GB2285605A

GB2285605A - Vehicle luggage barrier mounted on roller blind casing

Info

Publication number: GB2285605A
Application number: GB9326039A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stanley Raymond Sharpe; Nicholas Simon Sharpe
Original assignee: ATHAG Ltd
Current assignee: ATHAG Ltd
Priority date: 1993-12-21
Filing date: 1993-12-21
Publication date: 1995-07-19
Also published as: GB9326039D0

Abstract

A vehicle has a roller blind 58 fitted within a casing 56 behind rear seat 62. An accessory type luggage barrier 10 extends vertically between seat and roof. It is mounted on casing 56 by first members (L-shaped brackets 32), which extend over the casing, and by second members (channel-shaped brackets 34), which are spaced from the first members, and extend beneath the casing. Brackets 32, 34 are clamped together by bolts 50 with knurled handles 54. <IMAGE>

Description

A BARRIER FOR USE IN A VEHICLE The invention relates to a barrier particularly, but not exclusively, for use in an estate type vehicle to separate the passenger compartment from an animal or cargo compartment.

Many estate type vehicles have a roller blind assembly fitted in the cargo compartment adjacent the rear passenger seat. The roller blind can be extended to conceal the contents of the cargo compartment.

It has been proposed in GB-A-2206548 to utilise roller blind mounting holes to support a barrier referred to therein as a partition. However, in that arrangement the roller blind assembly must be disassembled from the vehicle in order to install the partition and then reassembled after installation.

It is an object of the invention to provide a barrier which reduces the foregoing problems.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a barrier in a vehicle in which a roller blind within a casing is mounted, the barrier having attachment means mounted thereon secured to the roller blind casing.

As the attachment means is secured to the casing rather than to roller blind mounting holes, the barrier can be attached to the roller blind casing without requiring disassembly of the roller blind from the vehicle.

The attachment means preferably includes first and second spaced apart members, the first member extending over the casing and the second member extending beneath the casing, the casing lying in a space defined between the two members.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a barrier for mounting in a vehicle, the barrier having attachment means mounted thereon, comprising a first member arranged to extend over a roller blind casing in the vehicle and a second member spaced from the first member and arranged to extend beneath the casing so that the casing in use, lies in the space between the members.

In either case the first and second members may be separate parts attachable together by means of a fastener.

The first member may be an L-shaped bracket and the second member may be a channel-shaped bracket having walls and a base. One wall of the channel-shaped bracket may be longer than the other and the longer wall may have an opening formed therein to receive the aforesaid fastener. The L-shaped bracket may have one of its walls perpendicular to the barrier and the second wall parallel with the barrier, the second wall preferably having an opening formed therein for receiving the aforesaid fastener.

The first wall of the L-shaped bracket and the walls and the base of the channel-shaped bracket preferably delimit a space for receiving the roller blind casing.

With the barrier mounted on the roller blind casing, the two brackets are preferably arranged so that a gap exists between the first wall of the L-shaped bracket and the shorter wall of the channel-shaped bracket to allow the roller blind to be pulled out of the casing.

The attachment means is preferably arranged adjacent a lower edge of the barrier.

The barrier may further include an upper edge arranged to be positioned adjacent a roof of a vehicle. The upper edge may have location means extending therefrom for locating the upper edge of the barrier relative to the vehicle, eg by engaging a portion of the roof of the vehicle. The location means may extend upwardly or laterally from the barrier. The location means may be arranged directly above the attachment means.

Preferably the location means has a profiled locating portion at its upper end. The profiled locating portion is preferably shaped to co-operate with an appropriate portion of the roof of the vehicle. The distance between the profiled locating portion and the upper edge of the barrier is preferably adjustable.

A plurality of said attachment means may be provided spaced apart on the barrier.

A plurality of said location means may be provided spaced apart on the barrier.

In the most preferred embodiment of either aspect, two attachment means and two location means are provided.

A barrier in accordance with the invention will now be described in detail and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which; Fig 1 is a perspective view of a barrier in accordance with the invention installed in a vehicle, and Fig 2 is a cross-section of the lower part of the barrier of Fig 1 on arrows II - II in Fig 1.

In Fig 1, a barrier 10 is installed in a vehicle 12.

The barrier 10 comprises an outline frame 14 which substantially conforms to the internal size and shape of vehicle 12 at the place where the barrier is to be filed. The frame 14 has an upper edge 16, side edges 18,20 and a lower edge 22. A wire mesh or grid 24 is carried by the frame 14. The mesh 24 is cut away in Fig 1 for clarity.

Two identical attachment assemblies 26 are mounted on the lower edge 22 of the frame 14 adjacent the side edges 18,20 respectively.

Tubes 28 extend vertically from the lower edge 22 to the upper edge 16, the tubes 28 being located adjacent respective attachment assemblies 26. Two identical location devices 30 are arranged at the top of the tubes 28.

One of the attachment assemblies 26 is shown in detail in Fig 2. The attachment assembly 26 comprises an Lshaped bracket 32 and a channel-shaped bracket 34. The L-shaped bracket 32 has a horizontal first wall 36 perpendicular to the mesh 24 and an upstanding wall 38 parallel with the mesh 24. The bracket 32 is welded or otherwise fixed to the lower edge 22 of the frame 14. The channel-shaped bracket 34 has an elongate, upstanding wall 40, a base 42 and a shorter, angled wall 44. The upstanding wall 38 of the L-shaped bracket and the upstanding wall 40 of the channelshaped bracket 34 are formed with respective apertures 46,48 towards their upper ends. When the brackets 32,34 are assembled as shown in Fig 2 the apertures 46,48 are arranged coaxially and a bolt 50 extends through the apertures 46,48 to hold the brackets 32,34 together. The bolt 50 screws into a nut 52 secured to the wall 38 of the L-shaped bracket 32. The bolt 50 preferably has knurled handle 54 thereon to aid in tightening the bolt 50 by hand.

