Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Auxiliary article compartments
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-14
2001-01-23
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Auxiliary article compartments
C296S037800, C224S311000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06176536
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a vehicle console and, more particularly, to a motor vehicle console made from soft molded material with an in-molded support structure, decorative outer skin, and fasteners. In another aspect, the invention relates to a vehicle console formed of a soft material and having interchangeable accessory modules. In yet another aspect, the invention relates to a method for installing such consoles in a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Overhead consoles have increasingly become a standard feature in automobiles and other motor vehicles. These consoles contain a variety of vehicle accessories such as reading lamps, courtesy lamps, storage compartments, and various electronic gadgetry such as compasses, temperature displays, and clocks. The consoles are typically molded from a relatively hard, structural plastic which during a crash undesirably can become a hard, unyielding impact surface for a portion of an occupant's body, especially the head. It is desirable to reduce the hardness of the console without sacrificing the required structural integrity provided by the current consoles.
It is desirable to increase the productivity and efficiency with which these consoles are manufactured and installed into roof structures. Hence, pre-assembled consoles have become increasingly popular. However, these assemblies have utilized various fastening methods to attach the console to the roof structure. For example, the utilization of conventional fasteners such as bolts or multiple fastening screws for attaching overhead consoles to the vehicle within the vehicle interior slow the speed of the installation processes. Also, with many upholstered consoles, the utilization of fastening devices such as screws that are rapidly inserted and tightened sometimes damages the upholstery when the fastening tool slips from the fastener. Using “Christmas tree”-type fasteners that are inserted and retained at their anchoring end in holes formed in the substrate has facilitated console installation over the prior fastening techniques. However, further reduction of manufacturing speed could be attained if the fasteners were integrally joined with the substrate in the molding process rather than later attached thereto.
In addition, the application of decorative fabric or vinyl skin to the console is performed in a separate step after the console is molded. This extra step adds to the manufacturing time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, a console for a motor vehicle or the like having a passenger cabin includes an accessory module for use by occupants of the vehicle as well as a housing having fasteners adapted to mount the console within the vehicle cabin and walls forming at least one chamber having an open side. At least one accessory module is mounted within the chamber for use by occupants of the vehicle and is further accessible through the open side. A portion of the housing comprises an expanded polymeric material to provide a soft surface within the vehicle cabin. In a preferred embodiment, the entire housing is molded from the expanded polymeric material; most preferably, the expanded polymeric material is polypropylene.
Preferably, the console is an overhead console. Alternatively, the vehicle can include seats spaced laterally from one another and the console is mounted between the seats. The fasteners are preferably in-molded to the housing. A decorative skin covers a surface of the housing that confronts the vehicle cabin. Preferably, the decorative skin is in-molded to the housing.
The housing can further include a support frame of structural material and the accessory module is mounted to the support frame. Preferably, the support frame is in-molded to the housing.
The housing can have two or more chambers, each of the chambers having at least one accessory module mounted therein. The accessory module can include several different accessory modules of a common foot print, each of the different accessory modules being interchangeably mounted within the at least one chamber of the housing. The accessory modules are preferably selected from a group including reading lamps, courtesy lamps, storage compartments, compasses, temperature displays, and clocks. Preferably, the support frame has slots and each accessory module has resilient fasteners that snap-fit into the slots.
Another embodiment includes a housing having at least one retainer of structural material, wherein the accessory module is mounted to the retainer. Preferably the at least one retainer is mounted in the chamber. Alternatively, the at least one retainer is two or more retainers mounted in the chamber, and each retainer mounts at least one accessory module. Or, the retainer is in-molded in the expanded polymeric material. In either form of mounting, one variation includes the at least one accessory module being several different accessory modules of a common footprint, each of the different accessory modules being interchangeably mounted within the at least one retainer of the housing. Another variation is the at least one retainer being two or more retainers mounted in the chamber, and each retainer mounts at least one accessory module.
Further according to the invention, a method for installing a console in a motor vehicle or the like including a passenger cabin, wherein the console includes accessory modules for use by occupants of the vehicle, includes steps of molding a housing of an expanded polymeric material to provide a soft surface within the passenger cabin; forming walls defining at least one chamber in the housing, wherein the chamber includes an open side; mounting at least one accessory module within the at least one chamber and through the open side; and fastening the console to the vehicle within the passenger cabin. Preferably, the housing is molded from expanded polymeric material, such as polypropylene. Preferably, the vehicle includes a headliner and the fastening step includes fastening the console to the headliner. Alternatively, the vehicle can include seats spaced laterally from one another and the fastening step includes fastening the console between the seats.
The molding step can further include the in-molding of a decorative skin to a surface of the housing that confronts the vehicle cabin. The housing preferably includes fasteners for fastening the console to the vehicle and the molding step further includes in-molding the fasteners to the housing. The housing can also include a support frame of structural material and the mounting step includes mounting the accessory module to the support frame. Preferably, the molding step further includes in-molding the support frame in the housing.
In another step, the support frame has slots, the accessory module has resilient fasteners, and the mounting step further includes snap-fitting the resilient fasteners into the slots. The accessory module can include several different accessory modules of a common foot print, and the mounting step further includes interchangeably mounting each of the different accessory modules within the at least one chamber of the housing.
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Fischer Douglas A.
Litke Mark R.
Miller Dean T.
Miller Douglas C.
Brooks & Kushman P.C.
Dayoan D. Glenn
Lear Donnelly Overhead Systems L.L.C.
Morrow Jason
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