Patent Application
20230202400
The present specification generally relates to storage compartments for vehicles and, more specifically, configurable storage compartments for vehicles.
Vehicle compartments include space for storing objects. However, for shared vehicles, any stored objects in the vehicle compartment may become mixed together, causing difficulty in finding objects and determining which objects belong to each of the drivers. Accordingly, a need exists for configurable storage compartments for storing and separating objects stored in a compartment of the vehicle.
In one embodiment, a configurable storage assembly for a storage compartment of a vehicle, the storage assembly including a plurality of struts extendable between a retracted position and an extended position, one or more attachment features coupled to the first end of each wall portion, and one or more receiving features coupled to the vehicle, the receiving features are configured to be selectively coupled to the attachment features. Each strut includes a wall portion having a first end and an opposite second end, the second end of the wall portion extending from a surface of the vehicle. In the retracted position, the attachment feature of each strut is spaced apart from the receiving features. In the extended position, the attachment feature of each strut is coupled to one of the receiving features.
These and additional features provided by the embodiments described herein will be more fully understood in view of the following detailed description, in conjunction with the drawings.
The embodiments set forth in the drawings are illustrative and exemplary in nature and not intended to limit the subject matter defined by the claims. The following detailed description of the illustrative embodiments can be understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings, where like structure is indicated with like reference numerals and in which:
Embodiments described herein are directed to a configurable storage assembly for a storage compartment of a vehicle. The storage assembly may include a plurality of struts extendable between a retracted position and an extended position, and a plurality of receiving features coupled to the vehicle. Each strut including a wall portion having a first end and an opposite second end, and at least one attachment feature coupled to the wall portion at the first end, the second end of the wall portion extending from the vehicle. The receiving features may be configured to selectively couple to the attachment feature of each strut. In the retracted position, the attachment feature of each strut is spaced apart from the receiving features, and in the extended position, the attachment feature of each strut is coupled to one of the receiving features. Various embodiments of the configurable storage assembly and the operation of the configurable storage assembly are described in more detail herein. Whenever possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.
Referring now to
The struts 52 may each include a wall portion 70, and a retraction mechanism 82. The wall portion 70 may be a panel with a first surface 72, an opposite second surface 74, a first end 76, an opposite second end 78, and a pair of edges 80. The attachment features 54 may be coupled to the first end 76 of the wall portion 70 to extend from the first end 76. In embodiments, the attachment features 54 may be coupled to the first surface 72, the second surface 74, or the pair of edges 80. The attachment features 54 may be coupled to the wall portion 70 by, for example, fasteners, adhesive, welding, or the like. The attachment features 54 may be configured to be selectively coupled to the receiving features 56. As depicted in
The wall portion 70 may be coupled to the retraction mechanism 82. The wall portion 70 may be formed of a flexible material to allow the wall portion 70 to wrap around the retraction mechanism 82. For example, the wall portion 70 of the struts 52 may be formed of fabric, rubber, or any other material capable of wrapping around the retraction mechanism 82. The retraction mechanism 82 may be a reel configured to take up and pay out the strut 52 between a retracted position and an extended position. In the retracted position, the attachment feature 54 coupled to the first end 76 of the strut 52 may be spaced apart from the receiving features 56, and positioned closer to the retraction mechanism 82 than the receiving feature 56. The retraction mechanism 82 may include a biasing member that biases the strut 52 toward the retracted position. In embodiments, an actuator may be operatively coupled to the retraction mechanism 82 to extend the struts 52 between the retracted position and the extended position.
Referring to
The receiving features 56 may be coupled to one or more of the surfaces 14 of the vehicle 10 by, for example, fasteners, adhesive, welding, or the like. The receiving features 56 may be positioned opposite the opening 86 of the cavity 84. When the cavity 84 is formed in one of the surfaces 14 of the vehicle 10, one of the receiving features 56 may be coupled to the opposite surface 14 of the vehicle 10. For example, when the cavity 84 is formed in the floor of the storage compartment 12 of the vehicle 10, the receiving features 56 may be coupled to the ceiling.
The plurality of struts 52 may include one or more vertically extending struts 90 that extend in the vehicle vertical direction, and one or more horizontally extending struts 92 that extend in the vehicle horizontal direction. The retraction mechanism 82 for the vertically extending struts 90 may be positioned in the cavity 84 formed in the floor or the ceiling of the vehicle 10. The retraction mechanism 82 for the horizontally extending struts 92 may be positioned in the cavity 84 formed in one of the side walls of the vehicle 10.
