Central console for a vehicle

Abstract

A center console of a vehicle is provided. The center console includes an article placement portion (11), a front block portion (12), a rear block portion (13), a bridge portion (14), an inclined wall (17), and a terminal connection port (18). The front block portion (12) is disposed in front of the article placement portion (11). The rear block portion (13) is disposed behind the article placement portion (11). The bridge portion (14) is disposed above the article placement portion (11) with a space portion interposed therebetween, and has a width in a vehicle width direction that is narrower than that of the article placement portion (11). The inclined wall (17) is disposed in a front portion of the article placement portion (11) and is inclined upward toward a front side of the vehicle. The terminal connection port (18) is disposed in the inclined wall (17). The terminal connection port (18) is disposed in a position that does not overlap the bridge portion (14) in a plan view.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a center console of a vehicle. BACKGROUND

[0002] As a structure in a vehicle cabin of a vehicle, a structure in which a center console in which a shift operation portion, various switches, an article storage portion, and the like are arranged is provided between a driver's seat and a front passenger's seat of a front seat is known.

[0003] In recent years, along with the spread of portable information terminals and the like, vehicles in which a terminal connection port such as a USB port is provided in a vehicle cabin are increasing. In consideration of the convenience of an occupant of a front seat, a structure in which an article placement portion in which an article such as a portable information terminal can be placed and a terminal connection port such as a USB port are arranged in an upper portion of a center console is proposed (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-220740). SUMMARY

[0004] However, in the above-described conventional center console, since the article placement portion and the terminal connection port are arranged in the upper portion of the center console, when a liquid such as a beverage is spilled on the upper portion of the center console in a state in which an article such as a portable information terminal is placed on the article placement portion by mistake, the liquid can fall on the article. In addition, in the conventional center console, the terminal connection port is arranged at a high position on the upper surface side of the center console, and thus it is difficult for an occupant seated on a front seat to perform work for attaching and detaching an electric device such as a portable information terminal to and from the terminal connection port.

[0005] The present application provides a center console of a vehicle in which an article placed on an article placement portion can be protected and a terminal of an electric device can be easily attached to and detached from a terminal connection port.

[0006] A center console of a vehicle according to an aspect of the present application includes an article placement portion, a front block portion arranged in front of the article placement portion, a rear block portion arranged in back of the article placement portion, a bridge portion spanning the front block portion and the rear block portion and arranged above the article placement portion with a space portion interposed therebetween and having a width in a vehicle width direction that is narrower than that of the article placement portion, an inclined wall arranged in a front portion of the article placement portion and inclined toward the upper portion toward a front side of the vehicle, and a terminal connection port arranged in the inclined wall, wherein the terminal connection port is arranged at a position that does not overlap the bridge portion in a plan view.

[0007] With the above-described structure, the main part of the upper side of the article placement portion is covered by the bridge portion. Therefore, in the case where the occupant makes a mistake and spills a liquid such as a beverage on the upper side of the center console, the liquid such as the beverage is also less likely to fall on the article placed on the article placement portion. In addition, the terminal connection port is disposed on the inclined wall of the front portion of the article placement portion and is positioned so as not to overlap with the bridge portion in plan view. Therefore, the width of the bridge portion is narrower than the width of the article placement portion, and this makes it easy to attach and detach the electrical device with respect to the terminal connection port.

[0008] The inclined wall can be inclined toward the direction of the occupant seated on the front seat.

[0009] In this case, the occupant seated on the front seat can easily attach and detach the electrical device with respect to the terminal connection port while maintaining the seated state.

[0010] The front block portion can be provided with an eave portion that protrudes upward of the terminal connection port.

[0011] In this case, the eave portion of the front block portion covers the upper side of the terminal connection port, and therefore, when a liquid such as a beverage is spilled on the upper side of the center console, the spilled liquid can be prevented from directly falling on the terminal connection port by the eave portion.

[0012] The rear block portion can be provided with an article storage recess that is open upward, and a through groove can be provided on the peripheral wall of the article storage recess, the through groove being open upward and allowing a cable for connecting the terminal connection port and the electrical device to pass therethrough.

