Damper for glove compartment

Abstract

Dampers for a glove compartment, comprehensive: a cylinder comprising a first cylinder body defining a first interior space and a second cylinder body defining a second interior space and connected to an upper section of the first cylinder body, wherein a conduit projecting towards the second interior space is arranged in a partition separating the first interior space and the second interior space; a piston which is movably arranged in the first interior space; a first valve located in the second interior space and configured to adjust the size of an air passage located between the first valve and the duct; and a second valve coupled to the first valve and configured to set an opening and closing amount of a passage arranged in the first valve.

Description

Cross-reference to related patent application

[0001] This application claims priority from Korean patent application No. 10-2025-0118929, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on August 26, 2025, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in full for all purposes. Background 1. Area

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a damper for a glove compartment. 2. Description of the state of the art

[0003] Generally, a glove compartment, designed to hold simple items, is located in a vehicle's dashboard. The glove compartment opens and closes its interior to store items, and a damper is installed to prevent abrupt movement. The damper consists of a cylinder and a piston, and if necessary, a valve can be installed on one side of the cylinder to control the piston's speed.

[0004] Conventional dampers, however, have the problem that the opening speed of the glove compartment may not be controllable if the load exerted on the glove compartment increases due to the weight of loaded items. Accordingly, there is a need for a glove compartment that offers a constant opening speed even under load fluctuations. Summary

[0005] The technical problem of the present disclosure is directed to provide a damper for a glove compartment which makes it possible to open the glove compartment at a constant speed regardless of any load exerted on the glove compartment.

[0006] The technical problems to be solved in the present disclosure are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned are clearly understood by experts in the field from the following description.

[0007] A damper for a glove compartment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure comprises: a cylinder comprising a first cylinder body defining a first interior space, and a second cylinder body defining a second interior space and connected to an upper section of the first cylinder body, wherein a conduit projecting towards the second interior space is arranged in a partition separating the first interior space and the second interior space; a piston movably arranged in the first interior space; a first valve arranged in the second interior space and configured to adjust the size of an air passage arranged between the first valve and the conduit; and a second valve coupled to the first valve and configured to adjust the opening and closing amount of a passage arranged in the first valve.

[0008] The conduit can have an outer surface with a tapered shape, so that its cross-sectional size decreases with increasing distance from the partition wall.

[0009] The first valve may comprise: a head section with the passage formed through its center; an adjusting section extending downwards from a lower surface of the head section and surrounding an outer circumference of the conduit to form the air passage between the adjusting section and the conduit; and a coupling section extending upwards from an upper surface of the head section and having a coupling groove to which the second valve is arranged for coupling.

[0010] The first valve can be elastically supported by an elastic element located between the head section and the partition and can be configured to move linearly up and down along the pipe.

[0011] The damper for the glove compartment may further comprise a skirt section extending downwards from the head section along a circumference of the adjustment section, the skirt section being configured to form a receiving space between the skirt section and the adjustment section in order to accommodate the elastic element arranged around the circumference of the adjustment section.

[0012] A slotted groove, recessed from an inner circumferential surface of the coupling groove towards an outer surface of the coupling section, may be arranged in the coupling groove, and the slotted groove may be configured to form a flow path through which air moves from the coupling groove to the passage in a state in which the second valve is coupled to the coupling groove.

[0013] The slot groove can extend from an upper end of the coupling section to the upper surface of the head section, and a plurality of slot grooves can be spaced apart along the inner circumferential surface.

[0014] The second valve may comprise: a body section with a handle arranged thereon; a connecting section projecting radially from a lower section of the body section and coupled to the coupling groove; and a projecting section projecting towards the lower section of the body section, such that a position is set at which the projecting section is inserted into the passage, the connecting section being able to have a thread formed on its outer circumferential surface to engage with a thread arranged in the coupling groove to form a screw connection.

[0015] The damper for the glove compartment may further include a stop connected to an upper section of the first valve and designed to set a position in which the first valve is located in the second interior space.

[0016] The cylinder can have a plurality of openings formed at different heights on a side surface of the second cylinder body, and the stop can be configured to be selectively inserted into one of the plurality of openings in order to fix the first valve in a corresponding position.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the glove compartment can be opened smoothly and stably, since the glove compartment opens at a constant speed regardless of any load exerted on the glove compartment.

