Article accommodation structure for vehicle

Abstract

This article accommodation structure for a vehicle has an accommodation part which is recessed and provided in a vertical wall part of a vehicle cabin interior member and is opened in the vehicle cabin through an opening. The accommodation part includes: a bottom wall; a pair of side walls standing from ends on both sides in the width direction of the bottom wall; a back wall standing from an end of the bottom wall on the side opposite to the opening and connecting the pair of side walls; and an outer wall facing the back wall and standing from an end of the bottom wall on the opening side. The outer wall is inclined so as to be gradually displaced toward the vehicle cabin side as the outer wall extends upward, and ends on both sides in the width direction of the outer wall are provided with a pair of gaps with respect to the side walls.

Description

Vehicle storage structure

[0001] The present invention relates to an item storage structure for a vehicle.

[0002] A vehicle storage structure has been proposed in which a storage compartment with an opening into the vehicle cabin is provided in an instrument panel located in front of the driver's seat and passenger seat of the vehicle (see Patent Document 1). In the above-mentioned storage structure, a conceivable use is possible, such as charging a mobile phone stored in the storage compartment by connecting a charging terminal of the mobile phone stored in the storage compartment to a service outlet or USB connector provided in the instrument panel with a charging cable. Therefore, a storage structure provided in an instrument panel has been proposed in which a hook is provided inside the storage compartment to hold a strap or a charging cable for the mobile phone. (See Patent Document 2).

[0003] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2011-156949 Japanese Patent Publication No. 2007-15523

[0004] However, because the hooks are intended to hold straps or charging cables for mobile phones, they cannot be used to hang items such as plastic shopping bags by hanging them from the handles, leaving room for improvement in terms of improving the convenience of the item storage structure. The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an item storage structure for a vehicle that is advantageous in terms of improving commercial value and convenience by having a hook function for hanging items such as plastic shopping bags by hanging them from the handles in addition to the function of storing items.

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, one embodiment of the present invention is an item storage structure for a vehicle having a storage compartment recessed in a vertical wall portion of a vehicle interior member and open to the vehicle interior through an opening, the storage compartment including a bottom wall, a pair of side walls rising from both widthwise ends of the bottom wall, a rear wall rising from an end of the bottom wall opposite the opening and connecting the pair of side walls, and an outer wall rising from an end of the bottom wall facing the opening and facing the rear wall, the outer wall being inclined so as to gradually displace toward the vehicle interior as it extends upward, and both widthwise ends of the outer wall are provided with a pair of gaps from the side walls. Also, one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the outer wall has a width along the width direction of the storage compartment, the opening is located above a tip of the outer wall away from the bottom wall, and the outer wall includes a trapezoidal outer wall portion having a generally trapezoidal shape that protrudes toward the vehicle interior beyond lower portions of the pair of side walls and gradually decreases in width as it extends toward the vehicle interior. In one embodiment of the present invention, upper ends of the outer walls in the pair of gaps extend linearly in the width direction. In another embodiment of the present invention, a ceiling wall is configured connecting upper ends of the pair of side walls and an upper end of the rear wall, and widthwise opposite sides of the storage compartment above the gap on both sides of the trapezoidal outer wall portion and below the ceiling wall define a pair of front side openings that open into the vehicle cabin in the depth direction where the bottom wall and the outer wall of the storage compartment are aligned, and compartment-side portions of the storage compartment above the trapezoidal outer wall portion and below the ceiling wall that are farther toward the vehicle cabin than the tips of the pair of side walls that are farther from the rear wall define a pair of side openings that open into the vehicle cabin in the width direction of the storage compartment. In another embodiment of the present invention, a folded portion that is curved back toward the storage compartment is provided at the upper end of the trapezoidal outer wall portion. In addition, one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that a reinforcing rib is provided that is connected across the width near the folded portion, and the height of the reinforcing rib from the top surface is formed to be approximately the same height as the folded portion near the folded portion, and is formed to have dimensions that gradually decrease as it approaches the bottom wall.In one embodiment of the present invention, a corner is formed at a location where the rear wall and the bottom wall intersect. In another embodiment of the present invention, a tip of the ceiling wall in a depth direction of the storage compartment away from the storage compartment and an upper end of the trapezoidal outer wall are positioned at approximately the same position in a plan view, or the tip of the trapezoidal outer wall protrudes further toward the passenger compartment than the tip of the ceiling wall.

