Height-adjustable cargo floor system

Abstract

Height-adjustable cargo floor system for a cargo space (2) of a motor vehicle (1), comprising a cargo floor (10) that can be supported in at least one upper and one lower load carrier position and has a front and a rear floor section (12, 13) that are pivotably connected to each other, a pair of first side supports (20) that are attached to the motor vehicle (1) to guide a front end of the cargo floor (10), a pair of second side supports (35) that are attached to the motor vehicle (1) to support the cargo floor (10) when it is in the upper load carrier position, at least one rear support (45) that is attached to the motor vehicle (1) to support a rear end of the cargo floor (10) when it is in the upper load carrier position, characterized in that each of the first side supports (20) defines a continuous groove (21) in the form of a horizontal A', a pair of spatially separated guide members (17,18) is arranged near a front end of the front floor section (12) on each side of the front floor section (12) to engage with the respective A-shaped groove in the adjacent support of a pair of first side supports (20), and the pair of first side supports (20) and the two pairs of guide members (17, 18) are arranged to enable the repositioning of the cargo floor (10) from one of the two load carrier positions to the other of the two load carrier positions by a combination of sliding and pivoting movement of the front floor section (12), each of the A-shaped continuous grooves (21) comprising an upper horizontally arranged member (22), a lower horizontally arranged member (25), an inclined member (24) connecting the upper and lower members (22, 25), and a transfer groove (26) located between the upper member (22) and the inclined member (24) extends in a position,which has a distance to the connection point between the upper and inclined links to allow a pair of spatially separated guide links (17, 18) to move between the upper and lower links during the repositioning of the cargo floor (10).

Description

This invention relates to motor vehicles and in particular to a height-adjustable cargo floor system for a motor vehicle. There is an increasing demand for greater versatility and functionality in motor vehicles. One area where improved versatility and functionality are needed is the loading area or luggage compartment of a motor vehicle, sometimes referred to as the vehicle's "trunk". It is known that it provides a cargo floor that covers the structural floor of the motor vehicle within the cargo area. It is further known that it provides a device for lifting the cargo floor, making it possible to stow small items, such as a tool set, under the cargo floor in a spare wheel well of the motor vehicle. Even if the entire volume of the cargo space is not required for daily use, it is always available in such a motor vehicle, because the volume and size of the cargo space are fixed. WO 2013 / 122120 A1 relates to a movement mechanism for a cargo floor installed in the cargo space of a vehicle to divide the cargo space into an upper and a lower compartment, the cargo floor comprising a front panel and a rear panel pivotally connected. US 7 401 716 B2, FR 2 885 571 A1, EP 1 728 684 A1, JP 2007 / 091105 A, EP 2 048 031 A1, JP 2009 / 241825 A, JP 2010 / 083311 A and EP 2 399 783 A1 disclose further movement mechanisms for moving a cargo floor from a first position to a second position. The inventors recognized that the versatility of the cargo space could be improved if the cargo floor were height-adjustable. For example, if the cargo floor could be set to upper and lower load carrier positions, it would be possible to provide either two smaller load carrier compartments, one above and one below the cargo floor, or a single load carrier compartment above the cargo floor. This would provide increased flexibility for the vehicle user and also allow fragile items, such as electronic devices, to be transported in a space separate from heavy or bulky items, thus reducing the risk of damage to these fragile items. Furthermore, the storage space located beneath the cargo floor would have the advantage of keeping items stored there separate from those stored above the floor, allowing, for example, wet or dirty clothing to be stored separately from dry or clean items. The inventors further understood that it is advantageous for such a height-adjustable cargo floor if it can be moved between its two height positions in a simple and uncomplicated manner, and preferably by a user using only one hand. It is an object of the invention to provide a height-adjustable cargo floor with simple construction and operation, which can be easily moved between at least two different heights. According to a first aspect of the invention, a height-adjustable cargo floor system for a cargo space of a motor vehicle according to claim 1 is provided, comprising a cargo floor that can be supported in at least one upper and one lower load carrier position and has front and rear floor sections pivotably connected to each other, a pair of first side supports attached to the motor vehicle to guide a front end of the cargo floor, a pair of second side supports attached to the motor vehicle to support the cargo floor when it is in the upper load carrier position, at least one rear support attached to the motor vehicle to support a rear end of the cargo floor when it is in the upper load carrier position, wherein each of the first side supports defines a substantially continuous groove in the form of a horizontal A'.a pair of spatially separated guide members is arranged near a front end of the front floor section on each side of the front floor section to engage with the respective A-shaped groove in the adjacent support of the pair of first side