Reconfigurable console mount

• US 20100090488A1
• Filed: 02/19/2009
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jeffrey D Carnevali
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey D Carnevali
• Inventors: Carnevali, Jeffrey D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,914,059 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/24.34
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0007 Mid-console
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0045 with visible part, e.g. flush mounted

Abstract

A reconfigurable vehicle console having a plurality of interchangeable overlapping blank and equipment mounting face plates, including both tongue-and-groove joints between adjacent face plates, as well as optional lap joints.

Claims

1. :

A reconfigurable vehicle console, comprising;

a pair of substantially rigid side panels, each side panel further comprising a wall portion formed with a support surface;

a pair of substantially rigid end panels substantially rigidly interconnected between first and second end portions of the side panels and spacing apart the respective support surfaces thereof;

a plurality of interchangeable face plates each comprising;

a pair of spaced apart nesting lip portions positioned to mate with the spaced apart support surfaces of the side panels,

a tongue formed along a first joining edge thereof between the spaced apart nesting lip portions,

a support surface formed along a joining second edge thereof between the spaced apart nesting lip portions opposite from the tongue and positioned to mate with the tongue of a different one of the face plates, and

one or more of the face plates further comprising a cutout positioned between the nesting lip portions and the first and second edges and sized to receive an equipment piece therethrough; and

a plurality of connectors operable for securing the nesting lip portions of the face plates to the support surface of each of the side panels.

2. :

The console of claim 1 wherein one of the end panels further comprises a tongue along an edge thereof between the interconnected end portions of the side panels and positioned to mate with the support surface positioned along the second joining edge of one of the face plates, and

wherein a different one of the end panels further comprises a support surface positioned along an edge thereof between the interconnected end portions of the side panels and positioned to mate with the tongue of one of the face plates.

3. :

The console of claim 1 wherein the second joining edge of the face plate further comprises a pair of the support surfaces positioned there along and forming a groove sized to receive the tongue therein.

4. :

The console of claim 3 wherein one of the end panels further comprises a tongue along an edge thereof between the interconnected end portions of the side panels and positioned to mate with the groove positioned along the second joining edge of one of the face plates, and wherein a different one of the end panels further comprises a pair of support lips positioned along an edge thereof between the interconnected end portions of the side panels and forming a groove sized to receive the tongue therein.

5. :

The console of claim 2 wherein at least the one or more of the face plates further comprising a cutout further comprises one or more junctions adjacent to each nesting lip portion on an interior surface of the face plate, each of the one or more junctions being structured for retaining the equipment piece relative thereto.

6. :

The console of claim 5 wherein each of the face plates further comprises a contour formed on each nesting lip portion thereof

7. :

A reconfigurable vehicle console, comprising;

opposing substantially rigid side panels, each side panel further comprising a wall portion formed with a mounting lip portion formed along a length thereof;

opposing substantially rigid end panels substantially rigidly interconnected between opposing end portions of the side panels and spacing apart the side panels a substantially uniform distance;

a plurality of substantially rectangular interchangeable face plates each comprising;

spaced apart nesting lip portions each positioned to mate with the mounting lip portion of one of the spaced apart side panels,

a tongue positioned along a first joining edge thereof between the spaced apart nesting lip portions,

a support lip positioned along a second joining edge thereof between the spaced apart nesting lip portions opposite from the tongue and positioned to mate in a lap joint with the tongue of a different one of the face plates, and

first and second fastener clearance passages formed between inner and outer surfaces thereof;

at least one of the face plates further comprising a cutout formed between the inner and outer surfaces thereof and sized to receive an equipment piece at least partially therethrough, and first and second substantially upright projections positioned on the inner surface thereof between the first and second joining edges and inwardly of respective nesting lip portions, each projection further comprising a pair of fastener receivers positioned on opposite sides of the respective clamp actuator clearance passage and spaced outwardly thereof along the respective nesting lip portion and toward the first and second joining edges; and

a plurality of removable fasteners operable through a respective one of the fastener clearance passages of one of the face plates, each fastener being operable with a portion of the mounting lip portion of the respective side panel for securing the respective nesting lip portions of the face plates thereto.

