GB2128562A

GB2128562A - Vehicle fascias having storage containers

Info

Publication number: GB2128562A
Application number: GB08228974A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ronald David Wisdom
Original assignee: Talbot Motor Co Ltd
Current assignee: Peugeot Motor Co PLC
Priority date: 1982-10-11
Filing date: 1982-10-11
Publication date: 1984-05-02

Abstract

A vehicle fascia (10) has a main part (10a) with a sharply inclined rear wall (10b). Rails (13, 15) are mounted on the fascia and extend to the rear of the fascia parallel to the fascia with a gap between them for an instrument binnacle (22). The rails provide, with the rear wall of the fascia supports for trough-shaped material storage containers (18, 20) suspended from the rear wall (10b) of the fascia and the rails respectively. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Motor vehicle fascia This invention relates to motor vehicle fascias.

The invention provides a motor vehicle fascia having a rail extending at least part way along the fascia and spaced therefrom and a container supended from the fascia and/or rail.

The container may be located between and suspended from the rail and the fascia.

The following is a description of some embodiments of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an exploded diagrammatic view of a motor vehicle fascia: and Figure 2 is a perspective view of a further fascia arrangement.

The drawing shows a fascia 10 for a motor vehicle extending across the full width of the vehicle to the rear of the front windscreen (not shown). The fascia 10 has a main part 1 Oa inclined downwardly at a shallow angle and, along its rearward edge, a more sharply inclined rear wall 1 Ob. The main wall 1 0a has conventional air outlet apertures 11 and 1 2 spaced apart along the wall for directing air onto the windscreen and other places.

A tubular rail 1 3 extends parallel to and spaced from the rear of the fascia and one end thereof to a position just beyond the centre of the fascia and has transversely extending end arms 14 passing underneath and are mounted on the fascia 10 or a part of the vehicle structure. At the other end of the fascia there is a similar but short rail 1 5 extending along and to the rear of the fascia and supported by transverse arms 1 7 extending below and mounted on the fascia or an adjacent part of the vehicle structure.

A container 1 8 is suspended between the fascia and walls 13, the container comprising a trough-shaped sheet of material one upper end of which is attached to the rear wall lOb of the fascia and the other end of which is looped over the rail and fastened back on itself. The container is completed by the end walls 1 9. The container extends from the end of the fascia to approximately the centre of the fascia leaving a part of the rails 13 exposed. A similar but shorter container 20 having side walls 21 is suspended between the rail 1 5 and end wall lOb of the fascia.

There is a gap between the adjacent arms 14, 1 7 of the rails 13, 15 in which a controlled binnacle 22 having a lower section one end of which designator 33 comprises a housing for the upper end of the steering column of the vehicle.

The housing 23 has control arms 24 radiating therefrom to extend close to the periphery of the steering wheel for ready operation by the driver.

The other end of the lower section has further controls such as heater control. The binnacle is completed by an upper section 26 which extends over and projects from either end of the lower section. The upper section 26 extends over the rails 13 up to the container 18 and rests on the rail.

It should be appreciated that the arrangement of rails mounted on the vehicle fascia permits a variety of different forms of container to be supported between the rails and the rails may also serve as grab rails for the vehicle occupants in the event of an emergency. The rails may be constructed to act as energy absorbing members to cushion the forward movement of an occupant of the vehicle in the event of an accident. The separation of the instrument binnacle from the fascia as such enables a variety of different forms of binnacle to be used according to the particular requirements of the vehicle.

It will be appreciated that many modifications may be made to the above described embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example the container or containers may be suspended from the rail or fascia only rather than both the rail and the fascia.

Figure 2 of the drawings illustrates an example of such an arrangement in which an elongate flexible holder 30 is mounted at its upper end on the downwardly angled wall lOb of the fascia by means of rivets, screws or the like 31. The container has a slit opening 32 which is opened and closed by a zip 33. The container 30 is suspended entirely from the fascia and is not attached to the rails 1 3 spaced to the rear of the fascia as in the case of the previously described embodiment. The container could, equally, be suspended from the rail itself alone without any support from the fascia.

In a further arrangement at least one continer is formed or moulded from a rigid material which may be a plastics material and is mounted on the fascia and/or rail. The container may be provided with a lockable lid if required.

1. A motor vehicle fascia having a rail extending at least part way along the fascia and spaced therefrom and a container suspended from the fascia and/or rail.

2. A motor vehicle fascia as claimed in claim 1 wherein the container is located between and suspended from the rail and the fascia.

