Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
TRUNK FOR AN ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLE
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The
technical field relates to a trunk that is designed to be mounted on
an All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV), also referred to as a UTV (Utility Vehicle) or a
ROV
(Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle), and more particularly to a trunk including
different improvements to ease the use of the trunk and adapt it to different
situations.
BACKGROUND
[0002] All-terrain vehicles are used for various outdoor activities and tasks,
for
instance for hunting and fishing, farming activities, transporting cumbersome
and/or
heavy loads, etc. They are designed to travel over many different terrains.
They can
be referred to as Utility Vehicles, Recreational Vehicles, four-wheelers,
quads, etc.
They are typically designed to travel on dirt roads, sand & gravel paths but
also in
forests and on snow. Snowmobiles can also be considered as ATVs.
[0003] ATVs typically have a carrier rack or other similar structure at their
rear end,
to support a trunk which provides storage space. Trunks may be provided with
lids,
to protect and securely transport loads (such as tools, camping equipment,
luggage, game, etc.). However, lids can be unpractical when transporting bulky
or
oversized loads. Moreover, the storage space itself is usually not adapted to
alternatively transport bulky and/or small items.
[0004] In view of the above, there is a need for a trunk for an all-terrain
vehicle
which overcomes or at least minimize some of the above-discussed drawbacks.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] According to a general aspect, there is provided a trunk for an all-
terrain
vehicle, the trunk comprising: a hollow base mountable on the all-terrain
vehicle
and defining at least one storage space; at least one removable lid partially
connectable to the hollow base, said at least one removable lid being movable,
when connected to the hollow base, between a closed position in which said at
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least one storage space is covered, and an opened position for providing
access to
said at least one storage space, said at least one removable lid being
removably
connected to the hollow base via a dismantlable hinge comprising a hinge pin
selectively connecting a portion of said at least one removable lid with a
portion of
the hollow base, the dismantlable hinge being at least partially distinct from
the
hollow base and from said at least one removable lid and being dismantlable
when
said at least one removable lid is in its opened position; the trunk further
comprising
a blocking device preventing dismantling of the dismantlable hinge when said
at
least one removable lid is in its closed position, the blocking device being
hidden in
said storage space when said at least one removable lid is in its closed
position.
[0005a] According to another general aspect, there is provided a trunk
configured to
be mounted on an all-terrain vehicle, the trunk comprising at least: a hollow
base
mountable on the all-terrain vehicle and defining at least one storage space;
at least
one removable lid partially connectable to the hollow base, said at least one
removable lid being movable, when connected to the hollow base, between a
closed position in which said at least one storage space is covered, and an
opened
position for providing access to said at least one storage space; a
dismantlable
connector for connecting said at least one removable lid to the hollow base,
the
dismantlable connector being only dismantlable when said at least one
removable
lid is in its opened position; and a locking mechanism to lock said at least
one
removable lid in its closed position; wherein said at least one removable lid
has a
lower edge and the locking mechanism comprises a latch-receiving opening and a
closing plate pivotably connected to said at least one removable lid, wherein
the
closing plate is movable to an opening position in which, when a latch is
received in
the latch-receiving opening, said latch is maintained away from the lower edge
of
said at least one removable lid.
[0005b] According to another general aspect, there is provided a trunk for an
all-
terrain vehicle, the trunk comprising: a hollow base mountable on the all-
terrain
vehicle and defining at least one storage space; at least one removable lid
partially
connectable to the hollow base, said at least one removable lid being movable,
when connected to the hollow base, between a closed position in which said at
least one storage space is covered, and an opened position for providing
access to
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said at least one storage space; said at least one removable lid being
removably
connected to the hollow base via a dismantlable hinge comprising a hinge pin
selectively connecting a portion of said at least one removable lid with a
portion of
the hollow base, the dismantlable hinge being dismantlable when said at least
one
removable lid is in its opened position; the trunk further comprising a
blocking
device preventing dismantling of the dismantlable hinge when said at least one
removable lid is in its closed position; wherein the hollow base comprises a
first
lateral portion, a second lateral portion and a central portion located
between the
first and second lateral portions, said at least one removable lid comprising
first and
second removable lids, cooperating respectively with the first and the second
lateral
portions of the hollow base, for opening or closing the first and second
lateral
portions of the hollow base.
