Vehicle Door Pocket

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to vehicle pocket assemblies and, more particularly, to pocket assemblies which are integral with the outer surface of a vehicle doors inner panel.

2. Description of Related Art

Vehicle pocket assemblies which extend from the door of a vehicle toward the passenger compartment and which are useful for storing items such as tools, books, maps and other personal items are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,730,581 which issued May 1, 1973 to Parkinson relates to a vehicle pocket arrangement including a downwardly depending flap covered with trim material which is integral with a filler board of a vehicle body door trim panel. The filler board is slightly larger than the depending flap and has trim material secured to the lateral and lower edge portions thereof to provide a pocket panel having a generally upwardly opening pocket. The pocket panel is positioned to the rear of the trim panel and then is moved upwardly to insert the flap within the pocket. The pocket material includes downwardly pointing integral portions which allow expansion of the pocket while depositing articles within the pocket.

U.S. Pat. No. 1,877,265 which issued Sep. 13 , 1932 to Chadwick discloses a vehicle body panel having a pocket structure attached thereto. The pocket structure includes a frame member which is attached within an aperture contained on the door panel and a coil spring which extends across the top of the frame. The pocket is constructed such that it will be resiliently held closed by the coil spring.

The vehicle pocket assembly of the present invention represents an improvement over the previously known vehicle pocket structures in that fewer parts are required for its manufacture. The vehicle pocket assembly of the present invention is attractive in appearance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, strong and durable in construction and versatile in use.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a vehicle pocket assembly for attachment to the outer surface of a vehicle door inner panel. The vehicle pocket assembly has an overall rectangular shape and comprises a backing member and an integral front member having a selectively enlargeable gap therebetween. The backing member typically includes a rigid structure which is provided with a decorative outer layer. The front member incorporates a relatively flat U-shaped frame with first and second end portions which project upwardly. Extending between the first and second end portions are first and second partially overlapping slats which make up a linearly expandable member. At a first end, each slat is connected to one of the frame ends and at a second end the slats are held in a slideably engaged position by a pair of connecting pins. The pocket assembly can be manipulated to enlarge the gap for receiving articles by pulling the front member toward the passenger compartment and holding it in that position. This movement causes the two slats of the linearly expandable member to slide away from each other which causes the gap to become enlarged. The maximum extent of expandability is controlled by a pair of grooves contained on the outermost of the two slats. At a specified point, movement of the slats relative to each other is limited as the connecting pins engaged a first or second end of the grooves. The front member is covered by a decorative material such as cloth, fiber, vinyl or leather to enhance the appearance of the pocket assembly. An internal flap, including an elastic strip, may also be provided to extend between the backing member and the integral front cover member to assist in retracting the vehicle pocket assembly from an expanded position. In larger pocket assemblies, a pair of internal flaps disposed at opposite ends of the pocket assembly may be utilized to assist in retracting the pocket assembly.

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a vehicle body door including the vehicle door pocket assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial front elevational view showing the vehicle door pocket assembly of FIG. 1 in an unexpanded position;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the vehicle pocket assembly of the present invention taken along lines 3--3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the vehicle pocket assembly of the present invention shown in an expanded position.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the vehicle pocket assembly 24 of the present invention is shown in an unexpanded position. The vehicle pocket assembly 24, which is generally located proximate to a first end 12 of the vehicle door 10 below the level of the armrest 14 comprises a backing member 26 which is located adjacent to the outer surface 18 of the vehicle door's inner panel 16 and an integral front member 42 having a selectively enlargeable gap 40 therebetween for receiving and storing articles.

The backing member 26 preferably is attached within a recessed area 22 of the outer surface 18 to the inner panel 16 either by adhering or stitching the backing member 26 to the inner panel 16. This inner panel can be made from a number of different materials including wood, fiber board, cardboard, steel and plastics, among others. For additional support, a plurality of spaced apart studs 34 are positioned along the bottom edge 28 of the backing member 26 and partially extend through both the backing member 26 and the inner panel 16. Each stud 34 typically includes a relatively flat head portion 36 located at a first end which abuts against the outer surface 30 of the decorative covering 32 provided on the backing member 26 and a second end 38 which extends through the inner panel. The decorative covering 32 may be made of any suitable material such as cloth, fiber, leather or vinyl to enhance the appearance of the vehicle pocket assembly 24.

