Bistable and monobloc equipment.

Abstract

The invention relates to an equipment (1) designed to equip a passenger compartment element, the equipment (1) comprising a mounting support (2) for allowing the equipment (1) to be mounted on the passenger compartment element, the equipment (1) comprising a central part (3), movable around the support (2) between two distinct equilibrium positions, in which the central part (3) is in stable equilibrium, the central part (3) being extended by several lateral extensions (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d), connecting the central part (3) to the support (2), each being designed, on the one hand, to guide the movement, initiated by a user of the equipment, of the central part (3) between its two equilibrium positions by elastic deformation of the lateral extension (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d), and to, on the other hand, maintain the central part (3) in the equilibrium position in which the central part (3) is brought, each lateral extension (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) coming from the same material as the central part (3).(Figure 1).

Description

Title of the invention: Bistable and monobloc equipment.

[0001] The technical field relates to vehicle equipment, passenger compartment elements equipped with such equipment and motor vehicles having such equipment and / or passenger compartment elements.

[0002] Car manufacturers take great care to improve the comfort of their vehicles' passengers. In addition, for car manufacturers, the quality of their vehicles' finish, their aesthetic aspects and the features offered are essential to stand out from other brands. Furthermore, ecological considerations and in particular the rise of motor vehicles are encouraging manufacturers to reduce the mass of their vehicles.

[0003] It is in this context that car manufacturers are constantly seeking to improve the interiors of their vehicles to provide their customers with new features or to improve existing ones.

[0004] Currently, the deployment of a flat element, such as a tablet, requires the implementation of numerous techniques, consisting firstly of assembling several parts of a mechanism to deploy this plane. For example, a tablet that deploys will be fixed to a hinge, with screws. In addition, in order to ensure that the tablet is held in the desired position, several technical solutions, such as locks or hooks, must be implemented. Finally, to facilitate movement or return the tablet to its initial position, springs or jacks may be necessary.

[0005] In addition to the required complexity, several flaws make these solutions unsatisfactory.

[0006] First of all, a first defect results from the significant increase in the number of parts to perform the function, which causes an increase in mass. Then, some of the parts implemented, such as electric motors or hydraulic cylinders, have consequences on reliability and ease of repair. Furthermore, a large number of parts increases the cost and difficulty of manufacturing. Indeed, several shaping processes may be necessary (plastic extrusion, injection, machining, drilling, etc.), which complicates the manufacturing of parts on an industrial scale.

[0007] Finally, the diversity of parts required generally implies a diversity of materials used, greatly limiting the possibility of recycling existing solutions.

[0008] Thus, there is a need for a solution to simplify the deployment of a planar element, by minimizing the number of parts and the diversity of materials used.

[0009] The present invention aims to overcome the problems set out above. In this technical context, one aim of the present invention is to provide vehicle equipment making it possible to move a central part between two stable equilibrium positions and minimizing the diversity of the materials used.

[0010] For this purpose, the present invention relates to a motor vehicle equipment designed to equip a passenger compartment element, the equipment comprising a mounting support designed to allow the equipment to be mounted on the passenger compartment element, the equipment comprising a central part, mounted movably around the support between at least two distinct equilibrium positions, in which the central part is in stable equilibrium, the central part being extended by at least one lateral extension, connecting the central part to the support, each lateral extension being designed, on the one hand, to guide the movement, at least initiated by a user of the equipment, of the central part between its two equilibrium positions by elastic deformation of the lateral extension, and to, on the other hand, maintain the central part in each equilibrium position in which the central part is brought by the user,each lateral extension coming from the same material as the central part.

[0011] The invention also relates to a passenger compartment element comprising at least one item of equipment according to the invention, each support being fixed to the passenger compartment element so as to allow the central part to move between at least two of its equilibrium positions.

[0012] The invention finally relates to a motor vehicle having at least one item of equipment according to the invention and / or a passenger compartment element according to the invention.

[0013] Thus, the vehicle equipment according to the invention makes it possible to move a central part, which can act as a shelf or as a shutter for a storage cavity, between at least two stable equilibrium positions. The movement is guided by each lateral extension. The advantage of the equipment lies in the fact that the lateral extensions, which replace the conventional mechanisms, are made in one piece with the central part, thus reducing the number of parts and materials required. The assembly of the equipment according to the invention is simplified since it is sufficient to fix the support to the passenger compartment element according to the invention.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the equipment according to the invention, each lateral extension is connected to the central part and / or to the support by a flexible connection made by at least one thinning of material.

[0015] According to one possibility, the support is integral with each lateral extension. According to one possibility, the support is integral with the passenger compartment element.

[0016] In one embodiment, the equipment is obtained by a 3D printing process, in particular of plastic material. Other manufacturing methods are conceivable, such as the injection of plastic material, for example.

[0017] According to one possibility of the equipment, the central part forms a shelf and / or is designed to close a storage cavity.

[0018] According to one possibility of the passenger compartment element, the central part, in one of its equilibrium positions, closes a storage cavity.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the passenger compartment element forms a row 1 seat.

[0020] According to another embodiment, the passenger compartment element forms a dashboard, a door and / or a central console.

[0021] The invention will be better understood on reading the detailed description which follows, given solely by way of non-limiting example and made with reference to the appended drawings in which:

[0022] [Fig-1] [Fig.l] represents a board of main views of equipment according to the invention represented in a first equilibrium position;

[0023] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] represents a plate of main views of the equipment of [Fig.l] represented in a second equilibrium position, the support maintaining an identical orientation between the corresponding views of the two figures;

[0024] In these figures, the same references are used to designate the same elements.

