Abstract:
A vehicular article storage device includes a storage box having at least two storage compartments therein, at least three locking portions formed at mutually isolated positions on the storage box, and a fixing member having opposing fixing ends, each end being releasably engageable with any one of the locking portions. Articles are fixedly stored in at least one of the two storage compartments by engaging the ends with any two of the locking portions.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a vehicular article storage device allowing an article stored in a storage box to be fixedly supported in the storage box using fixing means that causes both ends of the article to be releasably engaged with a selected locking portion provided in the storage box.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     A conventional vehicular article storage device disposed in a rear fender of a motorcycle is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 4-278887. The conventional storage box includes a pair of hooks so that an article stored in the storage box may be fixedly supported in the storage box by locking both ends of fixing means placed over the article onto the pair of hooks.  
         [0003]     There are several limitations with such conventional storage boxes. For example, the type and number of articles that can be fixedly supported in the storage box are limited. Specifically, the conventional device is unable to respond to variable shapes and quantities of the articles to be stored.  
         [0004]     The present invention has been conceived to solve the aforementioned problem with the conventional article storage device. An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a vehicular article storage device capable of storing and fixing articles in a storage box thereof by flexibly responding to changes in a shape or the number of articles to be stored in the storage box.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     To achieve the foregoing object, in a first aspect of the present invention, a vehicular article storage device has an arrangement that allows an article stored in a storage box to be fixedly supported thereto using fixing means causing both ends thereof to be releasably engaged with a locking portion provided in the storage box. At least three locking portions are disposed at mutually isolated positions in the storage box, allowing specific locking portions for engaging both ends of the fixing means to be selected.  
         [0006]     In a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the arrangement according to the first aspect of the present invention, a distance between a specific locking portion of at least the three locking portions and each of the remainder locking portions is set so as to be substantially the same.  
         [0007]     In a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the arrangement according to the first aspect of the present invention, the fixing means is formed stretchably and elastically.  
         [0008]     In a fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the arrangement according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, a first storage recess, and a second storage recess which is shallower than the first storage recess, are arranged so as to form a mutually continuous row in the storage box. At least one locking portion, among the three locking portions, is located in the storage box at a position that is substantially between the first and the second storage recesses.  
         [0009]     In a fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the arrangement according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the first and the second locking portions, which are located substantially on either end in the direction, in which the first and the second storage recesses are lined up in the storage box opening upward, are disposed at levels different from each other in a vertical direction. In addition, the third locking portion, which is situated between the first and the second locking portions in the direction, in which the first and the second storage recesses are lined up, is disposed at a level lower than the first and the second locking portions at a position substantially between the first and the second storage recesses.  
         [0010]     According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to store and secure articles in the storage box by flexibly responding to a change in the shape and quantity of the articles through the arrangement, in which both ends of the fixing means are to be engaged with two locking portions selected from among at least the three locking portions in response to the change in the shape and quantity of the articles.  
         [0011]     According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to store and secure articles using the same fixing means even with the changing quantity of articles to be stored or changing fixing position in the storage box.  
         [0012]     According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to respond to an even greater change in the type of articles to be stored and secured in the storage box by placing the elastic fixing means over an article while letting a length thereof change.  
         [0013]     According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the first and the second storage recesses having a different depth from each other are formed in the storage box and a single locking portion is disposed at a position substantially corresponding to a point between the first and the second storage recesses. This allows articles of a plurality of types with different sizes to be efficiently stored and secured in the storage box.  
         [0014]     According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to dispose each of the locking portions so as to effectively secure the articles stored in the first and the second storage recesses. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]     A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a side elevational view showing a four-wheel buggy;  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged view showing a principal part of the four-wheel buggy shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing a rear fender;  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  is a view showing the rear fender;  
         [0020]      FIG. 5  is a view showing a storage box having a first article and a second article stored and secured therein, as viewed on arrow  5 - 5  of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0021]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5 ;  
         [0022]      FIG. 7  is a view on arrow  7  of  FIG. 6 ;  
         [0023]      FIG. 8  is a view showing the storage box with the first article stored therein, as viewed from the same direction as in  FIG. 5 ;  
         [0024]      FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  9 - 9  of  FIG. 8 ;  
         [0025]      FIG. 10  is a view showing the storage box with the second article stored therein, as viewed from the same direction as in  FIG. 5 ; and  
         [0026]      FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  11 - 11  of  FIG. 10 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0027]     Referring first to  FIG. 1 , a pair of front wheels WF and a pair of rear wheels WR are suspended at a front portion and a rear portion, respectively, of a vehicle body frame  15  included in the four-wheel buggy. A steering handlebar  16 , a fuel tank  17 , and a straddle type seat  18  are disposed, in that order from a front toward a rear, on an upper portion of the vehicle body frame  15 . A power unit P including an engine E for driving the pair of rear wheels WR is mounted on the vehicle body frame  15  downward from the fuel tank  17  and the seat  18 , situated between the front wheels WF and the rear wheels WR.  