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the outer wall is inclined so as to gradually displace toward the vehicle interior as it extends upward, and both widthwise ends of the outer wall are provided with a pair of gaps relative to the side walls, thereby preventing items stored in the storage compartment from falling out toward the vehicle interior and allowing the items to be stored stably in the storage compartment. Furthermore, the handle of a plastic bag can be easily hung on the outer wall when returning from shopping, and the plastic bag can be hung stably. Therefore, in addition to its function of storing items, the outer wall also functions as a hook for hanging the handle of a plastic bag or the like, thereby enhancing the commercial value and convenience of the vehicle's item storage structure, which is advantageous in increasing vehicle purchasers' purchasing motivation and sales. Furthermore, if the outer wall includes a trapezoidal bottom wall portion whose width gradually decreases toward the vehicle interior, the handle of the plastic bag can be hung from the widest point of the trapezoidal bottom wall portion, allowing even large plastic bags to be hung off the floor. Furthermore, if the upper ends of the outer walls in the pair of gaps extend linearly in the width direction, this is advantageous in improving the appearance of the vehicle item storage structure. Furthermore, if a pair of front side openings that open into the vehicle compartment in the depth direction where the bottom wall and the outer wall of the storage section are aligned are formed above the gaps on both sides of the trapezoidal outer wall section in the width direction and below the ceiling wall at both widthwise sides of the storage section, and a pair of side openings that open into the vehicle compartment in the width direction of the storage section are formed above the trapezoidal outer wall section and below the ceiling wall at portions of the storage section facing the vehicle compartment further than the tips of the pair of side walls that are farther from the rear wall, then regardless of whether the mobile phone is stored in the storage section with its longitudinal direction facing one side or the other in the width direction of the storage section, the charging terminal provided at the longitudinal end of the mobile phone will be open to the outside of the storage section through the front side openings and the side openings. Therefore, when a charging cable is connected between the power supply connector located near the storage section and the charging terminal of the mobile phone, the charging cable can be easily routed through one or both of the side opening and the front side opening, which is advantageous for easily charging the mobile phone.Furthermore, even if the position of the charging terminal in the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the mobile phone varies slightly depending on the size of the mobile phone, the charging terminal of the mobile phone stored in the storage section can be exposed to the outside of the storage section through the front side opening and the side opening, which is advantageous for facilitating charging of mobile phones of various sizes. Furthermore, if the upper end of the trapezoidal outer wall section is provided with a folded portion that is curved toward the storage section, this is advantageous for increasing the rigidity of the second bottom wall and improving the durability of the second bottom wall against loads applied to the second bottom wall when putting items into or taking them out of the storage section. Furthermore, if a reinforcing rib is provided that is connected across the width near the folded portion and has a height from the top surface of the reinforcing rib that is approximately the same height as the folded portion near the folded portion and gradually decreases toward the bottom wall, this is advantageous for increasing the rigidity of the tip of the trapezoidal bottom wall and improving the durability of the tip of the trapezoidal bottom wall against loads applied to the tip of the trapezoidal bottom wall when putting items into or taking them out of the storage section. Furthermore, if the height of the reinforcing rib from the upper surface is formed to be approximately the same as the folded portion near the folded portion and gradually decreases as it approaches the first bottom wall, the upper end of the reinforcing rib connected to the folded portion can guide the item when removing it from the storage section, which is advantageous for smoothly removing the item from the storage section without the item interfering with the folded portion. Furthermore, if corners are formed at the intersection of the back wall and the bottom wall, when a mobile phone is stored in the storage section, the two corners of the mobile phone located on the back wall side abut against the corners where the back wall and the bottom wall intersect, and the middle part of the mobile phone in the width direction abuts against the upper end of the outer wall away from the bottom wall, so that the mobile phone can be stably held at three points in the storage section, which is advantageous for preventing the mobile phone from flying out of the storage section into the vehicle interior. Furthermore, if the tip of the ceiling wall in the depth direction of the storage section and the upper end of the trapezoidal outer wall section are located at approximately the same position in a plan view, or if the tip of the trapezoidal outer wall section protrudes further toward the vehicle compartment than the tip of the ceiling wall, the trapezoidal bottom wall section will not get in the way, making it easier to hook the handle of the plastic bag onto the trapezoidal bottom wall section and more advantageous in terms of easily removing the handle from the trapezoidal bottom wall section.

