US3572871A

US3572871A - Ashtray

Info

Publication number: US3572871A
Application number: US775661A
Authority: US
Inventors: Michel Bonnaud
Original assignee: Automobiles Peugeot SA; Renault SAS
Current assignee: Automobiles Peugeot SA; Renault SAS; Regie Nationale des Usines Renault
Priority date: 1967-12-06
Filing date: 1968-11-14
Publication date: 1971-03-30
Anticipated expiration: 1988-03-30
Also published as: GB1182902A; DE1806655A1; FR1553945A

Abstract

''''Ashtray structure for a vehicle comprising a drawer pivotably mounted at its rear end in a housing carried by the wall with which the ashtray structure is combined. The wall and housing have coincident apertures. The drawer pivots between a stable inoperative position and a stable position of use in which position it is downwardly and forwardly inclined and presents its interior in front of said apertures.

Description

United States Patent Inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignees Priority ASHTRAY Michel Bonnaud Montbeliard, France 775,661

Nov. 14, 1968 Mar. 30, 197 1 Automobiles Peugeot Paris,

Regie National Des Usines Renault Billancourt, France Dec. 6, 1967 France 9 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

U.S.Cl

lnt.Cl

[50] Field of Search 312/242, 245, 246, 248

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,505,324 4/1950 Hendricks 3 l 2/242X 2,812,097 11/1957 Legge 312/248X 3,437,391 4/1969 Middleton 3 l2/242X Primary ExaminerCasmir A. Nunberg Attorney-Burns, Doane, Benedict, Swecker & Mathis ABSTRACT: Ashtray structure for a vehicle comprising a drawer pivotably mounted at its rear end in a housing carried by the wall with which the ashtray structure is combined. The wall and housing have coincident apertures. The drawer pivots between a stable inoperative position and a stable position of use in which position it is downwardly and forwardly inclined and presents its interior in front of said apertures.

PATENTEDmaomn 3572871 sum 3 [1F 3 FIG.7

ASHTRAY The present invention relates to ashtrays for automobile vehicles, railway carriages, flying machines and other vehicles or craft, or, in a general way, for any place in which the user is liable to undergo involuntary rapid movements and consequentiy be injured by the ashtray if the latter in its position of use projects beyond the instniment panel, wall or other panel carrying the ashtray.

Now, is unfortunately true of most known ashtray arrangements in which the ashtray comprises a receptacle which slides or pivots about a pin, carried by or disposed adjacent to, the front face of this receptacle, so that the latter, in the position of use, projects practically completely beyond the wall carrying it.

The object of the invention is to remedy this serious drawback.

The invention provides an ashtray wherein there is no projection from the wall which carries the ashtray. This ashtray comprises a receptacle consisting of a drawer which is pivotably mounted near the rear end thereof in a support housing carried by the rear face of the wall to which the ashtray is adapted, said drawer being pivotable between two stable positions, namely one of rest and the other of use in which latter position the drawer is inclined forwardly in such manner as to present its cavity in front of apertures formed in coincidence in said wall and in said housing.

According to a preferred embodiment, the drawer is removable and combined with a single spring which is so adapted that, it maintains the journals about which the drawer is pivotable in the position in which they are journaled in the housing and ensures that the drawer is maintained in a stable position in said positions of rest and utilization by an overcenter movement, said spring also being adapted to partially eject the drawer from the housing after disengagement of said journals of the drawer.

Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

in the drawings: I

FIG. ii is a longitudinal sectional view of an ashtray according to the invention, the drawer constituting a receptacle being in the position of rest;

Fit 2 is a view similar to FIG. l with the drawer in the position of utilization, that is for receiving ashes or other waste;

MG. 3 is a perspective view, partly in section, of the support housing;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the drawer constituting a receptacle;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the spring;

Fifi. s is a longitudinal sectional view of the position of the drawer for the ejection of the latter, and

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 of the drawer in a practically disengaged position.