[0005c] According to another general aspect, there is provided a method for
removing at least one removable lid covering a storage space defined by a
hollow
base of a trunk, the trunk being configured to be mounted on an all-terrain
vehicle,
wherein said at least one removable lid is connected to the hollow base via a
dismantlable hinge comprising a hinge pin selectively connecting a portion of
said
at least one removable lid with a portion of the hollow base, the dismantlable
hinge
being at least partially distinct from the hollow base and from said at least
one
removable lid, said at least one removable lid being movable, when connected
to
the hollow base, between a closed position in which said storage space is
covered
and in which the dismantable hinge is in a blocked configuration wherein the
hinge
cannot be dismantled, and an opened position for providing access to said
storage
space, the method comprising: opening said at least one removable lid;
manually
dismantling the dismantlable hinge without using any tools; and removing said
at
least one removable lid.
[0005d] According to another general aspect, a trunk for an all-terrain
vehicle is
provided. The trunk comprises a hollow base mountable on the all-terrain
vehicle and
defining at least one storage space. The trunk also comprises at least one
removable
lid, partially connectable to the hollow base. The removable lid is movable,
when
connected to the hollow base, between a closed position in which the storage
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space is at least partially covered, and an opened position for providing
access to
the storage space. The removable lid is removably connected to the hollow base
via a dismantlable hinge that comprises a hinge pin, selectively connecting a
portion of the removable lid with a portion of the hollow base. The
dismantlable
hinge is dismantlable when the at least one removable lid is in its opened
position.
The trunk further comprises a blocking device that prevents dismantling of the
hinge
when the removable lid is in its closed position. The trunk can comprise one
or
more removable lids as described above.
[0006] In some embodiments, the dismantlable hinge is at least partially
distinct
from the hollow base and from said at least one removable lid.
[0007] In some other embodiments, the blocking device is hidden in said
storage
space when said at least one removable lid is in its closed position.
[0008] According to another aspect, there is provided a trunk configured to be
mounted on an all-terrain vehicle. The trunk comprises at least a hollow base
mountable on the all-terrain vehicle and defining at least one storage space.
The
trunk also comprises at least one removable lid partially connectable to the
hollow
base. The at least one removable lid is movable, when connected to the hollow
base, between a closed position in which the at least one storage space is
covered,
and an opened position for providing access to said at least one storage
space. The
trunk also comprises a dismantlable connector for connecting the at least one
removable lid to the hollow base. The dismantlable connector is only
dismantlable
when the at least one removable lid is in its opened position.
[0009] According to another aspect, there is provided a method for removing at
least one removable lid covering a storage space defined by a hollow base of a
trunk. The trunk is configured to be mounted on an all-terrain vehicle. The at
least
one removable lid is connected to the hollow base via a dismantlable hinge.
The at
least one removable lid is movable, when connected to the hollow base, between
a
closed position in which said storage space is covered, and an opened position
for
providing access to said storage space. The method comprises opening the at
least
one removable lid. The method further comprises manually dismantling the
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dismantlable hinge without using any tools and removing the at least one
removable lid.
[0010] In this specification, it should be understood that the term "all-
terrain vehicle"
is not limited to the above-mentioned ATV, UN or ROV, but also includes other
types of vehicles, such as snowmobiles.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a trunk in accordance with an
embodiment,
the trunk having a first removable lid in a partially opened position;
[0012] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the trunk of Fig. 1, the first
removable lid being
in a fully opened position;
[0013] Fig. 3A to 3D are enlarged views of a portion of the trunk of Figs. 1
and 2,
illustrating successive steps for dismantling the dismantlable hinge;
[0014] Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of the trunk, showing another
possible
embodiment of a dismantlable hinge; and
[0015] Fig. 5A and 5B are enlarged views of the rear portion of the trunk,
showing a
locking mechanism, respectively in closed and opened positions.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] In the following description, the same numerical references refer to
similar
elements. Furthermore, for the sake of simplicity and clarity, namely not
unduly
burden the figures with several references numbers, not all figures contain
references to all the components and features, and references to some
components and features may be found in only one figure, and components and
features of the present disclosure which are illustrated in other figures can
be easily
inferred therefrom. The embodiments, geometrical configurations, materials
mentioned and/or dimensions shown in the figures are optional, and are given
for
exemplification purposes only.
