CN215706013U - Storage console - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model provides a storage console. The storage console includes a housing, a cover connected to the housing, a lighting element disposed inside the housing, and a switch drive assembly for driving a switch of the lighting element. The housing includes a storage compartment having an opening. The cover is movable between a locked position and a released position to open and close the opening. The lighting element may be provided in a storage compartment of the housing. In the release position, the switch drive assembly drives the switch to the closed position, thereby completing a circuit of the lighting element to illuminate the lighting element. The utility model also provides a storage console for a vehicle. According to the storage console, the storage chamber can be illuminated when the cover is opened, and the illumination is stopped when the cover is closed, so that the convenience of a user can be improved, and the energy loss can be reduced.

Description

Storage console

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a storage device for a vehicle, and more particularly to a storage console for a vehicle.

Background

Vehicles typically have storage devices for passengers to place items, such as center consoles or armrest boxes located between vehicle seats, that include storage spaces for storing items carried by the driver or passengers. In the event of insufficient light, even if the headlights on both sides of the vehicle roof are turned on, there is limited light to reach these storage spaces. As such, the difficulty of drivers and passengers finding desired items in these storage spaces increases. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved storage console to facilitate finding desired items.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

In view of at least one of the above problems, the present invention provides a storage console that can illuminate a storage space to facilitate finding a desired item.

According to one aspect, the present invention provides a storage console. The storage console includes a housing, a cover connected to the housing, a lighting element disposed inside the housing, and a switch drive assembly for driving a switch of the lighting element. The housing includes a storage compartment having an opening. The cover is movable between a locked position and a released position to open and close the opening. The lighting element may be provided in a storage compartment of the housing. In the release position, the switch drive assembly drives the switch to the closed position, thereby completing a circuit of the lighting element to illuminate the lighting element.

In some embodiments, the first side wall of the housing is provided with a guide track, the end of the cover is slidably connected to the guide track, and sliding of the cover in the guide track opens or closes the opening.

In some embodiments, the cover is a tambour door.

In some embodiments, the cap has opposing first and second ends, the cap further including a boss disposed at the first end.

In some embodiments, the lighting element is disposed near a top of a second sidewall of the housing, the second sidewall abutting the first sidewall and being distal from the first end of the cover when in the locked position.

In some embodiments, an included angle between the light emitting surface of the illumination element and the second sidewall is an acute angle. In some embodiments, the included angle is in the range of 0 to 40 degrees. In some embodiments, the included angle is in the range of 0 to 30 degrees, such as about 20 degrees.

In some embodiments, the switch drive assembly includes an interconnected drive element and a biasing element that biases the drive element toward the switch in the release position to drive the switch to the closed position.

In some embodiments, the cover has a protrusion disposed on the bottom, and in the locked position, the protrusion biases the actuating member away from the switch to actuate the switch to the off position.

According to another aspect, the present invention provides a storage console for a vehicle. A storage console for a vehicle includes a housing, a cover connected to the housing, a lighting element disposed inside the housing, and a switch drive assembly for driving a switch of the lighting element. The housing includes a storage compartment for storing the articles. The cover is movable between a locked position and a released position to open and close the storage compartment. The lighting element may be provided in a storage compartment of the housing. In the release position, the switch drive assembly drives the switch to the closed position, thereby completing a circuit of the lighting element to illuminate the lighting element. In the lock position, the cover drives the switch to the off position, thereby opening the circuit of the illumination element to stop the illumination of the illumination element.

One or more features and/or advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more embodiments, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a storage console according to one embodiment of the utility model, showing the lid in a locked position.

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the storage console shown in FIG. 1, showing the lid in a released position.

FIG. 3 is an exploded schematic view of a storage console according to one embodiment of the utility model.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional schematic view of a storage console according to one embodiment of the utility model.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional schematic view of a portion of a storage console showing a switch in an open position according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is another cross-sectional schematic view of a portion of the storage console shown in FIG. 5, showing the switch in a closed position.

Detailed Description

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the utility model and may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. In the drawings and the description, like elements are provided with like reference numerals. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.

In vehicles, a storage console is typically provided between vehicle seats. The storage console includes storage spaces for storing items, which are typically located between the armrest box and the cup holder. In the case of insufficient light, even if the dome lamps on both sides of the ceiling of the vehicle are turned on for illumination, the illumination light of the dome lamps or the ambient light may hardly reach these storage spaces due to blocking by the passengers or the driver themselves, and thus the light in the storage spaces is dim and difficulty in storing or taking out desired items is increased. As such, it may be unfriendly for a driver or passenger to access items using the storage console, such that the convenience of the storage console is reduced. Thus, there is a need to provide additional lighting for storage consoles.

