Abstract:
The present invention is a garnish that is specially designed to cover the hinge arm connecting a vehicle truck lid to the vehicle. The cover includes an inside surface, a first end and a second end. The cover further includes a rib and a flange portion. The rib is located along the inside surface of the cover at the first end. Opposite the rib, the flange portion extends generally orthogonally from the first end of the cover. The rib and flange portion help to secure the garnish and increase its effectiveness at covering other components of the vehicle.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to vehicle garnishes. Specially, to a garnish designed to cover a hinge arm attached to a deck lid covering a vehicle&#39;s trunk. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Garnishes have been used to cover various parts and components of vehicles for quite some time. Garnishes help to separate the user or occupant of the vehicle from mechanical, electrical, and structural components of the vehicle. Garnishes provide a physical barrier that protects the vehicle and the passengers, while at the same time providing an appearance that is more refined and luxurious. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The present invention is a garnish that is specially designed to cover a hinge arm connecting a vehicle truck lid to the vehicle. The garnish includes a cover that has an inside surface, an outside surface, a first end and a second end. The garnish further includes a rib and a flange portion. The rib is located along the inside surface of the cover at the first end. Opposite the rib, the flange portion extends generally orthogonally from the first end of the cover. The rib and flange portion help to provide structural support between the hinge arm, hinge garnish, and trunk lid garnish which achieves an improved fitting appearance between all parts. 
         [0004]    When the garnish is installed onto the hinge arm connecting the vehicle to the trunk lid, the garnish is secured by being sandwiched, at least in part, between the hinge arm and a trunk lid garnish covering a portion of the trunk lid. The rib projects from the cover to contact the hinge arm, thus utilizing the rigid hinge arm as a structural datum, and the flange portion extends to contact the trunk lid garnish which serves as a rigid planar support for the flexible trunk lid garnish, thereby helping to maintain a good fitting appearance between the hinge garnish and the trunk lid garnish. 
         [0005]    Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    To complement this description and in order to aid in a better understanding of the invention&#39;s characteristics, a set of illustrative and non-limiting drawings is included as follows: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a rear end of a vehicle having an open trunk lid with hinge arms covered by hinge arm garnishes; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of a portion of the hinge arm garnish nearest the trunk lid; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of a first end of the garnish; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of the inside surface of the first end of the garnish; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  shows a cross sectional view of the first end of the garnish installed onto the hinge arm. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0012]    With reference now to  FIG. 1 , a garnish  10  of the present invention designed for a hinge arm  15  (not shown in  FIG. 1  because it is disposed under the garnish  10 ) connecting a trunk lid  20  to a vehicle  25  is shown. The garnish  10  includes a cover  30  with an inside surface  35 , an outside surface  40 , a first end  45  and a second end  50 . The garnish  10  also includes a rib  55 , and a flange portion  60 , shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
         [0013]    The cover  30  has a curved profile from the first end  45  to the second end  50 . The curved profile is designed to minor that of the hinge arm  15  to be covered by the garnish  10 . The first end  45  of the cover  30  is designed to be located at an end of the hinge arm  15  that attaches to the trunk lid  20 , and the second end  50  is designed to be located at an end of the hinge arm  15  closer to the interior of the trunk  65  of the vehicle  25 . 
         [0014]    With reference now to  FIG. 4 , the rib  55  is disposed on the inside surface  35  of the first end  45  of the cover  30 . The rib  55  is rectangular in shape, and includes rounded corners. The rib  55  is designed so as to contact the hinge arm  15  when the garnish  10  is installed onto the vehicle  25 . 
