Load-restraining barrier net for use in motor vehicles

Abstract

A load-restraining barrier net for use in a motor vehicle capable of securing cargo within the trunk area of a vehicle in accordance with established safety requirements. The barrier net includes a body primarily made up of diamond/square or hexagon shaped netting, frame strap webbings around the perimeter of the net, and at least two horizontal and at least two vertical central strap webbings across the center of the net. The net is securely affixed on one side through a first set of attachments including oval rings bolted to the vehicle. These attachments prevent the cargo from slipping below the net to an unsecured position. Further, corner oval rings act as the joint attachment for the vertical and horizontal frame strap webbings, allowing the barrier net to withstand angular momentum from inertial forces. A second, releasable, set of attachments including hooks and/or D-ring connections that attach to D-rings and/or fasteners pre-installed in the vehicle. When the barrier net is installed in a horizontal position on the floor of a vehicle trunk compartment, cargo is safely secured, thereby preventing cargo movement and the potential for damage to the cargo itself, to the vehicle trunk, and to other contents in the trunk area.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a barrier net for use in a motor vehicle. Further, the present invention relates to a barrier net capable of securing cargo in a motor vehicle in accordance with safety requirements.

2. Background of the Invention

Safety requirements regarding the restraint of cargo within the cargo or trunk area of a vehicle are set forth by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN-ECE) in Regulation 17 (R17), entitled “Uniform Provisions Concerning the Approval of Vehicles with regard to the Seats, their Anchorages, and Head Restraints.” UN-ECE R17 establishes test criteria for devices intended to provide security through preventing the movement and penetration of objects from the cargo or trunk area into the passenger. According to R17 two cargo blocks of 18 kg each are to be placed in the trunk area. For the crash test, the speed on impact must be between 48.3 km/h and 53.1 km/h. To pass the safety requirements, the 18 kg blocks cannot enter the passenger area after a longitudinal horizontal deceleration of not less than 20 g (with 1 g being approximately equal to 9.8 m/s²) is applied for 30 milliseconds in the forward direction to the whole shell of the vehicle.

A load-restraining barrier net is designed to provide protection against the forward movement of cargo by inertia from the rear compartment of a vehicle into the passenger area of the vehicle, in accordance with UN-ECE, Regulation 17.

An example of one such barrier net is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,463 and U.S. Pub. No. 20020030372, both titled “Load Restraining Vehicular Barrier Device,” invented by Donal Moore and Brian Bateman. These documents describe a load restraining barrier for use in a motor vehicle, suspended between the passenger compartment and the trunk compartment. The barrier includes a barrier body having a front, a back, a top, a bottom, and two sides, the front facing the trunk compartment, the back facing the passenger compartment, the top adjacent the package tray, the bottom adjacent the vehicle's bottom wall, and the two sides adjacent the vehicle's two side walls. A substantially horizontal reinforcing member extends between the two sides and is located at or below a midpoint between the top and the bottom. The barrier body is attached to the vehicle's package tray, and is releasably attached to at least one of the bottom wall and the side walls. When the barrier is installed at the trunk forward end, cargo in the trunk compartment is restrained from entering the passenger compartment under predetermined frontal crash conditions.

While barrier nets mounted vertically between the cargo and passenger areas of a vehicle such as those in the documents referenced above meet current safety requirements, they do not prevent the cargo from moving within the trunk area and possibly causing damage to the cargo itself, to the vehicle trunk, and to other contents in the trunk area.

Thus, there remains a need for a load-restraining barrier net that meets UN-ECE R17 safety requirements while also preventing free movement of cargo within the trunk area of a motor vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A first aspect of the present invention is to provide a load-restraining barrier device that restrains cargo from moving from a cargo area of a vehicle to a non-cargo area of the vehicle, the vehicle having a vertical plane when at rest on horizontal ground, the load-restraining barrier device including a deformable body having a front portion and a back portion; a first set of at least one connector operable to connect the front portion of the deformable body to a first location of the cargo area of the vehicle; a second set of at least one connector operable to connect the back portion of the deformable body to a second location of the cargo area of the vehicle; and wherein the deformable body, when the first and second set of connectors are installed in the vehicle, is operable to deform over cargo in the cargo area of the vehicle such that the deformable body restrains substantial vertical movement of the cargo, the vertical movement being in relation to the vehicle's vertical plane.

