Vehicle interior lid for covering trunk lid unlocking mechanism

A vehicle assembly for housing an unlocking mechanism provided within a vehicle passenger compartment which is operably connected to a locking device of a trunk lid includes an interior body panel having an outer surface including an opening portion for receiving an unlocking mechanism. A lid is removably mounted to the body panel and has a closed position for covering the opening portion and an opened position. The lid defines a lid body having an exterior surface. An edge portion of the exterior surface is continuous and without interruption about a periphery of the exterior surface so that the lid body exterior surface is flush with the body panel outer surface about the entire periphery of the lid body exterior surface.

BACKGROUND

It is known for a vehicle to have an electronic key that is in signal communication with a locking device of a trunk lid so that depression of a trunk lid button on the electronic key actuates the locking device. It is also known to provide a trunk lid unlocking mechanism mounted directly on an instrument panel which allows the trunk lid to be opened from in a passenger compartment of the vehicle. For this purpose, the unlocking mechanism is operably connected to the locking device of the trunk lid so that actuation of the unlocking mechanism unlocks the locking device. The unlocking mechanism can be concealed by a cover or lid, and an outer surface of the lid typically includes an interruption, such as a cut-out shape or raised feature to accommodate an operator's finger or hand space, which allows the lid to be opened. However, this type of lid design having the interruption on the outer surface can affect the aesthetic appearance of a vehicle body panel to which the key lock is mounted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

In accordance with one aspect, a vehicle assembly for housing an unlocking mechanism provided within a vehicle passenger compartment which is operably connected to a locking device of a trunk lid comprises an interior body panel having an outer surface including an opening portion for receiving an unlocking mechanism. A lid is removably mounted to the body panel and has a closed position for covering the opening portion and an opened position. The lid defines a lid body having an exterior surface. An edge portion of the exterior surface is continuous and without interruption about a periphery of the exterior surface so that the lid body exterior surface is flush with the body panel outer surface about the entire periphery of the lid body exterior surface.

In accordance with another aspect, a vehicle assembly for housing an unlocking mechanism provided within a vehicle passenger compartment which is operably connected to a locking device of a trunk lid comprises an interior body panel having an outer surface including an opening portion for receiving an unlocking mechanism. The opening portion includes a bottom wall offset from the outer surface. The bottom wall has an engagement hole. A lid is removably mounted to the body panel and has a closed position for covering the opening portion and an opened position. The lid defines a lid body having an exterior surface and an interior surface. An edge portion of the exterior surface extending about a periphery of the exterior surface is flush with the body panel outer surface. The lid body has an engagement member extending perpendicularly from the interior surface. The engagement member is received in the engagement hole and engages the bottom wall.

In accordance with yet another aspect, a vehicle assembly comprises an unlocking mechanism operably connected to a locking device of a trunk lid and configured to actuate the locking device to unlock the trunk lid from within a vehicle passenger compartment. An interior body panel has an outer surface including an opening portion for receiving the unlocking mechanism. The opening portion includes a bottom wall offset from the outer surface. The bottom wall has a pair of spaced engagement holes and a retaining hole. A lid is removably mounted to the body panel and has a closed position for covering the opening portion and an opened position. The lid defines a lid body having an exterior surface flush with the body panel outer surface. The lid body has a pair of engagement members received in the engagement holes and engaging the bottom wall and a retaining member movably received in the retaining hole. The lid is configured to pivot inwardly relative to the bottom wall to move from the closed position to the opened position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are merely illustrative and that various modifications and changes can be made in the structures disclosed without departing from the present disclosure. In general, the figures of the exemplary vehicle interior lid are not to scale. It should be appreciated that the term “plurality” means “two or more”, unless expressly specified otherwise. It will also be appreciated that the various identified components of the exemplary vehicle interior lid disclosed herein are merely terms of art that may vary from one manufacturer to another and should not be deemed to limit the present disclosure.

