Vehicle door storage system

Abstract

The invention provides a vehicle door storage system. A vehicle door retainer system includes: a main bracket; an inner side upright part which extends upwards from the main bracket, and an outer side upright part which extends upwards from the main bracket; the outer side upright part extends upwards from the main bracket; an auxiliary bracket; and a support member extending from the auxiliary bracket to the outer upright portion. A vehicle door that has been removed from the vehicle may be supported between the inboard upstanding portion and the outboard upstanding portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates generally to vehicle doors, and more specifically to the storage of vehicle doors that have been removed from a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] Some vehicles, especially those designed for off-road use, include removable doors. The vehicle can be operated with the doors removed to provide an open-air driving experience for the driver and passengers. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle door retainer system comprising: a main support; an inner upright extending upward from the main support; an outer upright extending upward from the main support; an auxiliary support; and a support member extending from the auxiliary support to the outer upright.

[0004] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle door retainer system, wherein the support is pivotally fixed to the outer upright.

[0005] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle door retainer system in which the support member is received within a recess in the auxiliary bracket.

[0006] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle door retainer system, wherein the inner upright and the outer upright are configured to support a vehicle door.

[0007] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle door retainer system, wherein the inner upright is configured to abut the inside of the vehicle door and the outer upright is configured to abut the outside of the vehicle door.

[0008] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle door retainer system, wherein the inner upright portion is configured to be received within a recess of the vehicle door.

[0009] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle door retainer system, which further includes: a support block positioned within a recess of the main bracket between the inner upright portion and the outer upright portion, the support block being configured to abut against the bottom side of the vehicle door.

[0010] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle door retainer system in which the support block is foam.

[0011] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle door retainer system, wherein the main bracket includes: a first recess configured to receive the inner upright portion; and a second recess configured to receive the inner upright portion, wherein when the inner upright portion is received in the first recess, the inner upright portion is spaced apart from the outer upright portion by a first distance, and when the inner upright portion is received in the second recess, the inner upright portion is spaced apart from the outer upright portion by a different second distance.

[0012] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle door retainer system, which further includes: a storage box configured to enclose the main bracket, the inner upright portion, the outer upright portion, the auxiliary bracket, and the support member.

[0013] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle door retainer system, wherein the storage compartment includes: a first recess that retains the main support; a second recess that retains the inner upright portion and the support member; a third recess that retains the outer upright portion; and a fourth recess that retains the auxiliary support.

[0014] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle door retainer system, wherein the storage box includes a base and a cover, the base providing a first recess, a second recess, a third recess, and a fourth recess.

[0015] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle door retainer system, wherein the storage box includes a plurality of magnets that secure the cover to the base.

[0016] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle door retainer system, wherein the base is a foam base.

[0017] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle door retainer system in which the support pivots relative to the inner upright to a storage position when the support and the inner upright are enclosed within the storage compartment.

[0018] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle door retainer system, which further includes: a vehicle door supported in an upright position between the inner upright portion and the outer upright portion.

[0019] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle door retainer system comprising: a storage box; and a plurality of door retainer components enclosed within the storage box.

[0020] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle door retainer system, wherein the plurality of door retainer components include a main bracket located in a first recess of the storage compartment, an inner upright portion and support member located in a second recess of the storage compartment, and an outer upright portion located in a third recess of the storage compartment.

[0021] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle door retainer system, wherein the plurality of door retainer components further include an auxiliary bracket located within a fourth recess of the storage compartment.

[0022] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle door retainer system, wherein the storage box includes a base and a cover, wherein the first recess, the second recess, the third recess, and the fourth recess are disposed within the base.

[0023] Embodiments, examples, and alternatives, including any of their various aspects or respective individual features, may be adopted independently or in any combination of the foregoing paragraphs, claims, or the following description and drawings. Features described in connection with one embodiment are applicable to all embodiments unless such features are incompatible. Attached Figure Description

[0024] According to the specific embodiments, various features and advantages of the disclosed examples will become apparent to those skilled in the art. The accompanying drawings of the specific embodiments can be briefly described as follows:

[0025] Figure 1 A side view of a vehicle with at least one door is shown.

[0026] Figure 2 A perspective view of a door retainer assembly as it is assembled, according to an exemplary aspect of this disclosure, is illustrated.

[0027] Figure 3 Examples are given by Figure 2 The door retainer assembly supports the Figure 1 A side view of the vehicle's door.

[0028] Figure 4 Examples are given by Figure 2 The door retainer assembly supports the Figure 1 A side view of the vehicle's door.

