Abstract:
A recessed storage well is formed in the rear load floor of an automotive vehicle to provide cargo transport capabilities for wet cargo. The recessed storage well is provided with a drain to permit the flow of liquids collected within the recessed storage well to be discharged externally of the vehicle. The recessed storage well is formed from impervious material to permit the storage of wet articles of cargo without dampening the carpet covering on the rear load floor. The drain is seated in an automotive frame component by a rubber grommet that prevents the transfer of vibrational noise to the recessed storage well. The drain enables the use of a water spray in clean-up operations by allowing the collected water to drain away from the recessed storage well.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/057,359, filed Feb. 14, 2005 which claims the benefit of 60/569,107 May 7, 2004, entitled “Automotive Wet Trunk With Drain”, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Automobiles are provided with a rear load floor on which cargo can be carried. For vehicles commonly referred to as sport utility vehicles (SUV) and vehicles commonly referred to minivans, the load floor is positioned behind the seating area and is accessible through a rear door that is pivotally supported from the frame of the vehicle. In such vehicles, the spare tire is typically supported from the vehicle frame below the chassis so that the spare tire is accessible from the exterior of the vehicle beneath the cargo area. 
   Typically, the level of the load floor is generally coextensive with the floor of the seating area of the vehicle and is positioned substantially at the level of the rear door opening. Such an arrangement provides opportunity to create hidden cargo storage areas beneath the level of the load floor. These hidden cargo storage areas are usually provided with a covering, which can be hinged to permit the use of a latch and even a lock to provide some security for the contents of the storage area. 
   An example of a hidden storage area formed in the rear load floor of a vehicle having a rear access door can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,481,773, issued to Joseph Salani on Nov. 19, 2002, in which a pair of transversely disposed hidden storage areas is formed with hinged lids that can be latched in place. These dual hidden storage areas cover the entire load floor area and can be accessed independently through the individual hinged lids. When the lids are latched into a closed position, the recessed storage wells are hidden from sight with the closed lids forming the rear load floor. 
   In U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,873, issued to Jason Baldas on Oct. 30, 2001, the storage apparatus is positionable above the load floor and is formed by pivoted panels that define the storage area when oriented in an upright manner. A track supported on the load floor allows the storage apparatus to be moved longitudinally through the opening created by the opened rear door. 
   Recessed wells have been formed in load floors to store spare tires, as well as to provide cargo storage, as is depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,890, issued to Johnny Cooper on Jun. 10, 1997, where the retrofitted storage compartment is fitted with a removable lid to provide a wet trunk capability. Supplemental storage compartments are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,502,886, issued to John Bleau on Jan. 7, 2003, in which a multi-compartment supplemental storage apparatus is mounted on top of the spare tire recessed well, and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,290,277, issued to David Spykerman on Sep. 18, 2001, in which the supplemental storage compartment is associated with a folding seat apparatus. 
   Even pick-up trucks can be equipped with a recessed storage trunk positioned below the normal level of the load surface of the pick-up cargo bed, as is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,471,277, issued on Oct. 29, 2002, to Brian Scensay, et al. The pivotally movable lid of the Scensay patent forms the load surface of the pick-up cargo bed when closed, and provides access to the recessed storage truck when opened. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,394,100, issued to Harold K. Sperlich on Jul. 19, 1983, teaches the use of a standard sheet of plywood to form a secondary load floor above the primary load floor surface to define a covered security area between the primary and secondary load floors. 
   A cargo storage area formed by a recessed well below the normal load floor level can be referred to as a wet trunk as the recessed well can receive wet articles, such as bathing suits, cold drinks, ice, etc., that would otherwise dampen the carpet covering on the rear load floor. None of these cargo storage solutions provide a wet trunk in which a drain has been incorporated to enhance the clean-out capabilities of the wet trunk apparatus. It would, therefore, be desirable to provide a wet trunk structure that would facilitate clean-up of the recessed storage area. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of this invention to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages of the known prior art by providing a wet trunk storage area recessed below the level of a vehicle load floor. 
