Vehicular storage enclosure

• US 8,205,926 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2007
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Grupo Antolin-Irausa, S.A.
• Original Assignee: Magna International Incorporated
• Inventors: Beckley, Daniel V., O'Brien, Timothy F., Glynn, Jeanette G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Kiran B
• Application Number:
  US12/513,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20100067221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,693 Days
• Field of Search: 296/37.14, 296/37.1, 296/37.15, 296/37.6, 180/321, 224/315, 190/108, 190/111, 190/115, 190/39, 190/109, 362/496
• US Class Current: 296/37.14
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 5/04 arranged at rear of vehicle B60R5/003, B60R5/006 take precedence; external trunks arranged at rear of vehicle B60R9/065
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/57 Operators with knobs or handles

Abstract

A vehicular storage enclosure comprising a sub-compartment (108) disposed within a passenger compartment (P) of a vehicle (V), wherein the sub-compartment (108) includes a closure panel (106) that provides selective access to the sub-compartment (108), wherein the closure panel (106) includes an outboard surface (116) that is substantially exposed to the passenger compartment (106) and an inboard surface (114) that is substantially exposed to the sub-compartment (108) when the sub-compartment (108) is closed off by the closure panel (106), and a handle (204) that is accessible from within the sub-compartment (108), and wherein one of or both of the handle (204) and an area proximate the handle (204) on the inboard surface (114) includes indicia (G) to conspicuously provide one or more instructions for opening the closure panel (106) from within the sub-compartment (108).

Claims

1. A vehicular storage enclosure comprising:

a sub-compartment disposed within a passenger compartment of a vehicle,

a closure panel movably-connected to the sub-compartment for completely closing-out the sub-compartment when the closure panel is arranged in a closed orientation relative to the sub-compartment, wherein the closed orientation results in ambient light within the passenger compartment of the vehicle not being permitted to enter the sub-compartment, wherein the closure panel includes an outboard surface that is substantially exposed to the passenger compartment and an inboard surface that is substantially exposed to the sub-compartment when the closure panel is arranged in the closed orientation relative to the sub-compartment,

a handle extending away from the inboard surface of the closure panel, wherein the handle is arranged substantially adjacent the inboard surface of the closure panel, wherein the handle is movably-arranged relative the inboard surface of the closure panel, wherein the handle is accessible from within the sub-compartment when the closure panel is arranged in the closed orientation relative to the sub-compartment, and

a latching mechanism configured to releasably-hold the closure panel in the closed orientation relative to the sub-compartment, wherein the handle is connected to the latching mechanism, wherein one of or both of the handle and an area proximate the handle on the inboard surface of the closure panel includes indicia to conspicuously provide one or more instructions for re-orientating the closure panel from the closed orientation to an open orientation, wherein a perimeter of the handle defines an arrow, wherein the arrow indicates a direction of slidable movement of the handle for re-orientating the closure panel from the closed orientation to the open orientation.

2. The vehicular storage enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the handle illuminates to conspicuously provide the indicia.

3. The vehicular storage enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the handle illuminates to conspicuously provide the indicia.

4. The vehicular storage enclosure according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of surface of the handle glows in the dark.

5. The vehicular storage enclosure according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of surface of the handle glows in the dark.

6. The vehicular storage enclosure according to claim 2, wherein at least a portion of surface of the handle glows in the dark.

7. The vehicular storage enclosure according to claim 3, wherein at least a portion of surface of the handle glows in the dark.

8. The vehicular storage enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the handle is molded from glow-in-the dark material.

9. The vehicular storage enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the handle is molded from glow-in-the dark material.

10. The vehicular storage enclosure according to claim 2, wherein the handle is molded from glow-in-the dark material.

11. The vehicular storage enclosure according to claim 3, wherein the handle is molded from glow-in-the dark material.