         [0028]     Referring also to  FIG. 2 , the vehicle body frame  15  further includes a pair of right and left seat rails  19  and a pair of right and left back stays  20 . The pair of right and left seat rails  19  extends upwardly rearwardly. The pair of right and left back stays  20  is located downward of the pair of right and left seat rails  19  and extends upwardly rearwardly. The pair of back stays  20  inclines upwardly rearwardly at an angle more acute than the pair of seat rails  19 . Rear ends of the pair of back stays  20  are connected to rear ends of the pair of seat rails  19 .  
         [0029]     Referring to both  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the pair of rear wheels WR is covered with a rear fender  21  supported by the seat rails  19  and the back stays  20 . The rear fender  21  may be formed, for example, from a synthetic resin. The rear fender  21  integrates a pair of right and left fender portions  21   a,    21   a  with a central connecting portion  21   b.  The pair of right and left fender portions  21   a,    21   a  is formed arcuately so as to cover the pair of rear wheels WR from an upward direction. The central connecting portion  21   b  connects the pair of right and left fender portions  21   a,    21   a.    
         [0030]     The central connecting portion  21   b  of the rear fender  21  is covered by the seat  18  that can be opened and closed. An opening  25  is formed in the central connecting portion  21   b  at a portion forward from a middle portion in a fore-aft direction. The opening  25  is for disposing an air cleaner  24  connected to the engine E of the power unit P via an intake pipe  22  and a carburetor  23 . In addition, a storage box  27  forming a storage recess  26  that is downwardly recessed is integrally provided for the central connecting portion  21   b  at a position rearward of the opening  25 .  
         [0031]     Referring to  FIGS. 5 through 7 , the storage box  27  is formed as follows. Specifically, in a longitudinal cross-sectional shape thereof, the storage box  27  is formed by a front wall  28 , a rear wall  29 , and a bottom wall  30 . The rear wall  29  opposes the front wall  28  from a rearward direction. The bottom wall  30  connects a lower end of the front wall  28  with a lower end of the rear wall  29 . The front wall  28  is formed into a flat surface inclined upwardly. The bottom wall  30  having, for example, a pair of drain holes  42 , is provided at the lower end of the front wall  28  in a connected row arrangement. The bottom wall  30  is substantially at right angles with the front wall  28 . The rear wall  29  is formed, for example, so as to have a greater distance from the front wall  28  in a stepwise fashion in three steps as the rear wall  29  rises upward. The rear wall  29  may include a lower stage  29   a  and an upper stage  29   b.  The lower stage  29   a  is a flat portion facing upward. The upper stage  29   b  is disposed upward of the lower stage  29   a  and faces upward. The upper stage  29   b  is arcuately formed, swelling downwardly.  
         [0032]     The storage recess  26  in the storage box  27  includes a first and a second storage recess  26   a,    26   b  arranged mutually continuously in the fore-aft direction. The first storage recess  26   a  is deeply formed with the bottom wall  30  used as a bottom thereof. The second storage recess  26   b  continuously extending from the rear of the first storage recess  26   a  is formed shallowly with the upper stage  29   b  used as a bottom thereof. The second storage recess  26   b  is shallower than the first storage recess  26   a.    
         [0033]     The storage box  27  is provided with at least three locking portions. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the storage box  27  includes a first, a second and a third locking portion  31 ,  32 ,  33 . These locking portions  31 ,  32 ,  33  are disposed at a central portion in a width direction, being mutually apart from each other.  
         [0034]     The first locking portion  31  and the second lock portion  32  are disposed substantially on either end in a direction, in which the first storage recess  26   a  and the second storage recess  26   b  are lined up, that is, in the fore-aft direction. The first and the second locking portions  31 ,  32  are also disposed at mutually different levels in a vertical direction in the storage box  27 . The third locking portion  33  is situated between the first and the second locking portions  31 ,  32  along the direction, in which the first storage recess  26   a  and the second storage recess  26   b  are lined up, that is, the fore-aft direction. The third locking portion  33  is located at a level lower than the first and the second locking portions  31 ,  32 . The third locking portion  33  is provided in the storage box  27  at a position that is substantially between the first and the second storage recesses  26   a,    26   b.    
         [0035]     The first locking portion  31  is provided on an upper end of the front wall  28 . The first locking portion  31  is formed into an upwardly protruding arc, protruding toward a side of the opening  25 . The second locking portion  32  is located on a level lower than the first locking portion  31 . The second locking portion  32  is provided in a protruding condition rearwardly from the storage box  27 . The second locking portion  32  forms a continuation from an upper end of a rear portion of the upper stage  29   b.  The third locking portion  33 , which is the lowest in level among the three locking portions, is provided in a protruding condition from the rear wall  29 , protruding into the storage recess  26  between the lower stage  29   a  and the upper stage  29   b.    
         [0036]     Of the first through third locking portions  31 ,  32 ,  33 , a specific locking portion or the first locking portion  31  is disposed substantially at an equal distance from each of the remainder locking portions, or the second and the third locking portions  32 ,  33 .  
         [0037]     Both ends of a fixing band  35  as a fixing means can be releasably engaged with each of the first through third locking portions  31 ,  32 ,  33 . An operation hole  36  is provided in the rear wall  29  upward of the second locking portion  32 . The operation hole  36  allows either one of the two ends of the fixing band  35  to be releasably coupled to the second locking portion  32 . Further, there is also provided an operation hole  37  in the rear wall  29  at a portion corresponding to the third locking portion  33 . The operation hole  37  allows either one of the two ends of the fixing band  35  to be releasably coupled to the third locking portion  33 .  
         [0038]     The fixing band  35  is formed stretchably and elastically as follows. Specifically, ring-shaped engagement members  39 , which can be engaged with any of the first through third locking portions  31 ,  32 ,  33 , are attached to both ends of a rubber band  38 .  
         [0039]     A first article  40  that may, for example, be an owner&#39;s manual or other having a shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, can be suitably accommodated in the storage box  27 . A second article  41  that may, for example, be a bag of a tool kit rounded into a shape of a circular cylinder, can also be suitably accommodated in the storage box  27 . The first and the second articles  40 ,  41  can be stored and secured in the storage box  27  as follows. Specifically, referring to  FIGS. 5 through 7 , the first article  40  is stored in a front portion of the storage box  27  along the front wall  28 . The second article  41  is stored in the rear of the first article  40  in the storage box  27  such that a part thereof is placed on the upper stage  29   b  of the rear wall  29 . The fixing band  35  is then commonly placed over the first and the second articles  40 ,  41 , with both ends thereof being engaged with the first and the second locking portions  31 ,  32 , respectively.  
         [0040]     Referring to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , only the first article  40  may be stored and secured in the storage box  27 . In this case, it is only necessary that the fixing band  35  with both ends to be engaged with the first and the third locking portions  31 ,  33 , respectively, be placed over the first article  40  stored in the front portion of the storage box  27  along the front wall  28 .  
         [0041]     Referring to  FIGS. 10 and 11 , only the second article  41  may be stored and secured in the storage box  27 . In this case, it is only necessary that the fixing band  35  with both ends to be engaged with the second and the third locking portions  32 ,  33 , respectively, be placed over the second article  41  stored in the rear portion of the storage box  27  such that part thereof rests on the upper stage  29   b  of the rear wall  29 .  
         [0042]     In operation, the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described. The storage box  27  is provided in the rear fender  21  so as to be covered with the openable seat  18 . At least three locking portions are provided for the storage box  27  so that the first and the second articles  40 ,  41  or the like stored in the storage box  27  can be fixedly supported in the storage box  27  using the fixing band  35 . According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first, the second, and the third locking portions  31 ,  32 ,  33  are disposed at positions mutually apart from each other in the storage box  27 . Both ends of the fixing band  35  are to be releasably engaged with selected two of the three locking portions  31  to  33 .  
         [0043]     It is therefore possible to store and secure articles in the storage box  27  by flexibly responding to changes in the shape and quantity of the articles. This is specifically accomplished by engaging both ends of the fixing band  35  with two specific locking portions selected from among the first, the second, and the third locking portions  31 ,  32 ,  33  according to a change made in the shape and/or the quantity of the articles to be stored. More specifically, a fixing band engagement state is changed as detailed in the following according to the shape and/or the quantity of the articles to be stored.  
         [0044]     In a first state, referring to  FIGS. 5 through 7 , both ends of the fixing band  35  are engaged with the first and the second locking portions  31 ,  32  so that the first and the second articles  40 ,  41  are stored and secured in the storage box  27 .  
         [0045]     In a second state, referring to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , both ends of the fixing band  35  are engaged with the first and the third locking portions  31 ,  33  so that the first article  40  is stored and secured in the storage box  27 .  
         [0046]     In a third state, referring to  FIGS. 10 and 11 , the both ends of the fixing band  35  are engaged with the second and the third locking portions  32 ,  33  so that the second article  41  is stored and secured in the storage box  27 .  
         [0047]     In addition, of the first through third locking portions  31 ,  32 ,  33 , a specific locking portion or the first locking portion  31  is disposed substantially at an equal distance from each of the remainder locking portions, or the second and the third locking portions  32 ,  33 . This allows the same fixing band  35  to be used for storing and securing an article in the storage box  27  even when there is a change in the quantity of articles to be stored or in the fixing position inside the storage box  27 . Specifically, the same fixing band  35  can be used in both of the following cases. That is, in one, both ends of the fixing band  35  are engaged with the first and the second locking portions  31 ,  32  so that the first and the second articles  40 ,  41  are stored and secured in the storage box  27  as shown in  FIGS. 5 through 7 . In the other, both ends of the fixing band  35  are engaged with the first and the third locking portions  31 ,  33  so that the first article  40  is stored and secured in the storage box  27  as shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 .  
         [0048]     The fixing band  35  is formed stretchably and elastically. This makes it possible to place the fixing band  35  elastically over an article by letting the length of fixing band  35  change. This enables flexibility in responding to an even greater change in the type of articles to be stored and secured in the storage box  27 .  
         [0049]     The first storage recess  26   a,  and the second storage recess  26   b  which is shallower than the first storage recess  26   a,  are arranged so as to form a mutually continuous row in the storage box  27 . The third locking portion  33 , among the first through the third locking portions  31 ,  32 ,  33 , is located in the storage box  27  at a position that is substantially between the first and the second storage recesses  26   a,    26   b.  This allows the articles  40 ,  41  of a plurality of types with different sizes to be efficiently stored and secured in the storage box  27 .  
         [0050]     Moreover, the first and the second locking portions  31 ,  32 , which are located substantially on either end in the direction, in which the first and the second storage recesses  26   a,    26   b  are lined up (in the fore-aft direction according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention) in the storage box  27  opening upward, are disposed at levels different from each other in the vertical direction. In addition, the third locking portion  33 , which is situated between the first and the second locking portions  31 ,  32  in the direction, in which the first and the second storage recesses  26   a,    26   b  are lined up, is disposed at a level lower than the first and the second locking portions  31 ,  32  at a position substantially between the first and the second storage recesses  26   a,    26   b.  This allows each of the locking portions  31  to  33  to be disposed so as to effectively secure the articles  40 ,  41  stored in the first and the second storage recesses  26   a,    26   b.    
         [0051]     The present invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, and it should be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.  
         [0052]     The present invention is not applied solely to the storage box  27  provided in the rear fender  21  of the four-wheel buggy. Rather, the present invention may also be applicable, for example, to cases associated with a storage box provided in a rear fender, a vehicle body cover, or the like of a motorcycle.  
         [0053]     The foregoing descriptions have been made referring to an exemplary case, in which the first through the third locking portions  31 ,  32 ,  33  are provided for the storage box  27 . It goes without saying that four or more locking portions may be provided for the storage box.  
         [0054]     It may further be possible to store and secure a U-shaped lock in the storage box  27 .  
         [0055]     In the above description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and within which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments by which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.