[0007] 1 is a front view showing a portion of an instrument panel to which an article storage structure for a vehicle according to an embodiment is applied. FIG. 1 is a perspective view. FIG. 1 is a side view taken along arrow A. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional perspective view taken along line C-C in FIG. 1, viewed obliquely from above. FIG. 7 is a side view showing a state in which a mobile phone is stored in a storage section. FIG. 7(A) and (B) are front views showing a state in which a mobile phone stored in a storage section and a USB connector for power supply are connected by a charging cable, with FIG. 7(A) showing a state in which the charging terminal of the mobile phone faces one side in the width direction of the storage section, and FIG. 7(B) showing a state in which the charging terminal of the mobile phone faces the other side in the width direction of the storage section.

[0008] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the symbol UP indicates the upper side of the vehicle, the symbol FR indicates the front side of the vehicle, and the symbol LH indicates the vehicle width direction. An item storage structure 18 of this embodiment has a storage compartment 20 recessed in a vertical wall portion 11 of a vehicle interior member 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 7(B) and open to a vehicle interior 12 through an opening 30. The vehicle interior member 10 is, for example, an instrument panel provided in front of the driver's seat and passenger seat of a vehicle. The instrument panel is composed of multiple panel segments. FIG. 1 shows a panel segment 10A (instrument panel center panel) provided approximately in the center of the vehicle width direction among the multiple panel segments, and the vehicle item storage structure of this embodiment is applied to this panel segment 10A. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the panel segment 10A has a rectangular shape that is elongated horizontally in the vehicle width direction. The upper half of the panel section 10A is provided with a plurality of operating sections for an air conditioner, audio equipment, etc. (not shown), and a USB connector 14 for power supply, while the lower half is provided with a service outlet for power supply (not shown) and an article storage structure 18 according to the present invention, adjacent to each other in the vehicle width direction. In Fig. 1, reference numeral 16A denotes openings in which the operating sections are disposed, reference numeral 16B denotes an opening in which the USB connector 14 is disposed, and reference numeral 16C denotes an opening in which the service outlet is disposed.

[0009] The article storage structure 18 includes a storage compartment 20 defined by walls for storing articles. The storage compartment 20 is located below a plurality of control units for an air conditioner, an audio device, or the like, and the power supply USB connector 14, and to the side of the power supply outlet. As shown in Figure 3, the walls defining the storage compartment 20 include a bottom wall 32, a pair of side walls 24 rising from both widthwise ends of the bottom wall 32, a rear wall 26 rising from an end of the bottom wall 32 opposite the opening 30, connecting the ends of the pair of side walls 24 opposite the opening 30 and facing the opening 30, an outer wall 34 rising from an end of the bottom wall 32 on the opening 30 side and facing the rear wall 26, and a ceiling wall 28 connecting the upper ends of the pair of side walls 24 and the upper end of the rear wall 26. The ceiling wall 28 is formed as an upwardly convex curved surface. A corner is formed where the rear wall 26 and the bottom wall 32 intersect, and in this embodiment, the corner is at an angle of approximately 90 degrees. The direction in which the pair of side walls 24 face each other is the width direction of the storage section 20, and the direction in which the bottom wall 32 and the outer wall 34 are aligned is the depth direction of the storage section 20.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1 , the bottom wall 32 and the outer wall 34 have a width along the width direction of the storage section 20, and an opening 30 is formed above the tip of the outer wall 34 in the direction away from the bottom wall 32. As shown in FIG. 3 , the bottom wall 32 extends substantially horizontally, and the outer wall 34 protrudes toward the passenger compartment 12 at a gradually increasing inclination as it approaches the passenger compartment 12. The outer wall 34 is inclined so as to gradually displace toward the passenger compartment 12 as it extends upward, and both widthwise end portions thereof are provided with a pair of gaps 34C relative to the side walls 24. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1 , the outer wall 34 includes a trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A and a pair of side bottom walls 34B. The trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A is provided at the center of the width direction of the outer wall 34 with a width dimension smaller than that of the outer wall 34, and protrudes toward the passenger compartment 12 beyond the lower portions of the pair of side walls 24, as shown in FIG. 3 . As shown in FIG. 1 , the trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A has a generally trapezoidal shape whose width gradually decreases toward the passenger compartment 12. In the present embodiment, the upper end 3402A of the trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A is formed as a straight portion extending in the width direction of the storage portion 20. However, it may be formed as a curved portion that is convex toward the passenger compartment 12, for example. The pair of side bottom walls 34B are provided on both sides of the trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A in the width direction of the outer wall 34, and protrude less toward the passenger compartment 12 than the trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A. When the passenger compartment interior member 10 is viewed from within the passenger compartment 12, as shown in FIG. 1 , a pair of gaps 34C are formed between the pair of side walls 24. The pair of side bottom walls 34B protrude uniformly toward the passenger compartment 12, and the upper ends of the pair of gaps 34C extend linearly in the width direction of the outer wall 34. The outer wall 34, which includes a trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A and a pair of bottom side walls 34B, is provided on a downwardly convex surface as shown in FIG.