supports, and the pair of first side supports and the two pairs of guide members are arranged to enable the repositioning of the cargo floor from one of the two load carrier positions to the other of the two load carrier positions by a combination of sliding and rotating movement of the front floor section. When the cargo floor is in the upper load carrier position, each of the second side supports can be positioned to support the cargo floor in the area of ​​the pivot joint between the front and rear floor sections. When the cargo floor is in the upper load carrier position, each of the second side supports can span the pivot joint between the front and rear floor sections. The front floor section may have a recess on each longitudinal side so that the front floor section can traverse the two second side supports when the cargo floor is repositioned from one of the two load carrier positions to the other of the two load carrier positions. The front floor section can have a front end, a rear end, and left and right sides extending between the front and rear ends; the rear floor section has a front end, a rear end, and left and right sides extending between the front and rear ends; and the front end of the rear floor section is pivotably connected to the rear end of the front floor section to allow the rear floor section to pivot relative to the front floor section about a transverse axis of the cargo floor. The pair of first side supports, in combination with the two pairs of guide members, can enable the repositioning of the cargo floor from one of the two load carrier positions to the other load carrier position by guiding a sliding movement of the front floor section of the cargo floor from one load carrier position in the reverse direction, by supporting a pivoting of the front floor section about a transverse pivot axis of the cargo floor and guiding a sliding movement of the front floor section of the cargo floor in the forward direction to the other load carrier position. Each of the A-shaped, substantially continuous grooves comprises an upper, substantially horizontally arranged member, a lower, substantially horizontally arranged member, an inclined member connecting the upper and lower members, and a transfer groove extending between the upper member and the inclined member in a position away from the junction of the upper and inclined members, so that a pair of spatially separated guide members can switch between upper and lower members during repositioning of the cargo floor. Each upper link can have a rear end that defines a contact surface for cooperation with a corresponding rear of the two guide links on each side of the front floor section, and the transverse pivot axis of the cargo floor can be defined by the interaction of the second guide links and the contact surfaces. The pair of first side supports can be arranged so that in both load carrier positions the load cannot be transferred from the cargo floor to the pair of spatially separated guide members located on each side of the front floor section. Each pair of first side supports can include an abutment having a bearing surface and a recess formed in an underside of the upper member near a front end thereof, and when the cargo floor is in the upper load carrier position, an underside of the front floor portion rests on the abutment surface, and each pair of spatially separated guide members is positioned next to the recess in the respective upper member to prevent the transfer of the load from the cargo floor to the pair of spatially separated guide members arranged on each side of the front floor portion. The respective undersides of the front and rear floor sections can rest on the cargo floor when the cargo floor is in the lower load carrier position to prevent the transfer of the load from the cargo floor to the pair of spatially separated guide members located on each side of the front floor section. The rear floor section can be arranged for use when repositioning the cargo floor from one of the two load carrier positions to the other of the two load carrier positions. When the cargo floor is in the upper load carrier position, the rear floor section can be locked in a substantially vertically upward extending position to provide a partition for the cargo space. According to a second aspect of the invention, a motor vehicle is provided which has a body which defines a cargo space in which a height-adjustable cargo floor system, which is constructed according to said first aspect of the invention, is installed in the cargo space of the motor vehicle. According to a third aspect of the invention, a method for repositioning a height-adjustable cargo floor, constructed according to said first aspect of the invention, between the upper and lower load carrier positions is provided, wherein the method comprises using the rear floor section to push the front floor section backwards from the instantaneous load carrier position until the second guide members of the two pairs of guide members abut the corresponding contact surfaces located near the rear end of each of the first side supports, wherein the rear floor section is used to generate the rotation of the first floor section about a transverse axis determined by the interaction of the second guide members and the contact surfaces, and wherein this rear floor section is used to push the front floor section forwards from the instantaneous position near the rear end of the first side supports.until it reaches the other charge carrier position. The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Fig. 1 is a pictorial representation of a rear part of a five-door motor vehicle, showing a cargo floor in an upper position, which is part of a height-adjustable cargo floor system constructed according to this invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional side view of a cargo area of ​​the motor vehicle, showing the cargo floor of the height-adjustable cargo floor system in a lower load carrier position; Fig. 3 is a top view of the cargo floor shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 to 9 are views similar to Fig. 2, showing various stages during the repositioning of the cargo floor from the lower load carrier position shown in Fig. 2 to the upper position shown in Figs. 1 and 9; Figs. 10 and 11 are shown in Figs. 11 and 12.Figure 11 shows two steps that are part of a process for removing the cargo floor from the motor vehicle; Figure 12 is a partial pictorial view of a cargo floor showing a first guide device used in the height-adjustable cargo floor system shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 to 11; Figure 13 is a partial pictorial view of a cargo floor showing an alternative guide device for use in the height-adjustable cargo floor system shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 to 11; Fig. 14 is a larger-scale illustration of a first side support used in the height-adjustable loading floor system shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 to 11; and Fig.Figure 15 is a schematic diagram showing a load transfer aspect of the first side support. With particular reference to Figures 1, 2 to 3, the rear section of a five-door motor vehicle 1 is shown. The fifth or rear door 4 is shown open to reveal a cargo space 2 for transporting items such as luggage. Access to the cargo space 2 is provided by a rear door opening 5, which is formed as part of the body structure of the motor vehicle 1. The rear door 4, when closed, covers the rear door opening 5 and forms a rear wall or boundary of the cargo space 2. A front wall or boundary of the cargo space 2 is normally formed by the backrests 3 of a rear row of seats. The longitudinal sides of the cargo space 2 are formed by a pair of opposing side panels 6, of which only the right side panel 6 is visible in Fig. 1, and an upper boundary of the cargo space is formed in this case by a removable parcel shelf 8. A height-adjustable cargo floor system is installed in cargo space 2. The height-adjustable cargo floor system comprises a cargo floor 10, containing front and rear floor sections 12 and 13, which are rotatably connected to each other. The cargo floor 10 can be positioned in an upper load carrier position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 9, or in a lower load carrier position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. When in the upper load carrier position, a secondary load receiving space is defined between the cargo floor 10 and a floor 7 of cargo space 2. The floor 7 of cargo space 2 can be defined by a part of the body structure of motor vehicle 1, but is usually a lining or a fixed carpet resting on the actual body structure of motor vehicle 1. The front floor section 12 has a recess 16 on each longitudinal side edge 12L, 12R, and the rear floor section 13 has longitudinal side edges 13L, 13R and an opening 19 near a rear end, forming a handle used to assist in changing or repositioning the cargo floor 10 between its upper and lower load carrier positions. It is understood that other types of handles could be used. The arrows “F” and “R” in Fig. 3 indicate the direction of the front and rear ends of the motor vehicle 1, and the position designations used for the height-adjustable load floor system use the same reference system as would be used for motor vehicle 1. For example, “front” means the front of motor vehicle 1, “rear” means the rear of motor vehicle 1, and “transverse axis” means an axis aligned with a transverse axis of motor vehicle 1. The front bottom part 12 has a front end, a rear end and left and right sides 12L and 12R that extend between the front and rear ends. The rear bottom part 13 has a front end, a rear end and left and right sides 13L and 13R extending between the front and rear ends. The front end of the rear floor section 13 is pivotally connected to the rear end of the front floor section 12 to allow rotation of the rear floor section relative to the front floor section 12 about a transverse axis XX of the cargo floor 10. Such rotation is necessary during repositioning of the cargo floor 10 between its upper and lower load carrier positions and for access to a lower cargo compartment when the cargo floor 10 is in the upper load carrier position. Reference number 27 is used to indicate the position of the pivot connection between the front and rear floor sections 12 and 13, which defines a transverse axis XX. In practice, an angularly movable connection between the front and rear floor sections 12 and 13 is provided to allow relative rotation about the transverse axis XX. The angularly movable connection can have any suitable form, such as, for example, and without limitation, a film hinge. Such a film hinge can be formed from covering material, such as carpet, used to cover the front and rear floor sections 12 and 13. The design and positioning of the angularly movable connection on or near the surface of the cargo floor 10 allow the rear floor section 13 to be folded upwards without hindrance, but restrict the folding downwards of the rear floor section 13. By way of example and without limitation, an angle enclosed between the upper surfaces of the front and rear bottom parts 12 and 13 can be increased in a first pivoting direction from a normal angle of essentially 180 degrees by only a few degrees due to the limiting effect of the angularly movable connection. That is to say, the pivoting between the two bottom parts 12 and 13 in said first direction can be limited to a movement from said essentially 180 degrees to, for example, 190 degrees. The pivoting between