Abstract:
An overhead storage assembly is disclosed. The overhead storage assembly comprises a tray, a housing structure, and a first and second pair of track members. The first pair of track members are slidably moveable with respect to the housing structure. The second pair of track members are slidably moveably with respect to the first pair of track members. The tray is attached to the second pair of track members. A method of cycling the overhead storage assembly is also disclosed.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
   The present invention relates to vehicular storage assemblies, and in particular to an overhead storage assembly. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   It is known that vehicles have been equipped with storage assemblies. Vehicular storage assemblies have been located externally on the vehicle, which are commonly referred to in the art as “roof racks” or “article carriers,” that permit a user to secure large items, such as luggage, bicycles, skis, or the like, over the vehicle&#39;s outer roof structure, which is exposed to the elements. Vehicular storage assemblies have also been located within a passenger compartment area of the vehicle, such as, for example, a glove box or armrest, to stow smaller items, such as roadmaps, coins, compact discs, or the like. 
   Passenger compartment storage assemblies have also been located proximate the roof or ceiling, which is commonly referred to in the art as a “headliner,” in an overhead configuration relative to the seating position of vehicle occupants. Headliner-located storage assemblies, which have also been referred to in the art as “overhead consoles,” are typically fastened to the decorative show surface of the headliner during the vehicle manufacturing process. Overhead consoles typically provide storage bins for stowing other smaller item, such as sunglasses, garage door openers, and the like. 
   Other known overhead storage assemblies comprise a deployable tray attached to a housing. To deploy the tray from the housing, it has been required to pivot the tray in a first motion about a pair of common pivot points away from the headliner prior to pulling the tray in a second motion so that the operator may deposit or access contents in the tray. Because the design of such conventional assemblies include the pivoting action of the tray in a first motion, the weight of the tray and items stored therein add stress to the pair of common pivot points, which may cause mechanical failure of the assembly. To relieve the stress from the pair of common pivot points, such conventional overhead assemblies require a counterbalance or counter-weight mechanism. Additionally, upon pivotably deploying the tray in the first motion, items stored within the tray may be undesirably ejected or shifted as the tray pivots from a generally horizontal, stowed position to a partially deployed, inclined position. Even further, the counterbalance mechanism adds parts and increases cost of the assembly. Yet even further, the combination of the first pivoting motion and second pulling motion presents an awkward, cumbersome presentation of the tray to the operator. 
   As such, a need exists for an improved overhead storage assembly that reduces cost, reduces shifting of stored items during tray deployment, and presents a smooth deployment of the tray to the operator. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The inventors of the present invention have recognized these and other problems associated with overhead storage assemblies. To this end, the inventors have developed an overhead storage assembly comprising a tray, a housing structure, and a first and second pair of track members. The first pair of track members are slidably moveable with respect to the housing structure. The second pair of track members are slidably moveably with respect to the first pair of track members. The tray is attached to the second pair of track members. 
