Accessory holder and pouch
By designing a system of bag-shaped bodies and accessory holders, and utilizing bag-shaped gears and magnetic devices, the system enables multi-position holding and flexible installation of accessories within the vehicle. This solves the balance problem between ease of manufacturing and usability in existing technologies, and reduces complexity and cost.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC
- Filing Date
- 2025-10-17
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-01
AI Technical Summary
Existing accessory clip systems fail to achieve the optimal balance between ease of manufacturing, load-bearing capacity, and better usability of the interface and hook mechanism, and suffer from manufacturing complexity and high cost.
A system comprising a bag-shaped body and an accessory holder is designed. The bag-shaped body has teeth that engage with gears. The accessory holder is held in place by a magnetic device and is reversibly attached to a track and slidable. The accessory holder is held in multiple positions by gears and a magnetic device, combined with optional connectors and track structures.
It achieves a balance between ease of manufacturing and user functionality, reducing manufacturing complexity and cost while providing better usability and flexibility.
Smart Images
Figure CN121947360A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Accessory support and bag-shaped body Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to bag-like structures and accessory mounts, such as accessory mounting systems, accessories, and parts kits. Background Technology
[0002] In the prior art, accessory clip systems have been proposed for attaching various accessories to designated hooks or areas within a vehicle. These systems typically rely on universal interfaces to allow interchangeable installations of different accessories, such as lights, luggage loops, cables, telephone holders, or bottles. However, known solutions have significant drawbacks. Some designs rely on simple mechanical structures that are low-cost to manufacture but offer limited functionality and user convenience. Other designs introduce more complex mechanisms that provide better operability, but they still require a greater number of components, including parts that must be sourced and assembled separately, thus increasing manufacturing complexity and cost. As a result, existing accessory clip systems fail to achieve an optimal balance between ease of manufacture, load-bearing capacity, and improved usability in terms of interface and hook mechanisms. Therefore, there is a need for an accessory clip system that combines ease of manufacture and improved user functionality while maintaining cost-effectiveness. Summary of the Invention
[0003] Therefore, a first non-exhaustive object of the present invention is to provide a bag-like body suitable for holding an accessory holder, the bag-like body including at least one bag-like body tooth located within the bag-like body and arranged to engage with a gear of the accessory holder.
[0004] The bag-like body may include a housing with a cavity for capturing gears.
[0005] The bag may include a magnetic device that interacts with a complementary magnetic device of the accessory holder.
[0006] At least one bag-shaped tooth allows it to allow the gear to rotate in an indexing manner to hold the accessory bearing in multiple positions relative to the bag-shaped body.
[0007] The bag-like body can reversibly attach to the track and / or slide along the track.
[0008] The invention also relates to an accessory holder comprising a gear sized to be securely held within the bag-like body of claim 1 and to engage with at least one tooth of the bag-like body.
[0009] The accessory support may further include a complementary magnetic device that interacts with the magnetic device of the bag-like body.
[0010] As an addition or alternative, the accessory holder may further include a connector, such as a bayonet-type fixing structure, for connecting the accessory holder to the accessory.
[0011] The present invention also relates to an accessory including an accessory support.
[0012] The accessory could be any of the following: luggage loop, light, or retractable cable.
[0013] As an addition or alternative, the accessory is provided with a pivot point, allowing the accessory or its components to rotate along an axis different from the axis of rotation of the accessory bearing.
[0014] The present invention also relates to an accessory mounting system comprising a bag-like body and an accessory holder.
[0015] As an addition or alternative, the accessory support is located within the bag-like body.
[0016] In the example, the accessory installation system also includes one or more of the following: a track, the dimensions of which are optionally designed to reversibly and / or slidably receive the bag-like body and accessory as described above, wherein the accessory is optionally as described above.
[0017] The present invention also relates to a parts kit comprising at least one bag-like body as described above and at least one accessory holder as described above, and optionally, wherein the parts kit further comprises one or more of the following: a track, the dimensions of which are optionally designed to reversibly and / or slidably receive the bag-like body as described above; and an accessory, wherein the accessory is optionally as described above. Attached Figure Description
[0018] Embodiments of the invention will now be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, using only examples.
[0019] Figure 1 shows a front view of the accessory installation system.
[0020] Figure 2 shows a rear view of the accessory installation system.
[0021] Figure 3 shows A) the assembled accessory installation system in the first position and B) the assembled accessory installation system in the second position.
[0022] Figure 4 shows the accessory installation system arranged on the track.
