Luggage compartment for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018134222-A1
Application number	US-201615351468-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 15, 2016
Priority date	Nov 15, 2016
Publication date	May 17, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle includes a seat mount, and a luggage compartment. The instrument panel has a steering-wheel opening. The luggage compartment is attachable to the seat mount and covers the steering-wheel opening when attached to the seat mount. The luggage compartment may be used when the vehicle is fully autonomous and/or may equip the vehicle that may have originally been built for nonautonomous or semiautonomous operation into a fully autonomous vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicle comprising:
a seat mount; an instrument panel having a steering-wheel opening; and a luggage compartment attachable to the seat mount and covering the steering-wheel opening when attached to the seat mount.

2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a center console extending transverse to the instrument panel, wherein the luggage compartment covers a top of the center console.

3 . The vehicle of claim 2 , further comprising a shift lever on the center console, and the luggage compartment covers the shift lever.

4 . The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a pedal attachment below the instrument panel, wherein the luggage compartment covers the pedal attachment.

5 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the luggage compartment includes an electronic display.

6 . The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a controller, wherein the luggage compartment is in communication with the controller.

7 . The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a floor supporting the seat mount, wherein a height of the luggage compartment relative to the floor is adjustable.

8 . The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a floor supporting the seat mount, wherein the luggage compartment is adjustable relative to the floor along the floor.

9 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a top portion of the luggage compartment is transparent.

10 . The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a seat, the seat and the luggage compartment being alternately attachable to the seat mount.

11 . The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a steering column engageable with the instrument panel through the steering-wheel opening.

12 . The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a floor supporting the seat mount, wherein a height of a top of the luggage compartment relative to the floor is substantially the same as a height of a top of the instrument panel relative to the floor.

13 . A method of transforming a vehicle comprising:
removing a steering wheel from a steering-wheel opening of the vehicle; removing a seat from a seat mount of the vehicle; and installing a luggage compartment to the seat mount with the luggage compartment covering the steering-wheel opening.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the luggage compartment covers a top of a center console extending transverse to an instrument panel including the steering-wheel opening when installed to the seat mount.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the vehicle includes a shift lever on the center console, and the luggage compartment covers the shift lever when installed to the seat mount.

16 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising removing at least one pedal from a pedal attachment of the vehicle, wherein the luggage compartment covers the pedal attachment when installed to the seat mount.

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the luggage compartment includes an electronic display.

18 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising electrically connecting wiring of the luggage compartment to wiring of the vehicle.

19 . The method of claim 13 , wherein a top portion of the luggage compartment is transparent.

20 . The method of claim 13 , wherein a height of the luggage compartment relative to a floor is substantially the same as a height of the instrument panel relative to the floor.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Schmidt David
• Patil Uday Kiran

Classifications

• B60R16/023

  for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems · CPC title

• B60L2260/32

  Auto pilot mode · CPC title

• B60R5/02 Primary

  arranged at front of vehicle {(B60R5/003 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60R7/043 Primary

  mounted on or under a seat · CPC title

• B60R7/04

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