   A method of cycling the overhead storage assembly is also disclosed. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a front perspective view of an overhead storage assembly including a tray in a stowed position according to an embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 2A  illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of the storage assembly taken along line  2 — 2  of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 2B  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the storage assembly taken along line  2 — 2  of  FIG. 1  with a first pair of track members removed for clarity; 
       FIG. 3A  illustrates front cross-sectional view of the storage assembly taken along line  3 A— 3 A of  FIG. 2A ; 
       FIG. 3B  illustrates front cross-sectional view of the storage assembly taken along line  3 B— 3 B of  FIG. 2A ; 
       FIG. 4A  illustrates a rear perspective view of the overhead storage assembly  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4B  illustrates a rear perspective view of the overhead storage assembly  FIG. 4A  with the tray in a partially deployed position; 
       FIG. 4C  illustrates a rear perspective view of the overhead storage assembly  FIG. 4B  with the tray in a fully deployed position; 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the storage assembly  FIG. 4C  taken along line  5 — 5 ; 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a series of deployment positions of the tray  FIGS. 4A–4C ; 
       FIG. 6A  illustrates a sequencing path of tray movement  FIG. 6 ; 
       FIG. 6B  illustrates a sequencing path of tray movement according to another embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a partial overhead perspective view of the tray in the fully deployed position according to  FIG. 4C ; 
       FIG. 8A  illustrates a magnified view of the tray according to  FIG. 7  taken along line  8 ; 
       FIG. 8B  illustrates another magnified view of the tray in a second configuration according  FIG. 8A ; and 
       FIG. 8C  illustrates another magnified view of the tray in a third configuration according to  FIG. 8B . 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring initially to  FIGS. 1–2B , an overhead storage assembly is shown generally at  10  according to one embodiment of the invention. The overhead storage assembly  10  includes a housing  12  fixed to a headliner  20  and a tray  14  deployable from the housing  12 . The housing  12  includes an upper periphery lip  16  that rests upon and is fastened to an outboard surface  18   a  of the headliner  20 , such that the overhead storage assembly  10  is located within an opening  22  of the headliner  20 . Although the overhead storage assembly  10  is located within an opening  22  in the headliner  20 , the headliner  20  may not include an opening  22 , and, as shown in  FIG. 6 , for example, the storage assembly  10  may be secured to an inboard surface  18   b  of the headliner  20 . 
   Referring back to  FIG. 1 , the tray  14 , when in a stowed position, is generally flush with the housing  12  about a seam  24  that encompasses a front surface  30  and a lower surface  26  proximate side-surfaces  28  of the storage assembly  10 . If desired, the tray  14  may include a handle  32  that cooperates with a latch mechanism  34  ( FIG. 3B ) located proximate a tray bezel  35  to permit manual latching of the tray  14  with a pin  38  attached to a housing structure  45 . In an alternative embodiment, the latch mechanism  34  may be automatically latched or unlatched by a motor  36  ( FIGS. 2A and 2B ) via circuitry (not shown). 
   The motor  36  may also be used to automatically deploy and stow the tray  14  by attaching a flexible member, such as a cable or belt  40 , to the tray  14 . If attached by a bracket (not shown), the cable  40  may be cinched. Alternatively, if the cable  40  is attached to a pulley (not shown), a spring return or similar device (not shown) would deploy and retract the tray  14  to and from the ‘home’ position in the housing  12 . If a spring return is implemented, the pulley may maintain a 360° rotational effect to wind the cable  40 . Additionally, the circuitry may also communicate with a sensor (not shown) to intelligently drive the motor  36  in a manner to cause the cable to draw the tray  14  to the stowed position if a hatchback door (not shown) or the like were to be closed upon the deployed tray  14 . In either embodiment described above, the cable  40  may be located within a protective channel and/or secured to any desirable structure of the overhead storage assembly  10 . 
   A first and second pair of track members  42 ,  50  enable slidable deployment and stowage of the tray  14  from/within the housing  12 . Referring initially to  FIGS. 2A and 3A , the first pair of arcuate track members  42  are generally C-shaped in cross-section and are adapted to slidably-receive a first bearing assembly  44 . The first bearing assembly  44  includes pair of inboard-facing router bearing members that are rotatably mounted to the housing structure  45 . As seen in  FIG. 3B , each arcuate track member  42  is attached to a bracket member  46 . A second bearing assembly  48  is rotatably mounted to the bracket member  46  and includes a pair of inboard-facing bearing members. Referring to  FIGS. 2B and 3B , the second pair of track members  50  are attached to the tray  14  and include a first substantially linear length, L 1 , a second substantially linear length, L 2 , and are C-shaped in cross-section. The first and second lengths, L 1 , L 2 , are slidably-received about the inboard-facing bearing members  48  attached to the arcuate bracket member  46 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 4A–6 , the tray  14  is slidably deployed and stowed to and from the housing  12  along a sequencing path. As seen in  FIG. 4C , the sequencing path maintains a substantially parallel relationship, as defined by the location of the first and second pairs of tracks  42 ,  50 . Thus, the first and second track members  42 ,  50 , cooperate with each other in such a way so as to cause the tray  14  to be slidably-deployed and stowed from the housing  12  along a generally sinusoidal path, P, as shown in  FIG. 6A . 
