WO2004080760A2

WO2004080760A2 - Control lever fitting with elastic bearing means

Info

Publication number: WO2004080760A2
Application number: PCT/FR2004/000544
Authority: WO
Inventors: Fabrice Cogordan; Roland Gallinato-Contino
Original assignee: Renault S.A.S.
Priority date: 2003-03-07
Filing date: 2004-03-08
Publication date: 2004-09-23
Also published as: FR2852071B1; WO2004080760A3; DE112004000384T5; FR2852071A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a fitting for a speed control lever (10). The control lever (10) protrudes from an opening (16) made in a surrounding covering. The fitting comprises a symmetrical part which is substantially spherical, forming an upturned bowl shape (20) whereby a center portion (22) of a base part is connected to the control lever (10). The part forming an upturned bowl shape (20) can be maintained against the inner edge (24) of the opening (16) by compressible elastic means, comprising a base element (36) and a part which extends from the base element (36) around the control lever (10) and which is adapted in such a way that it can be elastically compressed against a remote peripheral portion (38) of the bottom part in the direction of the inner edge (24).

Description

Control lever lining - with elastic support means

The present invention relates to a speed control lever lining having elastic support means, in particular but not exclusively, for motor vehicles.

Speed control lever linings are known, the levers of which are articulated on a gearbox control device and projecting from an opening formed in a surrounding covering.

Said packing comprises a part having the shape of an overturned bowl, the concave surface of which is oriented opposite said control device and the bottom part of which is crossed by the control lever of which it is integral in travel. Said part is interposed between the control device and the surrounding covering and it is compressed against the internal edge of said opening by a spring in which is engaged the control lever which guides it in translation, said spring being compressed between; said bottom part of the bowl-forming part and a stop collar mounted on said control lever. In this way, the convex surface of the bottom part projects from said opening.

Thus, when the control lever is pivotally driven, said part forms a ball joint and is in elastic support, in all positions of the control lever, against the internal edge of the opening so as to close it. The bowl-forming part cooperates with the opening to form a seal between the control device and the pivotally movable control lever, said seal making it possible to limit the penetration of foreign bodies into said control box. Reference is made, in particular to document US Pat. No. 4,552,031 which describes such a lining. A problem which arises and which the present invention aims to solve is then to provide means for holding the part forming a bowl against the internal edge of said opening which not only does not rest against the bottom part of said part but also which allows to provide a free space around the control lever in the vicinity of said bottom portion.

To this end, the invention provides a speed control lever lining, said control lever being mounted articulated on a device. for controlling a gearbox around a pivot point and projecting from an opening formed in a surrounding frame, said lining comprising a substantially spherical piece of symmetry forming an inverted bowl, interposed between said control device and said surrounding covering and a central portion of a bottom portion of which is integral with said control lever which passes through it, said bowl-forming part being adapted to be held in abutment against the internal edge of said opening to form a ball joint, by elastically compressible means, compressed against the internal wall of said part; said elastically compressible means comprising: a base maintained at a substantially fixed distance from said pivot point and, a part which extends, from said base, around said control lever and which is adapted to be compressed elastically against a remote peripheral portion from said bottom portion in the direction of said inner edge so as to release a portion. annular inner wall of said part, which extends between said central portion and said peripheral portion.

Thus, one feature of the invention resides in the holding mode of the bowl forming part against the internal edge of the opening by elastic means which are compressed between said base and said ^peripheral portion and which frees the wall internal of said annular portion.

According to a particularly advantageous characteristic, said annular portion is formed of a transparent material suitable for letting light pass right through from said part and said trim further comprises lighting means adapted to illuminate said annular portion. In this way, the annular portion of the internal wall being released, the corresponding external surface appears illuminated, which in particularly low external lighting conditions and by using a translucent material, not only makes it possible to locate the speed control lever which protrudes from said illuminated external surface but also to provide a particular aesthetic effect to said lining.