[0013] In this case, by passing the cable connected to one end portion of the terminal connection port through the through groove, the electrical device connected to the other end portion of the cable can be disposed in the article storage recess of the rear block portion. Thus, the placement position of the electrical device can be determined by selecting from among the article placement portion and the article storage recess, and therefore, the convenience of the occupant is further improved.

[0014] The through groove can be provided on both left and right sides of the front wall of the article storage recess.

[0015] In this configuration, the cable passes through one through-slot of the front wall from the front (towards the item placement area), and is pulled back along the width direction on the rear surface of the front wall to pass through the other through-slot, thereby pulling the cable out to the front side of the front wall. Furthermore, if necessary, the cable pulled to the front side of the front wall is pulled back along the width direction on the front surface of the front wall to pass through one through-slot again, thus pulling the cable out into the item storage recess. The cable can be wound any number of times around the perimeter wall, depending on its length. Therefore, with this structure, even with a long cable, excess cable can be held between the left and right through-slots of the front wall of the item storage recess, improving user convenience.

[0016] Alternatively, the rear block may have a cover that can be opened and closed above the recessed area for storing the item. When the cover is open, it opens the top of the through groove, and when it is closed, it covers the top of the through groove while maintaining the connection between the front and back of the front wall.

[0017] In this configuration, the electrical device can be stored in the storage recess while maintaining the connection between the device and the terminal connector via a cable, and the cover can be closed while keeping this connection intact. Therefore, the device can be stored in the storage recess without being visible from the outside, and charging can be performed in this state. Consequently, using this structure allows for safer placement of electrical devices inside the vehicle.

[0018] In the center console of the vehicle according to the present invention, a bridge portion, narrower in width in the vehicle width direction than the cargo storage section, is positioned above the cargo storage section across a space. Terminal connection ports are positioned on the inclined wall at the front of the cargo storage section in a manner that does not overlap with the bridge portion when viewed from above. Therefore, with the center console of the present invention, the bridge portion can protect the items placed on the cargo storage section, and occupants seated in the front seats can easily detach and install electrical equipment terminals relative to the terminal connection ports. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the front of the vehicle's cab in the embodiment of the method.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a top view of the central seating area in the implementation method.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the central seating area in the implementation method.

[0022] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A cross-sectional view along line IV-IV.

[0023] Figure 5 is a perspective view of a central console of an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present application will be described based on the drawings.

[0025] Note that, in the following description, with respect to front and rear, upper and lower, left and right, unless otherwise specified, these refer to the front and rear, upper and lower, left and right of the vehicle. Also, an arrow UP pointing upward of the vehicle, an arrow FR pointing forward of the vehicle, and an arrow LH pointing to the left side of the vehicle are indicated at appropriate positions in the drawings.

[0026] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a front portion of the front seats in the vehicle cabin of the vehicle 1 of the embodiment.

[0027] As shown in Figure 1 , a dashboard 2 is disposed in front of the front seats in the vehicle cabin, and the dashboard 2 is provided with various meters, an audio operation section, an air conditioning operation section, and the like. Note that the vehicle 1 of the embodiment is a so-called left-hand drive vehicle in which the driver's seat is disposed on the left side and the front passenger's seat is disposed on the right side, facing the front of the vehicle. A central console 10 is disposed between the driver's seat and the front passenger's seat. The central console 10 is bulged upward with respect to a floor panel 3 in the vehicle cabin, and the front end portion extends to a lower region of the dashboard 2. The central console 10 is formed as a substantially cuboid shape that is long in the front-rear direction.

[0028] Figure 2 is a plan view of the central console 10. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the central console 10 viewed from the rear left upper side.

[0029] The central console 10 is provided with: an article placement portion 11 having a flat placement surface 11a on the upper surface; a front block portion 12 disposed in front of the article placement portion 11; a rear block portion 13 disposed behind the article placement portion 11; and a bridge portion 14 spanning the front block portion 12 and the rear block portion 13.

