Patent Publication Number: US-2018043833-A1

Title: Compartment door key catcher

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This disclosure relates to a compartment door key catcher. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A vehicle may include a console or storage unit including a trim panel and a compartment, such as a cup holder, having an openable door. Keys, coins, credit cards, business cards, and other small items may fall through an opening between the openable door and the trim panel when the openable door is in a closed position, an open position, or being moved between the closed and open positions. 
     SUMMARY 
     A key catcher and a vehicle are disclosed herein. The key catcher is for a storage unit including a trim panel, a compartment housing connected to the trim panel, and an openable compartment door connected to the compartment housing and having a length and an outer surface. The key catcher includes a sweeper and a biasing member. The sweeper is connected to the compartment housing and is configured to conform to the outer surface of the compartment door along the length of the compartment door. The biasing member is connected to the compartment housing and to the sweeper and is configured to urge the sweeper toward the outer surface of the compartment door. The sweeper contacts the outer surface of the compartment door along the length of the compartment door when the compartment door is in an open position, a closed position, and any position between the open and closed positions such that a small item, such as a key, credit card, or change, cannot fall between the openable door and the trim panel. 
     The vehicle has a storage unit and a key catcher. The storage unit includes a trim panel, a compartment housing, and an openable compartment door. The compartment housing is connected to the trim panel. The openable compartment door is connected to the compartment housing via a hinge. The openable compartment door has a length and an outer surface. The key catcher includes a sweeper and a biasing member. The sweeper is connected to the compartment housing and is configured to conform to the outer surface of the compartment door along the length of the compartment door. The biasing member is connected to the compartment housing and to the sweeper and is configured to urge the sweeper toward the outer surface of the compartment door. The sweeper contacts the outer surface of the compartment door along the length of the compartment door when the compartment door is in an open position, a closed position, and any position between the open and closed positions such that a small item, such as a key, credit card, or change, cannot fall between the openable door and the trim panel. 
     The key catcher and the vehicle disclosed herein prevent a small item, such as a key, credit card, or change, from falling between the openable door and the trim panel. This disclosure applies to any machine or manufacture having a storage compartment with an openable door. This disclosure applies to any vehicle, including but not limited to cars, trucks, vans, all-terrain vehicles, busses, boats, trains, airplanes, manufacturing vehicles and equipment, construction vehicles and equipment, maintenance vehicles and equipment, etc. 
     The above features and advantages and other features and advantages of the present teachings are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best modes for carrying out the present teachings when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a fragmentary, schematic, perspective illustration of a vehicle having a storage unit with an openable compartment door in an open position and a key catcher of this disclosure. 
         FIG. 2A  is a schematic, perspective illustration of the key catcher of  FIG. 1  with the openable compartment door a closed position. 
         FIG. 2B  is a schematic, perspective illustration of the key catcher of  FIG. 1  with the openable compartment door between the closed position and the open position. 
         FIG. 2C  is a schematic, perspective illustration of the key catcher of  FIG. 1  with the openable compartment door in the open position. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic, perspective, cross-sectional illustration, partially in elevation, of the key catcher of  FIG. 1  with the openable compartment door in the closed position. 
         FIG. 4  is a fragmentary, schematic, perspective illustration of the key catcher of  FIG. 1  with the openable compartment door in the closed position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Those having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that terms such as “above,” “below,” “upward,” “downward,” “top,” “bottom,” etc., are used descriptively for the figures, and do not represent limitations on the scope of the disclosure, as defined by the appended claims. 
     Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers refer to like components throughout the views,  FIG. 1  shows an example vehicle  10 . The vehicle  10  includes a key catcher assembly  22  of the type disclosed herein. While the vehicle  10  of  FIG. 1  is a typical example application suitable for the key catcher  22  disclosed herein, the present design is not limited to vehicular applications. Any stationary or mobile, machine or manufacture may benefit from use of the present design, when properly scaled and configured for the particular application. For illustrative consistency, the vehicle  10  will be described hereinafter as an example system without limiting use of the key catcher  22  to such an embodiment. 