The internal wall of said annular portion being completely free, no shading affects this aesthetic effect. According to a first particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, said speed control lever lining comprises a plurality of elastically deformable support legs mounted radially on said base, in elastic compression against the internal wall of said part forming a bowl in the direction of said internal edge so as to maintain said part forming a bowl in elastic support against said internal edge. Thus, thanks to this characteristic, not only the internal wall of the annular portion is free, but spaces which extend between said legs under the surrounding covering between the control device and the opening are also and they are adapted to receive

^• said lighting means. Preferably, said support tabs project from a mean plane defined by said base and they have a curved free end adapted to match said internal wall of said part forming a bowl. In this way, the bearing surface of said tabs against the internal wall of the part is increased which improves its guiding in rotation.

Advantageously, said support legs and said base are molded in one piece from plastic. Thus, on the one hand the support legs are produced with the base at an advantageous cost and on the other hand, the elastic flexibility of said support legs is obtained thanks to the plastic material which can, for example be polyamide .

According to a second particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, said elastically compressible means consist of a helical spring of which a first end constituting the base is supported on said control device and. whose second end is supported in said peripheral portion. Thus, a free space between the turns of said helical spring and the control lever makes it possible to house the lighting means and the second end. the helical spring does not mask said annular portion.

According to a third particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, said control lever has a collar forming a shoulder extending radially between said control device and said covering, said elastically compressible means consisting of an elastically deformable ring surrounding said lever which is compressed between said shoulder and said peripheral portion. Such a ring is capable of being made of transparent plastic, for example silicone, which makes it possible to drown the lighting means in the bulk of said ring without the light radiation ^' being attenuated. Thus, the elastically compressible means are produced at an advantageous cost.

Other particularities and advantages of the invention will emerge on reading the description given below of particular embodiments of the invention, given as an indication but not limiting, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

- Figure 1 is a schematic vertical section of a control lever lining;

- Figure 2 is a partial schematic view from above of the lining shown in Figure 1;

- Figure 3 is a vertical section of an alternative embodiment of the lining illustrated in Figure 1;

- Figure 4 is a vertical section of a lining according to a second embodiment of the invention; and, - Figure 5 is a vertical section of a lining according to a third embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 illustrates a lining of a gearbox control lever 10 according to the invention. The control lever 10 is hingedly mounted on a gearbox control device 12 around a pivot point 14 and it projects from an opening 16 made in a surrounding covering 18 of a cockpit console d 'a motor vehicle, for example. The control device 12 is disposed opposite the opening 16 and pressed in with respect to this opening 16. The lining comprises an overturned bowl 20 whose center 22 which corresponds to the bottom part of the bowl 20 is crossed by the lever command 10; the bottom part of the bowl 20 and the control lever being integral with one another when the control lever is pivotally driven. In addition, the overturned bowl 20 is disposed between the control device 12 and the surrounding covering 18 against an internal edge 24 of the opening 16 so that the convex surface 26 of the bottom portion of the overturned bowl 20 is projecting of the opening 16. Thus, by providing a bowl diameter 20 greater than the diameter of the opening 16, the latter is adapted to constitute a tight seal between the control lever 10 which is movable and the opening 16 of the trim 18.

To do this, the overturned bowl 20 is kept in permanent abutment against the internal edge 24 of the opening 16 by forming a ball joint, for any position of the control lever 10, by elastically compressible means formed by support legs 28, 30. Obviously, the overturned bowl 20 being of cylindrical symmetry, at least three support legs are necessary to hold it against the internal edge 24. As illustrated in Figure 2, where we find the trim seen from above without the control lever 10, the support legs which appear through the opening 16, are four in number, the two legs d 'support 28, 30 diametrically opposite illustrated in Figure 1 and two other support legs 32, 34 also diametrically opposite and offset by 90 ° relative to the other two. The four support legs 28, 30, 32, 34 extend radially from a base 36 of which they are integral and which are found in section in FIG. 1.

