U.S. patent application number 10/642051 was filed with the patent office on 2004-09-02 for vehicle equipment console.
Invention is credited to Moore, John A..
Application Number | 20040169387 10/642051 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 24642846 |
Filed Date | 2004-09-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040169387 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Moore, John A. |
September 2, 2004 |
Vehicle equipment console
Abstract
An equipment console for use in a vehicle having a driver
compartment including a dashboard, floor and driver seat. The
equipment console has a console body for supporting equipment in a
location accessible to a person seated in the driver seat. The
front of the console body includes a front portion configured to
receive and support the equipment. The console body also has a back
generally opposite the front of the console body. The back of the
console body may be integrated with the dashboard by providing the
back with a profile that conforms at least partially to a contour
of the dashboard. In addition, the console body may be adapted to
cover an area of the dashboard in which climate controls were
originally installed, with an upper portion of the console body
being adapted to receive and secure the climate controls in a
relocated position so that they may be operated from the front of
the console body.
Inventors: |
Moore, John A.; (Salem,
OR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KOLISCH HARTWELL, P.C.
520 S.W. YAMHILL STREET
SUITE 200
PORTLAND
OR
97204
US
|
Family ID: |
24642846 |
Appl. No.: |
10/642051 |
Filed: |
August 15, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10642051 |
Aug 15, 2003 |
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10213279 |
Aug 5, 2002 |
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10213279 |
Aug 5, 2002 |
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09658822 |
Sep 8, 2000 |
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6428072 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
296/24.34 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60K 2370/774 20190501;
B60R 2011/0007 20130101; B60Y 2304/076 20130101; B60R 2011/0052
20130101; B60K 37/00 20130101; B60R 13/0262 20130101; B60R 11/02
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
296/024.34 |
International
Class: |
B62D 025/14 |
Claims
I claim:
1. An equipment console for use in a vehicle driver compartment
having a dashboard, floor and driver seat, the equipment console
comprising: a console body for supporting equipment in a location
accessible to a driver seated in the driver seat, the console body
having: a front, including a mounting frame configured to receive
and support the equipment; and a back generally opposite the front,
the back having a profile that conforms at least partially to a
contour of the dashboard, where the console body covers an area of
the dashboard in which climate controls were originally installed,
and where an upper portion of the console body is adapted to
receive and secure the climate controls in a relocated position so
that they may be operated from the front of the console body.
2. The equipment console of claim 1, where the console body further
includes two sides that are spaced from each other by the front of
the console body and that each extend from the front of the console
body toward the back of the console body.
3. The equipment console of claim 2, where the two sides are each
formed as a sidewall having a back edge that partly defines the
back of the console body.
4. The equipment console of claim 3, where the dashboard has an
irregular cross section including curves, and where the back edges
of the sidewalls are shaped to at least partially conform to the
cross section of the dashboard.
5. The equipment console of claim 4, where the cross section of the
dashboard changes along a length of the dashboard, such that a
first one of the back edges of the sidewalls is shaped differently
than a second one of the back edges of the sidewalls.
6. The equipment console of claim 1, where the dashboard has an
irregular cross section including curves, and where the back of the
console body is shaped to at least partially conform to the cross
section of the dashboard.
7. The equipment console of claim 1, where the back of the console
body includes a protruding tab configured to extend into the area
of the dashboard in which the climate controls were originally
installed.
8. The equipment console of claim 1, where the back of the console
body is positioned so that it contacts or is closely spaced from a
central portion of the dashboard, while permitting free access to
climate controls in an original factory-installed location of the
climate controls on the dashboard.
9. The equipment console of claim 1, where the front of the console
body is generally vertical, but is angled toward the dashboard so
that the front of the console body faces upward toward a person
seated in the driver seat.
10. The equipment console of claim 1, further comprising a floor
plate mounted within the vehicle driver compartment so that the
floor plate extends adjacent the floor between the driver seat and
a passenger seat included in the vehicle driver compartment, where
a front end of the floor plate is secured to a bottom of the
console body.
11. An aftermarket equipment console for use in a vehicle driver
compartment having a dashboard, floor and driver seat, the
equipment console comprising: a console body configured for
aftermarket installation into a vehicle, the console body having: a
front configured to receive and support multiple pieces of
equipment so that front faces of the pieces of equipment define a
generally planar instrument panel operable from the front of the
console body; and a back shaped to integrate the equipment console
with the dashboard, where the console body is proportioned so that,
when the console body is installed in the vehicle, the instrument
panel is located entirely forward of mounting hardware used to
secure the driver seat to the floor.
