ES2915623T3 - Storage device for a vehicle, consisting of a sliding element, with an operating mechanism with a built-in push button - Google Patents

Abstract

Storage device for vehicles composed of a sliding element (20) mounted movable on a body (10) between an open position that gives access to a storage cavity and a closed position that prevents access to the storage cavity, said element comprising sliding (20): - a locking mechanism (40) containing locking means (41, 42) that can move between a locked position in which they are ready to cooperate with complementary means (12) located on said body (10) to maintain said sliding element (20) in a closed position and an unlocked position in which they allow said sliding element (20) to pass from its closed position to its open position -a drive mechanism (50) to actuate said locking means (41, 42) in said unlocking position, including a sliding push button (60) on a translation axis between an output position and a ret position threadbare; said actuation mechanism (50) comprises a lever (51) pivotally mounted on said sliding element (20) along an axis perpendicular to the axis of translation of said push button (60) and prepared to be actuated by pivoting when said push button (60) ) is pressed into the retracted position to cause said locking means to move (41, 42) into said unlocked position, characterized in that said push button (60) has a finger (62) with a free end arranged to rest, when said button is pressed in the retracted position, against a beveled surface (51A) of said lever (51) to actuate it by pivoting, said free end of the finger (62) and said beveled surface (51A) of said lever (51) are arranged so that they are separated from each other by a predetermined distance when said locking means (41, 42) occupy their locking position and said button (60) is in the exit position.

Description

DESCRIPTION

Storage device for a vehicle, consisting of a sliding element, with an operating mechanism with a built-in push button

field of invention

The present invention generally relates to storage devices for a motor vehicle comprising a sliding element movably mounted on a body between an open position giving access to a storage cavity and a closed position preventing access to said storage cavity. storage cavity.

Background of the invention

Storage devices of this type are generally equipped with a locking mechanism integrated in the sliding element and comprising locking means that can move between a locked position in which they are ready to cooperate with complementary means located in said body. to retain said sliding element in the closed position and an unlocked position where they allow the passage of said sliding element from its closed position to its open position.

French patent application FR 2935 320 discloses such a storage device of the glove box type, further comprising an actuating mechanism located on the sliding element and enabling said locking means to be actuated in said unlocked position.

This actuation mechanism comprises a push button that slides along a translation axis between an extended position and a retracted position.

The button is provided with a neck, inclined with respect to the guide axis, in which a spur is guided, supported by the blocking means constituted by a latch mounted in translation on the sliding element, this latch being able to cooperate with a striker mounted on the the body.

Such a push button mechanism integrated in the slider element has the advantage of offering a high level of "perceived quality" to the storage device.

However, with use, this mechanism tends to jam because the lug of the locking means has difficulty sliding along the neck of the button.

Documents JP5862343 and US9752356 describe actuating mechanisms according to the preamble of claim 1 that actuate locking means of a storage closing shutter, the mechanisms comprising a push button that actuates the locking means.

Object and summary of the invention

Therefore, the present invention aims to propose a storage device with a sliding element that incorporates a simple push-button actuation mechanism while having a safer operation.

To this end, it proposes a storage device for a vehicle comprising a sliding element mounted movable on a body between an open position giving access to a storage cavity and a closed position preventing access to said storage cavity, said element comprising sliding:

- a locking mechanism comprising locking means movable between a locked position in which they are ready to cooperate with complementary means located on said body to retain said sliding element in the closed position and an unlocked position in which they allow said sliding element passes from its closed position to its open position;

- an actuating mechanism that allows actuating said locking means in said unlocked position and comprising a push button that slides along an axis of translation between an extended position and a retracted position;

said actuating mechanism comprising a lever pivotally mounted on said sliding member along an axis perpendicular to the axis of translation of said push button and arranged to be pivotally actuated when said push button is pressed in the retracted position to cause displacement of said locking means in said unlocked position,

characterized in that said push button comprises a finger having a free end arranged to bear, when said button is pressed in the retracted position, against a beveled surface of said lever to cause it to pivot; said free end of said finger and said beveled surface of said lever are located such that they are separated from each other by a predetermined distance when said locking means occupy their locked position and said button is in the extended position.

