Vehicular storage system

摘要

A vehicular storage system includes a frame coupled to an interior of a rear of a vehicle and a drawer, which is movably coupled to the frame. The drawer of the system is movable between a stowed position in which most or at least a substantial portion of the drawer is within the rear of the vehicle and a deployed position in which a substantial portion of the drawer is positioned rearward of the vehicle in a manner that makes the contents of the drawer accessible to a user outside of the vehicle. The drawer includes drop rails on opposing sides engageable with a pair of corresponding stationary frame rollers so that the drawer is movable along a path defined by the drop rails relative to the frame rollers of the frame.

主权项

1. A vehicular storage system for mounting within a rear storage compartment of a vehicle, the storage compartment being covered by a roof, an opening being formed at a rear of the storage compartment, the vehicular storage system comprising:
a stationary frame supportably mounted within the rear storage compartment of the vehicle; a drawer having a bottom and a top edged; a non-linear drop rail and roller assembly arranged between the frame and the drawer, the drop rail and roller assembly including at least two opposed drop rails located on opposite sides of the drawer and supported on one of the drawer and the frame and at least two opposed rollers located on opposite sides of the drawer and mounted on the other of the drawer and the frame, wherein the drop rail and roller assembly is configured to enable a selective movement of the drawer relative to the frame through a non-linear path along the drop rail and roller assembly between 1) a stowed position in which the drawer is disposed at least substantially horizontally and is housed at least substantially entirely within the area of the rear of the vehicle with the top edge of the drawer being closely positioned to the roof and 2) a deployed position in which the drawer is inclined downwardly and rearwardly and is positioned at least partially outside the rear of the vehicle and in which the top edge of at least a majority of the drawer is located well-beneath the roof; wherein each drop rail is shaped such that, when the drawer is in the stowed position thereof, a first segment of the drop rail extends upwardly and forwardly relative to the vehicle, and a second segment of the drop rail extends horizontally forwardly from an upper end of the first segment, the second segment being substantially longer than the first segment, and wherein the associated roller rides along the first segment of each drop rail as the drawer moves from the stowed position to an intermediate position and along the second segment as the drawer moves from the intermediate position toward the deployed position; and wherein the first segment of each of the drop rails comprises an intermediate, inclined portion positioned between a rear-most horizontal portion of the first segment and a front, curved portion extending upwardly and forwardly from a front end of the intermediate portion to a rear end of the second segment, each roller engaging the rear-most horizontal section of the first segment of the associated drop rail when the drawer is in the stowed position thereof and engaging the inclined portion of the associated drop rail when the drawer is in the intermediate position thereof.