IP Library Granted Patent US 12703306
Granted Patent B2
US 12703306 · App. 18/495,226 · Granted Aug 11, 2026

Frunk for vehicles

Inventor: Ju Wan Han (Seoul, KR)
Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Corporation
B60R5/02B60R2011/0038
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12703306
App. No.
18/495,226
Granted
Aug 11, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A frunk for a vehicle includes a lower part, which is formed in a container shape having a loading space defined therein, and an upper part, which has an opening formed therein so as to be covered by a hood, is assembled to the upper end of the lower part, and is pressed by the hood and separated from the lower part when load equal to or greater than a predetermined value is applied onto the hood.

Claims (42)

1 . A frunk for a vehicle, the frunk comprising:

a lower part that defines a loading space therein;

an upper part that is coupled to an upper end of the lower part and defines an opening above the loading space, the upper part being configured to be covered by a hood of the vehicle; and

a locking module configured to, based on a position of the hood relative to the frunk, couple the lower part and the upper part to each other or decouple the lower part and the upper part from each other,

wherein the lower part defines a locking through-hole at a side surface of the lower part,

wherein the locking module comprises a latch element configured to selectively engage with the locking through-hole to couple the lower part and the upper part to each other or to disengage from the locking through-hole to decouple the lower part and the upper part based on a change of the position of the hood, and

wherein the upper part is configured to, based on a load greater than or equal to a predetermined value being applied to the upper part through the hood, be pressed by the hood and separated from the lower part.

2 . The frunk according to claim 1 , wherein the lower part comprises a lower hook portion that is disposed at an outer surface of the lower part, the lower hook portion being curved in a downward direction,

wherein the upper part comprises an upper hook portion disposed at an inner surface of the upper part, the upper hook portion being curved in an upward direction,

wherein the lower hook portion is configured to catch the upper hook portion in an up-down direction, and

wherein the upper hook portion is configured to be separated from the lower hook portion in the downward direction based on the upper part being pressed by the hood.

3 . The frunk according to claim 1 , further comprising a sealing member that is coupled to the upper part and protrudes in an upward direction, the sealing member being configured to be in contact with a lower surface of the hood.

4 . The frunk according to claim 1 , wherein the latch element is a locking protrusion, and

wherein the locking module comprises:

a guider configured to support the hood and to move based on the change of the position of the hood;

a slider that is supported by the guider and comprises the locking protrusion having a shape corresponding to the locking through-hole, the slider being configured to move based on a change of a position of the guider to thereby couple the locking protrusion to the locking through-hole or decouple the locking protrusion from the locking through-hole; and

a housing coupled to the upper part and configured to guide movement of the guider and the slider.

5 . The frunk according to claim 4 , wherein the guider comprises a cam portion that defines a concave-convex shape disposed in a longitudinal direction of the guider,

wherein the slider comprises a driven portion configured to face the cam portion, and

wherein the slider is configured to be moved forward and backward by a sliding movement of the driven portion along a surface of the cam portion.

6 . The frunk according to claim 5 , wherein the guider has an upper end configured to support a lower surface of the hood,

wherein the slider defines a through-hole that is open in an upward-downward direction and configured to receive the guider, and

wherein the driven portion is disposed at an inner surface of the through-hole that faces the lower part.

7 . The frunk according to claim 5 , wherein the cam portion comprises:

a locking area configured to cause the locking protrusion to move forward to thereby be locked to the locking through-hole based on the driven portion being located in the locking area; and

an unlocking area configured to cause the locking protrusion to move backward to thereby be unlocked from the locking through-hole based on the driven portion being located in the unlocking area.

8 . The frunk according to claim 7 , wherein the locking area comprises a first locking area and a second locking area, the first locking area having a concave shape and being disposed at the surface of the cam portion along which the driven portion slides,

wherein the unlocking area comprises a first unlocking area and a second unlocking area, the first unlocking area having a convex shape and being disposed at the surface of the cam portion, the first unlocking area extending downward from the first locking area,

wherein the second locking area has a concave shape and is disposed at the surface of the cam portion, the second locking area extending downward from the first unlocking area, and

wherein the second unlocking area is disposed at the surface of the cam portion and extends upward from the first locking area.

9 . The frunk according to claim 8 , wherein the driven portion is configured to:

based on the hood being closed, be located in the first locking area;

based on the hood being opened to a popped-up state, be located in the first unlocking area;

based on the hood being further opened from the popped-up state, be located in the second locking area; and

based on the load being applied onto the hood, be located in the second unlocking area.

10 . The frunk according to claim 1 , wherein the locking module is configured to, based on the load being applied to the hood, enter an unlocking mode in which the upper part and the lower part are separated from each other.

11 . The frunk according to claim 4 , wherein the locking module further comprises a guider spring configured to provide elastic restoring force to the guider in an upward direction.

12 . The frunk according to claim 11 , wherein the housing receives the guider and is configured to guide upward-downward movement of the guider, and

wherein the guider spring is supported between the guider and the housing.

13 . The frunk according to claim 4 , wherein the locking module further comprises a slider spring configured to provide elastic restoring force to the slider in a forward direction.

14 . The frunk according to claim 13 , wherein the housing receives the slider and is configured to guide forward-backward movement of the slider, and

wherein the slider spring is supported between the slider and the housing.