Vehicle equipment console

Abstract

An equipment console for use in a vehicle having a driver compartment including a dashboard, floor and driver seat. The equipment console has a console body for supporting equipment in a location accessible to a person seated in the driver seat. The front of the console body includes a front portion configured to receive and support the equipment. The console body also has a back generally opposite the front of the console body. The back of the console body may be integrated with the dashboard by providing the back with a profile that conforms at least partially to a contour of the dashboard. In addition, the console body may be adapted to cover an area of the dashboard in which climate controls were originally installed, with an upper portion of the console body being adapted to receive and secure the climate controls in a relocated position so that they may be operated from the front of the console body.

1 . An equipment console for use in a vehicle driver compartment having a dashboard, floor and driver seat, the equipment console comprising: 
 a console body for supporting equipment in a location accessible to a driver seated in the driver seat, the console body having: 
 a front, including a mounting frame configured to receive and support the equipment; and  
 a back generally opposite the front, the back having a profile that conforms at least partially to a contour of the dashboard,  
   where the console body covers an area of the dashboard in which climate controls were originally installed, and where an upper portion of the console body is adapted to receive and secure the climate controls in a relocated position so that they may be operated from the front of the console body.    
   
   
       2 . The equipment console of  claim 1 , where the console body further includes two sides that are spaced from each other by the front of the console body and that each extend from the front of the console body toward the back of the console body.  
   
   
       3 . The equipment console of  claim 2 , where the two sides are each formed as a sidewall having a back edge that partly defines the back of the console body.  
   
   
       4 . The equipment console of  claim 3 , where the dashboard has an irregular cross section including curves, and where the back edges of the sidewalls are shaped to at least partially conform to the cross section of the dashboard.  
   
   
       5 . The equipment console of  claim 4 , where the cross section of the dashboard changes along a length of the dashboard, such that a first one of the back edges of the sidewalls is shaped differently than a second one of the back edges of the sidewalls.  
   
   
       6 . The equipment console of  claim 1 , where the dashboard has an irregular cross section including curves, and where the back of the console body is shaped to at least partially conform to the cross section of the dashboard.  
   
   
       7 . The equipment console of  claim 1 , where the back of the console body includes a protruding tab configured to extend into the area of the dashboard in which the climate controls were originally installed.  
   
   
       8 . The equipment console of  claim 1 , where the back of the console body is positioned so that it contacts or is closely spaced from a central portion of the dashboard, while permitting free access to climate controls in an original factory-installed location of the climate controls on the dashboard.  
   
   
       9 . The equipment console of  claim 1 , where the front of the console body is generally vertical, but is angled toward the dashboard so that the front of the console body faces upward toward a person seated in the driver seat.  
   
   
       10 . The equipment console of  claim 1 , further comprising a floor plate mounted within the vehicle driver compartment so that the floor plate extends adjacent the floor between the driver seat and a passenger seat included in the vehicle driver compartment, where a front end of the floor plate is secured to a bottom of the console body.  
   
   
       11 . An aftermarket equipment console for use in a vehicle driver compartment having a dashboard, floor and driver seat, the equipment console comprising: 
 a console body configured for aftermarket installation into a vehicle, the console body having: 
 a front configured to receive and support multiple pieces of equipment so that front faces of the pieces of equipment define a generally planar instrument panel operable from the front of the console body; and  
 a back shaped to integrate the equipment console with the dashboard,  
   where the console body is proportioned so that, when the console body is installed in the vehicle, the instrument panel is located entirely forward of mounting hardware used to secure the driver seat to the floor.    
   
   
       12 . The aftermarket equipment console of  claim 11 , where the dashboard has an irregular cross section, and where the back of the console body is shaped to at least partially conform to the cross section of the dashboard.  
   
   
       13 . The aftermarket equipment console of  claim 11 , where the dashboard has an irregular cross section including curves, and where the back of the console body includes two elongate edge portions shaped to at least partially conform to the cross section of the dashboard.  
   
   
       14 . The aftermarket equipment console of  claim 13 , where the irregular cross section of the dashboard changes along a length of the dashboard, such that a first one of the elongate edge portions is shaped differently than a second one of the elongate edge portions.  
   
   
       15 . The aftermarket equipment console of  claim 11 , where: 
 the console body further includes two spaced sidewalls that extend generally parallel to each other between the front and back of the console body; and    the front, back and sidewalls of the console body partly define a generally wedge-shaped case including a shallow top and a deeper bottom, depth being measured between the front and back of the console body.    
   
   
       16 . The aftermarket equipment console of  claim 15 , where the dashboard has an irregular cross section, and where the sidewalls of the console body each include a back edge that conforms to the cross section of the dashboard.  
   
   
       17 . The aftermarket equipment console of  claim 11 , where the console body covers an area of the dashboard in which climate controls were originally installed, and where the console body is adapted to receive and secure the climate controls in a relocated position so that the climate controls are operable from the front of the console body.  
   
   
       18 . The aftermarket equipment console of  claim 17 , where the back of the console body includes a protruding tab configured to extend into the area of the dashboard in which the climate controls were originally installed.  
   
   
       19 . The aftermarket equipment console of  claim 11 , where the back of the console body is positioned so that it contacts or is closely spaced from a central portion of the dashboard, while permitting free access to climate controls in an original factory-installed location of the climate controls on the dashboard.  
   
   
       20 . The aftermarket equipment console of  claim 11 , where the front of the console body is shaped so that, when the console body is installed in the vehicle driver compartment, the instrument panel is generally vertical but angled toward the dashboard so that the instrument panel faces upward toward a person seated in the driver seat.  
   
   
       21 . An equipment console for use in a vehicle driver compartment having a dashboard, floor and driver seat, the equipment console comprising: 
 a generally wedge-shaped equipment case integrated with and extending outward from the dashboard, the equipment case including: 
 a front configured to receive and support multiple pieces of equipment so that front faces of the pieces of equipment define a generally planar instrument panel operable from the front of the equipment case; and  
 two sides spaced from each other and extending parallel to each other from the front of the equipment case, the sides each including an elongate back edge portion generally opposite the front of the equipment case, where each elongate edge portion is shaped to conform to a cross section of the dashboard,  
   where the equipment case is proportioned so that the instrument panel is entirely forward of mounting hardware used to secure the driver seat to the floor, and    where the equipment case covers an area of the dashboard in which climate controls were originally installed, an upper portion of the equipment case being adapted to receive and secure the climate controls in a relocated position so that the climate controls are operable from the front of the console body.    
   
   
       22 . An automobile, comprising: 
 a driver compartment having a dashboard, floor and driver seat; and    a console installed in the driver compartment and having a console body for supporting equipment in a location accessible to a driver seated in the driver seat, the console body having: 
 a front, including a mounting frame configured to receive and support the equipment; and  
 a back generally opposite the front, the back having a profile that conforms at least partially to a contour of the dashboard,  
   where the console body covers an area of the dashboard in which climate controls were originally installed, and where an upper portion of the console body is adapted to receive and secure the climate controls in a relocated position so that they may be operated from the front of the console body.