WO2024079398A1

WO2024079398A1 - Equipment with a wall having an object-holding area, for a system

Info

Publication number: WO2024079398A1
Application number: PCT/FR2023/051350
Authority: WO
Inventors: Denis Gras; Christophe Dutot; Rafael CARBALLIDO; Tancrede De Beaumont; Romain PELLETIER; Martin Ramamonjisoa; Johann PICHOT
Original assignee: Stellantis Auto Sas
Priority date: 2022-10-10
Filing date: 2023-09-08
Publication date: 2024-04-18
Also published as: FR3140593A1

Abstract

The invention relates to equipment (ES) that is part of a system (S) and comprises a wall (PE) including a first zone (Z1) made of a first material having a first selected elasticity and including at least a second zone (Z2) having a shape equivalent to the shape of an object with at least one dimension, selected from the width and the height, smaller than a dimension of the object, so as to allow the object to be housed by force and retained by compression according to this dimension by this first material.

Description

DESCRIPTION

TITLE: WALL EQUIPMENT WITH OBJECT HOLDING ZONE, FOR A SYSTEM

Technical field of the invention

[0001] The present invention claims priority from French application 2210375 filed on 10.10.2022, the content of which (text, drawings and claims) is here incorporated by reference. The invention concerns systems comprising at least one piece of equipment capable of receiving at least one object transportable by a user, and more precisely such equipment.

State of the art

[0002] Certain systems, such as for example certain vehicles (possibly of the automobile type), comprise at least one piece of equipment comprising at least one wall capable of receiving at least one object transportable by a user. As an illustrative example, when the system constitutes a vehicle, this equipment may be a dashboard, and the object may be a mobile telephone.

[0003] Currently, the object can be coupled to the wall of the equipment either directly, by insertion into a small dedicated housing (or "well") defined in this wall, or indirectly, by coupling of a support device attached to a sub-part of the wall (which may be an attached device) and coupling of the object to this support device.

[0004] In the first alternative (well), when the object is a mobile telephone, part of its screen is housed in the well and therefore hidden. In addition, this only allows a single orientation (of the “portrait” type) of the object. [0005] In the second alternative (support device), the sub-part of the wall of the equipment finds itself cluttered and a function provided by this sub-part may be affected. This is for example the case when this sub-part is an aerator. In addition, the user of the object must purchase this support device (which must be perfectly adapted to the aforementioned subpart), and this support device must be permanently present in the system. In addition, when the system is a vehicle, vibrations and shocks induce small movements of the object relative to the wall of the equipment, which is annoying for the user and can sometimes cause noise. Incidentally, it will be noted that in a vehicle the fins of the vents, which allow the coupling of a support device, tend to disappear, and therefore this eliminates a coupling sub-part.

[0006] The invention therefore aims in particular to improve the situation.

Presentation of the invention

[0007] For this purpose it notably offers equipment intended to be part of a system and comprising at least one wall.

[0008] This equipment is characterized by the fact that its wall comprises at least a first zone made of a first material having a first chosen elasticity and comprising at least one second zone having a shape homologous to a shape of an object with at least a dimension, chosen from a width and a height, less than a dimension of this object, so as to allow forceful accommodation of the object and retention of the latter by compression along this (each) dimension by this first material.

[0009] Thus, it is now possible to accommodate and maintain an object without it moving in a location on a wall which is visible to at least one user and which allows them to see completely one of its faces, and without the user of the object being obliged to use an attached coupling device.

