JP7797293B2 - Vehicle console box - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a console box for a vehicle, and more specifically to a console box for a vehicle equipped with a lid that can be opened and closed from both sides relative to an opening in a storage compartment formed in the console box body.

Conventionally, a technology has been known for providing a vehicle console box that is convenient for both left and right front seat occupants, with a lid that can be opened and closed in both directions (left and right) relative to the opening of a storage compartment formed in the console box body (Patent Document 1). In this technology, when one knob is operated to open the lid in one direction, the vehicle console box is equipped with a restricting member that restricts operation of the other knob until the lid that has been opened in one direction is closed. Therefore, even if the other knob is accidentally operated while the lid is open in one direction, the lid that is open in one direction can be prevented from coming off the console box body.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-33745

However, with the technology described in Patent Document 1, a pendulum member that tilts due to gravity as the lid opens in one direction maintains the restricting member in the restricted state. In other words, the restricting state (a state in which operation of the other knob is restricted) is maintained by one member (the pendulum member). Therefore, if the pendulum member is accidentally returned to its original position while the lid is open in one direction, the restricting state of the restricting member may be released. In other words, when the lid is open in one direction, the other knob may become operable. Therefore, if the other knob is accidentally operated in this permitted state, the lid, when open in one direction, may become detached from the console box body.

The present invention aims to solve these problems, and its purpose is to reliably prevent a vehicle console box equipped with a lid that can be opened and closed from both sides of the opening from becoming detached from the console box body when the lid is opened in one direction and the knob in the other direction is accidentally operated.

According to one feature of the present disclosure, a vehicle console box includes a lid that can be opened and closed in both directions relative to an opening of a storage compartment formed in a console box body. The lid includes one locking mechanism, one knob, another locking mechanism, the other knob, a restricting member, one first retaining member, one second retaining member, the other first retaining member, and the other second retaining member. One locking mechanism locks the lid from opening in one direction. One knob unlocks one locking mechanism. The other locking mechanism locks the lid from opening in the other direction. The other knob unlocks the other locking mechanism. The restricting member restricts operation of the other knob when one locking mechanism is unlocked. One first retaining member and one second retaining member individually maintain one locking mechanism in an unlocked state. The other first retaining member and the other second retaining member individually maintain the other locking mechanism in an unlocked state.

Therefore, unless the individual retention by the two members is released at the same time, the lid will not be allowed to be opened in one direction and the other knob will be allowed to be operated. Therefore, the restricted state maintained by the restricting member is unlikely to be released. As a result, even if the other knob is accidentally operated while the lid is open in one direction, the lid, which is open in one direction, can be reliably prevented from coming off the console box body.

According to another feature of the present disclosure, one first holding member and the other first holding member have an assist function that uses the biasing force of an elastic member to assist the lid opening operation. Holding by one first holding member when one locking mechanism is unlocked, or holding by the other first holding member when the other locking mechanism is unlocked, is achieved by engagement of engaging claws formed on both members.

As a result, a simple structure can be used to assist the lid's opening in one direction and to keep one of the locking mechanisms 10 unlocked. The same is true for assisting the lid's opening in the other direction and keeping the other locking mechanism unlocked.

According to another feature of the present disclosure, the individual holding between one first holding member and one second holding member when one locking mechanism is unlocked is released by returning the lid, which has been opened in one direction, to a fully closed state. Furthermore, the individual holding between the other first holding member and the other second holding member when the other locking mechanism is unlocked is released by returning the lid, which has been opened in the other direction, to a fully closed state.

As a result, no separate operations are required to release these holds. Therefore, these holds can be released easily.

1 is an exploded perspective view of a console box for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a plan view of the assembled state of FIG. 1 . FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 2. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 2, showing the state in which the lid is opened to the right in imaginary lines. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 2, and shows the state in which the lid is opened to the left in imaginary lines.

Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. In the following description, the up/down, front/rear, and left/right directions refer to the up/down, front/rear, and left/right directions when the vehicle console box 1 is mounted on a vehicle (an automobile, not shown).