At least in view of the above problems, the inventor of the present invention has proposed a storage console having a storage compartment provided with an illumination element and the illumination element can emit light when a cover is opened, which can provide additional illumination when articles are accessed using the storage console, resulting in increased convenience.

Fig. 1 and 2 are perspective views of a storage console 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention showing a cover 110 in a locked position and a released position, respectively. Referring to fig. 1 and 2, the storage console 100 includes a cover 110 and a housing 120, the housing 120 includes a storage compartment 124 having an opening 122, and the cover 110 is coupled to the housing 120. The cover 110 is movable between the locked position of fig. 1 and the released position of fig. 2 to open and close the opening 122. An illumination element 130 is disposed in the storage compartment 124, and the illumination (e.g., illumination or lighting) or the turning-off (e.g., stopping illumination or turning-off) of the illumination element 130 can be controlled by a switch 140, and the switch 140 is connected to the circuit of the illumination element 130 and can be disposed on the housing 120. The storage console 100 also includes a switch drive assembly 150 for driving or activating the switch 140. As shown in fig. 2, when the cover 110 is in the release position, the switch driving assembly 150 drives the switch 140 to be in the closed position, so that the circuit (not shown) of the lighting element 130 is turned on and the lighting element 130 emits light. In other words, when the cover 110 is opened, the storage compartment 124 is illuminated by the illumination element 130, so that the driver or passenger can conveniently access the articles using the storage compartment 124 even under the condition of insufficient ambient light, and the practicability and convenience of the storage console 100 can be increased.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of storage console 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. In some embodiments, referring to fig. 1, 2 and 3, the storage compartment 124 is surrounded by four sidewalls of the housing 120, and a first sidewall 126 extending along the longitudinal direction L may be provided with a guide rail 121. The end 111 of the cover 110 in the transverse direction T may be slidably coupled with the guide rail 121 such that the cover 110 may slide in the longitudinal direction L in the guide rail 121 to open or close the opening 122.

In some embodiments, the longitudinal direction L may correspond to a length direction of the vehicle and the lateral direction T may correspond to a width direction of the vehicle. In further embodiments, the longitudinal direction L and the lateral direction T may correspond to a width direction and a length direction of the vehicle, respectively. The longitudinal direction L and the transverse direction T are substantially perpendicular, although other angles may be formed. It should be understood that the orientation and the included angle of the longitudinal direction L and the transverse direction T are not limited in the present invention, and those skilled in the art can make reasonable selection according to the shape of the storage chamber or the cover to implement other embodiments, and these other embodiments should be included in the scope of the present invention.

In some embodiments, referring to fig. 1, 2 and 3, two opposite side walls 126 extending in the longitudinal direction L are provided with two guide rails 121, and two ends 111 of the cover 110 in the transverse direction T form or are provided with a slider, and the two ends 111 or the slider can respectively slide in the longitudinal direction L in the sliding grooves of the two guide rails 121.

In some embodiments, referring to fig. 1, 2, and 3, the cover 110 is configured as a tambour door (also known as a tambour door, tambour door) having a first end 112 and a second end 114 opposite in the longitudinal direction L. The cover 110 is provided with a protrusion 113 on an outer surface of the first end 112, and the protrusion 113 may extend in the transverse direction T and may have a shape convenient for a driver or a passenger to hold, for example, a top portion having an arc-shaped cross section. In this way, the boss 113 may form a handle or catch for the cover 110 or slat-type sliding door, facilitating the user's manipulation of the cover 110. The housing 120 also has two sidewalls extending in the transverse direction T, such as opposing second and third sidewalls 128 and 123. In the locked position, the second sidewall 128 is in contact with or adjacent the second end 114 of the cover 120 and the third sidewall 123 is in contact with or adjacent the first end 112 of the cover 120. In some embodiments, in the locked position, as shown in fig. 1, the first end 112 of the cover 110 abuts the third sidewall 123 of the housing 120; in the release position, as shown in FIG. 2, the first end 112 of the cover 110 slides along the rail 121 away from the side wall and the second end 114 of the cover 110 slides along the rail 121 and down into the interior of the storage console 110. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, the guide rail 121 has a straight segment 127 and an arcuate segment 129 connected to each other, the straight segment 127 being proximate to the third sidewall 123 of the enclosure 120 and substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction L, the arcuate segment 129 being proximate to the second sidewall 128 of the enclosure 120 and located inside the storage console 100. The arcuate segment 129 curves downward to help guide the second end 112 of the cover 110 downward into the interior of the storage console 110.