When assembled together, the L-shaped bracket 32 and the channel-shaped bracket 34 define a space therebetween for receiving a casing 56 which houses a roller blind 58 mounted on a spindle 60. The roller blind casing 56 is suitably mounted in the vehicle 12 behind a rear passenger seat 62 and extends across the width of the vehicle 12. The upstanding wall 40 of the channel-shaped bracket 34 is positioned between the casing 56 and the rear seat 62. The roller blind 58 can be pulled out of the casing 56 and attached to a point adjacent a rear door of the vehicle 12 in order to conceal the contents of a cargo compartment 64.

The horizontal wall 36 of the L-shaped bracket 32 and the base 42 and angled wall 44 of the channel-shaped bracket 34 are dimensioned so that, when the brackets 32, 34 are assembled together, a gap 66 exists between the rear edge of the horizontal wall 36 and the upper edge of the angled wall 44. In that way, the roller blind 58 can be pulled from the casing 56 through the gap 66. The locating devices 30 include location strips 68 similar to those described in our co-pending Patent Application no. 9307917.6. The strips 68 are attached to the top of screw threaded shanks (not shown) slidably located in the tubes 28. The locators can be moved up or down by means of knurled nuts 70 on the shanks, the nuts 70 being arranged to contact the tops of the tubes 28. The strips 68 are braced tightly against strengthening ribs (not shown) formed in the roof adjacent the sides of the vehicle 12 by screwing the nuts 70 downwardly against the tubes 28.

In that way, the top of the barrier 10 is firmly secured against movement relative to the vehicle 12.

If desired, the location strips 68 can be mounted for horizontal movement as described in our aforesaid copending application. Further embodiments can be envisaged where no locating devices are required.

Moreover, only one attachment assembly 26 may be provided for engagement centrally of the casing 34.

By mounting the barrier 10 on the roller blind casing 34 it can easily be positioned in the vehicle without having to remove the roller blind casing from its mountings. Also, the construction of the attachment assemblies 26 is such that the blind can still be used while the barrier is attached to the roller blind casing.

The term "roller blind" used herein is to be interpreted broadly to embrace tonneau covers and other types of covers withdrawable from a casing mounted in the vehicle and which are intended to conceal the contents of a cargo compartment.

Claims

CLAIMS GBC

1. A barrier in a vehicle in which a roller blind within a casing is mounted, the barrier having attachment means mounted thereon secured to the roller blind casing.

2. A barrier according to Claim 1 in which the attachment means includes first and second spaced apart members, the first member extending over the casing and the second member extending beneath the casing, the casing lying in a space defined between the two members.

3. A barrier for mounting in a vehicle, the barrier having attachment means mounted thereon, comprising a first member arranged to extend over a roller blind casing in the vehicle and a second member spaced from the first member and arranged to extend beneath the casing so that the casing, in use, lies in a space between the members.

4. A barrier according to Claim 1, 2 or 3 in which the first and second members are separate parts attachable together by means of a fastener.

5. A barrier according to Claim 4 in which the first member is an L-shaped bracket and the second member is a channel-shaped bracket having walls and a base.

6. A barrier according to Claim 5 in which one wall of the channel-shaped bracket is longer than the other, the longer wall having an opening formed therein to receive the fastener.

7. A barrier according to Claim 5 or 6 in which the Lshaped bracket has one of its walls perpendicular to the barrier and a second wall parallel with the barrier.

8. A barrier according to Claim 7 in which the second wall has an opening formed therein for receiving the fastener.

9. A barrier according to Claim 7 or 8 in which the first wall of the L-shaped bracket and the walls and base of the channel-shaped bracket define a space for receiving the roller blind casing.

10. A barrier according to Claim 9 in which one wall of the channel-shaped bracket is longer than the other and, when the barrier is mounted on the roller blind casing, the two brackets are arranged so that a gap exists between the first wall of the L-shaped bracket and the shorter wall of the channel-shaped bracket to allow the roller blind to be pulled out of the casing.

11. A barrier according to any preceding claim in which the attachment means is arranged adjacent a lower edge of the barrier.

12. A barrier according to any preceding claim in which the barrier further includes an upper edge arranged to be positioned adjacent a roof of a vehicle.

13. A barrier according to Claim 12 in which the upper edge has location means extending therefrom for locating the upper edge of the barrier relative to the vehicle.

14. A barrier according to Claim 13 in which the location means extends upwardly or laterally from the barrier.

15. A barrier according to Claim 13 or 14 in which the location means is arranged directly above the attachment means.

16. A barrier according to any of Claims 13 to 15 in which the location means has a profile locating portion at its upper end.

17. A barrier according to Claim 16 in which the profiled locating portion is shaped to co-operate with an appropriate portion of the roof of the vehicle.

18. A barrier according to Claim 16 or 17 in which the distance between the profiled locating portion and the upper edge of the barrier is adjustable.

19. A barrier according to any of Claims 13 to 18 in which a plurality of said location means is provided spaced apart on the barrier.

20. A barrier according to any preceding claim in which a plurality of said attachment means is provided spaced apart on the barrier.

21. A barrier constructed and arranged substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.