Toyota's Latest Patent Could Bring An End To The Infamous Pit Of Doom

Losing coins, cards, keys and other important but small items between a car's seats and centre console is one of the most frustrating things drivers can experience, but Toyota in the US has patented a simple solution
Toyota's Latest Patent Could Bring An End To The Infamous Pit Of Doom

Rejoice! There’s now hope that the infamous pit of doom could be made a thing of the past… if you buy a future Toyota, anyway.

That infernal gap between the side of your seat and the centre console, where all the universe’s secrets are hidden and from which you can abandon hope of ever recovering anything you drop down it, has long been a thorn in the side of the humble motorist. The days of swearing violently when the only coins you have on you fall into the pit of doom just as you reach the toll booth could be coming to an end, though, thanks to a new patent from Toyota.

Toyota's Latest Patent Could Bring An End To The Infamous Pit Of Doom

Toyota in the US has filed a patent for a simple funnel that channels dropped objects onto a tray, which could then move forwards or back automatically via motors and actuators, so that you can easily retrieve things without having to furiously dismantle the seat first. It’s like a little helping hand returning your lost goods to you with no fuss.

The ‘under-seat capture device’, which in no way sounds totally creepy, is such a laughably simple idea that it must be some kind of miracle of stupidity that no one has done it before now. Surely anyone who drives cars regularly has dropped keys, coins, phones or something else important into the pit of doom, so surely car designers and engineers must have had the idea to do something like this years ago.

There is, of course, no guarantee that the device will make production, but we’re just hoping that one of the firm’s chief engineers dropped his lucky Yen into the pit and never saw it again, and that we can expect the funnel/tray deal to make it to reality. That, friends, will be a glorious day.

Via: Motor1

Comments

Christian González Alfonso 1

I’ll now drop everything in there so I get to push a button that actuates a funnel underneat the seat every time I stop, I swear those coins go to a parrel universe or something

08/10/2017 - 14:16 |
12 | 2
Anonymous

Yay, now I’ll never lose a mobile phone again!

08/10/2017 - 14:18 |
2 | 0
Valanti Demetriades

Im still waiting for my Corolla to come with Ejecto-seato….

08/10/2017 - 14:21 |
212 | 0

if i buy an gt86 will it come with eurobeato cuz?

08/10/2017 - 14:23 |
92 | 0
Senator Chinchilla

Motors and actuators? For this? How hard is it to slide the tray out by hand?

08/10/2017 - 15:04 |
94 | 0

Exactly my thoughts, plus it would be cheaper without them

08/10/2017 - 16:27 |
34 | 0

just a way for them to charge more money for the car itself. Motors and actuators probably would cost them near to nothing but the can make out like its such expensive parts thus charging more for the price of the vehicle.

08/11/2017 - 08:05 |
2 | 0
JDM_Dawg

Seems like a lot of coverage on Toyota today. First that manual transmission patent, then the Supra spy shots, now this. I’m not complaining though.

08/10/2017 - 15:14 |
10 | 0
TheStigsAmericanCousin

i read “toyota… bring an end to the pit of doom” and thought; Hey, their discontinuing the prius! To my dismay it was about a coin catcher…

08/10/2017 - 15:43 |
76 | 4

To all people who hate the Prius

08/10/2017 - 17:01 |
26 | 50
5:19.55

The saying was weight reduction tho…

08/10/2017 - 16:38 |
0 | 0
Soni Redx (MD Squad Leader) (Subie Squad Leader)

Still waiting for Toyota to stop making the Prius then that will be the end of doom..

08/10/2017 - 17:28 |
6 | 6
Lucas Tekkan

none of these models have this thing (Except camry, he is quite fast )

08/10/2017 - 18:30 |
0 | 0
Bring a Caterham To MARS

Meanwhile, 1950s’ Fiat had the solution already, and with no need for actuators

08/10/2017 - 18:32 |
20 | 0

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