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[0017] Moreover, it will be appreciated that positional descriptions such as
"above",
"below", "forward", "rearward" "left", "right" and the like should, unless
otherwise
indicated, be taken in the context of the figures and correspond to the
position and
orientation of the trunk and corresponding parts when being mounted on a
vehicle.
[0018] To provide a more concise description, some of the quantitative
expressions
given herein may be qualified with the term "about". It is understood that
whether
the term "about" is used explicitly or not, every quantity given herein is
meant to
refer to an actual given value, and it is also meant to refer to the
approximation to
such given value that would reasonably be inferred based on the ordinary skill
in
the art, including approximations due to the experimental and/or measurement
conditions for such given value.
[0019] In the above description, an embodiment is an example or implementation
of
the inventions. The various appearances of "one embodiment," "an embodiment"
or
"some embodiments" do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiments.
Although various features of the invention may be described in the context of
a
single embodiment, the features may also be provided separately or in any
suitable
combination. Conversely, although the invention may be described herein in the
context of separate embodiments for clarity, the invention may also be
implemented
in a single embodiment. Reference in the specification to "some embodiments",
"an
embodiment", "one embodiment" or "other embodiments" means that a particular
feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the
embodiments is
included in at least some embodiments, but not necessarily all embodiments, of
the
inventions.
[0020] It is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed
herein
is not to be construed as limiting and are for descriptive purpose only. The
principles and uses of the teachings of the present invention may be better
understood with reference to the accompanying description, figures and
examples.
It is to be understood that the details set forth herein do not construe a
limitation to
an application of the invention.
[0021] Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention can be carried
out or
practiced in various ways and that the invention can be implemented in
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embodiments other than the ones outlined in the description above. It is to be
understood that the terms "including", "comprising" and grammatical variants
thereof do not preclude the addition of one or more components, features,
steps, or
integers or groups thereof and that the terms are to be construed as
specifying
components, features, steps or integers. If the specification or claims refer
to "an
additional" element, that does not preclude there being more than one of the
additional element. It is to be understood that where the claims or
specification refer
to "a" or "an" element, such reference is not to be construed that there is
only one of
that element. It is to be understood that where the specification states that
a
component, feature, structure, or characteristic "may", "might", "can" or
"could" be
included, that particular component, feature, structure, or characteristic is
not
required to be included.
[0022] The descriptions, examples, methods and materials presented in the
claims
and the specification are not to be construed as limiting but rather as
illustrative
only. Meanings of technical and scientific terms used herein are to be
commonly
understood as by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention
belongs,
unless otherwise defined. It will be appreciated that the methods described
herein
may be performed in the described order, or in any suitable order.
[0023] Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2,
there
is shown a trunk 10 that is configured to be mounted to an all-terrain vehicle
(not
represented), for instance on a rear carrier rack.
[0024] The trunk 10 comprises a hollow base 12 that is configured to be
mounted
on the all-terrain vehicle and that defines at least partially a storage space
14. In
this embodiment, the hollow base 12 is substantially U-shaped and has first
and
second lateral portions 80, 82 (which may also be referred as left and right
portions
80, 82) disposed on each side of a central portion 84. The central portion 84
is
arranged between the first and second lateral portions 80, 82. According to
this
embodiment, the storage space 14 thus comprises first and second lateral
storage
spaces 81, 83 defined respectively by the first and second lateral portions
80, 82 of
the hollow base 12. Of course, the hollow base may take other shapes and
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configurations, and can be made of a single molded part or several assembled
parts or components.
