Patent Publication Number: US-6908135-B2

Title: Motor vehicle with holding devices

Description:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   This application claims the priority of German Patent Document No. DE 102 44 520.6 filed Sep. 25, 2002, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein. 
   There are already some motor vehicles that provide shelves for storage or devices for holding an object such as, for example, a beverage cup or a phone or the like, at the dashboard or center console. 
   It is the task of the invention to develop a motor vehicle in which storing and holding objects is facilitated. 
   The motor vehicle according to the invention is equipped with a multifunctional holder that is placed at or attached to the dashboard, center console, side molding and/or any other suitable place in the vehicle. Such mounting places are not limited to the inside of the vehicle. In an advantageous way, multifunctional holders can also be provided in the trunk and/or engine compartment. 
   The multifunctional holder according to the invention serves as a retaining device for additional components or additional equipment of the motor vehicle. Using a single multifunctional holder for various accessories with different functions provides many application possibilities. Furthermore, the multifunctional holder according to the invention and the corresponding accessories allows for individual design of the interior fittings. Due to their small size, it is easy to deposit the accessories in the holding areas provided in the vehicle, such as the glove compartment or places of deposit in the door moldings or in the center console. 
   In an advantageous way, accessories according to the invention are a mounting device for a container, such as a beverage cup or the like, or a retaining device for additional units with an electrical connection, such as, for example, a phone, laptop, palmtop, additional lights and/or flashlights. 
   Other accessories according to the invention are places for depositing items in daily use such as, for example, a case for glasses, glasses, pens, coins, garage door opener, cigarettes, phone cards, and maps. Accessories according to the invention can also be holding devices for audio equipment such as CDs, music tapes or the like, and/or devices for collecting garbage and/or support for a purse or the like. 
   In an advantageous manner, the multifunctional holder according to the invention is integrated either openly at an outer surface or concealed as an insert, for example, in the form of a locking opening at a suitable place, for example in the dashboard, center console and/or side molding or the like. 
   Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Various embodiments of the invention are described below with the aid of the drawings by way of example, in which: 
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a partially represented center console where a holding device for pens or the like has been placed as an accessory on the lateral surface; 
       FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the center console shown in  FIG. 1  with a multifunctional holder for retaining, for example, the top part shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  shows an exploded view of a multifunctional holder with four possible accessories prior to being attached to a partially shown dashboard and a center console connected to it; 
       FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of a center console with another embodiment of a multifunctional holder that is integrated in the center console as an insert; and 
       FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of a retaining device placed into the multifunctional holder of  FIG. 4  for an additional unit that could be a mobile phone, for example. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1  shows a partially represented center console  2  of a motor vehicle  1 , the rest of which is not shown. The center console  2 , for example, features a gearshift lever  3 , a place of deposit  5  with a cover  4 , and switches  6 ,  7 , and  8  for operating additional parts of the motor vehicle  1 . On the lateral wall  9  of the center console  2 , an accessory  10  is attached, above a mounting section  20 , to a carrier element or multifunctional holder  15  shown in FIG.  2 . 
   The accessory  10  shown in  FIG. 1 , for example, serves to retain writing instruments. For that reason, the accessory  10  features a place of deposit  11  open on top and an interior space  13 , lockable with a lid  12 , that is divided by internal partitions  14  for example. 
     FIG. 2  corresponds to  FIG. 1  except for the difference that the accessory  10  has been removed so that in  FIG. 2  the carrier element or multifunctional holder  15  is now visible. In a form-fitting and/or force-fitting way, the multifunctional holder  15  is attached on the lateral wall  9  or to the edge  16  of the center console  2  or to the surface  17  that runs more or less horizontally of the center console  2  by using appropriate fasteners  18 . In the embodiment shown, the multifunctional holder  15  features a hook-type mounting section  19  that engages with the corresponding mounting section  20  of the accessory  10  shown in FIG.  3 . 
   In  FIG. 3 , next to the center console  2 , a section of a dashboard  21  is visible. The multifunctional holder  15  is not yet attached to an outer surface  22  of the center console  2  in the exploded view of FIG.  3 . In addition to the accessory  10  shown in  FIG. 1 , three additional tops  23 ,  24 , and  25  can be seen in FIG.  3 . Top  23 , for example, is equipped with an electronic component  26  that features, for example, a monitor or a display  27 . Such a component  26  could be, for example, a laptop, palmtop, board computer or the like. 
   The top  24  is an embodiment of a holder for beverage containers that features, for example, two rings  28 ,  29  for retaining a cup not shown. The top  25  is another embodiment of a holder for beverage containers and features a corresponding indentation  30 . In addition, the top  25  is equipped with a space for storage  31 . 
   In the embodiment shown, the mounting section  20  of the accessory  10  or of the tops  23 ,  24 , and  25  provides indentations  32  or hooks  33  or the like that engage with the mounting section  19  of the multifunctional holder  15 . 
     FIG. 4  shows another embodiment of a multifunctional holder  34  that is integrated as an insert into a hollow space of the center console  2 . In this case, the multifunctional holder  34  is locked with a lid  35 . A mechanism is placed onto the lid  35  which allows the lid  35  to be moved and/or swung horizontally by the individual mounting section  20  of the accessory  10  or the tops  23 ,  24 , and  25  when pressure is applied. 
   In  FIG. 5 , a retaining device  36  is placed into the multifunctional holder  34 . In one embodiment, the retaining device  36  features electrical connections which, on the one hand, are attached to the mounting section  20  and can be brought into electrical contact with the existing connections in the motor vehicle  1 , and, on the other hand, can be joined with connections that exist in a component  37  placed in the retaining device  36 . 
   In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 , the component  37  is a mobile phone or cell phone. To hold the component  37 , for example, the retaining device  36  features two arms  38  and  39  distant from each other. The electrical connections for the component  37  can be provided in a section  40  that links the arms  38  and  39 . An arrow  41  indicates the direction in which the retaining device  36  is inserted during installation. 
   Through the electrical connection that exists in the motor vehicle  1 , the accessories can be equipped with a feature for heating and/or cooling so that it is possible to warm up or heat and/or cool liquid and/or solid food. 
   The multifunctional holders  15  and  34  can be placed at any possible and suitable place in the interior space of the vehicle or in the trunk or engine compartment so that the accessories or tops  10 ,  23 ,  24 ,  25 , and  36  that are required in those places can be used. 
   The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.