초록 ▼

Disclosed is a storage box structure for use with a vehicle equipped with first and second seats each of which has a seat cushion and a seatback and which are arranged in the width direction of the vehicle while a given space left therebetween. The storage box structure comprises a storage box provi

Disclosed is a storage box structure for use with a vehicle equipped with first and second seats each of which has a seat cushion and a seatback and which are arranged in the width direction of the vehicle while a given space left therebetween. The storage box structure comprises a storage box provided with a box body with a top opening and formed in a configuration capable of being disposed between the first and second seats in the width direction, and a support mechanism supporting the storage box in such a manner that the storage box can selectively take either one of a use position where the storage box is located between the first and second seats and a retracted position where the storage box is retracted to provide a space between the first and second seats. In a storage box structure allowing a storage box to be disposed between seats, the present invention can assure a walk-through space between the seats as needed.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A storage box structure for use with a vehicle equipped with first and second seats, each of which has a seat cushion and a seatback and which is arranged in the width direction of said vehicle while leaving a given space therebetween, said storage box structure comprising: a

What is claimed is: 1. A storage box structure for use with a vehicle equipped with first and second seats, each of which has a seat cushion and a seatback and which is arranged in the width direction of said vehicle while leaving a given space therebetween, said storage box structure comprising: a storage box having a box body with a top opening, said storage box being formed in a configuration capable of being disposed between said first and second seats in said width direction; and a first support mechanism supporting said storage box in such a manner that said storage box can selectively take either one of a use position where said storage box is located between said first and second seats and a retracted position where said storage box is retracted to provide a space between said first and second seats, wherein each of said first and second seats includes a base member, and a seat cushion body which is positioned on the base member to cover said base member from above said base member and support an occupant seated thereon, and the base member of said first seat includes a receiving space with a top opening to receive said storage box therein; the base member of said first seat includes a wall formed at the end on an inner side in the width direction of said vehicle so that an upper end of said wall is positioned above a lower end of said storage box in said retracted position; the first support mechanism supports the storage box allowing the storage box to move rotatably about an axis provided on said wall in the width direction of said vehicle between the use position and the retracted position; the second seat comprises a support portion formed on the side facing the first seat, said support portion projecting toward the first seat; and the storage box comprises a positioning member formed on the side, which includes a vertical length shorter than that of said storage box and is supported on said support portion in said use position. 2. The storage box structure as defined in claim 1, wherein said support mechanism is designed to allow said storage box to be moved to below the seat cushion of said first or second seat so as to take said retracted position. 3. The storage box structure as defined in claim 1, wherein said seat cushion body is pivoted rotatably about an axis extending along said width direction at a front end portion thereof to open and close the top opening of the receiving space defined by said base member. 4. The storage box structure as defined in claim 1, wherein said storage box includes a width change mechanism for narrowing the width of said box body in said width direction when said storage box is in said use position. 5. The storage box structure as defined in claim 4, wherein said support mechanism is designed to allow said storage box to be turned over so that said narrowed width of said box body extends along a vertical direction in said retracted position. 6. The storage box structure as defined in claim 1, wherein said storage box includes a cover member attached to said box body slidably in the longitudinal direction of said vehicle to open and close the top opening of said box body, said cover member having a top surface designed to be used as a table when said storage box is in said use position. 7. The storage box structure as defined in claim 6, wherein a center-seat seatback for a center seat is located between the respective seatbacks of said first and second seats and pivoted at a lower end thereof to allow said center-seat seatback to be turned down in the frontward direction of said vehicle, and a back surface thereof is designed to be used as a table when said center-seat seatback is turned down in said frontward direction. 8. The storage box structure as defined in claim 6, wherein said vehicle includes a rear seat disposed at the rear of said first and second seats, wherein said cover member is designed to be slidingly moved in front of said rear seat. 9. A combination structure of storage box and center seat for use with a vehicle equipped with a first seat having a first seat cushion and a first seatback, and a second seat having a second seat cushion and a second seatback, said first and second seats being arranged in the width direction of said vehicle while leaving a given space therebetween, said combination structure of storage box and center seat comprising: a storage box having a box body with a top opening, said storage box being formed in a configuration capable of being disposed between said first and second seats in said width direction; a first support mechanism supporting said storage box in such a manner that said storage box can selectively take either one of a use position where said storage box is located between said first and second seats and a retracted position where said storage box is located below said first seat cushion; a center seat having a seat body for supporting an occupant seated thereon, said center seat being formed in a configuration capable of being disposed between said first and second seats in said width direction; and a second support mechanism supporting said center seat in such a manner that said center seat can selectively take either one of a use position where said center seat is located between said first and second seats and a retracted position where said center seat is located below said second seat cushion, wherein each of said first and second seats includes a base member, and a seat cushion body which is positioned on the base member to cover said base member from above said base member and support an occupant seated thereon, and the base member of said first seat includes a receiving space with a top opening to receive said storage box therein while the base member of said second seat includes a receiving space with a top opening to receive an auxiliary seat therein; the first support mechanism is mounted on the base member of the first seat to support the storage box allowing the storage box to move rotatably about an axis provided on said base member in the width direction of said vehicle between the use position and the retracted position; and the second support mechanism is mounted on the base member of the second seat to support the center seat allowing the center seat to move rotatably about an axis provided on said base member of the second seat in the width direction of said vehicle between the use position and the retracted position. 