[0018] The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned are clearly understood by those skilled in the field from the scope of protection of the claims. Brief description of the drawings Fig. Figure 1 is a view showing a damper for a glove compartment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view along line II in Fig. 1. Fig. Figure 3 is a view showing a state in which a first valve and a second valve are coupled to a cylinder. Fig. Figure 4 is a view showing a first valve, a second valve and a stop coupled to a second cylinder body. Fig. Figure 5 is a view showing an air passage between the first valve and a pipe. Fig. Figure 6 is a view showing that a second valve coupled to a first valve sets an opening and closing amount of a passage. Fig. Figure 7 is a view showing a coupling section to which the second valve is coupled. Fig. Figure 8 is a view showing that air moves from a slotted groove of the coupling section to the passage.

[0019] In the drawings and detailed description, unless otherwise specified or provided, the same or similar drawing reference symbols may be understood to refer to the same or similar elements, features, and structures. The drawings may not be to scale, and the relative size, proportions, and representation of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity, illustration, and convenience. Detailed description

[0020] The following detailed description is provided to help the reader gain a comprehensive understanding of the methods, devices, and / or systems described herein. However, various modifications, variations, and equivalents of the methods, devices, and / or systems described herein will be apparent upon understanding the disclosure of this application. For example, the sequences of operations described herein are merely examples and are not limited to those set forth herein, but may be modified upon understanding the disclosure of this application, with the exception of operations that necessarily occur in a specific order.

[0021] The features described herein can be embodied in various forms and are not to be interpreted as being limited to the examples described herein. Rather, the examples described herein have been provided merely to illustrate some of the many possible ways of implementing the methods, devices and / or systems described herein, which will be obvious from an understanding of the disclosure of this application.

[0022] Throughout the description, whenever a component or element is described as "on," "connected to," "coupled with," or "joined with" another component, element, or layer, it may be directly (e.g., in contact with) that other component, element, or layer, or there may reasonably be one or more other components, elements, or layers in between. When a component, element, or layer is described as "directly on," "directly connected to," "directly coupled with," or "directly joined with" another component, element, or layer, no other components, elements, or layers may be in between.Similarly, expressions such as "between" and "immediately between" as well as "adjacent to" and "immediately adjacent to" can also be interpreted as described above.

[0023] The advantages and features of the present disclosure and the methods for achieving these advantages and features will become clear with reference to the embodiments described in detail below, together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein, but is implemented in various forms. The embodiments of the present disclosure are provided so that the present disclosure is fully disclosed and a person skilled in the field can fully understand the scope of protection of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is defined only by the scope of protection of the accompanying claims. However, the terms used in this description serve to explain the embodiments and not to limit the present disclosure.

[0024] Terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), or the like may be used herein to describe components. None of these terms are used to define a nature, order, or sequence of a given component, but merely to distinguish the given component from other components. For example, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as a first component.

[0025] Throughout the description, when a component is described as "connected to" or "coupled with" another component, it can be directly "connected to" or "coupled with" that other component, or there can be one or more other intervening components. Conversely, when an element is described as "directly connected to" or "directly coupled with" another element, there can be no other intervening elements.

[0026] In a description of the embodiment, where one element is described as being formed on or under another element, such a description includes both a case in which the two elements are in direct contact with each other and a case in which the two elements are in indirect contact with each other, with one or more other elements arranged between the two elements. Furthermore, where one element is described as being formed on or under another element, such a description may include a case in which one element is formed on a top or bottom surface with respect to the other element.

[0027] The singular forms "ein", "eine", and "der / die / das" are to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it is understood that the terms "umfasst / umfassend" and / or "schlusst ein / einschlussd", when used herein, specify the presence of specified features, integers, steps, processes, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, processes, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0028] The following sections describe embodiments in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Regardless of the reference numerals in the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to refer to the same or corresponding components, and redundant descriptions are omitted here.

[0029] Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4, Fig. 5, Fig. 6, Fig. 7 to Fig. Figure 8 shows a damper for a glove compartment and a configuration thereof according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] A damper 1 for a glove compartment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is installed in a glove compartment (not shown) of a vehicle to adjust the opening speed of the glove compartment.

[0031] Referring to the drawings, the damper 1 for the glove compartment according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can comprise a cylinder 100, a piston 200, a first valve 300 and a second valve 400. Additionally, the damper 1 for the glove compartment can further comprise a stop 500.

[0032] The cylinder 100 can have a structure of an overall cylindrical shape, the interior of which is completely hollow. The cylinder 100 can comprise a first cylindrical body 110 and a second cylindrical body 120.

[0033] The first cylinder body 110 can have a first interior 101, and the second cylinder body 120 can have a second interior 102. The second cylinder body 120 can be connected to an upper section of the first cylinder body 110.