A second aspect of the present invention is to provide a load-restraining barrier device that restrains cargo from moving from a cargo area of a vehicle to a non-cargo area of the vehicle, the vehicle having a vertical plane when at rest on horizontal ground, the load-restraining barrier device including a deformable body having a front portion and a back portion; a first set of at least one connector operable to connect the front portion of the deformable body to a first location of the cargo area of the vehicle; a second set of at least one connector operable to connect the back portion of the deformable body to a second location of the cargo area of the vehicle; and wherein the deformable body, when the first and second set of connectors are installed in the vehicle, further has a substantially non-vertical orientation in relation to the vehicle's vertical plane such that the deformable body restrains substantial vertical movement of the cargo, the vertical movement being in relation to the vehicle's vertical plane.

A third aspect of the present invention is to provide a load-restraining barrier device that restrains cargo from moving from a cargo area of a vehicle to a non-cargo area of the vehicle, including a deformable body having, two sides, a front portion and a back portion, the front portion further having a middle point and two ends; at least four substantially oval shaped connectors operable to connect the front portion of the deformable body to at least one front location of the cargo area of the vehicle, wherein the at least four connectors are spaced along the front portion of the deformable body such that at least two of the at least four substantially oval shaped connectors are not positioned at the middle point of the front portion of the deformable body and at least another two of the at least four substantially oval shaped connectors are each positioned at each end of the front portion of the deformable body; at least one releasable connector operable to connect the back portion of the deformable body to at least one back location of the cargo area of the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of a barrier net, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of a barrier net, including representations of cargo, in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a barrier net, in accordance with the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view of a barrier net in an installed position, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-section view of a barrier net secured over cargo, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a top view of Detail A from FIG. 2, showing the corner construction of a barrier net, including the perimeter straps slideably connected to a corner connector, and the angular moments about the connector.

FIG. 7 is a photograph of a front view of a barrier net installed and deformed over cargo according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a photograph of a side view of a barrier net installed and deformed over cargo according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 is a photograph of a back view of a barrier net installed and deformed over cargo according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 10 is a photograph of a another side view of a barrier net installed and deformed over cargo according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 11 is a photograph of a top view of a barrier net installed over cargo and deformed according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 12 is a set of two photographs showing two steps in how are the central oval rings are attached to the frame of the barrier net according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views. Also in the following description, it is to be understood that such terms as “forward,” “rearward,” “front,” “back,” “right,” “left,” “upwardly,” “downwardly,” and the like are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms.

The present invention addresses the above-mentioned problems and provides an apparatus for securing cargo in the rear or trunk compartment of a motor vehicle and preventing free movement of the cargo within the cargo area. The motor vehicle in which this barrier net is used may include automobiles, trucks, trains, aircraft, marine craft, and the like. In a preferred embodiment the barrier net is securely fastened on one edge to a horizontal surface, such as the trunk floor of a motor vehicle, specifically, the trunk floor of a sedan or a coupe. The opposite edge of the barrier net 100 releaseably attaches at the rear of the vehicle trunk compartment. When installed according to this preferred embodiment, the barrier net 100 can conform to the contours of the cargo, and cargo is securely stowed between the trunk floor and the barrier net 100. Further, the present invention is designed to withstand the crash test safety requirements as set forth in UN-ECE R17. Referring now to the drawings in general, the illustrations are for the purpose of describing a preferred embodiment of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention thereto. The barrier net of the present invention is designated generally as 100 in the figures. FIG. 1 shows a top view of a barrier net according to one embodiment of the present invention. The main deformable body of the barrier net 100 includes diamond/square or hexagon shaped netting 110. There is not a preferred size for the dimension of the diamonds or hexagons. The size of the diamonds/squares or hexagons of the netting will generally depend on the visibility and cargo retention that is required for the net to be used in a particular situation. Preferably, the size is 25 mm for a barrier net of the present invention.

