Abstract:
A storage compartment mounted to the floor of a motor vehicle under a seat. The compartment is for storing vehicle components such as car batteries. The compartment includes an opening secured by a strap and the strap is held in place by a removable fastener and a passive restraint. The passive restraint is meant to secure the strap when the removable fastener is not in place so that the contents of the compartment may not exit the compartment.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to vehicular component storage, and more particularly to storage of motor vehicle components under at least one seat in the passenger compartment. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Modern motor vehicles have a multitude of components that must be assembled and stored in the vehicle. A problem that has arisen in many modern vehicles is that to minimize overall body size and to increase vehicle features the space in the engine compartment has become premium. This being the case, there has been a movement to place some components that had been previously mounted in the engine compartment in the passenger compartment. The areas most conducive to such storage within the passenger compartment are the areas below the passenger seats. If components are not mounted here then the area below the seats often goes unutilized or under utilized. 
     There have been a few designs for under seat compartments, but they have often required the removal of the seats to service the stored components. The removal of the seats has become disadvantageous as more features are added to vehicle seats. Seats with more features generally have more electronics routed through them so that owner removal of the seats is unwanted. Therefore, the old storage compartments that require the removal of the seats to service the stored components are no longer advantageous. 
     Consequently, storage compartments under the seats must allow access through side doors so that the stored component may be slid out from under the seat. Thus a solid, or unmovable, storage area must contain a door that is secured to contain the vehicle component. Therefore, it is desirable to provide the storage compartment with a passive restraining device that will ensure the component is properly secured in the storage compartment even without a standard securing device. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the invention, a storage compartment is mounted to the vehicle floor under at least one seat in the vehicle. The compartment further comprises an opening that is secured by a strap that is hingedly attached to the remainder of the compartment so that the strap may be moved to allow access to the component stored within the storage compartment. The strap is secured by a removable fastener that is generally installed to secure the opening to the storage compartment. However, a passive restraint is also present to supplement the removable fastener and to secure the strap when the removable fastener is not properly installed or not present. The passive restraint is secured to the vehicle floor and is not removed once installed in the vehicle. 
     Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood however that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a transparent side view of a motor vehicle with a car battery having been placed under a front seat; 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a seat bottom having a component storage unit having a car battery placed within it; 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the component storage unit; 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the component storage unit in its open position and the direction of the car battery&#39;s movement to be serviced; 
     FIG. 5 shows the seat bottom and the installed and uninstalled position of the car battery; 
     FIG. 6 shows a car battery installed in the component storage unit and the passive restraint; 
     FIG. 7 shows the strap engaging the passive restraint to the component storage unit if the fastener were not present or broken when the battery moves forward; 
     FIG. 7 a  is an enlarged view of the passive restraint engaging the component storage unit strap; 
     FIG. 8 shows one embodiment of the passive restraint being disengaged from the locked position so as to allow the component storage unit strap to be opened; 
     FIG. 9A shows the main body strap being deformed so as to gain access to the storage area without engaging the passive restraint; and 
     FIG. 9B shows the component storage unit strap being deformed so as to gain access to the storage area without engaging the passive restraint. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 shows the possible placement of a vehicle component, here a battery  1 . The battery  1  is placed below a vehicle seat  3  and resting on the vehicle floor  17 . The battery  1  may be loaded vertically into place before the seat  3  is installed into the vehicle  7 . The battery  1  or other component can be stored within the plurality of supports  21  of the vehicle seat. This space would otherwise be unutilized within the vehicle  7 . However, the battery  1  must be secured to ensure retention of the battery  1 . Also this system for securing the battery will also allow for ease of service access. 
     FIG. 2 shows a component retention system  15  for securing the battery  1  in place so that it can not move once properly installed. The component retention system  15  includes a main body strap  5 , a strap  16  for opening the component retention system  15  and a hinge  4  which hingedly attaches the strap  16  and allows for ease of entry into the component retention system  15 . 
