Glove box and vehicle including the same

Abstract

The present application provides a glove box for a vehicle, comprising a glove box inner panel and a glove box outer panel, wherein the glove box outer panel is engaged with a dashboard of a vehicle dashboard at an interface when the glove box is in a closed state, the glove box outer panel defines a hollow cavity and has an outer panel opening leading to the hollow cavity at the interface, an outer sealed airbag is at least partially received in the hollow cavity, the inner space of the glove box is defined by an elastic material airbag, the elastic material airbag is at least partially attached to at least one of the inner surface of the glove box inner panel, the inner surface of the glove box outer panel and the inner surface of the dashboard, and has an opening at the interface, the elastic material airbag is configured to automatically hermetically seal the opening when the glove box is closed, so that the elastic material airbag forms an inner sealed airbag, wherein an elastically deformable device is attached to at least one of the outer surface of the glove box outer panel facing away from the inner space and / or the outer panel of the vehicle dashboard. The present application also provides a vehicle including a glove box.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of vehicles, and in particular to a glove box for a vehicle and a vehicle including the glove box. Background Art

[0002] Usually, a dashboard is provided on the front side of the vehicle, extending in front of both the driver's seat and the front passenger seat of the vehicle. The dashboard is usually an assembly of an operating unit for instruments, air conditioning, audio and other electronic equipment, an air conditioning outlet, and a glove box.

[0003] The glove box is located in front of the passenger side of the vehicle and is an openable storage box for sundries. When the vehicle decelerates or stops suddenly or crashes head-on, the legs (mainly the knees) of the passenger sitting in the passenger seat may collide with the glove box, so it is hoped that the glove box can provide sufficient cushioning and energy absorption to protect the passengers. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of this application is to enhance the buffering and energy absorption functions of the glove box so as to reduce the impact and damage of the glove box to the legs of the passenger on the front passenger side as much as possible when an emergency deceleration, emergency stop or frontal collision occurs during vehicle driving.

[0005] The above-mentioned object is achieved by the glove box for vehicles of the present application. The glove box comprises a glove box inner plate and a glove box outer plate, wherein the glove box outer plate is engaged with the instrument panel of the vehicle instrument panel at an interface when the glove box is in a closed state, the glove box outer plate defines a hollow cavity and has an outer plate opening leading to the hollow cavity at the interface, and an outer sealed airbag is at least partially received in the hollow cavity, wherein the internal space of the glove box for accommodating sundries is defined by an elastic material airbag, the elastic material airbag is at least partially attached to at least one of the inner surface of the glove box inner plate, the inner surface of the glove box outer plate and the inner surface of the instrument panel, and has an opening at the interface, and when the glove box is closed, the elastic material airbag automatically seals the opening in an airtight manner, so that the elastic material airbag forms an inner sealed airbag, wherein an elastically deformable device is attached to the outer surface of the glove box inner plate facing away from the internal space and / or in the outer plate of the vehicle instrument panel.

[0006] In one embodiment, the outer sealing airbag is capable of extending out of the outer panel opening at least when it is squeezed to have a first preset internal air pressure value.

[0007] In one embodiment, the outer sealed airbag partially extends out of the outer panel opening even when not compressed, and engages the instrument panel in an airtight seal when the glove box is closed.

[0008] In one embodiment, the elastic material airbag is formed from a unitary elastic material sheet or film or comprises a plurality of elastic material film or sheet portions sealingly connected to each other.

[0009] In one embodiment, the elastic material airbag is attached to at least a portion of the inner surface of the glove box inner panel, and / or at least a portion of the inner surface of the glove box outer panel, and / or at least a portion of the inner surface of the instrument panel by gluing.

[0010] In one embodiment, the elastically deformable device comprises at least one first elastically deformable device fixedly attached to the outer side surface of the glove box inner panel, and at least one second elastically deformable device received in a hole of the instrument panel.