[0025] Still referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the lateral and central portions 80,
82, 84 of
the hollow base 12 are arranged such that, when the trunk 10 is mounted on the
rear end of the vehicle, a driver being seated on the vehicle, the central
portion 84
is located behind the driver, whereas the first and second lateral portions
80, 82 are
located on each side of the driver. In other words, the trunk 10 according to
the
present disclosure is arranged so as to partially surround a seat of the all-
terrain
vehicle. In some other embodiments of vehicle, the trunk 10 is configured to
partially surround a passenger seated behind the driver of the vehicle. In
these
embodiments, the central portion 84 of the trunk 10 is located behind the
passenger
seated behind the driver, whereas the first and second lateral portions 80, 82
of the
trunk are located on each side of the passenger. The terms "front", "back" and
"rear should be understood in the present description relative to the usual
moving
direction of the vehicle on which the trunk 10 is to be mounted. The trunk 10
comprises a rear end 13, the central portion 84 defining at least partially
the rear
end 13, and an opposed front end 15, the front ends of the first and second
lateral
portions 80, 82 defining at least partially the front end 15 of the trunk 10.
A
longitudinal direction "L", as illustrated on Fig.1, extends from the front to
the rear
end of the trunk 10.
[0026] Still referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the trunk 10 further comprises at
least one
removable lid. In the embodiment illustrated, the trunk includes first and
second
removable lids 16, 86, each partially connectable to the hollow base 12. The
first
removable lid 16 is partially connected to the first lateral portion 80 of the
hollow
base 12 and is movable, when the first removable lid 16 is connected to the
first
lateral portion 80 of the hollow base 12, between a closed position in which
it
partially covers the storage space 14. More particularly, the removable lid 16
covers
the first lateral storage space 81. In the embodiment illustrated, the first
removable
lid 16 is substantially hollow, so that the storage space 14 is also partially
defined
by the first removable lid 16 when in the closed position. The structure and
shape of
the second removable lid 86 being similar to the first removable lid 16, it
should be
understood that, in the embodiment illustrated on Figs. 1 and 2, the storage
space
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14 is defined by the hollow base 12 and by the first and second removable lids
16,
86 when in the closed position. When in an opened position, the first
removable lid
16 provides access to the first lateral storage space 81 of the hollow base
12. The
first removable lid 16 is thus partially connected to a front end of the first
lateral
portion 80 so that, when in its opened position, the first lateral storage
space 81 can
be accessed from the rear end 13 of the trunk 10.
[0027] Still referring to Figs. 1 and 2, but also to Figs. 3A to 3D and to
Fig. 4, the
trunk 10 comprises a first dismantlable hinge or connector 18 that removably
connects the first removable lid 16 to the first lateral portion 80 of the
hollow base
12. Advantageously, the hinge/connector 18 can be dismantled without requiring
any tools, by hands only, and it only dismantlable when the lid is opened.
This
allows ATV users to remove the lids completely if needed, for example when
loading an oversized load. This lid system is very practical since no tools,
such as
screwdrivers and the like, are required to remove the lid. The lid system is
secure,
since when closed, the lid cannot be dismantled, as will be explained in more
detail
below.
[0028] As best shown in Fig. 2, the first lateral portion 80 of the hollow
base 12 has
an upper edge 30 and the first removable lid 16 has a lower edge 31. The edges
30, 31 engage with one another when the lid is closed, thereby closing the
first
lateral storage space 81.
[0029] In the embodiment shown in Figs. 3A to 3D, the first dismantlable hinge
or
connector 18 comprises a hinge pin 20 that is configured to selectively
connect the
first lateral portion 80 and the first removable lid 16. The hinge pin 20
defines a first
axis X1 and is received, when the first removable lid 16 is partially
connected to the
first lateral portion 80 at the front end of the first lateral portion 80, in
knuckles 42,
44 protruding respectively from the lower edge 31 of the first removable lid
16 and
from the upper edge 30 of the first lateral portion 80 of the hollow base 12.
In the
shown embodiment, the knuckles 42, 44 have a substantially cylindrical body
each
having a through opening extending along the first axis X1 and dimensioned to
removably receive the hinge pin 20.
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[0030] As shown in Figs. 3C and 3D, the hinge pin 20 can be removed from the
knuckles 42, 44 to fully disconnect the first removable lid 16 from the first
lateral
portion 80 of the hollow base 12. In other words, the first removable lid 16
can be
fully and easily removed from the hollow base 12, for the user to have a
greater first
lateral storage space 81 and an easier access to it.
