Equipment box for the spare-wheel well of a motor vehicle and motor vehicle with equipment box

Abstract

An equipment box, that may be stowed in the spare-wheel well of a motor vehicle, has a main body and a cover that can be attached thereto. The main body is formed for items of equipment to be received by a housing with at least one access opening. The cover can be attached to the main body in a supporting position and in a closing position, in which the cover in each case covers different regions of the main body. The cover in these two positions lies in the same plane, turned by an angle , and the cover in the closing position covers the entire main body, while in the supporting position it only covers a middle region of the main body and protrudes beyond the main body on opposite sides.

Claims

1. An equipment box, comprising: a main body including a housing having an access opening; and a cover, said cover being attachable to said main body in a supporting position and in a closing position, said cover covering all of said main body in said closing position and said cover covering only a middle region of said main body and protruding beyond said main body on opposite sides in said supporting position wherein (a) the cover has an elongate covering plate with two longitudinal sides and two end regions with respective end faces, and side elements protrude from said end regions, (b) in said end regions two of said side elements protrude in a same direction, and in the closing position the side elements are in interlocking contact with the main body, (c) the side elements are formed by plates which in the closing position lie against an outer side of the main body, (d) the side elements protrude from longitudinal sides of a covering plate and (e) a width B.sub.A of a first of said end regions of the covering plate is greater than a width b.sub.A of a second of said end regions of the covering plate, and the width of a first end region of the main body is likewise greater than the width of an opposite end region of the main body.

2. The equipment box as claimed in claim 1, wherein the middle region of the main body is delimited at least by two transverse walls, between which the cover in the supporting position is held in an interlocking manner in a longitudinal direction of the main body.

3. The equipment box as claimed in claim 2, wherein in a third position the cover is attached to the main body and does not close the access opening of the main body, but protrudes from the main body at an angle of approximately 90 with said first end region of the main body.

4. The equipment box as claimed in claim 3, wherein the main body has a number of receiving recesses receiving items of equipment in an exactly fitting manner.

5. A motor vehicle, comprising: a spare-wheel well; and an equipment box stowed in said spare-wheel well, said equipment box including (a) a main body including a housing having an access opening and (b) a cover wherein said cover is attachable to said main body in a supporting position and in a closing position, said cover covering all of said main body in said closing position and said cover covering only a middle region of said main body and protruding beyond said main body on opposite sides in said supporting position and wherein longest dimensions of said main body and of said cover respectively correspond to an inside diameter of said spare-wheel well.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

(1) Further advantageous designs of the equipment box are disclosed in the following description of the figures, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional view of an embodiment of the new and improved equipment box with a cover in the closing position;

(3) FIG. 2 shows an equipment box according to FIG. 1 with a cover in the supporting position;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a three-dimensional view of the upper side of a main body;

(5) FIG. 4A shows a three-dimensional view of a cover from its upper side;

(6) FIG. 4B shows a three-dimensional view of the cover according to FIG. 4A from its underside;

(7) FIG. 5 shows a plan view of a spare-wheel well with an equipment box put away;

(8) FIG. 6 shows a side view of a rear seat with an equipment box stowed away; and

(9) FIG. 7 shows an equipment box with a cover in a third position as a backrest.

(10) In the various figures, the same parts are always provided with the same designations, for which reason they are generally also only described once.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(11) FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the equipment box 10, having a main body 20 and a cover 30. In this case, the equipment box 10 is shown in a state in which the cover 30 covers the main body 20 substantially completely, and thus forms a lid. In this state, the cover 30 is in the closing position with respect to the main body 20. By contrast, FIG. 2 shows the equipment box 10 in the supporting position.

(12) The main body 20 is formed by an elongate, box-shaped housing, the cover 30 having a covering plate which is adapted to the shape of the main body 20 in order to be able to cover it substantially completely in the closing position. The covering plate has a first end region 32 and a second end region 33. In these end regions 32, 33, a number of side walls protrude from the longitudinal sides of the cover 30 in the direction of the main body 20. In the end region 32, the two side walls 35 and 35 protrude from the opposite longitudinal sides of the cover 30, while the two side walls 36 and 36 protrude from the other end region 33 (also see FIGS. 4A and 4B).

(13) The width B.sub.A of the end region 32 is in this case greater than the width b.sub.A of the other end region 33 of the cover. This also applies to the corresponding end regions of the main body, so that the equipment box 10 as a whole is of different lengths at its two longitudinal ends. The middle region 34 lying between the two end regions of the cover 30 has a middle width, which lies between the widths B.sub.A and b.sub.A.