[0011] In one embodiment, one or both of the first elastically deformable device and the second elastically deformable device include at least one of a spring, a rubber body, and a sponge.

[0012] In one embodiment, the glove box further includes a glove box side panel connected to both the glove box outer panel and the glove box inner panel.

[0013] In one embodiment, the outer sealing airbag and the inner sealing airbag are made of latex material.

[0014] In one embodiment, the glove box outer panel is made of a thin metal sheet.

[0015] The present application also relates to a vehicle comprising the above-mentioned glove box.

[0016] The glove box according to the present application provides a quadruple buffer and energy absorption structure. When the vehicle is involved in an accident or an emergency deceleration or emergency stop, causing the passenger's legs to hit the glove box, the glove box can provide sufficient buffering and collision energy absorption for the passenger's legs, thereby minimizing possible injuries to the passenger's legs. In addition, since the outer panel of the glove box is made of an easily deformable material, such as a metal plate, it is easier to restore to its original state after deformation, compared to a glove box made of fragile plastic material, thereby reducing the probability of replacement and repair and thus saving related costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The above and other features and advantages of the present application can be fully understood from the following detailed description of the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a glove box for a vehicle according to the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] Figure 1A schematic diagram of a glove box 100 for a vehicle according to the present application is shown. The glove box 100 is usually located directly in front of and below the passenger on the front passenger side, and mainly includes a glove box outer panel 10 and a glove box inner panel 20. Optionally, the glove box 100 also includes a glove box side panel (not shown in the figure) connected to the glove box outer panel 10 and the glove box inner panel 20, and the glove box side panel can be a fan-shaped flat plate structure, or a curved plate structure similar to a "V" or "Z" shape. The pivoting portion 25 that defines the pivot axis X of the glove box 100 connects the glove box outer panel 10 and the glove box inner panel 20 together to form a glove box 100 with a roughly V-shaped structure.

[0020] The glove box 100 may be Figure 1 The figure shows an integrated glove box, in which the glove box outer panel 10, the glove box inner panel 20 and the pivoting portion 25 and the optional glove box side panel are an integrated structure. However, those skilled in the art should understand that this is not necessary, and for other considerations or purposes, the glove box 100 can also be a component structure assembled from multiple parts.

[0021] Figure 1 The glove box 100 is shown in a closed state. The glove box outer panel 10 includes a lower portion connected to the pivot portion 25 and an opposite upper portion, and is engaged with a convex engaging portion 62 of an instrument panel 60 constituting a vehicle instrument panel at the upper portion, and the convex engaging portion 62 has a sufficiently smooth arc surface. The glove box inner panel 20 is substantially in a vertical state, so that the glove box outer panel 10, the glove box inner panel 20, and the instrument panel 60 of the vehicle instrument panel (and optionally the glove box side panel) form a glove box inner space G for containing sundries. An actuating portion (not shown) of the glove box is provided on the outer surface of the glove box outer panel 10 or on the upper portion of the glove box outer panel 10, so that the passenger can conveniently manually actuate the glove box to rotate it clockwise around the pivot axis X, move the glove box 100 to the open state of the glove box (not shown in the figure), or rotate the glove box 100 in the opposite direction to the closed state shown in the figure when the glove box 100 is in the open state. A locking device for locking the glove box 100 in a closed state may be provided at the interface where the glove box outer panel 10 engages with the convex engaging portion 62 of the instrument panel 60 . The locking device may be any locking device widely known in the art.

[0022] The glove box internal space G for containing sundries is defined by an air bag 40 having an opening 42, and the air bag 40 is formed by an elastic material sheet or film attached to the inner surface 11 of the glove box outer panel 10 facing the internal space G, the inner surface 21 of the glove box inner panel 20 facing the internal space G, and the inner surface 61 of the instrument panel 60 facing the internal space G. The air bag 40 may be formed by an integral elastic material sheet or film, or include a plurality of elastic material sheet or film portions that are sealed and connected.

