WO2008100216A1

WO2008100216A1 - Instrument panel

Info

Publication number: WO2008100216A1
Application number: PCT/SE2008/050165
Authority: WO
Inventors: Anders Björklund; Håkan Kåreby
Original assignee: Scania Cv Ab (Publ)
Priority date: 2007-02-16
Filing date: 2008-02-12
Publication date: 2008-08-21
Also published as: SE530876C2; DE112008000400T5; SE0700392L

Abstract

Instrument panel (10) for a vehicle, with a raisable and lowerable cover (20) which in a raised position exposes a space (30) delineated within the panel and which in a lowered position serves as a first table surface (22). To enlarge the table surface, there is a pull-out leaf (40) which has a second table surface (42) and is supported for movement under the cover (20) between a retracted and an extended position.

Description

Instrument panel

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to an instrument panel for a vehicle, with a raisable and lowerable cover which in a raised position exposes a space delineated within the panel and which in a lowered position serves as a table surface.

BACKGROUND

Trucks in particular often need at the passenger position a planar surface where the driver can work, e.g. with paper documents or a portable computer, and have a temporary meal space. However, the fixed table surface of existing instrument panels is usually too small and too far from the seat to be conveniently usable for the intended purpose. It is therefore desirable to be able to enlarge this table surface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is therefore to propose an instrument panel of the kind indicated in the introduction which can provide a planar surface large enough to be conveniently usable as a work surface for a person sitting in a passenger seat of the vehicle. According to a version of the invention, the instrument panel has a pull-out leaf with a second table surface. The pull-out leaf is supported for movement under the cover between a retracted and an extended position. The result is a work surface which can when necessary be doubled and does not occupy valuable space in the vehicle cab when not in use. Moreover, its small thickness means that the pull-out leaf encroaches only insignificantly on the space under the cover, in which the vehicle may have, for example, an electrical centre with fuses, relays and other electronic components.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the pull-out leaf also has a rear edge portion adapted, when in the extended position, to meeting a forward edge portion of the cover when the latter is in its lowered position. The result is that the table surfaces can together constitute a substantially common plane without any upwardly protruding edges. If the rear edge portion of the pull-out leaf has a ledge with a depth corresponding to a thickness of said forward edge portion, the pull-out leaf can be locked in its fully extended position. The cover then needs to be raised away from the rear edge portion to make it possible to push in the pull-out leaf. According to a further embodiment of the invention, the cover can be raised from the rear edge portion by a push-button mechanism operable with the same hand as pulls out and pushes in the pull-out leaf. The mechanism may for example comprise an angled lever which is supported for pivoting relative to the rear edge portion and is acted upon by a push-button connected to a spring-loaded pushrod. If the pull-out leaf does not need to be locked in the fully extended position, said edge portions may comprise oblique surfaces allowing the table surface of the cover to slide down to/up from the substantially common plane during the pulling out/pushing in of the pull-out leaf.

If a pivot bearing for the raising and lowering of the cover is provided with a radial clearance corresponding to the thickness of the cover at the latter' s table surface, the two table surfaces can be in a fully common plane when the pull-out leaf is in its fully extended position.

The pull-out leaf is supported for movement by sliderails at its side edges. The fixed portions of the sliderails may be connected to a frame element of the instrument panel, but they may alternatively be connected to the cover, in which case the interior space may be more readily accessible, since the pull-out leaf and the bearing will then follow when the cover is raised.

Other features and advantages of the invention may be indicated by the claims and the following description of an embodiment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view as seen obliquely from in front of part of an instrument panel with a pull-out leaf according to the invention retracted;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view as seen obliquely from in front of part of an instrument panel with a pull-out leaf according to the invention extended;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view as seen from in front of an instrument panel according to the invention with portions cut away; FIG. 4 is a perspective view as seen from the side of an instrument panel with a pull-out leaf according to the invention extended, with portions cut away;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a cover and a retracted pull-out leaf of an instrument panel according to the invention; FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a cover and an extended pull-out leaf of an instrument panel according to the invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic side view of a cover and a retracted pull-out leaf of an instrument panel according to an alternative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic side view of a raised cover and a retracted pull-out leaf of the instrument panel according to FIG. 7; and

FIGS. 9 A, B, C are schematic side views of a mechanism for making it easier to push in a pull-out leaf of an instrument panel according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT FIGS. 1 -6 depict a frame element 12 of an instrument panel 10 for a passenger side of a motor vehicle according to an embodiment of the invention. The frame element 12 need not have a closed end as depicted but may be open sideways towards an undepicted adjoining frame element of the instrument panel 10.

The instrument panel 10 has on its upper side a raisable and lowerable cover 20 with a planar table surface 22. The table surface 22 may for example be used for temporary storage of objects or as a workplace for sundry paperwork and also as a meal space.

As may be seen in, for example, FIGS. 1-3, a pull-out leaf 40 is adapted to being pushed in under the cover 20 and pulled out from the cover 20 via a set of pull- out rails 70 on each side of the leaf 40. The pull-out leaf 40 has a table surface 42 and a forward cover plate 46 with an upwardly protruding edge 48 to prevent objects from sliding off and falling down from the table surface 22/42. The pull-out leaf 40 further has a gripping aperture 50 for the hand of a user, with a push-button 52, which is described in more detail below. As may be seen in more detail in FIG. 6, each set of pull-out rails 70 comprises three rails 72, 74, 76 supported telescopically in one another. In the example depicted, an inner rail 72 is firmly connected to the frame element 12, and an outer rail 76 is firmly connected to the pull-out leaf 40, while an intermediate rail 74 runs between them to provide sufficient pull-out length for the pull-out leaf 40.