[0023] Figure 5A shows the accessory installation system arranged on the track.
[0024] Figure 5B shows the track of the accessory installation system.
[0025] Figure 6A shows the accessory installation system arranged on the track.
[0026] Figure 6B shows the accessory installation system arranged on the track.
[0027] Figure 6C shows the accessory installation system detached from the track.
[0028] Figure 6D shows the accessory installation system detached from the track.
[0029] Figure 7A shows an exploded view of the accessory installation system.
[0030] Figure 7B shows another exploded view of the accessory installation system.
[0031] Figures 8A, 8B, and 8C illustrate the “manual push-pull” option for the accessory installation system.
[0032] Figure 9 shows the "push-push" option for the accessory installation system.
[0033] Figure 10 shows the accessory interface of the accessory installation system. Detailed Implementation
[0034] Some terms used in the following description are for convenience only and are not restrictive. The terms “right,” “left,” “down,” “up,” “front,” “back,” “upward,” “below,” and “downward” indicate orientations taken in the accompanying drawings relative to the described component when it is installed and assembled. The terms “inward,” “toward,” “outward,” and “outward” indicate directions toward or away from the specified centerline or geometric center (such as a central axis) of the described element, respectively; their specific meanings will become clear from the background of this specification.
[0035] Furthermore, the terms “connection,” “attachment,” “coupling,” and “installation” as used herein are intended to cover a direct connection between two components without any other component in between, as well as an indirect connection with one or more other components in between. This terminology includes the words specifically mentioned above, their derivatives, and words with similar meanings.
[0036] Furthermore, unless otherwise stated, ordinal adjectives (such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc.) are used only to distinguish different instances of the same kind of object and do not imply that the objects described in this way must follow a particular order—whether chronological, spatial, hierarchical, or any other order.
[0037] The same reference numerals are used throughout this specification to denote the same features.
[0038] This application discloses an accessory mounting system suitable for use in vehicles. The system is designed to be modular to allow for the addition, removal, and arrangement of various accessories within the vehicle according to the end user's wishes.
[0039] The accessory installation system shown in Figure 1 includes a bag-shaped body 102, an accessory holder 104, and an accessory 106.
[0040] The bag-shaped body 102 is adapted to securely hold the accessory support 104. The accessory support 104 is arranged like a cup within the accessory support 104 to provide the necessary support, so that the torque generated by the weight of the accessory can be borne by the bag-shaped body 102 and the surface to which the bag-shaped body 102 is mounted.
[0041] The bag-shaped body 102 has at least one bag-shaped tooth 202 (seen more clearly in Figure 2) located within the bag-shaped body and arranged to engage with the gear 112 of the accessory support 104. The bag-shaped tooth 202 is preferably resilient, allowing the gear 112 to rotate tooth-to-tooth intentionally by the end user, but is also rigid enough to prevent the gear 112 from rotating within the bag-shaped body 102. This allows for indexing rotation of the gear 112, enabling the end user to position the gear 112 (and thus the accessory 106 attached to it) relative to the bag-shaped body 102 in multiple positions. The bag-shaped tooth thus allows for indexing rotation of the gear to hold the accessory support in multiple positions relative to the bag-shaped body.
[0042] The pouch-like body includes a housing to provide space for the gear 112 to house the gear pouch. The housing has a recess to capture the gear and allow the shaft of the gear 112 to pass through, to which the attachment 106 can be mounted. Discs or washers can be disposed on the shaft and spaced apart from the gear 112 to provide a surface, which may be provided with a connector 108 for mounting the attachment 106. The gaps between the discs can advantageously correspond to the thickness of the housing wall adjacent to the recess, thereby reducing the wobbling of the gear 112 within the pouch-like body 102.
[0043] The cavity may be in the form of an elongated notch within the housing wall and extend the opening of the bag-like body 102 to removably receive the gear 112.
[0044] To ensure that gear 112 is retained within the bag-like body 102, both parts can be provided with magnetic devices. The bag-like body 102 includes a magnetic device 206, which is configured to interact with a complementary magnetic device 204 of the accessory support 104. That is, there is an attractive force between the magnetic devices of the two parts, thereby preventing gear 112 from unintentionally disengaging from the bag-like body 102.
[0045] The accessory support includes a gear as described above, which is sized to be securely held within the bag-shaped body. The gear is also sized so that once in place within the bag-shaped body 102, the gear 112 engages with at least one bag-shaped body tooth 202 (see Figure 3).
