This document relates generally to down stops used to limit movement of a glove box in a vehicle.
Glove boxes are a common component of vehicles and are most often designed with a door that is contoured to mount flush with an instrument panel when the door is in a closed position. Behind the door is a storage compartment for holding personal items, for example, maps, flashlights, and vehicle manuals. Down stops which limit displacement of the glove box when opened are known in the art and are typically positioned at least partially within the storage compartment or in an area visible by occupants of the vehicle. Positioning the down stops even partially within the storage compartment, however, limits the storage space provided within the storage compartment. Even more, positioning the down stops so as to eliminate their visibility by the vehicle occupants is desired and lends to a sense of higher quality craftsmanship and a preferred overall look of the vehicle and instrument panel.
In addition to being well positioned, the down stops should also allow for easy insertion and removal of the glove box during manufacturing or at any point in time, for maintenance or the like, if the need were to arise. Preferably, insertion and removal could be made without the need for tools or the removal of additional parts.
This document relates to a glove box supported by an instrument panel having down stops that are external of the storage compartment and not visible to the vehicle occupants. Advantageously, this allows for the entirety of the storage compartment to be used for storage by occupants of the vehicle. Also, the down stops are positioned outside of the line of sight of the occupants of the vehicle. Doing so provides an improved overall look of the vehicle and instrument panel, and heightens the sense of quality of craftsmanship. Even more, the down stops are made of a resilient material which allows for deflection to accommodate installation and removal of the glove box without the need for tools or additional parts.
In accordance with the purposes and benefits described herein, a glove box supported by an instrument panel is provided. That glove box may be broadly described as comprising a storage compartment displaceable between an open position and a closed position, and at least one down stop, or resilient arm, protruding from an exterior surface of the storage compartment through an aperture in the instrument panel. The resilient arm may have a first surface for contacting an edge of the aperture and deflecting the resilient arm during installation of the storage compartment and a second surface for limiting displacement of the storage compartment once installed. An application of a force to the resilient arm allows displacement of the storage compartment beyond the open position allowing removal of the glove box from the instrument panel.
In one possible embodiment, the first surface of the resilient arm gradually projects from the arm to deflect the resilient arm through contact with the aperture edge. In another possible embodiment, the second surface projects from the resilient arm to contact the aperture edge.
In one possible embodiment, the second surface is substantially flat and substantially perpendicular to the resilient arm.
In another possible embodiment, the at least one resilient arm includes two resilient arms positioned adjacent side exterior surfaces of the storage compartment. In yet another possible embodiment, the first and second surfaces of the two resilient arms project away from each other.
In one possible embodiment, the glove box may include at least one hinge rib for rotatably supporting the storage compartment between the open position and the closed position. In another possible embodiment, the resilient arm may include a tab formed adjacent a distal end of the resilient arm for receiving the force, and the second surface may project from the arm adjacent to the tab.
In one possible embodiment, the glove box supported by an instrument panel is incorporated in a vehicle.
In accordance with an additional aspect, a glove box for a vehicle is provided. The glove box comprises a storage compartment displaceable between an open position and a closed position and at least one resilient arm protruding from an exterior surface of the storage compartment. The resilient arm may have a first surface for contacting an edge of a vehicle aperture and deflecting the resilient arm during installation of the storage compartment and a second surface for limiting displacement of the storage compartment once installed in the vehicle. Application of a force to the arm allows displacement of the storage compartment beyond the open position.
In one possible embodiment, the at least one resilient arm may include a tab formed adjacent a distal end for receiving the force.
In one possible embodiment, the at least one resilient arm may include two resilient arms protruding from a bottom exterior surface of the storage compartment.
In one possible embodiment, the first surface of each resilient arm gradually projects from the resilient arm to deflect the resilient arm through contact with the aperture edge, and the second surface of at least one of the two resilient arms is substantially flat and substantially perpendicular to the at least one of the two resilient arms.
In another possible embodiment, the first and second surfaces of each resilient arm project in the same direction, and the first surface of a first resilient arm of said two resilient arms project away from the first surface of a second resilient arm of the two resilient arms.
In one possible embodiment, the glove box further comprises at least one hinge rib for rotatably supporting the storage compartment between the open position and the closed position.
In accordance with an additional aspect, a method is provided of removing a glove box from an instrument panel of a vehicle. The method may be broadly described as comprising the steps of: (a) applying a force to at least one resilient arm protruding from an exterior surface of a storage compartment of the glove box, the force sufficient to temporarily displace the at least one resilient arm allowing a second projecting surface of the at least one resilient arm to avoid contact with an edge of an aperture in the instrument panel; (b) rotating the glove box from the closed position past the open position while applying the force such that the second projecting surface of the at least one resilient arm passes the edge of the aperture in the instrument panel; and (c) removing the glove box from the instrument panel of the vehicle.
