EP3762569B1 - Storage device for a vehicle, comprising an opening panel, with a built-in push-button actuating mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Field of invention

The present invention generally relates to storage devices for a motor vehicle comprising an opening 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.

Background of the invention

Storage devices of this type are generally equipped with a locking mechanism integrated into the opening and comprising locking means that can be moved between a locked position in which they are able to cooperate with complementary means provided on said body to retain said opening in the closed position and an unlocked position where they allow passage of said opening from its closed position to its open position.

French patent application FR 2 935 320 discloses such a storage device of the glove box type further comprising an actuating mechanism located on the leaf and making it possible to drive said locking means into said unlocked position.

This actuating 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 groove, inclined relative to the guide axis, in which is guided a lug carried by the locking means consisting of a bolt mounted in translation on the opening, this bolt being capable of cooperating with a striker plate mounted on the body.

Such a push-button mechanism integrated into the opening has the advantage of offering a high level of “perceived quality” to the storage device.

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

The documents JP5862343 and US9752356 describe actuating mechanisms according to the preamble of claim 1 driving locking means of a storage closure flap, the mechanisms comprising a push button actuating the locking means.

Subject matter and summary of the invention

The present invention therefore aims to propose a storage device with opening incorporating a push-button actuation mechanism which remains simple while presenting a safer operation.

• un mécanisme de verrouillage comportant des moyens de verrouillage déplaçables entre une position verrouillée dans laquelle ils sont aptes à coopérer avec des moyens complémentaires ménagés sur ledit corps pour retenir ledit ouvrant en position fermée et une position déverrouillée où ils autorisent le passage dudit ouvrant de sa position fermée à sa position ouverte ;
• un mécanisme d'actionnement permettant d'entrainer lesdits moyens de verrouillage dans ladite position déverrouillée et comprenant un bouton poussoir mobile à coulissement selon un axe de translation entre une position sortie et une position rétractée ;

ledit mécanisme d'actionnement comprenant un levier monté pivotant sur ledit ouvrant selon un axe perpendiculaire à l'axe de translation dudit bouton poussoir et apte à être entrainé à pivotement lors de l'enfoncement dudit bouton poussoir en position rétractée de sorte à provoquer le déplacement desdits moyens de verrouillage dans ladite position déverrouillée,
caractérisé en ce que ledit bouton poussoir comporte un doigt présentant une extrémité libre agencée pour venir en appui, lors de l'enfoncement dudit bouton en position rétractée, contre une surface biseautée dudit levier de sorte à l'entrainer à pivotement ; ladite extrémité libre dudit doigt et ladite surface biseautée dudit levier sont agencées de sorte à être écartées l'une de l'autre d'une distance prédéterminée lorsque lesdits moyens de verrouillage occupent leur position verrouillée et que ledit bouton est en position sortie.To this end, it proposes a storage device for a vehicle comprising a leaf mounted to move on a body between an open position giving access to a storage cavity and a closed position preventing access to said storage cavity, said leaf comprising:

• a locking mechanism comprising locking means movable between a locked position in which they are capable of cooperating with complementary means provided on said body to retain said leaf in the closed position and an unlocked position where they allow said leaf to pass from its position closed to its open position;
• an actuating mechanism making it possible to drive said locking means into said unlocked position and comprising a push button that slides along a translation axis between an extended position and a retracted position;

said actuating mechanism comprising a lever pivotally mounted on said leaf along an axis perpendicular to the axis of translation of said push button and able to be pivotally driven when said push button is pressed in the retracted position so as to cause movement said locking means in said unlocked position,
characterized in that said push button comprises a finger having a free end arranged to come into abutment, when said button is pressed in the retracted position, against a beveled surface of said lever so as to cause it to pivot; said free end of said finger and said beveled surface of said lever are arranged so as to be 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 mechanism for actuating the storage device according to the invention makes it possible, while being of a particularly simple design and comprising a minimum of elements, to train by simply pressing the push button and without any risk of blocking the locking means to their unlocked position so as to release the leaf.

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 occurring. produced during the driving phases of the vehicle.