The drive mechanism of the storage device according to the invention allows, being of a particularly simple design and comprising a minimum of elements, to drive, simply by pressing the push button and without any risk of blocking, the blocking means towards their unlocked position . to release the sliding element

In addition, the fact that the free end of the finger is separated from the beveled free end of the lever makes it possible to avoid the appearance of parasitic noises under the effect of repeated intermittent contacts between these two elements due to the vibrations that are produced. during the driving phases of the vehicle.

According to preferred characteristics of said storage device:

- said locking means comprise a first arm and a second arm mechanically coupled and that can move transversally in opposite directions, each of said arms being provided at its outer end with a latch prepared to engage in a corresponding striker located on said body to retain said slide member in the closed position in said locked position;

- said first and second arms are mechanically coupled by means of a rotationally mounted suspension beam whose two ends are hinged to the two internal ends of said arms;

- said actuating mechanism comprises a projection rooted on said first arm and provided with an inclined face prepared to cooperate with said lever to actuate the movement of said first and second arms towards their unlocked position;

- said drive mechanism comprises elastic recovery means that permanently keep said lever in contact against said inclined face of said projection;

- said locking mechanism comprises elastic return means permanently driving said locking means towards their locked position;

The storage device can be, for example, of the "drawer" type with said sliding element that is constituted by a drawer that delimits said storage cavity and that is slidingly mounted on said body between said open position in which it protrudes behind said body and said closed position in which it is integrated into said body.

The storage device can also be of the glove box type, said hollow body delimiting said storage cavity and having an access opening to the latter. Said sliding element is then constituted by a flap pivotally mounted on said body between said open position in which it is separated from said access opening and a closed position in which it closes this same opening.

Brief description of the drawings

The presentation of the invention will now continue with the detailed description of an embodiment, given below by way of illustration, but not limitation, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 represents a three-quarter perspective view of the storage device according to the invention; figure 2 is a partial sectional view taken along a horizontal plane of the device of figure 1 whose locking means in the locked position retain the lid in the closed position;

figure 3 represents a perspective sectional view taken according to another partial horizontal plane of the device of figure 1 in the configuration of figure 2; Y

Figure 4 is a view similar to that of Figure 2 but in which the locking means have been brought to the unlocked position by pressing on the control button of the drive mechanism to allow the lid to open.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment

Figure 1 represents a storage device for a motor vehicle 1 of the sliding drawer type intended to be installed on the passenger side of the dashboard of a motor vehicle, above the glove compartment. In the following description and by convention, the terms "lower", "upper", "longitudinal", "lateral" and "transverse" will be defined with respect to the mounting position of the storage device in said motor vehicle. The terms "exterior" and "interior" will be used for their part to define the relative position of an element with reference to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The element closest to this axis will be classified as internal compared to the other element further away from this same axis that will be classified as external.

With reference to this figure 1, the storage device 1 comprises a hollow body 10, as well as a sliding element constituted by a drawer 20 that delimits a storage cavity and that is mounted to slide on this body 10 in the longitudinal direction, between a open position in which it protrudes behind this hollow body 10 to make the storage cavity accessible, and a closed position in which it is integrated into the body 10 to prevent access to this same storage cavity.

Elastic recovery means (not visible in the figures and consisting, for example, of a flexible band spring) are provided between the hollow body 10 and the drawer 20 to push the latter towards its open position.

The drawer 20, in the form of a tray, comprises a floor 22, two side walls 23, 24, a lower front wall 25 and a front 26 that delimit the storage cavity.

As illustrated in Figures 2 to 4, the front 26 comprises a rectangular outer panel 27 with a curved profile and an inner counter panel 28 glued against the inner face of this outer panel 27.

The inner counterpanel 28 has a recess 29 delimited at the front by a front wall 30 and laterally by two side walls (only the left wall 31 being visible in the figures).

This recess 29 houses a locking mechanism 40 to retain the drawer 20 in its closed position.

This locking mechanism 40 comprises two transverse arms 41, 42, each of which has an internal end 41A, 42A articulated to pivot along a longitudinal axis on a corresponding end of a suspension beam 43 whose center is rotatably mounted about of a longitudinal axis on a pivot 44 that protrudes into the recess 29 from the central area of the front wall 30 of the inner counter panel 28.

The outer end 41B of each arm 41,42 forms a beveled profile locking latch.