In one possible embodiment, the force may be applied to a tab formed adjacent a distal end of the at least one resilient arm. In one another possible embodiment, the second projecting surface of the at least one resilient arm may be substantially flat and substantially perpendicular to the at least one resilient arm preventing rotation of the glove box past the open position when the force is not applied.
In one possible embodiment, the at least one resilient arm may include a first projecting surface for contacting the edge of the aperture in the instrument panel and deflecting the resilient arm during installation of the glove box. In another possible embodiment, the first projecting surface may be between the tab and the second projecting surface.
In the following description, there are shown and described several preferred embodiments of the glove box supported by an instrument panel, the glove box for a vehicle, and the related method. As it should be realized, the systems and method are capable of other, different embodiments and their several details are capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all without departing from the systems and method as set forth and described in the following claims. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
The accompanying drawing figures incorporated herein and forming a part of the specification, illustrate several aspects of the drive system and together with the description serve to explain certain principles thereof. In the drawing figures:
Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the glove box, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures.
Reference is now made to
As shown in
As shown in
As partially described above, the down stop 12 includes a resilient arm 28 having a first surface 32 for contacting the edge 34 of the aperture 30 and deflecting the resilient arm during installation of the glove box 10 and a second surface 36 for limiting displacement of the storage compartment once installed. The first surface 32 gradually projects from the resilient arm 28 to deflect the resilient arm through contact with the aperture edge 34. In the embodiment shown, the first surface 32 gradually projects from the resilient arm 28 at an approximately 45° angle. In other embodiments, the first surface can gradually project from the resilient arm at any angle depending on the particular application so long as the first surface is sufficient to deflect the resilient arm through contact with the aperture edge.
The second surface 36 projects from the resilient arm 28 to contact the instrument panel 16 adjacent the aperture edge 34. In the embodiment shown, the second surface 36 is substantially flat and substantially perpendicular to the resilient arm 28. In other words, in this embodiment, the second surface 36 is substantially flush with the instrument panel 16 when making contact therewith in the open position. It is this contact between the second surface 36 of the resilient arm 28 and the instrument panel 16 which limits the displacement of the glove box 10 in its most open position. In other embodiments, the second surface could take near any shape or angle so long as the surface is sufficient to limit the displacement of the glove box to the open position. For example, without limitation, the second surface could be oval shaped and the angle between the second surface and the resilient arm could be the perpendicular 90° or less in either direction depending on the particular application.
In one possible embodiment shown in
As shown in
Depending on the particular application, these surfaces could project from the resilient arms toward the inside of the glove box, i.e., toward one another, and would necessarily contact the opposing aperture edge. Even more, in embodiments with two or more resilient arms, the surfaces could project from the resilient arm toward the inside and/or outside of the glove box contacting adjacent aperture edges. In other words, the projecting surfaces could face each other, face opposite each other, all face one direction, all the other, or the projecting surfaces could even face multiple directions in embodiments with three or more.
In another aspect of the invention, a method of installing a glove box 10 in an instrument panel 16 of a vehicle is illustrated in
As shown in
At this point, as illustrated in
In another aspect of the invention, a method of removing a glove box 10 from an instrument panel 16 of a vehicle is illustrated in
As shown in
At this point, as illustrated in
As indicated above, the force F may be applied to the tab 38 formed adjacent a distal end 40 of the resilient arm 28 or elsewhere along the arm including the first and/or second protruding surfaces 32, 36. The first projecting surface 32 of the resilient arm 28 contacts the edge 34 of the aperture 30 in the instrument panel 16 and deflects the resilient arm during installation/removal of the glove box 10. The second projecting surface 36 of the resilient arm 28 may be substantially flat and substantially perpendicular to the resilient arm preventing rotation of the glove box 10 past the open position when the force F is not applied. The first projecting surface 32 may be between the tab 38 and the second projecting surface 36 in one embodiment. Each of the tab, the first projecting surface and the second projecting surface may take varying forms as described in more detail above depending on the particular application.
In summary, numerous benefits result from providing a glove box 10 supported by an instrument panel 16 having down stops 12 that are external of the storage compartment 24 and not visible to the vehicle occupants. The resilient arms 28 of the down stops 12 are relatively inexpensive to produce, and allow for simple installation and removal of the glove box 10 without the need for tools or additional parts. Advantageously, this allows for the entirety of the storage compartment to be used for storage by occupants of the vehicle. Also, the down stops are positioned outside of the line of sight of the occupants of the vehicle. Doing so provides an improved overall look of the vehicle and instrument panel, and heightens the sense of quality of craftsmanship.
The foregoing has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled.
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Entry |
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English machine translation of JP11115637. |
English machine translation of JP2005313751. |
English machine translation of JP2012076617. |
English machine translation of KR100377153. |
English machine translation of KR20120133830. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20160144793 A1 | May 2016 | US |