[0034] The cross-sectional area of ​​the first cylindrical body 110 can be larger than that of the second cylindrical body 120, and the length of the first cylindrical body 110 can be greater than that of the second cylindrical body 120. That is, the volume of the first interior space 101 can be larger than that of the second interior space 102.

[0035] The first cylinder body 110 has a structure with an open lower end, and a cap 130 is coupled to the open lower end of the first cylinder body 110 to prevent the first interior 101 from being exposed to the outside.

[0036] The second cylinder body 120 has an open upper end, and the second interior space 102 can be exposed to the outside through the open upper end.

[0037] A partition 140 can be provided between the first cylinder body 110 and the second cylinder body 120. The partition 140 can separate the first interior space 101 and the second interior space 102. A conduit 141 can be formed in the partition 140, connecting the first interior space 101 and the second interior space 102. The conduit 141 can be configured to project from the partition 140 towards the second interior space 102. Air can move between the first interior space 101 and the second interior space 102 through the conduit 141.

[0038] In one embodiment, the conduit 141 can have an outer surface formed in a tapered shape, so that its cross-sectional size decreases with increasing distance from the partition 140, for example in the form of a truncated cone.

[0039] Meanwhile, the cylinder 100 can have a plurality of openings 121, 122, and 123 formed at different heights on a side surface of the second cylinder body 120. In this embodiment, a first opening 121, a second opening 122, and a third opening 123 are shown as being formed at different heights. Based on the second opening 122, the first opening 121 can be formed at a relatively lower position, and the third opening 123 can be formed at a relatively higher position.

[0040] The first opening 121, the second opening 122 and the third opening 123 can each be formed on one side surface and the other side surface of the second cylindrical body 120 and can be arranged in a mutually facing structure.

[0041] In one embodiment, the first opening 121, the second opening 122, and the third opening 123 can each represent a stage of the first valve 300. That is, the first opening 121 can represent a first stage, the second opening 122 can represent a second stage, and the third opening 123 can represent a third stage.

[0042] The piston 200 can be movably arranged in the first interior space 101. The piston 200 can comprise a piston head 210 and a piston rod 220.

[0043] The piston head 210 includes a groove 211 formed along an outer circumferential surface facing the inner surface of the first cylinder body 110, and a sealing element 212, such as an O-ring, can be accommodated in the groove 211 to be in contact with the inner surface. The first interior space 101 can be divided into two spaces by the piston head 210.

[0044] The piston rod 220 can extend from the piston head 210, and an end section of it can penetrate the cap 130 and be exposed to the outside of the cylinder 100. In one embodiment, the end section of the piston rod 220 can be pivotally coupled to the glove compartment. Accordingly, the piston rod 220 can move linearly in conjunction with the pivoting of the glove compartment. Additionally, the piston head 210, in conjunction with the movement of the piston rod 220, can generate a pressure differential within the first cylinder body 110. Therefore, the opening speed of the glove compartment can depend on the movement speed of the piston 200.

[0045] The first valve 300 can be arranged inside the second interior space 102 and configured to adjust the size of the air passage P provided between the first valve and the line 141.

[0046] The first valve 300 can comprise a head section 310, an adjustment section 320, and a coupling section 330. Additionally, the first valve 300 can also comprise a skirt section 340.

[0047] The head section 310 has an essentially circular plate structure, and a passage 311 can be formed through a center of it.

[0048] The head section 310 can include a guide projection 312 that extends outwards from the edge. A guide rail 124 projecting towards the second interior space 102 is provided on the inner surface of the second cylinder body 120, and the guide projection 312 can be arranged between the guide rails 124 to guide a stable upward and downward movement of the first valve 300.

[0049] The adjustment section 320 extends downwards from the lower surface of the head section 310 and can surround the outer circumference of the conduit 141 to form an air passage P between the adjustment section 320 and the conduit 141. That is, the air passage P can be provided between the inner surface of the adjustment section 320 and the outer surface of the conduit 141.

[0050] The coupling section 330 extends upwards from the upper surface of the head section 310 and may have a coupling groove 331 to which the second valve 400 is coupled. A thread 332 for coupling with the second valve 400 may be formed on an inner circumferential surface of the coupling groove 331.

[0051] Additionally, a slotted groove 333 can be formed in the coupling groove 331, which is recessed from the inner circumferential surface of the coupling groove 331 towards the outer surface of the coupling section 330. The slotted groove 333 is formed in a structure that extends from the upper end of the coupling section 330 to the upper surface of the head section 310, and a plurality of the slotted grooves can be spaced apart along the inner circumferential surface.

