Article storage device in a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10124736-B2
Application number	US-201715581797-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2017
Priority date	May 9, 2016
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

An article storage device comprises a housing having a storage space defined by a bottom and a plurality of sidewalls; and a partition plate extending between two opposing sidewalls of the housing, perpendicular to a bottom of the housing, and dividing the storage space into a plurality of compartments. The partition plate is pivotably coupled to the opposing sidewalls of the housing via a pivot.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An article storage device in a vehicle, comprising:
a housing including a plurality of sidewalls;
two fixed plates detachably connected to two opposing sidewalls of the housing, each of the fixed plates includes a pivot hole and an arc track with a center at the pivot hole, and
a partition plate extending between the two fixed plates, wherein the partition plate has a fixed side and a free side, and each of two ends of the fixed side includes a pivot,
wherein each pivot hole of the two fixed plates is configured to receive the pivot on the partition plate, the fixed side of the partition plate is connected to the two fixed plates via the pivot, and two ends of the free side of the partition plate are slidably connected to the two fixed plates via the arc track.

2. The article storage device of claim 1 , wherein one of the two opposing sidewalls includes a protrusion toward the storage space, and each of the fixed plates includes a vertical groove corresponding to the protrusion, and wherein the two fixed plates are connected to the two opposing sidewalls when the protrusion is received in the vertical groove.

3. The article storage device of claim 1 , wherein the arc track has a first end adjacent to a top of the storage space and wherein each of the fixed plates includes a first recess positioned under the first end and connected with the first end and a second recess positioned under the pivot hole and connected with the pivot hole.

4. The article storage device of claim 1 , wherein the partition plate includes a first partition plate and a second partition plate parallel and spaced apart each other and a third partition plate detachably connected to the first and second partition plates.

5. The article storage device of claim 4 , wherein one side of the third partition plate is pivotably connected to the first partition plate, and another opposite side is detachably connected to the second partition plate via a protruded dot and notch connection.

6. The article storage device of claim 5 , wherein a surface of the second partition plate facing the first partition plate has a notch and a surface of another side of the third partition plate includes a protruded dot to be received and retained in the notch at a use position.

7. An article storage device in a central console in a vehicle, comprising:
a housing having a storage space defined by a bottom and a plurality of sidewalls including a first sidewall and a second sidewall opposing the first sidewall; and
a first partition plate having a fixed side and a free side, wherein the first partition plate is configured to be rotatably rotatable between an unfolded position and a folded position via a first pivot connected to the fixed side of the first partition plate; and
a first fixed plate and a second fixed plate parallel and adjacent to the first and second sidewalls, respectively, wherein each of the first and second fixed plates includes a first arc track on its surface, and a first pivot hole adjacent to the bottom of the housing and configured to receive the first pivot,
wherein the first partition plate extends between the first and second fixed plates, each first pivot hole of the first and second fixed plates is configured to receive the first pivot connected to the first partition plate, the fixed side of the partition plate is connected to the first and second fixed plates via the first pivot, and two ends of the free side of the partition plate are slidably connected to the first and second fixed plates via the first arc track,
wherein the first partition plate is perpendicular to the bottom of the housing to divide the storage space into a plurality of compartments at the unfolded position, and wherein the first partition plate is parallel and adjacent to the bottom of the housing at the folded position.

8. The article storage device of claim 7 , wherein the two ends of the free side of the first partition plate include a projection toward the first fixed plate and the second fixed plate, respectively, and configured to be slidable in the first arc track.

9. The article storage device of claim 8 , wherein the first arc track has a first end adjacent to a top of the storage space and the first fixed plates includes a first recess positioned under and connected to the first end of the first arc track, and a second recess positioned under and connected to the first pivot hole,
wherein the first pivot is positioned in the second recess and the projection is positioned at the first recess at the unfolded position,
wherein, when the first partition plate is lifted by a force at the unfolded position, the projection is moved up from the first recess to enter the first end of the first arc track and the first pivot is moved up from the second recess to be in the first pivot hole so that the first partition plate is slidable in the first arc track and moveable to the folded position.

10. The article storage device of claim 9 , further comprising a second partition plate disposed parallel to the first partition plate, wherein each of the first and second fixed plates, includes a second arc track.

11. The article storage device of claim 10 , wherein the first pivot is integrally formed with the first partition plate and the second pivot is integrally formed with the second partition plate.

12. The article storage device of claim 10 , further includes a third partition plate having a first side and a second side, wherein the first side is pivotably connected to the first partition plate and the second side is moveable at a use position and a non-use position, and wherein the third partition plate is perpendicular to the first and second partition plates at the use position.

13. The article storage device of claim 12 , wherein the first, second and third partition plates are preassembled with the first and second fixed plates.

14. An assembly to adjust a storage pattern in an article storage device, comprising:
a first fixed plate and a second fixed plate parallel each other and configured to be connected to sidewalls of the article storage device and parallel to the sidewalls, wherein each of the fixed plates includes a first arc track on its surface and having a first end and a second end below the first end, and a first pivot hole under the second end;
a first partition plate having a fixed side and a free side, and extending between the first and second fixed plates, wherein two ends of a free side of the first partition plate include a projection toward the first fixed plate and the second fixed plate, respectively and configured to be slidable in the first arc track and wherein the fixed side includes a first pivot,
wherein the first pivot of the first partition plate is configured to be received in the first pivot hole of the first and second fixed plates and the projections of the first partition plate are configured to be received in the first end of the first and second fixed plates such that the first partition plate is rotatable along the first arc track between a folded position and an unfolded position, and
wherein the first partition plate is perpendicular to a bottom of the article storage device to form a plurality of compartments at the unfolded position, and wherein the first partition plate is parallel to the bottom of the article storage device at the folded position.

15. The assembly of the claim 14 , further includes a second partition plate and a third partition plate,
wherein each of the first and second fixed plates includes a second arc track on its surface and having a first end and a second end below the fi

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Zhang Jason
• Qi Phil
• Zhang Peter
• Xu Wei

Classifications

• B60R7/04 Primary

  in driver or passenger space {, e.g. using racks (B60R7/005, B60R7/08 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B60R2011/0007

  Mid-console · CPC title

• B60N3/102

  storable or foldable in a non-use position · CPC title