[0046] As previously described, the accessory holder further includes a connector 108 for connecting the accessory holder to the accessory, such as a bayonet-type fastening structure, which may be formed by a pair of mushroom-shaped protrusions positioned within a tapering channel of the accessory 106 to achieve a resistance fit. Obviously, any suitable fastening structure can be used. The accessory 106 may or may not be equipped with the accessory holder 104, and the accessory holder 104 may be pre-attached to the accessory 106. Alternatively, the accessory holder 104 may be integrally formed with the accessory 106.
[0047] Annex 106 may include any of the following: luggage loops, lights, retractable cables and / or any other suitable items that the user can install via the accessory mounting system.
[0048] The attachment may be provided with a pivot point, allowing the attachment or its components to rotate about an axis different from the axis of rotation of the attachment holder. Attachment 106 may be provided with two degrees of freedom of motion to allow the user to position the attachment in a desired location. This can be achieved, for example, by providing a pop-out component to attachment 106.
[0049] As most clearly seen in Figure 2, the accessory installation system is used in three steps. First, the user pushes the connector 108 of gear 112 into the corresponding shape on the back of accessory 106. The user then engages connector 108 to lock it onto accessory 106, for example, by rotating gear 112 90° clockwise. The user can then push accessory 106 while gear 112 is attached to housing 110 of pouch 102 until accessory 106 is locked and the magnetic device aligns with the complementary magnetic device.
[0050] Once in place, the user can rotate the attachment 106 around the axis of the bag-shaped body 102 and may be able to position the attachment 106 at various angles.
[0051] Figure 4 illustrates attachment 106, which is mounted to bag 102 via attachment holder 104 and subsequently attached to track 402. Bag 102 can be mounted to other attachment points, which can be discrete (i.e., multiple mounting positions are provided by point locations rather than the track). Bag 102 is reversibly attached to track 402 and / or can slide along track 402, thereby allowing the end user to mount bag 102 along the length of track 402 at any desired location. Bag 102 may be provided with a gripping mechanism to grip onto track 402 and hold it in the same position. The gripping mechanism can be any suitable mechanism, including, for example, a resilient clip. A protrusion may be provided to allow the user to pull up and release the gripping mechanism to reposition bag 102 on track 402. Once moved to the desired position, the protrusion can be depressed to allow the gripping mechanism to grip track 402 and lock bag 102 in a specific position on track 402.
[0052] Figure 5A shows another view of the bag-shaped body 102 mounted to the track 402 via the track support 414. The track support 414 includes a track guide 410 for attachment to the track 402. A protrusion 404 is provided that can be actuated toward or away from a notch 406 on the track 402. The protrusion 404 actuates a pin that enters the notch 406 to hold the bag-shaped body 102 in place on the track 402.
[0053] Figure 5B shows another view of track 402, which includes a notch 406 that receives a pin to lock the bag 102 in place.
[0054] Figure 6A shows another view of track 402, which includes a notch 406 that receives a pin 408 to lock track bearing 414 in place. A protrusion 404 moves away from and toward the notch 406 of track 402. The pin 408 is in an engaged position so that the bag-like body 102 cannot slide along track 402.
[0055] Figure 6B shows pin 408 in the disengaged position, at which point the pin leaves notch 406 so that track bearing 414 can slide along track 402.
[0056] Figure 6C shows the bag-shaped body 102 and the track support 414 disengaged from the track 402. The protrusion 404 is shown in the engaged position, with the pin 408 facing the center of the bag-shaped body 102.
[0057] Figure 6D shows the bag-shaped body 102 disengaged from the track 402. The protrusion 404 is shown in the disengaged position, at which point the pin 408 is away from the center of the bag-shaped body 102.
[0058] Figure 7A shows the protrusion 404 disengaged from the track support 414. A pin 408 and a clip 412 are attached to the protrusion 404. The clip 412 engages with a mechanism within the track support 414, allowing it to move within the track support 414 but preventing accidental removal from it. The clip 412 can be an anchoring clip or any other known mechanism capable of achieving the same effect. The bag-like body 102 is attached to the track support 414, which includes a track guide 410 that allows the bag-like body 102 to slide along the track 402.
[0059] Figure 7B shows another view of the protrusion 404 detached from the track support 414. A pin 408 and a clip 412 are attached to the protrusion 404.