the two bottom sections 12 and 13 in a second, opposite pivoting direction is less restricted. For example, and without restriction, the rear bottom section 13 can be pivoted relative to the front bottom section 12, so that the angle formed between the tops of the front and rear bottom sections 12 and 13 is reduced from said essentially 180 degrees to essentially 90 degrees or less. This limited pivoting movement in the first direction of rotation makes it easier to use the rear base section 13 to control the repositioning of the first base section 12. The relatively unrestricted pivoting movement between the front and rear floor sections 12 and 13 in the second pivoting direction enables an additional feature of the cargo floor 10, namely improved cargo space organization. Thanks to the relatively unrestricted movement provided by the pivoting connection with angle adjustment 27, the rear floor section 13 can be pivoted and locked in a substantially vertical orientation to serve as a "compartment" for the cargo space. Such a partition allows for better organization of the cargo space, as it separates different types or sizes of items. The height-adjustable cargo floor system comprises a pair of first side supports 20, each of which defines an substantially continuous recess or groove 21 in the form of a horizontal A' for supporting the left and right sides 12L and 12R of the front floor section 12 at the front end of the front floor section 12 and for guiding the front floor section 12 between the upper and lower load carrier positions of the cargo floor 10. A first guide element comprises first and second spatially separated guide members 17, 18 and is arranged near the front end of the front bottom section 12 on the left side 12L of the front bottom section 12 to engage with groove 21 in a left-hand support of the pair of first side supports 20. A second guide element, shown enlarged in Fig. 12, comprises first and second spatially separated guide members 17, 18 and is arranged near a front end of the front bottom section 12 on the right side 12R of the front bottom section 12 to engage with the continuous guide groove 21 in a right-hand support of the pair of first side supports 20. In all cases, the first guide member 17 is arranged closer to the front end of the front bottom section 12 than the second guide member 18. In this case, each of the guide elements 17, 18 includes a cylindrical pin that protrudes from the respective side 12L, 12R of the front base part 12. It is understood, however, that the guide elements 17, 18 could have different shapes, provided they can guide the front base part 12 slidably and support it rotatably during repositioning. The height-adjustable cargo floor system further comprises a pair of secondary or intermediate side supports 35, which are attached to the motor vehicle 1, in this case via the side panels 6, to support the cargo floor 10 in the area of ​​the pivot joint 27 between the front and rear floor sections 12 and 13 when it is in the upper load carrier position. Each of the secondary side supports 35 projects inwards from the respective side panel section 6, such that the distance between the inner ends of the two secondary side supports 35 is considerably smaller than the width of the front floor section 12 between its respective left and right sides 12L and 12R. This enables the secondary side supports 35 to support the cargo floor 10 in the area of ​​the pivot joint 27 when it is in the upper position.In the embodiment shown, each of the second side supports spans the pivot connection 27, so that it provides support for the rear end of the front floor part 12 and for the front end of the rear floor part 13. The height-adjustable cargo floor system further comprises at least one rear support 45 to support the rear end of the rear floor section 13 when the cargo floor is in the raised position. In the illustrated embodiment, two spatially separated supports 45 are arranged to support the rear end of the rear floor section 13. Each of the rear supports 45 is attached to a part of the structure of the motor vehicle 1, and in this case to a structural element that defines part of the rear door opening 5; alternatively, the rear supports 45 could be molded into an interior trim panel of the rear bulkhead. With particular reference to Fig. 14, a right-hand support of the first pair of side supports 20 is shown on an enlarged scale, from which it is more readily apparent that the substantially continuous groove 21 in the shape of a horizontal A comprises an upper substantially horizontal member 22, a lower substantially horizontal member 25, an inclined member 24 connecting the upper and lower members 22 and 25, and a transfer groove 26 extending between the upper member 22 and the inclined member 24 in a position arranged at a distance from the junction between the upper and inclined members 22 and 24. The term "groove in the shape of a horizontal A" means a groove that is substantially A-shaped and has been rotated from its normal upright position into a displaced position in which one of the members, which normally extends in a substantially vertical direction, is positioned substantially horizontally. The inclined link 24 of each first side support 20 is a curvilinear link and connects to the upper link 22 at a slight distance from the rear end of the upper link 22. The rear end of the upper link 22 of each first side support 20 forms a contact surface for the second guide link 18 of each guide assembly. This contact surface facilitates the rotation of the front bottom section 12 about a transverse axis YY during the transition between its upper and lower load carrier positions. This transverse axis is defined by the interaction of the two second guide links 18 with the contact surfaces at