In the illustrated embodiment, the ashtray according to the invention is adapted to be fixed to the rear face of a wall I, for example the instrument panel of a vehicle. Formed in this wall is an aperture 2 provided with a flange through which the cavity of the receptacle of the ashtray is accessible.

The ashtray comprises the combination of a support housing A, a drawer B forming a receptacle for the ashes or other waste and a single spring C having several functions.

The support housing A constitutes in fact a hood provided with an upper solid wall 3 (see in particular FIGS. 1 and 3), a rear solid wall 4 and two parallel lateral walls 5, only one of which is visible in the Figures. This support housing is completely open on the underside and on the front side in the form of a large aperture s having such dimensions that it can be adapted and fitted to the flange of the aperture 2 formed in the wall i. This housing can be secured to this wall by the combination of an upper bolt 7', which extends through an aperture ii in the wall l and into a notch 9 formed in a tab it) integral with the housing, and two lugs ll which extend downwardly from the lower edge of the lateral walls 5 and are engaged in two deformed portions 12 in the wall 1.

internally, each of the lateral walls 5 has a thickened portion 13 (FIGS. 1 and 3) whose lower edge defines therebelow a rabbet l Formed in this thickened portion is a groove l5 which is slightly downwardly and rearwardly inclined from the front end to, where it communicates with the front edge of the thickened portion R3, to its rear end in which it extends upwardly in the form of a hook-shaped passageway and terminates in a circular recess or bearing portion 17. The two portions 17 have a common transverse axis X-X.

Further, under the top wall 3, the portion 13 has two projections or abutments, namely a front projection l8 and a rear projection I9 and each lateral wall 5 caries a rear projection constituting a stud 20. The respective functions of these projections and stud will be described hereinafter.

The drawer B forming a receptacle for the ashes and waste of for example cigars, cigarettes, or matches is completely open on its upper side, all of its other walls being solid. Its front transverse wall 2i extends upwardly in the form of a handle 22 which is integral with the wall 2i and constitutes the sole part of the ashtray which slightly protrudes from the front face of the wall ll, this handle including impressions 23 (FIG. 4) which facilitate placing cigarettes in a position of rest.

Internally, the drawer has an apertured grid or grate 24 acting as an extinguisher for the cigarettes.

Externally, the drawer comprises two lateral journals 25 having an axis X'--)( (FIG. 4) adapted to coincide with the axis X-)( in the position of the utilization of the ashtray. The journals 25 are adapted to rotate in the aforementioned cylindrical bearing portions 17 at the rear ends of the grooves I5.

Externally, each of the longitudinal lateral faces of the drawer B is provided at the base with a longitudinal rib 26 adapted to slide in the corresponding lower rabbet 14 of the support housing A.

The rear transverse face of the drawer has a rib 27 adapted to bear on the center branch 2% of the spring C.

This spring is shown separately in FllG. 5 and consists of a cranked and bent wire which comprises, in addition to the center branch 28, two lateral branches 29 which are con nected to the center branch 28 by two rectilinear transverse portions 30 and provided intermediate their ends with eyes 31 obtained by a helical winding of the wire of the spring. These eyes are adapted to engage, as seen in FIGS. l, 2, 6 and '7, on the studs 20 of the housing A so that when the eyes constituted by said windings are engaged on these studs with the spring abutting the upper rear corner of the housing A by its rectilinear and transverse portions 30, the center branch 28 is downwardly directed so as to abut the rear rib 27 of the drawer whereas the two lateral branches 29 are in a position at the front to abut the journals 25 of the drawer.

Reference will now be had to FIG. l in which the assembly is in its mounted position of rest. The drawer is roughly horizontal. Its journals 25 are engaged in the bearing portions 17, the axis X'X' of these journals being coincident with the axis XX, and they are-maintained in this position by the front branches 29 of the spring C.