As used herein, lateral directions are transverse across the vehicle, i.e., left and right directions. Likewise, longitudinal directions refer to forward and rearward directions of vehicle travel, and the vertical directions relate to elevation, i.e., upward and downward directions.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views,FIGS. 1 and 2schematically illustrate a vehicle assembly100including a vehicle body102defining a passenger compartment104and a storage or trunk compartment106covered by a trunk lid108. A rear seat assembly110separates the passenger compartment104from the trunk compartment106. An unlocking mechanism120is operably connected to a locking device122of the trunk lid108and is configured to actuate the locking device122to unlock the trunk lid108from within the vehicle passenger compartment104. The unlocking mechanism120may be designed as a push-button switch that is electrically connected to the locking device122so that actuation of the switch unlocks the trunk lid108. The unlocking mechanism120may also be designed as a key lock124(seeFIGS. 4 and 8) mechanically connected to the locking device122. One benefit of the key lock design of the unlocking mechanism120is that it allows the trunk lid108to be unlocked in emergency conditions when the vehicle battery is dead, which, in turn, can disable the electronic key.

In the depicted embodiment, the unlocking mechanism120is mounted on part of the vehicle body108accessible from in the passenger compartment104. Particularly, the unlocking mechanism is mounted on an interior body panel130provided rearward of the rear seat assembly110. The interior body panel130spans laterally in the passenger compartment104between opposed side panels (only side panel132is shown) of the vehicle body102and can form part of a separating wall of the rear seat assembly110. As shown inFIG. 4, the interior body panel130has an outer surface136including an opening portion138having a bottom wall140and a side wall142. The bottom wall140is provided with an aperture144for receiving the unlocking mechanism122. The unlocking mechanism122can be secured to the bottom wall140in a known manner.

A cover or lid150is removably mounted to the body panel130and has a closed position (FIG. 2) for covering the opening portion138and an opened position (FIG. 4) where the lid is completely removed from the body panel130. As best depicted inFIG. 2, the exemplary lid150defines a lid body152having an exterior surface154. An edge portion156of the exterior surface154is continuous and without interruption about a periphery of the exterior surface154so that the exterior surface of the lid body152is flush with the outer surface136of the body panel130about the entire periphery of the lid body exterior surface154. By having the edge portion156of the exterior surface154devoid of an interruption, such as a cut-out shape or raised feature to accommodate an operator's finger or hand space, the exemplary lid150does not affect the aesthetic appearance of the body panel130to which the unlocking mechanism122is mounted.

With reference toFIGS. 3 and 4, to releasably secure the lid150to the body panel130, the bottom wall140of the opening portion138of the body panel130includes at least one engagement hole160, and the lid body152includes at least one engagement member164which is received in the at least one engagement hole160extending from an interior surface162of the lid body152. More particularly, the bottom wall140of the opening portion138includes opposed end portions168,170and opposed side portions172,174elongated relative to the end portions168,170. The at least one engagement hole160is provided on one of the side portions adjacent one of the end portions. As depicted, the at least one engagement hole160is a first engagement hole provided on side portion172adjacent end portion168, and the bottom wall140includes a second engagement hole176provided on side portion174adjacent end portion168. And the at least one engagement member164is a first engagement member that is received in the first engagement hole160, and as depicted inFIG. 5the interior surface162of the lid body152further includes a second engagement member180which is received in the second engagement hole176.

