GB2360982A

GB2360982A - Glove compartment with sound-absorbing wall

Info

Publication number: GB2360982A
Application number: GB0108711A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stefano Guiotto
Original assignee: Sapa Autoplastics SpA
Current assignee: Sapa Autoplastics SpA
Priority date: 2000-04-07
Filing date: 2001-04-06
Publication date: 2001-10-10
Anticipated expiration: 2021-04-06
Also published as: ES1048883Y; DE20104251U1; ES1048883U; FR2807371B3; GB2360982B; FR2807371A1; GB0108711D0; IT251730Y1; ITPN20000011U1

Abstract

Glove compartment for a motor vehicle comprising a hollow body (1) and a supporting frame (2) for sound absorbing material. The hollow body (1) and the frame (2) are fixed together at respective fixing walls (3,4), using quick-attachment means (5 to 14). To fit the frame (2) to the body (1) the walls (3,4) are engaged by buttons (8) through portions (6) of the openings (5). The undercuts (9) position themselves around narrow portions (7) of the openings (5).

Description

-I- 2360982 GLOVE COMPARTMENT FOR MOTOR VEHICLE, OR THE LIKE, WITH

SOUND-ABSORBING WALL The present invention relates to a glove compartment, or the like, of the type suitable for installation in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, particularly in the dashboard, in combination with a sound-absorbing wall.

As is known, this sound-absorbing wall is normally used to limit the transmission of noise from the outside into the passenger compartment, in particular from the engine compartment of the motor vehicle, such noise transmission being likely to occur especially through the glove compartment because of its position and its hollow structure.

In particular, the sound-absorbing wall normally comprises a layer of the actual sound-absorbing material mounted on a plastic supporting frame which in turn is cantilever-mounted to the back of a hollow structure, also made of plastic, which defines the glove compartment, or the like. To minimize the noise produced by mechanical vibrations, the frame is normally welded to the hollow structure of the glove compartment to give a one-piece assembly which is then mounted in position on the dashboard.

Carrying out the welding is obviously a critical phase which it would be desirable to eliminate, but more importantly the assembly referred to above represents a very cumbersome component that creates corresponding storage and handling problems.

Moreover, because the supporting fi-ame projects cantilever-fashion from the hollow structure it is also at risk of breakage during handling.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a glove compartment for a motor vehicle, or the like, with a sound-absorbing wall, in which the advantages of the prior art are substantially combined and its disadvantages minimized.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a glove compartment of the type indicated that is not cumbersome prior to its being fitted in position and also assembles quickly and conveniently in such a way as to minimize the noise produced by mechanical vibrations.

According to the invention there is provided a glove compartment for motor vehicle, or the like, comprising a hollow body with a rear fixing wall on which a corresponding fixing wall of a supporting frame for a soundabsorbing material can be cantilever-mounted, wherein the hollow body and the said fi-ame are designed to be fixed together via their respective fixing walls, by quick attachment means.

The invention will be flirther described by way of non-limitative example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is an exploded and partial rear view of a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which the sound-absorbing material is omitted for clarity; Figure 2 shows an enlarged detail from Figure 1 from a different angle; Figure 3 shows section A-A as marked in Figure 1 with the components assembled; partly assembled; assembled; and assembled.

Figure 4 shows section B-B as marked in Figure 1 with the components Figure 5 shows section B-B as marked in Figure 1 with the components Figure 6 shows section C-C as marked in Figure 1 with the components Referring to the figures, a hollow body 1, of appropriate shape and preferably made of plastic, defines a glove compartment, or the like, suitable for installation in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, particularly in the dashboard, in combination with a sound-absorbing wall cantilever-mounted at the rear and designed to insulate the passenger compartment from the external environment, in particular from the engine compartment of the vehicle itself.

The sound-absorbing wall principally comprises a supporting frame 2, also preferably made of plastic, on which can be mounted, in a manner known per se and not shown, a layer of the actual sound-absorbing material.

On the rear surface, the body 1 comprises a fixing wall 3 designed to engage with a corresponding fixing wall 4 belonging to the frame 2, which for this purpose is preferably L-shaped, as in the figures.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the body 1 and the frame 2 are normally separate so as to facilitate storage with reduced bulk, and handling, and are designed to be fixed together only when they are actually to be installed, using quick-attachment means described below.