[0029] Figure 5 Examples Figure 4 A close-up view of the area.

[0030] Figure 6 Examples are given by Figure 2 The door retainer assembly supports the Figure 1 End view of the vehicle's door.

[0031] Figure 7 An example is shown where the door retainer assembly is assembled and supported from... Figure 1 The vehicle door and the door is in the storage bag Figure 2 Another configuration of the door retainer assembly.

[0032] Figure 8 An example is shown when it is disassembled and sealed inside a storage box. Figure 2 The door retainer assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0033] Some vehicles include removable doors. Vehicle users may wish to operate such a vehicle with the door removed to provide an open-air driving experience. This disclosure generally relates to storing vehicle doors. More specifically, this disclosure relates to a door retainer for holding a vehicle door removed from a vehicle. The door retainer can support the door in an upright position. The door retainer may be provided from multiple components that can be disassembled and stored in a housing, which facilitates transporting the door retainer to the desired location. The door retainer can be considered modular.

[0034] refer to Figure 1 The exemplary vehicle 10 includes a door 14, shown in an installed position. Door 14 is the driver's side door. The vehicle may additionally include a passenger side door. Vehicle 10 is an off-road vehicle and may be characterized as a two-door vehicle because it includes two side doors. Behind the passenger area of ​​vehicle 10 is a cargo area 26, which can hold various types of cargo for transport by vehicle 10. Other vehicles may include front and rear doors on both the passenger and driver sides.

[0035] Sometimes, users may want to operate the vehicle 10 without the door 14 being in the mounting position.

[0036] refer to Figures 2 to 6 The door retainer assembly 30 includes several components. In this example, those components include a main bracket 32, an inner upright portion 34, an outer upright portion 36, an auxiliary bracket 38, and a support member 40. In this example, the main bracket 32 ​​and the auxiliary bracket 38 are separate and distinct components. In another example, the main bracket 32 ​​and the auxiliary bracket 38 are provided by different sections of the same bracket structure.

[0037] When the door retainer assembly 30 is assembled, the inner upright portion 34 is disposed within the first recess 46 of the main bracket 32 ​​and extends upward from the main bracket 32. Additionally, the outer upright portion 36 is disposed within the second recess 50 of the main bracket 32 ​​and extends upward from the main bracket 32. The inner upright portion 34 and the outer upright portion 36 are spaced apart by a distance D. The door 14 can be supported above the main bracket 32 ​​between the inner upright portion 34 and the outer upright portion 36.

[0038] In this example, no fasteners are used to secure the inner upright portion 34 and the outer upright portion 36 to the main bracket 32. Therefore, the inner upright portion 34 and the outer upright portion 36 can be quickly assembled and disassembled from the main bracket 32.

[0039] When the door retainer assembly 30 is supporting the door 14, the inner upright portion 34 abuts against the inner side 54 of the door 14. When the door retainer assembly 30 is supporting the door, the outer upright portion 36 abuts against the outer side 58 of the door 14. "Inner" and "outer" refer to the vehicle 10 when the door 14 is in the installation position.

[0040] In this example, when the door 14 is supported, the end region of the inner upright portion 34 fits into the recess 62 of the door 14. The recess 62 is a recess provided in the door 14 for a user to grip when carrying the door 14. The inner upright portion 34 may be structural foam.

[0041] The outer upright portion 36 may be made of metal or metal alloy, wherein a felt strip 66 is added at the position where the outer upright portion 36 meets the outer side 58 of the door 14.

[0042] The first end portion 70 of the example support 40 is pivotally secured to the outer upright portion 36 at pivot 74. When the door retainer assembly 30 is supporting the door 14, the support 40 rotates about the pivot 74 and the second end portion 78 of the example support 40 received in the recess 82 of the auxiliary bracket 38.

[0043] In this example, the door retainer assembly 30 includes a support block 84 that fits within a third recess 86 of the main bracket 32 ​​between an inner upright portion 34 and an outer upright portion 36. The support block 84 may be foam. When the door retainer assembly 30 is supporting the door 14, the bottom side 88 of the door 14 can rest on the support block 84. The recesses 46, 50, and 86 are sized to accommodate specific components, which facilitates assembly.

[0044] The main bracket 32 ​​includes a fourth recess 90. The inner upright portion 34 can be received within the fourth recess 90 instead of the first recess 46. When the inner upright portion 34 is in the fourth recess 90, it is spaced further from the outer upright portion 36 compared to when it is received within the first recess 46. The user can choose to place the inner upright portion 34 in the fourth recess 90 such that when the door 14... Figure 7 As shown, when the door retainer assembly 30 is inside the storage bag 94, it can support the door 14.

