Sliding floor panel in combination with articulating cargo door

A lid assembly for a motor vehicle having an articulating closure member which is retractable into a cavity below the level of the floor of the vehicle. The lid assembly includes a lid member and a conveyance assembly having a support structure and a drive assembly. The lid member is supported over the cavity by the support structure and the drive assembly moves the lid member between a first position wherein the lid member substantially covers the cavity, and a second position wherein the lid member at least partially clears the cavity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 1. Technical Field
 The present invention pertains generally to motor vehicles. More
 particularly, but without restriction to the particular embodiment and/or
 use which is shown and described for purposes of illustration, the present
 invention pertains to a translating floor assembly for use in a vehicle
 having a closure member which retracts to a closed position below the
 surface of the vehicle floor.
 2. Discussion
 Sport utility vehicles, station wagons, minivans and other similar vehicles
 generally include rear storage areas accessible through one or more rear
 closure panels. In one common arrangement, such vehicles are equipped with
 a liftgate which articulates between open and closed positions about an
 upper horizontal edge. In another common arrangement, such vehicles are
 equipped with a lower tailgate which pivots about a lower horizontal edge.
 In yet another common arrangement, such vehicles are equipped with a lower
 tailgate which pivots about one of the lateral vertical edges. Tailgates
 have also been employed which may be selectively pivoted about one of the
 lateral vertical edges or a lower horizontal edge.
 While known closure panels are suitable for providing access to the rear
 storage area of a motor vehicle, they are all associated with
 disadvantages. Most significantly insofar as the present invention is
 concerned relates to the, articulation of known closure panels from a
 closed position to an open position causes the closure panel to extend
 away from the body of the vehicle. When the vehicle is parked in a garage
 or near other vehicles, sufficient operating clearance is often
 unavailable for opening the closure panel. Additionally, articulation of
 the closure panel away from the body of the vehicle increases the
 opportunity for damage to the closure panel, the adjacent vehicle, or
 both.
 Accordingly, a closure member that withdraws under the floor of the vehicle
 as it is moved into the open position eliminates the above-enumerated
 concerns. Additionally, such a closure member is particularly suited for
 operation under power to provide consumers with a convenient means for
 accessing the vehicle interior when carrying loads such as children,
 groceries or other materials. However, a significant drawback associated
 with such closure members concerns the amount of clearance between the
 closure member and the floor of the vehicle.
 Typically, a large amount of clearance is needed between the closure member
 and the floor of the vehicle in such arrangements to prevent the closure
 member from contacting the floor of the vehicle as it articulates between
 the open and closed positions. The magnitude of clearance that is needed
 is sufficiently large to permit small objects to fall into the cavity
 where the closure member is stored or lodge between the floor of the
 vehicle and the closure member. The safety of those in or around the
 vehicle is also an issue as it can be fairly easy for one to place their
 fingers or toes into the clearance area prior to cycling the drive
 mechanism to open or close the closure member.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 It is a general object of the present invention to provide a vehicle floor
 system for a vehicle having a closure member that retracts under the floor
 of the vehicle which overcomes the disadvantages associated with the prior
 known arrangements.
 It is another object of the present invention to provide a sliding floor
 for use in a motor vehicle which substantially eliminates clearance
 between the edge of the floor and a vehicle closure member.
 In one form, the present invention provides a lid assembly for a motor
 vehicle having an articulating closure member which is retractable into a
 cavity below the level of the floor of the vehicle. The lid assembly
 includes a lid member and a conveyance assembly having a support structure
 and a drive assembly. The lid member is supported over the cavity by the
 support structure and the drive assembly moves the lid member between a
 first position wherein the lid member substantially covers the cavity, and
 a second position wherein the lid member at least partially clears the
 cavity.
 Additional advantages and features of the present invention will become
 apparent from the subsequent description and the appended claims, taken in
 conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
 With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a motor vehicle
 constructed in accordance with the teachings of the preferred embodiment
 of the present invention is generally identified by reference numeral 10.
 As will be discussed in detail below, motor vehicle 10 includes a closure
 panel 12 which is articulated between a closed position and an open
 position under a source of power. It will be understood that the
 particular type of vehicle illustrated through out the drawings is merely
 exemplary. In this regard, the teachings of the present invention have
 applicability to other types of vehicles.
 In a conventional manner, motor vehicle 10 includes a rear bumper assembly
 16 a lid assembly 20 and a body 24 having a pair of laterally spaced apart
 sides 28a, 28b and a floor 32. The sides 28a, 28b, floor 32 and lid
 assembly 20 cooperate to form a rear storage area 36 accessible through a
 rear opening 40 in motor vehicle 10. Body 24 further defines a cavity 44
 recessed beneath floor 32. Floor 32 abuts the laterally opposed edges 48
 of cavity 44 and terminates at the rear end of vehicle 10 proximate rear
 opening 40.
 The closure panel 12 is preferably illustrated as a tailgate 52. A detailed
 description of tailgate 52 is beyond the scope of the present invention
 and need not be provided herein. Briefly, tailgate 52 is mounted on its
 lateral sides 56 to a roller assembly 60 which engages a grooved guide
 track 64 as shown in FIGS. 3A through 3C. A tailgate drive unit (not
 specifically shown) is operable for moving tailgate 52 between a closed
 position, wherein tailgate 52 is in a substantially vertical position, and
 an open position wherein tailgate 52 is disposed below floor 32 in cavity
 44. Tailgate 52 is described in more detail in commonly assigned U.S. Ser.
 No. 09/222,564, filed Dec. 29, 1998, which is hereby incorporated by
 reference as if fully set forth herein.