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vehicle console box 1 is primarily composed of a console box body 2 and a lid 3. The console box body 2 and lid 3 will be described separately below.

First, the console box body 2 will be described (see Figure 1). The console box body 2 is equipped with a storage compartment (not shown) that is open at the top and can accommodate items inside. A rectangular frame-shaped bezel 20 with an opening 20a is attached to the edge of the opening of the console box body 2 via multiple mounting claws 20b. The opening 20a of the bezel 20 is approximately aligned with the opening of the console box body 2.

A front hinge receiver 21 is formed in the left-right direction on the front portion 20c of the bezel 20. Pin holes 21a are formed at the left and right ends of the front hinge receiver 21, through which the pin 45b of the front rod 45, described below, can be advanced and retreated (inserted and removed). A rear hinge receiver 22 is formed in the rear portion 20d of the bezel 20, through which the rear end portion 50b of the rear rod 50, described below, can be advanced and retreated (inserted and removed).

A stepped portion 22c having a stepped surface 22b is formed in the left-right direction at the front end of the rear hinge receiver 22. The stepped surface 22b can be pressed against the arm body 55b of the jump-up member 55 (described below). The bezel 20 is integrally molded from a rigid synthetic resin. The console box main body 2 is constructed in this manner.

Next, we will explain the lid 3 (see Figures 1 to 4). The lid 3 is a cover member that covers the opening 20a of the bezel 20 (the opening of the console box body 2). The lid 3 includes a rectangular base 30, an outer member that is a design panel that covers the upper side of the base 30, and an inner member that covers the lower side of the base 30 (none of which are shown).

As shown in Figure 1, mounting frames 41 for mounting knobs 43 are attached to the left and right front positions of the base 30. The knobs 43 are attached to the mounting frames 41 so that they can slide left and right. A first compression spring 42 is interposed between the mounting frames 41 and the knobs 43. Therefore, when the left and right knobs 43 are pressed, they are biased (biased in the direction of arrow A in Figure 1) so as to return the received pressing operation. A pressing portion 43a with an inclined wall 43b is formed on the inner surface of the knob 43.

Front rods 45 are attached to the left and right sides of the base 30 so that they can slide in the front-to-rear direction. A round shaft-shaped pin 45b is formed on the front end 45a of the front rod 45. A protrusion 45c is formed at a position closer to the front of the front rod 45. A sloped wall 45d is formed on the protrusion 45c. A hook piece 45f is formed at approximately the center of the front-to-rear direction of the front rod 45.

An insertion pin 45g is formed in the approximate center of the front rod 45 in the front-to-rear direction, which can be inserted into a long hole 46b in the cam 46 (described below). An engagement claw 45i is formed on the rear end 45h of the front rod 45. A tension spring 51 is hooked between the first protrusion 31 formed on the base 30 and the hook piece 45f of the front rod 45. Therefore, when the left and right front rods 45 are slid from front to rear, they are biased (biased in the direction of arrow B in Figure 1) to return the received sliding operation.

Guide members 32 with through holes 32a extending in the front-to-rear direction are formed at left and right rear positions of the base 30. Round shaft-shaped rear rods 50 are also attached to the left and right rear positions of the base 30 so that they can slide in the front-to-rear direction. The front end 50a of the rear rod 50 is bent upward. The rear rod 50 is inserted into the through holes 32a of the guide members 32 and the through hole 55e of the jump-up member 55, which will be described later.

Cams 46 are rotatably mounted on the left and right sides of the base 30 via stepped screws 47. An elongated hole 46b is formed in one end 46a of the cam 46. The insertion pin 45g of the front rod 45 is inserted into the elongated hole 46b. The other end 46c of the cam 46 is formed in an elongated hole 46d. The front end 50a of the rear rod 50 is inserted into the elongated hole 46d.

The left front rod 45, left rear rod 50, left cam 46 on the base 30, and the left pin hole 21a and left pin hole 22a on the bezel 20 correspond to the left locking mechanism 10. Similarly, the right front rod 45, right rear rod 50, right cam 46 on the base 30, and the right pin hole 21a and right pin hole 22a on the bezel 20 correspond to the right locking mechanism 10.

