicle, generally indicated at  12 , such as a sedan type automotive vehicle  12 . Such vehicles  12  typically include a body  14  having a rear end  16  forming a storage or cargo area  18 . The rear end  16  includes a front  19 , floor  20  (FIG. 5), two sides  22  and a rear decklid  24 , which define the cargo area  18 . The vehicle  12  also includes the integrated extendable load floor assembly  10  disposed in and closing a longitudinal end of the cargo area  18 . It should be appreciated that the decklid  24  may be removable. It should also be appreciated that, except for the integrated extendable load floor assembly  10 , the vehicle  12  is conventional and known in the art.  
         [0019]    Referring to FIGS. 2 through 6, the integrated extendable load floor assembly  10  includes a plurality of, preferably a pair of rails, generally indicated at  26 , spaced laterally and extending longitudinally between the sides  22  above the floor  20  of the rear end  16 . Each of the rails  26  has a first rail member  28  extending longitudinally and at least one first bracket member  30  for attaching the first rail member  28  to the sides  22 . The first rail member  28  is attached to the first bracket member  30  by suitable means such as fasteners (not shown) or welding and the first bracket member  30  is attached to the sides  22  by suitable means such as fasteners (not shown) or welding. It should be appreciated that the first rail member  28  is stationary relative to the body  14  of the vehicle  12 .  
         [0020]    Each of the rails  26  has a second rail member  32  slidably connected to the first rail member  28 . The second rail member  32  cooperates with the first rail member  28  to allow at least a portion of the second rail member  32  to extend beyond the first rail member  28  for a function to be described. The rails  26  may each include a stop member (not shown) attached to either one of the first rail member  28  or second rail member  32  to limit the longitudinal extension of the second rail member  32  relative to the first rail member  28 . The rails  26  are made of a rigid material such as metal. It should be appreciated that the rails  26  are conventional and known in the art.  
         [0021]    Referring to FIGS. 2 through 10, the integrated extendable load floor assembly  10  also includes at least one drawer or load floor, generally indicated at  34 , for cooperating with the rails  26 . The load floor  34  has a bottom  36  and opposed sides  38  extending generally perpendicular to the bottom  36  to form a cavity or chamber  40  therein with open longitudinal ends. The load floor  34  is generally rectangular in shape. The load floor  34  is made of a rigid material such as metal. It should be appreciated that the load floor  34  is used to hold objects or cargo such as luggage therein.  
         [0022]    The load floor  34  may include an inner panel  41  that is pivotally connected to a forward interior end thereof by suitable means such as a hinge (not shown) and movable relative thereto to allow access to a spare tire (not shown) to be stored within a recess (not shown) of the floor  20  of the rear end  16  as illustrated in FIG. 6. The inner panel  41  may include a latch mechanism (not shown) on the inner panel  41  to releasably secure the inner panel  41  to the bottom  36  of the load floor  34 .  
         [0023]    The load floor  34  also includes a slide  42  disposed on and attached to the sides  38  thereof. The slides  42  extend longitudinally and cooperate with the second rail member  32  of the rails  26  for sliding therealong. The load floor  34  may include a stop member (not shown) attached to either one of the slide  42  or second rail member  32  to limit the longitudinal extension of the slide  42  relative to the second rail member  32 . The slide  42  is attached to the side  38  of the load floor  34  by suitable means such as fasteners (not shown) or welding. It should be appreciated that the slide  42  is conventional and known in the art. It should also be appreciated that the slide  42  is stationary relative to the load floor  34 , but is movable relative to the second rail member  32 , first rail member  28 , and body  14  of the vehicle  12 .  
         [0024]    The integrated extendable load floor assembly  10  also includes a rear panel or endgate  44  to close a rear longitudinal open end of the load floor  34 . The endgate  44  is generally rectangular in shape. The endgate  44  is pivotally connected to the sides  38  of the load floor  34  by suitable means such as a pivot pin  46  at a lower end thereof. The endgate  44  is also connected to the sides  38  of the load floor  34  by suitable means such as a cable  48  at an upper end thereof. It should be appreciated that the endgate  44  has an upper latch mechanism (not shown) to cooperate with the decklid  24  for releasably latching the decklid  24  to the endgate  44  when the endgate  44  is in a closed upright position.  
         [0025]    The integrated extendable load floor assembly  10  includes a latch mechanism, generally indicated at  49 , to latch the endgate  44  in a closed position relative to the load floor  34 . The latch mechanism  49  has a striker  50  on each lateral side of the endgate  44  and a latch  52  on each lateral side  38  of the drawer  34  for engaging and disengaging the striker  50 . The latch mechanism  49  also includes a movable handle  54  for actuating the latch  52  to release the striker  50  to move the endgate  44  from a closed and generally vertical position to an open and generally horizontal position. It should be appreciated that the pivot pin  46 , striker  50 , and latch  52  are conventional and known in the art.  