[0060] Figures 8-10 illustrate an optional attachment clip system with a recessed container and a hook (a mushroom-shaped hook or any suitable hook) that remains within the recessed container until needed. The hook can be positioned in the extended position manually or automatically (e.g., via a pop-out mechanism). Teeth and claws may be provided to provide a stop as the hook's extension relative to the recessed container changes. Attachments may have universal interfaces for engaging and retaining the hook, such as flexible arms and toothed arms.
[0061] Figures 8A, 8B and 8C show a first optional accessory clip system 802, which has a hook 808 and a housing 804 having a side fixing clip 806 to arrange the housing 804 on a base.
[0062] The box body 804 forms a recessed container 810, in which the hook 808 is slidably installed.
[0063] The housing 804 terminates at an edge 812 surrounding the recessed container 810, so as to align the edge 812 with the base into which it is inserted.
[0064] The accessory clip 802 has several functional positions, such as two or three positions, in which the hook 808 is securely inserted into the recessed container 810, either deeply or shallowly.
[0065] The main body 826 is inserted into the box 804, and the hook 808 is connected to the box 804, as shown in Figure 8C.
[0066] With the help of the back wall 814 and the foot 816, the hook body 826 is combined with the hook 808.
[0067] As shown in Figures 8A and 8B, the first alternative to the attachment clip in Figures 8A, 8B and 8C, namely the "manual push-pull type", has two positions.
[0068] In the first position shown in Figure 8A, the hook 808 and the hook body 826 (including the back wall 814 and the foot 816) are fully inserted into the recessed container 810, while in the second position shown in Figures 8B and 8C, the foot 816 and the hook 808 are disengaged from the recessed container 810.
[0069] This allows for attachments with concealable hooks 808.
[0070] Figure 8C shows that the hook body 826 has a side hole 828, which allows the positioning clip 830 of the box 804 to fix the hook body 826 in place relative to the box 804.
[0071] The positioning clip 830 forms an internal integrated clip that, due to the elasticity of the material, bends and clamps into one of the corresponding side holes 828 when the hook 808 is pushed or pulled out to hold the hook 808 in place.
[0072] In the illustrated example, three pairs of side holes 828 are provided for a pair of positioning clips 830 to allow the hooks 808 to have three different positions with respect to the housing 804.
[0073] In this alternative, the hook 808 is smaller than the recessed container 810. This allows the user to insert a finger or tool between the edge 812 and the hook 808 to change the position of the hook 808.
[0074] Figure 9 illustrates a second alternative to the accessory clip, a "push-push" design, where the hook 808 is clearly the same size as the recessed container 810, thus preventing the user from inserting fingers or tools between the edge 812 and the hook 808. Instead, a push mechanism 818 located within the housing 804 allows for repositioning of the hook 808. The push mechanism 802 includes a latch 820 and a spring 822, configured to work together to close and open the clip assembly 802 such that when the hook 808 is logged in, it does not protrude from the housing 804 and is optionally flush with the outer surfaces of the base and edge 812, allowing the user to push on the hook 808 to open it. The pushing action releases the hook 808 from the latch 820, and the spring 822 pushes the hook 808 out of the housing 804. To close the hook 808, the user can simply push it back until the hook is caught by the latch 820.
[0075] Figures 8A and 8B show that the side retaining clip 806 allows the clip assembly 802 to be secured within the substrate into which it is inserted. This side retaining clip 806 exists in two concepts ("manual push-pull" and "push-push") to clamp the box 804 within the trim of a wall-like substrate using clips on the side of the box 804.
[0076] Figure 10 shows examples of attachment 106 for different clip assemblies 802. Both alternative hooks 808 have the same attachment mounting system / interface for connection to attachment 106, including a flat square button formed on the head of hook 808 and two small recesses 824 on one side of hook foot 816 (see Figure 9), and additionally, a surface 1002 on attachment 106 with a U-shaped retainer 1004.
[0077] The U-shaped retainer 1004 is configured to surround the hook foot 816. It has two opposing flexible arms 1006, which have teeth 1008 configured to engage with the recess 824 of the hook foot 816.
[0078] When outside the housing 804, accessory 106 can slide on hook 808. Once in the correct position, accessory 106 will be secured by a clamping sound. To remove accessory 106, it can be pulled upwards. Hook 808 can then be pushed into housing 804.
[0079] As shown in Figure 10, attachment 106 may include a ring-shaped element 1010 that allows for easy gripping and pull-out of attachment 106 relative to hook 808.