The netting 110 may be composed of polyester, nylon, polypropylene, KEVLAR, or another sufficiently strong fiber polymer. The perimeter of the netting 110 is framed by frame strap webbings 120, or perimeter straps, sewn on either side of the netting 110. Further strength and reinforcement are added through the addition of at least two vertical and two horizontal central strap webbings 130 across the barrier net 100. Specific spacing proportions for the central horizontal and vertical strap webbings depend on desired traits such as strength, aesthetics, cargo retention, etc.

Like the frame strap webbings 120, the central strap webbings 130 are sewn on either side of the netting 110. The purpose of the configuration of the horizontal and vertical central strap webbings 130 is to provide a strong hold to the center of cargo 140 below the barrier net 100 and to make the netting 110 strong enough to bear the crash test. Both the frame 120 and the central strap webbings 130 are woven and may be composed of polypropylene, nylon, polyester, or another woven material that will provide similar tensile strength with minimal elongation. The number of the central strap webbings 130 and the widths of both the frame and central strap webbings 130 may vary according to the load, application, and size of the net. Boxtack stitching is used to fasten joints between pieces of strap webbing; for example, where the central strap webbings 130 intersect the frame strap webbings 120. The boxtack stitching is a special type of stitching that is designed to provide sufficient attachment strength to withstand the forces of the crash test which would cause normal stitching to disintegrate. The features that likely provide strength are the stitches per inches that preferably are 8±1 and the boxtack design that provides strength to the present invention. Preferably the thread is bonded and has a minimum tensile strength of 43%. Nylon is the preferred material for the threads and the min lubricant percentage is 6%.

The barrier net 100 further comprises two sets of attachments or connectors for securing the net to the trunk compartment of the vehicle, described in detail below.

The first set of attachments or connectors comprises at least four oval rings 150 and is on the forward edge of the barrier net 100. The two corner oval rings 150 act as the joint attachment for the intersecting frame strap webbings 120 (this is best seen in detailed inset of FIG. 2), while the additional oval rings 150 extend from the front edge of the frame strap webbing 120. The central oval rings are preferably attached to the frame of the barrier net as follows and shown in FIG. 12. Step 1: A hole is made on bottom webbing before net sewing, then a small cut strap goes through the hole and it's fixed at top with a sewing line. Step 2: After the strap is secured, the oval ring is weaved through the strap then the strap is folded to be boxtacked.

Together these forward oval rings 150 allow the barrier net 100 to be bolted to the vehicle and securely restrain cargo 140 (the oval rings 150 are designed to withstand around 12000 N pressure). Additionally, this attachment through oval rings 150 is the strongest joint attachments for the corner joint of frame strap webbings 120; in crash tests, as greater force is applied over the metal oval rings 150, the strap webbings can bear the angular momentum without tearing due to the ability of the strap webbing to rotate over the oval ring 150. Furthermore, the center oval rings 150 function to prevent the cargo 140, in response to inertial forces, from slipping below the net to an unsecured position within the cargo compartment or even out of the cargo area and into the passenger area of the vehicle.

The second set of attachments or connectors on the barrier net 100 is on the rearward edge and is comprised of hooks and/or D-ring connections 160. These metal attachments are present on the rear corners of the frame strap webbing 120 and connect to D-rings and/or fasteners 310 pre-installed in the vehicle. As can be seen most clearly in FIG. 4, through the interaction between the attachment components on the barrier net 100 and those pre-installed in the vehicle, the barrier net 100 can be releasably secured over cargo 140.