   It is another object of this invention to provide a wet trunk storage area for vehicles such as pick-up trucks, sport utility vehicle and mini-vans, where the lid of the wet trunk apparatus forms a portion of the load floor of the vehicle. 
   It is a feature of this invention that the wet trunk can be implemented into the load floor of the cargo area of a vehicle such as sport utility vehicles, pick-up trucks and mini-vans. 
   It is still another object of this invention to provide a wet trunk storage area that can be cleaned easily and conveniently. 
   It is another feature of this invention that the wet trunk recessed storage area is provided with a drain to permit liquid and associated soil, dirt and particulates collected within the recessed storage area. 
   It is an advantage of this invention that the liquid material collected in the recessed storage well can be removed through the drain to the environment externally of the vehicle. 
   It is another advantage of this invention that the wet trunk recessed storage area can be cleaned with a water spray to facilitate cleaning operations. 
   It is still another feature of this invention that the drain is supported in a rubber grommet to prevent the transmission of vibrational noises into the recessed storage area. 
   It is still another advantage of this invention that the cleaning of a storage well beneath the level of a rear load floor is facilitated by the inclusion of a drain in flow communication with the storage well. 
   It is yet another advantage of this invention that the wet trunk provides a compartment that in which soiled items can be segregated from the rest of the vehicle interior. 
   It is yet another feature of this invention that the recessed storage well defining a wet trunk storage area below the level of a rear load floor in an automobile is provided with a hinged lid to cover the storage well to permit use thereof as a conventional load floor cargo area in the vehicle. 
   It is a further feature of this invention that the compartment with the lid thereof opened or removed can provide a good accommodation area for pets. 
   It is a further object of this invention to provide a recessed storage area for an automotive load floor that is durable in construction, inexpensive of manufacture, carefree of maintenance, facile in assemblage, and simple and effective in use. 
   These and other objects, features and advantages are accomplished according to the instant invention by providing a recessed storage well formed in the rear load floor of an automotive vehicle to provide cargo transport capabilities for wet cargo. The recessed storage well is provided with a drain to permit the flow of liquids collected within the recessed storage well to be discharged externally of the vehicle. The recessed storage well is formed from impervious material to permit the storage of wet articles of cargo without dampening the carpet covering on the rear load floor. The drain is seated in an automotive frame component by a rubber grommet that prevents the transfer of vibrational noise to the recessed storage well. The drain enables the use of a water spray in clean-up operations by allowing the collected water to drain away from the recessed storage well. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The advantages of this invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed disclosure of the invention, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a rear perspective view of an automotive vehicle in which a recessed storage well incorporating the principles of the instant invention has been formed into the rear load floor of the vehicle, a hinged lid covering the recessed storage well is shown in the raised position; 
       FIG. 2  is an enlarged partial perspective detail view of a component of the recessed storage well incorporating a drain in flow communication with the recessed storage well; 
       FIG. 3  is a bottom plan view of the recessed storage well component shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 4  is an enlarged cross-sectional detain view of the mounting of the drain through a frame component of the vehicle; 
       FIG. 5  is an enlarged detail view of the interior end of the drain tube and removable plug therefor; and 
       FIG. 6  is a partial left, rear perspective view of a pick-up truck having formed into the cargo bed a wet trunk incorporating the principles of the instant invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring to the drawings, a rear cargo area  12  of an automobile  10  incorporating the principles of the instant invention can best be seen. The rear load floor  14  forms the floor portion of the cargo area  12 , which typically is found at the rear of the vehicle, such as a sport utility vehicle, a minivan or a pick-up truck, behind the rear seat  11  adjacent the rear access opening  13  which is closed by a rear door (not shown). In the case of a pick-up truck, such as the pick-up truck  10   a  representatively depicted in  FIG. 6 , the cargo area  12  is supported by the chassis  15  rearwardly of the passenger compartment  18  in a typically open configuration. 
