# US 10,870,396 B2 · Apparatus and method for storing an umbrella in a motor vehicle

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- Number: US 10,870,396 B2
- Document ID: US10870396B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/270,769
- Filed: 2019-02-08
- Published: 2020-08-13
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2019-02-08
- Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Inventors: Luis Adrian Tena Han; Carmen Frida Vargas Garcia
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10870396B2

## CPC

- B60R 7/12: for supporting umbrellas
- B60R 7/04: in driver or passenger space {, e.g. using racks (B60R7/005, B60R7/08 take precedence)}
- B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

An apparatus for holding an article such as an umbrella includes a housing having a receiver, a sidewall and a guideway on the sidewall. The apparatus also includes a plunger held in the receiver and displaceable between a first position and a second position. The plunger includes a follower that slides along the guideway. A method of releasing an umbrella from a receiver in a housing held in a motor vehicle component is also provided.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus, comprising:
a motor vehicle component;
a cylindrical housing, held in the motor vehicle component, having a sidewall, a receiver within the sidewall and a guideway on said sidewall wherein the guideway is a helical guide track in the sidewall;
a plunger held in said receiver and displaceable between a first position and a second position, said plunger including a follower that slides along said guideway; and
an elongated guide track carried on said motor vehicle component.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plunger is circular in profile and concentrically received in said receiver within said sidewall.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said follower is two opposed tabs received in said helical guide track.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said follower engages in said elongated guide track.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said receiver has a first longitudinal axis and said elongated guide track has a second longitudinal axis wherein said first longitudinal axis is parallel to said second longitudinal axis.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said receiver includes an access opening at an end of said sidewall.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The apparatus of claim 6, further including an actuator projecting from said end of said sidewall adjacent said access opening.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein (a) said motor vehicle component includes a housing receiver and an actuator receiver, (b) said housing is received and held in said housing receiver and (c) said actuator is received in and extends through said actuator receiver.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said actuator receiver extends in an arc concentrically around said housing receiver.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, further including an umbrella releasably held in said receiver.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said motor vehicle component is a head rest.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said motor vehicle component is an armrest.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said armrest is a pivoting lid of a center console storage compartment.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said motor vehicle component is a facing behind a glove box door.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said motor vehicle component is a center console.

### Claim 16

A method of releasing an umbrella from a receiver in a housing held in a motor vehicle component, comprising:
engaging an actuator to rotate said housing in said motor vehicle component; and
displacing a displaceable plunger in said receiver from a first position to a second position whereby said umbrella is pushed by said displaceable plunger from said receiver in said housing.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further including driving said displaceable plunger along a helical guide track in a sidewall of said housing as said plunger is displaced from said first position to said second position toward an access opening in an end of said housing.