As is seen clearly in FIG. 3, the barrier net 100 has a slim profile which allows for easy storage when not in use. Furthermore, as can be seen in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the flexible nature of the barrier net 100 allows it to conform to the contours of the cargo 140 thereby enabling secure stowing and transport of the cargo 140. Thus, the barrier net 100 can prevent cargo movement and the potential for damage to the cargo itself, to the vehicle trunk, and to other contents in the trunk area. The storage pocket 320, seen in FIG. 4, is 100% polyester material and is attached to the main frame after it's made similar to a sub-assembly. The pocket has releasable hook-and-loop fasteners (e.g. VELCRO) attached to hold the main frame net inside. The storage packet is an optional component of the present invention and further it is not necessary that the pockets be attached to the main frame, if included.

The present invention provides a load-restraining barrier device that restrains cargo from moving from a cargo area of a vehicle to a non-cargo area of the vehicle. The vehicle has a vertical plane when at rest on horizontal ground. The barrier device includes a deformable body having a front portion and a back portion; a first set of at least one connector operable to connect the front portion of the deformable body to a first location of the cargo area of the vehicle; a second set of at least one connector operable to connect the back portion of the deformable body to a second location of the cargo area of the vehicle; and wherein the deformable body, when the first and second set of connectors are installed in the vehicle, is operable to deform over cargo in the cargo area of the vehicle such that the deformable body restrains substantial vertical movement of the cargo, the vertical movement being in relation to the vehicle's vertical plane.

The deformable body deforming over the cargo lends to restraining cargo in a vehicle's cargo area or trunk, such that it does not significantly move upwards in relation to the vehicle, but also so that it remains secure in the cargo area, including not substantially moving upward, forward, or backward in relation to the vehicle.

Another embodiment of the present invention provides a load-restraining barrier device that restrains cargo from moving from a cargo area of a vehicle to a non-cargo area of the vehicle. The vehicle has a vertical plane when at rest on horizontal ground. The barrier device includes a deformable body having a front portion and a back portion; a first set of at least one connector operable to connect the front portion of the deformable body to a first location of the cargo area of the vehicle; a second set of at least one connector operable to connect the back portion of the deformable body to a second location of the cargo area of the vehicle; and wherein the deformable body, when the first and second set of connectors are installed in the vehicle, further has a substantially non-vertical orientation in relation to the vehicle's vertical plane such that the deformable body restrains substantial vertical movement of the cargo, the vertical movement being in relation to the vehicle's vertical plane.

The deformable body being in a substantially non-vertical orientation lends to restraining cargo in a vehicle's cargo area or trunk, such that it does not significantly move upwards in relation to the vehicle, but also so that it remains secure in the cargo area, including not substantially moving upward, forward, or backward in relation to the vehicle.

Yet another embodiment of the present invention provides a load-restraining barrier device that restrains cargo from moving from a cargo area of a vehicle to a non-cargo area of the vehicle. The barrier device includes a deformable body having, two sides, a front portion and a back portion, the front portion further having a middle point and two ends; at least four substantially oval shaped connectors operable to connect the front portion of the deformable body to at least one front location of the cargo area of the vehicle, wherein the at least four connectors are spaced along the front portion of the deformable body such that at least two of the at least four substantially oval shaped connectors are not positioned at the middle point of the front portion of the deformable body and at least another two of the at least four substantially oval shaped connectors are each positioned at each end of the front portion of the deformable body; and at least one releasable connector operable to, connect the back portion of the deformable body to at least one back location of the cargo area of the vehicle.

Further, the barrier device includes two sides; wherein the body further has a side perimeter strap along each side of the deformable body and a front perimeter strap along the front portion of the deformable body; and wherein each side perimeter strap slideably attaches to at least one substantially oval shaped connector; and wherein the front perimeter strap slideably attaches to the at least four substantially oval shaped connectors.

Including at least two of the at least four substantially oval shaped connectors off-center or off the middle point of the front portion of the deformable body lends itself to prevent unwanted sliding of cargo from the cargo area of a vehicle to the passenger area. FIG. 5 shows what would happen if these off-center connectors were not included according to the present invention, the cargo would potentially enter the passenger area and injure someone.