[0030] The article placement portion 11 has a placement surface 11a which is substantially rectangular in plan view, extends substantially horizontally, and has a substantially rectangular shape; extension placement surfaces 11b which extend substantially horizontally from the side end portions of the placement surface 11a to the front; and side walls 11c which rise upward from the end portions of the placement surface 11a and the extension placement surfaces 11b on the vehicle width direction outer sides. The article placement portion 11 is formed in a tray shape having rims on both sides. A rear bulging portion 15 which rises upward is provided in the vehicle width direction central region of the front portion of the placement surface 11a. The rear bulging portion 15 constitutes a part of the rear wall of the front block portion 12. The rear bulging portion 15 bulges convexly toward the vehicle rear side in the vehicle width direction central region of the front portion of the article placement portion 11. The left and right extension placement surfaces 11b are front extension regions of the placement surface 11a which are divided left and right by the rear bulging portion 15.

[0031] When the article placement portion 11 is placed with a rectangular plate-shaped article such as a portable information terminal on the placement surface 11a, the front displacement of the article can be restricted by abutting against the end portion on the front side of the article. Further, when the rectangular plate-shaped article is placed on the placement surface 11a, a space formed by the extension placement surfaces 11b is ensured in front of the end portion on the width direction outer side of the article. When the rectangular plate-shaped article is taken out from the placement surface 11a, the user inserts a finger into the space formed by the extension placement surfaces 11b, and can easily take out the article by hooking the finger to the end portion of the article.

[0032] The front block portion 12 is a block in which a shift lever 16 is provided on the upper surface and a lever link device, wiring, and the like are built in the interior. The front end portion of the front block portion 12 is connected to the lower side of the vehicle width direction central region of the instrument panel 2. The rear bulging portion 15 described above is provided in the vehicle width direction central region of the rear portion of the front block portion 12. Left and right inclined walls 17 which incline upward toward the vehicle front side are formed on both sides of the rear bulging portion 15 of the rear portion of the front block portion 12. Each inclined wall 17 is provided at a position in front of each extension placement surface 11b of the article placement portion 11 on the left and right, and also inclines toward the vehicle width direction in a direction (in a manner substantially facing the seated occupant) toward the occupant seated on the front seat (driver's seat or passenger's seat).

[0033] A terminal connection port 18 for connecting an electric device such as a portable information terminal (including a portable telephone) is provided in each inclined wall 17 on the left and right. The terminal connection port 18 is a connection port such as a USB port which connects a terminal for power supply, signal transmission and reception, and the like with the electric device, but the shape and structure are arbitrary. The number of terminal connection ports 18 provided in the inclined wall 17 can also be two or more. In this case, each terminal connection port 18 can be a structure of the same form (same specification), or a structure of different forms (different specifications).

[0034] It should be noted that cables 19 connected to electrical equipment can be connected to each terminal connection port 18 (see reference). Figure 5 The terminals are for flash memory and other devices, but for devices such as flash memory, the terminals that protrude from the device can be directly inserted.

[0035] In addition, an eave 22 is provided at the upper end of each of the left and right inclined walls 17, extending toward the rear of the vehicle and covering the top of the terminal connection port 18.

[0036] The rear section 13 has an upward-opening item storage recess 20 and an opening 20a for the item storage recess 20 (see reference). Figure 5 The cover 21 is designed for opening and closing. The cover 21 has an opening / closing hinge (not shown) at its rear end, which rotates around the hinge axis when operated by an occupant. When the opening 20a of the item storage recess 20 is opened, the front end of the cover 21 is raised significantly upwards, centered on the rear end. Additionally, cushioning material is embedded in the upper surface and surrounding area of ​​the cover 21. When the opening 20a of the item storage recess 20 is closed, the cover 21 also functions as an armrest for the occupant seated in the front row to rest their arm.

[0037] The bridge section 14 extends along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and connects the upper rear end of the front block section 12 with the upper front end of the rear block section 13 (item storage recess 20). The bridge section 14 is positioned above the item placement section 11 via the space section 25. The width of the bridge section 14 in the vehicle width direction is set to be narrower than the width of the placement surface 11a of the item placement section 11 in the vehicle width direction.