         [0026]    The endgate  44  may include an inner panel  56  that is pivotally connected to a lower interior end thereof by suitable means such as a hinge (not shown) and movable relative thereto to allow objects (not shown) to be stored within an interior cavity  58  of the endgate  44  as illustrated in FIG. 10. The endgate  44  may include a latch mechanism  60  on the inner panel  54  to releasably secure the inner panel  56  to the endgate  44 .  
         [0027]    As illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, the integrated extendable load floor assembly  10  includes a latch mechanism, generally indicated at  62 , to latch the drawer  34  in a closed position relative to the rear end  16  of the vehicle  12 . The latch mechanism  62  includes a striker  64  attached by suitable means such as a bracket  66  to a rear bumper  68  on adjacent the floor  20  of the rear end  16 . The bracket  66  is attached to the rear bumper  68  by suitable means such as fasteners  67  or welding. The latch mechanism  62  also includes a latch  70  attached by suitable means such as fasteners (not shown) to a forward longitudinal end  72  of the bottom  26  of the drawer  34  for engaging and disengaging the striker  64 . The latch mechanism  62  includes a movable handle  74  for actuating the latch  70  to release the striker  64  to move the drawer  60  from a closed position adjacent to the rear end  16  of the vehicle  12  to an open position spaced longitudinally away from the rear end  16  of the vehicle  12 . It should be appreciated that the striker  64  and latch  70  are conventional and known in the art.  
         [0028]    Referring to FIG. 11, the integrated extendable load floor assembly  10  may include an endgate extender  76  attached to the sides  38  of the load floor  34 . The endgate extender  76  has a plurality of tubes  78  spaced vertically and extending laterally and interconnected by a plurality of straps  80  extending vertically and spaced laterally. The endgate extender  76  is disposed on the endgate  44  when the endgate  44  is in the open position and connected to the sides  38  of the load floor  34  by suitable means such as fasteners (not shown). It should be appreciated that the drawer  34  is in the closed position and the endgate  44  is in the open position when the endgate extender  76  is attached to the load floor  34 . It should also be appreciated that the endgate extender  76  is optional.  
         [0029]    In another embodiment, the integrated extendable load floor assembly  10  may eliminate the extendable load floor  34  and have the endgate  44  pivotally connected to the sides  22  of the rear end  16 . In this embodiment, the endgate  44  includes the latch mechanism  49  to latch the endgate  44  in a closed upright position relative to the sides  22  of the rear end  16  and an upper latch mechanism (not shown) to cooperate with the decklid  24  for releasably latching the decklid  24  to the endgate  44  when the endgate  44  is in a closed upright position. It should be appreciated that this embodiment would look similar to that illustrated in FIG. 11 and may include the endgate extender  76 .  
         [0030]    In operation of the integrated extendable load floor assembly  10 , during normal operating conditions, the load floor  34  is in a closed position with the rear end  16  to close the longitudinal end of the cargo area  18  of the rear end  16  as illustrated in FIG. 1. The load floor  34  is used to hold objects in the cargo area  18  of the rear end  16 . In addition, the decklid  24  is in a closed position with the rear end  16  to close an upper portion of the cargo area  18 .  
         [0031]    If desirable, the upper latch mechanism (not shown) may be actuated via a handle (not shown) to allow the decklid  24  to move from a closed position with the rear end  16  to an open position with the rear end  16  as illustrated in FIG. 2. At this point, cargo may be unloaded from the load floor  34  by an operator (not shown) in a conventional manner. If desired, the operator via the handle  74  may actuate the latch mechanism  62 , and the load floor  34  may be slid rearward an open position with the rear end  16  as illustrated in FIG. 2 to allow the operator to unload the cargo from the load floor  34 . It should be appreciated that the endgate  44  is in a closed position relative to the load floor  34 .  
         [0032]    If desirable, the latch mechanism  49  may be actuated via the handle  54  to allow the endgate  44  to move from a closed position with the drawer  34  to an open position with the drawer  34  as illustrated in FIG. 4. At this point, cargo may be unloaded from the load floor  34 . If desired, the latch mechanism  60  may be actuated by the operator and the inner panel  56  of the endgate  44  moved upward to an open position with the endgate  44  as illustrated in FIG. 10 to allow the operator to unload the cargo from the cavity  58  of the endgate  44 . If desired, the latch mechanism (not shown) may be actuated by the operator and the inner panel  41  of the load floor  34  moved upward to an open position with the bottom  36  of the load floor  34  as illustrated in FIG. 6 to allow the operator access to the spare tire (not shown) in the recess (not shown) of the floor  20  of the rear end  16 . It should be appreciated that the endgate  44  is in an open position relative to the load floor  34 .  
         [0033]    The present invention has been described in an illustrative manner. It is to be understood that the terminology, which has been used, is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation.  
         [0034]    Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. Therefore, within the scope of the appended claims, the present invention may be practiced other than as specifically described.