Further, the median or center branch 28 of the spring bears against the rib 27 and exerts thereon a thrust I which results in a torque PXa which tends to pivot the drawer B in the direction of arrow f and maintain it in a stable position in which the longitudinal lateral edges of the drawer abut the front projections and the upper edge of the front wall 211 is in the vicinity of the upper edges of the apertures 2?. and ti.

When it is desired to use the ashtray, pressure is exerted on the handle 22 (FIG. 1) by a finger of the hand and the drawer is pivoted to the position ll? shown in FIG. 2, the journals 2.5 rotating in the bearing portions I7 about the axis X-X until the upper rear edge of the drawer abuts the top wall 3 of the housing A. The drawer now presents its wide open cavity in front of the

coincident apertures

12 and 6 of the wall 1 and housing A.

The position B is also a stable position since for this position the thrust p exerted by the spring C on the rear rib 27 now passes above the axis X-X and creates a torque P X b which tends to pivot the drawer still more in the direction of arrow f" and consequently maintains it in abutment against the top wall 3 of the housing A. In this position, the upper edge of the front wall 21 is in the vicinity of the lower edges of the

apertures

2 and 6.

To return the drawer to the position shown in FIG. 1, it is sufiicient to push the handle 22 upwardly as shown in FIG. 2.

When it is desired to empty the drawer, it is easy to extract it from the housing A. To do this, the ashtray being in the position shown in FiG. i, the handle 22 is urged upwardly beyond the closed or inoperative position of the ashtray drawer; and, by this movement, the drawer, in bearing against the'front projections it pivots about the latter and the journals 25 move downwardly and to the rear end of the rectilinear portions of the grooves 15, which now makes it possible to shift the drawer forwardly while the lower longitudinal ribs 26 move forwardly in the rabbets 14.

The start of the forward movement is initiated by the spring C which then performs the function. of an ejector. Indeed, its center branch 2% continues to exert pressure on the rear rib 27 of the drawer while the lateral branches 29 continue to exert a pressure on the journals 25. However, the branches 29 soon abut the rear projections 19 of the support housing (FIG. 7) and the extended spring C stops in the position shown in FIG. '7.

The drawer B is now sufficiently disengaged to be easily taken hold of as shown in FIG. 7 and completely disengaged, the journals 25 issuing from the grooves 15 through the open front ends of the latter.

The drawer is placed in position in the opposite manner, the drawer being presented in the position shown in FIG. 7, it is merely necessary to urge it rearwardly so that the ribs 25 move in the rabbets 14 while the journals 25 move rearwardly in the grooves l until they encounter the branches 29 of the spring C and the rib 27 encounters the branch 28 of this spring. The end of the positioning movement is reached by continuing to urge the drawer B rearwardly in opposition to the action of the spring.

At the end of the movement, the journals 25 automatically engage in the bearing portions 17 and the entire ashtray resumes the position shown in FIG. ll.

it can be seen that the movements are extremely simple. The assembly of the ashtray comprises only the three elements A, B and C, the elements A and B being for example of metal or plastics material and for example of a wholly moulded structure. There is strictly speaking no pivot assembly, the parts being simply fitted together so that assembly and disassembly are extremely simple.

As the ashtray is in either the position shown in FIG. 1 or that shown in FIG. 2 when in use, it practically does not extend beyond the front of the wall 1 and is not liable to injure the person in front of it in the event of a shock.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been described, many modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An ashtray structure for a vehicle, said ashtray structure comprising a receptacle consisting of a drawer, means defining a support housing combined with a front wall having an outer surface, a cavity within said housing and containing said drawer, means defining an aperture in said front wall whereby said cavity is accessible from a side of said wall opposed to said cavity, said aperture having an upper edge and a lower edge on said outer surface, said drawer having an upper open side and a front wall having an upper outer edge, pivot means connecting said drawer to said housing to pivot about an axis between an inoperative position and a position of use in which position of use said drawer is downwardly and forwardly inclined so as to present the said open side of said drawer in front of said aperture, and means for maintaining said drawer selectively in said two positions, said pivot axis being so located relative to said drawer and said upper and lower edges of said aperture that said upper outer edge of said front wall of said drawer is in the vicinity of but does not project beyond said upper and lower edges of said aperture relative to said cavity in said two positions of said drawer whereby said drawer is located wholly within said cavity in said two positions.

