CARGO ORGANIZER WITH COLLAPSIBLE STORAGE COMPARTMENT

• US 20170291733A1
• Filed: 04/03/2017
• Published: 10/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Tsusho America Incorporated (Toyota Tsusho Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Tsusho America Incorporated (Toyota Tsusho Corporation)
• Inventors: Henderson, Brian E., Munoz, Donald L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,932,143 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 7/02 in separate luggage compartment B60R7/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 7/04 in driver or passenger space , e.g. using racks B60R7/005, B60R7/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 7/043 mounted on or under a seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 7/08 Disposition of racks, clips , holders, containers or the like for supporting specific articles B60R7/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 11/1833 whereby all side walls are hingedly connected to the base panel B65D11/186 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 11/186 whereby all side walls are hingedly connected to the base panel and to each other to allow automatic collapsing and reerecting, e.g. by means of folds provided in the side walls and or in the base panel
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 11/1873 all walls are detached from each other to collapse the container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 13/00 Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, components made wholly or mainly of the same material, other than metal, plastics, wood, or substitutes therefor pallets B65D19/00

Abstract

A cargo organizer includes a base, a storage compartment supported by the base and a deployment system for the storage compartment. The storage compartment includes a plurality of wall panels each having a hinged connection with the base and pivotable about its hinged connection between a stowed orientation and an upright orientation. The storage compartment is selectively deployable between a collapsed condition and an open condition. In the collapsed condition, each wall panel is lowered to its stowed orientation while, in the open condition, each wall panel is raised to its upright orientation. In the collapsed condition, the wall panels include an underlying wall panel and two adjacent overlying wall panels in spaced opposition about the underlying wall panel. The deployment system includes a strap system that connects an inboard portion of the underlying wall panel to respective outboard portions of the two adjacent overlying wall panels.

Claims

1. A cargo organizer, comprising:

a base;

a storage compartment supported by the base, the storage compartment including a plurality of wall panels each having a hinged connection with the base and pivotable about its hinged connection between a stowed orientation and an upright orientation, the storage compartment selectively deployable between a collapsed condition, where each wall panel is lowered to its stowed orientation, and an open condition, where each wall panel is raised to its upright orientation, wherein in the collapsed condition, the wall panels include an underlying wall panel and two adjacent overlying wall panels in spaced opposition about the underlying wall panel; and

a deployment system for the storage compartment, the deployment system including a strap system that connects an inboard portion of the underlying wall panel to respective outboard portions of the two adjacent overlying wall panels.

2. The cargo organizer of claim 1, wherein the underlying wall panel and the two adjacent overlying wall panels are generally not foldable over themselves.

3. The cargo organizer of claim 1, wherein the strap system connects the inboard portion of the underlying wall panel to the respective outboard portions of the two adjacent overlying wall panels substantially without slack.

4. The cargo organizer of claim 1, wherein the inboard portion of the underlying wall panel is a laterally central portion thereof, and the respective outboard portions of the two adjacent overlying wall panels are edges thereof adjacent their respective hinged connections with the base.

5. The cargo organizer of claim 1, wherein the inboard portion of the underlying wall panel is proximate to an edge thereof opposite its hinged connection with the base, and the respective outboard portions of the two adjacent overlying wall panels are proximate to edges thereof opposite their respective hinged connections with the base.

6. The cargo organizer of claim 1, wherein the strap system employs a single strap to connect the inboard portion of the underlying wall panel to the respective outboard portions of the two adjacent overlying wall panels, and the strap is looped through the underlying wall panel to make its connection thereto.

7. The cargo organizer of claim 1, wherein the deployment system includes a pull handle connected to the underlying wall panel and, in the collapsed condition, the two adjacent overlying wall panels have immediately adjacent edges, between which the pull handle projects, opposite their respective hinged connections with the base.

8. The cargo organizer of claim 1, wherein, in the collapsed condition, the two adjacent overlying wall panels have immediately adjacent edges, between which a relief is defined, opposite their respective hinged connections with the base, and the relief coincides with an edge of the underlying wall panel opposite its hinged connection with the base.

