console component and motor vehicle with such a console component

Abstract

Console component for a motor vehicle, comprising a component body (2) with a recess (3) forming a receiving compartment and a cover (4) closing the recess (3) in a closed position, wherein the cover (4) is linearly movable on the component body (2) and is reversibly movable from the closed position into the recess (3) into a lowered position.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a console component for a motor vehicle, comprising a component body with a recess forming a receiving compartment and a cover closing the recess in a closed position, wherein the cover is linearly movable on the component body and is reversibly movable from the closed position into the recess into a lowered position, wherein the cover can be manually moved from the closed position into the lowered position against a restoring force by means of a restoring element, wherein the cover can be releasably locked in the lowered position by means of a locking device and can be returned to the closed position by means of the restoring element after releasing the locking device, wherein the restoring element comprises at least one spring element, and wherein a damping element is provided by means of which the restoring movement from the lowered position to the closed position is damped.

[0002] Modern motor vehicles typically have at least one console component, for example, a center console located between the two front seats or a center console located between the two rear seats. Center consoles are described, for example, in DE 10 2018 122 653 B4 or EP 1 391 349 B1. The center console located between the front seats, in particular, often features various controls such as a gear selector lever and other buttons or switches, possibly also in the form of a display. Most such center consoles, whether front or rear, also offer storage options, frequently in the form of a recessed compartment. Any items can be placed in this compartment. Often, the compartment also has a lid that allows it to be closed when needed.The lid itself is often hinged to pivot, meaning it can be swung from its closed position to an open position. For this to work, the lid must be mounted appropriately; frequently, a suitable kinematic mechanism, possibly with integrated damping, is incorporated. A disadvantage of such a pivoting lid is that it protrudes into the room and can be bumped.

[0003] DE 20 2017 104 537 U1 describes an adjustable cup holder base height for a vehicle cup holder assembly. The cup holder assembly comprises a cup holder with a movable cup holder base that is adjustable in depth relative to a surface of the console. A spring is arranged between the bottom edge of the cup holder base and the console base surface.

[0004] CN 1 14 013 356 A describes a stowage device comprising a housing and a cover configured to move relative to the housing between a first position, in which it covers the stowage space, and a second position, in which it releases the stowage space. Furthermore, the cover has a drive element with a drive shaft and an energy storage element, in the form of a spring, arranged on the drive shaft, enabling the cover to move between the first and second positions.

[0005] CN 1 17 841 844 A describes a beverage holder in a motor vehicle. The beverage holder comprises a housing, support tubes, and a cover, the support tubes being arranged in a receiving cavity of the housing. An opening is provided at one end of the support tube into which a beverage container can be inserted. The cover is movably mounted in the opening. The cover has a spring by means of which the cover can be lowered into or raised out of the support tube manually or electrically.

[0006] The invention is based on the problem of providing an improved console component.

[0007] To solve the problem, in a console component of the type mentioned at the outset, it is provided according to the invention that the damping means is a friction damper or a fluid damper.

[0008] The console component according to the invention has a lid that is mounted on the component body so as to be linearly movable vertically; it can therefore be moved vertically up and down the component body. From a closed position, in which it closes the receiving compartment or recess below it, it can be moved vertically downwards into a lowered position when the receiving compartment or recess is to be accessed. The lid can, for example, be moved all the way to the bottom, in which case it ultimately forms the base on which objects can be placed. In this position, suitable objects can be inserted, and the receiving compartment remains open as long as it contains objects. Such objects, which are only temporarily held, could be, for example, beverage cups or similar items that are removed after use.If the receiving compartment is empty and needs to be closed again, the lid is moved from the lowered position back up to the closed position, so that the receiving compartment is closed again from the top.

[0009] Since the lid is pushed into the recess or compartment to open, it cannot protrude and be damaged by improper handling. Furthermore, no specific swivel mechanisms or kinematics are provided for this purpose.

[0010] In a non-inventive embodiment, the lid itself can be manually and reversibly moved between the closed and lowered positions. Via its linear guide, the lid can, for example, be moved with slight friction, so that it can be pushed downwards and pulled upwards with gentle pressure. In the upper closed position, it can be suitably locked, for example by a locking element such as a slider or similar, so that objects can also be placed on it in the closed position.

[0011] According to the invention, the lid can be manually moved from the closed position to the lowered position against a restoring element that generates a restoring force. In the lowered position, the lid can be releasably locked by means of a locking device and, after releasing the locking device, can be returned to the closed position via the restoring element. In this embodiment, the lid can be moved vertically downwards against a restoring element; that is, pressure from above moves the lid downwards against the restoring element, for example, one or more spring elements or the like. The restoring element generates a restoring force. In the lowered position, the lid is locked, so that the restoring element remains pre-tensioned, thus storing the restoring force and preventing the lid from being pushed upwards.Only when the locking mechanism is released can the return spring relax, automatically returning the lid to the closed position. This results in an automatic return to the closed position.