• lesdits moyens de verrouillage comportent un premier bras et un second bras couplés mécaniquement et étant mobiles transversalement dans des directions opposées, chaque dit bras étant doté à son extrémité externe d'un pêne apte à s'engager dans une gâche correspondante ménagée dans ledit corps pour retenir ledit ouvrant en position fermée dans ladite position verrouillée ;
• lesdits premier et second bras sont couplés mécaniquement par l'intermédiaire d'un palonnier monté rotatif et dont les deux extrémités sont articulées aux deux extrémités internes des dits bras ;
• ledit mécanisme d'actionnement comprend une excroissance prenant racine sur ledit premier bras et étant dotée d'un pan incliné apte à coopérer avec ledit levier pour entrainer le déplacement desdits premier et second bras vers leur position déverrouillée ;
• ledit mécanisme d'actionnement comporte des moyens élastiques de rappel assurant en permanence le maintien dudit levier en contact contre ledit pan incliné de ladite excroissance ;
• ledit mécanisme de verrouillage comporte des moyens élastiques de rappel sollicitant en permanence lesdits moyens de verrouillage vers leur position verrouillée ;

According to preferred characteristics of said storage device:

• said locking means comprise a first arm and a second arm mechanically coupled and being transversely movable in opposite directions, each said arm being provided at its outer end with a bolt capable of engaging in a corresponding striker provided in said body for retaining said leaf in the closed position in said locked position;
• said first and second arms are mechanically coupled by means of a rotary mounted lifter whose two ends are articulated to the two internal ends of said arms;
• said actuating mechanism comprises a protrusion taking root on said first arm and being provided with an inclined face capable of cooperating with said lever to cause said first and second arms to move towards their unlocked position;
• said actuating mechanism comprises elastic return means permanently maintaining said lever in contact against said inclined face of said protrusion;
• said locking mechanism comprises elastic return means permanently urging said locking means towards their locked position;

The storage device can for example be of the "drawer" type with said opening which consists of a drawer delimiting said storage cavity and being slidably mounted on said body between said open position in which it protrudes behind said body and said position closed in which it is integrated in said body.

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

Brief description of the drawings

• la figure 1 représente une vue de trois quart en perspective du dispositif de rangement selon l'invention ;
• la figure 2 est une vue de coupe partielle prise selon un plan horizontal du dispositif de la figure 1 dont les moyens de verrouillage en position verrouillée retiennent le couvercle en position fermée ;
• la figure 3 représente une vue de coupe en perspective prise selon un autre plan horizontal partielle du dispositif de la figure 1 dans la configuration de la figure 2 ; et
• la figure 4 est une vue semblable à la figure 2 mais sur laquelle les moyens de verrouillage ont été amenés en position déverrouillée par l'appui sur le bouton de commande du mécanisme d'actionnement de sorte à autoriser l'ouverture du couvercle.

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

• the figure 1 shows a three-quarter perspective view of the storage device according to the invention;
• the figure 2 is a partial sectional view taken along a horizontal plane of the device of the figure 1 whose locking means in the locked position hold the cover in the closed position;
• the picture 3 shows a perspective sectional view taken along another partial horizontal plane of the device of the figure 1 in the configuration of the figure 2 ; and
• the figure 4 is a view similar to the figure 2 but on which the locking means have been brought into the unlocked position by pressing the control button of the actuating mechanism so as to authorize the opening of the cover.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment

The 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 box.

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 such a motor vehicle.

The terms “external” and “internal” 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 thus be qualified as internal as opposed to the other element further from this same axis which will be qualified as external.

With reference to this figure 1 , the storage device 1 comprises a hollow body 10, as well as an opening constituted by a drawer 20 delimiting a storage cavity and being slidably mounted on this body 10 in a longitudinal direction, between an open position in which it protrudes of this hollow body 10 so as to make the storage cavity accessible, and a closed position in which it is integrated into the body 10 so as to prevent access to this same storage cavity.

Elastic return means (not visible in the figures and consisting for example of a flexible strip spring) are provided between the hollow body 10 and the drawer 20 so as to urge 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 front bottom wall 25 and a front 26 delimiting the storage cavity.

As shown on the figures 2 to 4 , the facade 26 comprises an outer rectangular panel 27 with a curved profile and an inner counter-panel 28 attached against the inner face of this outer panel 27.

The inner counter panel 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 for retaining the drawer 20 in its closed position.

This locking mechanism 40 comprises two transverse arms 41, 42 each having an internal end 41A, 42A hinged to pivot along a longitudinal axis on a corresponding end of a spreader bar 43 whose center is rotatably mounted around a longitudinal axis on a pivot 44 projecting into the recess 29 from the central zone of the front wall 30 of the inner counter panel 28.

The outer end 41B of each arm 41, 42 forms a bevelled profile locking bolt.