The diameter of the overturned bowl 20 is not only greater than the diameter of the opening 16, but its free edge. 37 is sufficiently distant from its center so that the convex surface 26 closes the opening 16 despite the pivoting of the control lever 10, the limit being defined by the arrival in abutment of the control lever 10 against the edge of the opening.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the support legs 28, 30 extend from the base 36 which is substantially circular towards the internal edge 24 against a peripheral portion 38 of the overturned bowl 20, distant from its part background. Of course, the other tabs 32, 34, which do not appear in this FIG. 1, are oriented symmetrically in the same way towards the internal edge 24. In this way, the support tabs 28, 30, 32, 34 are flared from the base 36 bearing against the control box 14 to come into elastic bearing against the peripheral portion 38 of the inner wall of the overturned bowl 10 in the vicinity of the inner edge 24 of the opening, so reserve a space around the control lever 10 and form supports against the internal wall of the overturned bowl 10 outside the opening. As will be explained below, thanks to this characteristic, the lighting of the overturned bowl will be simplified.

Furthermore, the free ends 40, 42 of the flexible tabs 28, 30 are curved to present a greater bearing surface against the internal wall of the overturned bowl 20 but also to facilitate swiveling when the control lever is pivoted and that the convex surface 26 is in friction against the internal edge 24 while the free ends 40, 42 of the support legs 28, 30 are in friction against the internal wall of the overturned bowl 20.

Thus, thanks to the support legs 28, 30, 32, 34, the support against the internal wall of the overturned bowl 20 is produced in the periphery of the opening 16 whatever the position of the control lever 10.

Advantageously, the base 36 which substantially forms a ring and the support tabs 28, 30, 32, 34 which are integral therewith are molded together in one piece of plastic material. In this way, the flexibility of the legs is inherent in the plastic material used. In addition, the overturned bowl 20 may be made of a translucent material such as poly carbonate or methyl ethacrylate.

Figure 1 also illustrates lighting means 44 mounted on the support leg 30 and formed of a diode, for example, intended to illuminate the annular portion of the inner wall of the overturned bowl 20 which extends between the center 22 and its peripheral portion 38. Several diodes can be used to distribute the lighting on either side of the control lever 10 and be oriented towards the internal wall of the overturned bowl 20 which, being translucent, allows light to pass through.

Thus, the free space which is provided in the periphery of the control lever, in the vicinity of the internal wall of the overturned bowl, and this, thanks to the support legs, makes it possible to house the lighting means. In addition, the lighting of the internal wall of the overturned bowl 20 is not masked, so that no shadow is cast on the luminous convex surface 26. According to an advantageous characteristic, this convex surface 26 is metallized, leaving free portions defining inscriptions. Thus, these markings appear bright when put in ^work of lighting means. .

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 3, on which there is a control lever 10 articulated on a gearbox control device 12 and which passes through an opening 16 closed by an overturned bowl 20 which is integral with the control lever 10, elastically compressible means 46 are formed of a substantially circular plate constituting a base 47 from which extend four elastically deformable legs radially.

Said base 47 is mounted in a fixed position on the control device 12. Two legs 48, 50 appear in Figure 3, two others not shown are offset by 90 ° and all are in abutment against the internal wall of the overturned bowl 20 outside the opening so as not to hide the lighting. Advantageously, said plate and the legs are stamped in a single operation from a metal part.

According to a second embodiment of the invention, illustrated in Figure 4, the elastically compressible means are formed of an elastically-deformable ring 52 which surrounds a base 54 of the control lever 10 and which is retained by a flange 56 Said flange 56 extends radially around the base 54 to form a shoulder on which the lower face 57 of the elastically deformable ring 52 is in abutment and thus partially constitutes the base of the elastically compressible means. According to this embodiment, the elastically deformable ring 52 is well maintained at a fixed distance from the pivot point 14. On the other hand, unlike the previous embodiments in which the elastically compressible means are kept in a fixed position relative to the control device 12 , here the elastically compressible means are adapted to pivot around the pivot point 14 with the control lever 10 which drives them.