[0052] The slot 333 can be configured to form a flow path through which air moves from the coupling groove 331 to the passage 311 in a state where the second valve 400 is coupled to the coupling groove 331. That is, the flow path through which air moves between the second valve 400 and the inner circumferential surface of the coupling groove 331 is configured such that the air moves along the slot 333 to the passage 311.

[0053] The skirt section 340 can extend downwards from the head section 310 along the circumference of the adjustment section 320. In one embodiment, the skirt section 340 can extend downwards from the edge of the head section 310 and form a receiving space S between the skirt section 340 and the adjustment section 320. An elastic element 600 arranged around the circumference of the adjustment section 320 can be received in the receiving space S. That is, the skirt section 340 can retain the elastic element 600 to prevent it from dislodging. In one embodiment, a coil spring can be used as the elastic element 600.

[0054] The first valve 300 is elastically supported by the elastic element 600 located between the head section 310 and the partition 140 and is designed to move linearly up and down along the line 141. That is, the first valve 300 moves downwards under an external force to compress the elastic element 600, and the elastic element 600 exerts an elastic force to move the first valve 300 upwards in a compressed state. When the external force is removed, the first valve 300 moves upwards under the elastic force of the elastic element 600, and its position can be restored.

[0055] The stop 500 can be set up to adjust the position where the first valve 300 is located in conjunction with the elastic element 600.

[0056] The stop 500 can be connected to the upper section of the first valve 300. The stop 500 can include a connecting hole 510 in its center, into which the coupling section 330 of the first valve 300 is inserted. Additionally, the stop 500, in a state connected to the first valve 300, can be selectively inserted into one of the plurality of openings 121, 122, and 123 of the second cylinder body 120 to fix the first valve 300 in a corresponding position.

[0057] In detail, the stop 500 can be inserted into the first opening 121 to position the first valve 300 on the first stage. In this case, the first valve 300 moves downwards and is fixed at the height of the first stage closest to the partition 140, and the size of the air passage P can be reduced to a minimum.

[0058] Additionally, the stop 500 can be inserted into the second opening 122 to position the first valve 300 on the second stage. In this case, the first valve 300 moves upwards through the elastic element 600 and is fixed at a height corresponding to the second stage in the partition 140, and the size of the air passage P can be increased to a medium size.

[0059] Additionally, the stop 500 can be inserted into the third opening 123 to position the first valve 300 at the third stage. In this case, the first valve 300 moves upwards through the elastic element 600 and is fixed at a height corresponding to the third stage in the partition 140, and the size of the air passage P can be increased to a maximum size.

[0060] In this way, by adjusting the position of the first valve 300 located within the second interior space 102, the size of the air passage P can be adjusted, thereby increasing or decreasing the damping force of the damper 1. In particular, the damping force can be set in several stages, such as one to three stages, and the position of the stop 500 allows for intuitive confirmation of the current stage to which the damper 1 is set, thus facilitating easy confirmation and adjustment of the stage to achieve the required damping force.

[0061] The second valve 400 can be coupled to the first valve 300 and configured to set an opening and closing amount of the passage 311 formed in the first valve 300.

[0062] The second valve 400 can comprise a body section 410 with a handle 411 formed thereon, a connecting section 420 which is coupled to the coupling groove 331, and a projecting section 430 in which a position is set at which the projecting section 430 is inserted into the passage 311.

[0063] The body section 410, together with the handle 411, can form an essentially T-shaped structure. The connecting section 420 can project radially from a lower section of the body section 410, and the projecting section 430 can project towards the lower section of the body section 410.

[0064] The connecting section 420 has a thread 421 formed on its outer circumferential surface in order to engage with a thread 332 formed in the coupling groove 331 to form a screw connection.

[0065] The foreground section 430 can have a structure of an inverted truncated cone, the cross-sectional area of ​​which decreases as it extends downwards from the body section 410. The size of the passage 311 can be adjusted by changing the position at which the foreground section 430 is inserted into the passage 311. That is, as the foreground section 430 moves downwards within the passage 311, the size of the passage 311 decreases, and as it moves upwards, the size of the passage 311 increases, and thus the opening and closing extent of the passage 311 can be adjusted.

[0066] In this way, by moving the second valve 400 up and down within the coupling groove 331 to adjust the position of the protruding section 430 arranged within the passage 311, the opening and closing amount of the passage 311 can be adjusted, thereby allowing the damping force of the damper 1 to be finely adjusted.

[0067] In detail, the size of the passage 311 is finely adjusted by the second valve 400, which operates via a screw adjustment mechanism. Accordingly, while the first valve 300 sets the size of the air passage P on the preset first, second, or third stage, the second valve 400 can fine-tune the size of the passage 311 between the first and second stages or between the second and third stages. Therefore, fine-tuning of the damping force is possible.