• une position verrouillée illustrée par les figures 2 et 3 dans laquelle leurs pênes 41B saillent chacun d'une ouverture respective 32 ménagée dans un muret latéral correspondant 31 du contre-panneau intérieur 28, de sorte que ces derniers soient aptes, lorsque le tiroir 20 est en position fermée, à s'engager dans des gâches correspondantes 12 ménagées dans deux parois latérales 11 du corps 10 (seule la paroi latérale de gauche et son orifice 12 étant visibles sur les figures) pour retenir ce tiroir 20 dans cette position fermée ;
• une position déverrouillée illustrée par la figure 4 dans laquelle les pênes 41B sont rétractés à l'intérieur du renfoncement 29 de sorte que ces derniers autorisent le passage du tiroir 20 de sa position fermée à la position ouverte.

The two arms 41, 42 mechanically coupled via the crossbar 43 can be moved transversely in opposite directions between:

• a locked position illustrated by the figure 2 and 3 in which their bolts 41B each project from a respective opening 32 made in a corresponding side wall 31 of the inner counter-panel 28, so that the latter are able, when the drawer 20 is in the closed position, to engage in corresponding latches 12 formed in two side walls 11 of body 10 (only the left side wall and its orifice 12 being visible in the figures) to retain this drawer 20 in this closed position;
• an unlocked position illustrated by the figure 4 wherein the bolts 41B are retracted inside the recess 29 so that the latter allow the passage of the drawer 20 from its closed position to the open position.

As seen in particular on the picture 3 , two horizontal parallel guide walls 44, 45 extending respectively above and below each arm 41, 42 to prevent any vertical movement of the latter.

In order to limit the transverse travel of the two arms 41, 42 on the external side, the locking mechanism 40 also comprises an elastomer stopper 46 fixed to a lug 47 projecting from the upper face of the arm 41 and able to cooperate in abutment against a lateral edge of the upper guide wall 44 overhanging this arm 41.

The fixing of this elastomer stopper 46 is in this case carried out by snap-fastening by force of a frustoconical pin which it comprises in a hole made in the tab 47 and not visible in the figures.

The locking mechanism 40 further comprises a tension spring 48 (visible in particular on the picture 3 ) whose two ends are respectively attached to a first lug 49 projecting rearward from the lower guide wall 45 located below the arm 41, and to a second lug (not visible in the figures) projecting rearward from the underside of the arm 41.

This traction spring 48 is arranged so as to permanently urge arm 41 as well as arm 42 via lifter 43 towards their locked position in which stopper 46 comes into contact with upper guide wall 44 (the fact that this stopper 46 or in elastomer to avoid the emission of parasitic noise).

Advantageously, a block of low-density foam (not shown in the figures) is interposed in a slightly compressed state between the underside of the arm 41 and the spring 48 so as to avoid the generation of metallic noises when the latter is recalled. .

The drawer 20 also includes an actuation mechanism 50 allowing a user to drive the locking means 40 into their unlocked position.

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

As shown on the figures 2 to 4 , the distal end of the inner side face 51A of this lever 51 rests against an inclined face 54A of a protrusion 54 taking root on the upper face of the arm 41.

In order to avoid the generation of parasitic noises, the contact between the lever 51 and the excrescence 54 is ensured in a permanent manner by means of a second tension spring 55 (visible in particular on the picture 3 ) calling it back towards this protrusion 54 and whose two ends are attached respectively to a first lug 56 projecting from the upper face of the lever 51 and to a second lug 57 projecting upwards from the protrusion 54.

Advantageously, a block of low density foam (not shown in the figures) is interposed in a slightly compressed state between the roof of the recess 29 and the spring 55 so as to avoid the generation of metallic noises when the latter is recalled.

The actuating mechanism also comprises a push button 60 mounted on the outer panel 27 of the facade 26 via a frame 65 projecting from the inner face of this panel 27 on the periphery of an opening 66 made in this latest.

Equipped with a flat head 61 having a 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 an extended rest position in which its head 61 fills the opening 66 of the outer panel 27 (see figures 1 to 3 ) and a retracted position where it is set back from this same outer panel 27.

Button 60 also includes a cylindrical finger 62 extending longitudinally rearward from the inside face of head 61 through a bottom wall 67 of frame 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 frame 65 permanently returns this button 60 to its extended rest position.