[0031] As shown in Fig. 3A and 3B, the upper edge 30 of the first lateral
portion 80
and the lower edge 31 of the first removable lid 16 both have a slot 32, 33
therein
and the dismantlable hinge 18 has a blocking device 22 extending from a first
end
21 of the hinge pin 20 in a transverse direction relative to the first axis
X1. The
blocking device 22 is dimensioned to be received in the slots 32, 33 so as not
to
hinder the closing of the first removable lid 16. The blocking device 22 is
thus
configured so that, when the first removable lid 16 is in its closed position,
the hinge
pin 20 cannot be removed from the knuckles 42, 44: indeed, the blocking device
22
that is received in the slots 32, 33 is dimensioned so that it abuts against
the lower
edge 31 of the first removable lid 16 and against the upper edge 30 of the
first
lateral portion 80 when the hinge pin 20 is axially displaced.
[0032] The dismantlable hinge or connector 18 is thus configured to prevent
any
dismantling of the hinge pin 20 when the first removable lid 16 is in its
closed
position. As a result, it is not possible to fully remove the first removable
lid 16 when
the first removable lid 16 is in its closed position. In other words, the
dismantlable
hinge or connector 18 is only dismantlable when the first removable lid 16 is
at least
partially in its opened position. When closed and locked, the lid cannot be
dismantled without tampering the trunk, discouraging possible thefts.
[0033] In its closed position, the first removable lid 16 is arranged so that
its lower
edge 31 is substantially parallel to the upper edge 30 of the first lateral
portion 80.
When the first removable lid 16 is in its opened position, an angle a is
formed
between the lower edge 31 of the first removable lid 16 and the upper edge 30
of
the first lateral portion 80.
[0034] The angle a formed between the lower edge 31 and the upper edge 30
should be greater than a predetermined threshold for the hinge pin 20 to be
dismantled. It is understood that the value of the threshold depends, in the
shown
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embodiment, on the dimensions of the blocking device 22 and on the dimensions
of
the slots 32, 33 formed in the upper and lower edges 30, 31. When the angle a
is
equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold, as shown in Figs. 3A, 3B
and
3C, the dismantlable hinge or connector 18 can be dismantled, the hinge pin 20
being axially displaced to be removed from the knuckles 42, 44.
[0036] It is understood that, when the first removable lid 16 is in its closed
position,
the blocking device 22 is not reachable from the outside of the trunk 10. In
other
words, when the first removable lid 16 is in its closed position, the blocking
device
22 is hidden in the storage space 14 defined by the hollow base 12, and more
particularly is hidden in the first lateral storage space 81.
[0036] Fig. 4 illustrates another possible embodiment of the dismantlable
hinge or
connector 18. In this example, the dismantlable hinge or connector 18 is
composed
of a first portion 130 of the upper edge 30 of the first lateral portion 80 of
the hollow
base 12 and of a second portion 131 of the lower edge 31 of the first
removable lid
16. For instance, the first and second portions 130, 131 can be molded
respectively
on the first lateral portion 80 and on the first removable lid 16.
[0037] The second portion 131 comprises a hinge pin 133 defining a first axis
X1
and the first portion 130 comprises an opening 134 that is dimensioned to
receive
at least partially the hinge pin 133. The first and second portions 130, 131
are thus
configured to cooperate with each other to connect the first lateral portion
80 of the
hollow base 12 and the first removable lid 16. Moreover, the first and second
portions 130, 131 are configured so that, when the first removable lid 16 is
in its
opened position, as represented in Fig. 4, the hinge pin 133 can be axially
displaced to be removed from the opening 134 of the first portion 130, in
order to
dismantle the dismantlable hinge or connector 18 and to fully separate the
first
removable lid 16 from the hollow base 12.
[0038] When the first removable lid 16 is in its closed position, its lower
edge 31 is
engaged with the upper edge 30 of the first lateral portion 80, so that the
hinge pin
133 of the second portion 131 cannot be axially displaced. In other words, the
upper and lower edges 30, 31 form together a blocking device that prevents
dismantling of the dismantlable hinge or connector 18. It is thus understood
that the
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prevention of the dismantling of the dismantlable hinge or connector 18 does
not
necessarily require an additional element, but can be carried out by the
cooperation
of the first removable lid 16 and the hollow base 12.
