Patent ID: 7757615

Claim:
A vehicle including a shelf assembly comprising: a shelf panel coupled to the vehicle and movable between stowed and use positions; a gusset attached to an underside of the shelf panel to support the shelf panel; said gusset having first and second ends, said first end being proximate a pivot, and said second end being distal from said pivot a t-stud vertically-oriented wall bracket attached to a wall located on the vehicle; a shelf mount removably attached to the t-stud; said pivot being coupled to the shelf mount, wherein the shelf panel pivots with respect to the shelf mount about the pivot between the stowed and use positions and the pivot removably attaches the shelf mount to the t-stud; an over-center extension and retraction cylinder with a first end pivotally coupled to the gusset and a second end pivotally coupled to the shelf mount wherein the first and second ends are axially opposed; wherein the over-center extension and retraction cylinder assists moving the shelf panel to stowed and use positions; wherein as the over-center extension and retraction cylinder extends, it pushes the shelf panel against the weight of gravity pivoting the shelf panel toward the stowed position so that when in the stowed position the shelf panel is located between the over-center extension and retraction cylinder and the wall of the vehicle; wherein the first end of the over-center extension and retraction cylinder is coupled to the gusset at a location distal from the shelf panel and the first end of the gusset; wherein the second end of the over-center extension and retraction cylinder is coupled to the shelf mount at a location that is spaced apart from the pivot while proximal to both the shelf panel and the first end of the gusset; wherein the shelf mount includes an abutment that engages the gusset when the shelf panel is pivoted to the use position and separated from the gusset when the shelf panel is pivoted to the stowed position; and wherein the shelf panel includes a slot that receives a portion of the t-stud when the shelf panel is in the stowed position.