Storage assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10189415-B2
Application number	US-201715486958-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 13, 2017
Priority date	Apr 28, 2016
Publication date	Jan 29, 2019
Grant date	Jan 29, 2019

Abstract

A storage assembly comprises a first portion including a shaft and a second portion including a shaft hole. The first portion is rotatably connected to the second portion via the shaft received in the shaft hole and moveable from the first rest position to the second rest position through an intermediate position. The shaft of the first portion has a stop portion protruded radially and the shaft hole is configured to contact the stop portion in the first rest position and the second rest position and to space apart radially from the stop portion in the intermediate position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A storage assembly, comprising:
a first portion including a shaft, the shaft having a stop portion protruded radially; and
a second portion including a shaft hole receiving the shaft to rotate therein; wherein
the first portion is rotatably connected to the second portion via the shaft to rotate from a first rest position to a second rest position through an intermediate position, the shaft hole is configured to contact the stop portion in the first rest position and the second rest position and to space apart radially from the stop portion in the intermediate position.

2. The storage assembly of claim 1 , wherein the shaft hole has a first section, a second section, and an intermediate section connecting the first section and the second section, wherein the first section and the second section contact the stop portion, and the intermediate section is spaced apart from the shaft radially in the first rest position and the second rest position.

3. The storage assembly of claim 2 , wherein the shaft includes four stop portions.

4. The storage assembly of claim 3 , wherein the shaft has a substantially rounded rectangular cross-section.

5. The storage assembly of claim 1 , wherein the shaft includes at least three stop portions.

6. The storage assembly of claim 5 , wherein the stop portions are positioned uniformly along a circumference.

7. The storage assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first portion includes a first side wall having a first projection, the second portion includes a second side wall having a second projection, the shaft is positioned on the first side wall, the shaft hole is positioned on the second side wall, the first projection contacts the second projection in a radial direction of the shaft in the first rest direction.

8. The storage assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first side wall of the first portion further includes a third projection positioned to contact the second projection of the second portion in the second rest position.

9. The storage assembly of claim 7 , wherein the second side wall of the second portion further includes a fourth projection positioned to contact the first projection of the first portion in the second rest position.

10. The storage assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second portion is formed as a frame member secured to a headliner in a vehicle, and the first portion is formed as a sunglass bin received within the frame.

11. The storage assembly of claim 1 , wherein the shaft hole is configured to be in an interference fit relationship with the shaft in the first rest position and the second rest position.

12. A storage assembly, comprising:
a storage bin including a first side wall and a shaft positioned on the first side wall wherein the shaft has a cross-section that is a polygon shape having rounded corners,
a frame member to receive the storage bin, wherein the frame member includes a second side wall and a shaft hole positioned on the second side wall;
wherein the shaft is positioned within the shaft hole, the storage bin is rotatably connected to the frame member via the shaft and is rotatable from a first rest position to a second rest position relative to the frame member,
wherein the rounded corners of the shaft contact a corresponding inner wall of the shaft hole in the first rest position and the second rest position, and a maximum distance between each side of the shaft and the corresponding inner wall of the shaft hole in the first and second rest positions is greater than a maximum distance between the side of shaft and the corresponding inner wall at an intermediate position.

13. The storage assembly of claim 12 , wherein the first rest position is an open position of the storage bin and the second rest position is a closed position of the storage bin.

14. The storage assembly of claim 13 , wherein the storage bin is capable of being rotated to an intermediate position between the open position and the closed position of the storage bin.

15. The storage assembly of claim 12 , wherein the storage bin includes a cover, and a peripheral gap is formed between the cover and the inner wall of the frame member, wherein the contact between the rounded corners of the shaft and the corresponding inner wall of the shaft hole restricts the movement of the cover in a first direction substantially parallel to the first side wall to limit a size of a first gap in the first direction between the cover and the peripheral gap of the frame member.

16. The storage assembly of claim 12 , wherein the shaft has a rounded rectangular cross-section, and the shaft hole is configured to allow the shaft to rotate 360 degrees.

17. The storage assembly of claim 12 , wherein the shaft has a rounded triangular cross-section, and the shaft hole is configured to allow the shaft to rotate 360 degrees.

18. The storage assembly of claim 12 , wherein the first side wall includes a first projection and a third projection, the second side wall includes a second projection and a fourth projection, wherein the first projection contacts the second projection in a radial direction of the shaft in the first rest position and contacts the fourth projection in the radial direction in the second rest position, wherein the second projection contacts the third projection in the radial direction in the second rest position; and wherein the radial contact between the first and second projections, the radial contact between the second and third projections, and the radial contact between the first and fourth projections restrict the movement of the storage bin in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first side wall to limit a size of a second gap in the second direction between the cover and the peripheral inner wall of the frame member.

19. The storage assembly of claim 12 , wherein the side wall of the storage bin includes a first projection and a third projection, the side wall portion of the frame member includes a second projection and a fourth projection, wherein the first projection contacts the second projection in the radial direction in the open position, and the third projection contacts the second projection and the fourth projection contact the first projection in the radial direction in the closed position.

20. A storage assembly positioned on a headliner of a vehicle, comprising;
a storage bin including a cover and two opposing side walls, each side wall having a shaft with a cross-section that is a polygon having rounded corners; and
a frame member secured to the headliner, including an opening, side wall portions corresponding to the side walls of the storage bin, and shaft holes positioned on the side wall portions; wherein
the storage bin is positioned at the opening and rotatably connected to the frame member via the shaft, the storage bin is rotatable from an open position to a closed position relative to the frame member; the rounded corners of the shaft contact a corresponding inner wall of the shaft hole to restrict the movement of the storage bin in a radial direction in the open position and the closed position.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech
• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Kang Derek
• Deng Brick
• Xu Wei

Classifications

• B60R7/043

  mounted on or under a seat · CPC title

• B60R7/082 Primary

  for supporting spectacles · CPC title

• B60R7/046

  mounted on door · CPC title

• B60R7/04 Primary

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

• E05Y2900/538

  Interior lids · CPC title