GB2241867A

GB2241867A - Ashtray for vehicles

Info

Publication number: GB2241867A
Application number: GB9102953A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andre Orssaud
Original assignee: Bourbon Automobile SA
Current assignee: Bourbon Automobile SA
Priority date: 1990-03-01
Filing date: 1991-02-12
Publication date: 1991-09-18
Anticipated expiration: 2011-02-12
Also published as: ES2028689A6; FR2658996B1; FR2658996A1; DE4106569A1; GB2241867B; GB9102953D0; DE4106569C2

Abstract

An ashtray is equipped with a lid (14) which is movable between a position in which it completely seals the bowl or container and a position in which it clears at least partially the upper opening of the latter, this lid having a profile corresponding to the profile of the curve of movement of the ashtray between its retracted position and its extended position and being set in opposed sliding rails in the two lateral sides of the ashtray, means (16) being provided to lock the lid on the ashtray when it completely covers the bowl and means (18) being provided to allow the ashtray to be extended to its positions of use, independently of its lid. <IMAGE>

Description

ASHTRAY The present invention concerns an ashtray, particularly but not

especially for a motor vehicle.

Motor vehicles are equipped at least at the front seats with an ashtray generally mounted so as to retract within the interior of the dashboard. Known ashtrays are of two types, namely the sliding type, the ashtray passing from its retracted position within the interior of the dashboard to its position of use by a longitudinal movement in relation to the vehicle. Another type of ashtray is the pivoting type, the ashtray being bowl-shaped and being mounted so as to pivot around a horizontal axi3 located near its lower edge.

Whatever their mode of mounting, known ashtrays hae numerous disadvantages. Thus, firstly, there is no proper impermeability between the bowl forming the ashtray and the interior of the housing into which it retracts in its position of non-use. As a result, if a cigarette is not properly extinguished it continues to smoke, and risks bringing about the combustion of other cigarette ends, or else of paper, which leads both to the release of unpleasant smoke and may also in extreme cases bring about the risk of fires in the vehicle. Furthermore, the lack of impermeability of the ashtray A- 2 leads to the release of the smell of cold tobacco, which is always unpleasant and over a long period penetrates the textile components of the interior of the-vehicle.

Furthermore, when the driver wishes to empty his ashtray, he is frequently obliged to remove it by putting his hand inside the bowl receiving the ashes, thus soiling his hand. Finally, as the bowl receiving the cigarettes is completely open, when the driver gets out of his vehicle to empty the ashtray it is not unusual for the ash to blow out and become lodged inside the vehicle, soiling the fittings of the latter.

The present invention concerns an ashtray, particularly for a motor vehicle, with the aim of obviating or mitigating these disadvantages.

According to the present invention 'there is provided an ashtray, having a container for receiving ash and cigarette ends, is mounted so as to retract within the interior of a receptacle by sliding or by pivoting around an axis positioned near its base, in which the container has a lid which is movable between a position in which it completely seals the container and a partially open position, has a profile corresponding to the profile of the direction of movement of the ashtray between its retracted position and its extended position, and is mounted in opposed sliding rails in the two lateral sides of the ashtray, means being provided to lock the lid on the ashtray in the latter's position of complete closure, and further means being provided to allow the ashtray to be extended to its position of use, independently of its lid.

When the ashtray is in use, the lid clears at least partially its upper opening, allowing the user to insert ash and cigarette ends. On completion of use of the ashtray, the latter is pushed back to its retracted position, in the course of which movement there occurs a relative movement of the body of the ashtray and of the lid, causing the ashtray to become completely closed by the lid. The ashtray is then impermeably closed, thus avoiding any risk of smoke escaping when a cigarette end is not properly extinguished, and avoiding any passage of smells of cold tobacco from the interior of the ashtray to the interior of the vehicle's passenger compartment.

