Storage system

Abstract

Storage system Storage system for a vehicle seat back comprising a rigid shell adapted to be fixed to the back of said seat back, the shell being provided with a pair of guide tracks; and a storage strip attachable to said pair of guide tracks. Fig. 1b

Description

Title of the invention: Storage system Technical field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a storage system for a vehicle seat back, in particular for a vehicle front seat. State of the art

[0002] It is known to equip a vehicle seat back with a storage system. This storage system allows a passenger placed behind this seat to store objects there and to access them relatively easily. Such a storage system may for example comprise a storage pocket, the pocket being able to be formed between the back of the seat and a support element, for example a net or any other flexible or elastic fabric, extending between the lateral sides of the seat or between other lateral supports. The pocket allows relatively flat objects to be slipped into it by inserting them from above between the support element and the back of the seat. Such a storage system is generally positioned towards the bottom of the seat to facilitate access to the pocket from above. The storage system can also be integrated into the seat. It is also known to equip the back of train or airplane seats with such a storage system.

[0003] A disadvantage of these storage systems is that they do not allow direct access to stored objects that are themselves wrapped in packaging, such as tissues in a tissue box, biscuits in a biscuit tin, or any other object in a container. The container must first be removed from the storage pocket before accessing the object. In addition, the shape of these storage systems is generally designed to accommodate relatively flat or small objects. It is often not possible to store boxes deeper than one to two centimeters without deforming the box.

[0004] The present invention therefore aims to address at least partially one or more drawbacks mentioned above. In particular, the objective of the invention is to provide a versatile storage system on the back of a seat, in particular for a front seat of a vehicle, which allows storage and direct access to the contents of a container, in particular the use of a tissue box. Summary of the invention

[0005] To this end, a first aspect of the present invention relates to a storage system for a vehicle seat back, in particular for a car front seat. The system comprises a rigid shell adapted to be fixed to the back of said seat back, the shell being provided with a pair of guide tracks. The system comprises also a storage strip. In an inventive manner, this storage strip is attachable to said pair of guide tracks allowing the storage strip to slide along said pair of guide tracks, and the storage strip comprises a front opening.

[0006] In order to better understand the positioning of the various parts involved in a vehicle seat according to one aspect of the invention, the description is made with reference to a direct orthonormal reference frame XYZ in which X is a front-rear longitudinal axis of the vehicle facing rearward, Y is a transverse axis facing towards the right of the vehicle and Z is a vertical axis directed upwards. Generally, a vehicle seat comprises a seat structure and a backrest structure, said seat structure extending in a substantially horizontal plane and said backrest structure extending in a substantially vertical plane.

[0007] The rigid shell may at least cover a portion of the back of the seat backrest, the back being the side opposite the support surface against which a user of the seat leans. The shell generally covers almost entirely said back of the backrest. The shell may have a slightly curved shape to provide an ergonomic shape to the backrest. The guide tracks preferably extend in the lengthwise direction of the shell, in particular along a substantially vertical axis of the backrest when the shell is attached to the backrest. The guide tracks are also located at a distance from each other along a transverse axis, for example near the respective lateral edges of the shell. These guide tracks may be made in various known ways, for example as a slot in the shell, as a groove, as a projecting rib, or in any other way.

[0008] The storage strip is attachable to these guide tracks. One end of these guide tracks can, for example, allow the strip to be inserted into this guide track. When the storage strip is attached thereto, the entire storage strip and a portion of the shell forms a storage space between said strip and said shell. The storage strip is attachable to these guide tracks in a sliding manner. This sliding allows the height of the storage strip to be adjusted along the backrest.

[0009] Unlike the prior art, this storage system allows a passenger to access the contents of a container stored in the storage system without having to remove the container from the storage system. If the user stores a box of tissues, also including an opening for removing a tissue from the box, in this storage system, the front opening provides direct access to one or more tissues.

[0010] Advantageously, the front opening may be substantially rectangular or oval having a length extending transversely to said pair of tracks. guide. In this way, the front opening can be relatively long, extending along the length of the strip, thus maximizing access to the contents of different types of containers that can be stored in this storage system.

[0011] Advantageously, the shell may comprise a recess whose depth varies along said pair of guide tracks. Generally, the recess is located at a distance from the side edges of the shell and the seat when the shell is mounted. The recess may extend from the bottom to the top of the seat, being deeper towards the top of the backrest than towards the bottom of the backrest. In this way, by sliding the storage strip along the pair of guide tracks, the strip creates a shallow storage pocket at the bottom of the seatback and a deeper storage pocket towards the top of the seatback.