A jump receiver 33 is formed in the left-right direction at a rear position of the base 30. The jump receiver 33 houses the jump member 55 (described later) in its interior 33b. Semicircular bearing portions 33a are formed on the left and right sides of the jump receiver 33, respectively, to rotatably support the shaft 55a of the jump member 55. The jump member 55 includes the shaft 55a and an arm 55b. The jump member 55 corresponds to the "first holding member" described in the claims. A through-hole 55e that penetrates the shaft 55a and arm 55b in the axial direction (front-to-back direction) is formed on the same axis.

The shaft body 55a is formed with an engagement portion 55c having an engagement claw 55d that can engage with the engagement claw 45i of the front rod 45 (see Figure 4). The jumping member 55 has the arm body 55b housed in the interior 33b of the jumping receiver 33, and the shaft body 55a is assembled to the bearing portion 33a of the jumping receiver 33. Therefore, the arm body 55b of the jumping member 55 can rotate around the axis in the axial direction (front-to-back direction).

A first torsion spring 56, which is an elastic member, is interposed between the base 30 and the arm body 55b of the jumping member 55. Therefore, when the arm body 55b of the left and right jumping members 55 is operated to retract into the interior 33b of the jumping receiver 33, the left and right jumping members 55 are biased (biased in the direction of arrow C in Figure 1) to reverse this retraction. A pin shaft 57 is inserted into the through hole 55e of the jumping member 55, the first torsion spring 56, and the through hole 32a of the guide member 32, with an E-ring 58 preventing it from coming loose.

A through-hole 57a is formed in the pin shaft 57, penetrating it in the axial direction. The rear rod 50 is inserted into the through-hole 57a of the pin shaft 57, with the rear end 50b of the rear rod 50 protruding. A pair of second protrusions 35 are formed on the left and right front positions of the base 30, extending in the left-right direction. A retaining member 53 is attached to the pair of second protrusions 35 so as to be rotatable around an axis whose axial direction is the left-right direction (see Figure 3). The retaining member 53 corresponds to the "second retaining member" described in the claims.

A second torsion spring 54 is interposed between the base 30 and the holding member 53. Therefore, when one end 53a of the left and right holding members 53 is operated to move away from the base 30, the left and right holding members 53 are biased (biased in the direction of arrow D in Figure 3) to return to their original position. Furthermore, a pair of third protrusions 36 extending in the left-right direction are formed near the center of the base 30 in the front-to-rear direction. A restricting member 60 is attached to the pair of third protrusions 36 so that it can slide in the left-to-right direction. An inclined wall 60a is formed at the tip 60b (left end) of the restricting member 60.

A compression spring 61 is interposed between the base 30 and the restricting member 60. Therefore, when the tip 60b of the restricting member 60 is moved away from the corner 45e of the protruding portion 45c of the left front rod 45, the restricting member 60 is biased (biased in the direction of arrow E in Figure 2) to return to its original position. The base 30 is molded integrally from a rigid synthetic resin. The lid 3 is constructed in this manner.

The pins 45b of the left and right front rods 45 of the lid 3 are inserted (protrude) into the left and right pin holes 21a of the front hinge receiver 21 of the console box main body 2 configured as described above. Furthermore, the rear end portions 50b of the left and right rear rods 50 of the lid 3 are inserted (protrude) into the left and right pin holes 22a of the rear hinge receiver 22 of the console box main body 2. Through these insertions, the lid 3 is assembled to the console box main body 2, completing the vehicle console box 1. In this assembled state, the opening of the console box main body 2 (opening 20a of the bezel 20) is blocked by the lid 3. In other words, the lid 3 is in a fully closed state.

When the lid 3 is fully closed, the pins 45b of the left and right front rods 45 of the lid 3 extend into the left and right pin holes 21a in the console box body 2. Similarly, the rear end portions 50b of the left and right rear rods 50 of the lid 3 extend into the left and right pin holes 22a in the console box body 2. As a result, the lid 3 is locked to the console box body 2 (locked state of the locking mechanism 10).

