Luggage retention system

A storage system for a motor vehicle comprising an occupant compartment having a seat and a trunk rearward of the seat, the occupant compartment and trunk being separated at least partially by a bulkhead cross member, the seat comprising a generally horizontal seating structure and a foldable seat back separating the occupant compartment from the trunk foldable about a pivot, the foldable seat back forming a seat back for vehicle occupants when in an upright position and the foldable seat back creating a substantially continuous surface with the trunk when in a folded position so as to form an opening between the occupant compartment and the trunk and an extended luggage area that allows for pass-through accessibility from the trunk over the foldable rear seat back and into the occupant compartment;

• a pivotable bar assembly mounted in the trunk having a lowered position and a raised position operatively connected to the foldable seat back for moving the foldable seat back between the upright position and the folded position, wherein the pivotable bar assembly comprises a U-shaped bar having a linear central portion and a pair of matching ends forming opposed mounting lugs having an axis offset from the linear central portion and a pair of mounting brackets pivotably securing each of the mounting lugs to a pair of mounting plates located in the trunk on opposite sides of the opening between the occupant compartment and the trunk, and wherein pivoting the pivotable bar assembly to the lowered position moves the foldable seat back to the upright position and creates a structural safety barrier against objects in the trunk impacting a rear surface of the seat back and pivoting the pivotable bar assembly to the raised position moves the seat back to the folded position to provide uninterrupted access to the occupant compartment from the trunk;
• a collapsible storage bin mounted to the pivotable bar assembly and movable between an expanded condition and deployed position when the pivotable bar assembly is in the lowered position and a collapsed condition and stowed position when the pivotable bar assembly is the raised position, wherein the collapsible storage bin has at least two opposed collapsible side walls, two opposed substantially rigid walls, and a foldable bottom, one of the rigid side walls having an upper edge pivotably attached to the linear central portion of the U-shaped bar, and wherein the collapsible storage bin is parallel to and proximate with the bulkhead cross member in the stowed position, allowing full access to the opening and the occupant compartment;
• and
• a latch assembly for latching the pivotable bar assembly in at least the lowered position.

A storage system for a motor vehicle comprising an occupant compartment and a trunk, the storage system comprising:

• a collapsible storage bin mounted to a pivotable bar assembly disposed aft of a motor vehicle seat back, the pivotable bar assembly having a lowered position moving the collapsible storage bin to an expanded condition and deployed position and a raised position moving the collapsible storage bin to a collapsed condition and stowed position;
• a parcel shelf mounted to the pivotable bar assembly and movable between an accessible position when the pivotable bar assembly is in the lowered position and a stowed position when the pivotable bar assembly is the raised position;
• and
• a latch assembly for releasably latching the pivotable bar assembly in the lowered position,
• wherein the pivotable bar assembly comprises a U-shaped bar having a linear central portion and a pair of matching ends forming opposed mounting lugs having an axis offset from the linear central portion and a pair of mounting brackets pivotably securing each of the mounting lugs to a pair of mounting plates located in the trunk on opposite sides of the opening between the occupant compartment and the trunk, and wherein the collapsible storage bin has at least two opposed collapsible side walls, two opposed substantially rigid walls and a foldable bottom, one of the rigid side walls having an upper edge pivotably attached to the linear central portion of the U-shaped bar;
• and
• wherein the motor vehicle further comprises a bulkhead having a horizontal cross member partially separating the occupant compartment from the trunk and wherein the parcel shelf and the collapsible storage bin are each disposed beneath the horizontal cross member when each is in the stowed position.

