Cargo access and retention system for a passenger vehicle

Abstract

An improved access and retention system for sedans includes a protective cover for safeguarding a lower peripheral region of a rear cargo region while loading, unloading, and transporting cargo. The protective cover can conveniently and remotely stow within the cargo region. An integral tie-down assembly, exposed by deploying the protective cover, secures cargo loaded in the rear cargo region and cargo placed along the protective cover. The system also includes a double hinging rear closure member which has a rear facing portion which can be locked in open and closed positions. Arranging the rear facing portion in the open position is particularly advantageous for hauling oversized cargo articles which may extend from the rear of the vehicle.

1 . A passenger vehicle comprising:
 a vehicle body having a front end and a rear end, the vehicle body having an interior with a rear cargo region that includes a load floor, the vehicle body having a rear opening for providing access to the rear cargo region, the vehicle body having a rear bumper adjacent to a lower peripheral region of the rear opening, and the vehicle body having a rear wall extending above the load floor and defining the lower peripheral region of the rear opening;   a closure member operably connected to the vehicle body for enclosing the rear opening in a first position and for providing access to the rear cargo region in a second position; and   a protective cover having a first cover portion pivotally connected to the rear wall and sized to extend to the load floor in a stowed position and sized to extend to the lower peripheral region of the rear opening in an deployed position, the protective cover having a second cover portion extending from the first cover portion at an angle such that the second cover portion extends through the rear opening over the lower peripheral region in the deployed position.   
   
   
       2 . The passenger vehicle of  claim 1  further comprising carpet which is retractable to provide access to the protective cover. 
   
   
       3 . The passenger vehicle of  claim 1  wherein the second cover portion is displaced along the load floor in the stowed position. 
   
   
       4 . The passenger vehicle of  claim 3  further comprising a load floor cover mounted within the rear cargo region and oriented over the second cover portion of the protective cover in its stowed position, the load floor cover being retractable such that the load floor cover can be lifted from the second cover portion of the protective cover to extend the protective cover from the stowed position to the deployed position. 
   
   
       5 . The passenger vehicle of  claim 4  wherein the protective cover supports cargo in the deployed position during travel. 
   
   
       6 . The passenger vehicle of  claim 3 , wherein the load floor includes a recess adjacent to the second cover portion in the stowed position for permitting a user to grasp the second cover portion of the protective cover oriented in the stowed position. 
   
   
       7 . The passenger vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the protective cover supports cargo during loading and unloading of cargo to and from the rear cargo region of the vehicle body. 
   
   
       8 . The passenger vehicle of  claim 1  further comprising a latch assembly and a seal disposed along the lower peripheral region of the rear opening, wherein the protective cover conceals and protects the latch assembly and a portion of the seal during loading and unloading. 
   
   
       9 . The passenger vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the passenger vehicle further comprises a tie-down assembly for securing oversized cargo extending through the rear opening of the vehicle body. 
   
   
       10 . The passenger vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the protective cover is formed from a polymeric material to minimize damage to cargo during loading and unloading. 
   
   
       11 . The passenger vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the protective cover is detachable from the rear wall of the rear cargo region so that a user can remove the protective cover from the rear wall when the rear cargo region is filled with cargo. 
   
   
       12 . The passenger vehicle of  claim 1  further comprising ribs disposed along the second cover portion of the protective cover, the ribs for minimizing contact area between the protective cover and cargo being loaded and unloaded. 
   
   
       13 . The passenger vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the second cover portion of the protective cover further comprises a first surface formed from a polymeric material for contacting the lower peripheral region and an opposing second surface formed from a material having a lower coefficient of friction relative to the first surface. 
   
   
       14 . The passenger vehicle of  claim 1  wherein the protective cover is connected to slide and translate relative to the rear wall so that a user can slide the protective cover upwards relative to the rear wall and then pivot the protective cover relative to the rear wall to extend the second cover portion through the rear opening in the deployed position. 
   
   
       15 . A passenger vehicle comprising:
 a vehicle body having a front end and a rear end, the vehicle body having an interior with a rear cargo region that includes a load floor, the vehicle body having a rear opening for providing access to the rear cargo region, the vehicle body having a rear bumper adjacent to a lower peripheral region of the rear opening;   a closure member operably connected to the vehicle body for enclosing the rear opening in a first position and for providing access to the rear cargo region in a second position;   a protective cover operably connected to the vehicle body rear cargo region, the protective cover having a stowed position wherein the protective cover is displaced along the load floor and a deployed position wherein the protective cover extends over the lower peripheral region of the rear opening to protect the lower peripheral region during loading and unloading of cargo to and from the rear cargo region; and   a tie-down assembly for securing cargo, the tie-down assembly being mounted to the load floor and disposed beneath the protective cover in the stowed position of the protective cover, the tie-down assembly being exposed in the deployed position of the protective cover.   
   
   
       16 . The passenger vehicle of  claim 15 , wherein the tie-down assembly further comprises a retractable hook and a recessed mount both attached to the load floor for selective engagement of the retractable hook to the recessed mount to secure cargo within the rear cargo region. 
   
   
       17 . A passenger vehicle comprising:
 a vehicle body having a front end, a rear end, a top end, a bottom end, an interior, and a rear opening having a first region facing generally upward and a second region facing generally rearward, both regions for providing access to the interior;   a rear closure assembly for selectively enclosing the rear opening and providing access to the interior, the rear closure assembly having a first member pivotally connected to the vehicle body to enclose the first region of the rear opening, the rear closure assembly having a second member pivotally connected to the first member at an intersection of the first and second regions of the rear opening, the second member being sized to enclose the second region of the rear opening; and   a locking mechanism connected to the first and second members of the rear closure assembly for locking the second member in a closed position relative to the first member.   
   
   
       18 . The passenger vehicle of  claim 17  further comprising a license plate bracket operably attached to the second member of the rear closure assembly, the license plate bracket having a first position in which the license plate bracket is displaced against the second member of the rear closure assembly, the license plate bracket having a pivoted position in which the license plate bracket faces rearward when the second member of the rear closure assembly is in the open position. 
   
   
       19 . The passenger vehicle of  claim 17 , wherein the vehicle body further comprises a pair of front pillars extending upward from a beltline of the vehicle body, at least one roof member extending rearward from the front pillars, and a pair of rear pillars extending downward from the at least one roof member, the pair of rear pillars thereby defining an upper hatch region of the rear opening, wherein the first member of the rear closure assembly encloses the upper hatch region and is operably attached to the vehicle body at a location adjacent to the roof member and between the rear pillars. 
   
   
       20 . The passenger vehicle of  claim 17 , wherein the vehicle body further comprises a pair of front pillars extending upward from a beltline of the vehicle body, at least one roof member extending rearward from the front pillars, and a pair of rear pillars extending downward from the at least one roof member, wherein the first region of the rear opening defines a lower trunk region disposed generally rearward of the pair of rear pillars, and wherein the first closure member of the rear closure assembly encloses the lower trunk region and is operably attached to the vehicle body at a location rearward of the rear pillars.