Next, we will explain the operation of the vehicle console box 1. In explaining this operation, we will separately explain the case where the lid 3 is opened to the right (opening in one direction) and the case where the lid 3 is opened to the left (opening in the other direction). In both cases, the explanation will begin with the lid 3 in a fully closed state.

First, we will explain how to open the lid 3 to the right. First, the right knob 43 is pushed in. This causes the inclined wall 43b of the right knob 43 to press against the inclined wall 45d of the right front rod 45. This causes the right front rod 45 to slide rearward against the biasing force of the tension spring 51. As a result, the pin 45b of the right front rod 45 retracts (falls out of) the right pin hole 21a in the console box body 2.

This sliding causes the right cam 46, which is connected to the right front rod 45, to rotate counterclockwise in a plan view. This rotation of the right cam 46 causes the right rear rod 50, which is connected to the right cam 46, to slide forward. As a result, the rear end 50b of the right rear rod 50 retracts (drops off) from the right pin hole 22a in the console box body 2. This retraction unlocks the right locking mechanism 10. In other words, the right locking mechanism 10 can be unlocked by pushing in the right knob 43.

As a result, the lid 3 can be opened to the right around an axis that uses the pin 45b of the left front rod 45 and the rear end portion 50b of the left rear rod 50 as the left hinge axis (see Figure 5). In Figure 5, the state shown by phantom lines is the state in which the lid 3 is opened to the right. Therefore, items can be placed in and removed from the interior of the vehicle console box 1 (the storage area of the console box main body 2) from the right side. Note that, as described above, when the right front rod 45 slides rearward against the biasing force of the tension spring 51, the protruding portion 45c of the slid rearward right front rod 45 and the base end portion 60c of the restricting member 60 face each other with a slight gap in the left-right direction.

Next, we will explain how to open the lid 3 to the left. First, the left knob 43 is pushed in. This causes the inclined wall 43b of the left knob 43 to press against the inclined wall 45d of the left front rod 45. This causes the left front rod 45 to slide rearward against the biasing force of the tension spring 51. As a result, the pin 45b of the left front rod 45 retracts (falls out of) the left pin hole 21a in the console box main body 2.

This sliding causes the left cam 46, which is connected to the left front rod 45, to rotate clockwise in a plan view. This rotation of the left cam 46 causes the left rear rod 50, which is connected to the left cam 46, to slide forward. As a result, the rear end 50b of the left rear rod 50 retracts (drops off) from the left pin hole 22a of the console box body 2. This retraction unlocks the left locking mechanism 10. In other words, the left locking mechanism 10 can be unlocked by pushing in the left knob 43.

As a result, the lid 3 can be opened to the left around an axis that uses the pin 45b of the right front rod 45 and the rear end portion 50b of the right rear rod 50 as the right hinge axis (see Figure 6). In Figure 6, the state shown by the imaginary lines is the state in which the lid 3 is opened to the left. Therefore, items can be placed in and removed from the interior of the vehicle console box 1 (the storage area of the console box main body 2) from the left side.

As described above, when the left front rod 45 slides rearward against the biasing force of the tension spring 51, the corner 45e of the protruding portion 45c of the left front rod 45 that has slid rearward presses against the inclined wall 60a of the tip 60b of the restricting member 60. This causes the restricting member 60 to slide to the right against the biasing force of the compression spring 61. Therefore, the protruding portion 45c of the right front rod 45 and the base end 60c of the restricting member 60 face each other with a small gap between them in the fore-and-aft direction.

As described above, when the lid 3 is opened to the right, the biasing force of the first torsion spring 56 causes the left jump-up member 55 to rotate so that the arm body 55b advances from the interior 33b of the jump-up receiver 33 of the console box body 2 (see Figure 5). At this time, the arm body 55b of the left jump-up member 55 presses against the stepped surface 22b of the rear hinge receiver 22 of the console box body 2.