(14) FIG. 3 shows the main body 20 in a view from above into the interior of the main body 20. The main body 20 has a middle region 23, which is adjoined by two opposite end regions 21 and 22. A number of storage compartments may be provided in these various regions. In the embodiment of FIG. 3 there is in the end region 21 a receiving recess 24 for receiving relatively large cuboidal items. The item concerned here may be for example a compressor 50, as can be seen in FIG. 2. In the other end region 22 there is formed a further receiving recess 27, in which for example a bottle 40 with a puncture sealing compound can be stowed (see FIG. 2). Further receiving recesses 25 and 26 are provided in the middle region 23. The receiving recess 25 is formed for receiving a funnel, while the receiving recess 26 is designed for receiving a towing hook.

(15) The shape and arrangement of the receiving recesses 24, 25, 26 and 27 should however be understood as only given by way of example and any other shapes of receiving recesses, storage compartments, etc. may be provided. In any event, the main body 20 is however formed by a housing with at least one access opening, through which an item can be put away in the housing. If the cover 30 is in the closing position, as in FIG. 1, this access opening is covered, so that the cover 30 acts as a lid. In the exemplary embodiment of the figures, in the closing position the cover 30 covers all of the receiving recesses 24, 25, 26 and 27.

(16) In the supporting position of FIG. 2, the cover 30 merely covers the middle region 23 of the main body 20. For this, the cover 30 is turned by 90 with respect to its position in FIG. 1 and is placed centrally onto the main body 20. The end regions 32 and 33 of the cover 30 protrude beyond the main body 20, so that the main body 20 and the cover 30 in the supporting position form a cross. In this position, the equipment box 10 can be put away in the spare-wheel well 60 of a motor vehicle, as is shown in FIG. 5. The length of the main body 20 and of the cover 30 corresponds approximately to the inside diameter of the spare-wheel well 60, in order that the equipment box 10 fits exactly in the spare-wheel well 60 and does not move around in any significant way.

(17) To make it easier for it to be put away in the spare-wheel well 60 in such an exactly fitting manner, the lower edges of the main body 20 and of the cover 30 are designed as sloping or rounded in their respective end regions. The end faces of the cover 30 are also of a rounded design, with a radius that is adapted to the radius of the spare-wheel well 60. FIGS. 4A and 4B show for example two views of the cover 30, from which the rounded end faces and the sloping side walls 35, 35, 36 and 36 can be seen. These side walls 35, 35, 36, 36 protrude on opposite longitudinal sides of a covering plate 31 from said sides. The protruding length of the side walls 35, 35, 36, 36 corresponds approximately to the height of the main body 20.

(18) Also provided in the middle region of the covering plate 31 are two narrower retaining walls 37 and 37, which likewise protrude from the longitudinal sides of the covering plate 31. In the supporting position of the cover 30, these retaining walls 37, 37 lie against the transverse walls 28, 29 of the main body 20 from the inside (see FIG. 2). Thus, in the supporting position, the cover 30 is secured against slipping in the longitudinal direction of the main body 20. However, other means, such as pins in holes, latching means, etc. could also be used for this purpose.

(19) The distance A between the side walls 35, 35 and the side walls 36, 36 is greater than the width B of the main body 20 in its middle region 23, in order to allow the main body 20 in the supporting position to be received between opposite pairs of side walls. In this case, the distance A may be only slightly greater, whereby the edges of the side walls 35, 35, 36, 36 lie against the underside of the main body. In the embodiment of the figures, the distance A is much greater than the width B of the main body 20, so that there is a certain amount of play. The cover 30 can therefore be moved back and forth in the transverse direction of the main body 20.

(20) If the equipment box is to be removed from the spare-wheel well 60, the cover 30 is turned by 90 and placed onto the main body 20 again. In order to fix the cover 30 securely on the main body 20 in this closing position, latching elements or other fastening means may be provided (not shown). Furthermore, handles or grips or indentations for better gripping the equipment box are provided. If the equipment box 10 is removed from the spare-wheel well 60 in the closing position of FIG. 1, it can be stowed away or used in a variety of ways. On account of its cuboidal shape and its compactness it can be stored well on a shelf or in a cupboard. It can however also be kept in the vehicle. FIG. 6 shows for example it being kept underneath the armrest 71 of a rear seat 70. In this way, the equipment box continues as before to be available, but the free space in the spare-wheel well 60 to be used as additional storage space for other items, such as for example baggage.

(21) FIG. 7 shows by way of example a further use of the equipment box 10, in which the cover 30 is attached to the main body 20 in a third position. In this case, the cover 30 is attached to the main body 20 at an end region 21 of the main body 20 at an angle . The main body 20 in this case faces with its receiving recesses downward, so that its underside faces upward. This underside forms a relatively level surface, which a person can use as a seat. The angle is approximately 90 or somewhat more, so that the cover 30 forms a backrest against which a person can lean. For this purpose, the side walls of the cover 30 are directed away from the main body 20. The cover 30 is connected to the main body 20 by being inserted, for example by means of a dovetail design, while a clipped connection is also conceivable.