Auxiliary cargo storage bin

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11110963-B2
Application number	US-202016935258-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2020
Priority date	Dec 18, 2015
Publication date	Sep 7, 2021
Grant date	Sep 7, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle auxiliary storage compartment comprising a floor, a back wall that extends upward from the floor, and a front wall that extends upward from floor opposite the back wall, and a pair of opposing sidewalls disposed at opposing ends of the front wall and the back wall. The front wall is defined by a back side of a seating structure of a vehicle in which the auxiliary storage compartment is disposed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle, said vehicle comprising:
a chassis;
a plurality of wheels operationally connected to the chassis;
a drivetrain operatively connected to at least one of the wheels;
at least one prime mover mounted to the chassis and operatively connected to the drivetrain and structured and operable to provide motive force, via the drivetrain, to the at least one wheel operatively connected to the drivetrain;
a passenger compartment supported by the chassis, the passenger compartment comprising:
a dash console;
a floorboard; and
a passenger seating structure that includes at least one seat bottom and at least one seat back; and

an auxiliary storage compartment for the vehicle, said auxiliary storage compartment comprising:
a floor;
a back wall that extends upward from the floor;
a front wall that extends upward from floor opposite the back wall, the front wall comprising a panel that is separate and independent from a back side of a seating structure of a vehicle in which the auxiliary storage compartment is disposed; and
a pair of opposing sidewalls disposed at opposing ends of the front wall and the back wall, wherein at least one of the opposing sidewalls defines an access door movable between an open position and a closed position to provide access to an interior stowage space of the auxiliary storage compartment; and

a roll over protection system that encloses and extends directly above the passenger compartment and at least the front wall and the back wall of the auxiliary storage compartment; and
a roof structure mounted to the roll over protection system such that the roof structure covers and extends over the passenger compartment and the auxiliary storage compartment.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary storage compartment further comprises a top cover structured and operable to cover and protect the interior stowage space of the auxiliary storage compartment.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the top cover is one of:
a single-piece structure; and
a multi-section structure.

4. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the auxiliary storage compartment top cover is one of:
hingedly connecting to any one or more of the back wall, front wall and opposing sidewalls; and
removably disposable over the back wall, front wall and opposing sidewalls.

5. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the auxiliary storage compartment top cover is structured and operable to provide a substantially water-tight seal when in a closed position such that the interior stowage space will remain dry.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary storage compartment at least one of the front wall, opposing sidewalls and back wall include at least one of:
one or more open storage pockets at least one of integrally formed therewith or mounted thereto;
closable storage boxes at least one of integrally formed therewith or mounted thereto; and
storage racks at least one of integrally formed therewith or mounted thereto.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a top edge of the auxiliary storage compartment one or more of the front wall, opposing sidewalls and back wall comprises at least one latching system structured and operable for attaching various vehicle accessories to the respective top edge.

8. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary storage compartment further comprises:
at least one stowage well disposed within the floor, each stowage well structured and operable to stow at least one operator article; and
at least one access panel structured and operable to:
cover a respective stowage well;
form a portion of the floor;
be one of removed or moved to an opened position to allow access to the respective stowage well; and
provide a watertight seal to the respective stowage well when in a closed position.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the at least one stowage wells are constructed to be thermally insulating such that heat from any vehicle components disposed beneath the auxiliary storage compartment will not damage any items stowed in the respective stowage well.

10. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the at least one stowage well comprises at least one drainage hole structured and operable to allow at least one of water, moisture and condensation within the respective stowage well to drain out of the respective stowage well.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the auxiliary storage compartment further comprises at least one drain tube connected at least one of the at least one drainage hole and structured and operable to direct drainage from the respective stowage well to a desired location.

12. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary storage compartment further comprises at least one accessory cargo box that is at least one of:
removably connectable to at least one of the auxiliary storage compartment floor, front wall, back wall and sidewalls; and
disposable within an accessory cargo box retention well recessed within the auxiliary storage compartment floor.

13. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary storage compartment floor comprises at least one drainage hole structured and operable to allow at least one of water, moisture and condensation to drain out of the auxiliary storage compartment.

14. The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the auxiliary storage compartment further comprises at least one drain tube connected at least one of the at least one drainage hole and structured and operable to direct drainage from the auxiliary storage compartment to a desired location.

15. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary storage compartment further comprises at least one divider partition structured and operable to subdivide the auxiliary storage compartment into plurality of storage bins.

16. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary storage compartment further comprises a plurality of divider partitions structured and operable to subdivide the auxiliary storage compartment into a plurality of storage bins, wherein the divider partitions are removeably connectable with one or more of:
the front wall,
one or more of the sidewalls,
the back wall,
the floor, and
one or more of the divider partitions,
such that the divider partitions can be configured to form storage bins of various sizes.

17. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary storage compartment at least one access door is structured and operable such that when moved from the closed position to the open position the access door pivots about a bottom edge of the access door and a top edge of the access door swings approximately 180° away from the vehicle and downward.

Assignees

• Textron Inc
• Textron Innovations Inc

Inventors

• Jhant Philip
• Baekelandt Matthew
• Furman Christopher

Classifications

• B60R7/00

  Stowing or holding appliances inside vehicle primarily intended for personal property smaller than suit-cases, e.g. travelling articles, or maps (for radio sets, television sets, telephones or the like, mounting of cameras operative during drive, tools, or spare parts B60R11/00; for receptacles for refuse, food, beverages, cigarettes B60N) · CPC title

• B62D21/183 Primary

  specially adapted for sports vehicles, e.g. race, dune buggies, go-karts (tubular skeleton B62D23/005) · CPC title

• B60R5/00

  Compartments within vehicle body primarily intended or sufficiently spacious for trunks, suit-cases, or the like (primarily intended for stowing loads in load-transporting vehicles B60P; arrangements for stowing spare wheels B62D43/00) · CPC title