Assembly for organizing a storage area of a motor vehicle

Details Assembly for organizing a storage area of a motor vehicle Assembly for organizing a storage area of a motor vehicle

2000-07-31

2001-10-02

Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)

Land vehicles: bodies and tops

Bodies

Auxiliary article compartments

C296S037100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06296289

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to storage areas of a motor vehicle. More specifically, the invention relates to a compartmental assembly for organizing such areas.
2. Description of the Related Art
Storage facilities in motor vehicles vary drastically in sizes and configurations. Some storage facilities are standard trunks in automobiles. Other storage facilities include a space between a bench seat and a tailgate in sport utility vehicles and minivans. A common element in all storage facilities for motor vehicles is that they include a load floor and storage area walls extending around the periphery of the load floor of the storage area.
In many instances, the storage space or compartment of the motor vehicle is cavernous. This creates a hardship for the user of the storage area because items placed therein may shift about. In addition, some items such as bags of groceries may spill. This renders the storage area dysfunctional.
In some motor vehicles, a net is provided to aid the user of a storage space. When used, the net is hooked to the storage area walls and/or the load floor at points selected by the user to ensure the items placed therein do not shift and spill during the operation of the motor vehicle. The disadvantage associated with this system is that the items may move regardless of their location within the net because the net is such a flexible retainer. This is particularly true when the items are heavy. Further, it is desirable at times to have a solid structure to divide the storage area as an alternative to the net. This provides a comfort to the user when placing items within the storage area because the user does not have to contemplate how the net is going to give or contort under pressure by forces being applied to the items secured thereby.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A storage assembly is designed for a motor vehicle having a storage area that is defined by storage area walls and a load floor. The load floor includes slots cut therein. The storage assembly includes a primary support pivotally secured to the load floor. The primary support pivots between a stowed position, which is substantially aligned with the load floor, and a use position, which extends out and away from the load floor. A side wall is secured to the primary support. The side wall pivots between a collapsed position and an extended position. The collapsed position is defined as when the side wall extends between and abuts the load floor and the primary support. The extended position is defined when the side wall extends substantially perpendicularly to the primary support. The side wall includes an internal face and an external face and defining a perimeter therearound. An engaging member extends out from a portion of the perimeter of the side wall. The engaging member acting in conjunction with the slots of the load floor move the side wall between the collapsed position and the extended position when the primary support moves between the stowed position and the use position, respectively.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4718584 (1988-01-01), Schoeny
patent: 5340183 (1994-08-01), Horian
patent: 5526972 (1996-06-01), Frazier et al.
patent: 6053553 (2000-04-01), Hespelt

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