Stowage compartment assembly with external force-actuated wall element and pivotable floor element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11414019-B2
Application number	US-201916963696-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2019
Priority date	Jan 23, 2018
Publication date	Aug 16, 2022
Grant date	Aug 16, 2022

Abstract

A stowage compartment assembly for a vehicle comprising support and wall elements arranged on a front side of the support element, the wall element adjusts between a non-use position and a functional position. In the non-use position the wall element extends along a contour of the front side of the support element and in the functional position, projects with at least one section from the front side of the support element and is elastically deformed, to form a stowage compartment; and a drive device for adjustment of the wall element. The stowage compartment assembly includes at least one pivotably mounted floor element adjustable between a storage position and a functional position and, when the wall element is in use, is pivoted from its storage position into its functional position and defines a floor of the stowage compartment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A stowage compartment assembly for use in a vehicle, the stowage compartment assembly comprising:
a support element having a front side defining a contour;
a wall element disposed on a front side of the support element and adjustable between a non-use position and a use position, wherein when the wall element is in the non-use position, the wall element extends along the contour, and when the wall element is in the use position, a first section of the wall element is elastically deformed and projects from the front side of the support element to form a stowage space configured to receive at least one object;
a drive means including a motor configured to adjust the wall element; and
a base element configured to swivel between a storage position and a functional position, and wherein when the wall element moves from the non-use position to the use position, the base element swivels out from the storage position to the functional position to form a base of the stowage space.

2. The stowage compartment assembly of claim 1 , wherein the base element is mounted to the support element and configured to swivel with respect to the support element.

3. The stowage compartment assembly of claim 1 , wherein the base element is configured to swivel about a swivel axis, wherein the swivel axis is either defined by the front side of the support element or is positioned substantially parallel to the front side of the support element.

4. The stowage compartment assembly of claim 1 , wherein when the base element is in the storage position and when the wall element is in the non-use position, the base element is disposed in a gap formed between the wall element and the support element, or when the base element is in the storage position, the base element is disposed in a storage region disposed behind the front side of the support element.

5. The stowage compartment assembly of claim 1 , wherein when the base element is in the functional position, the base element lies against the wall element, or when the base element is in the functional position, the base element is spaced apart from the wall element.

6. The stowage compartment assembly of claim 1 , wherein the base element is biased from the storage position towards the functional position.

7. The stowage compartment assembly of claim 1 , wherein the base element is configured to be adjusted from the storage position to the functional position by means of a gate.

8. The stowage compartment assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first section configured to be adjusted by the drive means, and the wall element includes a second section configured to be adjusted relative to the first section by the drive means to adjust the wall element between the non-use position and the use position.

9. The stowage compartment assembly of claim 8 , wherein the first section is configured to translate along the support element by the drive means, and the second section is fixed to the support element.

10. The stowage compartment assembly of claim 1 , wherein the wall element includes a plurality of segments, each connected to each other in pairs by an elastically flexible bending region, and/or the first section or another section of the wall element is formed by an elastic material.

11. The stowage compartment assembly of claim 10 , wherein the first section is formed by a first segment of the plurality of segments, and another section is formed by a second segment of the plurality of segments.

12. The stowage compartment assembly of claim 1 , wherein the wall element includes at least one elastically deformable strip element configured to be curved outward away from the contour of the front side to adjust the wall element from the non-use position to the use position.

13. The stowage compartment assembly of claim 12 , wherein the at least one elastically deformable strip element is connected to at least one section of the wall element and to at least one stiffening element configured to locally counteract deformation of the strip element.

14. A stowage compartment assembly for use in a vehicle, the stowage compartment assembly comprising:
a support element including a front side forming a contour;
a wall element arranged on the front side of the support element and adjustable between a non-use position and a use position, wherein when the wall element is in the non-use position, the wall element extends along the contour, and when the wall element is in the use position, a first section of the wall element projects from the front side of the support element and at least a portion of the first section is elastically deformed, and the wall element forms a stowage space configured to receive at least one object;
a drive means including a motor configured to adjust the wall element; and
at least one sensor means configured to detect an object disposed in a region surrounding the wall element and generate a signal wherein adjustment of the wall element by means of the drive means is based on the signal.

15. The stowage compartment assembly of claim 14 , wherein the sensor means is configured to detect the at least one object disposed in the stowage space.

16. The stowage compartment assembly of claim 15 , further comprising:
a controller is configured to, responsive to the sensor means detecting the object disposed in the stowage space and the wall element moving from the use position to the non-use position, command the drive means to move the wall element so that the wall element clamps the object.

17. The stowage compartment assembly of claim 15 , further comprising:
a controller is configured to, responsive to the sensor means detecting the object disposed in the stowage space and the wall element adjusting from the use position to the non-use position, command the drive means to stop the wall element from adjusting.

18. The stowage compartment assembly of claim 14 , wherein the sensor means is configured to detect an object disposed in front of the wall element.

19. The stowage compartment assembly of claim 18 , wherein the sensor means is configured to detect, in a contactless manner, an operating event and wherein the controller is further configured to trigger the drive means to adjust the wall element between the use position and the non-use position.

20. A method of adjusting a wall element of a stowage compartment assembly including the wall element, arranged on a front side of a support element and adjustable between a non-use position and a use position, wherein when the wall element, is in the non-use position, the wall element extends along a contour formed by the front side of the support element, and when the wall element is in the use position, a section of the wall element elastically deforms and projects from the front side of the support element and the wall element forms a stowage space configured to receive at least one object, the method comprising:
adjusting the wall element based on receiving a signal from a sensor means indicative of an object detected by the sensor means and disposed in a region surrounding the wall element.

Assignees

• Brose Fahrzeugteile Se & Co Kg Coburg

Inventors

• Höppel Michael
• Lang Fabian

Classifications

• B60R7/02 Primary

  in separate luggage compartment {(B60R7/005 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60R7/043

  mounted on or under a seat · CPC title

• B60R7/06

  mounted on or below dashboards · CPC title

• B60Y2400/30

  Sensors · CPC title

• B60R7/046

  mounted on door · CPC title