Accessory in the form of an attache case for motor vehicle

• US 5,984,347 A
• Filed: 05/27/1997
• Issued: 11/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Andre Blanc-Rosset
• Original Assignee: Andre Blanc-Rosset
• Inventors: Blanc-Rosset, Andre
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Application Number:
  US08/863,247
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 280/727, 280/728.1, 312/235.8, 220/482, 224/539, 224/275, 224/540, 224/561, 224/560, 224/567, 224/545, 297/146, 297/163, 297/164, 297/169, 297/188.06, 297/188.04, 297/188.01
• US Class Current: 280/727
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/004 of foldable trays mounted on the back-rest

Abstract

An attache case type accessory is provided for motor vehicles or the like having at least two seats arranged one behind the other, the front seat 2 having a head-rest 10 or the like. The accessory is adapted to be removably mounted to the back of the front seat 2 so as to form a functional platform for a passenger sitting on the back seat. The attache case accessory includes a casing 20, a rigid frame 22 and a stabilizing means 24. The attache case type accessory is rotatably mounted about a shaft 30 so that it can be, in a non-use position, in a substantially vertical plane, and; in use position, in a substantially horizontal plane. The upper portion of the rigid frame 22 is suspended by a suspending and height adjustment means to the vertical supports of the head-rest 10 of the front seat 2. The stabilizing means comprises a pair of arms 24 that engage the back 4 of the seat so as to adjust and maintain the accessory in its substantially horizontal and vertical planes respectively.

Claims

1. An accessory in the form of an attache case for a motor vehicle or equivalent having at least two seats, one behind the other, termed the front seat and the rear seat, said front seat being fitted with a headrest or equivalent, said accessory being intended to be fitted removably to the backrest of said front seat in such a way as to form a practical platform for the use of a passenger sitting on said rear seat, and essentially comprising a housing, a rigid frame and a stabilizing means,

wherein said housing is mounted rotatably on a hinge pin running along a rear edge of said housing and along a lower part of said rigid frame, so that it can either be in an approximately vertical plane, in the non-use position, or be in an approximately horizontal plane approximately perpendicular to the plane of said rigid frame, in the use position;

the upper part of said rigid frame is hung by a hanging and height-adjustment unit from the posts of said headrest (10) of said front seat; and

said stabilizing means consists of a pair of length-adjustable arms designed to rest firmly on the rear face of the backrest of said front seat to enable said planes to be adjusted and kept approximately horizontal and vertical, respectively.

2. The accessory according to claim 1, wherein said housing is hollow in such a way as to create a compartment capable of accommodating a variety of types of equipment.

3. The accessory according to claim 2, wherein said compartment accommodates a snug-fitting removable inner tray.

4. The accessory according to claim 3, wherein said inner tray has wells of different shapes.

5. The accessory according to claim 3, comprising a means for fixing said inner tray against the inner face of said rigid frame.

6. The accessory according to claim 2, wherein said hollow housing comprises an additional lid enabling said compartment to be closed.

7. The accessory according to claim 6, wherein said additional lid is mounted rotatably on a hinge pin parallel to or coinciding with that of said housing.

8. The accessory according to claim 1, wherein said hanging and height-adjustment unit and said stabilizing means are at least partly housed in side chambers in said housing.

9. The accessory according to claim 2, wherein said hanging and height-adjustment unit consists at least partly of chains, with elastic means returning said unit to its rest position via a plurality of pulleys.

10. The accessory according to claim 9, wherein said chain consists of a plurality of closely spaced beads, at least one locking fork attached to said housing being able to be moved between two adjacent beads in order to lock said chain in a taut position after said accessory has been opened.

11. The accessory according to claim 8, wherein a transverse groove is formed across the outer face of said rigid frame that rests on said backrest in order to accommodate said cord and optionally a knob with which to grasp the latter.

12. The accessory according to claim 1, wherein a ring is fitted to at least one post of said headrest, which ring forms a groove that clamps said cord when the latter is inserted into it.

13. The accessory according to claim 1, wherein a remote free end of each of said arms is provided with a shoe having a contact surface for contact with the rear face of the backrest of said front seat, said shoe being mounted by a ball joint or equivalent on said is remote free end.

14. The accessory according to claim 1, wherein at least one supplementary fixing means connects said accessory to a part of said front seat or of the backrest thereof.

15. The accessory according to claim 14, wherein said supplementary fixing means comprises at least one strap extended by a spring means, one end of which is designed to attach to said front seat.

16. The accessory according to claim 15, wherein said fixing means comprises two straps that retract into said side chambers, each having one end that fits into a corresponding keeper fixed to the side of the backrest of said front seat.

17. The accessory according to claim 16, wherein said straps consist of chains of closely spaced beads, with a locking means optionally being provided to fix its length.

18. The accessory according to claim 1, wherein a levelling means is built into said housing to allow fine adjustment of at least one of said approximately vertical and horizontal planes.

19. The accessory according to claim 1, wherein said rigid frame forms a lid for said housing when the accessory is in the non-use position.

20. The accessory according to claim 1, wherein a rigid stay means connects said frame and said housing in order to determine the maximum functional angle of opening between them.

21. The accessory according to claim 1, wherein an electrical lead capable of being connected to the battery of said vehicle is provided in order to provide electrical power to the electrically operated devices included in said accessory.

22. The accessory according to claim 1, wherein said hinge pin is a breakable pin that breaks in the event of a crash if said accessory in the form of an attache case is open.

23. The accessory according to claim 1, wherein the front lateral edge of said accessory is capable of containing an airbag that inflates automatically in the event of a crash.

24. The accessory according to claim 2, wherein the bottom of said compartment is mounted so as to slide in the manner of a drawer.

25. Accessory according to claim 1, wherein it is provided with a handle fixed to the housing or to the frame and forming a specific angle with respect to the general plane of said accessory.