It should be understood that the cover 110 may also be configured as other tambour doors, such as the structures disclosed in U.S. patent nos. US6250729B1 and US10196001B2 to Ford Global Technologies, LLC, the contents of which are incorporated by reference into the present specification.

In other embodiments, the cover 110 may be configured as other types of sliding doors, for example, in one embodiment not shown, the body of the cover is a rigid plate, and in the locked position, the first end of the cover abuts the third side wall of the housing; in the release position, the second end of the cover slides along the guide rail, out of the guide rail and outside of the storage console.

In some embodiments, referring to fig. 1 and 2, the illumination element 130 is disposed near the top of the second sidewall 128 of the housing 120, the second sidewall 128 being distal from the first end 112 of the cover 110 when the cover 110 is in the locked position shown in fig. 1. In this way, the lighting element 130 at the top may illuminate substantially the entire storage compartment 122 during sliding of the cover 110 from the locked position of fig. 1 to the released position of fig. 2, and the enclosure formed by the cover 110 with the two first side walls 126 may substantially confine the emitted light of the lighting element 130 within the storage compartment 124, thereby reducing the likelihood of the light being emitted directly upward into the eyes of the driver or passenger causing an unfriendly experience.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional schematic view of a storage console 100 according to one embodiment of the utility model. Some components are not shown in the drawings for clarity of illustration of the relevant structures. In some embodiments, referring to fig. 4, the storage console 100 further includes a bracket 160 for supporting the lighting element 130, and the bracket 160 may be disposed adjacent to the second sidewall 128 of the housing 120. The bracket 160 may be fixedly coupled at both ends to the first side wall 126 of the housing 120 such that the support plate 162 between the ends forms an angle with the top of the second side wall 128. The supporting plate 162 includes a mounting hole 164 for fixing the lighting element 130, and the light emitting surface of the mounted lighting element 130 may be parallel to the outer surface of the supporting plate 162, so that the light emitting surface of the lighting element 130 forms an included angle α with the top of the second sidewall 128. The angle α may be acute, for example, the angle α may be in the range of 0 to 40 degrees, or preferably in the range of 0 to 30 degrees, for example 20 degrees. In this way, even if the second side wall 128 has a vertical surface that is not easily angled for installation in a conventional storage console, the lighting elements 130 can be mounted in the storage compartment 122 by the brackets 160 and angled. In this way, the emitted light of the lighting element 130 generally exhibits a downward-facing tendency, which may further reduce the likelihood that direct upward-facing illumination may cause an unfriendly experience for the eyes of the driver or passenger.

In other embodiments, the illumination element 130 can be directly mounted on the second sidewall 128 of the housing 120 without using the bracket 160, if the light emitting surface and the sidewall form the above-defined included angle, and these embodiments can also obtain the above-mentioned advantages.

In other embodiments, the illumination element 130 may be disposed at other positions in the storage compartment 122, and the utility model is not limited thereto. For example, in some embodiments not shown, the illumination element 130 may be provided on either of the first side walls 126 or on the third side wall 123 opposite the second side wall 128 in the longitudinal direction L. Preferably, in these embodiments, the light emitting surface of the lighting element 130 forms the above-defined acute angle or included angle with the top of the sidewall where the light emitting surface is located. In one embodiment, not shown, the illumination element 130 may be provided on the bottom wall of the storage compartment 122. Preferably, in these embodiments, the illumination element 130 may be positioned relatively away from the first end 112 of the cover 110 when the cover 110 is in the locked position.

In some embodiments, the lighting element 130 may be a Light Emitting Diode (LED) or any other suitable type of light emitting structure; the switch 140 may be a normally open switch that is normally open and closes under an external force to complete the lighting circuit. Such lighting elements 130 and switches 140 are known to those skilled in the art, and therefore their specific structure is not described in detail herein.

In some embodiments, referring to fig. 3, the switch drive assembly 150 includes a drive element 152 and a biasing element 154 connected to each other. The biasing element 154 and the driving element 152 may be coupled by a bushing 156, for example, the biasing element 154 may be secured to one end of the bushing 156 by a snap fit or fastener (e.g., a bolt), and the driving element 152 may be secured to the other end of the bushing by a snap fit or fastener (e.g., a bolt). Thus, deflection of the biasing element 154 may be transmitted to the drive element 152 via the bushing 156, causing rotation of the drive element 152. In some embodiments, the shaft sleeve 156 may be a tubular shaft sleeve, which may be sleeved on and rotatable around a connecting shaft on an outer wall of a side wall (e.g., the first side wall 126) of the housing 120 (or an outer side wall of the guide rail 121), and the connecting shaft may be disposed adjacent to the third side wall 123, so that the installed switch driving element 150 is also adjacent to the third side wall 123. The biasing element 154 may be a coil spring or a helical spring and is disposed over an end of the sleeve 156. The driving member 152 may have a ring-shaped body 151 and two driving arms, i.e., a first driving arm 153 and a second driving arm 155, separately provided on the body 151, the second driving arm 155 being located below the first driving arm 153. When the biasing element 154 is biased, the body 151 of the driving element 152 may rotate clockwise or counterclockwise, and accordingly, the first driving arm 153 may swing in a substantially left-right direction, and the second driving arm 155 may swing in a substantially up-down direction, as shown in fig. 5 and 6 below.