the rear ends of the upper links 22. The transfer groove 26 extends between the upper member 22 and the inclined member 24 and is positioned at a radial distance to the transverse axis YY corresponding to the distance between the two guide members 17, 18. That is, when the two second guide members 18 are positioned against the respective contact surfaces in the upper members 22 of the two first side supports 20 and the front bottom element 12 is pivoted, the first guide members 17 each describe an arc that essentially defines the position and shape of the respective transfer groove 26. It is understood, however, that the width of each transfer groove 26 is slightly larger than the diameter of the respective first guide member 17 that must pass through it. The transfer grooves 26 allow the first guide members 17 to switch from the upper member 22 to the inclined member 24 or vice versa during the pivoting movement of the front bottom part 12 about the transverse axis YY. The width of the lower link 25 is greater than the diameter of the first and second guide links 17 and 18 by an amount greater than the clearance between the first and second guide pins 17 and 18 and the upper and inclined links 22 and 24. This additional clearance allows the front base part 12 to rotate the first guide links 17 to a small degree when the second guide links 18 engage with or disengage from the respective inclined links 24, thus facilitating the exchange of the guide links 17, 18 between the lower and inclined links 25 and 24. The lower link 25 is positioned such that it allows an underside of the front floor section 12 to rest on the floor 7 of the cargo space 2 when the front floor section 12 is in the lower load carrier position. Therefore, all loads on the cargo space floor 10 when it is in its lower load carrier position due to the transport of goods are transferred directly to the floor 7 and do not need to be resisted by the guide links 17, 18. The guide links 17, 18 therefore only need to resist the forces exerted on them by the front floor section 12 during the change of the cargo space floor 10 between its upper and lower load carrier positions. Each continuous groove 21 is formed in or defined by a thickened or raised portion 20r of the respective first side support 20. A gap 29 is provided in an upper surface of each upper member 22 near a front end of the respective upper member 22. The gap 29 is provided to allow the front floor section 12 to be released from the two first side supports 20, so that the cargo floor 10 can be removed from the motor vehicle 1. If the gap 29 were not present, each of the grooves 21 would be a “continuous groove,” the phrase “essentially continuous groove” being used to indicate the presence of the gap 29. Each of the first side supports 20 further comprises an abutment 30 for supporting the front end of the front floor section 12 when the cargo floor 10 is in its upper position. The abutment 30 comprises an upper abutment surface 31 on which the underside of the front floor section 12 rests when the cargo floor 10 is in the upper load carrier position. A load transfer arrangement in the form of an abutment 30 with a bearing surface 31 and a recess 23 in the upper member 22 is provided in each of the first side supports 20 to ensure that all loads exerted on the cargo compartment floor 10 due to the transport of objects when it is used in the upper load carrier position are transferred to the abutment 30 and do not have to be resisted by the guide members 17, 18. The guide members 17, 18 therefore only have to withstand the forces exerted on them by the front floor section 12 during the change of the cargo compartment floor 10 between its upper and lower load carrier positions. The recess or depression 23 is provided on the underside of the upper member 22 of each first side support 20, close to a front end of the upper member 22. The depth of the recess 23 is such that the two guide members 17, 18 are spaced from the underside of the upper member 22 when they are positioned in the recess, since the underside of the front bottom part 12 comes into contact with the abutment 30. Fig. 15 shows this load transfer arrangement schematically, with reference numbers 12a, 17a and 18a representing the position of the front floor section, the first guide member and the second guide member respectively during an operational guiding phase, and reference numbers 12b, 17b and 18b representing the position of the front floor section, the first guide member and the second guide member respectively when the cargo floor is in its upper position. During an operational guidance phase, the two guide members 17a, 18a are in contact with the underside of the upper member 22. When the underside of the front floor section 12a slides forward, it comes into contact with the rear section of the abutment surface 31 at the abutment 30, but the two guide members 17a, 18a remain in contact with the underside of the upper member 22. However, when the cargo floor 10 is positioned fully forward in its upper load carrier position, the two guide members 17b, 18b are moved away from the underside of the upper member 22 due to the existing recess 23 and the fact that the underside of the front floor section 12b is in full contact with the abutment surface 31 at the abutment 30. It is understood that each of the first side supports 20 could be a separate component that could be attached or affixed to the respective side wall 6 of the cargo space 2, or could be formed as an integral part of a lining used to form the respective side wall 6 of the cargo space 2. Fig. 13 shows an alternative guide device 70, which is intended to be a direct replacement for that shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 to 12, and comprises first and second spatially