Abstract:
An assembly includes a housing, one or more telescoping brackets movably secured to the housing, and a door portion movably secured to the housing and the one or more telescoping brackets. A method for providing increased access to a storage compartment includes the steps of movably joining one or more telescoping brackets to a housing, movably joining a door portion to the one or more telescoping brackets and the housing, and moving the door portion to cause the one or more telescoping brackets to telescopingly project the door relative housing to provide access to a storage compartment.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims the benefit of earlier filed U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/779,568, filed Mar. 6, 2006, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to an assembly including a housing, a door portion, and one or more telescoping brackets that connect the door portion to the housing. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   It is known in the art that storage compartments are commonly found in vehicles for storing any desirable item, such as, for example, maps, gloves, coins, pens, beverages, compact discs (CDs), digital music players, or the like. In some circumstances, neighboring obstructing components may limit the accessibility to items located within the storage compartment. Accordingly, a need therefore exists for an improved storage compartment design that overcomes the shortcomings of conventional storage compartments. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In accordance with the invention there is provided an assembly comprising a housing, one or more telescoping brackets movably secured to the housing, and a door portion movably secured to the housing and the one or more telescoping brackets. 
   In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the housing includes a first end wall, and a first pair of sidewalls extending from the first end wall to define a volume, wherein the door portion includes a second end wall, and a second pair of sidewalls extending from the second end wall to define a sub-volume that is less than but approximately equal to the volume of the housing. The one or more telescoping brackets and second pair of sidewalls of the door portion are defined by a substantially similar geometry to that of the first pair of sidewalls of the housing to permit the one or more telescoping brackets and door portion to be received by and nested within the volume defined by the housing. 
   In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, the one or more telescoping brackets include a first arcuate channel, and a passage, wherein the door portion includes a second arcuate channel. 
   In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, the assembly further comprises a first pin extending from the first pair of sidewalls of the housing, wherein the first pin extends through the first arcuate channel of the one or more telescoping brackets, and a second pin extending from the first pair of sidewalls of the housing, wherein the second pin extends through the passage of the one or more telescoping brackets and the second arcuate channel of the door portion. 
   In accordance with yet a further aspect of the invention, the door portion is defined to include a bottom wall, and a front wall, wherein the end wall, second pair of sidewalls, bottom wall, and front wall further define a storage compartment, wherein the front wall, end wall and second pair of sidewalls define an opening to the storage compartment. 
   In accordance with the invention there is further provided, a method for providing increased access to a storage compartment including the steps of movably joining one or more telescoping brackets to a housing, movably joining a door portion to the one or more telescoping brackets and the housing, and moving the door portion to cause the one or more telescoping brackets to telescopingly project the door relative housing to provide access to a storage compartment. 
   Furthermore, in accordance with the invention, there is provided an assembly including a housing, a door portion movably secured to the housing, and a means for telescopingly adjusting a positioning of the door portion relative a position of the housing. 
   In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the means includes one or more telescoping brackets that are movably secured to the housing, wherein the door portion is movably secured to the housing and the one or more telescoping brackets. 
   In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, the housing includes a first end wall, and a first pair of sidewalls extending from the first end wall to define a volume, wherein the door portion includes a second end wall, and a second pair of sidewalls extending from the second end wall to define a sub-volume that is less than but approximately equal to the volume. 
   In accordance with yet a further aspect of the invention, the one or more telescoping brackets and second pair of sidewalls of the door portion are defined by a substantially similar geometry to that of the first pair of sidewalls of the housing to permit the one or more telescoping brackets and door portion to be received by and nested within the volume defined by the housing. The one or more telescoping brackets include a first arcuate channel, and a passage, wherein the door portion includes a second arcuate channel. 
