STORAGE AREA PLACED ON THE DASHBOARD OF A MOTOR VEHICLE

PLATEAU DE RANGEMENT A PLACER SUR LE TABLEAU DE BORD D'UN VEHICULE MOTEUR

English Abstract

A tray for use in a truck having a peaked dash is
provided with a support yoke and adjustable suction cups
attached to the tray at its windshield end. Because the
mounting mechanism is simple and all at the windshield end,
the tray is easily mounted and dismounted and is unlikely to
interfere with dashboard gauges or instruments.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A tray adapted for use in a motor vehicle having a
windshield and a dashboard, said dashboard having a highest
point spaced from said windshield, said tray comprising a
generally flat support surface having a given length, a
forward end and a rearward end including a spectacle case in
front of the tray, a support yoke hingedly connected to said
support surface at said forward end, at least one suction cup
adjustable and fixed by a locking device attached to said
support surface at said forward end, whereby said support
surface may be disposed horizontally resting on said dashboard
at a support point remote from said windshield and supported
at said forward end by said yoke and said suction cup.
- 5 -

Description

21573~7
STORAGE AREA PLACED ON THE
DASHBOARD OF A MOTOR VEHICLE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a storage area placed on
the dashboard of a motor vehicle and is particularly directed
to use in trucks.
Storage areas for motor vehicles are known in the
art. Often they take the form of trough-like integrated
components in the instrument panel. As a result of the
relatively narrow design of the dashboard, and because of the
vehicle parts that are located underneath the surface of the
dashboard, the known storage areas are small in volume and
surface area. In practice, this results in the fact that only
small items, such as eyeglasses and similar objects, can be
kept in the known storage areas.
In many motor vehicles, including long haul trucks,
it is desirable that the driver have at his disposal a larger
storage area. This holds true especially for rest periods and
breaks. It is expedient for the driver to have a storage area
of sufficient size for food, as well as cups, cans, and similar
items.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention eliminates these problems and
provides a storage area which can be used universally, or at
least by the overwhelming majority of trucks. In accordance
with the present invention, there is provided a large surface
upon which objects can be placed without slipping, which is
easily mounted in the area of the dashboard within reach of
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the driver, but which is also easily removable with few hand
movements and stowed away inside the vehicle in a space-saving
manner.
In accordance with the invention, a tray is provided
which lies upon the dashboard and is supported on the dashboard
andlor windshield in a removable manner. Further in accordance
with the invention, a tray is provided which is useable when
the vehicle is stationary or while the vehicle is in motion.
Further in accordance with the invention, since many
dashboards of trucks exhibit a somewhat roof-like shape having
a peak, the tray has at least one adjustable support yoke on
the windshield side. This is made possible through the use
of a lag hinge between the yoke and the tray. The lag hinge
can be locked by means of a clamping screw. In place of the
support yoke, individual supports could be used as well. It
is also possible to provide useful support devices on the
instrument panel side in order to give the tray sufficient
support on the dashboard.
Yet further in accordance with the invention, the
tray is supported at the windshield by means of one or more
large suction cups, each of which can be fixed in different
positions by a screw to adjust them to different windshields.
Still further in accordance with the invention, the
tray is provided with a plurality of recesses of various
depths and contours corresponding to normally used items such
as cups, bottles, cutlery and the like.
Yet further in accordance with the invention, a
spectacle case is attached to one side of the tray, e.g. the
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.
front side of the tray as viewed by the driver.
Yet further in accordance with the invention, the
tray has a length dimension and is adapted to have about two-
thirds of its length forward of the peak of the dash whereby
the center of gravity of the tray, when loaded or unloaded,
is forward of the peak and the tray is reliably supported.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT
The invention is explained in more detail in the
following description of the preferred embodiment in
connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 shows the tray in a perspective represent-
ation from the top;
Figure 2 shows a side view of the tray with the
dashboard indicated in cross-section; and
Figure 3 shows a section in accordance with the
line III-III in Figure 1.
Referring now to Figure 2, the dashboard 1 and
windshield 2 of a truck are shown schematically in cross-
section. The dashboard 1 is roof shaped having a peak spaced
from the windshield, a forward surface sloping downwardly
toward the windshield 2 and a rearward surface sloping down-
wardly away from the windshield in which instruments 16 are
disposed. The tray 3 is disposed on top of the dashboard 1
with a support point 15 resting on the peak of the dashboard.
At the windshield, the tray 3 is supported by means
of adjustable suction cups 8 and a su~port yoke 4. The support
yoke 4 consists of two telescopingtubes 18 and 19 that can be
locked at a selected length by means of a locking screw 17.
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The support yoke 4 is carried at the tray 3 by means of a lag
hinge 5. The lag hinge 5 can be locked by means of a clamping
screw 6.
In use the tray 3 is attached by setting the tray 3
on the support point 15, adjusting the length of the support
yoke 4 so its bottom rests at the place where the windshield
meets the dashboard and pressing the suction cups 8 against
the windshield 2. After the tray is first mounted, it can be
repeatedly mounted and dismounted without further adjustment.
It can be seen in Figure 1 that the tray 3 itself
exhibits several storage surfaces 10, 11, 12, 13, 20, 21, 22
and 23, including a spectacle case 24. In the preferred
embodiment, the storage surface 13 is provided with an outer
contour accepting a cup with a handle. The depth T of the
cup recess 13 and the can recess 12 is sufficient to hold a
bottle or can. The individual recesses are separated from
one another by means of profile webbing that is given the
general designation 9. Larger rectangular recesses 10, 11
and 20 are provided to hold sandwiches, chips and the like.
Both the underside of the tray 3 and the free end 14 of the
support yoke 4 can be provided with a protective cover made
of rubber or felt in order to prevent unwanted marks on the
surface of the dashboard l.The cups 8 may be adjusted to
different positions and fixed by a screw 25.
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Representative Drawing