2. An ashtray structure for a vehicle, saidashtray structure comprising a receptacle consisting of a drawer, means defining a support housing combined with a front wall having an outer surface, a cavity within said housing and containing said drawer, means defining an aperture in said front wall whereby said cavity is accessible from a side of said wall opposed to said cavity, said aperture having an upper edge and a lower edge on said outer surface, said drawer having an upper open side and a front wall having an upper outer edge, pivot means connecting said drawer to said housing to pivot about an axis between an inoperative position and a position of use in which position of use said drawer is downwardly and forwardly inclined so as to present the said open side of said drawer in front of said aperture, and means for maintaining said drawer selectively in said two positions, said pivot axis being so located relative to said drawer and said upper and lower edges of said aperture that said upper outer edge of said front wall of said drawer is in the vicinity of but does not project beyond said upper and lower edges of said aperture relative to said cavity in said two positions of said drawer whereby said drawer is located wholly within said cavity in said two positions, said drawer being removable and said pivot means comprising two coaxial journals mounted on said drawer and two coaxial bearing recesses in said housing and in which said journals are journaled, each of said recesses having a lateral passageway allowing the corresponding journal to be shifted radially out of the recess in a given direction, spring means interposed between said drawer and said housing and biasing said drawer in a direction to shift the drawer out of said cavity and through said aperture but in a direction other than said given direction whereby said journals are normally maintained in said recesses by said spring means but are withdrawable therefrom by shifting said drawer in said given direction in opposition to the action of said spring means whereafter said spring means eject said drawer through said aperture.

3. An ashtray structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein said housing has lateral walls and said passageways are portions of two grooves provided in said lateral walls and extending from said recesses toward said aperture, said recesses being partcylindrical upwardly extending inner end portions of said grooves, said journals being slidable in said grooves and capable of upwardly engaging in said part-cylindrical portions in said given direction.

4. An ashtray structure as claimed in claim 3, wherein said spring means and said means for maintaining said drawer selectively in said two positions are combined in a single spring comprising first portions in engaging relation to said journals and biasing said journals in a direction for maintaining said journals in said recesses and ejecting said drawer after withdrawal of said journals from said recesses in opposition to the action of said first spring portions and a second portion in engaging relation to said drawer, said second spring portion, said drawer and said pivot axis being so adapted and arranged that said second spring portion resiliently yieldably retains said drawer in said two positions of said drawer.

5. An ashtray structure as claimed in claim 4, wherein said spring consists of an elastically yieldable rod which is cranked and includes two eye portions engaged on two studs carried by said lateral walls of the housing, said drawer having a rear portion in sliding contact with said second portion of said spring, the arrangement being such that said second spring portion is capable of exerting two torques on said drawer about said pivot axis in opposite directions in said two positions of said drawer respectively.

6. An ashtray structure as claimed in claim 3, comprising two abutments carried by said housing and located intermediate said pivot axis and said upper edge of said aperture,

said drawer having upper edges cooperable with said abutments when said drawer is pivoted beyond said inoperative position so as to tilt said drawer about said abutments and downwardly disengage said journals from said part-cylindrical portions of said grooves and subsequently remove said drawer from said housing.

7. An ashtray structure as claimed in claim 4, comprising two abutments carried by said housing in a position to be encountered by said first spring portions for limiting movement of said first spring portions after said drawer has been extracted from said housing, whereby when said drawer is placed back in said housing, said journals are capable of restressing said spring by sliding in said grooves and reengaging in said part-cylindrical upwardly extending end portions.