   In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the assembly further comprises a first pin extending from the first pair of sidewalls of the housing, wherein the first pin extends through the first arcuate channel of the one or more telescoping brackets, and a second pin extending from the first pair of sidewalls of the housing, wherein the second pin extends through the passage of the one or more telescoping brackets and the second arcuate channel of the door portion. The door portion is defined to include a bottom wall, and a front wall, wherein the end wall, second pair of sidewalls, bottom wall, and front wall further define a storage compartment, wherein the front wall, end wall and second pair of sidewalls define an opening to the storage compartment. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The disclosure will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a side view of an assembly including a door portion that is in a closed position relative a housing in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a side view of the assembly according to  FIG. 1  including the door portion in an telescoped position relative the housing in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of the assembly according to  FIG. 1  including the door portion in an extended position relative the housing in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a telescoping bracket of the assembly illustrated in  FIG. 1  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a door portion of the assembly illustrated in  FIG. 1  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The Figures illustrate an exemplary embodiment of an assembly defined by a housing and a door portion in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Based on the foregoing, it is to be generally understood that the nomenclature used herein is simply for convenience and the terms used to describe the invention should be given the broadest meaning by one of ordinary skill in the art. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , an assembly is shown generally  10  according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the assembly  10  is generally defined to include at least a housing  12 , one or more telescoping brackets  14 , and a door portion  16 . 
   The housing  12  includes a plurality of walls  12   a - 12   c  that define a cavity or volume, V 1  ( FIG. 3 ). In general, the wall  12   a  may be a bottom wall. The wall  12   b  may be a rear wall. The walls  12   c  may be sidewalls. It will be appreciated that the housing  12  is not limited to a particular number of walls  12   a - 12   c , volume, V 1 , or a particular geometry and that the housing  12  may include any desirable number of walls  12   a - 12   c , volume, V 1 , or geometry. 
   Referring to  FIG. 4 , the one or more telescoping brackets  14  are defined by a substantially planar member in a substantially similar geometry to that of the sidewall  12   c  of the housing  12 . According to an embodiment, as seen in  FIG. 1 , when the door portion  16  is moved to a closed position, the one or more telescoping brackets  14  are nested within the cavity or volume, V 1 , and positioned adjacent the sidewalls  12   c  of the housing  12 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 5 , the door portion  16  is defined to include a plurality of walls that are identified generally at  16   a - 16   d . According to an embodiment, the wall  16   a  may be a bottom wall. The wall  16   b  may be a front wall. The wall  16   c  may be a rear wall. The walls  16   d  may be sidewalls. In an embodiment, the sidewalls  16   d  are each defined by a substantially planar member in a substantially similar geometry to that of the one or more telescoping brackets  14  and sidewalls  12   c  of the housing  12 . 
   The walls  16   a - 16   d  of the door portion  16  define a sub-volume, which is shown generally at, V 2 , Referring to  FIG. 3 , the sub-volume, V 2 , is substantially equal to but less than the volume, V 1 , of the housing  12 , and, as such, when the door portion  16  is moved to the closed position, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the door portion  16  may be nested within the volume, V 1 , of the housing  12 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 3 , the walls  16   b - 16   d  of the door portion  12  define an opening  18 . The opening  18  permits access to the sub-volume, V 2 , for depositing or withdrawing one or more items into/from the door portion  16 , which may also define a storage compartment. 
   In operation, as seen in  FIGS. 1-3 , the one or more bracket  14  and door portion  16  are moved relative the housing  12  about a pivot point, P. In an embodiment, the one or more telescoping brackets  14  and door portion  16  may be nested within the housing  12  to define the door portion  16  being in a closed position ( FIG. 1 ). The one or more telescoping brackets  14  and door portion  16  may also be moved about the pivot point, P, to define the door portion  16  being in an extended position ( FIG. 3 ). In addition, the one or more telescoping brackets  14  and door portion  16  may be moved about the pivot point, P, in any desirable position between the closed position and the extended position to define the door portion  16  being in an intermediate, telescoped position ( FIG. 2 ). 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , movement of the one or more telescoping brackets  14  and door portion  16  about the pivot point, P, to/from the closed position ( FIG. 1 ) and telescope d position ( FIG. 2 ) is permitted by one or more pins  20  disposed in an arcuate slot  22  formed in the one or more telescoping brackets  14 . In an embodiment, the one or more pins  20  are fixed and extend from an inner surface  24  of the sidewalls  12   c  of the housing  12 . When moved to the closed position, the one or more pins  20  may abut a first end  26  of the arcuate slot  22 . When moved to the telescoped position, the one or more pins  20  may abut a second end  28  of the arcuate slot  22 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , movement of the door portion  16  about the pivot point, P, to/from the telescoped position ( FIG. 2 ) and extended position ( FIG. 3 ) is permitted by one or more pins  30  disposed in an arcuate slot  32  formed in the sidewalls  16   d  of the door portion  16 . To facilitate passage of the one or more pins  30  into the arcuate slot  32 , a passage  34  ( FIG. 4 ) is formed in the one or more telescoping brackets  14 . In an embodiment, the one or more pins  30  are fixed and extend from the inner surface  24  of the sidewalls  12   c  of the housing  12  and through the passage  34  formed in the one or more telescoping brackets  14  for insertion into the arcuate slot  32  formed in the sidewall  16   d  of the door portion  16 . When moved to the telescoped position, the one or more pins  30  may abut a first end  36  of the arcuate slot  32 . When moved to the extended position, the one or more pins  30  may abut a second end  38  of the arcuate slot  32 . 