     The vehicle  10  includes a console or storage unit  12  and may include a seat  14 . The storage unit  12  may be a center or floor console and may be located next to a seat  14  or between two seats  14 , as shown. The console or storage unit  12  may be attached to a floor (not shown) of the vehicle  10 . The storage unit  12  may be located in any other part of the vehicle  10 , including, but not limited to, a door (not shown), the seat  14 , an instrument panel (not shown), and a cargo area (not shown) such as a trunk or truck bed. 
     The storage unit  12  includes a trim panel  16 , a retainer or compartment housing  18 , an openable compartment door  20 , and the key catcher assembly  22 . The retainer or compartment housing  18  forms a storage space or compartment  19  in the storage unit  12 . The compartment housing  18  may be configured to form a coverable holder such as a cup holder, as shown, or may be configured to form any other general purpose or special purpose storage compartment  19 . For example, the compartment housing  18  may form a storage compartment  19  that is configured as a cuboid or box shape to accommodate miscellaneous items, such as pens, paper, maps, small tools, etc. The compartment housing  18  is connected to the trim panel  16 . The compartment housing  18  may be connected to the trim panel via a structural bracket (not shown) included in the storage unit  12 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1-3 , the openable compartment door  20  is connected to the compartment housing  18 . The openable compartment door  20  may be connected to the compartment housing  18  via a hinge  24 . The hinge  24  may be configured to enable a rotation (arrow R) of the openable compartment door  20  between an open position  26  and a closed position  28 . The hinge  24  may have a hinge axis (axis H), on which the openable compartment door  20  rotates between the open position  26  and the closed position  28 . The openable compartment door  20  has a length  30  and an outer surface  32 . The length  30  of the compartment door  20  may be parallel to the hinge axis (axis H), as shown. 
     The key catcher assembly  22  includes a sweeper  34  and a biasing member  36 . The sweeper  34  is connected to the compartment housing  18  and is configured to conform to the outer surface  32  of the openable compartment door  20  along the length  30  of the openable compartment door  20 . The biasing member  36  is connected to the compartment housing  18  and to the sweeper  34  and is configured to urge the sweeper  34  toward the outer surface  32  of the openable compartment door  20 . 
     The sweeper  34  contacts the outer surface  32  of the compartment door  20  along the length  30  of the compartment door  20  when the compartment door  20  is in the open position  26 , the closed position  28 , and any position between the open position  26  and the closed positions  28  such that a small item  38 , such as a key, credit card, or change, cannot fall between the compartment door  20  and the trim panel  16 . Referring specifically to  FIG. 3 , the sweeper  34  may extend across a gap  40  formed between the compartment door  20  and the trim panel  16  when the compartment door  20  is in the open position  26 , the closed position  28 , and any position between the open position  26  and the closed positions  28  such that the small item  38  cannot fall between the compartment door  20  and the trim panel  16 . The key catcher  22  may prevent the small item  38  from falling between the compartment door  20  and the trim panel  16  and into the console or storage unit  12  outside of the compartment housing  18 , where it would be difficult to retrieve. 
     Referring now specifically to  FIGS. 2A-2C , the sweeper  34  is shown maintaining contact with the outer surface  32  of the compartment door  20  along the length  30  of the compartment door  20  as the compartment door  20  is moved from the closed position  28 , as shown in  FIG. 2A , to any position between the closed position  28  and the open position, as shown in  FIG. 2B , to the open position  26 , as shown in  FIG. 2C . This continuous contact between the sweeper  34  and the outer surface  32  of the compartment door  20  prevents the small item  38  from falling between the compartment door  20  and the trim panel  16  when the compartment door  20  in in the closed position  28 , the open position  26 , and any position between the closed position  28  and the open position  26 . Similarly, the sweeper maintains contact with the outer surface  32  of the compartment door  20  along the length  30  of the compartment door  20  as the compartment door  20  is moved from the closed position  28  to the open position  26 , as shown in the reverse sequence of  FIGS. 2A-2C . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2A-3 , the sweeper  34  may include a bar portion  42 . The bar portion  42  of the sweeper  34  may be configured to conform to the outer surface  32  of the compartment door  20  along the length  30  of the compartment door  20 . The bar portion  42  of the sweeper  34  may contact the outer surface  32  of the compartment door  20  along the length  30  of the compartment door  20  when the compartment door  20  is in the open position  26 , the closed position  28 , and any position between the open position  26  and the closed position  28 . The sweeper  34  may include a door contact portion  44 . The door contact portion  44  may be configured to conform to the outer surface  32  of the compartment door  20  along the length  30  of the compartment door  20 . The door contact portion  44  may contact the outer surface  32  of the compartment door  20  along the length  30  of the compartment door  20  when the compartment door  20  is in the open position  26 , the closed position  28 , and any position between the open position  26  and the closed position  28 . 