The two arms 41, 42 mechanically coupled by the suspension beam 43 can move transversely in opposite directions between:

- a locked position illustrated by figures 2 and 3 in which its latches 41B each protrude from a respective opening 32 made in a corresponding side wall 31 of the inner counter panel 28, so that the latter are ready, when the drawer 20 is in the closed position, to fit into the corresponding shutters 12 provided on two side walls 11 of the body 10 (only the left side wall and its hole 12 being visible in the figures) to retain this drawer 20 in this closed position;

- an unlocked position illustrated by figure 4 in which the latches 41B are retracted within the recess 29 so that they allow the passage of the drawer 20 from its closed position to the open position.

As can be seen in particular in FIG. 3, two parallel horizontal guide walls 44, 45 extend respectively above and below each arm 41, 42 to prevent any vertical folding of the latter.

To limit the transverse travel of the two arms 41, 42 on the outside, the locking mechanism 40 also comprises an elastomeric stop 46 fixed to a leg 47 protruding from the upper face of the arm 41 and prepared to cooperate as a stop against a lateral edge of the upper guide wall 44 projecting from this arm 41.

The fixing of this elastomeric stop 46 is carried out in this case by means of the forced hooking of a frustoconical lug that exists in a hole made in the leg 47 and not visible in the figures.

The locking mechanism 40 further comprises a traction spring 48 (visible in particular in figure 3) whose two ends are respectively connected to a first spur 49 protruding backwards from the lower guide wall 45 located below the arm 41, and to a second lug (not visible in the figures) protruding backwards from the lower part of the arm 41.

This traction spring 48 is arranged to permanently push the arm 41 as well as the arm 42 through the suspension beam 43 into their locked position in which the stop 46 comes into contact with the upper guide wall 44 (the fact of that this stop 46 is made of elastomer makes it possible to avoid the emission of parasitic noise).

Advantageously, a block of low-density foam (not shown in the figures) is inserted in a slightly compressed state between the lower face of the arm 41 and the spring 48 to avoid the generation of metallic noises during the recovery of the latter.

Drawer 20 also includes an actuating mechanism 50 that allows a user to actuate locking means 40 to its unlocked position.

This drive mechanism 50 comprises a lever 51, one end of which is pivotally mounted about a vertical axis on a pivot 52 rooted in a plate 53 projecting in the recess 29 from the front wall 30 of the inner counter panel 28.

As illustrated in Figures 2 to 4, the distal end of the inner lateral face 51A of this lever 51 bears against an inclined face 54A of a projection 54 that is rooted in the upper face of the arm 41.

In order to avoid the generation of parasitic noises, the contact between the lever 51 and the projection 54 is ensured permanently by means of a second traction spring 55 (visible in particular in figure 3) that attracts it towards this projection 54 and whose two ends are respectively attached to a first lug 56 projecting from the upper face of the lever 51 and to a second lug 57 projecting upwards from the projection 54.

Advantageously, a block of low-density foam (not shown in the figures) is inserted in a slightly compressed state between the roof of the recess 29 and the spring 55 to avoid the generation of metallic noises during the recovery of the latter.

The actuation mechanism also comprises a push button 60 mounted on the outer panel 27 of the front face 26 through a chassis 65 projecting from the inner face of this panel 27 on the periphery of an opening 66 made in the latter.

Provided with a flat head 61 of rectangular shape complementary to that of the opening 66, this button 60 is movable in translation along a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the pivot axis of the lever 51 between a rest exit position in which its head 61 it fills the opening 66 of the outer panel 27 (see figures 1 to 3) and a retracted position where it recedes from this same outer panel 27.

Button 60 also includes a cylindrical finger 62 which extends longitudinally rearwardly from the inside face of head 61 through a bottom wall 67 of chassis 65.

A compression spring 63 mounted on the finger 62 between the inner face of the head 61 and a bottom wall 67 of the chassis 65 permanently pulls this button 60 towards its rest position.

As illustrated in Figure 4, the hemispherical free end of finger 62 is arranged to cooperate, when button 60 is pressed in the retracted position, with the beveled free end 51B of lever 51 to cause the latter to pivot on the outside. . side and cause, through the cooperation between its inner lateral face 51A and the inclined face 54A of the projection 54, the movement of the arms 41, 42 towards their unlocked position to allow the opening of the drawer 20.

