Attachment structure for a center display unit

Details Attachment structure for a center display unit Attachment structure for a center display unit

2003-01-16

2004-08-24

Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)

Land vehicles: bodies and tops

Bodies

Dashboards

C307S010100, C381S086000, C439S034000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06779826

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an attachment structure for a display unit, such as a structure for fixing a center display unit (hereinafter referred to as “CDU”) or the like to an instrument panel while positioning the CDU and, at the same time, connecting connectors that are attached to the CDU with connectors that are provided inside the instrument panel.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, as shown in
FIG. 7
, a center display unit (abbreviated as “CDU”) is provided as a module, in which manipulation devices, indicators, and/or the like of audio equipment, an air conditioner, and/or the like are provided. The CDU is fixed to an instrument panel I of an automobile at a central portion
1
that is located between the driver's seat and the front passenger seat.
An exemplary procedure of attaching the above-described CDU to the automobile body is as follows. As shown in
FIG. 8
, connectors
5
that are connected to ends of a wire harness W/H that is provided inside the instrument panel I are manually engaged with connectors (not shown) that are provided on the back surface of a main body
6
of a CDU
2
through an opening
4
of the instrument panel I provided in the central portion
1
. Then, the main body
6
of the CDU
2
is attached to the instrument panel I so as to be housed in the opening
4
, and is fixed to the instrument panel I by screwing bolts B into fastener holes
7
a
of fixing portions
7
of the instrument panel I and fastener holes
3
a
of fixing portions
3
of the CDU
2
.
In the above-described procedure, when the CDU
2
is to be electrically connected to the body-side wire harness W/H, the work of fitting the connectors
5
is performed manually. This results in problems, such as that the number of operation steps is increased and the efficiency of work is low.
One method for solving the above-described problems to fix the connectors
5
at a prescribed position in advance and to connect the CDU-side connectors with the connectors
5
at the same time that the CDU
2
is fixed to the instrument panel I.
However, to make a decorative plate
8
of the CDU
2
flush with a decorative surface on the instrument panel I side, the fixing portions
3
of the CDU
2
and the fixing portions
7
of the instrument panel I are provided on the front side. On the other hand, the position where the connectors of the CDU
2
are connected with the connectors
5
inside the instrument panel I is usually located inside the instrument panel I, distant from the front side. Since the connector fitting position is distant from the position where the CDU
2
is fixed to the instrument panel I, it is very difficult to fix the CDU
2
to the instrument panel I while positioning the CDU
2
close enough to the instrument panel I to be able to manually connect the wire harness-side and CDU-side connectors.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the invention is therefore to make it possible to fix a display unit to an instrument panel in such a manner that the display unit is positioned with respect to the instrument panel within dimensional allowances for the connector fitting and to automatically connect CDU-side connectors with instrument panel-side connectors at the same time that the CDU is fixed to the instrument panel.
To attain the above-described objects, the invention provides a display unit attachment structure, such as a center display unit attachment structure, that attaches a display unit, such as a center display unit (CDU), to an instrument panel of an automobile. The attachment structure includes a pair of brackets projecting toward a compartment from the instrument panel, inside surfaces formed on the brackets and facing each other, the inside surfaces having guide grooves, and at least one first connector fixed with respect to a surface of the instrument panel between the brackets. The CDU has a main body including two side walls, and guide pins project from the two side walls. At least one second connector is fixed with respect to a back surface of the main body. The CDU is attached to the brackets by sliding the guide pins in the guide grooves, whereby the second connector is automatically connected with the first connector.
With the above-described configuration, when the CDU is attached to the instrument panel, the guide pins of the CDU slide while engaging the guide grooves of the brackets. As a result, the CDU is guided to a correct position and then attached to the instrument panel, and the CDU-side connectors can automatically be positioned with respect to and connected with the instrument panel-side connectors. Therefore, the CDU attachment work and connector fitting work can be performed at the same time, and hence the number of operation steps can be reduced.
A click projection may project from a surface of the guide grooves between a positioning portion of the guide grooves and an entrance of the guide grooves. This provides to an operator a “click” sensation when the CDU is attached.
With this configuration, when the CDU is attached to the brackets by sliding the guide pins in the guide grooves, each guide pin goes over the click projection at the position between the end of the guide groove and the entrance of the guide groove and is placed in the positioning portion at the end of the guide groove. An operator who is attaching the CDU can sense the “click” at or before completion of the attachment.
The click projection may also serve to restrict a return of the guide pins after the positioning.
A support portion that supports the guide pin in a slidable manner may be provided, and may, for example, project in the horizontal direction from a bottom side of each of the guide grooves. For example, if the brackets are made of sheet metal or the like, the guide grooves may be formed by cutting slots into the sheet metal, and the support portions may be formed by bending down the still-attached cut-out portion until it projects horizontally. An elastic member for vibration absorption may be provided on a top surface of the support portions.
That is, where the guide grooves are formed by cutting slots in the surfaces of the respective brackets and bending down the cut-out portions to form support plates, the support plates can support the respective guide pins in a state that the guide pins are inserted into the positioning portions of the guide grooves. Therefore, the CDU is held more stably than if the guide grooves had been formed as simple slots from which the cut-out portions were completely removed. It is also possible, for example, to form the guide grooves as grooves having a concave cross-section, especially if the brackets are solid or have thick walls.
The elastic member or a thick coating may be provided on the top surface of each support plate. The guide pin is slid on the top surface of the elastic member and rests on the elastic member even after attachment of the CDU. Therefore, transmission of automobile body vibration to the CDU can be reduced. This can make the CDU even more stable and reduce generation of abnormal sound.
Panel-side fixing portions may be provided at projecting ends of the brackets, respectively. CPU-side fixing portions to be fastened to the respective panel-side fixing portions may be provided on the CDU. A position at which the panel-side and CDU-side fixing portions are fastened together may be distant from a position at which the connectors are connected.
Therefore, the CDU may be fastened to the brackets at a position close to the decorative surface of the CDU.
With the above-described configuration, even if the position at which the CDU and the brackets are fastened together is distant from the connector fitting position, the decorative surface of the CDU can be positioned accurately with respect to the decorative surface of the instrument panel because accurate alignment of the connectors is achieved by the guide pins and the guide grooves.


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