As a result, a reaction force to this pressure acts on the lid 3. This reaction force acting on the lid 3 serves as an assisting force for the right-opening operation of the lid 3. In other words, the left spring-up member 55 has an assisting function that assists the right-opening operation of the lid 3. As a result, the lid 3 can be opened to the right with a light operating load.

Furthermore, as described above, when the lid 3 is opened to the right, the right front rod 45 has already slid rearward. Therefore, when the right spring-up member 55 rotates as described above, the engagement claw 55d of the engagement portion 55c of the rotated right spring-up member 55 engages with the engagement claw 45i of the right front rod 45 (see Figure 4). In Figure 4, the state shown by the imaginary lines indicates the engagement state between the engagement claw 55d of the right spring-up member 55 and the engagement claw 45i of the right front rod 45. Therefore, the state in which the right front rod 45 has slid rearward (the state in which the right locking mechanism 10 is unlocked) is maintained by the right spring-up member 55.

Furthermore, as described above, when the lid 3 is opened to the right, interference between one end 53a of the right retaining member 53 of the lid 3 and the front hinge receiver 21 of the console box body 2 is eliminated. Therefore, the biasing force of the second torsion spring 54 causes the one end 53a of the right retaining member 53 to rotate counterclockwise.

Then, the other end 53b of the right holding member 53 engages (presses against) the front edge of the protruding portion 45c of the right front rod 45 (see Figure 3). In Figure 3, the state shown by the imaginary lines indicates the engagement state between the other end 53b of the right holding member 53 and the protruding portion 45c of the right front rod 45. Therefore, the right front rod 45 is held in its rearward slid state by the right holding member 53. The same applies when the lid 3 is opened to the left.

Now, let us consider what happens when the left knob 43 is accidentally pushed in when the lid 3 is opened to the right. In this case, as already explained, the protruding portion 45c of the right front rod 45 that has slid rearward and the base end portion 60c of the restricting member 60 face each other with a slight gap in the left-right direction. This restricts the restricting member 60 from sliding to the right. Therefore, the left front rod 45 is also restricted from sliding rearward, and the pushing operation of the left knob 43 is also restricted. As a result, even if the left knob 43 is accidentally pushed in when the lid 3 is opened to the right, the pushing operation of the left knob 43 will not be accepted.

Conversely, we will explain what happens when the right knob 43 is accidentally pushed in when the lid 3 is opened to the left. In this case, as already explained, the protruding portion 45c of the right front rod 45 and the base end portion 60c of the restricting member 60 face each other with a small gap between them in the front-to-rear direction. Therefore, the right front rod 45 is also restricted from sliding rearward. Therefore, the pushing operation of the right knob 43 is also restricted. As a result, even if the right knob 43 is accidentally pushed in when the lid 3 is opened to the left, the right knob 43 will not be pushed in.

When the right-open lid 3 is closed (when the lid 3 is returned to its fully closed state), the arm body 55b of the right spring-up member 55 presses against the stepped surface 22b of the rear hinge receiver 22 of the console box body 2. The spring-up member 55 then rotates against the biasing force of the first torsion spring 56, causing the arm body 55b to retract into the interior 33b of the spring-up receiver 33 of the console box body 2. This disengages the engagement claw 55d of the engagement portion 55c of the rotated right spring-up member 55 from the engagement claw 45i of the right front rod 45. This releases the right spring-up member 55 from holding the right front rod 45 in its rearward slid position.

At the same time, one end 53a of the right retaining member 53 of the lid 3 interferes with the front hinge receiver 21 of the console box body 2. This causes the one end 53a of the right retaining member 53 to rotate clockwise against the biasing force of the second torsion spring 54. This disengages the other end 53b of the rotated right retaining member 53 from the front edge of the protruding portion 45c of the right front rod 45. This releases the right retaining member 53 from holding the right front rod 45 in a rearwardly slid position.

When these retention forces are released, the right front rod 45 slides forward due to the biasing force of the tension spring 51. At the same time, the right rear rod 50 also slides rearward via the right cam 46. Therefore, the pin 45b of the right front rod 45 advances (returns) into the right pin hole 21a of the console box body 2, and at the same time, the rear end 50b of the right rear rod 50 advances (returns) into the right pin hole 22a of the console box body 2. As a result, the right locking mechanism 10 is returned to the locked state. The same applies when closing the lid 3 that opens to the left.