The control lever 10 is locked in translation along its longitudinal axis so that the flange 56 is fixed relative to the pivot point 14. In this way, the elastically deformable ring 52 is adapted to be compressed elastically between the shoulder formed by the collar 56 and the internal wall of the overturned bowl 20; the overturned bowl 20 being pressed against the internal edge 24 of the opening 16.

In addition, the elastically deformable ring 52 is made of translucent silicone and it filters very little light radiation, so that it reaches the inner wall of the overturned bowl 20. In addition, the lighting means are capable of being embedded in the silicone mass during the production of the elastically deformable ring 52.

According to a third embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 5, the elastically 'compressible means consist of a coil spring 58. A base 60 of the coil spring 58 is retained around the control device 12 by a ring stop 62. The other end of the helical spring 58, opposite the base 60 is supported in the peripheral portion 38 of the overturned bowl 20. In this way, the helical spring 58 whose diameter is greater than that of the control lever 10, for example the double, and which partially surrounds it, defines a free space 64 around the control lever 10 in the vicinity of the internal wall of the overturned bowl 20, adapted to receive the lighting means of the overturned bowl 20.

Furthermore, an elastically deformable tongue 66 secured to the overturned bowl 20 and adapted to cooperate with a peripheral groove made in the control lever 10 makes it possible to block the overturned bowl 20 in rotation relative to said lever 10.

Claims

1. Gear control lever lining (10), said control lever (10) being hinged on a gearbox control device (12) around a pivot point (14) and projecting from an opening (16) formed in a surrounding covering (18), said lining comprising a substantially spherical piece of symmetry forming an inverted bowl (20), interposed between said control device (12) and said surrounding covering (18) and a portion of which central (22) of a bottom part is integral with said control lever (10) which passes through it, said part forming an inverted bowl (20) being adapted to be held in abutment against the internal edge (24) of said opening (16 ) to form a ball joint, by elastically compressible means, compressed against the internal wall of said part, characterized in that said elastically compressible means comprise:

- a base (36, 47, 57) maintained at a substantially fixed distance from said pivot point (14) and, - a part which extends, from said base (36), around said control lever (10) and which is adapted to be compressed elastically against a peripheral portion (38) remote from said bottom portion in the direction of said inner edge (24) so as to release an annular portion of the inner wall of said piece, which extends between said portion central (22) and said peripheral portion (38).

2. speed control lever lining according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises lighting means (44) adapted to illuminate said annular portion and in that said annular portion is formed of a material transparent adapted to allow light to pass right through from said part.

3. speed control lever lining according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of elastically deformable support legs (28, 30, 32, 34) mounted radially on said base (36), in elastic compression against the internal wall of said part forming an inverted bowl (20) in the direction of said internal edge (24) so as to maintain said part forming an inverted bowl (20) in elastic abutment against said internal edge (24).

4. A control lever lining according to claim 3, characterized in that said support legs. (28, 30, 32, 34) projecting from a mean plane defined by said base (36) and in that it has a curved free end (40, 42) adapted to match said internal wall of said part forming an overturned bowl (20).

5. A control lever lining according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that said support tabs (28, 30, 32, 34) and said - base (36) are molded in one piece from plastic.

6. control lever lining according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that said elastically compressible means consist of a helical spring (58), a first end constituting the base is supported on said control device and whose second end is supported in said peripheral portion '(38).

7. trim of control lever according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that said control lever has a flange

(56) forming a shoulder extending radially between said control device and said covering, said elastically compressible means consisting of an elastically deformable ring (24) surrounding said control lever (10) and which is compressed between said shoulder and, said peripheral portion (38).