[0023] The elastic material sheet or film forming the airbag 40 may be attached to at least one of the inner surface 11, the inner surface 21 and the inner surface 61 or to all of these inner surfaces, and optionally, may also be attached to the inner surface (not shown) of the side panel facing the inner space G. The elastic material sheet or film forming the airbag 40 may be partially or entirely attached to the corresponding surface, such as the inner surface 11 and the inner surface 21. The elastic material sheet or film forming the airbag 40 may be partially attached to the inner surface 61 or the inner surface of the side panel to prevent it from being torn or damaged during repeated opening and closing of the glove box 100. The attachment of the elastic material sheet or film forming the airbag 40 to the corresponding surface may be achieved by bonding or any other feasible manner, or by adsorption of the material itself to the metal material plate.

[0024] The opening 42 of the air bag 40 is disposed at the interface between the glove box outer panel 10 and the convex joint portion 62 of the instrument panel 60, and is hermetically sealed by the engagement of the glove box outer panel 10 and the convex joint portion 62 when the glove box 100 is closed. That is, when the glove box 100 is in a closed state, the air bag 40 is always in a hermetically sealed state, and forms an inner sealed air bag when not filled with sundries. The air bag 40 may be made of, for example, latex or similar materials.

[0025] According to the present application, the glove box outer panel 10 can be made of a deformable material. For example, in the integrated glove box of the present application, the glove box 100 is made of a deformable metal material, such as a thin metal plate.

[0026] The glove box outer panel 10 has a hollow cavity 12 formed therein, and an outer panel opening 14 leading to the hollow cavity 12 is formed at the top of the glove box outer panel 10. The outer sealed airbag 30 can be placed in the hollow cavity 12 through the outer panel opening 14. The outer sealed airbag 30 can be configured to be completely in the hollow cavity 12 of the glove box outer panel 10, and to extend out of the outer panel opening 14 when compressed to a first preset internal air pressure value. Optionally, as Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , the outer sealing airbag 30 can be configured to be mostly accommodated in the hollow cavity 12 and partially extend out of the outer panel opening 14. When the glove box 100 is in the closed state shown in the figure, the portion of the outer sealing airbag 30 extending out of the outer panel opening 14 is sealingly engaged with the convex engagement portion 62 of the instrument panel 60.

[0027] The outer sealing airbag 30 can be made of the same or different elastic material as the airbag 40, for example, it can be a common balloon-shaped body. Optionally, the outer sealing airbag 30 can be attached to or partially attached to the surface defining the hollow cavity 12 to achieve the purpose of being fixed therein.

[0028] like Figure 1As shown, a first elastically deformable device 70 is attached to the outer surface 23 of the glove box inner panel 20 facing away from the internal space G, and a second elastically deformable device 80 is provided in the instrument panel 60. Optionally, only one of the first elastically deformable device 70 and the second elastically deformable device 80 can be provided. The first elastically deformable device 70 and the second elastically deformable device 80 can be provided as at least one, for example, one or more elastic members as shown in the figure, including but not limited to the spring, rubber block, sponge, etc. shown in the figure. The number of elastic members can be set as needed. The attachment of the first elastically deformable device 70 to the glove box inner panel 20 of the metal material can be achieved by welding or any other form known to those skilled in the art; the second elastically deformable device 80 can be accommodated in the hole 63 formed in the instrument panel 60 as shown in the figure. The first elastically deformable device 70 and the second elastically deformable device 80 can be elastically deformed when the internal air pressure of the airbag 40 reaches the second preset value.