When the user wishes to empty the ashtray, it is possible for him to remove the latter from its receptacle, while keeping the lid in its closed position. The lid need be withdrawn only then the ashtray is above a refuse bin in order to.allow the ash and cigarette ends to fall into this bin. This solution - 4 removes any risk of ash and cigarette ends blowing into the interior of the vehicle when the door of the latter is opened.

According to an advantageous embodiment of this ashtray, the lid of the latter is equipped with a longitudinally extending resilient tongue one end of which is aligned with the edge of the 'Lid facing the exterior edge of the receptacle, this tongue being equipped with a transverse rib turned upwards and intended to penetrate the interior of a housing set in the upper wall of the receptacle and being equipped with an exterior extension having a shoulder turned downwards, intended to come to cover the upper edge of the front face of the ashtrav.

The ashtray operates as follo..,s. In its retracted position, the shoulder set at the end of the tongue locks the ashtray in its receptacle, whilst the rib set in the upper face of the tongue locks the lid in this same receptacle. If the user wishes to move the ashtray to its position of use, he has only to tilt the tongue, allowing the ashtray to be released from the latter, and, activated by for example a spring, to emerge partially from its receptacle. As for the lid, it remains locked the engagement to the interior of the receptacle through of the rib set in its upper face with the recess set in the upper wall of the receptacle. To reclose the ashtray, one has only to move the latter in a retracted direction until the shoulder of the tongue of the lid causes it to become is to be extended with its lid locked. When the ashtray in the closed position, one only has to exert downward pressure on the same tongue, allowing the rib to be released from the recess of the shoulder. As soon as the rib has been released from the recess, the same spring causes the ashtray and lid unit as a whole to be extended in the position where the lid closes the ashtray. The unit as a whole may, then be handled without any risk of soiling, in particular so as to empty the ashtray, into a refuse bin located outside the vehicle.

According to a first embodiment of this ashtray, where the latter is retracted by sliding, its two lateral walls have at the level of their upper edge a horizontal flange turned outwards extended by a vertical orienting extension, which itself is extended by a horizontal orienting lip turned inwards. This upper edge delimits both an interior profile on which the lid slides and an exterior profile intended to provide for its sliding along a corresponding sliding rail set in the receptacle, for example in the dashboard of a v e h i c 1 e.

6 - According to where the latter i the upper edges of an are of a circle each possess a part of which is turned rail set on the other edge another embodiment of this ashtray, s retracted by a pivoting movement, its two lateral walls are shaped as centred on the axis of pivoting, and forming a sliding rail, the opening towards the opening of the sliding An embodiment of the prese'nt invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1 is a view of an ashtray in its withdrawn position in relation to its receptacle:

Figure 2 is a view of the ashtray in the closed p o s i t i o n; Figure 3 is a view of the ashtray in the position of use; Figure 4 is a view of the ashtray in cross-section along line IV-IV of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a view of the ashtrax. in longitudinal section along lines V- V of Figure 3; and Figure 6 is a view of the ashtray partially onan enlarged scale in longitudinal section along line VI-M of Figure 2.

As shown particularly in Figure 1, the ashtray according to the invention is intended to retract within the interior of a receptacle 2 set in a casing 3, a front face of which is open and opens into for example the instrument panel or dashboard 4 of a motor vehicle.