The equipment according to the invention may include other characteristics which can be taken separately or in combination, and in particular:

[0011] - in a first embodiment, the first zone can form an integral part of the wall;

[0012] - in a second embodiment, the wall can comprise at least a first housing delimiting a reception space for the first zone (which is then an insert);

[0013] - the second zone can be empty or made of a second material having a second elasticity chosen and greater than the first elasticity in order to allow depression when the object is forcefully accommodated;

[0014] - in the presence of the second previous alternative (second material), the second zone can form an integral part of the wall;

[0015] - as a variant and also in the presence of the second previous alternative (second material), the first zone may comprise at least one second housing delimiting a reception space for the second zone;

[0016] - the wall can comprise two second zones of generally rectangular shape, perpendicular to each other by together defining a cross shape in order to allow forceful accommodation of the object in two orientations perpendicular to each other;

[0017] - the first zone may comprise, at the interface with the second zone, at least one recess allowing partial accommodation of an end of the user's finger with a view to extracting the object from the second zone ;

[0018] - it can constitute a dashboard of a system constituting a vehicle. [0019] The invention also proposes a system comprising at least one piece of equipment of the type presented above.

[0020] For example, this system can be a vehicle, possibly of the automobile type.

Brief description of the figures

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on examination of the detailed description below, and of the appended drawings (obtained in CAD/CAD (“Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Drawing”)). , on which ones :

[0022] [Fig. 1] illustrates schematically and functionally, in a front view from the passenger compartment side, a part of an example of a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle comprising an exemplary embodiment of equipment according to the invention constituting a dashboard,

[0023] [Fig. 2] illustrates schematically and functionally, in a perspective view, a first example of production of a first insert type zone, intended to form part of a wall of equipment according to the invention, and comprising a second housing housing a second zone, and

[0024] [Fig. 3] illustrates schematically and functionally, in a perspective view, a second example of production of a first insert type zone, intended to form part of a wall of equipment according to the invention, and comprising a second housing housing two second zones.

Detailed description of the invention

[0025] The invention aims in particular to propose equipment ES intended to be part of a system S and comprising at least one PE wall capable of accommodating an object transportable by a user. [0026] In what follows, we consider, by way of non-limiting example, that the system S is a motor vehicle, and more precisely a car. But the invention is not limited to this type of system. It concerns in fact any system comprising at least one piece of equipment comprising at least one wall capable of receiving at least one object transportable by a user. Consequently, the invention concerns vehicles (land, sea (or river), or air), devices (possibly general public), installations (possibly industrial), and buildings.

[0027] In Figures 1 to 3, the direction in the longitudinal direction X, and the direction Z is the vertical direction of the vehicle S, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal directions

[0028] A part of a system S comprising an exemplary embodiment of equipment ES according to the invention is schematically illustrated in Figure 1. In this illustrative example, the system S constitutes a motor vehicle and the equipment ES constitutes a dashboard installed in a passenger compartment H. It will be noted that within a vehicle S the equipment ES could also be a console, a seat back (or bench) or an armrest, for example.

According to the invention, the wall PE comprises on its front face FV (oriented towards the users of the system S) at least one first zone Z1 and at least one second zone Z2. It will be noted that in the example illustrated non-limitingly in Figure 1 the wall PE only includes a single first zone Z1 (here dedicated to the driver of the vehicle S and therefore offset to the left in relation to the median plane (in the case of 'left-hand drive)). But the first zone Z1 could be centered on the median plane or the wall PE could include a first zone Z1 dedicated to the driver of the vehicle S and therefore offset to the left in relation to the plane median and another first zone Z1 dedicated to the front passenger of the vehicle S and therefore offset to the right in relation to the median plane.

The (each) first zone Z1 is made of a first material which has a first chosen elasticity e1, and comprises at least one second zone Z2 which has a shape homologous to the shape of an object to be accommodated. It will be noted that in the examples illustrated non-limitingly in Figures 1 to 3 the (each) second zone Z2 has a general rectangular shape homologous to the general rectangular shape of an object constituting a mobile telephone (possibly of the "smartphone" type - telephone clever). But a second zone Z2 can have other shapes adapted to other types of object than a mobile telephone.

[0031] Here we mean “first elasticity e1” the fact that the first material has a first chosen modulus of elasticity. It is recalled that the modulus of elasticity is equal to the absorbed stress divided by the elastic deformation undergone in the presence of this absorbed stress.