   The chassis  15  at the rearward portions of the automobile  10  is formed with a floor pan  16  that is typically formed as a stamping from sheet metal. According to the principles of the instant invention the floor pan  16  will be formed with a recessed well  17  to support a storage compartment liner  22 , as will be described in greater detail below. The wet trunk  20  preferably includes the plastic liner  22  which can be in any one of a number of specific configurations, including the multi-compartment, vehicle wide configuration, incorporating multiple dividers  23  depicted in  FIG. 1 , or a single compartment without dividers  23  as is depicted in the pick-up truck embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 6 . Preferably, the plastic liner  22  will be formed from a water-impermeable tough polymer which may be coated, e.g. with PTFE, to provide an ease in cleaning. 
   Referring to the configuration depicted in  FIG. 1 , the wet trunk structure  20  can be formed as a three compartment liner  22  defined by two dividers  23 , which can be removable from the liner  22  or movably positionable within the liner  22 . Furthermore, substantially the entire rear load floor  14  can be equipped with wet trunks  22 . As depicted in  FIG. 1 , a forward wet trunk structure  20   a  can define a separate and distinct hidden storage compartment from the rearward wet trunk structure  20 . A movable lid  25 , which is preferably hinged to the plastic liner  22  by hinges  26  to facilitate the utilization of the lid  25  from a raised, opened position as depicted with the rearward wet trunk  20  and a lowered, closed position as depicted with respect to the forward wet trunk structure  20   a . When closed, the lid  25  is preferably contiguous with the remainder of the rear load floor  14  to provide a planar structure for the positioning of cargo thereon. 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  6 , a representative wet trunk compartment is depicted according to the principles of the instant invention. The multi-compartment wet trunk structure  20 , as depicted in  FIG. 1 , can be converted into a single compartment structure, corresponding to the depiction in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , by the removal of the dividers  23 . For wet trunk structures  20  that would be formed with non-removable dividers  23 , each individual compartment would preferably be formed as described below with respect to the representative wet trunk compartment  20  in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
   As is best seen in  FIG. 6 , another embodiment of the wet trunk  20  is an incorporation thereof into the cargo bed  12   a  of a pick-up truck  10   a  which is positioned on the chassis  15  rearwardly of the passenger compartment  18  of the vehicle  10   a . As represented in the embodiment of  FIG. 6 , the wet trunk  20  can be formed without dividers (not shown) and can encompass substantially the entire load floor surface  14 . The pivotally movable lid  25  forms a corresponding portion of the load floor  14  when closed and opens to provide access to the interior of the wet trunk  20  when opened, as shown in  FIG. 6 . The drain  30  is located in the floor of the wet trunk  20  to effectively drain the entire wet trunk  20  structure. 
   To facilitate clean-out and removal of liquids accumulated within the wet trunk compartment  20 , a drain  30  is provided at the lowest position of the wet trunk compartment  20  in flow communication with the liner  22  through the recessed well  17  in the floor pan. The drain  30  includes a drain tube  32 , which can be formed of a length of flexible hose that extends from the liner  22  to an existing wet area of the vehicle, such as the rocker  19 . To prevent the transfer of vibrational noises and to also prevent the leakage of exhaust fumes, the drain tube  32  is mounted in rubber grommets or seals  35  at both the floor pan  17  and at the rocker  19 , thus positively locating the drain tube  32  with respect to the chassis  15  of the vehicle  10 . Preferably, the drain  30  will be formed as short as possible and as vertical as possible within the structural limitations of the vehicle chassis  15 . 
   As best seen in  FIG. 4 , the rubber grommets  35  are mounted in holes formed in the sheet metal  36  forming the recessed well  17  and the rocker  19 . The central opening through the grommet  35  tightly seals against the drain tube  32  to prevent the leakage of exhaust fumes and other gases from the exterior environment through the hole in the sheet metal  36 . The resilient nature of the rubber grommet  35  also prevents the transmission of vibrations to the drain tube  32  that could reverberate into the wet trunk  20 . 
