Vehicle console assemblies with device charging trays including electronic device support features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10404085-B2
Application number	US-201715658969-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2017
Priority date	Jul 25, 2017
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

A vehicle console assembly includes a console housing including a storage compartment including a floor, a front wall, a rear wall and opposite side walls that extend between the front wall and the end wall defining a storage volume. A device charging tray includes a floor, a front wall, a rear wall and opposite side walls that extend between the front wall and the rear wall defining a storage volume. The device charging tray includes a raised support boss that extends out of the floor at the front wall. The raised support boss reduces a distance between the floor and an edge of the front wall. The raised support boss is located to support a mobile computing device positioned within the storage volume of the device charging tray spaced from the floor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle console assembly comprising:
a console housing comprising a storage compartment including a floor, a front wall, a rear wall and opposite side walls that extend between the front wall and the end wall defining a storage volume; and
a device charging tray comprising a floor, a front wall, a rear wall and opposite side walls that extend between the front wall and the rear wall defining a storage volume, the device charging tray comprising a raised support boss that extends out of the floor nearer to the front wall of the device charging tray than the rear wall, the raised support boss reducing a distance between the floor and an edge of the front wall of the device charging tray, the raised support boss being located to support a mobile computing device positioned within the storage volume of the device charging tray spaced from the floor.

2. The vehicle console assembly of claim 1 , wherein the raised support boss and the floor of the device charging tray are monolithic.

3. The vehicle console assembly of claim 1 , wherein the raised support boss is a first raised support boss, the device charging tray comprising a second raised support boss that extends out of the floor at the front wall that is spaced from the first raised support boss providing a gap therebetween.

4. The vehicle console assembly of claim 3 , wherein the front wall of the device charging tray includes a notch formed therein that is located at the gap providing a region of the front wall of the front charging tray of reduced distance from the floor, the edge of the front wall of the device charging tray being a lower wall of the notch.

5. The vehicle console assembly of claim 4 , wherein the notch includes opposing side edges and the lower edge forming a U-shape, the lower edge being spaced from the floor of the device charging tray.

6. The vehicle console assembly of claim 5 , wherein a distance from the floor to an upper support surface of the first raised support boss is no less than a distance from the floor to the lower edge of the notch.

7. The vehicle console assembly of claim 6 , wherein the distance from the floor to the upper surface of the first raised support boss is substantially the same as a distance from the floor to an upper surface of the second raised support boss.

8. The vehicle console assembly of claim 4 , wherein the first raised support boss extends outwardly from one of the side walls of the device charging tray to an inboard edge that is located outboard of the notch.

9. The vehicle console assembly of claim 8 , wherein the second raised support boss extends outwardly from the other of the side walls of the device charging tray to an inboard edge that is located outboard of the notch.

10. A vehicle comprising:
an instrument panel provided within a passenger compartment, the instrument panel extending in a vehicle lateral direction;
a console assembly extending rearward away from the instrument panel in a vehicle longitudinal direction, the console assembly comprising:
a console housing comprising a storage compartment including a floor, a front wall, a rear wall and opposite side walls that extend between the front wall and the end wall defining a storage volume; and
a device charging tray comprising a floor, a front wall, a rear wall and opposite side walls that extend between the front wall and the rear wall defining a storage volume, the device charging tray comprising a raised support boss that extends out of the floor nearer the front wall of the device charging tray than the rear wall, the raised support boss reducing a distance between the floor and an edge of the front wall of the device charging tray, the raised support boss being located to support a mobile computing device positioned within the storage volume of the device charging tray spaced from the floor.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the raised support boss and the floor of the device charging tray are monolithic.

12. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the raised support boss is a first raised support boss, the device charging tray comprising a second raised support boss that extends out of the floor at the front wall that is spaced from the first raised support boss providing a gap therebetween.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the front wall of the device charging tray includes a notch formed therein that is located at the gap providing a region of the front wall of the front charging tray of reduced distance from the floor, the edge of the front wall of the device charging tray being a lower wall of the notch.

14. The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the notch includes opposing side edges and the lower edge forming a U-shape, the lower edge being spaced from the floor of the device charging tray.

15. The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein a distance from the floor to an upper support surface of the first raised support boss is no less than a distance from the floor to the lower edge of the notch.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the distance from the floor to the upper surface of the first raised support boss is substantially the same as a distance from the floor to an upper surface of the second raised support boss.

17. The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the first raised support boss extends outwardly from one of the side walls of the device charging tray to an inboard edge that is located outboard of the notch.

18. The vehicle of claim 17 , wherein the second raised support boss extends outwardly from the other of the side walls of the device charging tray to an inboard edge that is located outboard of the notch.

19. A method of supporting a mobile device in a console assembly of a vehicle comprising a device charging tray, the method comprising:
moving a moveable cover of a storage compartment of the console assembly from a closed configuration to an open configuration to expose the device charging tray located within a storage volume of a storage compartment, the device charging tray comprising:
a floor, a front wall, a rear wall and opposite side walls that extend between the front wall and the rear wall defining a storage volume, the device charging tray comprising a raised support boss that extends out of the floor nearer the front wall than the rear wall;

placing a mobile computing device in the storage volume of the device charging tray such that a portion of the mobile computing device is supported on the raised support boss above the floor of the device charging tray; and
connecting a charger connector of a device charger to a charging port of the mobile computing device, the charger connector extending through a notch in the front wall, the raised support boss supporting the mobile computing device above the floor such that the charger connector is located above a lower edge of the notch.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising connecting the device charger to a device charging station provided within the storage compartment.

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America
• Toyota Motor Engineering & Mfg North Ameica Inc

Inventors

• An Chae
• Zellner Jr Kerry Scott

Classifications

• H02J7/731

  specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries (H02J7/751 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02J7/751 Primary

  concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries · CPC title

• H02J7/00

  Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries · CPC title

• B60R7/06 Primary

  mounted on or below dashboards · CPC title

• B60R11/02

  for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof · CPC title