[0039] It is also understood that the selective connection of the first
removable lid
16 and of the hollow base 12 doesn't necessarily require an additional
element, but
can be, as in this second embodiment of the dismantlable hinge or connector
18,
carried out by portions of the first removable lid 16 and of the hollow base
12. As
can be appreciated, either embodiments of the dismantlable hinge allow a user
to
disconnect the lid from the base without having to use any tools, and yet
dismantling of the lid from the base is prevented when the lid is closed.
[0040] Now referring back to Fig. 2, the dismantlable hinge / connector 18
further
comprises a dismantlable opening limiting device 40 that is configured to
retain the
first removable lid 16 when in its opened position.
[0041] In the shown embodiment, the dismantlable opening limiting device 40
comprises a first end 41 secured to an inside face of the first lateral
portion 80 of
the hollow base 12 and a second end 47 secured to an inside face of the first
removable lid 16; the dismantlable opening limiting device 40 further
comprises a
body 49 extending between the first and second ends 41, 47 so as selectively
connect the first removable lid 16 with the hollow base 12.
[0042] The dismantlable opening limiting device 40 is configured so that the
angle a
that is formed between the lower edge 31 of the first removable lid 16 and the
upper
edge 30 of the first lateral portion 80 does not exceed a predetermined limit
when
the first removable lid 16 is in its opened position. Thus, the dismantlable
opening
limiting device 40 prevents the first removable lid 16 from an excessive
opening that
could break the dismantlable hinge / connector 18.
[0043] Moreover, the rigidity of the body 49 of the dismantlable opening
limiting
device 40 could be adapted so that the dismantlable opening limiting device 40
would be configured so that it would further prevent any unintentional closing
of the
first removable lid 16 when in its opened position. The user could thus easily
access the first lateral storage space 81. Moreover, the dismantlable opening
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limiting device 40 can be dismantled from the first removable lid 16 and/or
from the
first lateral portion 80 of the hollow base 12, allowing the first removable
lid 16 to be
completely disconnected from the hollow base 14. The first and second ends 41,
47
being secured to the inside faces of the hollow base 14 and of the first
removable
lid 16, the dismantlable opening limiting device 40 is also dismantlable from
the
trunk 10 only when the first removable lid 16 is at least partially in its
opened
position.
[0044] Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the rearmost ends of the first and second
lateral
portions 80, 82 can communicate via the central portion 84 of the trunk 10.
The
trunk 10 may include a first wall 66 and a second wall 68, that do not extend
into
the lid, thus defining a first opening 64 and a second opening (hidden in
Fig.2),
allowing users to store long objects transversally across the rear end of the
trunk. In
this embodiment, the first and second walls 66, 68 extend substantially
vertically in
a plane substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction L of the trunk
10. The walls
66, 68 are removable, so as to provide a clear access between the lateral
portions
83, 82, via the central portion 84. It should be understood that the first and
second
openings 64 can either be formed in the first and second wall 66, 68, for
instance in
an upper portion of the first and second wall 66, 68 so that they have a
closed
border, or can be defined by first and second walls 66, 68 that would only be
formed in a lower portion of the hollow base 12, thus being only limited by a
top
border of the first and second walls 66, 68.
[0045] As best shown in Fig. 2, the central portion 84 preferably includes a
back
wall 88, having an outer face that defines a substantially horizontal surface
when
the trunk 10 is mounted on the vehicle. The terms "outer" side or "outside"
are used
with reference to the storage space 14. The central portion 84 of the hollow
base 12
and its back wall 88 are configured to receive an item, such as a lunch box, a
gasoline tank or any other element sized to fit on the central recess formed
between the lateral sides of the trunk. The trunk 10 may include holding means
(not
represented), such as a rope, a strap, elastic bands or any other suitable
devices,
to hold an item placed on the back wall of the central portion 84.