8. An ashtray structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said drawer comprises two lateral ribs mounted to slide in two rabbets in lateral walls of said housing when mounting said drawer in and removing it from said housing.

9. An ashtray structure for a vehicle, said ashtray structure comprising a receptacle having a first front wall and an upper opening, means defining a housing combined with a second front wall, said housing having lateral walls defining a cavity in which said receptacle is located, means defining an aperture in said second front wall through which said receptacle is accessible, pivot means connecting said receptacle to said lateral walls so that said receptacle is pivotable about a pivot axis between a lower position of use in which said receptacle opening is accessible through said aperture, an intermediate position corresponding to an inoperative position in which said receptacle front wall closes the major part of said aperture, and an extreme upper position, said pivot means comprising two lateral coaxial journals integral with said receptacle, recesses in said lateral walls in which said journals are pivotably mounted, grooves in said lateral walls extending in a direction from said first front wall towards said recesses, upwardly extending passageways connecting said recesses to said grooves through which passageways said journals are capable of being radially withdrawn from said recesses, abutment means constituting pivot means integral with said housing in a position to be encountered by aid receptacle in said intermediate position when pivoting said receptacle upwardly about said pivot axis, whereby said journals may be withdrawn from said recesses in passing through said passageways and said receptacle removed from said housing by continuing to pivot said receptacle upwardly about said abutment means beyond said intermediate position, and resiliently yieldable means interposed between said housing and said receptacle for yieldably normally retaining said journals in said recesses, said resilient yieldable means being adapted to be stressed when passing said journals through said grooves into said recesses for placing said receptacle back in said housing.

Claims

2. An ashtray structure for a vehicle, said ashtray structure comprising a receptacle consisting of a drawer, means defining a support housing combined with a front wall having an outer surface, a cavity within said housing and containing said drawer, means defining an aperture in said front wall whereby said cavity is accessible from a side of said wall opposed to said cavity, said aperture having an upper edge and a lower edge on said outer surface, said drawer having an upper open side and a front wall having an upper outer edge, pivot means connecting said drawer to said housing to pivot about an axis between an inoperative position and a position of use in which position of use said drawer is downwardly and forwardly inclined so as to present the said open side of said drawer in front of said aperture, and means for maintaining said drawer selectively in said two positions, said pivot axis being so located relative to said drawer and said upper and lower edges of said aperture that said upper outer edge of said front wall of said drawer is in the vicinity of but does not project beyond said upper and lower edges of said aperture relative to said cavity in said two positions of said drawer whereby said drawer is located wholly within said cavity in said two positions, said drawer being removable and said pivot means comprising two coaxial journals mounted on said drawer and two coaxial bearing recesses in said housing and in which said journals are journaled, each of said recesses having a lateral passageway allowing the corresponding journal to be shifted radially out of the recess in a given direction, spring means interposed between said drawer and said housing and biasing said drawer in a direction to shift the drawer out of said cavity and through said aperture but in a direction other than said given direction whereby said journals are normally maintained in said recesses by said spring means but are withdrawable therefrom by shifting said drawer in said given direction in opposition to the action of said spring means whereafter said spring means eject said drawer through said aperture.

3. An ashtray structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein said housing has lateral walls and said passageways are portions of two grooves provided in said lateral walls and extending from said recesses toward said aperture, said recesses being part-cylindrical upwardly extending inner end portions of said grooves, said journals being slidable in said grooves and capable of upwardly engaging in said part-cylindrical portions in said given direction.

6. An ashtray structure as claimed in claim 3, comprising two abutments carried by said housing and located intermediate said pivot axis and said upper edge of said aperture, said drawer having upper edges cooperable with said abutments when said drawer is pivoted beyond said inoperative position so as to tilt said drawer about said abutments and downwardly disengage said journals from said part-cylindrical portions of said grooves and subsequently remove said drawer from said housing.