[0012] It is conceivable that, similar to the purely manual up-and-down movement described above, the lid can only be moved to a lowest lowering position, i.e., directly from the closed position to the lowest lowered position. Alternatively, and according to an advantageous embodiment, the lid can be detachably locked in one or more separate lowering positions between the closed position and a lowest lowering position via the locking device. The lid can thus be locked in one or more intermediate lowering positions, allowing it to be pressed inwards into the recess or receiving compartment to virtually any desired height, thereby making the depth of the formed or opened receiving compartment variable. In each lowering position, the lid is locked via the locking device, allowing it to bear weight, i.e., objects to be placed on it.

[0013] One such locking device is a push-push mechanism. With this mechanism, the lid is pressed downwards. Once the desired lowered position is reached, the push-push mechanism engages automatically when the lid is released. To release it, a slightly firmer press must be applied to the lid again briefly. This causes the push-push mechanism to disengage, releasing the lid so that it can be pushed back up using its restoring force, or, if desired, pushed further down into an even deeper lowered position. In this position, the push-push mechanism engages again as soon as the lid is released. The basic function of such a push-push mechanism is well-known.

[0014] As an alternative to using such a push-push mechanism, the locking device can also have at least one locking element provided on the lid, which can be detachably brought into operative contact with an element locking mechanism provided on the component body. In this variant, the user must actively actuate a corresponding locking element and bring it into operative contact with an element locking mechanism on the component body so that the lid is locked in the desired lowered position.

[0015] Such a locking element could, for example, be a sliding element that can be detachably inserted into a slide receptacle on the component body. Such a slide receptacle could be, for instance, a strip of holes with several holes at different heights, defining various lowering positions. Once the desired lowering position is reached, the sliding element is inserted into the corresponding hole, thereby locking the cover in place.

[0016] As described, the lid is movable against a restoring mechanism. Such a restoring mechanism comprises at least one spring element, for example a coil spring or similar.

[0017] Furthermore, a damping element is provided to dampen the return movement from the lowered to the closed position. If, for example, a spring element were used as the return element, it would suddenly release without damping, causing the lid to shoot upwards with high speed and force into the closed position. However, the integrated damping element dampens this lifting movement, making it smooth and gradual, so that the lid is raised slowly and guided into the closed position. Such a damping element could be, for example, a friction damper integrated into or on the linear guide, meaning that the guide provides damping, at least during the lifting motion, of the lid. Alternatively, a fluid damper can also be used.

[0018] In principle, it is conceivable to provide a locking element on the console component, allowing the cover to be detachably locked in the closed position relative to the component body. This locking element can securely fix the cover in the closed position, preventing unintentional release and downward pressure, and also provides a correspondingly stable and load-bearing fixation.

[0019] In addition to the console component itself, the invention further relates to a motor vehicle comprising at least one console component of the type described above.

[0020] Further advantages and details of the present invention will become apparent from the following described embodiments and from the drawings. These show: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of a console component according to the invention with a lid in the closed position in a perspective view, Fig. 2 the console component from Fig. 1 with the lid in a lowered position, Fig. 3 a partially transparent representation of the console component made of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 a schematic representation of part of the console component made of Fig. 1 showing the linear guide bearing of the lid, which is in the closed position, Fig. 5 the arrangement from Fig. 4 with partially lowered lids, Fig. 6 the arrangement from Fig. 5 with the lid fully in the lowest lowered position, and Fig. 7 A schematic representation of a locking device provided on the lid.

[0021] Fig. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a console component 1 according to the invention, comprising a console body 2 with a recess 3 defining a receiving compartment, which can be reversibly closed via a cover 4. In the closed position, this cover 4 is in a raised position, as shown in Figure 1. Fig. 1 shown. To open the recess 3 or the receiving compartment, the cover 4 can be pressed vertically downwards into the recess 3 and brought into a lowered position in which it is either fixed in a suitable manner or which is given directly below the support of the cover 4 on the bottom of the recess 3.

[0022] Fig. Figure 2 shows console component 1. Fig. 1, where the lid 4 is pressed downwards. In the transparency view according to Fig. Figure 3 shows the lid 4 moved downwards into the lowered position. The lowering movement is indicated by the arrow 5.

[0023] The lid 4 can preferably be positioned in several arbitrary intermediate lowering positions between the closed position according to Fig. 1 and the maximum lowered position according to Fig. 2 / 3 can be positioned and fixed, for which a corresponding locking device 8 is provided that fixes it in the corresponding position. From this position, it can also be moved back into the Fig. 1. The closed position must be brought into place.

