Storage compartment with an elastic compartment divider

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12240368-B2
Application number	US-202017436924-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2020
Priority date	Mar 12, 2019
Publication date	Mar 4, 2025
Grant date	Mar 4, 2025

Abstract

A storage compartment for installation in a motor vehicle includes a storage volume which is bounded laterally by an at least partially encircling storage wall. At least one elastic compartment divider, which has a macroscopically elastic material at least in a central region of a longitudinal extent of the compartment divider, is provided such that the compartment divider can be transferred between a first divider position and a second divider position and which, at the first divider position, divides the storage volume into a first partial compartment and a second partial compartment and, at the second divider position, forms part of the storage wall of the storage volume. Two spaced-apart divider receptacles are arranged on the storage wall and at which in each case one of two longitudinal ends of the compartment divider is accommodated. The compartment divider is mounted on each of the divider receptacles so as to be rotatable about a divider longitudinal axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A storage compartment for installation in a motor vehicle, comprising:
a storage volume, which is laterally delimited by an at least partially peripheral storage wall;
at least one elastic compartment divider, which comprises a macroscopically elastic material at least in a central region of a longitudinal extent of the compartment divider, whereby the compartment divider is transferable between a first divider position and a second divider position, and which at the first divider position subdivides the storage volume into a first subcompartment and a second subcompartment, and at the second divider position forms a part of the storage wall of the storage volume;
two divider receptacles, which are spaced apart from one another, are arranged on the storage wall and on which a respective one of two longitudinal ends of the compartment divider is received, wherein the compartment divider on each of the divider receptacles is mounted rotatably about a divider axis of rotation which is perpendicular to a connecting axis between the divider receptacles, and
a positioning device arranged on each of the divider receptacles, which positioning device is pretensioned to transfer the compartment divider into the second divider position via a rotational positioning force, and/or to retain the compartment divider at the second divider position, wherein
the compartment divider is not wound around the positioning device via the positioning force.

2. The storage compartment according to claim 1 , wherein
the positioning device has a spring, which is pretensioned so as to transfer the compartment divider into the second divider position by way of a spring force and/or so as to retain the compartment divider at the second divider position.

3. The storage compartment according to claim 1 , wherein
the compartment divider has a respective receiving region laterally on either side of the central region, on the longitudinal end of which receiving region the compartment divider is received respectively in one of the divider receptacles.

4. The storage compartment according to claim 3 , wherein
the receiving regions have a macroscopically rigid form.

5. The storage compartment according to claim 3 , wherein
a respective bending axis is provided between the central region and each of the receiving regions of the compartment divider.

6. The storage compartment according to claim 5 , wherein
a respective rotary joint is arranged on the bending axis.

7. The storage compartment according to claim 5 , wherein,
as a result of a deflection of the central region about the bending axes, the compartment divider is transferrable from the second divider position into a third divider position, in which the central region subdivides the storage volume into a third subcompartment and a fourth subcompartment.

8. The storage compartment according to claim 5 , wherein,
as a result of a deflection of the receiving regions about the bending axes, the compartment divider is transferrable from the first divider position into the third divider position.

9. The storage compartment according to claim 1 , wherein
that part of the storage wall which is formed by the compartment divider has an at least substantially constant curvature, such that said part of the storage wall has an at least substantially constant radius.

10. The storage compartment according to claim 1 , wherein
the storage compartment on a far side of the compartment divider has a prismatic basic shape and the compartment divider is arranged on one corner of the basic shape.

11. The storage compartment according to claim 10 , wherein
the prismatic basic shape is substantially rectangular.

12. The storage compartment according to claim 1 , wherein
two compartment dividers which are spaced apart from one another are provided.

13. The storage compartment according to claim 12 , wherein
the two compartment dividers are formed mirror-symmetrically with respect to a center longitudinal axis of the storage compartment.

14. The storage compartment according to claim 1 , wherein
at least one protrusion is arranged in a region in which the compartment divider comprises the macroscopically elastic material and on a side facing a container to be retained.

Assignees

• Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag

Inventors

• Schmid Bernhard

Classifications

• B60R7/04

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

• B60N3/108 Primary

  with resilient holding elements · CPC title

• B60N3/106 Primary

  with adjustable clamping mechanisms · CPC title