         [0015]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the flange portion  60  extends generally orthogonally from the first end  45  of the cover  30 . The flange portion  60  extends from the outside surface  40  of the cover  30 . In the preferred embodiment, the outside surface  40  of the cover  30  faces three directions and the flange portion  60  extends away from the cover  30  so as to include all three directions. A transition area  70  between the cover  30  and the flange portion  60  includes a curvature or radius on the inside surface  35  and the outside surface  40  of the cover  30 . The curved transition area  70  produces a more aesthetically pleasing part, and aids in installation by reducing the number of sharp corners. The orthogonally extending flange portion  60  covers the attachment of the hinge arm  15  to the trunk lid  20  and provides a contact surface to aid in securing the garnish  10 , as discussed below. 
         [0016]    Again with reference to  FIG. 4 , the rib  55  extends generally orthogonally from the inside surface  35  of the cover  30 . The generally orthogonal orientation of the rib  55  can be compared to a line that is tangent to the cover  30  where the rib  55  is located. Because the cover  30  mirrors the hinge arm  15 , the rib  55  should be generally orthogonal to the hinge arm  15  when the garnish  10  is installed, thereby applying pressure to the rib  55  in a direction that is parallel to the orientation of the rib  55 . 
         [0017]    The rib  55  is reinforced with one or more support structures  75 . The support structure(s)  75  span from the rib  55  to the inside surface  35  of the cover  30 . The support structure(s)  75  are generally triangular in shape and extend generally perpendicular from the cover  30  and generally perpendicular from the rib  55 . The preferred embodiment includes three support structures  75 . One support structure  75   a  is located on one side of the rib  55  near the middle, and the other two support structures  75   b  are located on the opposite side of the rib  55  and spaced apart from the middle. 
         [0018]    With reference now to  FIGS. 1-4 , the cover  30  includes a center portion  80  and two side portions  85 . The side portions  85  extend generally perpendicular from center portion  80 . The center portion  80  and the side portions  85  form a general U-shape with a flat bottom when viewed in cross section. Similar to the cover  30  discussed above, the generally U-shape formed by the center portion  80  and the side portions  85  follows a profile running from the first end  45  to the second end  50  of the cover  30  that is similar to the profile of the hinge arm  15 . 
         [0019]    In one embodiment, the rib  55  extends from the center portion  80  and is disposed between the two side portions  85 . The rib  55  is orthogonal to the center portion  80  and perpendicular to the side portions  85 . A space exists between the rib  55  and the side portions  85 . 
         [0020]    The garnish  10  is installed over the hinge arm  15 . The garnish  10  extends along the length of the hinge arm  15  at least as far as would be visible to a user opening or closing the trunk  20 . The flange portion  60  of the garnish  10  is disposed near the trunk lid  20 . A trunk lid garnish  90  covers the inside surface of the trunk lid  20 , and includes an opening  95  for the hinge arm  15  and hinge arm garnish  10 . The trunk lid garnish  90  is attached to the trunk lid  20  and helps to secure the hinge arm garnish  10 . As shown in  FIG. 5  the garnish  10  is sandwiched by the trunk lid garnish  90  contacting the flange portion  60  on one side of the garnish  10 , and by the hinge arm  15  contacting the rib  55  on the other side of the garnish  10 . The opposing force generated by these two contact points secures, at least in part, the garnish  10  relative to the hinge arm  15  and trunk lid garnish  90 . 
         [0021]    When installed, the garnish  10  covers the hinge arm  15  and the attachment of the hinge arm  15  to the trunk lid  20 . The U-shape cross section covers three sides of the hinge arm  15 , essentially hiding the hinge arm  15  from view of a user opening or closing the trunk. The flange portion  60  extends to cover the attachment of the hinge arm  15  to the trunk lid  20  by extending underneath the trunk lid garnish  90  thereby hiding from view any components that would be visible though the opening  95  in the trunk lid garnish  90  designed to receive the hinge arm  15  and hinge arm garnish  10 . 
         [0022]    The garnish  10  can be integrally molded from plastic as a single unit using injection molding. Based on the above teachings, other materials and manufacturing methods known to those skilled in the art can be used to produce the garnish  10 . 
         [0023]    Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings and may be practiced otherwise then as specifically described while within the scope of the appended claims.