[0012] Advantageously, the storage strip may comprise at least two ribs, each configured to be received in a respective guide track of said pair of guide tracks. Preferably, these at least two ribs are located at the lateral ends of the strip. These ends may for example comprise a projection, an edge or any other thickening which is insertable into this guide track. Other forms of attachment are also conceivable, depending on the type of guide tracks.

[0013] Advantageously, the storage strip can be made of molded plastic. Molded plastic has the advantage of being strong while retaining a minimum of flexibility to allow slight deformation of the strip when an object is stored in this storage system. Molding is also a well-known manufacturing technique and allows relatively easy manufacture of the storage strip.

[0014] Advantageously, the storage strip may comprise a bent portion, one edge of which is configured to be in contact with the shell. This bent portion is configured to form a bottom of a storage pocket when the storage system is installed on the back of a seat. This bent portion may extend at least partly along a longitudinal side of the strip.

[0015] Advantageously, the storage strip may be provided with a movable cover element for covering and uncovering the front opening. This cover element may, for example, be configured to slide or slide between a position for covering the front opening and a position in which the front opening is uncovered and the cover element is located, for example, next to the front opening. Alternatively, the cover element may be a hinged cover or a pivoting cover. Thus, the cover may prevent stored objects, such as biscuits in a biscuit tin, from falling out, for example due to a vehicle maneuver.

[0016] A second aspect of the invention relates to a seat for a motor vehicle comprising a storage system described above. This seat can provide one or more of the advantages cited above. Brief description of the drawings

[0017] A preferred embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which - [Fig. 1a] and [Fig. 1b] Figures 1a and 1b represent a schematic perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a storage system according to one aspect of the invention; - [Fig. 1c] [Fig. 1c] represents a perspective view of a vehicle seat which can be equipped with the storage system of figures 1a and 1b; - [Fig.2a], [Fig. 2b] and [Fig. 2c] Figures 2a, 2b and 2c represent a view schematic perspective and top view of a preferred embodiment of the storage strip of the storage system of figures 1a and 1b; - [Fig.3a] and [Fig.3b] Figures 3a and 3b represent a schematic view in perspective and from above of a second preferred embodiment of the storage strip of the storage system of figures 1a and 1b; - [Fig.4] [Fig.4] represents a top view of a detail of the band of arrangement of figures 3a or 3b. Detailed description of the invention

[0018] Figures 1a and 1b show a schematic perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a storage system 1 according to one aspect of the invention and [Fig. 1c] shows a perspective view of a vehicle seat 100 including a backrest 101 provided with a rigid shell 102, the backrest being able to be provided with the storage system 1 as shown in Figures 1a and 1b. The storage system 1 comprises a rigid shell 2 adapted to be fixed to the back of the backrest 101 of the seat 100, the shell 2 being provided with a pair of guide tracks 3. The guide tracks 3 extend along the length of the shell 2, which corresponds to a substantially vertical direction when the shell is mounted to the backrest 101 of the vehicle seat 100. The guide tracks 3 are spaced apart from each other and are preferably located near the side edges of the shell 2, and therefore of the seat 100. They can be made as a slot in the shell 2 or in any other way.The storage system 1 further comprises a storage strip 4 which is attachable to said pair of guide tracks 3 allowing the storage strip to slide along said pair of guide tracks 3. Once attached, the storage strip 4 extends between the pair of guide tracks 3 transversely to said pair of guide tracks 3. The storage strip 4 makes it possible to create . a storage space between said strip and the shell 2. The guide tracks 3 allow the storage strip 4 to slide between a position in the bottom of the backrest 101, as in [Fig. 1a], and a position at the top of the backrest 101, as in [Fig. 1b]. Since the shell may include a recess or hollow 5 whose depth may vary along said pair of guide tracks 3, the volume of the storage space created by the storage strip 4 and the shell 2 may vary depending on the position of the strip 4. Generally, the recess 5 of the shell 2 may be deeper at the upper level of the backrest than on the opposite side, in the bottom of the backrest 101, when the shell 2 is attached to the seat 100, to correspond to an ergonomic shape of the seat 100.Thus, the storage system can be adapted to the storage of different types of objects: a relatively flat object can be stored when the storage strip 4 is in a low position relative to the seat, while a relatively large object, such as a box of tissues 6, biscuits or a container serving as a trash can, can be stored in the high position of the strip, as illustrated in [Fig.lb]. Such a box can have dimensions of more or less 23.5 cm x 12 cm x 5 cm.