[0011] As shown in Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5, folded portions 36 are provided that are curved upward toward the storage section 20 and extend from the upper end 3402A of the trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A, to both widthwise ends 3404A of the trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A, and to the tips 3402B of the pair of side bottom walls 34B, thereby increasing the rigidity of the outer wall 34. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, reinforcing ribs 38 are provided near the folded portions 36 and connected to the folded portions 36 in the widthwise direction, thereby increasing the rigidity of the tip portions of the trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A. The height of the reinforcing ribs 38 from the top surface near the folded portions 36 is approximately the same as the height of the folded portions 36, and gradually decreases as they approach the bottom wall 32. The height from the top surface of the reinforcing rib 38 is the height (length) of the reinforcing rib 38 with the outer wall 34 (trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A) as the base point, as shown in Figure 4, and is the height (length) from the end of the reinforcing rib 38 to the outer wall 34 (trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A).

[0012] 3, the pair of side walls 24 includes a lower side wall 24A located at the bottom and an upper side wall 24B located at the top. The lower side wall 24A stands upright from the bottom wall 32 and the pair of side bottom walls 34B, and a tip 2402A of the lower side wall 24A, which is remote from the rear wall 26, stands upright at an incline that gradually shifts toward the rear wall 26 as it extends upward. The upper side wall 24B is connected to the upper end of the lower side wall 24A, and a tip 2402B of the upper side wall 24B, which is remote from the rear wall 26, stands upright at an incline that gradually shifts toward the passenger compartment 12 as it extends upward.

[0013] 1 , the lower side wall 24A and the upper side wall 24B on the side in the width direction of the accommodating section 20 where the service outlet opening 16C is provided include an inner surface 2404 that stands up from the bottom wall 32 and a tip surface 2406 that is folded back from the inner surface 2404 toward the outside in the width direction of the accommodating section 20. The lower side wall 24A and the upper side wall 24B on the opposite side in the width direction of the accommodating section 20 where the service outlet opening 16C is provided include an inner surface 2408 that stands up from the bottom wall 32, a tip surface 2410 that is folded back from the inner surface 2408 toward the outside in the width direction of the accommodating section 20, and an outer surface 2412 that is folded back from the end of the tip surface 2410 in a direction facing the inner surface 2408.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1 , a pair of front side openings 40 are formed above the gaps 34C on both sides of the trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A in the width direction and below the ceiling wall 28, opening both widthwise portions of the storage section 20 into the vehicle cabin 12 in the depth direction where the bottom wall 32 and the outer wall 34 of the storage section 20 are aligned, and the opening 30 is configured to include these pair of front side openings 40. Also, as shown in FIG. 3 , a pair of side openings 42 are formed above the trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A and below the ceiling wall 28, at locations closer to the vehicle cabin 12 than the tips of the pair of side walls 24 away from the rear wall 26. Here, the tips of the pair of side walls 24 away from the rear wall 26 refer to tips 2402A of the pair of lower side walls 24A away from the rear wall 26 and tips 2402B of the pair of upper side walls 24B away from the rear wall 26. The tip 2802 of the ceiling wall 28 in the direction away from the storage section 20 in the depth direction of the storage section 20 and the upper end 3402A of the trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A, in other words, the tip 2802 of the ceiling wall 28 away from the rear wall 26 and the upper end 3402A of the trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A, are located at approximately the same position when viewed in a plane, as shown in Figure 4, or the upper end 3402A of the trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A protrudes toward the vehicle interior 12 more than the tip 2802 of the ceiling wall 28.