[0032] The shape of the (each) second zone Z2 has at least one dimension, chosen from the width 11 and the height h1, which is less than a dimension of the object, so as to allow forceful accommodation of this object and a retention of the latter by compression along this (each) dimension by the first material of the first zone Z1.

[0033] In other words, at least one dimension of a second zone Z2 is (slightly) less than the corresponding dimension of the object to be accommodated, so that once the object is placed in this second zone Z2 it is compressed (or compressed) by the first material of the first zone Z1 which surrounds it due to its first elasticity e1. Consequently, if the object has a width I2 and a height h2, we have 11 < I2 and/or h1 < h2. [0034] It will be noted that in order to optimize the maintenance of the object in a second zone Z2, it is preferable that the width 11 and height h1 of the latter (Z2) are slightly less respectively than the width I2 and height h2 of the object.

[0035] Thanks to the invention, an object can now be received and held without moving, without noise, in a location on a wall PE of equipment ES which is in visibility of at least one user, which makes it possible to fully see one of its faces (for example that including a display screen in the case of a mobile telephone), which does not restrict the visibility of the driver, and without the user of the object being obliged to use (and possibly carry) an attached coupling device.

For example, the first zone Z1 can form an integral part of the PE wall. This first embodiment can in particular be obtained by multiple injection molding. For example, in the case of an ES dashboard, we can use a (relatively) rigid material (and therefore with low elasticity compared to the first elasticity e1) to make the main part of the PE wall (without each first zone Z1), then we can add to this main part each first zone Z1 using the first material having the first elasticity e1.

[0037] In a second embodiment, illustrated without limitation in Figure 1, the wall PE can comprise at least a first housing L1 which delimits a reception space for the first zone Z1. The latter (Z1) therefore constitutes an insert made initially in the first material (having the first elasticity e1), then integrated in a second step in the first corresponding housing L1 of the PE wall. This integration can be done by force fitting or gluing or welding or even clipping. We will understand further the interest provided by this second embodiment. It will be noted that the (each) second zone Z2 can be empty (or devoid of material).

[0039] But as a variant, and as illustrated non-limitingly in Figures 1 to 3, the (each) second zone Z2 can be made in a second material which has a second elasticity e2 chosen and greater than the first elasticity e1 (i.e. e2 > e1), in order to allow it to be depressed when the object is forcefully accommodated. It will be understood that due to this strong second elasticity e2 the (each) second zone Z2 can be easily deformed, and in particular depressed by "crushing" when placing the object by pressure exerted by the user against its face Before. This depression continues as long as the user does not remove their object from the second zone Z2 due to the fact that this object is held by the compression exerted by the first material of the first zone Z1 which surrounds it.

[0040] This arrangement advantageously makes it possible to have surface continuity at the level of the front face FV of the PE wall, in order to purify the latter (PE). Note that the front face of the second zone Z2 is not necessarily at the same level as the front face of the first zone Z1. Indeed, it could be slightly recessed, in particular to facilitate sinking and/or facilitate its location on the PE wall.

[0041] For example, when a second zone Z2 is made of a second material, it can form an integral part of the PE wall. This first embodiment can in particular be obtained by multiple injection molding, as mentioned above. For example, in the case of an ES dashboard, we can use a (relatively) rigid material (and therefore with low elasticity compared to the first elasticity e1) to make the main part of the PE wall (without each first zone Z1), then we can add to this main part each first zone Z1 using the first material having the first elasticity e1, then we can add at least one second zone Z2 to each first zone Z1 (in a dedicated housing that it includes) using the second material having the second elasticity e2.

[0042] In order to facilitate the return of a second zone Z2 to its initial shape (before depression by an object), after removal of this object, the equipment ES (or its wall PE) may optionally include a heating device electric installed behind this second zone Z2. Such an electric heating device is connected to a power supply network of the system S (for example the on-board network of a vehicle).