The vertically extending struts 90 may extend from the ceiling to the floor of the vehicle 10. Receiving features 56 may be coupled to one of the first surface 72 and the second surface 74 of the wall portion 70 of the vertically extending struts 90. The receiving features 56 may be configured to selectively couple to the attachment features 54 coupled to the horizontally extending struts 92. The horizontally extending struts 92 may extend from one of the surfaces 14 to the vertically extending strut 90. In embodiments, the horizontally extending struts 92 may extend from one of the surfaces 14 to the opposite surface 14, and the vertically extending struts 90 may extend from one of the surfaces 14 to the horizontally extending strut 92.
Individual storage compartments 88 may be defined by the surfaces 14, the vertically extending struts 90, the horizontally extending struts 92, or any combination thereof. The storage compartment 12 may be made up of individual storage compartments 88. The individual storage compartment 88 may comprise an opening to allow access into the individual storage compartment 88.
The hinges 58 may be coupled to at least one of the surfaces 14 and the struts 52. The hinges 58 may be coupled to the pair of edges 80 of the struts 52. The doors 62 may be configured to be selectively coupled to the hinges 58 to enclose one of the individual storage compartments 88. The door 62 may extend across the opening to close off the opening of the individual storage compartment 88, thereby enclosing the individual storage compartment 88. The door 62 may couple to a plurality of the hinges 58 positioned about a periphery of the individual storage compartment 88 that the door 62 encloses. In embodiments, the configurable storage assembly 50 may not include hinges 58, and the doors 62 may be coupled to the vehicle 10 or the struts 52 by any other attachment mechanism.
The lock mechanism 60 may couple to and engage the door 62 and/or the hinge 58. The lock mechanism 60 may be actuated between a locked state and an unlocked state. In the locked state, the lock mechanism 60 may prevent the door 62 from being uncoupled, or removed, from the hinge 58. In the unlocked state, the door 62 may be removed from the hinge 58. The configurable storage assembly 50 may include a plurality of lock mechanisms 60. In embodiments, the configurable storage assembly 50 may include a number of lock mechanisms 60 equal to the number of individual storage compartments 88, such that the lock mechanism 60 for each individual storage compartment 88 may be coupled to any of the hinges 58 positioned about the individual storage compartment 88. In embodiments, the configurable storage assembly 50 may include a number of lock mechanisms 60 equal to the number of hinges 58, such that the doors 62 may be lockably coupled to each of the hinges 58. The lock mechanism 60 may be any locking mechanism, such as, for example, a combination lock, a padlock, a tumbler lock, or the like.
In operation, the storage compartment assembly 50 may begin with the struts 52 in the retracted position. A user may selectively extend one or more of the struts 52 to configure an individual storage compartment 88. The vertically extending strut 90 may be extended from the retracted position to the extended position to attach the attachment feature 54 of the vertically extending strut 90 to one of the receiving features 56. The vertically extending strut 90 may segment the storage compartment 12 into individual storage compartments 88. The horizontally extending strut 92 may be extended from the retracted position to the extended position to attach the attachment feature 54 of the horizontally extending strut 92 to the receiving feature 56 positioned on the vertically extending strut 90. The horizontally extending strut 92 may further segment the individual storage compartment 88 at least partially defined by the vertically extending strut 90. Further vertically extending struts 90 and horizontally extending struts 92 may be extended to the extended position to configure additional individual storage compartments 88.
The door 62 may be removably coupled to one of the hinges 58 to enclose one of the individual storage compartments 88. The door 62 may be coupled to multiple hinges 58 positioned about the individual storage compartment 88. The lock mechanism 60 may be coupled to one of the hinges 58 and moved to the locked state to prevent the door 62 from being removed from the hinge 58. Additional doors 62 and lock mechanisms 60 may be coupled to the hinges 58 to enclose and lock further individual storage compartments 88.
The lock mechanism 60 may be moved from the locked state to the unlocked state. When the lock mechanism 60 is in the unlocked state, the door 62 may be removed from the hinge(s) 58. The attachment feature 54 of the horizontally extending strut 92 may be uncoupled from the receiving feature 56, and the horizontally extending strut 92 may be retracted by the retraction mechanism 82 from the extended position to the retracted position. The attachment feature 54 of the vertically extending strut 90 may be uncoupled from the receiving feature 56, and the vertically extending strut 90 may be retracted from the extended position to the retracted position.
Referring to
While particular embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be understood that various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, although various aspects of the claimed subject matter have been described herein, such aspects need not be utilized in combination. It is therefore intended that the appended claims cover all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of the claimed subject matter.