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[0046] The outer face of the back wall 88 preferably includes drainage
channels 90
that are configured to drain water that would otherwise accumulate of the
horizontal
surface of the back wall 88. The drainage channels 90 may be slopes and/or
formed grooves. In addition, the trunk preferably includes drainage grooves or
gutters, to allow fluid to slide along the lid. It is further to be noted that
the back wall
88 can easily and toollessly be removed from the trunk 10 so as to provide a
greater storage space.
[0047] Still referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the lower edge 31 of the first
removable lip 16
and the upper edge 30 of the first lateral portion 80 of the hollow base 12
are sized
and configured so that they are engaged with each other when the first
removable
lid 16 is in its closed position, and prevent any material or fluid to enter
the first
lateral storage space 81. The hollow base 12 further comprises a peripheral
edge
70 that is partially defined by the upper edge 30 of the first lateral portion
80. As
best shown in Fig. 1, the peripheral edge 70 comprises at least a drainage
groove
72 that is configured to prevent water from draining from the first and second
removable lids 16, 86 inside the storage space 14 when the first and second
removable lids 16, 86 are in their closed position. In the illustrated
embodiment, the
drainage grooves 72 each comprise a protruding border extending substantially
vertically between the central portion 84 and the first lateral portion 80 and
dimensioned to cooperate with the first and second removable lids 16, 86 when
in
their closed position.
[0048] In the shown embodiment, the hollow base 12 has first and second inner
walls 42, 43 and the trunk 10 further comprises a removable space divider 110
that
is configured to be removably mounted to the first and second inner walls 42,
43.
The removable space divider 110 thus allows a user to reconfigure the storage
space 14, in particular, in the shown embodiment, to reconfigure the first
lateral
storage space 81 and to define first and second space divisions 91, 92 that
are
arranged on each side of the removable space divider 110. Thus, the storage
space
14 of the trunk 10 can easily be modified so as to adapt it to the items that
the user
wants to store.
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[0040] The removable space divider 110 comprises a lower portion 112
cooperating
with a groove 45 that is formed on a bottom surface 44 of the hollow base 12,
so as
to prevent water from flowing from the first 91 to the second 92 space
divisions.
Items can thus separately be stored in the storage space 14 without being in
contact with each other.
[0050] In the embodiment shown, and as can be seen in particular on Fig. 2,
the
hollow base 12 further comprises a separation groove 120 that is arranged
between
the central portion 84 and the first lateral portion 80. The separation groove
120 is
configured to receive a peripheral edge of a storage space splitter 137, to
prevent
water from flowing between the central portion 84 and the first lateral
portion 80. It
is further understood that the storage space splitter 137 may be arranged and
dimensioned so as to prevent water from flowing into the central portion 84,
under
the back wall 88, from the outside of the trunk 10, when the first removable
lid 16 is
in its opened position. A similar separation groove can be provided between
the
central portion 84 and the second lateral portion 82.
[0051] It should be understood that in the shown embodiment, the second
removable lid 86 cooperates with the second lateral portion 82 of the hollow
base
12 in a similar manner to the one described above relative to the cooperation
between the first removable lid 16 and the first lateral portion 80 of the
hollow base
12. In other words, the second removable lid 86 is also removably connected to
the
hollow base 12 via a dismantlable hinge or connector, the dismantlable hinge
or
connector being dismantlable only when the second removable lid 86 is in its
opened position.
[0052] The trunk 10 further comprises locking mechanisms 50 to lock each of
the
first and second removable lids 16, 86 in their closed position respectively
to the
first and second lateral portions 80, 82 of the hollow base 12.
[0053] The locking mechanism 50 will be described with regard to the first
removable lid 16, but it should be understood that the structure is similar
for the
locking mechanism cooperating with the second removable lid 86.