8. :

The console of claim 7 wherein each of the face plates further comprises a contour formed on each nesting lip portion thereof and further extending substantially continuously between the first and second joining edge thereof

9. :

The console of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of substantially rigid L-brackets each comprising a substantially rigid equipment interface portion and a substantially rigid face plate interface portion substantially rigidly interconnected by a substantially rigid right angle portion forming a substantially right angle therebetween, wherein the equipment interface portion further comprises a plurality of substantially parallel equipment interface slots oriented substantially perpendicularly of the right angle portion, and wherein the face plate interface portion further comprises a pair of face plate interface slots oriented substantially perpendicularly of the right angle portion and positioned to substantially align with the pair of fastener receivers of the substantially upright projections positioned on the inner surface of the face plate.

10. :

The console of claim 9 wherein each of the L-brackets further comprises a plurality of substantially parallel artifacts scoring a surface of the face plate interface portion at substantially regular intervals between the right angle portion and an outer end of the face plate interface portion distal from the right angle portion.

11. :

The console of claim 7 wherein one of the opposing end panels further comprises a tongue positioned along an edge thereof between the interconnected end portions of the side panels and positioned to mate in a lap joint with the support lip of one of the face plates, and wherein a different one of the first and second end panels further comprises a support lip positioned along an edge thereof between the interconnected end portions of the side panels and positioned to mate in a lap joint with the tongue of one of the face plates.

12. :

The console of claim 7 wherein the tongue positioned along the first joining edge of the face plate is further offset relative to the outer surface thereof, and

wherein the face plate further comprises first and second support lips positioned along the second joining edge thereof and spaced apart to receive the tongue therebetween.

15. :

The console of claim 12 wherein one of the opposing end panels further comprises a tongue positioned along an edge thereof between the interconnected end portions of the side panels and positioned to be received between the spaced apart first and second support lips of one of the face plates, and

wherein a different one of the end panels further comprises first and second support lips spaced apart along an edge thereof between the interconnected end portions of the side panels and positioned to receive therebetween the tongue of one of the face plates.

16. :

A reconfigurable vehicle console, comprising;

opposing first and second substantially rigid end panels, the first end panel being formed with a tongue along an inwardly facing edge thereof, and the second end panel being formed with a support lip along an inwardly facing edge thereof;

opposing substantially rigid side panels substantially uniformly spaced apart by the first and second end panels substantially rigidly interconnected therewith, each side panel further comprising a substantially rigid mounting lip portion each projected inwardly toward the opposing spaced apart side panel;

a plurality of substantially rectangular interchangeable face plates each face plate being formed with a substantially identical length sized to bridge between the mounting lip portions of the opposing side panels and a width that is substantially equal to an integer multiple of a minimum unit width, and further comprising;

a substantially planar outer surface and an opposing inner surface,

opposing first and second joining edges formed along the length thereof,

a tongue formed along the first joining edge thereof and positioned to be received on the support lip of the second end panel,

a support lip formed along the second joining edge thereof and positioned to receive there over the tongue of the first end panel,

opposing side nesting lip portions formed between the opposing first and second joining edges thereof and positioned adjacent to opposite ends thereof to be received on a respective one of the inwardly projected support lip portions of the spaced apart side panels,

a pair of fastener clearance passages formed between the inner and outer surfaces and positioned inwardly of the respective opposing side lip portions,

at least one of the face plates further comprising first and second substantially upright projections positioned on the inner surface thereof between the first and second edges and inwardly of respective opposing side lip portions, each projection further comprising a pair of fastener receivers positioned on opposite sides of the respective fastener clearance passage and spaced outwardly thereof along the respective side lip portion and toward the first and second edges, and a cutout communicating between the opposing inner and outer surfaces and positioned between the side lip portions and the first and second edges and sized to receive an equipment piece at least partially therethrough;

a plurality of fasteners each insertable through a respective one of the fastener clearance passages of one of the face plates and being operable between the respective side lip portion and a portion of the lip portion of the respective side panel for securing the face plate thereto.

17. :

The console of claim 16, further comprising a locator formed between at least one of the side lip portions of the face plate and the lip portion of one of the side panels.

18. :

The console of claim 17 wherein the locator further comprises a detent positioned on at least one of the side lip portions of the face plate, and a plurality of detent receivers formed in the lip portion of at least one of the side panels and substantially uniformly distributed there along.

19. :

The console of claim 18 wherein each of the face plates further comprises a contour formed on each nesting lip portion thereof.

20. :

The console of claim 16 wherein the second end panel further comprises a cover lip along the inwardly facing edge thereof, the cover lip being spaced apart from support lip to receive there under the tongue of one of the face plates; and

wherein each face plate further comprises a cover lip formed along the second joining edge thereof, the cover lip being spaced apart from support lip to receive there under the tongue of a different one of the face plates.