1 In the embodiment shown in the diagram, the ashtray is of the type which retracts by, sliding. To this end, the receptacle has near its upper edge two longitudinal sliding rails 5 serving to guide the ashtray. The ashtray, itself has a bowl-shaped container or body 6, equipped with a front well 7 intended to come to cover the opening of the receptacle 2. The two lateral walls 8 of the ashtray each have on their upper edge a horizontal flange 9 turned outwards, which has a vertical extension 10 which itself is extended by a horizontal lip 12 turned inwards. The flange 9 serves to support, the receptacle 2 in the sliding rail 5, whilst the parts 9, 10 and 12 delimit a sliding rail 13 serving to guide the sliding of a lid 14. This lid 14 has a surface which is sufficient to seal completely the opening in the upper face of the ashtray. This lid 14 is equipped in its central part and facing the opening - 8 of the receptacle 2 with a tongue 15 which is capable of flexing in a longitudinal direction. This tongue 15 has, at the level of the front wall 7 of the ashtray, a rib 16 turned upwards, intended to penetrate, in the ashtray's closed position, a recess 17 set in the upper wall of the receptacle 2, and itself turned downwards. This tongue is extended beyond the front wall 7 by a projection 18, providing a shoulder 19, capable of coming to cover partially the front wall 7 of the ashtray.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the lid 14 completely closes the opening of the ashtray in such a way that the latter may be handled outside the receptacle, for example so as to empty the ash and cigarette ends, without the risk of the ash blowing away or falling on the ground. When the ashtray and lid 14 unit as a whole are inserted into the receptacle 2, the rib 16 of the tongue 15 finally penetrates the recess 17 and locks the ashtray and lid unit as a whole into the receptacle. When the user wishes to place it in its normal position of use corresponding to Figure 3, he has, St3.Aing from the position shown in Figure 2, only to tilt the projection 18 upwards, releasing the shoulder 19 of the front wall 7 of the ashtray, and allowing the latter to emerge, for example through the release of a spring 20. It will be clear that since rib 16 remains lodged in the recess 17, the lid 14 itself remains within the receptacle 2.

To reclose the ashtray, one has only to push the latter until its front wall comes to lodge behind the shoulder 19 of the projection 18, locking it in the closed position. To remove the ashtray and.lid unit as a whole, it is best to press the projection 18 downwards, releasing the rib 16 from the recess 17.

It should be noted that this operation is carried out in perfect conditions of hygiene, since, unlike the procedure with traditional ashtrays, the user does not have to release a mechanisr right inside the ashtray.

As will be apparent from the foregoing, the invention signifies a great improvement to existing technology by, proiding an ashtray, particularly, for a motor vehicle, ensuring the ashtray is impermeably; closed when it is not in its position of use, and allowing its removal from its receptacle while equipped with its lid, without the necessity for complex handling, since in both cases all that is needed is a single pressure on one and the same projection.

It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the single type of ashtray described above by way of example; on the contrary, it encompasses all variations. Thus, this ashtray could in particular retractable not by sliding but by rotation, or the control could occupy a different position, or else t controls for extending the ashtray to its position use and for removing the ashtray in order to empty it could be separated without departing from the scope the invention.

h e 0 f 1 11 -

Claims

1. An ashtray, having a container for receiving ash and cigarette ends, is mounted so as to retract within the interior of a receptacle by sliding or by pivoting around an axis positioned near its base, in which the container has a lid which is movable between a position in which it completely seals the container and a partially open position, has a profile corresponding to the profile of the direction of movement of the ashtray between its restracted position an its extended position, and is mounted in opposed sliding rails in the two laterEl sides of the ashtray, means being provided to lock the lid on the ashtray in the latter's position of complete closure, and further means being provided to allow the ashtray to be extended to its position of use, independently of its lid.

2. An ashtray according to claim 1, in which the lid has a longitudinally arranged resilient tongue one end of which is aligned with the edge of the lid facing the exterior edge of the receptacle, said tongue including an upwardly directed transverse rib adapted topenetrate the interior of a housing set in the upper wall of the receptacle and an exterior extension having a downwardly directed shoulder adapted to come to cover the upper 12 edge of the front face of the ashtray.

3. An ashtray according to either one of claims 1 and 2, in which where the container is retracted by sliding, its two lateral walls have at the level of their upper edge an outwardly directed flange with an upwardly directed extension which is extended by an inwardly directed lip.

An ashtray according to either one of claims 1 and 2, in which where the container is retracted by a pivoting movement, the upper edges of its two lateral walls are shaped as an arc of a circle centred on the axis of pivoting and has a rail in which the lid is slidably mounted, the openings of the rails being arranged in facing relationship.

5. An ashtray substantially, as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subje ct matter disclosed in the foregoing specification or claims and/or shown in the drawings, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any. of the preceding claims.

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