[0015] Next, the effects of the vehicle item storage structure 18 of this embodiment will be described. According to this embodiment, items such as keys, wallets, card cases, driver's licenses, and cell phones can be stored in the storage compartment 20 through the opening 30. Furthermore, because the outer wall 34 is gradually inclined toward the passenger compartment 12, items stored in the storage compartment 20 are prevented from falling out toward the passenger compartment 12, allowing the items to be stored stably in the storage compartment 20. Furthermore, because the outer wall 34 is inclined so as to gradually displace toward the passenger compartment 12 as it extends upward, and both widthwise ends of the outer wall 34 are provided with a pair of gaps 34C relative to the side walls 24, the handle of a shopping bag can be easily hung from the outer wall 34 upon returning from shopping, and the shopping bag can be hung stably. In other words, a shopping bag containing purchased items can be carried while hanging from the outer wall 34, without being placed on a seat or the floor. Specifically, the trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A of the outer wall 34 allows the handle of a plastic bag to be easily hung from the outer wall 34, and the plastic bag can be hung in a stable state. Furthermore, the outer wall 34, including the trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A, protrudes toward the vehicle interior 12 beyond the lower portions of the pair of side walls 24, which is advantageous for easily hanging the handle of a plastic bag from the outer wall 34 when returning from shopping. Furthermore, when storing a mobile phone in the storage section 20 and charging the mobile phone using an accessory socket inside the vehicle, a charging cable or the like can be easily routed through the gap 34C, which is advantageous for facilitating charging. Therefore, the vehicle item storage structure 18 of this embodiment not only functions to store items but also functions as a hook for hanging the handle of a plastic bag or the like, thereby enhancing the commercial value and convenience of the vehicle item storage structure 18 and advantageously increasing the purchasing willingness of vehicle buyers and vehicle sales. As a result, by combining storage and hook functions, space efficiency can be improved and the number of parts can be reduced.

[0016] Furthermore, in this embodiment, trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A is provided in the widthwise center of outer wall 34; in other words, trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A is provided in the widthwise center of storage section 20, so that a plastic bag hanging from trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A is positioned below the widthwise center of storage section 20 and appears to be hanging in a balanced manner, and the hanging state of the plastic bag looks good, which is advantageous in stimulating the purchasing desire of vehicle buyers and increasing vehicle sales volume. Furthermore, trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A is formed with an inclination that gradually rises toward vehicle interior 12, and the width of trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A is gradually narrowed toward vehicle interior 12, so that the handle of a plastic bag hanging from trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A will remain at the base end of trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A, which is located at the lowest position, due to the weight of the stored goods, and more specifically, the handle of the plastic bag will come into contact with a pair of side bottom walls 34B on both sides of trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A. Therefore, the handle of the plastic bag is hung at the widest point of trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A, and even in the case of a large plastic bag, the plastic bag can be hung in a state where it is off the floor, which increases the commercial value and convenience of vehicle article storage structure 18 and is advantageous for increasing the purchasing desire of vehicle buyers and increasing vehicle sales. Furthermore, if the upper end portions of the outer wall 34 in the pair of gaps 24C extend linearly in the width direction, this is advantageous in terms of improving the appearance of the vehicle's item storage structure 18.

[0017] In addition, in this embodiment, the pair of side bottom walls 34B protrude uniformly toward the vehicle interior 12, and the ends of the pair of side bottom walls 34B toward the vehicle interior 12 extend linearly in the width direction of the outer wall 34, so the vehicle's item storage structure 18 looks good, and the handle of a plastic bag hooked onto the trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A is supported stably and uniformly on both sides by the pair of side bottom walls 34B, which increases the commercial value and convenience of the vehicle's item storage structure 18, and is advantageous in increasing the purchasing desire of vehicle buyers and increasing vehicle sales.

[0018] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the outer wall 34, which includes the trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A and a pair of side bottom walls 34B, is provided on a downwardly convex surface, which is advantageous in ensuring the rigidity of the outer wall 34 while also ensuring space in the vertical direction of the storage section 20. This increases the commercial value and convenience of the vehicle's item storage structure 18, which is advantageous in increasing the purchasing motivation of vehicle buyers and increasing vehicle sales.