     FIG. 3 shows only the component retention system  15  in which the component may be placed. It can be seen that the strap  16  has a first part  22  which is the main body of the strap  16  and a second part, a flange  13  that extends essentially perpendicular to the main body  22  of the strap  16 . A removable fastener  6  fits through an opening in the flange  13  which secures the strap  16  in its closed position. The fastener  6  is secured to the floor  17  of the vehicle. 
     FIG. 4 shows the component retention system  15  with the strap  16  moved in the direction of Arrow A to the opened position. When the strap  16  is in this position the battery  1  may be slid laterally to remove it from the component retention system  15 . The strap  16  may be oriented in a fore-aft direction under the seat  3  as long as there is adequate room to remove the battery  1 . This allows the battery  1  to be easily serviced after it has been installed under the seat  3 . FIG. 5 illustrates how the battery  1  may be moved from its first installed position to a second uninstalled/service position. This entire process is completed without disturbing the seat  3  and any electronics that may be attached to such seat. 
     FIG. 6 shows the passive restraint device in the form of a tab  12  mounted in front of the strap  16 . The passive restraint  12  is fixedly attached to the vehicle floor  17  so that it can not be removed even if the captured fastener  6  is lost or not properly replaced. Preferably, the captured fastener  6  is provided with a push nut to prevent the fastener  6  from being removed. The passive restraint  12  is engaged, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 7 a  when the battery  1  moves towards the strap  16  when the removable fastener  6  has not been properly replaced. FIG. 6 further shows how the passive restraint  12  is truly passive in that when the strap  16  is released the force of gravity pushes the strap away from the passive restraint  12 . Therefore, when the battery  1  shifts within the storage compartment  5  the flange  13  on the strap  16  will engage the passive restraint  12 . 
     FIG. 7 shows the flange  13  on the strap  16  engaging the passive restraint  12 . FIG. 7A shows an enlargement of this action. The battery  1  is shown moving in the direction ‘A’ so as to come into contact with the strap  16 . In these Figures the removable fastener  6  is not in place so that the passive restraint  12  may be engaged. If the passive restraint  12  were not present then the battery  1  would be able to move out of the component retention system  15  and enter the area of the passenger compartment of the automobile  7 . The advantage of this system is that even when the removable fastener  6  is not properly replaced the battery  1  will still remain in the component retention system  15 . 
     FIG. 8 shows a first embodiment for disengaging the passive restraint  12  to service the battery  1  stored in the component retention system  15 . In this embodiment the passive restraint  12  is pressed towards the vehicle floor  17 , thereby moving the passive restraint  12  from a first generally vertical locked position to a second generally horizontal unlocked position, so that the strap  16  may move over the passive restraint  12 . In this manner, the flange  13  may not engage the passive restraint  12 . In this embodiment a spring device  30  ensures that the passive restraint  12  will move back to its generally vertical locked position so that the passive restraint  12  may engage the flange  13  once the battery  1  is reinstalled. 
     FIG. 9A shows a second embodiment for disengaging the passive restraint  12  to service the battery  1  stored in the component retention system  15 . In this embodiment the main body strap  5  is constructed of a material that may be deformed from a first generally straight form to a second bent form so that the strap  16  can be lifted upward so the flange  13  may clear the passive restraint  12 . In this embodiment the passive restraint  12  is fixedly attached to the vehicle floor  17  and does not move. As an alternative, as shown in FIG. 9B, the strap  16  is constructed of a material that may be deformed from a first generally straight form to a second bent form so that the flange may clear the passive restraint  12 . 
     The battery  1  is installed below the seat  3  by fixing the battery  1  within the retention system  15 . The strap  16  is then positioned so that the flange  13  is disposed behind the passive restraint  12 . This is performed by bending the main body strap  5  upward and/or bending the strap  16  depending on which embodiment is utilized (FIG. 9A,  9 B). the captured fastener  6  is then inserted in the threaded hole provided in the floor  17 . 
     During removal, the fastener  6  is released and the flange  13  is lifted upward as shown in either FIGS. 9A or  9 B or alternatively, the passive restraint  12  is rotated downward and rearward (as illustrated in FIG. 8) so that the strap  16  can be lifted out of the way. The battery  1  can then be removed. 
     The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.