[0045] refer to Figure 8 As shown, the door retainer assembly 30 can be stored in a storage box 100 when not in use. The storage box 100 includes a base 104 and a cover 108. The base 104 may be made of structural foam. The base 104, the cover 108, or both may include a plurality of magnets 112 that can secure the cover 108 to the base 104 to close the door retainer assembly 30.

[0046] In this example, the example door retainer assembly 30 is disassembled while enclosed within the storage box 100. The base 104 includes multiple recesses to receive various components of the door retainer assembly 30. A first recess of the base 104 may receive a main support 32. A second recess of the base 104 may receive an inner upright 34. A third recess of the base 104 may receive an outer upright 36 and a support member 40. The support member 40 can pivot against the outer upright 36 when loaded in the third recess. A fourth recess of the base 104 may receive an auxiliary support 38. A fifth recess of the base 104 may accommodate a support block 84.

[0047] Each of the recesses within the base 104 can be sized to accommodate a specific component of the door retainer assembly 30. This helps the user identify the correct location of various components and quickly assess whether any components are not within the base 104.

[0048] With the components of the door retainer assembly 30 closed by the storage box 100, the storage box 100 can be placed, for example, in the cargo area of ​​the vehicle 10.

[0049] The foregoing description is exemplary in nature and not restrictive. Variations and modifications made to the disclosed examples will become apparent to those skilled in the art, and such variations and modifications do not necessarily depart from the spirit of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection accorded to this disclosure can only be determined by examining the appended claims.

Claims

1. A vehicle door retainer system, comprising: Main support; An inner upright portion extends upward from the main support; An outer upright portion, which extends upward from the main support; Auxiliary support; as well as A support member that extends from the auxiliary bracket to the outer upright portion.

2. The vehicle door retainer system of claim 1, wherein the support member is pivotally fixed to the outer upright portion.

3. The vehicle door retainer system of claim 1, wherein the support member is received within a recess in the auxiliary bracket.

4. The vehicle door retainer system of claim 1, wherein the inner upright and the outer upright are configured to support the vehicle door.

5. The vehicle door retainer system of claim 1, wherein the inner upright portion is configured to abut the inner side of the vehicle door and the outer upright portion is configured to abut the outer side of the vehicle door, and optionally wherein the inner upright portion is configured to be received within a recess of the vehicle door.

6. The vehicle door retainer system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: A support block is positioned within a recess of the main bracket between the inner upright portion and the outer upright portion, the support block is configured to mate with the bottom side of the vehicle door, and optionally the support block is foam.

7. The vehicle door retainer system of claim 1, wherein the main bracket comprises: A first recess, configured to receive the inner upright portion; and a second recess, configured to receive the inner upright portion, wherein when the inner upright portion is received in the first recess, the inner upright portion is spaced apart from the outer upright portion by a first distance, and when the inner upright portion is received in the second recess, the inner upright portion is spaced apart from the outer upright portion by a different second distance.

8. The vehicle door retainer system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: A storage box configured to enclose the main support, the inner upright portion, the outer upright portion, the auxiliary support, and the support member, and optionally wherein the storage box includes: a first recess holding the main support; a second recess holding the inner upright portion and the support member; a third recess holding the outer upright portion; and a fourth recess holding the auxiliary support.

9. The vehicle door retainer system of claim 8, wherein the storage box includes a base and a cover, the base providing the first recess, the second recess, the third recess, and the fourth recess, and optionally wherein the storage box includes a plurality of magnets that secure the cover to the base.

10. The vehicle door retainer system of claim 9, wherein the base is a foam base.

11. The vehicle door retainer system of claim 8, wherein when the support and the inner upright are enclosed within the storage compartment, the support pivots relative to the inner upright to a storage position.

12. The vehicle door retainer system of claim 1, further comprising: The vehicle door is supported in an upright position between the inner upright portion and the outer upright portion.

13. A vehicle door retainer system, comprising: Storage box; as well as Multiple door retainer components are enclosed within the storage box.

14. The vehicle door retainer system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of door retainer components include a main bracket located in a first recess of the storage box, an inner upright portion and a support member located in a second recess of the storage box, and an outer upright portion located in a third recess of the storage box, and optionally wherein the plurality of door retainer components further include an auxiliary bracket located in a fourth recess of the storage box.

15. The vehicle door retainer system of claim 14, wherein the storage box includes a base and a cover, wherein the first recess, the second recess, the third recess and the fourth recess are disposed within the base.

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