[0019] In the present embodiment, a pair of front side openings 40 are formed at locations on both widthwise sides of the trapezoidal outer wall 34A and above the pair of side bottom walls 34B, which open both widthwise portions of the storage section 20 into the vehicle compartment 12 in the depth direction of the storage section 20, and a pair of side openings 42 are formed at locations above the trapezoidal outer wall 34A and below the ceiling wall 28 and further toward the vehicle compartment 12 than the tips of the pair of side walls 24 that are away from the rear wall 26, which open the portion of the storage section 20 on the vehicle compartment 12 side into the vehicle compartment 12 in the width direction of the storage section 20. Therefore, as shown in Figures 6, 7(A), and 7(B), whether the mobile phone 50 is stored in the storage section 20 with its longitudinal direction facing one side or the other in the width direction of the storage section 20, the charging terminal 52 provided at the longitudinal end of the mobile phone 50 is exposed to the outside of the storage section 20 through the front side openings 40 and the side openings 42. Therefore, when a charging cable 54 is connected between the power supply USB connector 14 provided near the storage section 20 and the charging terminal 52 of the mobile phone 50, the charging cable 54 can be easily routed through one or both of the side opening 42 and the front side opening 40, which is advantageous for easily charging the mobile phone 50. Furthermore, even if the position of the charging terminal 52 in the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the mobile phone 50 varies slightly depending on the size of the mobile phone 50, the charging terminal 52 of the mobile phone 50 stored in the storage section 20 can be exposed to the outside of the storage section 20 through the front side opening 40 and the side opening 42, which is advantageous for easily charging mobile phones 50 of various sizes. Note that the electronic device to be stored and charged in the vehicle item storage structure 18 of this embodiment is not limited to mobile phones, and can be used to store and charge various rechargeable electronic devices such as tablet terminals. Therefore, the vehicle item storage structure 18 of this embodiment has the function of storing items, the function of hanging shopping bags, and also the function of charging rechargeable electronic devices, which increases the commercial value and convenience of the vehicle item storage structure 18, and is advantageous in increasing the purchasing motivation of vehicle buyers and increasing vehicle sales.

[0020] In addition, in this embodiment, a folded portion 36 is provided that is curved and folded upward toward the storage section 20, extending from the upper end 3402A of the trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A, both widthwise ends 3404A of the trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A, and the tips 3402B of a pair of side bottom walls 34B, thereby increasing the rigidity of the outer wall 34, which is advantageous in improving the durability of the outer wall 34 against the load applied to the outer wall 34 when items are placed in and taken out of the storage section 20.

[0021] In addition, in this embodiment, a reinforcing rib 38 connected to the folded portion 36 is provided on the top surface of the trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A at a tip portion away from the bottom wall 32, thereby increasing the rigidity of the tip portion of the trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A, which is advantageous in improving the durability of the tip portion of the trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A against the load applied to the tip portion of the trapezoidal outer wall portion 34A when an article is placed in or removed from the storage portion 20. Furthermore, the height of the reinforcing rib 38 from the top surface is formed to be approximately the same height as the folded portion 36 near the folded portion 36 and is gradually reduced as it approaches the bottom wall 32. Therefore, when an article stored in the storage portion 20 is removed, the article can be guided by the upper end of the reinforcing rib 38 connected to the folded portion 36, which is advantageous in allowing the article to be smoothly removed from the storage portion 20 without interfering with the folded portion 36.

[0022] 6 , since a corner is formed at the intersection of rear wall 26 and bottom wall 32, when mobile phone 50 is stored in storage section 20, two corners of mobile phone 50 located on the rear wall 26 side abut against the corners where rear wall 26 and bottom wall 32 intersect, and a middle portion of mobile phone 50 in the width direction abuts against upper end 3402A of outer wall 34 away from bottom wall 32. In other words, three points of mobile phone 50 can abut against rear wall 26, bottom wall 32, and outer wall 34. Therefore, mobile phone 50 stored in storage section 20 can be stably held at three points of storage section 20, which is advantageous in preventing mobile phone 50 from jumping out of storage section 20 toward vehicle interior 12.

[0023] In addition, in this embodiment, the ceiling wall 28 is formed with an upwardly convex curved surface, which is advantageous in ensuring the rigidity of the ceiling wall 28 while also ensuring space in the vertical direction of the storage section 20.

