JP3014587B2 - Mounting structure of switch panel to instrument panel - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a structure for detachably attaching a switch panel on which various switches are mounted to an instrument panel so as to close an opening formed in the instrument panel.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a mounting structure for a switch panel, a substantially rectangular opening is formed in a surface of an instrument panel covering a reinforcement extending in a vehicle width direction at a position where a lower surface is opened and facing a front seat. A switch panel mounting structure is known in which a substantially rectangular switch panel is mounted to the opening from inside the instrument panel with screws. A boss formed with a screw hole protrudes from the inner surface of each corner of the periphery of the opening,
A through hole is formed at each corner of the switch panel facing the screw hole. In the mounting structure configured as described above, the switch panel is mounted by closing the opening from the inside of the instrument panel with the switch panel and screwing the four screws into the screw holes through the through holes in this state. .

On the other hand, a screw hole is formed at each corner of the substantially rectangular opening of the instrument panel, and a through hole corresponding to the screw hole is formed at each corner of the substantially rectangular switch panel. 2. Description of the Related Art There is known a switch panel mounting structure in which a switch panel is mounted by screwing four screws into screw holes through through holes with an opening closed from the outside of an instrument panel. .

[0004]

However, in the former switch panel mounting structure, when the switch panel is replaced on the market by a user, a tool such as a screwdriver is mounted inside the instrument panel. Even if the screw for attaching the switch panel is loosened by inserting it, the upper two screws have a problem that it takes much time to loosen because the reinforcement is in the way.
In addition, in the latter of the above-mentioned conventional switch panel mounting structures, there is a problem that the head of the screw is exposed and the appearance is impaired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to make it possible to easily attach / detach a switch panel even after a reinforcement or an instrument panel has been assembled to a vehicle, without damaging the appearance of the switch panel. An object of the present invention is to provide a mounting structure to a panel.

[0006]

A configuration of the present invention for achieving the above object will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 corresponding to an embodiment. The present invention provides an instrument panel 11 for covering a reinforcement 12 extending in the vehicle width direction.
And an opening 14 formed in a surface of the instrument panel 11 where the lower surface is open and facing the front seat, and various switches attached to the instrument panel 11 so as to close the opening 14. This is an improvement in the mounting structure of the switch panel having the switch panel 16 that can be mounted on the instrument panel. The characteristic configuration is such that a pair of locking portions 18 and 18 formed on the upper edge corner of the switch panel 16 and a pair of locking portions 18 and 18 formed on the inner surface of the upper edge corner of the opening 14 are respectively provided. A pair of loosely-engaged locked portions 19, 19, and a pair of through holes 21a, 21
a, and a pair of through holes 21a formed on the lower inner surfaces of both side edges of the opening 14 so as to face the pair of mounting seats 21, 21 when the switch panel 16 closes the opening 14. , 21a, and a pair of bosses 22, 22 having a pair of screw holes 22a, 22a corresponding to the screw holes 22a. There.

[0007]

When the switch panel 16 is mounted on the instrument panel 11, the switch panel 16 is first inserted into the instrument panel 11 from the open lower surface of the instrument panel 11, and the pair of locking portions 1 is inserted.
8 and 18 are loosely inserted into the pair of locked portions 19 and 19, respectively. Next, in this state, when the switch panel 16 is rotated about the pair of locking portions 18 and 18 to close the opening 14 with the switch panel 16, the locking portion 18 is locked to the locked portion 19. Further, a pair of screw holes 22a is formed through a pair of through holes 21a, 21a corresponding to the pair of screw holes 22a, 22a.
a and 22a. When the switch panel 16 is removed, the procedure is reversed.

[0008]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, an instrument panel 11 is provided at a front portion of a vehicle compartment of the vehicle so as to extend in the vehicle width direction, and the instrument panel 11 covers a reinforcement 12 extending in the vehicle width direction. . The instrument panel 11 includes a cluster housing 13 facing a driver's seat (not shown) and to which various meters and the like (not shown) are attached. A substantially rectangular opening 14 is formed in the cluster housing 13 at a position where the lower surface is open and facing the driver's seat, and a substantially rectangular switch is formed in the cluster housing 13 so as to close the opening 14. The panel 16 is mounted. The opening 14 is formed at the lower left side from the driver's seat toward the cluster housing 13 (FIG. 7).