For this purpose, one of the fixing walls, preferably the wall 4 of the frame 2, is provided with a plurality of openings 5 that are preferably arranged side by side in symmetrical pairs and shaped with an enlarged insertion portion 6 (Figure 2) that communicates downwards with a narrow centring portion 7.

The other fixing wall, which in the example described is the wall 3 of the body 1, comprises a plurality of integral buttons 8 correspondingly arranged side by side in symmetrical pairs and each provided with a shaped undercut 9. The buttons 8 are preferably adjacent at the base of the wall 3.

The fixing wall 3 also comprises a plurality of integral resilient locking teeth 10 that are preferably aligned with the buttons 8 and able to engage as will be described later with corresponding shaped recesses 11 and 12 (Figures 4, 5 and 6), these also being aligned with each other, formed on the opposing surface of the fixing wall 4 of the frame 2.

Furthermore, the fixing wall 3 includes in an upper position one or more integral projections 13 positioned side by side and defining corresponding locking seats 14 (Figures 3, 4 and 5).

In addition, at least one of the fixing walls (the wall 3, in the example described) comprises integrally a plurality of deformable and/or resilient lips 15 (Figures 4 and 6) extending preferably the full height of the said wall 3.

To fit the frame 2 to the hollow body 1, the fixing walls 3 and 4 are engaged together by inserting the buttons 8 through the enlarged portions 6 of the openings 5 and then sliding the wall 4 of the frame transversely relative to the body 1 in such a way that the undercuts 9 of the buttons 8 position themselves around the narrow portions 7 of the openings 5. Consequently the buttons 8 provide self-centring attachment of the wall 4, the free edge of which fits into the locking seats 14 of the body 1 as shown in Figures 3 to 6. Advantageously, therefore, the combined action of the buttons 8 and the locking seats 14 keeps the wall 4 firmly aligned and engaged with the corresponding wall 3 of the hollow body, from which the frame 2 projects toward the rear.

The fixing together of the walls 3 and 4 is made still more secure by the elastic force exerted between the two components by the lips 5, which compensate for any looseness when assembled and therefore largely eliminate the possibility of vibrations in the assembled fitting.

It should be observed that the abovementioned transverse movement of the wall 4 is facilitated by the fact that the teeth 10 drop temporarily in an overlapping manner into the recesses 11 of the said wall 4 as shown in Figure 4, thus advantageously avoiding any mechanical sticking.

At the conclusion of the transverse movement, the teeth 10 engage by snap action in the recesses 12 of the wall 4, thereby securely locking the two components 1 and 2 in position. They can be separated again - if required - by disengaging the teeth 10 from the recesses of the wall 4 using a tool.

The glove compartment described can of course undergo numerous modifications that come within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. Glove compartment for motor vehicle, or the like, comprising a hollow body with a rear fixing wall on which a corresponding fixing wall of a supporting frame for a sound-absorbing material can be cantilever-mounted, wherein the hollow body and the said frame are designed to be fixed together via their respective fixing walls, by quick attachment means.

2. Glove compartment according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the fixing walls comprises integrally a plurality of deformable andlor resilient lips designed to exert an elastic force between the fixing walls, in such a way as to eliminate any looseness when assembled.

3. Glove compartment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the said quick attachment means comprise, on one of the fixing walls, a plurality of openings shaped with an enlarged insertion portion that communicates with a narrow centring portion, the said openings being designed to engage with a plurality of buttons with undercuts on the other fixing wall.

4. Glove compartment according to claim 3, wherein the said openings and the said buttons are arranged side by side in symmetrical pairs on their respective fixing walls.

5. Glove compartment according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the said buttons are adjacent to the base of their fixing wall which also includes, further up, at least one projection that defines a corresponding locking seat designed to take a free edge of the fixing wall containing the said openings.

6. Glove compartment according to claim 5, wherein one of the said fixing walls includes a plurality of locking teeth designed to engage with corresponding shaped recesses formed in the complementary fixing wall in such a way as to snap- fasten the said fi-ame when the buttons and the said seat of the hollow body are fixed in position.

7. Glove compartment according to claim 6, wherein the said complementary fixing wall includes additional shaped recesses designed to allow the temporary overlapping insertion of the locking teeth to facilitate the insertion of the said free edge of the fixing wall into the said locking seat.

8. A glove compartment constructed and arranged to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.