[0024] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the tip 2802 of the ceiling wall 28 in the direction away from the storage section 20 in the depth direction of the storage section 20 and the upper end 3402A of the trapezoidal outer wall section 34A are located at approximately the same position when viewed in a plan view, or the upper end 3402A of the trapezoidal outer wall section 34A protrudes slightly more toward the vehicle interior 12 than the tip 2802 of the ceiling wall 28, so that the trapezoidal outer wall section 34A does not get in the way, making it easier to hook the handle of a plastic bag onto the trapezoidal outer wall section 34A and more advantageous in terms of easily removing the handle from the trapezoidal outer wall section 34A.

[0025] In this embodiment, the case where the vehicle interior member 10 on which the vehicle storage structure is provided is an instrument panel has been described. However, the present invention is of course applicable to vehicle interior members other than an instrument panel, such as a vehicle interior member on the vehicle interior side of a door.

[0026] This application is based on a Japanese patent application (Patent Application No. 2024-43124) filed on March 19, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0027] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Vehicle interior member 10A Panel divided body 11 Vertical wall portion 12 Vehicle interior 14 USB connector (connector for power supply) 16A, 16B, 16C Opening 18 Item storage structure 20 Storage portion 22 Bottom wall 24 Pair of side walls 24A Lower side wall 2402A Tip 24B Upper side wall 2402B Tip 2404 Inner surface 2406 Tip surface 2408 Inner surface 2410 Tip surface 2412 Outer surface 26 Back wall 28 Ceiling wall 2802 Tip 30 Opening 32 Bottom wall 34 Outer wall 34A Trapezoidal outer wall portion 3402A Upper end portion 3404A Both ends 34B Pair of side bottom walls 3402B Tip 34C Gap 36 Folded portion 38 Reinforcing rib 40 Front side opening 42 Side opening 50 Mobile phone 52 Charging terminal 54 Charging cable

Claims

1. An item storage structure for a vehicle having a storage section recessed in a vertical wall section of a vehicle interior member and open to the interior of the vehicle through an opening, wherein the storage section is composed of a bottom wall, a pair of side walls rising from both widthwise ends of the bottom wall, a rear wall rising from the end of the bottom wall opposite the opening and connecting the pair of side walls, and an outer wall rising from the end of the bottom wall on the opening side opposite the rear wall, wherein the outer wall is inclined so as to gradually displace toward the vehicle interior as it extends upward, and both widthwise end sections of the outer wall are provided with a pair of gaps from the side walls.

2. The vehicle item storage structure described in claim 1, characterized in that the outer wall has a width along the width direction of the storage section, the opening is located above the tip of the outer wall in the direction away from the bottom wall, and the outer wall is configured to include a trapezoidal outer wall section that protrudes toward the passenger compartment beyond the lower parts of the pair of side walls and whose width gradually decreases as it approaches the passenger compartment.

3. The vehicle item storage structure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the upper ends of the outer walls in the pair of gaps extend linearly in the width direction.

4. The vehicle item storage structure described in claim 2, characterized in that a ceiling wall is configured connecting the upper ends of the pair of side walls and the upper end of the rear wall, and both widthwise side portions of the storage section above the gap on both sides of the trapezoidal outer wall section and below the ceiling wall form a pair of front side openings that open into the vehicle compartment in the depth direction where the bottom wall and the outer wall of the storage section are aligned, and a compartment-side portion of the storage section above the trapezoidal outer wall section and below the ceiling wall that is further toward the vehicle compartment than the tips of the pair of side walls that are away from the rear wall form a pair of side openings that open into the vehicle compartment in the width direction of the storage section.

5. The vehicle article storage structure according to claim 2, characterized in that the trapezoidal outer wall has an upper end provided with a folded portion that is curved back toward the storage portion.

6. The vehicle item storage structure according to claim 5, characterized in that a reinforcing rib is provided in the vicinity of the folded portion and connected across the width, and the height of the reinforcing rib from the top surface is formed to be approximately the same height as the folded portion in the vicinity of the folded portion, and is formed to have dimensions that gradually decrease as it approaches the bottom wall.

7. The vehicle article storage structure according to claim 1, wherein a corner is formed at the intersection of the rear wall and the bottom wall.

8. The vehicle item storage structure described in claim 4, characterized in that the tip of the ceiling wall in the depth direction of the storage section and the upper end of the trapezoidal outer wall section are located at approximately the same position in a plan view, or the tip of the trapezoidal outer wall section protrudes further toward the passenger compartment than the tip of the ceiling wall.

Images