[0043] In a second embodiment, illustrated without limitation in Figures 1 to 3, the (each) first zone Z1 can comprise at least one second housing L2 which delimits a reception space for the (each) second zone Z2 associated. The latter (Z2) therefore constitutes an insert made initially in the second material (having the second elasticity e2), then integrated in a second step in the second housing L2 corresponding to a first zone Z1 (that the latter (Z1 ) is an integral part of the PE wall or either an attached insert). This integration can be done by force fitting or gluing or welding or even clipping.

[0044] When at least the first zone Z1 is a removable insert and it includes a second zone whose shape is not suitable for an object of the user, it is possible to replace it with another first zone Z1 comprising at least one other second zone Z2 whose shape is suitable for this object.

[0045] Also for example, and as illustrated without limitation in Figure 3, the wall PE can comprise two second zones Z2 of generally rectangular shape and perpendicular to each other, together defining a cross shape. This advantageously allows forceful accommodation of the object in two orientations which are perpendicular to each other. It will be understood that the two second zones Z2 have a common central part and can be considered as together defining a third zone having a cross shape (in particular when it is made in the second material (insert or injection)). You can therefore choose between a portrait type display or a landscape type display.

[0046] Also for example, and as illustrated without limitation in Figures 2 and 3, the (each) first zone Z1 can comprise, at the interface with the second associated zone Z2, at least one recess RD which allows partial housing of a finger end of the user with a view to extracting the object from this second zone Z2. This makes it easier to remove the object from a second zone Z2.

[0047] It will also be noted, although this does not appear in the figures, that the equipment ES (or its wall PE) may possibly include a device allowing at least the object installed in a second zone Z2 to be recharged. Such a device can, for example, be an induction charging device which is installed behind (or in) the wall PE or behind a second zone Z2 and which is connected to a power supply network of the system S (for example the on-board network of a vehicle). Alternatively, this device can, for example, be a connector with a USB port ("Universal Serial Bus") which is housed in a first zone Z1 opening into a second zone Z2 associated so as to allow its coupling to the corresponding connector of the 'object. This variant can be used when the second zone Z2 is empty (devoid of second material).

Claims

[Claim 1] Equipment (ES) suitable for forming part of a system (S) and comprising at least one wall (PE), characterized in that said wall (PE) comprises at least a first zone (Z1) produced in a first material having a first chosen elasticity and comprising at least one second zone (Z2) having a shape homologous to a shape of an object with at least one dimension, chosen from a width and a height, less than a dimension of said object, of so as to allow forceful accommodation of said object and retention of the latter by compression along said dimension by said first material.

[Claim 2] Equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that said first zone (Z1) is an integral part of said wall (PE).

[Claims] Equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that said wall (PE) comprises at least a first housing (L1) delimiting a reception space for said first zone (Z1).

[Claim 4] Equipment according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said second zone (Z2) is made of a second material having a second elasticity chosen and greater than said first elasticity in order to allow depression during housing in force of said object.

[Claims] Equipment according to one of claims 1, 2 and 4, characterized in that said second zone (Z2) is an integral part of said wall (PE).

[Claim 6] Equipment according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said first zone (Z1) comprises at least one second housing (L2) delimiting a reception space for said second zone (Z2).

[Claim 7] Equipment according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said wall (PE) comprises two second zones (Z2) of generally rectangular shape, perpendicular to each other while defining together a cross shape in order to allow a force accommodation of said object in two mutually perpendicular orientations.

[Claim 8] Equipment according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said first zone (Z1) comprises at the interface with said second zone (Z2) at least one recess (RD) allowing partial accommodation of a user finger end with a view to extracting said object from said second zone (Z2).

[Claim 9] Equipment according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it constitutes a dashboard of a system constituting a vehicle.

[Claim 10] System (S), characterized in that it comprises at least one piece of equipment (ES) according to one of the preceding claims.