Package and article carriers – Vehicle attached – Seat associated
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-10
2001-08-28
Nelson, Jr., Milton (Department: 3636)
Package and article carriers
Vehicle attached
Seat associated
C297S188200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279798
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a storage assembly and more particularly, to a storage assembly which may be removably attached to a pair of child safety seat brackets.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many automotive vehicles are or soon will be required to provide and include anchors or bracket type members for securing aftermarket child safety seats to conventional and/or “factory provided” vehicle seats. These brackets are of a standard size, shape, and configuration; are mounted and/or are to be mounted/placed in standard predetermined locations upon the vehicle seats, and have a standard spacing arrangement; and are described for example and without limitation in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 225. More particularly, these brackets are or will be required to be rigidly mounted to the vehicle seat and/or to the vehicle body and to be accessible at and/or to protrude from the “juncture” of the seat backrest and the seat bottom.
While these brackets offer vehicle owners, operators, and providers of child safety seats a standardized arrangement and mechanism for rigidly placing and/or operatively attaching a child seat within a vehicle, they presently provide substantially no other utility.
Additional secure storage space is typically desired within the passenger compartment of a vehicle, although it cannot frequently and/or usually be provided due to the spatial constraints imposed by the various devices and assemblies which are utilized within and which cooperatively form the vehicle. For this reason, attempts have been made to provide storage assemblies which can be removably secured within the passenger compartment of a vehicle.
Such prior attempts include, for example and without limitation, storage containers or assemblies which are adapted to be secured to the vehicle's seats by use of a conventional seat belt, or by use of a member which is frictionally and removably secured and/or placed within and between the engaged or abutting seat back and the seat cushion. These prior containers suffer from some drawbacks. This is, since these containers do not fixedly and rigidly attach to the vehicle seat and/or body, but rather rely on a relatively “loose” or unstable seat belt or frictional attachments, they often became dislodged, tip, or overturn while the vehicle is being driven. More particularly, during relatively high vehicle accelerations/decelerations or during cornering, these prior assemblies/devices often undesirably “travel within” the passenger compartment.
Thus, it is desirable to provide a storage assembly which overcomes at least some of the drawbacks of prior storage assemblies and which may be used in combination with child safety seat brackets, thereby maximizing the utility of the brackets while concomitantly providing additional and substantially secure storage space within a vehicle passenger compartment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a removable storage device and/or assembly within the passenger compartment of a vehicle which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated disadvantages of prior devices and/or assemblies.
It is a second object of the present invention to provide a storage assembly for use in combination with a vehicle having child safety seat brackets and which provides a relatively secure space or area for selectively and securely storing various items.
It is a third object of the present invention to provide a storage assembly which is adapted to be selectively and removably mounted to standard child safety seat brackets which are provided within a vehicle passenger compartment.
According to a first aspect of the present invention a storage assembly is provided. The storage assembly is adapted for use in combination with a vehicle of the type including a seat having a bottom portion which is joined with a backrest portion, and a pair of child safety seat brackets which are disposed between the bottom portion and the seat backrest. The storage assembly includes a storage compartment which rests upon the bottom portion, and a pair of latch members which are fixedly attached to and which project from the storage compartment. The latch members are selectively and removably attachable to the brackets, thereby removably securing the storage container to the brackets.
According to a second aspect of the present invention a method is provided for mounting a storage assembly within a vehicle of the type having a seat including a cushion, and first and second brackets disposed in relative close proximity to the cushion. The method includes the steps of providing a storage container having a first latch and a second latch; removably securing the first latch to the first bracket; and removably securing the second latch to the second bracket, thereby securing the storage container to the first and second brackets.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, by reference to the subjoined claims, and by reference to the following drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4512503 (1985-04-01), Gioso
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patent: 5466044 (1995-11-01), Barley et al.
patent: 5487588 (1996-01-01), Burleigh et al.
patent: 5551750 (1996-09-01), Yoshimura
patent: 5601334 (1997-02-01), Marks
patent: 5639144 (1997-06-01), Naujokas
patent: 5816651 (1998-10-01), Feuerherdt
patent: 6030046 (2000-02-01), Dorow
patent: 6082818 (2000-07-01), Muller
patent: 6082819 (2000-07-01), Jackson
patent: 60-1035 (1985-01-01), None
FMVSS; Child Restraint Systems; Child Restraint Achorage Systems; http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/rulings/UCRA-OMB-J08/FinalRule.html, Oct. 18, 1999.
Bahr Wayne Edward
Partch Thomas William
Ford Global Tech. Inc.
Ford Global Tech., Inc.
Jr. Milton Nelson
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