   As seen in  FIG. 6A , when the tray  14  is deployed from the housing  12 , the tray  14  is sequenced from a first position, P 1 , to a second position, P 2 , to a third position, P 3 , as the tray  14  moves along the first pair of tracks  42 . As illustrated, the tray  14  is moved from a positive slope at the first position, P 1 , to a zero slope at the second position, P 2 , to a negative slope at the third position, P 3 , which is referenced from an upper portion  21  of the headliner  20 . The upper portion  21  of the headliner  20  forms a reference slope of approximately zero degrees. 
   Accordingly, the controlled movement of the tray  14  from the first position, P 1 , to the third position, P 3 , causes the tray  14  to deploy away from a generally horizontal, zero-slope position of the housing  12  to a substantially negative slope position, which is seen in  FIG. 6 , as the tray  14  is advanced from the stowed position in the housing  16  to a deployed position (in phantom). Accordingly, the negative slope deployment allows the tray  14  to drop below a contour  75  of the headliner  20  at a clearance, C, that would otherwise interfere with the deployment of the tray  14  if the tray  14  was to be deployed substantially parallel to the headliner  20 . As illustrated, the contour  75  is a “rear header” of the vehicle proximate a pivotably-deployed hatchback door (not shown). 
   In addition to providing a deployment clearance, C, the shape of the arcuate track member  42  permits deployment of the tray  14  at a negative slope that does not sharply deviate to a generally vertical, inclined position. As such, because the tray  14  is deployed at angle approximately between −15° and 0° (or nearly horizontal) such that items located on a storage surface  15  ( FIG. 7 ) of the tray  14  are less likely to fall from an aft end  56  to a fore end  58  of the tray  14 . If desired, the storage surface  15  may be lined with a frictional surface, such as a rubber matting, or the like, to increase the frictional constant of the storage surface  15  so as to further limit the shifting of items stored in the tray  14 . Additionally, the rubber matting may further reduce noise and vibration during vehicle operation. 
   Referring back to  FIG. 6A , once the tray  14  has been fully extended about the first pair of track members  42  to an intermediate position ( FIG. 4B ), further deployment of the tray  14  is sequenced to the second pair of tracks  50 . As such, the third position, P 3 , is sequenced to the forth position, P 4 , and the forth position, P 4 , is sequenced to the fifth position, P 5 . The forth and fifth position, P 4 , P 5 , correspond to the first and second linear lengths, L 1 , L 2  ( FIG. 2B ), of the second pair of tracks  50 . As the tray  14  is moved along the first and second linear lengths, L 1 , L 2 , the tray  14  still maintains a negative slope. As illustrated, the forth position, P 4 , includes a negative slope that is greater than the third position, P 3 , and the fifth position, P 5 , includes a negative slope that is greater than the forth position, P 4 . 
   Accordingly, the second pair of tracks  50  functions in extending the tray  14  from the first pair of tracks  42  to provide the operator with greater access to the tray  14 . Additionally, because the tray  14  starts to ramp by increasing the slope of the tray  14  from the third position, P 3 , to the fifth position, P 5 , items stored in the tray  14  are less likely to be effected by gravity, which is seen in  FIG. 6  at arrow, G, toward the fore end  58  of the tray  14 . More specifically, as illustrated in  FIG. 6A , although the tray  14  is positioned on a negative slope at the fifth position, P 5 , the fifth position is nearly parallel to the headliner  20 . As a result, because the tray  14  comes to rest at a slightly negative slope in the fully deployed fifth position, P 5 , the items stored in the tray  14  may be presented to the operator on a generally horizontal plane as the weight of the items and extended tray  14  are maintained by the first and second pairs of tracks  42 ,  50 . 