[0024] To achieve this, the lid is 4, see Fig. 4, guided vertically on suitable linear guides 6. The linear guides 6 can, for example, be guide rods, with four such guide rods or linear guides 6 being arranged in the corners of the receiving compartment 3 in the example shown. The cover 4 is guided downwards on these linear guides 6, as shown by the Fig. Figures 4-6 show. In the example shown, the cover 4 is movable against the restoring force of a restoring means 7, for example one or more coil springs, i.e., when the cover 4 is pressed downwards, the restoring means 7 is compressed and a restoring force is built up which, when the cover 4 is relieved, pushes it back upwards into the closed position.

[0025] Furthermore, a locking device 8 is provided, which is, for example, a push-push mechanism. This mechanism ensures that the lid 4, when pressed downwards, locks into place as soon as the pressure on the lid 4 is released. The push-push mechanism then engages and locks the lid 4 in this position. This allows the lid 4 to be locked in different intermediate lowering positions, thus varying the size of the receiving compartment 3, since the lid 4 forms the bottom of the receiving compartment 3 in this case. To release the lock, the lid 4 is only briefly pressed, which causes the push-push mechanism to open again and the compressed return element 7, using its stored restoring force, to raise the lid 4 again.

[0026] This return movement is preferably damped by a damping element 9, which can, for example, be provided directly on a linear guide 6 or on the cover itself. This damping element can, for example, be a friction damper, such as a friction ring, which slows down and dampens the movement accordingly, or a fluid damper or similar device.

[0027] Fig. Figure 4 shows the starting position with the lid 4 in the closed position. To open the receiving compartment, the lid 4 is pressed vertically downwards into the recess 3, as shown. Fig. 5 through the arrow 5 points. In Fig. In step 5, the cover 4 is already lowered by almost half. If it were only relieved of pressure in this position, the locking device 8, for example the push-push mechanism, would engage and fix the cover 4 in this position against the increasing restoring force of the partially compressed restoring element 7. If the cover 4 is pressed further downwards, it reaches its lowest position with further deformation of the restoring element 7 and an increase in the restoring force, as shown in Fig. Figure 6 shows that, when unloaded, it is also secured by the locking device 8. The receiving compartment now has its maximum size or volume. The lid 4 always serves as a base on which objects can be placed.

[0028] If the lid 4 is to be lifted again and returned to the closed position, one would only need to press briefly on the lid 4 so that the push-push mechanism disengages and the tensioned return element 7, i.e. the spring, pushes the lid 4 back up, but damped by the damping element 9.

[0029] Fig. Figure 7 shows a partial view of the cover 4 and a linear guide 6. A locking element 10, for example a slide or similar, is provided on the cover 4, which, as arrow 11 shows, extends from the Fig. The locking element 10 shown in section 7 can be moved from its locked position against a spring element 12 into an unlocked position, whereupon the cover can be pressed downwards. The locking element 10 automatically snaps back into the position shown in section 7. Fig.7 shown locking position, in which, for example, the linear guide 6 shown overlaps vertically, so that the cover 4 cannot be pressed once the cover 4 has been returned to the closed position.

Claims

[1] Console component for a motor vehicle, comprising a component body (2) with a recess (3) forming a receiving compartment and a cover (4) closing the recess (3) in a closed position, wherein the cover (4) is linearly movably mounted on the component body (2) and is reversibly movable from the closed position into the recess (3) into a lowered position, wherein the cover (4) can be manually moved from the closed position into the lowered position against a restoring element (7) which generates a restoring force, wherein the cover (4) can be releasably locked in the lowered position by means of a locking device (8) and can be returned to the closed position via the restoring element (7) after releasing the locking device (8), wherein the restoring element (7) comprises at least one spring element, wherein a damping element (9) is provided by means of which the restoring movement from the lowered position to the closed position is damped, characterized by, that the damping means (9) is a friction damper or a fluid damper. [2] Console component according to claim 1, characterized by , that the lid (4) can be detachably locked in one or more separate lowering positions between the closed position and a lowest lowering position via the locking device (8). [3] Console component according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that the locking device (8) is a push-push mechanism. [4] Console component according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the locking device (8) has at least one locking element provided on the cover (4) which can be detachably brought into operative contact with an element locking provided on the component body (2). [5] Console component according to claim 4, characterized by , that the locking element is a sliding element which can be detachably inserted into a sliding receptacle on the component body (2). [6] Console component according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that a locking element (10) is provided, by means of which the cover (4) can be releasably locked in the closed position relative to the component body (2). [7] Motor vehicle comprising at least one console component (1) according to any of the preceding claims.

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