separated guide members 117, 118, which are attached to a support 71 that is attached near the front end of the front bottom part 12, in this case on the right side 12R of the front bottom part 12. The spacing and size of the guide members 117, 118 are the same as previously described, and the only significant difference between the two embodiments is that, in the first embodiment, the guide members 17, 18 are attached directly to the front bottom part 12 or are integrated as part of it, whereas in this second embodiment, the guide members 117, 118 are attached to the front floor section 12 with the help of support 71. The cargo floor 10 can be easily moved between its upper and lower load carrier positions by means of the rear floor section 13 and in particular the handle 19 in the rear floor section 13, and repositioning or changing the cargo floor 10 can normally be achieved with one hand alone thanks to the guiding properties of the first side supports 20. To move the cargo floor 10 in one of the two directions, the following basic steps are required: Application of the rear floor section 13 to push the front floor section 12 backwards from the current load carrier position near the front end of the first side supports until both of the second guide members 18 engage with the respective contact surface at the rear end of the upper member 22 with which they engage; Application of the rear bottom part 13 to generate the rotation of the first bottom part 12 about the transverse axis YY, and thus to cause the first guide members 17 to pass through the transfer grooves 26 into another member 24 or 22; and Application of the rear floor section 13 to push the front floor section 12 forward from its current position near the rear end of the first side supports 20 until it reaches the opposite load carrier position to the one from which it started. Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 to 9 show various steps in a process required to reposition the cargo floor 10 or to transfer it from its lower load carrier position to its upper load carrier position. It is understood that by reversing these steps, the cargo floor 10 can be transferred from the upper load carrier position to the lower load carrier position. In Fig. 4, the cargo cover 10 is in the lower load carrier position and rests on the cargo floor 7. As discussed previously, in this position no load can be transferred to the first and second guide devices, since the respective guide members 17, 18 are not in contact with the underside of the lower member 25. From the lower load carrier position, the user must first grasp the rear base section 13 using the handle 19 and lift it upwards, causing the rear base section 13 to pivot about the pivot point 27, which defines the transverse pivot axis XX shown in Fig. 3. The user then simultaneously pulls on the rear base section 13, causing it and the front base section 12 to move backwards. In Fig. 5, the front base section 12 has begun to move backwards out of the lower load carrier position and has pivoted slightly. By pulling further backwards on the rear base section 13, the two guide elements 17, 18 on each side of the front base section 12 engage with the inclined element 24 in the respective first side support 20. This causes the guide elements 17, 18 of the first and second guide devices at the front end of the front base section 12 to slide along the lower elements 25 into the inclined elements 24, thus moving the front base section 12 into a slightly inclined position. Due to the shape and inclination of the inclined elements 24 and the positioning of the recesses 16 in the sides 12L, 12R of the front base section 12, the front base section 12 can traverse upwards, past the second side supports 35. Figure 6 shows the front base section 12 in the position in which it traverses the second side supports 35.This part of the procedure is important because the front floor section 12 must be able to traverse the second side supports 35, since the cargo floor 10 rests on the second side supports 35 in the upper load carrier position and rests below the second side supports in the lower load carrier position, and the second side supports 35 are fixed to the motor vehicle 1 in this case. It would be possible to use removable second side supports, but this would complicate the repositioning of the cargo floor, as the second side supports would have to be removed and reinstalled each time the cargo floor is repositioned. There is also a risk of one of the second side supports being lost, and each of the second side supports would be more expensive to manufacture. From the position shown in Fig. 6, the user continues to pull on the rear bottom section 13, and the front bottom section 12 continues to follow the path defined by the inclined links 12 and the two guide links 17, 18. As shown in Fig. 7, the second guide links 18 finally come into contact with the contact surfaces formed by the rear ends of the upper links 22, and the first guide links 17 are aligned with the transfer grooves 26. By applying a force in a predominantly downward direction, the user can now cause the front bottom section 12 to rotate about the transverse axis YY, which is defined by the interaction of the guide elements 18 with the contact surfaces formed by the rear ends of the upper links 22. This action will cause the front bottom section 12 to pivot clockwise from the position shown in Fig. 7 to the position shown in Fig. 8, and as a result of this pivoting, the first guide elements 17 will move along the transfer grooves 26 from the inclined links 24 into the upper links 22.It should be noted that, because the front floor section 12 is pivotably supported at this point by the interaction of the guide members 18 with the contact surfaces formed by the