Returning to FIG. 3, it may be seen that the cover 20 is supported for pivoting at its rear edge on each of its opposite sides by a pair of journals 26 (only one is depicted). When, as depicted in FIG. 3, the cover 20 is raised and the pull-out leaf 40 is pulled out, a space 30 delineated within the panel 10 is exposed for easy accessibility. The space 30 may typically contain an electrical centre which may comprise, for example, a large proportion of components such as fuses, relays and other electrical and electronic equipment for the vehicle. For still greater accessibility to the space 30, it is possible instead, in the alternative embodiment schematically illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, for the pull-out leaf 40 to be supported for movement relative to the cover 20 itself, i.e. with the inner pull-out rails 72 firmly connected to the cover 20 instead of to the frame element 12.

As most clearly illustrated in the enlargement in FIG. 6, the pull-out leaf 40 has a rear edge portion 44 so configured that when the leaf 40 is pulled fully out it meets a forward edge portion 24 of the cover 20 in such a way that the table surface 22 of the cover forms a substantially common plane with the table surface 42 of the leaf 40. Although other embodiments are possible, the rear edge portion 44 in the embodiment depicted takes the form of a steplike ledge for accommodating the forward edge portion 24 of the cover. The ledge 44 therefore has a depth which corresponds to a thickness of the forward edge portion 24. The pull-out leaf 40 is thus locked in the fully extended position. To ensure that the resulting composite table surface 22, 42 is fully planar and horizontal, it is possible, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, for the cover's bearing eyes 28 for the journals 26 to have a radial clearance or an oblong transverse aperture to enable the cover 20 as a whole to sink down somewhat when the leaf 40 is pulled out. In the retracted position of the leaf 40, the cover 20 is pressed upwards so that the bearing eye 28 is firmly clamped against the journal 26 to prevent play of the cover 20.

The abovementioned push-button 52 in the gripping aperture 50 is provided to make it easier to push the pull-out leaf 40 in from the fully extended position. The push-button 52 is connected to a somewhat bendingly elastic pushrod 54 which is supported for movement in the bearing eye 56 on the underside of the leaf 40 and is urged by a compression spring 58 to a pressed-back normal position. As indicated by the schematic depiction in FIGS. 9 A-C, the pushrod 52 may for example act upon a first end of an angled lever 60 which is supported for pivoting relative to the underside of the pull-out leaf 40. When the pushrod 54 is pressed forward by operation of the push-button 52, the free second end of the angled lever 60 pushes the cover 20 up so that the latter' s forward edge portion 24 comes away from the rear edge portion 44 of the pull-out leaf 40, making it possible for the pull-out leaf 40 to be pushed in. In a simpler version, the push-button mechanism described above may be omitted completely. If the pull-out leaf 40 cannot or need not be fully locked in the extended position, the edge portions 24, 44 may alternatively have oblique edge surfaces as schematically represented by the chain-dotted line in FIG. 9A. In that case, the pull- out leaf 40 can be pushed in from the extended position without releasing a lock and against insignificant resistance.

Many variations are possible. For example, it is conceivable to install a crash pad within and somewhat behind an undepicted modified and possibly somewhat larger cover plate 46. It is also possible in an undepicted manner for a push-button operated actuator to effect the pushing in and pulling out of the pull-out leaf 40.

The description set out above is primarily intended to facilitate understanding, and no limitations of the invention are to be inferred therefrom. The modifications which will be obvious to one skilled in the art from perusing the description may be implemented without departing from the concept of the invention or the scope of the claims set out below.

Claims

1. An instrument panel (10) for a vehicle, with a raisable and lowerable cover (20) which in a raised position exposes a space (30) delineated within the panel and which in a lowered position serves as a table surface (22), characterised by a pull-out leaf (40) which has a second table surface (42) and is supported for movement under the cover (20) between a retracted and an extended position.

2. An instrument panel according to claim 1 , in which a rear edge portion (44) of the pull-out leaf (40) is adapted, when in the extended position, to meeting a forward edge portion (24) of the cover (20) in the lowered position.

3. An instrument panel according to claim 2, in which said rear edge portion (44) comprises a ledge with a depth corresponding to a thickness of said forward edge portion (24).

4. An instrument panel according to claim 3, comprising a push-button mechanism with an angled lever which is supported for pivoting relative to the rear edge portion and is acted upon by a push-button connected to a spring-loaded pushrod for raising the forward edge portion (24) of the cover from said ledge (44) when the pull-out leaf (40) is being pushed in.

5. An instrument panel according to claim 2, in which said edge portions (24, 44) comprise oblique surfaces (24, 44) which engage slidingly with one another.

6. An instrument panel according to any one of the foregoing claims, in which a pivot bearing (26, 28) for the raising and lowering of the cover (20) is provided with a radial clearance corresponding to the thickness of the cover at the latter' s table surface (22).

7. An instrument panel according to any one of the foregoing claims, in which the pull-out leaf (40) is supported for movement by sliderails (72, 74, 76) at its side edges.

8. An instrument panel according to claim 7, in which fixed portions (72) of the sliderails (72, 74, 76) are connected to a frame element (12) of the instrument panel (10).

9. An instrument panel according to claim 7, in which fixed portions (72) of the sliderails (72, 74, 76) are connected to the cover (20).