9. The cargo organizer of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wall panels each has a hinged connection with the base at respective edges thereof that are arranged end-to-end in a substantially closed loop.

10. The cargo organizer of claim 1, wherein the base defines a recess coinciding with the storage compartment into which at least the underlying wall panel is lowered in its stowed orientation.

11. A cargo organizer, comprising:

a base;

a storage compartment supported by the base, the storage compartment including a plurality of wall panels each having a hinged connection with the base and pivotable about its hinged connection between a stowed orientation and an upright orientation, the storage compartment selectively deployable between a collapsed condition, where each wall panel is lowered to its stowed orientation, and an open condition, where each wall panel is raised to its upright orientation, wherein in the collapsed condition, the wall panels include an overlying wall panel and two adjacent underlying wall panels in spaced opposition about the overlying wall panel; and

a deployment system for the storage compartment, the deployment system including a first strap system that connects an inboard portion of a first of the two adjacent underlying wall panels to a first outboard portion of the overlying wall panel, and a second strap system that connects an inboard portion of a second of the two adjacent underlying wall panels to a second outboard portion of the overlying wall panel.

12. The cargo organizer of claim 11, wherein the overlying wall panel and the two adjacent underlying wall panels are generally not foldable over themselves.

13. The cargo organizer of claim 11, wherein the first strap system connects the inboard portion of the first underlying wall panel to the first outboard portion of the overlying wall panel substantially without slack, and the second strap system connects the inboard portion of the second underlying wall panel to the second outboard portion of the overlying wall panel substantially without slack.

14. The cargo organizer of claim 11, wherein the respective inboard portions of the first underlying wall panel and the second underlying wall panel are laterally central portions thereof, and the first outboard portion and the second outboard portion of the overlying wall panel are edges thereof adjacent its hinged connection with the base.

15. The cargo organizer of claim 11, wherein the respective inboard portions of the first underlying wall panel and the second underlying wall panel are proximate to edges thereof opposite their respective hinged connections with the base, and the first outboard portion and the second outboard portion of the overlying wall panel are proximate to an edge thereof opposite its hinged connection with the base.

16. The cargo organizer of claim 11, wherein the plurality of wall panels each has a hinged connection with the base at respective edges thereof that are arranged end-to-end in a substantially closed loop.

17. The cargo organizer of claim 11, wherein the base defines a recess coinciding with the storage compartment into which at least the two adjacent underlying wall panels are lowered in its stowed orientation.

18. A cargo organizer, comprising:

a base;

a storage compartment supported by the base, the storage compartment including a first side wall panel and a second side wall panel in spaced opposition, and a first end wall panel and a second end wall panel in spaced opposition, each having a hinged connection with the base at respective bottom edges thereof that are arranged end-to-end in a substantially closed loop, and pivotable about its bottom edge between a stowed orientation and an upright orientation, but generally not foldable over itself, the storage compartment selectively deployable between (i) a collapsed condition, where the first end wall panel and the second end wall panel are lowered towards each other to their stowed orientations, and the first side wall panel and the second side wall panel are lowered towards each other to their stowed orientations in an overlying relationship with the first end wall panel and the second end wall panel, with the first side wall panel and the second side wall panel having immediately adjacent top edges opposite their respective bottom edges, and (ii) an open condition, where each wall panel is raised to its upright orientation; and

a deployment system for the storage compartment, the deployment system including a first strap system that connects an inboard portion of the first end wall panel to respective outboard portions of the first side wall panel and the second side wall panel substantially without slack, and a second strap system that connects an inboard portion of the second end wall panel to respective opposing outboard portions of the first side wall panel and the second side wall panel substantially without slack, wherein the first side wall panel, the second side wall panel, the first end wall panel and the second end wall panel are not otherwise interconnected for movement.

19. The cargo organizer of claim 18, wherein the deployment system includes a pull handle connected to the first end wall panel and, in the collapsed condition, the pull handle projects between the respective top edges of the first side wall panel and the second side wall panel.

20. The cargo organizer of claim 18, wherein, in the collapsed condition, a relief is defined between the respective top edges of the first side wall panel and the second side wall panel, and the relief coincides with a top edge of the first end wall panel opposite its bottom edge.