TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a vehicle trim element of the type comprising a body and a covering element extending over at least part of the body and defining at least part of the outer surface of the trim element.

BACKGROUND

Such a trim element is for example intended to form a door panel of a vehicle. It is known to provide a storage volume in a trim element so that the passengers of the vehicle can store compact items therein. Such a storage volume is for example referred to as parcel tray.

The storage volume is for example defined by the particular shape of the body of the trim element, which comprises a protruding part and a space able to receive the objects. Thus, the storage volume is unmovable and always takes up a certain amount of space in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, even when it is not in use.

In order to free up space in the passenger compartment, storage volumes that can be retracted when they are not in use have been provided. Thus, the trim element comprises a deformable structure that can be placed in a deployed position in which this structure defines a storage volume. The storage volume then only takes up room in the passenger compartment of the vehicle when it is in use. When it is not in use, additional room is freed in the passenger compartment, which improves passenger comfort in the passenger compartment.

However, such a structure requires a mechanism allowing it to be deployed, which complicates the structure of the trim element and raises layout problems thereof to make it possible to add this deployment mechanism.

SUMMARY

One of the aims of the invention is to offset these drawbacks by proposing a trim element comprising a retractable storage volume, the movement of which is done simply without requiring a particular deployment mechanism.

To that end, the invention relates to a trim element of the aforementioned type, wherein the covering element comprises at least two substantially rigid panels connected to one another by a flexible branch forming a bending line of the panels relative to one another and fastened to the body by at least one fastening edge forming a hinge between the panels and the body, the covering element being deformable around the bending line, and hinges between a retracted position, in which the panels of the covering element are pressed against the body, and a deployed position, in which the panels are moved away from the body, the covering element defining a storage volume with the body in the deployed position.

In order to deploy the storage volume of the trim element, one thus only has to deform the covering element, which gets positioned in the deployed position by simple bending around the bending line and hinges. It is thus not necessary to add a particular deployment mechanism, that is to say, a mechanism acting on the covering element to cause it to go from its retracted position to its deployed position. The trim element is thus simplified while offering a retractable storage volume. Furthermore, the appearance of the trim element can be improved, in particular by making the bending line visible in order to impart a particular esthetic to the outer surface of the trim element.

According to other optional features of the trim element according to the invention, considered alone or according to any technically conceivable combination:the retracted position and the deployed position are stable positions;the covering element is formed in one piece, at least one rigid material forming the panels and at least one flexible material forming the flexible branch;the covering element comprises at least three panels, including two side panels and one central panel, the central panel being connected to each of the side panels by flexible branches forming bending lines between the central panel and the side panels;the central panel is triangular, the side panels being polygons comprising at least four sides, the central panel being fastened to the body by one of its edges forming a hinge, the other two edges being connected to the side panels by flexible branches, and the side panels being fastened to the body by at least one of their edges and to the central panel by another edge;the storage volume in the deployed position is accessible through an opening extending between the covering element and the body, part of the opening being delimited by a free edge of at least one panel of the covering element, said free edge being separated from the body in the deployed position;the bending line formed by the flexible branch extends over the outer surface of the covering element in order to be visible from the outside of the trim element;the trim element further comprises a locking device keeping the covering element in the retracted position when said locking device is in a locked configuration;the covering element enters its deployed position when the locking device goes from the locked configuration to an unlocked configuration;the trim element forms a vehicle door panel.

