Carpeted, automotive vehicle, load floor including a pivotable cover having a decorative, backside, noise-management, covering

A carpeted, automotive vehicle, load floor comprising:

• a compression-molded composite panel including first and second outer layers and a core positioned between the outer layers and having a large number of cavities wherein the outer layers are bonded to the core by press molding, the first outer layer having a top surface;
• a cover to cover a storage area in the vehicle, the cover having top and bottom surfaces and being pivotably connected to the composite panel;
• a substantially continuous carpet layer bonded to the top surface of the panel and the top surface of the cover to at least partially form a carpeted load floor having a carpeted cover;
• a living hinge which allows the carpeted cover to pivot between different use positions including open and closed positions relative to the rest of the load floor;
• and
• a decorative, noise-management, covering layer bonded to the bottom surface of the cover to reduce the level of undesirable noise in a passenger compartment of the vehicle in a closed position and to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance to the bottom of the cover in the open position;
• wherein a portion of the composite panel has a reduced thickness to form a depression which receives the carpeted cover in two use positions and wherein thickness of the carpeted cover is substantially equal to depth of the depression and wherein the cover extends from the living hinge in opposite directions in the two use positions.

A carpeted, automotive vehicle, load floor comprising:

• a compression-molded, composite panel having first and second reinforced thermoplastic skins and a core having a large number of cavities disposed between the skins, the skins being bonded to the core by press molding, the first skin having a top surface;
• a cover to cover a storage area of the vehicle, the cover having top and bottom surfaces and being pivotably connected to the composite panel;
• a substantially continuous carpet layer bonded to the top surface of the panel and the top surface of the cover to at least partially form a carpeted load floor having a carpeted cover;
• a living hinge which allows the carpeted cover to pivot between different use positions including open and closed positions relative to the rest of the load floor;
• and
• a decorative, noise-management, covering layer bonded to the bottom surface of the cover to reduce the level of undesirable noise in a passenger compartment of the vehicle in the closed position and to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance to the bottom of the cover in the open position.

A carpeted, automotive vehicle, load floor comprising:

• a compression-molded, composite panel having first and second reinforced thermoplastic skins and a core having a large number of cavities and disposed between and bonded to the skins by press molding, the first skin having a top surface;
• a cover to cover a storage area in the vehicle, the cover having top and bottom surfaces and being pivotally connected to the composite panel, the cover comprising third and fourth reinforced thermoplastic skins and a core having a large number of cavities and disposed between and bonded to the third and fourth skins by press molding;
• and
• a substantially continuous carpet layer bonded to the top surface of the panel and the top surface of the cover to form a carpeted load floor having a carpeted cover;
• a living hinge which allows the carpeted cover to pivot between different use positions including open and closed positions relative to the rest of the load floor;
• and
• a decorative, noise-management, covering layer bonded to the bottom surface of the cover to reduce the level of undesirable noise in a passenger compartment of the vehicle in the closed position and to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance to the bottom of the cover in the open position.