IP Library Granted Patent US 12,280,743
Granted Patent B2
US 12,280,743 · App. 17/988,160 · Granted Apr 22, 2025

Automobile with rack in the cargo space

Inventors: Ilya Popov (Aachen, DE); Hendrik Berger (Aachen, DE); Michael Herbert Oelscher (Bergheim, DE); Andreas Hegerath (Bergheim, DE); Marcel Grein (Geilenkirchen, DE); Jeroen Lem (Wittem, NL)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
B60R5/003B60R5/041
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,280,743
App. No.
17/988,160
Granted
Apr 22, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An automobile having a cargo space, a rear door opening for accessing the cargo space and a door pillar which delimits the rear door opening. The vehicle has a rack which in a stowed state is arranged entirely in the cargo space and is at least partially concealed by the door pillar as viewed from outside the automobile in the direction of the vehicle longitudinal axis of the automobile, and in a deployed state is arranged at least partially outside the cargo space. The vehicle has a transfer mechanism to transfer the rack between the stowed state and the deployed state via the rear door opening, wherein the transfer mechanism is configured such that, during a transfer of the rack from the stowed state into the deployed state, the rack moves inward in the direction of the vehicle transverse axis of the automobile.

Claims (23)

1. An automobile comprising:

a cargo space;

a rear door opening via which the cargo space is accessible from outside the automobile;

a door pillar which delimits the rear door opening;

a rack which in a stowed state is arranged entirely in the cargo space and is at least partially concealed by the door pillar as viewed from outside the automobile in a direction of a vehicle longitudinal axis of the automobile, and in a deployed state is arranged at least partially outside the cargo space; and

a transfer mechanism configured to transfer the rack from the stowed state into the deployed state, and vice versa, via the rear door opening, wherein the transfer mechanism is configured such that, during a transfer of the rack from the stowed state into the deployed state, the rack moves inward in a direction of the vehicle transverse axis of the automobile, wherein the transfer mechanism has a first guide and a first follower which is configured to move along the first guide, wherein the first guide is arranged so as to be static relative to the cargo space and the first follower is fastened to the rack, or wherein the first guide is fastened to the rack and the first follower is arranged so as to be static relative to the cargo space, wherein the first guide has a starting point of the first guide and an end point of the first guide, wherein, in the stowed state, the first follower is arranged at the starting point of the first guide and, in the deployed state, the first follower is arranged at the end point of the first guide, wherein the first guide defines a trajectory of the first follower from the starting point of the first guide to the end point of the first guide, wherein the trajectory of the first follower has a transverse portion that encloses a third angle of at most 45° with the vehicle transverse axis, wherein the trajectory of the first follower has a longitudinal portion which is arranged between the transverse portion and the end point of the first guide along the trajectory of the first follower and which encloses a fourth angle of at most 45° with the vehicle longitudinal axis, and wherein the trajectory of the first follower has a curvature portion arranged between the transverse portion and the longitudinal portion along the trajectory of the first follower.

2. The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein the transfer mechanism has a second guide and a second follower which is configured to move along the second guide and which is arranged spaced apart from the first follower in the direction of the vehicle longitudinal axis, wherein the second guide is arranged so as to be static relative to the cargo space and the second follower is fastened to the rack, or wherein the second guide is fastened to the rack and the second follower is arranged so as to be static relative to the cargo space.

3. The automobile according to claim 2 , wherein the first guide and the second guide are spatially separate from one another.

4. The automobile according to claim 3 , wherein the second guide has a starting point of the second guide and an end point of the second guide, wherein, in the stowed state, the second follower is arranged at the starting point of the second guide and, in the deployed state, the second follower is arranged at the end point of the second guide, wherein the second guide defines a trajectory of the second follower from the starting point of the second guide to the end point of the second guide, wherein the trajectory of the second follower has a first portion that encloses a first angle of 0° to 80° with the vehicle transverse axis.

5. The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein the first guide has a rail, and the first follower has a slider configured to slide on the rail or has a wheel configured to roll on the rail, or wherein the first guide has a guide slot, and the first follower has a slide block configured to slide in the guide slot or has a wheel configured to roll in the guide slot.

6. The automobile according to claim 2 , wherein the second guide has a rail, and the second follower has a slider configured to slide on the rail or has a wheel configured to roll on the rail, or wherein the second guide has a guide slot, and the second follower has a slide block configured to slide in the guide slot or has a wheel configured to roll in the guide slot.