   As is best seen in  FIG. 5 , the interior end  33  of the drain tube  32  can be formed with a flare  34  that will seal against the plastic liner  22 , while a plug  37  can be received at the interior end  33  of the drain tube  32  to seal off the drain tube  32  from the exterior atmosphere. To open the drain tube  32  for the removal of accumulated liquids in the wet trunk  20 , the plug  37  would simply be removed and then reinserted into the interior end  33  of the drain tube  32  when finished with the clean-out process. Preferably, the wet trunk  20  should be formed without any acute angles in which soil could accumulate and, thereby facilitate clean-out. As an alternative, the drain tube  32  could be formed with a U-bend trap to prevent the transmission of gases into the interior of the vehicle  10 . 
   In operation, the wet trunk  20  can be accessed by lifting the lid  25 . Wet articles, such as bathing suits, boots, and drink bottles, can be placed into the opened storage compartment  20 . As an example, the wet trunk  20  could house ice cubes into which drink bottles could be placed to keep the drinks cold during transport. When utilization of the wet trunk storage compartment  20  is finished and clean-out, or emptying of accumulated liquid, is desired, the plug  37  is removed from the drain tube  32  and the accumulated liquid is drained to the exterior of the vehicle  10 . 
   Clean-out of the wet trunk storage compartment  20  is also enhanced as a water spray can be directed into the liner  22  to urge any small accumulated debris particles, such as sand, out of the compartment  20  through the drain tube  32 . When cleaning is completed, the plug  37  is reinserted into the interior end  33  of the tube  32 , the lid  25  is closed, and the rear load floor  14  is returned to a planar condition. 
   Alternatively, the floor of the wet trunk  20  could be formed with grooves between raised lands to facilitate the drainage of liquids from articles placed thereon into the drain  30 . Furthermore, the floor could be formed with an elevated section that would form a segregated dry compartment within the wet trunk  20 . One skilled in the art will recognize that the wet trunk  20  could form substantially the entire cargo area  12  of a vehicle  10  or, if smaller than the entire cargo area  12 , the wet trunk  20  could be oriented longitudinally, rather than laterally as depicted in the drawings. One skilled in the art will also recognize that the location for the wet trunk  20  does not need to be limited to the rear cargo area  12  of the vehicle  10 , but could be located beneath any floor surface of the vehicle  10  in which sufficient room exists structurally to accommodate the wet trunk  20 . 
   It will be understood that changes in the details, materials, steps and arrangements of parts which have been described and illustrated to explain the nature of the invention will occur to and may be made by those skilled in the art upon a reading of this disclosure within the principles and scope of the invention. The foregoing description illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention; however, concepts, as based upon the description, may be employed in other embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. 
   In the way of examples, the lid  25  of the wet trunk  20  could be hinged for movement through approximately 180 degrees to cover the dry area of the rear cargo area when opened. Furthermore, the lid  25  could provide an air-tight seal against the plastic liner  22  to prevent the escape of odors from the compartment  20 . The plastic liner  22  could be formed from a flexible material that would permit removal of the plastic liner  22  from the wet trunk  20  and inverted to facilitate cleaning thereof. 
   In the way of additional examples, hangers or hooks could be formed in the interior of the vehicle in vertical alignment with the wet trunk  20  to permit wet items to be suspended over the compartment  20  for drainage into the plastic liner  22  and, thereby, facilitate the drying of the items. The compartment  20  could also incorporate a heating or air conditioning vent or outlet to expedite the drying of wet items stored therein. 
   In the way of further examples, the drain  30  could be formed without a drain tube  32  reducing the possibility of the drain  30  becoming clogged or damaged. Furthermore, the drain  30  could incorporate a pump to expedite the removal of liquids from the compartment  20  and could incorporate a filter to avoid blockage of the drain tube  32 .