[0019] Figures 2a, 2b and 2c represent a schematic perspective and top view of a preferred embodiment of the storage strip of the storage system of Figures 1a and 1b. Very advantageously, the storage strip 4 comprises a front opening 7. Thanks to this front opening 7, the objects stored in the storage system 1 which are themselves stored in a container remain accessible without the need to remove the container from the storage system 1. This is for example advantageous for packages containing biscuits, sweets, a box of tissues or for a container serving as a trash can. The front opening 7 can extend in a longitudinal direction of the storage strip 4 and can preferably have an oval or substantially rectangular shape in order to correspond for example to an opening of a standard box of tissues.The storage strip 4 may include two arms 8 extending in the longitudinal direction of the strip. The respective ends of said arms 8 may include a ridge or rib 9 which can clip and / or insert into a slot 10 of the shell 2 in order to attach the storage strip 4 to the pair of guide tracks 3 formed by said slot 10. The storage strip 4 may also include an angled portion 11, one edge 12 of which is configured to be in contact with the shell 2 to form a bottom of the storage space created by the storage strip 4. The storage strip 4 may preferably be made of molded plastic. In this way, the strip may be substantially rigid while retaining a minimum of flexibility, for example so that the arms 8 and the angled portion 11 adapt to the position of the strip 4 along the shell 2, the recess 5 and the guide tracks 3.

[0020] Figures 3a and 3b represent a schematic perspective and top view of a second preferred embodiment of the storage strip 4' of the storage system of Figures 1a and 1b. In addition to the features mentioned above, the storage strip 4' may be provided with a movable cover element 13 between an uncovered position of the front opening 7, as illustrated in [Fig. 3a], and a covered position of the front opening 7, as illustrated in [Fig. 3b]. This mobility of the cover element 13, for example a flap, may be obtained by a sliding system of the cover element 13. This sliding system may for example comprise a pair of guide tracks 14 fixed on the storage strip 4' intended to receive the ends of the cover element 13 in a sliding manner.Alternatively, the mobility of the cover element can be achieved in any other manner known to those skilled in the art, such as for example by an articulated element or a Velcro element.

[0021] [Fig. 4] represents a top view of a detail of the storage strip of Figures 3a or 3b. In order to ensure good holding of the cover element 13 in the guide tracks 14 and to avoid play, the lateral ends of this cover element 13 may comprise a groove 15 which is in direct contact with an inner wall of the respective guide tracks 14. The ends of the guide tracks 14 may be provided with a stop element to prevent the cover element 13 from sliding beyond the guide tracks 14.

[0022] Although the present invention has been illustrated with reference to specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that the invention is not limited to the details of the illustrative embodiments, and that the present invention may be embodied with numerous modifications without departing from the scope of the invention. The embodiments are to be considered illustrative and not restrictively, the scope of the invention being defined by the claims which follow rather than by the foregoing description. Any modification which falls within the meaning or equivalence of the claims is intended to be understood. That is, it is intended to cover all modifications, variations or equivalences which fall within the scope of the underlying basic principles and the essential features of which are claimed in this patent application.The reader of this patent application will understand that the words “comprising” or “comprises” do not exclude any other element or step, and that the words “a” or “an” do not exclude a plurality. The reference signs in the claims cannot be considered as limiting the claim concerned. The terms “first”, “second”, “third”, “a”, “b”, “c”, etcetera are introduced to distinguish different elements or steps and do not necessarily describe a sequential or chronological order. Similarly, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “above”, “below”, . etcetera are introduced for descriptive purposes and not necessarily to denote relative positions. It will be understood that these terms are interchangeable under appropriate conditions and that embodiments of the invention are capable of being operable according to the present invention in other sequences or in orientations which differ from those described or illustrated above.

Claims

Claims

1. Storage system (1) for a backrest (101) of a vehicle seat (100) comprising • a rigid shell (2) adapted to be fixed to the back of said seat backrest, the shell being provided with a pair of guide tracks (3); • a storage strip (4) attachable to said pair of guide tracks allowing said storage strip to slide along said pair of guide tracks; wherein the storage strip comprises a front opening (7).

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the front opening (7) is substantially rectangular or oval having a length extending transversely to said pair of guide tracks.

3. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the shell (2) comprises a recess whose depth varies along said pair of guide tracks.

4. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the storage strip (4) comprises at least two ribs (9), each configured to be received in a respective guide track of said pair of guide tracks.

5. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the storage strip (4) is made of molded plastic.

6. System according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the storage strip (4) comprises an angled portion (11) one edge of which is configured to be in contact with the shell.

7. System according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the storage strip (4) is provided with a movable cover element (13) making it possible to cover and uncover the front opening.

8. Seat (100) for a motor vehicle comprising a storage system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

Images