7. The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein the automobile has a cargo space floor that downwardly delimits the cargo space, and the rack has a bottom end of the rack, wherein the bottom end of the rack is arranged spaced apart from the cargo space floor.

8. The automobile according to claim 7 , wherein the bottom end of the rack is arranged above a wheel housing that delimits the cargo space.

9. The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein the automobile has a locking device configured to lock the rack in the stowed state to prevent a transfer by the transfer mechanism.

10. The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein the rack has a handle.

11. The automobile according to claim 10 , wherein the handle forms a rear end of the rack in the direction of the vehicle longitudinal axis.

12. The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein the automobile has a further door pillar which delimits the rear door opening, a further rack which in a stowed state is arranged entirely in the cargo space and is at least partially concealed by the further door pillar as viewed from outside the automobile in the direction of the vehicle longitudinal axis of the automobile, and in a deployed state is arranged at least partially outside the cargo space, and a further transfer mechanism which transfers the further rack from the stowed state into the deployed state and vice versa via the rear door opening, wherein the further transfer mechanism is configured such that, during a transfer of the further rack from the stowed state into the deployed state, the further rack moves inward in the direction of the vehicle transverse axis of the automobile.

13. An automobile comprising:

a cargo space;

a rear door opening via which the cargo space is accessible from outside the automobile;

a door pillar which delimits the rear door opening;

a rack which in a stowed state is arranged entirely in the cargo space and is at least partially concealed by the door pillar as viewed from outside the automobile in a direction of a vehicle longitudinal axis of the automobile, and in a deployed state is arranged at least partially outside the cargo space; and

a transfer mechanism configured to transfer the rack from the stowed state into the deployed state, and vice versa, via the rear door opening, wherein the transfer mechanism is configured such that, during a transfer of the rack from the stowed state into the deployed state, the rack moves inward in a direction of the vehicle transverse axis of the automobile, wherein the transfer mechanism has a first guide and a first follower which is configured to move along the first guide, wherein the first guide is arranged so as to be static relative to the cargo space and the first follower is fastened to the rack, or wherein the first guide is fastened to the rack and the first follower is arranged so as to be static relative to the cargo space, wherein the transfer mechanism has a second guide and a second follower which is configured to move along the second guide and which is arranged spaced apart from the first follower in the direction of the vehicle longitudinal axis, wherein the second guide is arranged so as to be static relative to the cargo space and the second follower is fastened to the rack, or wherein the second guide is fastened to the rack and the second follower is arranged so as to be static relative to the cargo space, and wherein the first guide and the second guide are spatially separate from one another, wherein the second guide has a starting point of the second guide and an end point of the second guide, wherein, in the stowed state, the second follower is arranged at the starting point of the second guide and, in the deployed state, the second follower is arranged at the end point of the second guide, wherein the second guide defines a trajectory of the second follower from the starting point of the second guide to the end point of the second guide, wherein the trajectory of the second follower has a first portion that encloses a first angle of 0° to 80° with the vehicle transverse axis, wherein the trajectory of the second follower has a second portion arranged between the first portion and the end point of the second guide along the trajectory of the second follower and which encloses a second angle of at most 45° with the vehicle longitudinal axis, wherein the first guide has a starting point of the first guide and an end point of the first guide, wherein, in the stowed state, the first follower is arranged at the starting point of the first guide and, in the deployed state, the first follower is arranged at the end point of the first guide, wherein the first guide defines a trajectory of the first follower from the starting point of the first guide to the end point of the first guide, wherein the trajectory of the first follower has a transverse portion that encloses a third angle of at most 45° with the vehicle transverse axis, wherein the trajectory of the first follower has a longitudinal portion which is arranged between the transverse portion and the end point of the first guide along the trajectory of the first follower and which encloses a fourth angle of at most 45° with the vehicle longitudinal axis, and wherein the trajectory of the first follower has a curvature portion arranged between the transverse portion and the longitudinal portion along the trajectory of the first follower.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 16, 2022
From: POPOV, ILYA; BERGER, HENDRIK; OELSCHER, MICHAEL HERBERT; HEGERATH, ANDREAS; GREIN, MARCEL; LEM, JEROEN
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 061951/0006 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 102021133322.9 · Dec 15, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230182643A1 · Jun 15, 2023
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Cited By (1)
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