The switch panel 16 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in a vertical cross section with its center recessed (FIGS. 3 and 4), and a mounting hole through which various switches (not shown) can be mounted is provided below the switch panel 16. 17 are formed (FIGS. 4 to 7). The number of mounting holes 17 is two in this example. A pair of locking portions 18 and 18 are formed at the upper edge corner of the switch panel 16, and a pair of the locking portions 18 and 18 can be loosely inserted into the inner surface of the upper edge corner of the opening 14. Locked part 1 of
9 and 19 are formed (FIGS. 1, 2, 5, and 6).
The locking portion 18 is formed at the upper edge corner of the switch panel 16 by bending at a predetermined angle in a substantially inverted vertical cross section, and protrudes from the back surface of the locking portion main body 18a. And a notched low portion 18c formed on the surface of the locking portion main body 18a, and the locked portion 19 protrudes obliquely downward on the inner surface of the cluster housing 13.
It has a rib 19a and a first projection 19b protruding from the inner surface of the cluster housing 13 facing the tip of the first rib 19a (FIGS. 1 and 2). The interval between the first rib 19a and the first protrusion 19b is formed to be slightly larger than the thickness including the claw 18b, the locking portion main body 18a, and the notch low portion 18c (FIG. 2).

A pair of mounting seats 21 and 21 are respectively formed at lower portions of both side edges of the switch panel 16, and a pair of bosses 22, 22 opposed to the pair of mounting seats 21 and 21 are formed on lower inner surfaces of both side edges of the opening 14. 22 project from the inner surface of the cluster housing 13 obliquely downward (FIGS. 1, 2 and 6). A through hole 21a is formed in the mounting seat 21,
The boss 22 is formed with a screw hole 22a corresponding to the through hole 21a when the opening 14 is closed by the switch panel 16. The screw hole 22a is formed so that an extension of the hole core passes below the reinforcement 12.

At the approximate center of the upper edge of the switch panel 16, a second
A projection 32 is formed, and a second rib 42 is provided to project obliquely downward on the inner surface of the upper edge substantially at the center of the opening 14 (FIGS. 3 and 6). The second projection 32 connects the opening 14 to the switch panel 1.
When the switch panel 16 is closed, it can be inserted between the second rib 42 and the inner surface of the cluster housing 13.
2 prevents deformation of the switch panel 16 and prevents the switch panel 16 from being dented. In addition, a third rib 43 is protruded from a substantially central inner surface of a lower edge of the opening 14. When the opening 14 is closed by the switch panel 16, a substantially lower center of the lower edge of the switch panel 16 can be locked by the third rib 43. The deformation of the switch panel 16 is prevented, so that the switch panel 16 is not dented. A pair of fourth ribs 44, 44 extending along the both side edges are provided on the inner surfaces of both side edges of the opening 14 so that the switch panel 16 can be positioned in the lateral direction by these ribs 44, 44. (FIGS. 1, 2 and 6).

The switch panel 16 constructed as described above
When the switch panel 16 is mounted on the cluster housing 13, first, the switch panel 16 is inserted into the cluster housing 13 from the open lower surface of the cluster housing 13, and FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the lower portion of the switch panel 16 is separated from the inner surface of the cluster housing 13 by a predetermined angle to lock the locking portion 18 with the first rib 19a and the first projection 1
Insert loosely between 9b. At this time, the second protrusion 32 protruding from the center of the upper edge of the switch panel 16 is inserted between the second rib 42 protruding from the inner surface of the center of the upper edge of the opening 14 and the cluster housing 13. Next, in this state, the switch panel 16 is rotated in the direction indicated by the solid arrow around the portion of the locking portion 18 that abuts on the first projection 19b, and the opening 1
When the switch 4 is closed by the switch panel 16, as shown in FIG.
9a. At the same time, the lower edge of the switch panel 16 is engaged with the third rib 43 protruding substantially at the center of the lower edge of the opening 14, so that even if the user releases his hand from the switch panel 16, or the switch panel 16 receives some external force. The switch panel 16 does not fall off even if it is added.