[0038] More specifically, the bridge section 14 has a narrow section 14a extending from its central region in the front-rear direction to its rear end. This narrow section 14a is significantly narrower in the vehicle width direction than the mounting surface 11a, and its ends in the vehicle width direction are located further inward than the ends in the vehicle width direction of the mounting surface 11a. A widening section 14b, whose width gradually increases forward in the vehicle width direction, is provided on the front side of the narrow section 14a of the bridge section 14. The front end of the widening section 14b is integrally connected to the rear of the front block section 12.

[0039] The outer edge of the front end side of the extended portion 14b in the width direction is connected to the eaves 22 of the aforementioned front block portion 12.

[0040] The narrow section 14a of the bridge section 14 is located at an inward position on both sides of the vehicle width direction compared to the ends of both sides of the mounting surface 11a in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, as Figure 2As shown, when viewed from above, a portion of each side edge of the mounting surface 11a in the vehicle width direction is visible outwards. Therefore, when the portable information terminal is placed on the side of the mounting surface 11a with the screen facing upwards, occupants seated in seats near the mounted portable information terminal (driver's or front passenger's seat) can easily visually recognize the screen of the portable information terminal. It should be noted that, at this time, occupants seated in seats far from the mounted portable information terminal (front passenger or driver's seat) have their view obstructed by the bridge portion 14 (narrow portion 14a), thus hindering visual recognition of the portable information terminal's screen. Therefore, occupants in the front seats can protect their privacy by ensuring that the screen of the portable information terminal near them is not seen by adjacent occupants.

[0041] Furthermore, the terminal connection ports 18 provided on the left and right inclined walls 17 at the front of the item placement section 11 are positioned in a way that does not overlap with the bridge section 14 when viewed from above. The position of the terminal connection ports 18 can be further preferably positioned in a way that does not overlap with the bridge section 14 when viewed from the line of sight of an occupant sitting in the front seat.

[0042] In addition, various switches S, such as the parking switch, are arranged along the front-to-back direction on the upper surface of the bridge 14.

[0043] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A cross-sectional view along line IV-IV. Additionally, Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the central seating platform 10 with the cover 21 of the rear section 13 open.

[0044] like Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, two openings (peripheral walls) are formed on the front wall 20f of the item storage recess 20, separating to the left and right sides, forming through grooves 23 that open upwards and extend through the front wall 20f from front to back. Cables 19 connected to portable information terminals can be inserted into each through groove 23 from above. When the upper part of the item storage recess 20 is closed by the cover 21, the upper parts of the left and right through grooves 23 of the front wall 20f are closed by the front edge of the cover 21. In other words, when the cover 21 is open, the upper parts of the two through grooves 23 are open; when closed, it covers the upper parts of the two through grooves 23 and maintains the front-to-back communication of the front wall 20f.

[0045] Central seating area 10 Figure 5 As shown, the excess portion of the cable 19 can pass through the two through slots 23 of the front wall 20f and remain on the front wall 20f.

[0046] Specifically, in a state where the lid 21 is opened, for example, the cable 19 is passed through the through groove 23 on one side of the front wall 20f from the front, and the cable 19 pulled out to the article storage recess 20 is pulled back in the width direction on the rear surface side of the front wall 20f to pass through the through groove 23 on the other side. Then, the cable 19 pulled out to the front side of the front wall 20f from the through groove 23 on the other side is pulled back in the width direction on the front surface side of the front wall 20f to pass through the through groove 23 on one side again. Thereby, the excess portion of the cable 19 is held between the two through grooves 23 of the front wall 20f. The end portion of the cable 19 held to the front wall 20f can be placed in the article storage recess 20 together with the portable information terminal, for example.

[0047] Further, the through grooves 23 on the left and right of the front wall 20f are provided with inclined portions 23a inclined toward the width direction outside on the upper side as shown in Figure 4 the lower region of the side surface facing the inside of the width direction of the groove. The inclined portion 23a functions as a cable restricting portion that restricts the misalignment of the cable 19 toward the upper side when the cable 19 is wound around the front wall 20f across the through grooves 23 on the left and right. Thus, by winding the cable 19 around the front wall 20f in such a way that the cable 19 abuts against the inclined portion 23a, it is possible to hold the winding position of the cable 19 at a fixed position lower in the front wall 20f. As a result, it is possible to store the electric device such as a portable information terminal connected to the cable 19 in the article storage recess 20 in a stable state.