rear ends of the upper members 22, the mass of the front and rear floor sections 12 and 13 behind the guide members 18 assists the pivoting of the front floor section 12. One of the advantages of the invention is that there is no need to physically lift the cargo floor 10 at any stage of the repositioning process. This is important because lifting the cargo floor could be problematic, especially for users with back problems or limited strength. In Fig. 8, the guide elements 17, 18 on both sides 12L, 12R of the front floor section 12 are engaged with the respective upper elements 22, and the front floor section 12 rests on the second side supports 35. To move the cargo floor 10 from this position to the upper load carrier position, only the front floor section 12 needs to be moved forward so that the guide elements 17, 18 slide along the upper elements 22 until they reach the recess 23 in the upper elements 22. At this point, the floor is fully supported by the underside of the front floor 12, which acts on the abutment surface 31 of the support. At the same time as the cargo floor 10 is moved forward, the rear floor section 13 is gradually lowered until one underside of the rear floor section 13 finally rests on the third or rear support 45.During the time when the recesses 16 extend over the second side supports 35, the guide members 17, 18 with the corresponding upper members 22 are also in full engagement and therefore prevent the floor structure from sinking or otherwise becoming caught on the second side supports, until the rear edge of the recesses 16 extends over the second side supports 35. Fig. 9 shows the cargo floor 10 in the upper load carrier position. In this position, the front of the front floor section 12 rests on the abutments 30. The pivot connection between the front and rear floor sections 12 and 13 is supported by the second side supports 35, which are arranged to span the pivot connection 27 and thus provide support for the rear end of the front floor section and the front end of the rear floor section 13. The rear end of the rear floor section 13 is supported by the rear supports 45. The cargo floor 10 is therefore well supported, and the four guide members 17, 18, arranged in two pairs for guiding the cargo floor 10 between its upper and lower load carrier positions, are isolated from all loads exerted on the cargo floor 10 by the transport of heavy objects, thus preventing damage to the guide mechanism. Fig. 10 and Fig. 11 show how the cargo floor 10 can be removed from the cargo space 2 of the motor vehicle 1. From the upper load carrier position shown in Fig. 9, the entire cargo cover is pivoted about the first guide links 17 by a user who lifts the cargo cover 10 at a rear end using the handle 19 in the rear floor section 13. The abutment 30 and the front floor section 12 are shaped and positioned to allow the cargo floor 10 to pivot sufficiently so that the second guide link 18 can pass through the gap 29 in the upper links 22 without the abutment 30 blocking the movement of the front end of the front floor section 12. Fig. 10 shows the cargo cover 10 in a position where each of the second guide links 18 has just passed through its respective gap 29 in the upper link 22.It should be noted that the underside of the front floor section 12 rests on the raised section 20r of the first side support 20, thus assisting in the removal of the cargo floor 10. From this position, the user pulls the cargo floor 10 backward and upward, so that the underside of the front floor section 12 slides over the adjacent raised section 20r of the first side support 20. Fig. 11 shows the position in which the sliding of the cargo cover 10 has moved the cargo cover 10 out of the upper load carrier position, and the front floor section 12 is slidably supported by the respective raised sections 20r of the two first side supports 20. From this position, the cargo floor 10 can be lifted out or, preferably, is pulled backward along a top surface (as 20u exclusively in Fig. 11).14) of the raised parts 20r pushed, thereby reducing the force ultimately required to lift the cargo floor 10 out of the cargo space 2. To reinsert the cargo floor 10, it is first lifted into the cargo space 2 of motor vehicle 1 and maneuvered forward until the front end of the front floor section 12 can be placed on the tops 20u of the two first side supports 20. The cargo floor 10 is then pushed forward using the rear floor section 13, so that the front floor section 12 slides along the upper surfaces 20u of the two side supports 20. When the first guide links 17 have passed the rear edge of the respective gaps 29 in the upper links 22, the cargo cover 10 is pivoted by raising the rear floor section 13, whereupon the first guide links 17 engage in the upper links 22 of the two first side supports 10. When the first two guide members 17 come into contact with the front end of the upper members 22, the cargo floor 10 can be pivoted around the first guide members 17, whereupon the second guide members 18 pass through the gaps 29 and finally the cargo floor 10 is repositioned in its upper load carrier position. Although the invention has been described with reference to a motor vehicle with five doors, it is understood that it could be applied with a similar positive effect to other motor vehicles, such as a vehicle with four doors that has a separate, load-bearing space (luggage compartment or trunk) for the transport of items or luggage. Experts will understand that, although the invention has been described by way of example with reference to one or more embodiments, it is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, and that alternative embodiments could be constructed without deviating from the scope of the invention as defined by the attached claims.