It will be appreciated that the transverse travel of the arms 41, 42 can be adjusted by varying the inclination of the inclined face 54A of the projection 54.

When the user stops pressing the button 60, the spring 63 returns it to its rest position while the spring 48 returns the arms 41, 42 to their locked position, which also causes the return of pressure through the projection 54. the lever 51 to its initial position.

In this configuration illustrated by Figures 2 and 3, it will be noted that the free end of the finger 62 is slightly separated from the beveled free end 51B of the lever 51 (advantageously a distance comprised between 0.5 and 0.8 mm) so that the appearance of parasitic noise is avoided due to the effect of repeated intermittent contacts between these two elements due to the vibrations that occur during the rolling phases of the vehicle.

According to variant embodiments of the invention that are not shown, the coupling means between the two arms 41, 42 are different and comprise, for example, a rotating pinion associated with two racks integral with the two arms.

According to other embodiment variants not shown, the blocking means comprise nothing more than a single arm like 41.

According to yet other variant embodiments not shown, the means for guiding the blocking arm(s) are different.

Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described and represented and encompasses any alternative embodiment within the reach of those skilled in the art.

Thus, the invention can also be applied to a glove box-type storage device comprising a hollow body delimiting a storage cavity and having an access opening to said cavity, as well as a sliding element consisting of a shutter mounted by pivoting on said body between an open position in which it moves away from said access opening to make said storage cavity accessible, and a closed position in which it closes said opening to prevent access to said cavity.

Claims (8)

1. Storage device for vehicles composed of a sliding element (20) mounted movable on a body (10) between an open position that gives access to a storage cavity and a closed position that prevents access to the storage cavity, comprising said sliding element (20): - a locking mechanism (40) containing locking means (41, 42) that can move between a locked position in which they are ready to cooperate with complementary means (12) located on said body (10) to keep said sliding element (20) in the closed position and an unlocked position in which they allow said sliding element (20) to pass from its closed position to its open position - an actuating mechanism (50) to actuate said locking means (41, 42) in said unlocked position, including a sliding push button (60) on a translation axis between an output position and a retracted position; said actuation mechanism (50) comprises a lever (51) pivotally mounted on said sliding element (20) along an axis perpendicular to the axis of translation of said push button (60) and prepared to be actuated by pivoting when said push button (60) ) is pressed into the retracted position to cause said locking means to move (41,42) into said unlocked position, characterized in that said push button (60) has a finger (62) with a free end arranged to bear, when said button is pressed in the retracted position, against a beveled surface (51A) of said lever (51) to pivot it, said free end of the finger (62) and said beveled surface (51A) of said lever (51) are arranged so as to be separated from each other by a predetermined distance when said locking means (41,42) occupy their locking position and said button (60) is in the exit position. Storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that said blocking means have a first arm (41) and a second arm (42) mechanically coupled and that move transversely in opposite directions, each of said arms (41) having ,42) at its outer end a latch (41B) prepared to couple to a corresponding striker (12) housed in said body (10) to keep said sliding element (20) in the closed position in said locked position. Storage device according to claim 2, characterized in that said first and second arms (41, 42) are mechanically coupled by means of a suspension beam (43) rotatably mounted with the two ends articulated to two internal ends of said arms. (41,42). Storage device according to one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that said actuating mechanism (50) includes an excrescence (54) rooted on said first arm (41) and having an inclined face (54A) prepared to cooperate with said lever (51) to actuate the first and second arms (41,42) towards their unlocked position. Storage device according to claim 4, characterized in that said actuation mechanism (50) includes elastic recovery means (55) that permanently ensure the maintenance of said lever (51) in contact against said inclined face (54A) of said excrescence (54). Storage device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said locking mechanism (40) includes elastic recovery means (48) that constantly request said locking means (41,42) towards their locked position. Storage device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said sliding element is constituted by a drawer (20) that delimits said storage cavity and that is slidingly mounted on said body (10) between said open position in which it protrudes behind said body (10) and said closed position in which it is integrated into said body (10). Storage device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said hollow body delimits the storage cavity and has an access opening thereto, said sliding element being constituted by a shutter pivotally mounted on said body between said open position in which it is away from said access opening and a closed position in which it closes this same opening.