12. The aftermarket equipment console of claim 11, where the
dashboard has an irregular cross section, and where the back of the
console body is shaped to at least partially conform to the cross
section of the dashboard.
13. The aftermarket equipment console of claim 11, where the
dashboard has an irregular cross section including curves, and
where the back of the console body includes two elongate edge
portions shaped to at least partially conform to the cross section
of the dashboard.
14. The aftermarket equipment console of claim 13, where the
irregular cross section of the dashboard changes along a length of
the dashboard, such that a first one of the elongate edge portions
is shaped differently than a second one of the elongate edge
portions.
15. The aftermarket equipment console of claim 11, where: the
console body further includes two spaced sidewalls that extend
generally parallel to each other between the front and back of the
console body; and the front, back and sidewalls of the console body
partly define a generally wedge-shaped case including a shallow top
and a deeper bottom, depth being measured between the front and
back of the console body.
16. The aftermarket equipment console of claim 15, where the
dashboard has an irregular cross section, and where the sidewalls
of the console body each include a back edge that conforms to the
cross section of the dashboard.
17. The aftermarket equipment console of claim 11, where the
console body covers an area of the dashboard in which climate
controls were originally installed, and where the console body is
adapted to receive and secure the climate controls in a relocated
position so that the climate controls are operable from the front
of the console body.
18. The aftermarket equipment console of claim 17, where the back
of the console body includes a protruding tab configured to extend
into the area of the dashboard in which the climate controls were
originally installed.
19. The aftermarket equipment console of claim 11, where the back
of the console body is positioned so that it contacts or is closely
spaced from a central portion of the dashboard, while permitting
free access to climate controls in an original factory-installed
location of the climate controls on the dashboard.
20. The aftermarket equipment console of claim 11, where the front
of the console body is shaped so that, when the console body is
installed in the vehicle driver compartment, the instrument panel
is generally vertical but angled toward the dashboard so that the
instrument panel faces upward toward a person seated in the driver
seat.
21. An equipment console for use in a vehicle driver compartment
having a dashboard, floor and driver seat, the equipment console
comprising: a generally wedge-shaped equipment case integrated with
and extending outward from the dashboard, the equipment case
including: a front configured to receive and support multiple
pieces of equipment so that front faces of the pieces of equipment
define a generally planar instrument panel operable from the front
of the equipment case; and two sides spaced from each other and
extending parallel to each other from the front of the equipment
case, the sides each including an elongate back edge portion
generally opposite the front of the equipment case, where each
elongate edge portion is shaped to conform to a cross section of
the dashboard, where the equipment case is proportioned so that the
instrument panel is entirely forward of mounting hardware used to
secure the driver seat to the floor, and where the equipment case
covers an area of the dashboard in which climate controls were
originally installed, an upper portion of the equipment case being
adapted to receive and secure the climate controls in a relocated
position so that the climate controls are operable from the front
of the console body.
22. An automobile, comprising: a driver compartment having a
dashboard, floor and driver seat; and a console installed in the
driver compartment and having a console body for supporting
equipment in a location accessible to a driver seated in the driver
seat, the console body having: a front, including a mounting frame
configured to receive and support the equipment; and a back
generally opposite the front, the back having a profile that
conforms at least partially to a contour of the dashboard, where
the console body covers an area of the dashboard in which climate
controls were originally installed, and where an upper portion of
the console body is adapted to receive and secure the climate
controls in a relocated position so that they may be operated from
the front of the console body.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/213,279, filed Aug. 5, 2002, which is a
continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 09/658,822, filed Sep. 8, 2000, issued Aug. 6, 2002 as U.S.
Pat. No. 6,428,072.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to an equipment console that
may be mounted within a vehicle driver compartment to support
equipment in a location easily accessible to a driver of the
vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Police officers, public safety officers, firefighters,
paramedics and the like carry various types of equipment in their
vehicles. Several pieces of equipment are often carried in a single
vehicle, and the driver often needs to operate the equipment while
simultaneously driving the vehicle. Thus, various devices exist to
secure multiple pieces of equipment within a vehicle so that they
are accessible to the driver and/or other persons in the vehicle
driver compartment.