At this time, since the through hole 21a formed in the mounting seat 21 coincides with the screw hole 22a formed in the boss 22, the screw 23 is screwed into the screw hole 22a by the driver 24 through the hole 21a. , The switch panel 16 is fixed. Since the driver 24 extends below the reinforcement 12, the reinforcement 12 does not interfere with the screwing operation of the screw 23 by the driver 24. When the switch panel 16 is removed, the procedure is reversed. With such a simple operation, the switch panel 16 can be attached to and detached from the cluster housing 13 so that the opening 14 is closed. Further, since the screw 24 is not exposed, the appearance of the switch panel 16 is not spoiled.

In the above embodiment, the opening closed by the switch panel is formed in the lower left portion of the cluster housing facing the driver's seat in the instrument panel, but the opening is formed in the lower right portion of the cluster housing or the instrument panel. May be formed at other positions.

[0015]

As described above, according to the present invention, the locking portion is formed at the upper edge corner of the switch panel, and the locking portion can be loosely inserted into the inner surface of the upper edge corner of the opening. A mounting portion having a locked portion, a mounting seat having a through hole is formed at a lower portion of both sides of the switch panel, and a boss having a screw hole corresponding to the through hole when the opening is closed by the switch panel is formed at a lower portion of the both sides of the opening. A screw hole is formed on the inner surface so as to face the mounting seat, and a screw hole is formed so that the extension of the screw hole's hole passes below the reinforcement, so that the locking portion of the switch panel is covered from inside the instrument panel. When the switch panel is rotated about the locking portion and the opening is closed by the switch panel in a state of being loosely inserted into the locking portion, the locking portion is locked to the locked portion. As a result, the switch panel can be attached to the instrument panel only by screwing it to the screw hole via the through hole corresponding to the screw hole. Thus, even after the reinforcement and the instrument panel are assembled to the vehicle, the switch panel can be easily attached to the instrument panel. When the switch panel is removed, the procedure may be performed in the reverse order of the above procedure, and this operation can be easily performed. Further, since the head of the screw is not exposed, the appearance of the switch panel is not impaired.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 5, showing a structure for attaching a switch panel to an instrument panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 1, showing a state in which the locking portion of the switch panel is loosely inserted into a locked portion on the inner surface of the instrument panel.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 5;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line CC of FIG. 5;

FIG. 5 is a view taken in the direction of arrow D in FIG. 7;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line EE of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a main part of the instrument panel.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Instrument panel 12 Reinforcement 14 Opening 16 Switch panel 18 Locking part 19 Locked part 21 Mounting seat 21a Through hole 22 Boss 22a Screw hole

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B60K 37/00-37/06

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. Reinforcement extending in the vehicle width direction
An instrument panel (11) covering the (12), and an opening (14) formed in a surface of the instrument panel (11) at a position where the lower surface is open and facing the front seat.
And a switch panel (16) attached to the instrument panel (11) so as to close the opening (14) and capable of mounting various switches. A pair of locking portions (18, 18) formed on the upper edge corner of the switch panel (16); and the pair of locking portions (18) formed on the inner surface of the upper edge corner of the opening (14). , 18) are a pair of locked parts that can be loosely inserted.
(19, 19), a pair of mounting seats (21, 21) formed at a lower portion of both side edges of the switch panel (16) and having a pair of through holes (21a, 21a), and both sides of the opening (14). The pair of mounting seats (2
1, 21), and the pair of through holes (2) are formed when the opening (14) is closed by the switch panel (16).
1a, 21a) and a pair of bosses (22, 22) having a pair of screw holes (22a, 22a), and an extension of the core of the screw hole (22a) is formed of the reinforcement (12). The screw hole (22a) is formed so as to pass below, and the switch panel (16) is connected to the instrument panel.
(11) From the open lower surface of the instrument panel
(11) The switch panel (16) is locked with the pair of locking portions (18, 18) inserted inside and the pair of locked portions (19, 19) loosely inserted into the pair of locked portions (19, 19), respectively. By rotating around the part (18) and closing the opening (14) with the switch panel (16), the locking part (18) is locked to the locked part (19), A structure for mounting a switch panel to an instrument panel, wherein the switch panel is screwed to the pair of screw holes (22a, 22a) through the pair of through holes (21a, 21a).