The front member 42 includes a frame 52 and a linearly expandable member 68. The frame 52 which is relatively flat and has an overall U-shape is generally formed of steel or plastic. The linearly expandable member 68 extends between the first and second ends, 54 and 56, respectively, of the U-shaped frame 52 and includes first and second slats 70 and 78 which are typically formed from steel having spring-like characteristics. The first slat 70 is attached at a first end 72 to the first end 54 of frame 52 by an anchoring pin 60. The anchoring pin 60 includes a head 62 which locks over the outer surface 58 of the frame 52 and a second end 64 which extends through inner panel 16 and is held in placed by a clip 66. Likewise, the second slat 78 is attached at a first end 80 to the second end 56 of frame 52 by a second identical anchoring pin. Again, the head portion of the anchoring pin locks over the outer surface 58 of the frame 52 and a second end of the anchoring pin extends through inner panel 16 and is to be secured in position by an identical clip. Slats 70 and 78 overlap at their second ends 76 and 82, respectively, and are slideably connected by pins 84 which project outwardly from the first slat 70. The pins 84 which extend through grooves 88 and occur on the second slat 78 are provided with oversized heads 86 to hold the slats 70 and 76 contiguously together.

The front member 42 further includes a covering material 44 which is wrapped over the frame 52 and linearly expandable member 68 such that the first and second ends 46 and 48 respectively, of the material are retained under the studs 34. A suitable padding material 50 such as cushioning foam may be included and entrapped by the covering material 44 to give the pocket assembly 10 definition. The front member 42 is decoratively stitched to the back member along the bottom and sides to further adhere the front member 42 to the backing member 26 and to enhance the appearance of the pocket assembly. The covering material 44 is also stitched together along the top edge slightly below the linearly expandable member 68 to maintain the position of the slats within the front member 42.

Referring to FIG. 4, operation of the pocket assembly 24 is demonstrated. The pocket assembly 24 can be manipulated from a normal unexpanded position to an operative position by grasping the pocket assembly 24 and pulling it toward the interior of the vehicle. In the unexpanded position, the connecting pins 84 are positioned against a first end 90 of the grooves 88 and the slats are substantially flat relative to each other. As the front member 42 is pulled away from the backing member 26 by the operator 104, the first slat 70 and the second slat 78 slide linearly away from each other such that the pins 84 now engage the second end 92 of grooves 88. This causes the area of overlap between the first and second slats to become smaller and the slats to bow toward the interior of the vehicle. Articles can now be positioned within or removed from the gap portion 40 of the pocket assembly 24. To return the pocket assembly toward the unexpanded position, the operator 104 merely releases the front member which causes the slats to spring back into the relatively flat more overlapping position.

As demonstrated in FIG. 2, the vehicle pocket assembly may be provided with additional means to assist in retracting the pocket from an expanded position. In one embodiment, a flap 94 made of cloth, fiber, leather or vinyl is sewn along outline 96 or otherwise adhered to the inner surface of the front member 42. Preferably, the flap is formed from a separate piece of material but may be an extension of the front cover material. An elastic strip 98 is also provided to extend between the flap 94 and the backing member 26. Elastic strip 98 is attached along a first end 100 to the flap 94 and at a second end 102 to the backing member 26. Typically, the elastic strip is sewn to both the flap 94 and the backing member 26, although it is contemplated that the elastic strip could be glued or stapled to either surface. As the pocket assembly is expanded, the elastic strip 98 stretches in response. Upon release of the vehicle pocket assembly, the elastic strip 98 recoils to assist in drawing the vehicle pocket assembly closed. In an alternative embodiment, the elastic strip would be adhered directly to the inner surface of the cover thereby eliminating flap 94. Larger vehicle pocket assemblies may additionally be provided with a second flap and integral strip (not shown) disposed at the opposite end of the vehicle pocket assembly to assist in retracting the vehicle pocket assembly.

While the above description constitutes the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is to be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification, variation and change without departing from the proper scope and the fair meaning of the accompanying claims.