Article holder for an open dashboard compartment

• US 5,143,265 A
• Filed: 12/24/1990
• Issued: 09/01/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stephen W. Schultz
• Original Assignee: Stephen W. Schultz
• Inventors: Schultz, Stephen W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Recla, Henry J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walczak, David J.
• Application Number:
  US07/633,148
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 224/42.42, 224/47.42, 296/37.1, 296/37.6, 296/37.8, 296/37.12
• US Class Current: 224/483
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/12 of receptacles for cigarettes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 7/06 mounted on or below dashboards
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 7/088 for stowing tape cartridges, compact discs, or the like

Abstract

A casette or article holder for installation in an open glove compartment type storage space in a vehicle instrument panel, where the unique cassette holder is easily and quickly installed into the opening and particularly arranged for holding articles such as cassettes in position, which article holder is restrained from movement in the opening, and the article holder can be quickly installed and removed without damaging the dashboard of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A cassette and article holder for installation in and removable from an open compartment type storage space in the dashboard of a truck, where the compartment has top, bottom and rear walls, two side walls with a front compartment opening along a given plane, and the compartment has a front, lower ledge in the plane of the opening with an upper portion of the rear wall angled forwardly toward the opening, said holder comprising:

a base sized to support cassettes and shaped to fit into the compartment and substantially cover the bottom wall,

at least one vertical member secured to said base and shaped to fit into said compartment,

said vertical member has a front edge surface partially in the plane of the compartment opening and a rear edge surface positionable adjacent the rear wall of the compartment,

said rear edge surface of said vertical member is angled forwardly toward the opening and presses against the upper angled portion of the rear wall when the holder is in position in the compartment,

a holder ledge secured to a lower front edge of said vertical member adjacent to the compartment edge for retaining cassettes in the holder,

a front cover shaped to cover the compartment opening,

hinge means connected to a lower side edge of said cover and to a upper side of the holder ledge for pivotally moving the cover from an open position to a closed position adjacent the front edge surface of said vertical member,

and means for releasably holding said cover to said vertical member in the position of closing the compartment opening.

2. A cassette and article holder as claimed in claim 1 including, adhesive means positioned between said base and said bottom wall for holding said cassette holder in said compartment.

3. A cassette and article holder as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of said at least one, vertical member is positioned at each end of said base to form end walls for said cassette holder.

4. A cassette and article holder as claimed in claim 1,

5. A cassette and article holder as claimed in claim 1 wherein,

a pair of side members are supported on each end of said base member,

a back member is connected to said base member and said side members,

and said vertical member is connected to said back member and said base member.

6. A cassette article holder as claimed in claim 1 wherein,

a back wall is connected to the rear surface of the vertical member,

and side members are positioned at each end of said base with one side edge of each of said side members secured to said back wall.

7. A cassette article holder as claimed in claim 6 wherein,

said back wall and said side members extend upwardly a distance substantially less than the length of the rear edge of said vertical member.

8. A cassette article holder as claimed in claim 1 wherein,

said hinge means comprises at least two hinges secured between the holder ledge and the lower side edge of the front cover.

9. A cassette article holder as claimed in claim 8 in which,

each of said hinges comprises two pivoting parts, wherein one part is secured to, said holder ledge and thereby extends a hinge pivot point a spaced distance to the front of the compartment ledge, and the cover is positioned on the other part and thereby in the compartment opening plane.

10. A cassette and article holder for installation in and removable from an open compartment type storage space in the dashboard of a truck, where the compartment has top, bottom and rear walls, and two side walls with a front compartment opening along a given plane, said holder comprising:

a base sized to support cassettes and shaped to fit into the compartment and substantially cover the bottom wall,

at least three vertical members positioned along the length of said base member, with one of said members positioned at a central point along the length of said base member,

at least two front covers positioned along the length of said base member, with a bottom edge of each of said covers being pivotally connected to a front edge of the base member,

and releasable holding means being positioned on said central vertical member, releasably holding both of said covers in a closed position separately.

11. A cassette and article holder as claimed in claim 10 which,

a plurality of partitions are spaced along the length of said base member and are connected respectively to said base member and said back members.