A storage system for a motor vehicle comprising an occupant compartment and a trunk, the storage system comprising:

• a collapsible storage bin mounted to a pivotable bar assembly disposed aft of a motor vehicle seat back, the pivotable bar assembly having a lowered position moving the collapsible storage bin to an expanded condition and deployed position and a raised position moving the collapsible storage bin to a collapsed condition and stowed position;
• a parcel shelf mounted to the pivotable bar assembly and movable between an accessible position when the pivotable bar assembly is in the lowered position and a stowed position when the pivotable bar assembly is the raised position, the parcel shelf having a rearward edge;
• and
• a latch assembly for releasably latching the pivotable bar assembly in the lowered position,
• wherein the pivotable bar assembly comprises a U-shaped bar having a linear central portion and a pair of matching ends forming opposed mounting lugs having an axis offset from the linear central portion and a pair of mounting brackets pivotably securing each of the mounting lugs to a pair of mounting plates located in the trunk on opposite sides of the opening between the occupant compartment and the trunk, and wherein the collapsible storage bin has at least two opposed collapsible side walls, two opposed substantially rigid walls and a foldable bottom, one of the rigid side walls having an upper edge pivotably attached to the linear central portion of the U-shaped bar;
• and
• wherein the linear central portion of the U-shaped bar has a circular cross-sectional portion and the rearward edge of the parcel shelf has a resilient C-clip pivotably and releasably engaging the circular cross-sectional portion of the U-shaped bar and the upper edge of the one of the rigid side walls further comprises a plurality of sequential openings through which a plurality of eyehooks pivotably attaches the collapsible storage bin to the circular cross-sectional portion of the U-shaped bar.

A storage system for a motor vehicle comprising an occupant compartment and a trunk separated at least partially by a bulkhead having a horizontal cross member, the storage system comprising:

• a collapsible storage bin mounted to a pivotable bar assembly disposed aft of a motor vehicle seat back, the pivotable bar assembly having a lowered position moving the collapsible storage bin to an expanded condition and deployed position and a raised position moving the collapsible storage bin to a collapsed condition and stowed position;
• a parcel shelf mounted to the pivotable bar assembly and movable between an accessible position when the pivotable bar assembly is in the lowered position and a stowed position when the pivotable bar assembly is the raised position, the parcel shelf having a forward edge;
• and
• a latch assembly for releasably latching the pivotable bar assembly in the lowered position,
• wherein the pivotable bar assembly comprises a U-shaped bar having a linear central portion and a pair of matching ends forming opposed mounting lugs having an axis offset from the linear central portion and a pair of mounting brackets pivotably securing each of the mounting lugs to a pair of mounting plates located in the trunk on opposite sides of the opening between the occupant compartment and the trunk, and wherein the collapsible storage bin has at least two opposed collapsible side walls, two opposed substantially rigid walls and a foldable bottom, one of the rigid side walls having an upper edge pivotably attached to the linear central portion of the U-shaped bar;
• and
• wherein the forward edge of the parcel shelf is pivotably attached to the horizontal cross member by a piano hinge member, the forward edge of the parcel shelf being provided with a plurality of slots that cooperate with and are received by corresponding knuckles extending from the piano hinge member.

A method of storing articles in a motor vehicle having an occupant compartment with a foldable seat back and a trunk rearward of the foldable seat back, the occupant compartment and trunk being separated at least partially by a bulkhead cross member, the foldable seat back forming a seat back for vehicle occupants when in an upright position and the foldable seat back creating a substantially continuous surface with the trunk when in a folded position so as to form an opening between the occupant compartment and the trunk and an extended luggage area that allows for pass-through accessibility from the trunk over the foldable rear seat back and into the occupant compartment, the method including the steps of:

• mounting a pivotable bar assembly in the trunk having a lowered position and a raised position operatively connected to the foldable seat back for moving the foldable seat back between the upright position and the folded position, wherein pivoting the pivotable bar assembly to the lowered position moves the foldable seat back to the upright position and creates a structural safety barrier against objects in the trunk impacting a rear surface of the seat back and pivoting the pivotable bar assembly to the raised position moves the seat back to the folded position to provide uninterrupted access to the occupant compartment from the trunk;
• mounting a collapsible storage bin to the pivotable bar assembly;
• moving the collapsible storage bin between an expanded and collapsed condition when the pivotable bar assembly is in the lowered position;
• moving the collapsible storage bin between a deployed lowered position when the pivotable bar assembly is in the lowered position and a stowed upper position when the pivotable bar assembly is the raised position, wherein the collapsible storage bin is parallel to and proximate with the bulkhead cross member in the stowed position, allowing full access to the opening and the occupant compartment;
• and
• latching the pivotable bar assembly in at least the lowered position.