Assembly of a container with closing cover fitting thereon, suitable for placing in the boot of a motor car

Abstract: Assembly of container (2) and closing cover (10) for placing in the boot of a motor car, in which the yieldable plastic cover (10) which normally closes the container (12) is provided with a central opening (24), so that it can be placed on a part projecting from the tailgate of the car, preferably a part of the lock mechanism, so that when it is clamped between the tailgate (36) and an article (40), movements of the tailgate (36) are cushioned and the article (40) is protected.

Description: The invention relates to an assembly of a container and closing cover, suitable for placing in the boot of a motor car. Storing small articles tidily in the boot of a motor car is a problem which is almost as old as the motor car itself. There have been numerous attempts to overcome the problem of these articles lying around loose, by using commercially available crates or containers, with or without a cover, which are therefore not of a type which can be fixed in the boot. Almost as old as the above problem are the problems encountered in transporting goods which will not fit into the boot of a motor car when the tailgate is closed. These problems arise particularly when items such as a bicycle, a surfboard, skis or large boxes are to be transported by car. In those cases the goods are usually covered fully or partially with a rug or old pieces of cloth, newspapers and the like, the tailgate is pulled down as far as possible with a clamping strap (clamping straps suitable for this are commercially available), and then one hopes for the best. The object of the invention is to produce a single assembly which provides a solution to the two problems outlined above. This object is achieved according to the invention with an assembly which is designed in such a way that the cover, which is made of or coated with a yielding plastic, is provided with a central opening whose dimensions are adapted to the external dimensions of a part projecting from the tailgate of the car, a longitudinal groove is formed in the bottom face of the cover at such a distance from the central opening that, when the cover is placed on this lock mechanism part, the end edge of the tailgate falls into it, and the cover is of such a thickness that, when it is clamped between the tailgate and an article to be transported, movements of the tailgate are cushioned. With the cover placed on the container, a closed unit which is very suitable for accommodating small articles is obtained. With the cover pushed onto the lock part, after fixing the tailgate by means of a clamping strap inserted through the opening into the cover part and engaging in the lock mechanism part, one obtains a protective element which rests resiliently on the large goods to be transported, and retains the latter without any danger of damage being caused to them. After use, the clamping strap is stored in the container, and the cover can be placed on the container. The projecting part is preferably formed by the projecting part of the lock mechanism. The opening, starting from the bottom face of the cover, is preferably formed by a first, narrowing part, passing into a second part which merges into the top face of the cover. In this case the widened lock mechanism part is accommodated in the first, widened part and the hook mechanism part of the lock mechanism fits tightly into the second part of the opening. The cover is preferably elongate. Of course, this also means an elongate configuration for the container, which makes it possible to place the container in the boot between the wheel housing and the upright rear lip of the boot. Further advantageous embodiments are described in claims 4 to 7. The invention is explained with reference to the drawing, in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective drawing of the assembly of container and cover; Figure 2 shows a perspective top view of the cover; Figure 3 shows a perspective bottom view of the cover; Figure 4 shows an end view of the short end of the cover; Figure 5 shows a cross-section of the cover; Figure 6 shows the use of the cover for transportating a bulky article. Figure 1 shows a prismatic, essentially elongate container 2 with the large front side 4 and the short end sides 6, 8; the cover 10 shown in Figures 2 - 5 fits on this container 2. Projecting from the bottom face 12 thereof is the ridge 14, which narrows relative to the edge boundaries of said bottom face, and which fits closely into the container 2 leaving free a circumferential edge 16. Recesses 20, 22 running in a cross shape are formed on the top face 18 of this cover, into which recesses fixing straps (not shown) fit. A central opening 24 is formed in the cover 10, which is made of (or covered with) a yieldable plastic and, starting from the bottom face 26 of the ridge 14, said opening is stepped: there is a first part 24a which narrows from the bottom face 26 over the greater part of the height h of the cover 10, which part passes into a second part 24b with essentially uniform internal dimensions. The configuration is such that the cover 10 can be pushed with the opening 24a at the front around the part of a tailgate lock (not shown in the figures) on the tailgate, and preferably fits tightly around it. This is, of course, the preferred embodiment; another suitable projecting part can also be used. Figure 3 also shows that two shallow recesses 30a, 30b have been formed in the bottom face 26a of the ridge 14; with a limited height of container 2, this produces space in the cover 10 for accommodating the top ends of the tall bottles placed in the container 2. Moreover, a saving in material is achieved in this way. This detail is, of course, not essential for the invention. What is important is the groove 32 formed in the ridge 14 and running in the lengthwise direction of the cover. The purpose of said groove can be seen from Figure 6. This figure shows how, apart from the function of closing the container 2, the cover can be used for protecting bulky articles being transported in the boot of a motor car. For this purpose, the cover 10 is pushed with the opening 24a, 24b around the lock mechanism part fixed to the tailgate, in such a way that the end edge 34 of the tailgate 36 comes to rest in the longitudinal groove 32, so that the cover 10 is fixed in such a way that it cannot rotate relative to the tailgate 36. When the tailgate 36 is now lowered, the cover 10 comes to rest against the top face 38 of a bulky article to be transported, for example the box 40 shown; by means of a (commercially available) clamping strap 42 which is fixed between the lock mechanism part present on the tailgate 36 and the lock mechanism part 44 present on the car body, the tailgate 36 is clamped against the article 40. The cover 10 is of such height h (see Figures 4, 5) that movements of the tailgate 36 are cushioned. A strip of light-reflecting material 46 is preferably disposed on the cover 10, at such a point that it faces backwards when the cover is being used in the way shown in Figure 6. Of course, the cover 10 can be used with the same effect when articles projecting beyond the boot, for example a bicycle or boards, have to be carried.

Claims: Assembly of a container (2) and closing cover (10), suitable for placing in the boot of a motor car, characterized in that the cover (10), which is made of or coated with a yieldable plastic, is provided with a central opening (24) whose dimensions are adapted to the external dimensions of a part projecting from the tailgate (36) of the car, a longitudinal groove (32) is formed in the bottom face of the cover at such a distance from the central opening (24) that, when the cover is placed on this lock mechanism part, the end edge of the tailgate (36) falls into it, and the cover is of such a thickness that, when it is clamped between the tailgate (36) and an article (40) to be transported, movements of the tailgate are cushioned. Assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the projecting part is formed by the projecting part of the lock mechanism. Assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the cover opening (24), starting from the bottom face of the cover, is formed by a first, narrowing part (24a), passing into a second part (24b) which merges into the top face (18) of the cover. Assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that the cover (10) is elongate. Assembly according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a narrowed ridge (14), which fits closely into the container, leaving free a circumferential edge, projects from the bottom face of the cover. Assembly according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the top face (18) of the cover is curved in a convex shape. Assembly according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that recesses (20, 22) running in a cross shape are formed in the top face (18), for accommodating a fixing band or strap. Assembly according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that light-reflecting material (46) is arranged on at least one of the side faces of the cover.

Inventors: VAN LIESHOUT LAURENTIUS ANTONI, VAN LIESHOUT, LAURENTIUS ANTONIUS JOSEPHUS
Applicants: NETHERLANDS CAR BV, NETHERLANDS CAR B.V.
Application year: 1995
Main classification: B60R5
IPC codes: E05C17, B60R5