3. A vehicle fascia as claimed in claim 2 wherein the fascia has two rails extending along spaced parts of the fascia, each having a container located between the rail and fascia and suspended from the rail and fascia with a gap between the two rails to receive an instrument binnacle.

4. A vehicle fascia as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the or each rail extends inwardly from each end of the fascia.

5. A vehicle fascia as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the or each rail has a main part and end arms extending transversely thereto which mount the rail in spaced relation to the fascia.

6. A vehicle fascia as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein each container comprises a sheet of flexible material in trough

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Motor vehicle fascia This invention relates to motor vehicle fascias. The invention provides a motor vehicle fascia having a rail extending at least part way along the fascia and spaced therefrom and a container supended from the fascia and/or rail. The container may be located between and suspended from the rail and the fascia. The following is a description of some embodiments of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an exploded diagrammatic view of a motor vehicle fascia: and Figure 2 is a perspective view of a further fascia arrangement. The drawing shows a fascia 10 for a motor vehicle extending across the full width of the vehicle to the rear of the front windscreen (not shown). The fascia 10 has a main part 1 Oa inclined downwardly at a shallow angle and, along its rearward edge, a more sharply inclined rear wall 1 Ob. The main wall 1 0a has conventional air outlet apertures 11 and 1 2 spaced apart along the wall for directing air onto the windscreen and other places. A tubular rail 1 3 extends parallel to and spaced from the rear of the fascia and one end thereof to a position just beyond the centre of the fascia and has transversely extending end arms 14 passing underneath and are mounted on the fascia 10 or a part of the vehicle structure. At the other end of the fascia there is a similar but short rail 1 5 extending along and to the rear of the fascia and supported by transverse arms 1 7 extending below and mounted on the fascia or an adjacent part of the vehicle structure. A container 1 8 is suspended between the fascia and walls 13, the container comprising a trough-shaped sheet of material one upper end of which is attached to the rear wall lOb of the fascia and the other end of which is looped over the rail and fastened back on itself. The container is completed by the end walls 1 9. The container extends from the end of the fascia to approximately the centre of the fascia leaving a part of the rails 13 exposed. A similar but shorter container 20 having side walls 21 is suspended between the rail 1 5 and end wall lOb of the fascia. There is a gap between the adjacent arms 14, 1 7 of the rails 13, 15 in which a controlled binnacle 22 having a lower section one end of which designator 33 comprises a housing for the upper end of the steering column of the vehicle. The housing 23 has control arms 24 radiating therefrom to extend close to the periphery of the steering wheel for ready operation by the driver. The other end of the lower section has further controls such as heater control. The binnacle is completed by an upper section 26 which extends over and projects from either end of the lower section. The upper section 26 extends over the rails 13 up to the container 18 and rests on the rail. It should be appreciated that the arrangement of rails mounted on the vehicle fascia permits a variety of different forms of container to be supported between the rails and the rails may also serve as grab rails for the vehicle occupants in the event of an emergency. The rails may be constructed to act as energy absorbing members to cushion the forward movement of an occupant of the vehicle in the event of an accident. The separation of the instrument binnacle from the fascia as such enables a variety of different forms of binnacle to be used according to the particular requirements of the vehicle. It will be appreciated that many modifications may be made to the above described embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention. For example the container or containers may be suspended from the rail or fascia only rather than both the rail and the fascia. Figure 2 of the drawings illustrates an example of such an arrangement in which an elongate flexible holder 30 is mounted at its upper end on the downwardly angled wall lOb of the fascia by means of rivets, screws or the like 31. The container has a slit opening 32 which is opened and closed by a zip 33. The container 30 is suspended entirely from the fascia and is not attached to the rails 1 3 spaced to the rear of the fascia as in the case of the previously described embodiment. The container could, equally, be suspended from the rail itself alone without any support from the fascia. In a further arrangement at least one continer is formed or moulded from a rigid material which may be a plastics material and is mounted on the fascia and/or rail. The container may be provided with a lockable lid if required. CLAIMS

6. A vehicle fascia as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein each container comprises a sheet of flexible material in trough form one upper end of which is connected to the fascia and the other end of which is connected, to the rail and side walls closing the ends of the trough.

7. A vehicle fascia as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the container stops short of the end of the rail adjacent the binnacle leaving a part of the rail exposed adjacent the centre of the rail and a part of the binnacle overlies it to support it by that end of the rail.

8. A vehicle fascia as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 wherein the container comprises a rigid container with or without a lockable lid.

9. A vehicle fascia as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6 wherein the container is a detachably mounted container supported by the fascia and/or rail.

10. A vehicle fasica substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 1 or Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.