As shown on the figure 4 , the hemispherical free end of the finger 62 is arranged to cooperate, when the button 60 is pressed in the retracted position, with the bevelled free end 51B of the lever 51 to cause the latter to pivot on the external side and cause, via the cooperation between its inner side face 51A and the inclined face 54A of the protrusion 54, the movement of the arms 41, 42 towards their unlocked position so as to allow the opening of the drawer 20.

It will be noted that the transverse stroke of the arms 41, 42 can be adjusted by varying the inclination of the inclined face 54A of the protrusion 54.

When the user releases his pressure on the button 60, the spring 63 returns it to its extended rest position while the spring 48 returns the arms 41, 42 to their locked position, which also causes via the protrusion 54 the return of the lever 51 in its initial position.

In this configuration illustrated by the figure 2 and 3 , it will be noted that the free end of the finger 62 is slightly separated from the bevelled free end 51B of the lever 51 (advantageously by a distance between 0.5 and 0.8 mm) so as to avoid the appearance of parasitic noises under the effect of repeated intermittent contact between these two elements due to the vibrations occurring during the rolling phases of the vehicle.

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

According to other variant embodiments not shown, the locking means comprise only one arm such as 41.

According to yet other variant embodiments not shown, the means for guiding the locking 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 storage device of the glove box type comprising a hollow body delimiting a storage cavity and having an access opening to said cavity, as well as an opening consisting of a flap mounted at pivoting on said body between an open position in which it is away from said access opening so as to make said storage cavity accessible, and a closed position in which it closes said opening so as to prevent access to said cavity.

Claims (8)

1. Storage device for vehicles with a opening (20) mounted on a body (10) between an open position giving access to a storage cavity and a closed position preventing access to the storage cavity, the said opening (20) comprising:

   - a locking mechanism (40) containing means of locking (41, 42) which can be moved between a locked position in which they are capable of cooperating with additional means (12) on the said body (10) to hold the said opening (20) in the closed position and an unlocked position in which they allow the said opening (20) to pass from its closed position to its open position;

   - an actuating mechanism (50) to drive the said means of locking (41, 42) into the unlocked position, including a sliding push button (60) on a translation axis between an exit position and a retracted position; that actuating mechanism (50) comprising a lever (51) mounted on the said opening (20) in an axis perpendicular to the axis of translation of the said pushbutton (60) and capable of being rotated when the said pushbutton (60) is pressed in the retracted position so as to cause the said means of locking to be moved (41, 42) in that unlocked position,

   characterized by the said pushbutton (60) having a finger (62) with a loose end arranged to support, when the said button is pressed in the retracted position, against a beveled surface (51A) of the said lever (51) so as to drive it swivel, the said free end of the finger (62) and the said beveled surface (51A) (A) said lever (51) shall be arranged so as to be separated from each other by a predetermined distance when the said means of locking (41, 42) occupy their locked position and the said button (60) is in the out position.
2. A storage device according to Claim 1, characterized by the fact that the said means of locking have a first arm (41) and a second arm (42) coupled mechanically and moving transversely in opposite directions, each said arm (41, 42) having at its outer end a peach (41B) capable of engaging in a corresponding coward (12) housed in the said body (10) to hold the said opening (20) in the closed position in the said locked position.
3. Storage device according to Claim 2, characterized in that the said first and second arms (41, 42) are mechanically coupled through a rotary (43) tower, with both ends articulated at the two internal ends of the said arms (41, 42).
4. Storage device according to one of claims 2 or 3, characterized as the said actuating mechanism (50) includes an exgrowth (54) rooted on the said first arm (41) and having an inclined pan (54A) capable of cooperating with the said lever (51) to drive the first and second arms (41, 42) to their unlocked position.
5. Storage device according to claim 4, characterized in that the said actuating mechanism (50) includes elastic means of recall (55) permanently ensuring the maintenance of the said lever (51) in contact with the said inclined pan (54A) of the said exgrowth (54).
6. Storage device in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized by the said locking mechanism (40) having elastic means of recall (48) constantly requiring such means of locking (41, 42) to their locked position.
7. Storage device according to one of the claims 1 to 6, characterized as the said opening is made up of a drawer (20) demarcating the storage cavity and being mounted sliding on the said body (10) between the said open position in which it sails behind the said body (10) and the said closed position in which it is integrated into the said body (10).
8. Storage device according to one of the claims 1 to 7, characterized as the hollow body delimits the storage cavity and presents an opening of access to the latter, the said opening being constituted by a mounted pane rotating on the said body between the said open position in which it is away from the said access opening and a closed position in which it obtains the same opening.

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