[0068] In this way, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the damper 1 adjusts the damping force of the damper 1 by means of the first valve 300 to a suitable level from the levels strong, medium and weak, and furthermore finely adjusts the damping force by means of the second valve 400, and this causes the glove compartment to be opened more smoothly and stably regardless of the load exerted on the glove compartment.

[0069] The various embodiments of the present disclosure do not enumerate all available combinations, but serve to describe a representative aspect of the present disclosure, and descriptions of different embodiments can be applied independently of one another or used in combination with two or more embodiments.

[0070] Several embodiments have been described above. It is understood, however, that various modifications are possible. For example, suitable results can be achieved by performing the described techniques in a different sequence and / or by combining components in a described system, architecture, device, or circuit in a different way and / or by replacing or supplementing them with other components or their equivalents. Accordingly, other implementations fall within the scope of protection of the following claims.

[0071] Although this disclosure includes specific examples, it will be apparent from an understanding of the disclosure of this application that various changes in form and detail can be made to these examples without departing from the spirit and scope of protection of the claims and their equivalents. The examples described herein are to be regarded only in a descriptive sense and not for the purposes of limitation. Descriptions of features or aspects in each example are to be regarded as applicable to similar features or aspects in other examples. Suitable results can be obtained if the described techniques are carried out in a different sequence and / or if components in a described system, architecture, device, or circuit are combined in a different manner and / or replaced or supplemented by other components or their equivalents.Therefore, the scope of protection of the disclosure is not defined by the detailed description, but by the claims and their equivalents, and all variations within the scope of protection of the claims and their equivalents are to be interpreted as being included in the disclosure. QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] KR 10-2025-0118929

[0001]

Claims

Damper for a glove compartment, comprising: a cylinder comprising a first cylinder body defining a first interior space, and a second cylinder body defining a second interior space and connected to an upper section of the first cylinder body, wherein a conduit projecting towards the second interior space is arranged in a partition separating the first interior space and the second interior space; a piston movably arranged in the first interior space; a first valve arranged in the second interior space and configured to adjust the size of an air passage arranged between the first valve and the conduit; and a second valve coupled to the first valve and configured to adjust the opening and closing amount of a passage arranged in the first valve. Damper for the glove compartment according to claim 1, wherein the line has an outer surface with a tapered shape, such that its cross-sectional size decreases with increasing distance from the partition. Damper for the glove compartment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first valve comprises: a head section with the passage formed through its center; an adjusting section extending downwards from a lower surface of the head section and surrounding an outer circumference of the duct to form the air passage between the adjusting section and the duct; and a coupling section extending upwards from an upper surface of the head section and having a coupling groove to which the second valve is arranged for coupling. Damper for the glove compartment according to claim 3, wherein the first valve is elastically supported by an elastic element arranged between the head section and the partition and is configured to move linearly upwards and downwards along the line. Damper for the glove compartment according to claim 4, further comprising a skirt section extending downwards from the head section along a circumference of the adjustment section, wherein the skirt section is configured to form a receiving space between the skirt section and the adjustment section in order to receive the elastic element arranged around the circumference of the adjustment section. Damper for the glove compartment according to one of claims 3 to 5, wherein a slotted groove, which is set back from an inner circumferential surface of the coupling groove towards an outer surface of the coupling section, is arranged in the coupling groove and the slotted groove is configured to form a flow path through which air moves from the coupling groove to the passage in a state in which the second valve is coupled to the coupling groove. Damper for the glove compartment according to claim 6, wherein the slotted groove extends from an upper end of the coupling section to the upper surface of the head section and a plurality of the slotted grooves are spaced apart along the inner circumferential surface. Damper for the glove compartment according to one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the second valve comprises: a body section with a handle arranged thereon; a connecting section projecting radially from a lower section of the body section and coupled to the coupling groove; and a projecting section projecting towards the lower section of the body section, such that a position is set at which the projecting section is inserted into the passage, wherein the connecting section has a thread arranged on its outer circumferential surface to engage with a thread formed in the coupling groove to form a screw connection. Damper for the glove compartment according to one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a stop which is connected to an upper section of the first valve and is configured to set a position at which the first valve is arranged in the second interior space. Damper for the glove compartment according to claim 9, wherein the cylinder has a plurality of openings arranged at different heights on a side surface of the second cylinder body, and the stop is configured to be selectively inserted into one of the plurality of openings in order to fix the first valve in a corresponding position.

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