   It will be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to a pair of pin/slot configurations formed in the one or more telescoping brackets  14  and door portion  16  to permit movement of the door portion  16  to/from a closed, telescoped, and extended position. For example, an array of brackets  14  with a corresponding array of pins  20  and arcuate slots  22  may permit the door portion  16  to extend further away from the housing  12  than that as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
   In addition, it will be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to a pin/slot configuration to permit movement of the door portion  16  to/from a closed, telescoped, and extended position. For instance, the pin/slot configuration could be replaced by a molded ramp formed in/on one or more of the telescoping brackets  14  and door portion  16  that is used in combination with one or more wheels/rollers fixed to the inner surface  24  of the sidewalls  12   c  of the housing  12 . 
   In addition, it will be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to a configuration having the door portion  16  connected to and nested between two or more telescoping brackets  14  (i.e., the brackets  14  are positioned on an exterior surface of the sidewall  16   d ). For instance, an assembly may include a configuration having two or more telescoping brackets  14  connected to and nested within the sub-volume, V 2 , of the door portion  16  such that the sub-assembly defined by the nested one or more telescoping brackets  14  within the door portion  16  is then nested within the volume, V 1 , defined by the housing  12 ; if such an arrangement is provided, the door portion  16  may not include a rear wall  16   c  to permit the telescoping movement of the brackets  14 . 
   It will be appreciated that the assembly  10  may be utilized in any desirable application. For example, the assembly  10  may be incorporated into or disposed proximate an interior trim assembly  100  of an automotive vehicle. The trim assembly  100  may be, for example, dashboard trim, defining a passenger compartment surface  102  and an engine compartment surface  104 . As such, the trim assembly  100  may further define a passenger compartment area, PC, and an engine compartment area, EC. 
   The trim assembly  100  may also include an opening  106  to permit the one or more telescoping brackets  14  and door portion  16  to be moved from the engine compartment area, EC (when the door portion  16  is in the closed position as shown in  FIG. 1 ), into the passenger compartment area, PC (when the door portion  16  is in the extended position as shown in  FIG. 3 ). When moved to the passenger compartment area, PC, the sub-volume, V 2 , of the door portion  16  may define, for example, a storage compartment for stowing and retrieving any desirable item therefrom, such as, for example, maps, gloves, coins, pens, beverages, compact discs (CDs), digital music players, or the like. 
   It will be appreciated that the one or more telescoping brackets  14  permit the door portion  16  to telescopingly extend further away from the housing  12  to provide a vehicle occupant, O, with greater access to items that may be located within the sub-volume, V 2 . If, for example, the one or more telescoping brackets  14  were not included in the design of the assembly  10 , access to the sub-volume, V 2 , through the opening  18  may be otherwise limited by the relative obstructive positioning of the trim assembly  100  that would otherwise define a reduced opening, which is shown, for example, at  18   R  in  FIG. 2 . If the opening  18  was restricted to that as shown at  18   R , it may be difficult for a vehicle occupant, O, having a relatively large hand to access items in the sub-volume, V 2 . In addition, if an item located in the sub-volume, V 2 , is relatively large, it may be difficult to remove the item therefrom if a reduced opening,  18   R , is provided. 
   The present invention has been described with reference to certain exemplary embodiments thereof. However, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that it is possible to embody the invention in specific forms other than those of the exemplary embodiments described above. This may be done without departing from the spirit of the invention. The exemplary embodiments are merely illustrative and should not be considered restrictive in any way. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents, rather than by the preceding description.