10. The combination structure of storage box and center seat as defined in claim 9, wherein said second support mechanism is designed to allow the seat body of said center seat to be moved to a position above said storage box when said storage box is in said use position. 11. The combination structure of storage box and center seat as defined in claim 9, wherein said storage box includes a width change mechanism for narrowing the width of said box body in said width direction when said storage box is in said use position. 12. The combination structure of storage box and center seat as defined in claim 11, wherein said first support mechanism is designed to allow said storage box to be moved to said retracted position from said use position while maintaining the width of said box body narrowed. 13. The combination structure of storage box and center seat as defined in claim 9, wherein: said first seat cushion includes a first seat cushion body designed to be movable to cover said first base member from above said first base member and support an occupant seated thereon, said first seat cushion body being pivoted rotatably about an axis extending along said width direction at a front end portion thereof to open and close the top opening of the first receiving space defined by said first base member; and said second seat cushion includes a second seat cushion body designed to be movable to cover said second base member from above said second base member and support an occupant seated thereon, said second seat cushion body being pivoted rotatably about an axis extending along said width direction at a front end portion thereof to open and close the top opening of the second receiving space defined by said second base member. 14. The combination structure of storage box and center seat as defined in claim 9, wherein said storage box includes a cover member attached to said box body slidably in the longitudinal direction of said vehicle to open and close the top opening of said box body, said cover member having a top surface designed to be used as a table when said storage box is in said use position. 15. The combination structure of storage box and center seat as defined in claim 14, wherein a center-seat seatback for said center seat is located between said first and second seatbacks and pivoted at a lower end thereof to allow said center-seat seatback to be turned down in the frontward direction of said vehicle, and a back surface thereof is designed to be used as a table when said center-seat seatback is turned down in said frontward direction. 16. The combination structure of storage box and center seat as defined in claim 14, wherein said vehicle includes a rear seat disposed at the rear of said first and second seats, wherein said cover member is designed to be slidingly moved in front of said rear seat. 17. The combination structure of storage box and center seat as defined in claim 9, wherein said second support mechanism supports a seat cushion of said auxiliary seat; the base member of the second seat is designed to receive said auxiliary seat; and a seatback of said auxiliary seat is supported to move rotatably by said second seatback of the second seat. 18. The combination structure of storage box and center seat as defined in claim 9, wherein the second seat comprises a second support portion formed on the side facing the first seat, said second support portion projecting toward the first seat; the first seat comprises a first support portion formed on the side facing the second seat, said first support portion projecting toward the second seat; the storage box comprises a positioning member formed on the side, the positioning member being designed to be supported by said second support portion in said use position; and the auxiliary seat comprises a leg member formed on the side, the leg member being designed to be supported by said first support portion in said use position. 19. The combination structure of storage box and center seat as defined in claim 9, wherein slide rails are provided below said first and second seats allowing said first and second seats to move slidably along longitudinal direction of the vehicle. 20. A storage box structure for use with a vehicle equipped with first and second seats, each of which has a seat cushion and a seatback and which is arranged in the width direction of said vehicle while leaving a given space therebetween, sad storage box comprising: a storage box having a box body with a top opening, said storage box being formed in a configuration capable of being disposed between said first and second seats in said width direction; and a first support mechanism supporting said storage box in such a manner that said storage box can selectively take either one of a use position where said storage box is located between said first and second seats and a retracted position where said storage box is retracted to provide a space between said first and second seats, wherein each of said first and second seats includes a base member, and a seat cushion body which is positioned on the base member to cover said base member from above said base member and support an occupant seated thereon, and the base member of said first seat includes a receiving space with a top opening to receive said storage box therein; the base member of said first seat includes a wall formed at the end on an inner side in the width direction of said vehicle so that an upper end of said wall is positioned above a lower end of said storage box in said retracted position; the first support mechanism supports the storage box allowing the storage box to move rotatably about an axis provided on said wall in the width direction of said vehicle between the use position and the retracted position; the second seat comprises a support portion formed on the side facing the first seat, said support portion projecting toward the first seat and extending along longitudinal direction of the vehicle; the storage box comprises a positioning member formed on the side, which is supported on said support portion in said use position; and the base members of said first and second seats are connected to a floor panel via slide rails allowing said first and second seats to move slidably along longitudinal direction of the vehicle.