Package and article carriers – Vehicle attached – Complementary to vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-07
2003-11-11
Cronin, Stephen K. (Department: 3727)
Package and article carriers
Vehicle attached
Complementary to vehicle
C296S037800, C220S212000, C220S826000, C220S840000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06644526
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a motor vehicle central console. In particular, the invention relates to a central console disposed between the front seats of the motor vehicle and having a movable lid.
The central console of a motor vehicle must fulfill safety criteria, especially with regard to rigid connection to the vehicle in case of abrupt braking or impact. For this reason, the components of the central console, such as, for example, a lid, an arm rest, or a cup holder are permanently attached to the body of the console. These components may of course execute relative movements with respect to the console, but those movements are limited rotational or translational movements without breakage of the permanent rigid connection to the body of the console.
One of the requirements of motor vehicle manufacturers with regard to a motor vehicle central console comprises the incorporation of a maximum of storage functions, optionally with an arm rest function, within a specific space, having optimum ergonomics with respect to all the occupants of the vehicle. The technical solutions fulfilling this requirement are limited by the fact of the permanent rigid connections to the body of the console. These permanent rigid connections limit the possibilities of modularity of the central console.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One of the aims of the present invention is that of proposing a central console in which the modularity is substantially improved.
Another aim of the present invention is to propose a central console in which the accessibility to the storage functions is substantially improved for the rear occupants without deterioration for the front occupants.
To this end, the invention relates to a motor vehicle central console comprising:
an enclosure comprising a base, a front face, a rear face and two lateral faces arising from the base, said faces forming an opening opposite to said base, and
at least one lid comprising a recto face and a verso face, having means for coupling to the enclosure co-operating with complementary coupling means borne by the enclosure, and at least partially closing said opening.
According to the invention:
the lid is completely removable, said coupling means of the lid being completely and simply disconnectable from said complementary coupling means of the enclosure, and
in the mounted position, said coupling means of the lid co-operate with said complementary coupling means of the enclosure, regardless of which face of the lid is facing towards the base of the enclosure.
Said coupling means and said complementary coupling means comprise:
first rotation means and first complementary rotation means defining a first axis of rotation of the lid relative to the enclosure, and
second rotation means and second complementary rotation means defining a second axis of rotation of the lid relative to the enclosure substantially parallel to the first axis of rotation,
said first and second rotation means being completely and simply disconnectable from said first and respectively second complementary rotation means to respectively permit the rotation of the lid about the second axis of rotation, and the rotation of the lid about the first axis of rotation.
The console may advantageously comprise at least third rotation means defining a third axis of rotation of the lid relative to the enclosure, intersecting with the first and second axes of rotation.
In one embodiment, the coupling means and the complementary coupling means comprise four “&OHgr;”-groove and journal systems forming, in pairs, two substantially parallel axes.
In another embodiment, the coupling means and the complementary coupling means comprise four ball-and-socket joint systems forming, in pairs, two series of two substantially parallel axes, the axes of one series being perpendicular to the axes of the other series.
In another embodiment, the lid comprises a peripheral frame including said coupling means, and a secondary lid comprising secondary coupling means co-operating with complementary secondary coupling means borne by said peripheral frame.
According to another feature of the invention, the lid comprises at least one lateral wall arising from one of the faces of the lid forming with said face a receptacle.
According to another feature, the console further comprises added-on functional means having means for connection to complementary connection means borne by the lid.
In one embodiment, the connection means of the added-on functional means are clip-in pins and the complementary connection means borne by the lid are holes into which said clip-in pins are clipped.
A first advantage of the present invention results from the reversibility of the lid of the console, permitting improved modularity. For example, the recto face of the lid may have a surface completing the aesthetics of the console with a surface substantially in the extension of, and following the shape of the opening, and a verso surface comprising functional means for small article storage or a cup holder. In order to be able to use both faces of the lid while maintaining the lid function, the lid is completely removable and comprises means for coupling to the enclosure functioning regardless of which face of the lid it is desired to use.
Another advantage of the present invention results from the improvement of the accessibility of the storage spaces regardless of the occupant. This is due to the coupling means of the lid and the complementary coupling means of the enclosure providing a plurality of axes of rotation for the lid. Optimally, provision may be made to open the lid along four axes, parallel in pairs, together forming a parallelogram substantially defining the four sides of the lid.
Another advantage of the present invention results from the substantially lower cost of the modularity function compared with the high costs of the modularity in the systems of rotation and/or translation with permanent rigid connection that are used. For this reason it is possible to propose modular consoles on “economy” vehicles.
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Cronin Stephen K.
Rothwell Figg Ernst & Manbeck
Sai Automotive Allibert Industrie
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