Removable carry bag integrated into door trim

• US 8,701,951 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2010
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Lucas, Marc Jonathon, Pecoraro, Kathleen
• Primary Examiner(s): Nash, Brian D
• Assistant Examiner(s): BATTISTI, DEREK J
• Application Number:
  US12/871,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20110139846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,331 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109, 224/539, 224/575, 224/576, 224416-418, 224/432, 224/444
• US Class Current: 224/539
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 7/046 mounted on door
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/60 Means for supporting coupling part when not engaged

Abstract

A vehicle includes a high voltage traction battery, a front door trim including a removable trim panel, a removable/portable bag integral to the removable trim panel for storing inside the front door trim when the removable trim panel is attached to the front door trim. A charge cord kit is contained in the removable/portable bag, and includes a charge cord for connecting to an electrical power supply to charge the high voltage traction battery.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a high voltage traction battery;

a front door trim including a removable trim panel;

a foldable removable/portable bag integral to the removable trim panel disposable within the front door trim when the removable trim panel is attached to the front door trim; and

a charge cord kit contained in the removable/portable bag, and including a charge cord for connecting to an electrical power supply to charge the high voltage traction battery,

wherein the foldable removable/portable bag is capable of being folded inside out such that the charge cord kit is disposed outside of the foldable removable/portable bag and the removable trim panel is disposed inside the foldable removable/portable bag.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein a portion of the charge cord kit is affixed to the removable/portable bag.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein the portion of the charge cord kit affixed to the removable/portable bag is a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI).

4. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a handle portion connected to the removable/portable bag for carrying the removable/portable bag when the removable trim panel is removed from the front door trim.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the removable trim panel includes edges that cooperate with a slot defined by the front door trim surrounding the removable trim panel when the removable trim panel is attached to the front door trim such that the removable trim panel is slideably connectable with respect to the front door trim.

12. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the charge cord for connecting to an electrical power supply has a household outlet connector and the charge kit further including a second charge cord having a vehicle connector.

6. A vehicle comprising:

a high voltage traction battery;

a cabin having a vehicle trim structure disposed therein including a removable trim panel;

a pliable removable/portable bag connected to the removable trim panel and disposable behind the removable trim panel and hidden from view when the removable trim panel is attached to the vehicle trim structure; and

a charger for the high voltage fraction battery contained in and affixed to the removable/portable bag, and the bag is foldable inside out such that the charger is affixed to the outside of the removable/portable bag and the removable trim panel is at least partially disposed within the pliable removable/portable bag.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 wherein the charger further comprises a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) affixed to the pliable removable/portable bag.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 wherein the GFCI is affixed to the inside of the pliable removable/portable bag when attachable to the vehicle structure and the bag is foldable inside out such that the GFCI is affixed to the outside of the removable/portable bag.

9. The vehicle of claim 6 wherein the pliable removable/portable bag includes a handle portion for carrying the pliable removable/portable bag when the removable trim panel is removed from the vehicle trim structure.

10. The vehicle of claim 6 wherein the removable trim panel includes a locating mechanism that cooperates with an area of the vehicle trim structure surrounding the removable trim panel when the removable trim panel is attached to the vehicle trim structure, the locating mechanism locating and securing the removable trim panel with respect to the vehicle trim structure.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 wherein the locating mechanism comprises edges on the removable trim panel slidably receivable by slots defined by the vehicle trim structure.

13. A charger kit for a vehicle comprising:

a removable trim panel connectable to a door trim;

a bag capable of being folded inside out connected to the removable trim panel; and

a charger connected to the bag and disposable within the bag with the trim panel outside of the bag when carried and stored and disposable outside of the bag with the trim panel inside the bag when used for charging.

14. The charger kit of claim 13 wherein the charger is a charger for a high voltage traction battery.

15. The charger kit of claim 13 wherein the charger includes an alternating current to direct current converter connected to the bag and disposed between a first side and a second side of a charge cord, wherein the first side of the charge cord has a household outlet connector and the second side of the charge cord has a vehicle connector, and the converter and charge cord are disposable outside of the bag when folded inside out and storable inside the bag by folding the bag around the charge cord to dispose the converter and charge cord within the bag.

16. The charger kit of claim 13 wherein the removable trim panel is a rigid structure defining edges, the door trim is a rigid structure defining slots, and the edges of the removable trim panel are slideably engagable with the slots of the door trim for storage of the bag and charger within a vehicle door behind the door trim.