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[0054] As represented in Figs. 5A and 5B, the locking mechanism 50 comprises a
latch receiving opening 52 and a closing plate 54 pivotably connected around a
substantially horizontal axis to the first removable lid 16. The closing plate
54 has a
bottom end 55 and the closing plate 54 is configured to take a closing
position in
which it cooperates with the hollow base 12 when the first removable lid 16 is
in its
closed position. When the bottom end of the closing plate 54 cooperates with
the
hollow base 12, for instance via a portion of the bottom end being secured to
the
upper edge 30 of the hollow base 12, the closing plate 54 extends
substantially
vertically as represented in Fig. 5A and a latch can be introduced into the
latch
receiving opening 52 so as to lock the first removable lid 16 in its closed
position. In
other words, it is understood that in the shown embodiment, when the latch is
introduced and locked in the latch receiving opening 52, the bottom end of the
closing plate 54 cooperating with the upper edge 30 of the hollow base 12 and
the
closing plate 54 being in the closing position, the first removable lid 16
cannot be
moved in its opened position.
[0055] The closing plate 54 is further movable to an opening position in which
its
bottom end does not cooperate with the hollow base 12, so as to allow the
opening
of the first removable lid 16. The closing plate 54 is moved to its opening
position by
pivoting with regard to the first removable lid 16. The locking mechanism 50
is
further designed so that, when the closing plate 54 is in its opening
position, as
represented in Fig. 5B,the closing plate 54 is prevented from automatically
pivoting
back to its closing position, as represented in Fig. 5A. In some embodiments,
the
pivoting of the closing plate 54 when in its opening position is prevented by
a
frictional device, such as a washer or any other adapted means, arranged on
the
closing plate 54. An adapted blocking device, such as a shank or any other
properly
dimensioned tool, could also be introduced in the portion of the latch
receiving
opening 52 extending below the closing plate 54 when the closing plate 54 is
in the
opening position to prevent the pivoting of the closing plate 54. .
[0056] It is thus understood that the locking mechanism 50 prevents the latch
from
being snapped between the first removable lid 16 and the hollow base 12 when
the
first removable lid 16 is moved from its opened position to its closed
position.
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[0057] It is clear from the above description that the removal of the first
removable
lid 16 firstly comprises, when the first removable lid 16 is in its closed
position, the
locking mechanism 50 being locked, the unlocking of the locking mechanism 50.
The unlocking of the locking mechanism 50 comprises, in particular, the
pivoting of
the closing plate 54 with regard to the first removable lid 16.
[0058] Then the first removable lid 16 is pivoted with regard to the hollow
base 12,
so as to be opened.
[0059] Once the first removable lid 16 has been opened enough so that the
angle a
formed between the lower edge 31 and the upper edge 30 is greater than the
above
mentioned predetermined threshold, the dismantlable hinge or connector 18 is
manually dismantled, i.e. without using any tools.
[0060] Prior to or after the dismantling of the dismantlable hinge or
connector 18,
the dismantlable opening limiting device 40 is removed, by disconnecting the
first
end 41 from the inside face of the hollow base 14 and/or by disconnecting the
second end 47 from the inside face of the first removable lid 16.
[0061] Once the dismantlable hinge or connector 18 has been manually
dismantled,
so that, referring to Figs. 3A to 3D, the hinge pin 20 has been removed, the
first
removable lid 16 is removed.
[0062] It is thus understood that a user can easily and quickly adapt the
trunk 10 of
the present disclosure to his/her needs, by being provided with a broader
storage
space, by toollessly dismantling the first removable lid 16 and the opening
limiting
device 40. As mentioned above, the user can also easily and toollessly remove
the
back wall 88 of the central portion 84 so as to be provided with a greater
storage
space. The user can also easily and quickly, still toollessly, going back to a
configuration in which the first removable lid 16 can be set in its closed
configuration, so as to safely store items in the trunk 10. To do so, he/she
will
perform the above described steps in reverse order.
[0063] Several alternative embodiments and examples have been described and
illustrated herein. The embodiments of the invention described above are
intended
to be exemplary only. A person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate
the
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features of the individual embodiments, and the possible combinations and
variations of the components. A person of ordinary skill in the art would
further
appreciate that any of the embodiments could be provided in any combination
with
the other embodiments disclosed herein. It is understood that the invention
may be
embodied in other specific forms without departing from the central
characteristics
thereof. The present examples and embodiments, therefore, are to be considered
in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not
to be limited
to the details given herein. Accordingly, while the specific embodiments have
been
illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind. The scope of
the
invention is therefore intended to be limited solely by the scope of the
appended
claims.
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