[0048] As described above, in the center console 10 of the present embodiment, the bridge portion 14 bridging the front block portion 12 and the rear block portion 13 is disposed above the article placement portion 11 with the space portion 25 interposed therebetween. Therefore, the main part of the upper side of the article placement portion 11 is covered by the bridge portion 14, and in the event that a passenger makes a mistake on the upper side of the center console 10 and spills a liquid such as a beverage, it is difficult for the liquid to fall on an article placed on the article placement portion 11.

[0049] Further, in the center console 10 of the present embodiment, the terminal connection port 18 is disposed on the inclined wall 17 of the front portion of the article placement portion 11 and is positioned so as not to overlap with the bridge portion 14 in plan view. Therefore, in conjunction with the fact that the width of the bridge portion 14 is narrower than the width of the article placement portion 11, it is possible to easily attach and detach the terminal of the electric device with respect to the terminal connection port 18.

[0050] Therefore, in the case where the center console 10 of the present embodiment is adopted, it is possible to protect an article placed on the article placement portion 11 by the bridge portion 14, and a passenger seated on the front row seat can easily attach and detach the terminal of the electric device with respect to the terminal connection port 18.

[0051] In addition, in the center console 10 of the present embodiment, the inclined wall 17 provided with the terminal connection port 18 is inclined toward the direction of the occupant seated in the front seat and also toward the vehicle width direction at the front portion of the article placement portion 11. Therefore, in the case where the present structure is employed, the occupant seated in the front seat can accurately confirm the shape and position of the terminal connection port 18 while maintaining the seated state, and at the same time, can easily connect the terminal of the cable 19 or the like to the terminal connection port 18, and in addition, can easily remove the terminal from the terminal connection port 18.

[0052] In addition, in the center console 10 of the present embodiment, the eave portion 22 extending above the terminal connection port 18 is provided to the front block portion 12. Therefore, the upper side of the terminal connection port 18 is covered by the eave portion 22 of the front block portion 12, whereby in the case where a liquid such as a beverage is spilled above the center console 10, the spilled liquid can be prevented from directly falling on the terminal connection port 18 by the eave portion 22.

[0053] Thus, in the case where the present structure is employed, the operability of the terminal with respect to the terminal connection port 18 can be favorably maintained, and at the same time, the terminal connection port 18 can be reliably protected.

[0054] In particular, in the present embodiment, the front end portion of the eave portion 22 is inclined toward the inside in the width direction of the center console 10 and toward the vehicle rear side. Therefore, in a plan view, the inclination direction of the front end portion of the eave portion 22 is in the same direction as the inclination direction (inclination direction with respect to the front-rear direction) of the inclined wall 17 provided with the terminal connection port 18. Therefore, in the case where the terminal is attached to or detached from the terminal connection port 18, the hand of the operator is less likely to interfere with the eave portion 22.

[0055] Thus, in the case where the present structure is employed, the operability of the terminal is improved.

[0056] Furthermore, in the center console 10 of the present embodiment, a through groove 23 that penetrates the peripheral wall of the article storage recess 20 of the rear block portion 13 is provided, and the through groove 23 is open to the upper side of the article storage recess 20. Also, the cable 19 for connecting the terminal connection port 18 to the electric device can pass through the through groove 23 from the upper side. Therefore, by passing the cable 19 having one end connected to the terminal connection port 18 through the through groove 23, the electric device connected to the other end of the cable 19 can be disposed within the article storage recess 20 of the rear block portion 13.

[0057] Thus, in the case where the present structure is employed, the placement position of the electric device connected to the terminal connection port 18 by the cable 19 can be determined by selecting from among the article placement portion 11 and the article storage recess 20. Therefore, the placement position of the electric device can be selected in accordance with the usage purpose and preference of the occupant, and thus the convenience of the user is further improved.