[0080] Those skilled in the art will understand that the detailed examples above are illustrative only and are not intended to be limiting, and various modifications and alterations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Many modifications can be made to the detailed examples above.
[0081] In the description and claims of this specification, the words “comprising,” “having,” and variations thereof mean “including but not limited to,” and are not intended (and do not actually) exclude other groups, additives, components, wholes, or steps. In the description and claims of this specification, the singular encompasses the plural unless the context otherwise requires. In particular, when the indefinite article is used, this specification should be understood to cover both the plural and the singular unless the context otherwise requires.
[0082] Features, integrals, properties, compounds, chemical fragments, or groups described in connection with specific aspects, embodiments, or examples of the invention should be understood to be applicable to any other aspect, embodiment, or example described herein, unless incompatible with it. All features disclosed in this specification (including any appended claims, abstract, and drawings), and / or all steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except for combinations where at least some of such features and / or steps are mutually exclusive. The invention is not limited to the specific details of the foregoing embodiments. The invention extends to any novel single feature or novel combination of features disclosed in this specification (including any appended claims, abstract, or drawings), or to any novel single feature or novel combination of steps of any method or process so disclosed.
[0083] List of reference numerals: 102: Bag-like body; 104: Accessory support; 106: Accessory; 108: Connector; 112: Gear; 202: Bag-like body tooth; 206: Magnetic device; 402: Track; 404: Protrusion; 406: Notch; 408: Pin; 410: Track guide; 412: Clip; 414: Track support; 802: Accessory clip system; 804: Box body; 806: Side fixing clip; 808: Hook; 810: Recessed container; 812: Edge; 814: Back wall; 816: Foot; 818: Body; 820: Locking tongue; 822: Spring; 824: Recess; 826: Hook body; 828: Side hole; 832: Positioning clip; 902: Push mechanism; 1004: U-shaped retainer; 1010: Ring element.
Claims
1. A bag-like body (102) suitable for holding an accessory support (104), said bag-like body (102) comprising: At least one bag tooth (202) located within the bag (102) is arranged to engage with the gear (112) of the accessory bearing (104).
2. The bag-shaped body (102) of claim 1, wherein the bag-shaped body (102) comprises a housing (110) having a cavity (114) for capturing the gear (112).
3. The bag-shaped body (102) as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the bag-shaped body (102) includes a magnetic device (206) that interacts with the complementary magnetic device (204) of the accessory support (104).
4. The bag-shaped body (102) as claimed in any one of claims 1-3, wherein the at least one bag-shaped body tooth (202) allows the indexing rotation of the gear (112) to hold the accessory bearing (104) in multiple positions relative to the bag-shaped body.
5. The bag-shaped body (102) as claimed in any one of claims 1-4, wherein the bag-shaped body (102) is reversibly attached to the track (402) and / or can slide along the track (402).
6. An accessory support (104) comprising a gear (112) sized to be securely held within the bag-like body (102) of claim 1 and such that the gear (112) engages with at least one bag-like body tooth (202).
7. The accessory holder (104) of claim 6 further includes a complementary magnetic device (204) that interacts with the magnetic device (206) of the bag (102) of any one of claims 1-5, and / or wherein the accessory holder (104) further includes a connector, such as a bayonet fastening structure, for connecting the accessory holder (104) to the accessory (106).
8. An accessory (106) comprising an accessory holder (104) as described in any one of claims 2-4, wherein the accessory (106) is any one of: a luggage loop, a light, a retractable cable; and / or wherein the accessory (106) is provided with a pivot point such that the accessory (610) or an element thereof can rotate about an axis different from the axis of rotation of the accessory holder (104).
9. An accessory mounting system comprising a bag-like body (102) as described in any one of claims 1-5 and an accessory holder (104) as described in claim 6 or 7, and optionally, wherein, The accessory holder (104) is located within the bag-like body (102); and / or the accessory mounting system further includes one or more of the following: a track (102), the track (102) being optionally sized to reversibly and / or slidably receive the bag-like body (102) of any one of claims 1-5; and an accessory (106), wherein the accessory (106) is optionally as claimed in claim 8.
10. A parts kit comprising at least one bag-like body as described in any one of claims 1-5 and at least one accessory holder (104) as described in claim 6 or 7, and optionally, wherein the parts kit further comprises one or more of the following: a track (402) sized optionally to reversibly and / or slidably receive the bag-like body (102) as described in any one of claims 1-5; and an accessory (106) wherein the accessory (106) is optionally as described in claim 8.