   In an alternative embodiment as illustrated in  FIG. 6B , the tray  14  may be deployed from the housing  12  using any desirable number of track pairs having any desirable shape. For example, although the tray  14  is deployed in a similar manner as shown above with respect to first through fifth positions P 1 –P 5 , positions Pa–Pe, are represented on first through fifth linear paths. As such, the first, second, and third positions Pa–Pc may correspond to pairs of first, second, and third linear track members (not shown) as opposed to a single pair of arcuate track members  42  that represents and performs that same function with respect to slope positions as described above in  FIG. 6A . Slope positions Pd and Pe may be realized by a substantially similar pair of track members  50 , or, alternatively, a forth and fifth pair of linear track members (not shown). 
   Although the tray slides freely about the track pairs  42 ,  50 , the sequencing of the track pairs  42 ,  50  are regulated by spring tabs  52 , which are shown in  FIG. 7 . Spring tabs  52  are located on opposing outboard surfaces  54  of the tray  14  at the fore end  58  and an aft end  56 . For purposes of describing the operation of the spring tabs  52 , a single spring tab  52  is shown in  FIG. 7  on one side of the fore end  58 . 
   In accordance with the deployment of the tray  14  in the direction of the arrow, D, as described above along the sequencing path, P, spring tabs  52  located at the aft end  56  of the tray  14  have to be unlatched prior to moving the tray  14  along the first pair of brackets  42  from the first position, P 1 , to the third position, P 3 . Then, prior to extending and sequencing the tray  14  to the forth position, P 4 , spring tabs  52  located at the fore end  58  have to be unlatched. 
   Accordingly, when the tray  14  is moved back to the housing  12  in the direction of the arrow, S, opposite the deployment direction, D, the spring tabs  52  are regulated back to the latched position. Referring to  FIG. 8A , one of the spring tabs  52  at the fore end  58  of the tray  14  is shown in an unbiased position. The spring tab  52  includes a substantially square-shaped periphery  60  fixed about an opening  62  of the tray  14 . The spring tab  52  also includes a substantially flat, flexible arm member  64  positioned about the opening  62 . The arm member  64  is further defined by a semi-circular detent portion  66  that radially extends outboardly, toward the side-surfaces  28 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 8B , upon moving the tray  14  in the direction of the arrow, S, the spring tab  52  comes into contact with a rigid tab member  68  that extends from the arcuate bracket member  46 . The rigid tab member  68  includes a substantially flat surface  70  and an intermediate, semi-circular detent portion  72  that radially extends inboardly toward the spring tab  52 . The semi-circular detent portion  72  abuts the semi-circular detent portion  66 , causing the arm member  64  to flex inwardly about the opening  62  in the direction of the arrow,  1 . As seen in  FIG. 8C , upon further movement of the tray  14  in the direction of the arrow, S, the semi-circular detent portion  72  moves past the semi-circular detent portion  66  of the spring tab  52 , thereby latching and regulating movement of the second pair of tracks  50  with respect to the first pair of tracks  42 . 
   Upon latching the spring tabs  52  at the fore end  58 , the tray  14  has been sequenced from the fully deployed position ( FIG. 4C ) back to the intermediate position ( FIG. 4B ). Then, upon advancing the tray  14  from the intermediate position in  FIG. 4B  back to the fully stowed position ( FIG. 4A ), the pair of spring tabs  52  at the aft end  56  are latched in a similar manner as described above within the housing  12 . Although not illustrated, a second pair of rigid tab members  68  may be integrally-formed, fastened or welded to an aft end of the housing structure  45 . 
   Because the storage assembly  10  is presented to a user on a negative slope in a nearly horizontal position, items may be stowed on the tray surface  15  in a desired position with minimal interference from gravity, G, that would causes an undesirable shift in the positioning of the items from the aft end  56  to the fore end  58 . Even further, because the tray  14  is slidably-received about the pair of common, parallel first and second tracks  42 ,  50  the weight of the tray  14  and applied load of stored items is maintained without the need for additional counterweight mechanisms. Thus, the inventive overhead storage assembly  10  described above reduces cost, reduces shifting of stored items during deployment, and presents a smooth deployment of the tray  14  to the operator. 
   It should be understood that the aforementioned and other various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed in practicing the invention. It is intended that the following claims define the scope of the invention and that the method and apparatus within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby.