Vehicle seat storage device

A storage device for attaching to a vehicle seat includes a storage member, a connecting member that removably couples to the frame of a vehicle seat, and an intermediate member that removably couples to the connecting member and the storage member.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates in general to storage devices, and more particularly 
to a vehicle seat storage device. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Mobile voice communications equipment has enjoyed substantial use over the 
past decade. Many cars, trucks, airplanes, boats, and other vehicles are 
equipped with telecommunications equipment, such as cellular telephones, 
that facilitate mobile voice communications. Many cellular telephones 
today are directly mounted to a portion of the vehicle, such as the 
console, the seat, the armrest, or the ceiling of the cabin. Directly 
mounting telecommunications equipment to a portion of the vehicle 
permanently alters the vehicle, requires mounting hardware, and is often 
difficult to remove. Furthermore, the location of a cellular telephone 
mounted directly to the vehicle may not be customized for each operator of 
the vehicle. Therefore, operators may be required to divert their 
attention away from operating the vehicle to access the telecommunications 
equipment. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with the present invention, a vehicle seat storage device is 
provided which substantially eliminates or reduces disadvantages and 
problems associated with previous vehicle seat storage devices. 
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a storage device for 
attaching to a vehicle seat includes a storage member, an intermediate 
member having a first end and a second end, and a connecting member. The 
intermediate member removably couples to the storage member at the first 
end, and the connecting member removably couples to a vehicle seat and the 
intermediate member. 
Another embodiment of the present invention is a method for attaching a 
storage device to a vehicle seat. The method includes removably coupling a 
connecting member to a vehicle seat, removably coupling an intermediate 
member to the connecting member, and removably coupling a storage member 
to the intermediate member. 
Technical advantages of the present invention include a storage device that 
is dynamically attachable to and detachable from a vehicle seat. The 
storage device attaches to the structure of various vehicle seats without 
permanent vehicle alteration or the use of mounting brackets or adhesive. 
The storage device includes a storage member, an intermediate member, and 
a connecting member that attach and detach one from the other using 
removable fasteners and adapt to operate with various seat configurations 
and height geometries. For example, an operator may customize the position 
of the storage device while operating the vehicle by repositioning the 
storage member and/or the intermediate member so that the stored 
telecommunications equipment is positioned within easy reach of the 
operator. As a result, the operator of the vehicle may remove or adjust 
the storage device without physically altering the vehicle or 
substantially diverting attention away from operating the vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
FIG. 1 illustrates a storage device 10 that includes a storage member 12, 
an intermediate member 14, and a connecting member 16. In general, storage 
member 12 stores a variety of articles, such as telecommunications 
equipment, and removably attaches to intermediate member 14. Connecting 
member 16 removably attaches to the structure of a vehicle seat and to 
intermediate member 14. Therefore, an operator of a vehicle may remove or 
reposition storage member 12 or intermediate member 14 without detaching 
connecting member 16 from the vehicle seat by repositioning storage member 
12 in relation to intermediate member 14 or by repositioning intermediate 
member 14 in relation to connecting member 16. 
Storage member 12 comprises a bag, a pouch, or any other suitable member 
capable of storing various articles, such as, for example, 
telecommunications equipment. Storage member 12 may be constructed from 
canvas, denim, cotton, or any other suitable fabric or material. Storage 
member 12 includes a set of storage member fasteners 18 for removably 
attaching to intermediate member 14. Storage member fasteners 18 are 
affixed to storage member 12 at a suitably accessible position, such as, 
for example, along an inner edge of storage member 12. In one embodiment, 
storage member 12 includes additional fasteners (not shown) affixed to 
storage member 12 to fasten to telecommunications equipment, or other 
components stored within storage member 12. 
Intermediate member 14 comprises a band of canvas, denim, cotton, or any 
other suitable fabric or material that includes a first set of 
intermediate member fasteners 20 affixed at a first end of member 14 and a 
second set of intermediate member fasteners 22 affixed at a second end of 
member 14. The first set of intermediate member fasteners 20 removably 
attaches to storage member fasteners 18 to attach intermediate member 14 
removably to storage member 12. 
Connecting member 16 comprises a clamp, a brace, a clasp, or any other 
suitable member capable of removably attaching to the structure of a 
vehicle seat, such as, for example, the frame of the vehicle seat. In one 
embodiment, connecting member 16 comprises a clip having a base 24 and a 
hook 26 coupled to and biased toward base 24 to attach removably to the 
frame of a vehicle seat. Connecting member 16 may be constructed from 
plastic, rubber, steel, or any other suitable material or composition of 
materials. Connecting member 16 includes a set of connecting member 
fasteners 28 that removably attach to the second set of intermediate 
member fasteners 22 to attach connecting member 16 removably to 
intermediate member 14. 
Fasteners 18, 20, 22, and 28 comprise hook and loop fasteners, snap 
fasteners, zippers, or any other suitable type of fastener capable of 
removably attaching members 12, 14, and 16 to each other. Fasteners 18, 
20, 22, and 28 may be sized to support varying shear loads. For example, 
hook and loop fasteners fastened along a large surface area may support 
larger shear loads than hook and loop fasteners fastened along a small 
surface area. By establishing the surface area of hook and loop fasteners 
18, 20, 22, and 28, the shear load capacity of storage device 10 may be 
determined. 
In operation, connecting member 16 removably attaches to the structure of a 
vehicle seat, such as the frame, and fasteners 22 and 28 removably attach 
intermediate member 14 to connecting member 16 along arrow 30. Fasteners 
20 and 18 removably attach intermediate member 14 to storage member 12 
along arrow 32. By removably attaching storage device 12 to intermediate 
member 14 and intermediate member 14 to connecting member 16, the operator 
of the vehicle may remove or reposition storage member 12, intermediate 
member 14, or both without detaching connecting member 16 from the vehicle 
seat. This allows the operator of the vehicle to adjust the position of 
storage device 10 without modifying the vehicle or diverting attention 
away from operating the vehicle. 
For example, the operator of the vehicle need not stop the vehicle, pull 
the vehicle over to the side of the road, and adjust connecting member 16 
about the structure of the vehicle seat in order to remove or reposition 
storage device 10. Instead, the operator may detach storage member 12 from 
intermediate member 14 by disengaging fasteners 18 and 20, reposition 
storage member 14, and reattach storage member 12 to intermediate member 
14 by reengaging fasteners 18 and 20 while still operating the vehicle. 
This allows the operator to customize the position of storage member 12 
and the stored articles, such as cellular telephones or other 
telecommunications equipment, without diverting attention away from 
operating the vehicle. Similarly, the operator may detach, reposition, and 
reattach intermediate member 14 in relation to connecting member 16 by 
manipulating fasteners 22 and 28. In another example, the operator may 
safely remove storage member 12 from the vehicle seat to clear the aisle 
between the vehicle seat and the passenger seat of a vehicle in the case 
of an emergency. 
FIG. 2 illustrates storage device 10 attached to a frame 40 of a vehicle 
seat 42 by connecting member 16. Intermediate member 14 and connecting 
member 16 removably attach storage member 12 to various vehicle seat 
frames 40 without permanent vehicle alteration or the use of mounting 
brackets or adhesives. Furthermore, storage device 10 adjusts to operate 
with different seat configurations and height geometries. For example, 
storage device 10 may attach to frame 40 at various locations along line 
44 and storage member 12 may attach to intermediate member 14 at various 
locations along line 46. This allows an operator of the vehicle sitting in 
seat 42 to customize the position of storage device 10 in relation to seat 
42 so that the operator may access articles stored in storage member 12 
without substantially diverting attention away from operating the vehicle. 
FIG. 3 illustrates, in more detail, a cross-sectional view taken along line 
3--3 of FIG. 2 depicting connecting member 16 attached to frame 40. By 
inserting vehicle frame 40 into connecting member 16, as illustrated, hook 
26, biased toward base 24, imparts sufficient force upon seat frame 40 to 
secure it within connecting member 16. Fasteners 22 and 28 secure 
intermediate member 14 to connecting member 16 when storage device 10 is 
in use, but may also detach intermediate member 14 from connecting member 
16. This allows an operator of the vehicle to remove or readjust members 
12 and/or 14 without detaching connecting member 16 from frame 40 of 
vehicle seat 42. It should be understood that although FIG. 3 illustrates 
connecting member 16 attached to a flat shaped vehicle seat frame 40, 
connecting member 16 adapts to attach to a tubular shaped frame 40, an 
angled frame 40, or any other shaped structure of vehicle seat 42. 
Although the present invention has been described with several embodiments, 
a myriad of changes, variations, alterations, transformations, and 
modifications may be suggested to one skilled in the art, and it is 
intended that the present invention encompass such changes, variations, 
alterations, transformations and modifications as fall within the spirit 
and scope of the appended claims.