The slideably attached perimeter straps/webbings allow the deformable body to move angularly about the corner connectors as shown in FIG. 6 and further explained below. This provides for a more robust corner body-to-connector design and yields a device that is able to withstand substantial crash forces.

Experimental Results

The barrier device is designed to withstand substantial forces during a potential crash and its design is experimentally confirmed by sled tests. The test include positioning two 18 kg boxes below the net at 30 mph crash. If after the crash results that the net breaks and allows the boxes to pass to passengers' side or allow the boxes to tumble bag and break the back mirror of the vehicle, then the design is consider as a failure. Several options were chosen to prevent netting failure when it was submitted to the sled test.

As seen in FIG. 2, the purpose of the configuration of two center vertical outward straps at each side and two off-center horizontal internal straps 130 is to provide a stronger hold to the center of the objects below the net and also to make the netting stronger, so it can bear the crash test.

After experiencing several failures with straps join at bottom corners, oval ring join unexpectedly proved to be the strongest join attachment, likely due to the greater force being applied over the metal oval ring and the webbing can bear an angular momentum without tearing due to how it can slideably rotate on the Oval ring, see FIG. 6.

Certain modifications and improvements will occur to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the foregoing description. By way of example, the number and spacing of central strap webbings present on the barrier net may vary depending on the cargo load, size of the net, and application of use. While an embodiment in which the barrier net is securely bolted to the forward end of the trunk and the releasable hooks attach at the rear of the trunk compartment is described, this orientation within the trunk may be reversed with the oval rings being at the rear of the trunk compartment and the releaseable hooks being at the front. Additionally, although a horizontal mounting has been described, the present invention may secure cargo through either horizontal and/or vertical mounting in the trunk compartment of the vehicle; furthermore, differences in mounting orientation may include variation in the locations within the trunk

The above mentioned examples are provided to serve the purpose of clarifying the aspects of the invention and it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that they do not serve to limit the scope of the invention. All modifications and improvements have been deleted herein for the sake of conciseness and readability but are properly within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A load-restraining barrier device that restrains cargo from moving from a cargo area of a vehicle to a non-cargo area of the vehicle, the vehicle having a vertical plane when at rest on horizontal ground, the load-restraining barrier device comprising:

a. a deformable body having a front portion and a back portion;

b. a first set of at least one connector operable to connect the front portion of the deformable body to a first location of the cargo area of the vehicle;

c. a second set of at least one connector operable to connect the back portion of the deformable body to a second location of the cargo area of the vehicle; and

d. wherein the deformable body, when the first and second set of connectors are installed in the vehicle, is operable to deform over cargo in the cargo area of the vehicle such that the deformable body restrains substantial vertical movement of the cargo, the vertical movement being in relation to the vehicle's vertical plane.

2. The load-restraining barrier device of claim 1, wherein the first set of at least one connector is at least four substantially oval shaped connectors.

3. The load-restraining barrier device of claim 2, wherein the at least four connectors are spaced along the front portion of the deformable body such that at least two of the at least four substantially oval shaped connectors are not positioned at the middle point of the front portion of the deformable body and at least another two of the at least four substantially oval shaped connectors are each positioned at each end of the front portion of the deformable body.

4. The load-restraining barrier device of claim 2, wherein the body further has two sides; wherein the body further has a side perimeter strap along each side of the deformable body and a front perimeter strap along the front portion of the deformable body; and wherein each side perimeter strap slideably attaches to at least one substantially oval shaped connector; and wherein the front perimeter strap slideably attaches to the at least four substantially oval shaped connectors.

5. The load-restraining barrier device of claim 1, wherein the second set of at least one connector is at least one releasable connector operable to connect the back portion of the deformable body to at least one back location of the cargo area of the vehicle.

6. The load-restraining barrier device of claim 1, wherein the deformable body, the first set of at least one connector, and the second set of at least one connector withstand test criteria set out in UN-ECE R17 such that the load-restraining barrier device would restrain cargo from moving from a cargo area of a vehicle to a non-cargo area of the vehicle.