[0029] According to the glove box 100 of the present application, when an accident occurs in the vehicle and the passenger's leg hits the glove box outer panel 10, the thin-walled outer panel structure including the hollow cavity 12 is easily deformed and bent toward the outer sealed airbag 30, providing the first buffer for the passenger's leg. This structure is the first energy absorption structure of the glove box 100. As the outer panel 10 deforms, the outer sealed airbag 30 is squeezed, the internal air pressure increases, and the part squeezed out or extruded from the outer panel opening 14 becomes larger, which provides a second buffer for the passenger's leg. Thus, the outer sealed airbag 30 constitutes the second energy absorption structure of the glove box 100. The more the part of the outer sealed airbag 30 squeezed out from the outer panel opening 14, the stronger the sealing performance of the inner sealed airbag constituted by the airbag 40. However, as the deformation of the outer panel 10 increases, the inner sealed airbag is also squeezed and the internal pressure increases, which provides a third buffer for the passenger's leg. Thus, the inner sealed airbag constitutes the third energy absorption structure of the glove box 100. When the internal air pressure of the inner sealed airbag reaches a second preset internal air pressure value, the inner panel 20 of the glove box 100 is deformed. The deformation of the inner panel 20 causes one or both of the elastically deformable devices 70 and 80 attached thereto to deform, providing a fourth level of cushioning for the passenger's legs. Thus, the springs attached to the glove box inner panel 10 and the dashboard 60 constitute the fourth energy absorption structure of the glove box 100.

[0030] Thus, when the passenger's legs hit the glove box 100, the glove box 100 can provide quadruple cushioning and energy absorption, thereby minimizing possible damage to the passenger's legs. In addition, since the glove box 100 is made of easily deformable materials, such as metal plates, it is easier to restore to its original shape after deformation, and will not break as easily as a plastic glove box, thereby reducing the chance of replacement and repair and thus saving related costs.

[0031] The preferred embodiments of the present application are described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications and substitutions can be made to the embodiments disclosed in the present application without departing from the protection scope defined by the attached claims, and these modifications and substitutions should be considered to fall within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A glove box for a vehicle, comprising a glove box inner panel and a glove box outer panel, wherein the glove box outer panel engages with a dashboard of a vehicle instrument panel at an interface when the glove box is in a closed state, the glove box outer panel defines a hollow cavity and has an outer panel opening leading to the hollow cavity at the interface, an outer sealed airbag is at least partially received in the hollow cavity, in, The internal space of the glove box for containing sundries is defined by an elastic material airbag, which is at least partially attached to at least one of the inner surface of the glove box inner panel, the inner surface of the glove box outer panel and the inner surface of the instrument panel, and has an opening at the interface. When the glove box is closed, the elastic material airbag automatically hermetically seals the opening, so that the elastic material airbag forms an inner sealed airbag. Wherein, an elastically deformable device is attached to the outer surface of the glove box inner panel facing away from the inner space and / or to the outer panel of the vehicle instrument panel.

2. The glove box according to claim 1, wherein: The outer sealing airbag can extend out of the outer panel opening at least when it is squeezed to have a first preset internal air pressure value.

3. The glove box according to claim 2, wherein: The outer sealed airbag partially extends out of the outer panel opening even when not compressed, and engages the instrument panel in an airtight seal when the glove box is closed.

4. The glove box according to claim 1, wherein: The elastic material airbag is formed from a unitary elastic material sheet or film or comprises a plurality of elastic material film or sheet portions sealingly connected to each other.

5. The glove box according to claim 4, wherein: The elastic material airbag is attached to at least a portion of the inner surface of the glove box inner panel, and / or at least a portion of the inner surface of the glove box outer panel, and / or at least a portion of the inner surface of the instrument panel by gluing.

6. The glove box according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The elastically deformable device includes at least one first elastically deformable device fixedly attached to the outer side surface of the glove box inner panel, and at least one second elastically deformable device received in a hole of the instrument panel.

7. The glove box according to claim 6, wherein: One or both of the first elastically deformable device and the second elastically deformable device include at least one of a spring, a rubber body, and a sponge.

8. The glove box according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a glove box side panel connected to both the glove box outer panel and the glove box inner panel.

9. The glove box according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The outer sealing airbag and the inner sealing airbag are made of latex material.

10. The glove box according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The glove box outer panel is made of a thin metal sheet.

11. A vehicle comprising the glove box according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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