Fig. 5 and 6 are cross-sectional schematic views of a portion of storage console 100 showing switch drive assembly 150 and switch 140 in locked and released positions of lid 100, respectively. Some components are not shown in the drawings for clarity of illustration of the relevant structures. In some embodiments, referring to fig. 5 and 6, the lower surface of the first end 112 of the cap 110 is provided with a protrusion 117. As shown in fig. 5, when the cap 110 is in the locked position, the protrusion 117 applies a pushing force in a direction F1 (e.g., to the right) to the first drive arm 153 of the drive member 152, causing the drive member 152 to rotate in a direction R1 (e.g., clockwise) and the second drive arm 155 to move in a direction F2 (e.g., upward or away from the switch 140). Thereby, the switch 140 moves upward, the lighting circuit of the lighting element 130 is opened, and the lighting element 130 stops lighting. Thus, after closing the cover 110, the illumination within the storage compartment 122 ceases as the cover 110 moves to the locked position.

As shown in fig. 6, during opening of the cover 110, i.e., when the cover 110 is in the release position, the protrusion 117 moves with the cover 110 in the direction F3 (e.g., to the left), whereby the force exerted by the cover 110 on the switch drive assembly 150 assembly to maintain it in the position shown in fig. 5 is removed, and the biasing element 154 exerts a deflecting force on the drive element 152 in the direction R2 (e.g., in the counter-clockwise direction) to cause the second drive arm 155 to move in the direction F4 (e.g., downward or toward the switch 140). Thereby, the switch 140 moves downward, the lighting circuit of the lighting element 130 is turned on, and the lighting element 130 starts lighting or emitting light. In other words, after the cover 110 is opened, illumination within the storage compartment 122 begins as the cover 110 moves out of the locked position. In this way, the illumination element 130 can stop illuminating with the closing of the storage compartment 122 and start illuminating with the opening of the storage compartment 122, which can provide the required illumination while reducing energy consumption.

The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention, and various modifications and changes may be made by those skilled in the art. Any modification, equivalent replacement, or improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims (10)

1. A storage console, comprising:

a housing including a storage compartment having an opening;

a cover connected to the housing, the cover being movable between a locked position and a released position to open and close the opening;

a lighting element disposed in the storage compartment; and

a switch drive assembly for driving the switch of the lighting element, wherein in the released position the switch drive assembly drives the switch to a closed position, thereby completing the circuit of the lighting element to illuminate the lighting element.

2. The storage console as claimed in claim 1, wherein a guide rail is provided on the first side wall of the housing, an end of the cover being slidably connected with the guide rail, sliding of the cover in the guide rail opening or closing the opening.

3. The storage console of claim 1, wherein the lid is a tambour door.

4. The storage console of claim 1, wherein the cover has opposing first and second ends, the cover further comprising a boss disposed at the first end.

5. The storage console of claim 4, wherein a lighting element is provided near a top of a second sidewall of the housing, the second sidewall abutting the first sidewall and being distal from the first end of the cover when in the locked position.

6. The storage console of claim 5, wherein an included angle between the light emitting surface of the lighting element and the second sidewall is an acute angle.

7. The storage console of claim 6, wherein the included angle is in the range of 0 to 40 degrees.

8. The storage console of claim 1, wherein the switch drive assembly includes an interconnected drive element and a biasing element, the biasing element biasing the drive element toward the switch in the release position to drive the switch to the closed position.

9. The storage console of claim 8, wherein the lid has a protrusion provided at a bottom, the protrusion biasing the drive element away from the switch to drive the switch to an off position in the locked position.

10. A storage console for a vehicle, comprising:

a housing including a storage compartment for storing items;

a cover connected to the housing, the cover being movable between a locked position and a released position to open and close the storage compartment;

a lighting element disposed in the storage compartment; and

a switch drive assembly provided on the housing for driving a switch of the illumination element, wherein in the release position the switch drive assembly drives the switch to a closed position, thereby completing a circuit of the illumination element to cause the illumination element to emit light; in the locked position, the cover drives the switch to an off position, thereby opening the circuit of the illumination element to stop the illumination element from emitting light.

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