The vehicle console box 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured as described above. This vehicle console box 1 allows the lid 3 to be opened and closed in both directions (left and right) relative to the opening of the storage compartment formed in the console box body 2. This vehicle console box 1 includes a restricting member 60 that restricts operation of the other knob 43 when one locking mechanism 10 is unlocked. The vehicle console box 1 also includes a left jumping-up member 55 and a left retaining member 53 that individually maintain the left locking mechanism 10 in the unlocked state. The vehicle console box 1 also includes a right jumping-up member 55 and a right retaining member 53 that individually maintain the right locking mechanism 10 in the unlocked state. In other words, unlike the prior art, the restricting state (a state in which operation of the other knob is restricted) provided by the restricting member 60 is individually maintained by two members (the jumping-up member 55 and the retaining member 53). Therefore, unless the individual retention by the two members is simultaneously released, the lid 3 cannot be opened in one direction and the other knob 43 cannot be allowed to be operated. Therefore, the restricted state maintained by the restricting member 60 is unlikely to be released. As a result, even if the other knob 43 is accidentally operated while the lid 3 is open in one direction, the lid 3, which is open in one direction, can be reliably prevented from coming off the console box main body 2.

Furthermore, with this configuration, the right spring-up member 55 has an assist function that assists the right-opening operation of the lid 3. Furthermore, the right spring-up member 55 maintains the right front rod 45 in a slid rearward position (the right locking mechanism 10 is unlocked) by engaging the engagement claw 55d of the right spring-up member 55 with the engagement claw 45i of the right front rod 45. Therefore, assistance in the right-opening operation of the lid 3 and maintenance of the right locking mechanism 10 in an unlocked state can be achieved with a simple structure. The same applies to assistance in the left-opening operation of the lid 3 and maintenance of the left locking mechanism 10 in an unlocked state.

Furthermore, with this configuration, when the right-opening lid 3 is closed (when the lid 3 is returned to its fully closed state), the right spring-up member 55 releases the right front rod 45 from sliding rearward. At the same time, the right retaining member 53 releases the right front rod 45 from sliding rearward. Therefore, no separate operation is required to release these retaining forces. Therefore, these retaining forces can be released easily.

The above describes an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment and can be implemented in various other forms. For example, the front-to-back positional relationship between the holding member 53 and the jumping member 55 may be reversed.

1 Vehicle console box 2 Console box body 3 Lid 10 Lock mechanism 43 Knob 60 Restriction member 53 Holding member (second holding member)
55 Jumping member (first holding member)

Claims (3)

A console box for a vehicle is provided with a lid that can be opened and closed from both sides with respect to an opening of a storage section formed in a console box body,
The lid is
a locking mechanism for locking the lid from opening in one direction;
one knob for unlocking the one locking mechanism;
another locking mechanism that locks the lid from opening in the other direction;
another knob for unlocking the other locking mechanism;
a restricting member that restricts operation of the other knob when the one locking mechanism is in an unlocked state;
a first holding member and a second holding member that individually hold the first locking mechanism in an unlocked state;
A console box for a vehicle includes another first holding member and another second holding member that individually hold the other locking mechanism in an unlocked state. 2. The console box for a vehicle according to claim 1,
the one first holding member and the other first holding member have an assist function of assisting the opening operation of the lid by the biasing force of an elastic member,
A console box for a vehicle in which the holding by one of the first retaining members when one of the locking mechanisms is unlocked, or the holding by the other of the first retaining members when the other of the locking mechanisms is unlocked, is achieved by engagement of engaging claws formed on both. The console box for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 2,
A console box for a vehicle, wherein the individual retention between the one first retaining member and the one second retaining member when one of the locking mechanisms is unlocked, or the individual retention between the other first retaining member and the other second retaining member when the other locking mechanism is unlocked, is released by returning the lid, which has been opened in one direction or the other direction, to a fully closed state.