Vehicular Trim Panel with Storage and Interfacing of Electronic Devices

• US 20110220430A1
• Filed: 03/11/2010
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Fowler, James H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,157,311 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/90
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/02 electric constitutive elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0005 Dashboard
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0075 using a containment or docking space

Abstract

An interior system of a vehicle includes an instrument panel substrate having a driver side, a passenger side, and a center section between the driver and passenger sides. The instrument panel substrate has an opening on the passenger side. A trim panel is mounted to the instrument panel substrate covering the opening and comprising a connector hub having a plurality of electrical connectors for mobile electronic devices. In one embodiment, at least a portion of the trim panel is releasable and pivotable after mounting in order to access a rear side of the trim panel. The trim panel may further include a cradle on the rear side to receive a printer, a paper holder on the rear side to receive and supply paper for the printer, and an elongated slot aligned with the cradle for feeding printed paper from the printer to a front side of the trim panel.

Claims

1. An interior system of a vehicle comprising:

an instrument panel substrate having a driver side, a passenger side, and a center section between the driver and passenger sides, the instrument panel substrate having an opening on the passenger side;

a trim panel mounted to the instrument panel substrate covering the opening and comprising a connector hub having a plurality of electrical connectors for mobile electronic devices.

2. The interior system of claim 1 wherein the trim panel includes at least a portion which is pivotable by a user of the vehicle.

3. The interior system of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the trim panel is releasable and pivotable after mounting in order to access a rear side of the trim panel, and wherein the trim panel further comprises a cradle on the rear side to receive a printer, a paper holder on the rear side to receive and supply paper for the printer, and an elongated slot aligned with the cradle for feeding printed paper from the printer to a front side of the trim panel.

4. The interior system of claim 3 wherein the trim panel comprises a storage well, wherein at least a portion of the connector hub is mounted within the storage well.

5. The interior system of claim 3 wherein the trim panel comprises a storage well, wherein the trim panel further comprises a recharging station for docking one of the mobile electronic devices.

6. The interior system of claim 5 wherein the recharging station is adapted to receive a fingerprint reader.

7. The interior system of claim 5 wherein the recharging station is adapted to receive a wireless microphone unit.

8. The interior system of claim 3 wherein the trim panel comprises a storage well having a floor, an upper side of the floor having a non-skid surface and a lower side of the floor having an inductive charging unit mounted thereon.

9. The interior system of claim 3 wherein the trim panel comprises a storage well, wherein the trim panel further comprises a lamp mounted to the storage well.

10. The interior system of claim 9 wherein the lamp generates red light.

11. The interior system of claim 3 wherein the cradle and the connector hub receive a service loop of a wiring harness of the vehicle.

12. The interior system of claim 3 wherein the trim panel includes manually operable connectors for selectably releasing or locking the trim panel with the instrument panel substrate.

13. The interior system of claim 2 wherein the trim panel comprises a storage well, wherein at least a portion of the connector hub is mounted within the storage well, and the pivotable portion of the trim panel comprises a door to selectably enclose the storage well.