[0004] These devices commonly include a hollow rectangular box
situated on the floor of the vehicle between the driver seat and
front passenger seat, including a horizontal top portion having an
upward-facing opening for receiving pieces of equipment. Police
cruisers, for example, are commonly fitted with equipment boxes of
this type. The boxes are used to house various types of equipment
and controls used by police officers, such as radios, siren
controls and light bar controls. Typically, the boxes are sized and
positioned so that most of the box extends between the driver seat
and the front seat. Only a small portion, if any, of the box will
extend forward toward the dashboard beyond the driver seat and
front passenger seat. In some police cruisers, the equipment box
extends all the way back to the prisoner partition separating the
rear seating area from the driver compartment. A laptop computer is
often positioned between the box and dashboard, and is secured to
the vehicle floor with various types of mounting hardware.
[0005] Systems employing the conventional equipment box described
above suffer from a number of problems associated with the position
of the box within the vehicle driver compartment. First, the box is
located to the side of the driver, instead of to the front of the
driver near the dashboard. This requires the driver to rotate their
upper body and reach back slightly to operate equipment housed in
the box. The housed equipment is also well out of the driver's line
of sight, requiring the driver to look over and down between the
seats to see the equipment and controls mounted in the box. This is
particularly a problem in vehicles having sirens and light bars, as
the controls for these devices typically have several buttons and
switches.
[0006] In addition, the location of the conventional equipment box
can interfere with movements of the driver and passengers, and with
the operation and storage of other equipment. For example, in a
police cruiser, the area between the front seats immediately in
front of the prisoner partition is often used to store a shotgun.
The conventional equipment box configuration described above makes
it more difficult to store and remove a shotgun from this area. The
configuration also limits space between the seats that otherwise
would be available to store other types of equipment, such as a
flashlight, flashlight charger, cell phone, etc. Finally, the box
and the equipment mounted to the box can obstruct arm movement of
the driver and front seat passenger.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention provides a vehicle equipment console
for use in a vehicle driver compartment having a dashboard, floor
and driver seat. The equipment console includes a console body for
supporting equipment in a location accessible to a driver seated in
the driver seat. The console body includes a front portion
configured to receive and support the equipment, and a back
generally opposite the front portion. The back of the console body
may be integrated with the dashboard by shaping the back of the
console body to have a profile that conforms at least partially to
a contour of the dashboard. The console body may also be configured
to cover an area of the dashboard in which climate controls were
originally installed, with an upper portion of the console body
being adapted to receive and secure the climate controls in a
relocated position so that they may be operated from the front of
the console body.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0008] FIG. 1 is a view of a driver compartment of a vehicle,
including an equipment console according to the present
invention.
[0009] FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a console body included with
the equipment console shown in FIG. 1.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a front view of the console body shown in FIG.
2.
[0011] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the console body shown in FIG.
2.
[0012] FIGS. 5A and 5B are isometric views of a floor plate
included with the equipment console shown in FIG. 1.
[0013] FIG. 6 is a view of the driver compartment shown in FIG. 1,
including an alternate embodiment of an equipment console according
to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0014] FIG. 1 depicts a vehicle driver compartment 10 in which an
equipment console 12 according to the present invention is
installed. Equipment console 12 typically is provided as an
aftermarket unit that may easily be retrofitted to driver
compartment 10. Equipment console may be configured for
installation into virtually any type of vehicle, though it is
particularly useful when installed in vehicles used by police and
public safety officers, firefighters and the like. This is due to
the extensive amount of electronic and other equipment normally
carried in these vehicles. For purposes of illustration only,
equipment console 12 will be described in the context of a police
cruiser.
[0015] As seen in FIG. 1, equipment console 12 includes a console
body 14 situated generally in a central region of vehicle driver
compartment 10 in the space between dashboard 16 and the front
edges of driver seat 18 and front passenger seat 20. Console body
14 is configured so that multiple pieces of equipment 22 may be
mounted to a front region 24 of the console body. Equipment 22 may
include a radio, siren controls, light bar controls, and various
other types of equipment used in police cruisers. Console 12 is
configured so that equipment 22 is easily accessible to persons
seated in driver seat 18 and passenger seat 20. Console 12 uses a
minimum amount of space within driver compartment 10, and thus does
not interfere with driver and passenger movements, or with the
storage and operation of other equipment within the vehicle driver
compartment.
[0016] FIG. 2 is an isometric view showing side and back portions
of console body 14, and FIG. 3 is a front view of the console body.
As should be appreciated from FIGS. 1-3, console body 14 may
variously be thought of as a box, rack, case or frame for
supporting equipment such as equipment 22. The console body is
typically formed from 16-gauge cold-rolled steel, but may be made
from a variety of other materials, as desired. In addition to front
24, console body 14 typically includes sides 26 and 28, top 30,
bottom 32 (FIG. 4) and back 34. When installed as shown in FIG. 1,
the console body and portions of driver compartment 10 cooperate to
at least partially enclose a hollow interior region 36 of the
console body. Hollow interior 36 is best seen with reference to
FIG. 2.