     The door contact portion  44  of the sweeper  34  may be made of a non-metal material configured to prevent scratching and wear of the outer surface  32  of the compartment door  20 . The non-metal material of the door contact portion  44  of the sweeper  34  may be further defined as a rubber material. The bar portion  42  of the sweeper  34  may be made of a non-metal material. The non-metal material of the bar portion  42  of the sweeper  34  may be further defined as a plastic material. The door contact portion  44  of the sweeper  34  may be co-molded with the bar portion  42  of the sweeper  34 . Alternatively, the door contact portion  44  of the sweeper  34  may be attached to the bar portion  42  of the sweeper  34  via an adhesive (not shown) or via any other suitable attachment. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2A-4 , the sweeper  34  may include a guide arm portion  46  having a first guide feature  48 . The compartment housing  18  may include a second guide feature  50 . The first guide feature  48 , the second guide feature  50 , and the biasing member  36  may cooperate such that the sweeper  34  contacts the outer surface  32  of the compartment door  20  along the length  30  of the compartment door  20  when the compartment door  20  is in the open position  26 , the closed position  28 , and any position between the open position  26  and the closed position  28 . One of the guide features  48 ,  50  may be a rail, as shown in second guide feature  50 . The other of the guide features  48 ,  50  may be a channel, as shown in the first guide feature  48 , configured to slide along the rail to guide the motion of the sweeper  34  as the compartment door  20  is moved between the open position  26  and the closed position  28 . The first and second guide features  48 ,  50  may have a rectangular shape in cross-section. Other configurations of guide features  48 ,  50  may be used as appropriate. 
     The sweeper  34  may include a first biasing member attachment feature  52 . The compartment housing  18  may include a second biasing member attachment feature  54 . The biasing member  36  may be connected to the first biasing member attachment feature  52  and to the second biasing member attachment feature  54 . The biasing member  36  may be further defined as a compression coil spring, as shown. Other types and configurations of biasing members  36  and biasing member attachment features  52 ,  54  may be used as appropriate. 
     The openable door  20  may include a cover portion  56  and a hider portion  58 . The cover portion  56  may be configured to cover the compartment housing  18  and the storage compartment  19  when the openable door  20  is in the closed position  28 . The hider portion  58  may be configured to extend across the gap  40  formed between the compartment door  20  and the trim panel  16  when the openable door  20  is in the closed position  28 . The outer surface  32  of the openable door  20  may respectively include a cover portion outer surface  60  and a hider portion outer surface  62 . 
     The sweeper  34  may contact the hider portion outer surface  62  of the compartment door  20  along the length  30  of the compartment door  20  when the compartment door  20  is in the closed position  28 . The sweeper  34  may contact the cover portion outer surface  60  of the compartment door  20  along the length  30  of the compartment door  20  when the compartment door  20  is in the open position  26 . The sweeper  34  may contact one of the hider portion outer surface  62  and the cover portion outer surface  60  of the compartment door  20  along the length  30  of the compartment door  20  when the compartment door  20  is between the closed position  28  and the open position  26 . 
     While the best modes for carrying out the many aspects of the present teachings have been described in detail, those familiar with the art to which these teachings relate will recognize various alternative aspects for practicing the present teachings that are within the scope of the appended claims.