Claims

Height-adjustable cargo floor system for a cargo space (2) of a motor vehicle (1), comprising a cargo floor (10) that can be supported in at least one upper and one lower load carrier position and has a front and a rear floor section (12, 13) that are pivotably connected to each other, a pair of first side supports (20) attached to the motor vehicle (1) to guide a front end of the cargo floor (10), a pair of second side supports (35) attached to the motor vehicle (1) to support the cargo floor (10) when it is in the upper load carrier position, at least one rear support (45) attached to the motor vehicle (1) to support a rear end of the cargo floor (10) when it is in the upper load carrier position, characterized in that each of the first side supports (20) defines a continuous groove (21) in the form of a horizontal A, a pair of spatially separated guide members (17,18) is arranged near a front end of the front floor section (12) on each side of the front floor section (12) to engage with the respective A-shaped groove in the adjacent support of a pair of first side supports (20), and the pair of first side supports (20) and the two pairs of guide members (17, 18) are arranged to enable the repositioning of the cargo floor (10) from one of the two load carrier positions to the other of the two load carrier positions by a combination of sliding and pivoting movement of the front floor section (12), each of the A-shaped continuous grooves (21) comprising an upper horizontally arranged member (22), a lower horizontally arranged member (25), an inclined member (24) connecting the upper and lower members (22, 25), and a transfer groove (26) located between the upper member (22) and the inclined member (24) extends in a position,which has a distance to the connection point between the upper and inclined links to allow a pair of spatially separated guide links (17, 18) to move between the upper and lower links during the repositioning of the cargo floor (10). Floor system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when the cargo floor (10) is in the upper load carrier position, each of the second side supports (35) is arranged to support the cargo floor (10) in the area of ​​the pivot connection (27) between the front and rear floor parts (12, 13). Floor system as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein, when the cargo floor (10) is in the upper load carrier position, each of the second side supports (35) spans the pivot connection (27) between the front and rear floor sections (12, 13). Floor system as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the front floor part (12) has a recess (16) on each longitudinal side (12L, 12R) so that the front floor part (12) can traverse the two second side supports (35) when the cargo floor (10) is repositioned from one of the two load carrier positions to the other of the two load carrier positions. Floor system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the front floor part (12) has a front end, a rear end and left and right sides (12L, 12R) extending between the front and rear ends, the rear floor part (13) has a front end, a rear end and left and right sides (13L, 13R) extending between the front and rear ends, wherein the front end of the rear floor part (13) is pivotably connected to the rear end of the front floor part (12) to allow the rear floor part (13) to pivot relative to the front floor part (12) about a transverse axis of the cargo floor (10). Floor system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the pair of first side supports (20) in combination with the two pairs of guide members (17, 18) facilitates the repositioning of the cargo floor (10) from one of the two load carrier positions to the other load carrier position by guiding a sliding movement of the front floor part (12) of the cargo floor (10) from one load carrier position in the reverse direction, supporting a pivoting of the front floor part (12) about a transverse pivot axis of the cargo floor (10) and guiding the sliding movement of the front floor part (12) of the cargo floor in the forward direction to the other load carrier position. Floor system as claimed in claim 6, wherein each upper member (22) has a rear end that defines a contact surface for interacting with a corresponding rear of the two guide members (17, 18) on each side of the front floor part (12), and the transverse pivot axis of the cargo floor (10) is defined by the interaction of the second guide members (18) and the contact surfaces. Floor system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the pair of first side supports (20) is arranged such that in both of the load carrier positions the load cannot be transferred from the cargo floor (10) to the pair of spatially separated guide members (17, 18) arranged on each side of the front floor part (12). Floor system as claimed in claim 8, wherein each of the pair of first side supports (20) has an abutment (30) with an abutment surface (31) and a recess (23) formed in a bottom of the upper member (22) near a front end thereof, wherein, when the cargo floor (10) is in the upper load carrier position, a bottom of the front floor part (12) rests on the abutment surface (31) and each pair of spatially separated guide members (17, 18) is positioned next to the recess (23) in the corresponding upper member (22) to prevent the transfer of the load from the cargo floor (10) to the pair of spatially separated guide members (17, 18) arranged on each side of the front floor part (12). Floor system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein respective undersides of the front and rear floor parts (12, 13) rest on a floor (7) of the cargo space (2) when the cargo space floor (10) is in the lower load carrier position to prevent the transfer of the load from the cargo space floor (10) to the pair of spatially separated guide members (17, 18) arranged on each side of the front floor part (12). Floor system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the rear floor part (13) is arranged for use in repositioning the cargo floor (10) from one of the two load carrier positions to the other of the two load carrier positions. Floor system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein, when the cargo floor (10) is in the upper load carrier position, the rear floor part (13) can be locked in a vertically upward extending position to provide a partition for the cargo space (2). A motor vehicle (1) with a body that defines a cargo space (2), wherein a height-adjustable cargo floor system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12 is provided in the cargo space of the motor vehicle. A method for repositioning a height-adjustable cargo floor (10), as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, between the upper and lower load carrier positions, the method comprising applying the rear floor section (13) to displace the front floor section (12) backwards from the instantaneous load carrier position until second guide members (18) of the two pairs of guide members (17, 18) abut the respective contact surfaces provided near a rear end of each of the first side supports (20), applying the rear floor section (13) to generate the pivoting of the first floor section (12) about a transverse axis defined by the interaction of the second guide members (18) and the contact surfaces, and applying the rear floor section (13) to displace the front floor section (12) forwards from the instantaneous position near the rear end of the first side supports.until it reaches the other charge carrier position.

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