[0017] As shown in FIG. 3, front 24 includes an opening 38 which
communicates with hollow interior region 36, and through which
equipment 22 may be received for mounting to the console body.
Mounting structures in the form of elongate mounting flanges 40 are
provided on front 24 adjacent opening 38. Flanges 40 are provided
with a number of holes to facilitate mounting of equipment 22 to
the front of the console body with bolts, screws or other suitable
fasteners.
[0018] As seen in FIG. 1, equipment 22, once mounted on console
body 14, covers opening 38 and extends at least partially into
hollow interior region 36 enclosed by the console body. The front
faces of equipment 22 define a generally planar instrument panel
that may be operated from the front of the console body. When
console body 14 is mounted within vehicle driver compartment 10,
the front of the console body and instrument panel are generally
vertical, but tilted slightly toward dashboard 16 so that they face
upward for easy viewing and operation by persons seated in seats 18
and 20. Typically, the front of the console body is angled no more
than 45 degrees away from a completely vertical orientation, though
it may be angled further, and may even be completely
horizontal.
[0019] As seen in FIG. 1, console body 14 is configured to cover an
area 16a of dashboard 16 which would normally house various
factory-installed climate controls (heat, fans, air conditioning,
etc.). In the depicted equipment console, however,
factory-installed climate control panel 50 has been pulled out of
dashboard 16, threaded through the console body, and relocated on
the front of the console body. The front of console body 14
includes an upper opening 52 (FIG. 3) that is specially sized to
permit mounting of climate control panel 50 adjacent opening 52.
When relocated to the depicted position, the climate controls may
be operated from the front of the console body. The back of the
console body includes a protruding tab 54 (FIG. 2) configured to
extend into the dashboard where the climate control panel was
originally installed. Tab 54 aids in securing the console body in a
fixed position relative to the dashboard and interior of the
vehicle.
[0020] Console body 14 preferably is sized to be compact and is
situated close to dashboard 16. Sides 26 and 28 extend parallel to
each other between front 24 and back 34 of console body 14, and are
dimensioned so that the depth of the unit, as measured from back 34
to front 24, is no greater than necessary to accommodate equipment
22. Not only is depth minimized, but the console body is also
situated in a forward position so that back 34 of console body is
close to, or in contact with a portion of dashboard 16. As seen in
FIG. 1, no part of the console body extends beyond the mounting
hardware (e.g., seat mounting bolt 18a) used to secure seats 18 and
20 to the floor. In this configuration, the console body normally
will not extend beyond the front edges of the seats unless they are
adjusted to an extreme forward position. If the console body does
extend away from the dashboard to occupy some of the space between
the seats, it is normally desirable that this be minimized. Sides
26 and 28 are similarly spaced by front 24 of the console body to
accommodate equipment 22 while minimizing the width of the console
body. Equipment console 12 typically rests on the floor of the
vehicle, and the position of dashboard 16 relative to floor 17
therefore governs the height of the console body, as measured
between top 30 and bottom 32.
[0021] As will now be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2,
back 34 of console body 14 may be integrated with dashboard 16 by
closely spacing the console body from the dashboard and conforming
a portion of the console body to the shape of the dashboard. Back
34 of the console body is defined by back edges 30a, 26a, 28a and
32a of the sidewall members that form top 30, sides 26 and 28, and
bottom 32 of the console body. A portion of the back is provided
with a profile so that, when installed, the console body conforms
to a portion of dashboard 16. This is achieved by shaping or
forming back edges 26a and 28a so that the contour of each edge at
least partly follows the contour of the dashboard. More
particularly, edge 28a is positioned near the dashboard on the
passenger side of compartment in a region adjacent glovebox door
16b. Edge 28a is formed with a profile, or contour, that conforms
to that portion of the dashboard. Edge 26a is similarly configured
to conform to a portion of dashboard 16 on the driver side. As
should be appreciated from FIGS. 1 and 2, the vehicle dashboard may
have an irregular cross section including curved portions, and the
cross section may vary along the length of the dashboard. Thus,
conforming the back of console body 14 to the dashboard may result
in edges 26a and 28a being shaped differently to have different
profiles, as seen in FIG. 2.
[0022] As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, console body 14 is generally
wedge-shaped, with sides 26 and 28 generally tapering toward top 30
such that the depth of the console body is greater at bottom 32.