[0058] In addition, in the central console 10 of the present embodiment, through grooves 23 are provided on both sides of the front wall 20f of the article storage recess 20. Therefore, the cable 19 that connects the terminal connection port 18 and the electric device can be wound around the front wall 20f of the article storage recess 20 through the through grooves 23 on both sides.

[0059] Thus, in the case where the present structure is used, when the length of the cable 19 used is long, the excess portion of the cable 19 can be held between the through grooves 23 on both sides of the front wall 20f of the article storage recess 20, and the convenience of the user can be improved.

[0060] In addition, in the present structure, the through grooves 23 are provided on both sides of the front wall 20f, and therefore, in the case where the terminals of the cable 19 are connected to the terminal connection ports 20 on both sides, by passing each cable 19 through the corresponding through grooves 23 on both sides, the electric device connected to each cable 19 can also be accommodated in the article storage recess 20 at the same time.

[0061] In addition, in the central console 10 of the present embodiment, the cover 21 that closes the upper side of the article storage recess 20 in an openable and closable manner is provided to the rear block portion 13, and when the cover 21 is in the open state, the cover 21 leaves the upper side of each through groove 23 open, and when the cover 21 is in the closed state, the cover 21 covers the upper side of each through groove 23 and maintains the communication between the front and rear of the front wall 20f. Therefore, the electric device can be accommodated in the article storage recess 20 while maintaining the state in which the electric device is connected to the terminal connection port 18 through the cable 19, and the cover 21 can be closed while maintaining this state. Therefore, the electric device can be accommodated in the article storage recess 20 in a state that is not visible from the outside, and charging of the electric device or the like can be performed in this state.

[0062] Thus, in the case where the present structure is used, the electric device can be more securely arranged in the vehicle.

[0063] In addition, in the present structure, when the cover 21 is in the closed state, the cover 21 covers the upper side of the through groove 23 formed in the front wall 20f, and therefore, the through groove 23 is difficult to see from the outside, and the appearance when viewed from the outside is good.

[0064] Note that the present application is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design changes can be made within the scope of the gist thereof.

[0065] For example, in the above-described embodiments, two through grooves 23 that allow the insertion of the cable 19 are formed in the front wall 20f of the article storage recess 20, but the number of through grooves 23 can be one, and can also be more than three.

[0066] In addition, the position where the through groove 23 is formed is not limited to the front wall 20f of the article storage recess 20. The through groove 23 can also be formed in a side wall or the like other than the front wall 20f of the article storage recess 20.

[0067] However, in the case where the through groove 23 is formed in the front wall 20f as in the above-described embodiment, not only is the pulling back of the cable 19 smooth, but the cable 19 is also difficult to see from the outside, and the appearance from the outside is good.

Claims

1. A central seating platform for a vehicle, wherein, The central seating area of ​​the vehicle has: Item placement section; The front block is positioned in front of the article-carrying section; The rear block is positioned behind the article-carrying section; The bridge section is mounted on the front block section and the rear block section, and is positioned above the article-carrying section with a space between them, and is narrower in the vehicle width direction than the article-carrying section. An inclined wall, disposed at the front of the article-carrying portion and on the outer side of the rear bulge of the rear portion of the front block in the vehicle width direction, inclined upwards and towards the front of the vehicle; and Terminal connection ports are disposed on the inclined wall. The terminal connector is positioned in a location that does not overlap with the bridge portion when viewed from above.

2. The central seating area of ​​the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, The inclined wall is tilted in the width of the vehicle toward the occupants seated in the front row.

3. The central seating area of ​​the vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The front block has an eave that extends above the terminal connection port.

4. The central seating area of ​​the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, The rear section has an upward-opening item storage recess. A through groove is provided on the peripheral wall of the item storage recess. The through groove opens upward and allows cables for connecting the terminal connector to electrical equipment to pass through.

5. The central seating area of ​​the vehicle according to claim 4, wherein, The through grooves are located on the left and right sides of the front wall of the item storage recess.

6. The central seating area of ​​the vehicle according to claim 5, wherein, The rear section has a cover that can be opened and closed above the recessed area for storing the item. When the cover is in the open state, it opens the top of the through groove; when the cover is in the closed state, it covers the top of the through groove and maintains the connection between the front and back of the front wall.

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