7. The load-restraining barrier device of claim 1, wherein the first set of at least one connector is designed to withstand approximately 12000 N of pressure.

8. The load-restraining barrier device of claim 1, wherein the deformable body further includes netting having a top and a bottom side.

9. The load-restraining barrier device of claim 8, wherein the deformable body further includes strap webbings, at least one of which is connected to the top side of the netting and at least one of which is connected to the bottom side of the netting.

10. A load-restraining barrier device that restrains cargo from moving from a cargo area of a vehicle to a non-cargo area of the vehicle, the vehicle having a vertical plane when at rest on horizontal ground, the load-restraining barrier device comprising:

a. a deformable body having a front portion and a back portion;

b. a first set of at least one connector operable to connect the front portion of the deformable body to a first location of the cargo area of the vehicle;

c. a second set of at least one connector operable to connect the back portion of the deformable body to a second location of the cargo area of the vehicle; and

d. wherein the deformable body, when the first and second set of connectors are installed in the vehicle, further has a substantially non-vertical orientation in relation to the vehicle's vertical plane such that the deformable body restrains substantial vertical movement of the cargo, the vertical movement being in relation to the vehicle's vertical plane.

11. The load-restraining barrier device of claim 10, wherein the first set of at least one connector is at least four substantially oval shaped connectors.

12. The load-restraining barrier device of claim 11, wherein the at least four connectors are spaced along the front portion of the deformable body such that at least two of the at least four substantially oval shaped connectors are not positioned at the middle point of the front portion of the deformable body and at least another two of the at least four substantially oval shaped connectors are each positioned at each end of the front portion of the deformable body.

13. The load-restraining barrier device of claim 11, wherein the body further has two sides; wherein the body further has a side perimeter strap along each side of the deformable body and a front perimeter strap along the front portion of the deformable body; and wherein each side perimeter strap slideably attaches to at least one substantially oval shaped connector; and wherein the front perimeter strap slideably attaches to the at least four substantially oval shaped connectors.

14. The load-restraining barrier device of claim 10, wherein the second set of at least one connector is at least one releasable connector operable to connect the back portion of the deformable body to at least one back location of the cargo area of the vehicle.

15. The load-restraining barrier device of claim 10, wherein the deformable body, the first set of at least one connector, and the second set of at least one connector withstand test criteria set out in UN-ECE R17 such that the load-restraining barrier device would restrain cargo from moving from a cargo area of a vehicle to a non-cargo area of the vehicle.

16. The load-restraining barrier device of claim 10, wherein the first set of at least one connector is designed to withstand approximately 12000 N of pressure.

17. The load-restraining barrier device of claim 10, wherein the deformable body further includes netting having a top and a bottom side.

18. The load-restraining barrier device of claim 17, wherein the deformable body further includes strap webbings, at least one of which is connected to the top side of the netting and at least one of which is connected to the bottom side of the netting.

19. A load-restraining barrier device that restrains cargo from moving from a cargo area of a vehicle to a non-cargo area of the vehicle, comprising:

a. a deformable body having, two sides, a front portion and a back portion, the front portion further having a middle point and two ends;

b. at least four substantially oval shaped connectors operable to connect the front portion of the deformable body to at least one front location of the cargo area of the vehicle, wherein the at least four connectors are spaced along the front portion of the deformable body such that at least two of the at least four substantially oval shaped connectors are not positioned at the middle point of the front portion of the deformable body and at least another two of the at least four substantially oval shaped connectors are each positioned at each end of the front portion of the deformable body; and

c. at least one releasable connector operable to connect the back portion of the deformable body to at least one back location of the cargo area of the vehicle.

20. The load-restraining barrier device of claim 19, wherein the body further has two sides; wherein the body further has a side perimeter strap along each side of the deformable body and a front perimeter strap along the front portion of the deformable body; and wherein each side perimeter strap slideably attaches to at least one substantially oval shaped connector; and wherein the front perimeter strap slideably attaches to the at least four substantially oval shaped connectors.