This is due in part to the tilted configuration of the front face
of the console body. In addition, the lower portions of sides 26
and 28 are sized to extend underneath the dashboard, as seen in
FIG. 1. This further integrates equipment console 12 with the
dashboard and encloses and conceals wiring associated with
equipment 22.
[0023] A number of advantages result from the compact construction
of console body 14 and its position close to dashboard 16. In
general, this configuration leaves the space between seats 18 and
20 free for other uses and allows for more efficient use of space
within vehicle driver compartment 10. Unlike conventional equipment
boxes, which are mounted between the seats, equipment console 12
does not restrict arm movement of the driver and front seat
passenger. Shotguns, rifles, flashlights, portable loudspeakers,
telephones and various other equipment may be stored in the space
between the seats and operated without obstruction or interference
from equipment console 12.
[0024] Equipment mounted in console body 14 also is clearly visible
and easily accessible to persons seated in seats 18 and 20. The
front face of the console body is generally vertical, but is angled
toward the dashboard so that the instrument panel defined by
equipment 22 faces upward toward seats 18 and 20. Typically, the
front face is angled so that every point along the height of
console front 24, as measured from top 30 to bottom 32, is
approximately the same distance from the driver's eyes. Also the
front of the instrument panel is close to the driver's line of
sight when driving, particularly relative to the space between
seats 18 and 20, where conventional equipment boxes are installed.
The driver need only glance slightly downward to the right to view
the equipment mounted in the console body. Also, the console body
is close to the steering wheel, allowing the driver to easily reach
over a short distance to operate equipment 22. Unlike with the
conventional equipment box mounted between the seats, equipment
console 12 allows equipment 22 to be easily viewed and operated by
the driver without substantial upper body and head movements.
[0025] Referring now to FIGS. 1, 4, 5A and 5B, a device and method
for mounting console body 14 in vehicle compartment 10 will be
described. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 5A, a floor plate 70 extends
between the driver seat and front passenger seat, and is positioned
so that end 70a is positioned underneath and fastened to console
body 14. Floor plate 70 includes a generally planar body having a
number of elongate slots 70b, and mounting legs 70c that may be
secured in various desired locations along the length of the body.
Floor plate 70 is mounted within vehicle compartment 10 by
fastening ends 70d of the mounting legs to the vehicle floor using
the factory-installed mounting hardware (e.g., seat mounting bolt
18A) that secure seats 18 and 20 to the floor.
[0026] Console body 14 is mounted within the vehicle by aligning an
elongate slot 80 formed on bottom 32 of the console body (FIG. 4)
with one set of the elongate slots provided on the body of floor
plate 70. The console body and floor plate are then secured
together via the aligned slots with a suitable fastener. In the
embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, console body 14 is secured in place
only by floor plate 70 and tab 54; no other fastening mechanism is
used. Additional fasteners may be provided as desired, however, to
further secure equipment console within vehicle compartment 10.
[0027] As revealed by the alternately configured floor plate 90
shown in FIG. 5B, the floor plate may be formed in a variety of
different lengths. Longer floor plates may be formed to extend
between the seats all the way to the prisoner partition, providing
a surface for mounting and/or storing other equipment.
Alternatively, space between the seats may be left uncovered by
using a short floor plate, such as that depicted in FIG. 5B. As a
further alternative, the floor plate may be omitted altogether, and
the mounting legs shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B may be modified to
attach directly to the bottom of the console body.
[0028] Referring now to FIG. 6, another embodiment of an equipment
console according to the present invention is shown, having an
alternately configured console body 114. Console body 114 is
similar to the console body described with reference to FIGS. 1-4,
except that it is configured to be installed without relocating the
factory-installed climate control panel 50. To achieve this, top
portion 130 of console body 114 is modified from the previously
described configuration so that it abuts dashboard 16 just below
climate control panel 50. Equipment console 114 thus permits free
access to climate controls in their original factory-installed
location in the dashboard. The depicted configuration also
simplifies installation by eliminating the need to relocate climate
control panel 50.
[0029] While the present invention has been particularly shown and
described with reference to the foregoing preferred embodiments,
those skilled in the art will understand that many variations may
be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention as defined in the following claims. The description of
the invention should be understood to include all novel and
non-obvious combinations of elements described herein, and claims
may be presented in this or a later application to any novel and
non-obvious combination of these elements. The foregoing
embodiments are illustrative, and no single feature or element is
essential to all possible combinations that may be claimed in this
or a later application. Where the claims recite "a" or "a first"
element or the equivalent thereof, such claims should be understood
to include incorporation of one or more such elements, neither
requiring nor excluding two or more such elements.
* * * * *