Vehicle trunk lid opening device

1. A vehicle capable of selectively moving a rear trunk lid from a closed position into a forward-inclined intake position for opening up a substantially forward-facing intake opening, as well as from the closed position into a rearward-inclined loading position for opening up a substantially rearward-facing loading opening, the vehicle comprising:

a rear trunk lid having a forward edge that is, at least in its closed position, detachably connected with the vehicle body via at least one hinge defining a hinge axis,

at least one support lever disposed on one vehicle side and underneath the rear trunk lid, which support lever is pivotable about a pivot axis that is stationary relative to the vehicle and extends in the traverse direction of the vehicle, which support lever is arranged and constructed to pivotably move the rear trunk lid from the closed position into the intake position and, in the intake position of the rear trunk lid, serves as the sole support for the rear trunk lid, wherein in the vicinity of a rear edge of the rear trunk lid, the rear trunk lid is, at least in its closed position, in detachable hinged connection with a portion of the support lever located above the pivot axis, and

a first catch component provided on an upper end region of the support lever, the first catch component being arranged and constructed to detachably engage with a second catch component disposed on the rear trunk lid in a position that is rearward of the first catch component in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle when the rear trunk lid is in the closed position,

wherein, when the hinged connection between the rear trunk lid and the support lever is released, the rear trunk lid is pivotable from its closed position into its loading position about the hinge axis, and

the rear trunk lid is movable from its closed position into its intake position, in which the support lever is pivotable by maintaining the hinged connection in a position that the first and second catch components come into mutual engagement, and the connection of the rear trunk lid with the vehicle via the at least one hinge is first releasable by rearward movement of the rear trunk lid, and the rear trunk lid is then further pivotable by lifting the forward edge of the rear trunk lid.

2. A vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the detachable hinged connection between the support lever and the rear trunk lid is disposed, at least in its closed position, above and in front of the pivot axis of the support lever with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

3. A vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the detachable hinged connection is formed as a latch.

4. A vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a gas pressure damper and a hydraulic cylinder that is provided so as to extend in a forwardly-inclined manner from the support lever and engage the rear trunk lid.

5. A vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a hinge plate disposed in the vicinity of the forward end of the rear trunk lid, so that, during the last phase of the pivoting of the support lever from the intake position into the closed position of the rear trunk lid, the hinge plate moves into a slotted link that is stationary relative to the vehicle.

6. A vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a motor-driven pinion gear arranged and constructed to pivot the support lever, which pinion gear engages teeth formed on the support lever.

7. A vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a hydraulic cylinder arranged and constructed to pivot the support lever.

8. A vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein one support lever is arranged on each vehicle side and the support levers are rigidly connected with each other.

9. A vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the two, rigidly-connected support levers form a pre-assembled module that is installed in a bed in the rear of the vehicle.

10. A vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the detachable hinged connection is formed as a latch between the support lever and the rear trunk lid and is disposed, at least in its closed position, above and in front of the pivot axis of the support lever with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

11. A vehicle according to claim 10 , further comprising a hinge plate disposed in the vicinity of the forward end of the rear trunk lid, so that, during the last phase of the pivoting of the support lever from the intake position into the closed position of the rear trunk lid, the hinge plate moves into a slotted link that is stationary relative to the vehicle.

12. A vehicle according to claim 11 , further comprising at least one of a gas pressure damper and a hydraulic cylinder that is provided so as to extend in a forwardly-inclined manner from the support lever and engage the rear trunk lid.

13. A vehicle according to claim 12 , further comprising one of:

a motor-driven pinion gear arranged and constructed to pivot the support lever, which pinion gear engages teeth formed on the support lever, and

a hydraulic cylinder arranged and constructed to pivot the support lever.

14. A vehicle according to claim 13 , wherein one support lever is arranged on each vehicle side and the support levers are rigidly connected with each other.

15. A vehicle comprising:

a rear trunk lid comprising a first latch disposed on a downward-facing surface thereof,

means for selectively moving the rear trunk lid from a closed position into a forward-inclined intake position for opening up a substantially forward-facing intake opening, as well as from the closed position into a rearward-inclined loading position for opening up a substantially rearward-facing loading opening, the selective moving means comprising a second latch arranged and constructed to releasably engage the first latch during at least a portion of the movement of the rear trunk lid between the closed position and the intake position, the second latch being disposed forward of the first latch, in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, when the rear trunk lid is disposed in the closed position,

a first detachable hinge provided between a forward edge of the rear trunk lid and a vehicle body, the first detachable hinge defining a hinge axis for pivoting the rear trunk lid between the closed position and the loading position and being releasable for movement of the rear trunk lid between the closed position and the intake position,

a second detachable hinge provided between a rearward edge of the rear trunk lid and the vehicle body, the second detachable hinge and the first and second latches being arranged and constructed to support the rear trunk lid during movement between the closed position and the intake position and the second detachable hinge is releasable for movement of the rear trunk lid between the closed position and the loading position.

16. A vehicle as in claim 15 , wherein the selective moving means comprises at least one support lever disposed on one vehicle side and underneath the rear trunk lid, wherein the at least one support lever is pivotable about a pivot axis that is stationary relative to the vehicle and extends in the traverse direction of the vehicle and the at least one support lever is arranged and constructed to serve as the sole support for the rear trunk lid when the rear trunk lid is disposed in the intake position.

17. A vehicle according to claim 16 , wherein the selective moving means further comprises at least one of a gas pressure damper and a hydraulic cylinder that is provided so as to extend in a forwardly-inclined manner from the at least one support lever and engage the downward-facing surface of the rear trunk lid.

18. A vehicle according to claim 17 , wherein the selective moving means further comprises one of:

a motor-driven pinion gear arranged and constructed to pivot the at least one support lever, which pinion gear engages teeth formed on the at least one support lever, and

a hydraulic cylinder arranged and constructed to pivot the at least one support lever.

19. A vehicle according to claim 15 , wherein the first hinge comprises:

a hinge plate disposed in the vicinity of the forward end of the rear trunk lid, and

a slotted link that is stationary relative to the vehicle, the hinge plate and slotted link being arranged and constructed such that, during the last phase of moving the rear trunk lid from the intake position into the closed position of the rear trunk lid, the hinge plate substantially linearly slides into the slotted link.