As shown inFIG. 5, each of the first and second engagement members164,180projects outwardly from the interior surface162and includes a respective locking portion182,184configured to engage the bottom wall140of the opening portion138. According to one aspect, the first engagement member164includes a body186having one end attached to the interior surface162. The locking portion182is provided at the other end of the body186and projects toward the edge portion156. The locking portion182includes a first engaging surface188and a second engaging surface190, each engaging surface188,190being configured to at least partially displace the engagement member164as the lid150is being mounted to or removed from the body panel130. By way of example, the first engaging surface188is canted away from the other end of the body186toward the edge portion156, and the second engaging surface190is canted back toward the body186. With this arrangement of the first and second engaging surfaces, the first engagement member164is in the form of a checked shaped or hooked tab. As the first engagement member164is being inserted into or removed from the engagement hole160, a portion194of the bottom wall140defining the engagement hole160contacts the locking portion182. This contact causes the first engagement member164to inwardly deflect and release from the bottom wall140. In the depicted embodiment, the second engagement member180is shaped similar to the first engagement member164and the locking portion184is defined by first and second engaging surfaces198,200. As best depicted inFIG. 9, these engaging surface198,200contact a portion202of the bottom wall140defining the engagement hole176and this, in turn, deflects the second engagement member180as the second engagement member180is being inserted into or removed from the engagement hole176.

The lid body152further includes a retaining member210opposite the first and second engagement members164,180. According to one aspect, the retaining member210is in the form a tab located on one end portion212of the lid body152opposite the other end portion214having the first and second engagement members164,180and is spaced inwardly from opposed sides216,218of the lid body. As illustrated inFIG. 5, the retaining member210extends substantially perpendicularly from the end portion212and is oriented substantially perpendicular to the first and second engagement members164,180. To accommodate the retaining member210in the closed position of the lid150, a retaining hole220is located in the opening portion138. As shown, the retaining hole220is defined in the end portion170of the bottom wall140and a portion of the side wall142of the opening portion138. This allows the retaining member210to move within the retaining hole220as the lid150is being moved from the closed position to the opened position. Further, as best depicted inFIG. 4, the bottom wall140of the opening portion138includes a first section224having the end portion168and a second section226having the other end portion170. The second section226is angled inwardly relative to the first section224, and the retaining hole220is located on the second section226. By having the offset first and second sections224,226of the bottom wall140, to disengage the first and second engagement members164,180from the bottom wall140, the lid body152can be pivoted inwardly toward the second section226of the bottom wall140. However, with the location of the retaining hole220in the opening portion138, the retaining member210moves through the retaining hole220yet remains positioned in the retaining hole.

Particularly, and as best depicted inFIGS. 6 and 7, a portion230of the lid body152having the retaining member210is at least partially suspended over the second section226of the bottom wall140in the closed position of the lid150. The first section224of the bottom wall140defines a pivot236by which the portion230of the lid body152is movable inwardly toward the second section226of the bottom wall140. This pivoting movement of the lid portion230toward the second section226moves the end portion214of the lid body152having the first and second engagement members164,180away from the first section224of the bottom wall140. This, in turn, disengages the first and second engagement members from the bottom wall140, the lid150now being removable from the opening portion138of the body panel130thereby providing access to the unlocking mechanism (FIG. 8). According to one aspect, the first section224of the bottom wall140of the opening portion138includes an elevated portion240that is elevated relative to the bottom wall140for contacting and supporting the interior surface162of the lid body152, and an end242of the elevated portion240defines the pivot236. In the illustrated embodiment ofFIG. 4, the elevated portion240extends along each of the side portions172,174and the end portion168. The end242of the elevated portion240along the side portion172and an end246of the elevated portion along the side portion174include a respective curved portion250,252. The curved portions250,252of the elevated portion240together define the pivot236allowing movement of the portion230of the lid body152having the retaining member210toward the second section224of the bottom wall140of the opening portion138. Accordingly, to move the lid150from the closed position to the opened position the portion230of the lid body152is pivoted about the pivot236toward the second section224with the retaining member210remaining in the retaining hole220, and movement of the portion230of the lid body152releases the each engagement member164,180from the bottom wall140of the opening portion138. The lid150can be placed back into the closed position by first positioning the retaining member210into the retaining hole220and then pivoting the lid150about the pivot236so that the first and second engagement members164,180are received in the respective first and second engagement holes160,176and engage the bottom wall140.