 As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, lid assembly 20 includes a lid member 100 and a
 conveyance assembly 104. Lid member 100 is a generally horizontal
 structure sized to substantially cover cavity 44 and border the edges of
 floor 32 proximate the laterally opposed edges 48 of cavity 44.
 Alternatively, lid member 100 may fully or partially overlap the edges of
 floor 32.
 Conveyance assembly 104 includes a support structure 108 and a drive
 assembly 112. Support structure 108 is fixed to body 24 and operable for
 supporting lid member 100 above cavity 44. In the particular embodiment
 illustrated, support structure 108 is a pair of conventional linear slides
 116a, 116b having first and second portions 120 and 124, respectively
 which are mounted parallel to the longitudinal axis 128 of vehicle 10.
 First portion 120 is fixedly coupled to body 24 and second portion 124 is
 fixedly coupled to lid member 100, thereby permitting lid member 100 to
 slide between a first position substantially covering cavity 44 as shown
 in FIG. 2, and a second position at least partially clearing cavity 44 as
 shown in FIG. 4. Linear slides 116a, 116b preferably include rollers or
 bearings to permit first and second portions 120 and 124 to be moved
 relative to one another with a reduced level of frictional drag as lid
 member 100 is moved between the first and second positions.
 Drive assembly 112 is shown to include a drive unit 132 and a drive cable
 136. The configuration of drive assembly 112 is substantially identical to
 that of a window regulator used to drive power windows between an open and
 a closed position and as such, need not be discussed in further detail
 herein. Briefly, the first and second ends 140 and 144, respectively, of
 drive cable 136 are coupled to lid member 100 at first and second points
 148 and 152, respectively. Drive unit 132 engages drive cable 136 such
 that operation of drive unit 132 in a first mode moves drive cable 136 in
 a predetermined first direction which causes lid member 100 to translate
 toward the first position. Operation of drive unit 132 in a second mode
 moves drive cable 136 in a predetermined second direction which causes lid
 member 100 to translate toward the second position.
 When a signal is generated to cause tailgate 52 to articulate from either
 of the open and closed positions, drive assembly 132 is actuated. In
 response thereto, lid member 100 slides from the first position to the
 second position where the forward edge 156 of lid member 100 overlaps the
 rearward edge of cavity 44. After tailgate 52 has articulated into either
 of the closed and open positions, drive assembly 132 is again actuated. In
 response thereto, lid member 100 slides from the second position to the
 first position and substantially covers cavity 44.
 While the lid assembly of the present invention has been described thus far
 as having a drive assembly substantially identical to that of a window
 regulator for a power window and a support structure formed from linear
 slides, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention, in
 its broader aspects, may be constructed somewhat differently. For example,
 the drive assembly may be formed from a device similar to those employed
 in power seating systems as shown in FIG. 6.
 In this arrangement, drive assembly 112' includes a drive unit 132' and a
 screw assembly 180 having a first screw portion 184 and a second screw
 portion 188. Drive unit 132' is coupled to lid member 100' with a clamp
 155. First screw portion 184 includes an externally threaded portion 192
 and is coupled for rotation with an output shaft of drive unit 132'.
 Second screw portion 188 includes an internally threaded portion 196 and
 is fixedly coupled to body 24'. The threads of externally threaded portion
 192 engage the threads of internally threaded portion 196 such that
 rotation of the output shaft of drive unit 132' in a first rotational
 direction causes second screw portion 188 to travel in a first direction
 along the axis 200 of externally threaded portion 192. Similarly, rotation
 of the output shaft of drive unit 132' in a second rotational direction
 causes second screw portion 188 to travel in a second direction along the
 axis 200 of externally threaded portion 192. As Body 24' and second screw
 portion 188 are fixedly coupled, rotational movement of externally
 threaded portion 192 is operable for causing lid member 100' to translate
 along the longitudinal axis of vehicle 10'.
 As another example, the support structure may be formed in a manner similar
 to that shown in FIG. 7. In this arrangement, support structure 108"
 includes a guide track 204 and a plurality of rollers 208. Guide track 204
 includes first and second portions 212 and 216, respectively and a
 transition portion 220. First portion 212 lies in a generally horizontal
 plane proximate the forward edge of cavity 44. Second portion 216 also
 lies in a generally horizontal plane but is spaced apart from the first
 portion 212. Transition portion 220 is coupled to first portion 212 at a
 first end 224 and to second portion 216 at a second end 228. Transition
 portion 220 slopes in a downwardly direction from first portion 212 to
 second portion 216.
 Rollers 208 are coupled to lid member 100" and sized to operate in guide
 track 204. Movement of lid member 100" from the first position to the
 second position permits guide track 204 and rollers 208 to cooperatively
 lift the forward edge 232 of lid member 100" as lid member 100" travels
 horizontally in the first direction. As such, the forward edge 232 of lid
 member 100" is raised vertically above floor 32 to permit lid member 100"
 to overlap floor 32. Movement of lid member 100" from the second position
 to the first position permits guide track 204 and rollers 208 to
 cooperatively lower the forward edge 232 of lid member 100" as lid member
 100" travels horizontally in the second direction. As such, the forward
 edge 232 of lid member 100" is substantially flush to floor 32 when lid
 member 100" is in the first position.
 While the invention has been described in the specification and illustrated
 in the drawings with reference to several preferred embodiments, it will
 be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made
 and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing
 from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims. In addition,
 many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material
 to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential
 scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited
 to the particular embodiments illustrated by the drawings and described in
 the specification as the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out
 this invention, but that the invention will include any embodiments
 falling within the description of the appended claims.