[0025] An item of equipment 1 according to the invention, illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, is designed to equip a passenger compartment element, not illustrated in the figures. By way of example, the passenger compartment element is, for example, a vehicle seat, in particular a row 1 seat. In another example, the passenger compartment element is a dashboard.

[0026] The equipment 1 comprises a mounting bracket 2 designed to allow the equipment 1 to be mounted on the passenger compartment element. In the example illustrated in the figures, the bracket 2 has the shape of a frame comprising three sides forming a rectangular base.

[0027] As illustrated in the figures, the equipment 1 comprises a central part 3 mounted movably around the support 2 between at least two distinct equilibrium positions, each illustrated in [Fig.l] or 2, in which the central part 3 is in stable equilibrium. For example, the central part 3 forms a shelf and / or is designed to close a storage cavity. Thus, when the passenger compartment element is a seat, the equipment 1 is, for example, designed to be fixed to the back of the seat back and the central part 3 forms a shelf intended for use by a passenger in row 2. For a passenger compartment element forming a dashboard, the central part 3 is, for example, designed to close a glove box arranged in the dashboard. For example, the central part 3 has a rectangular shape.

[0028] As illustrated in the figures, the central part 3 is extended by at least one lateral extension 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d. In the example illustrated in the figures, the equipment 1 comprises four lateral extensions 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d. Each lateral extension 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d connects the central part 3 to the support 2. Each lateral extension 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d is designed, on the one hand, to guide the movement, at least initiated by a user of the equipment 1, of the central part 3 between its two equilibrium positions by elastic deformation of the lateral extension 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, and to, on the other hand, maintain the central part 3 in each equilibrium position into which the central part 3 is brought by the user.

[0029] Remarkably, in the equipment 1 according to the invention, each lateral extension 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d is integral with the central part 3. Advantageously, in the equipment 1 according to the invention, the support 2 is integral with each lateral extension 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, so that the equipment 1 is a single piece. Advantageously again, the equipment 1 is made from a single material, for example, based on polypropylene.

[0030] Advantageously, the equipment 1 according to the invention is obtained by a 3D printing process, in particular of plastic material. For example, a polypropylene filament is used to print in three dimensions (3D) the equipment 1 according to the invention.

[0031] In the example illustrated in the figures, each lateral extension 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d is connected to the central part 3 and to the support by a flexible connection 5 made by at least one thinning 6 of material. Each lateral extension 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d has a specific geometry allowing deformation and storage of elastic energy during a first phase of the movement of the central part 3. The stored elastic energy is then released in a second phase of the movement of the central part 3. Also, the movement of the central part 3 requires an input of energy provided, for example, by the user of the equipment 1.

[0032] Each lateral extension 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d is shaped to together give the central part 3 a movement between two equilibrium positions of adjustable complexity, including if necessary one or more translations and / or one or more rotations. Each lateral extension 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d has, for example, its own rigidity allowing the guidance of the central part 3 to be adjusted.

[0033] In the example illustrated in the figures, each lateral extension 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d is made up of one or more triangular plates 7 hinged together and / or folded.

[0034] In the passenger compartment element according to the invention, each support 2 is fixed to the passenger compartment element so as to allow the movement of the central part 3 between at least two of its equilibrium positions. For example, in a passenger compartment element provided with a storage cavity, not illustrated, the central part 3 closes the storage cavity in one of its equilibrium positions.

[0035] Each lateral extension 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d is designed to allow reversibility of the movement of the central part 3, so that the user can initialize a displacement from any one equilibrium position to the other equilibrium position.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the force required to initialize and / or move the central part 3 from one equilibrium position to another equilibrium position depends on the starting equilibrium position.

[0037] In the example illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the central part 3 passes from an equilibrium position, shown in [Fig. 1], to another equilibrium position, shown in [Fig. 2], by a rotation along one of its edges 8 which connects the central part 3 to the support 2 using a flexible connection 5.

[0038] In the examples illustrated in the figures, each flexible connection 5 is shown as being solid and continuous but other variants can be envisaged, in particular flexible connections 5 which are discontinuous and / or interspersed with one or more holes in order to modify the behavior when guiding the central part 3.

[0039] Thus, the vehicle equipment 1 according to the invention makes it possible to move the central part 3, which can act as a shelf or as a shutter for a storage cavity, between at least two stable equilibrium positions. Its movement is guided by each lateral extension 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d. The advantage of the equipment 1 lies in the fact that the lateral extensions 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, which replace the conventional mechanisms, are integral with the central part 3 and the support 2, thus reducing the number of parts and materials required. The assembly of the equipment 1 according to the invention is simplified since it can be obtained by 3D printing and its mounting on the passenger compartment element is easily carried out by fixing the support 2 to the passenger compartment element. Alternatively, the support 2 is integral with the passenger compartment element so that mounting the equipment 1 on the passenger compartment element is unnecessary.

[0040] The invention is not limited to the embodiment of the equipment described above, only by way of example, but other embodiments can be designed by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and scope of the present invention.

Claims

Claims

1. Motor vehicle equipment (1) designed to equip a passenger compartment element, the equipment (1) comprising a mounting support (2) designed to allow the equipment (1) to be mounted on the passenger compartment element, the equipment (1) comprising a central part (3), mounted movably around the support (2) between at least two distinct equilibrium positions, in which the central part (3) is in stable equilibrium, the central part (3) being extended by at least one lateral extension (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d), connecting the central part (3) to the support (2), each lateral extension (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) being designed, on the one hand, to guide the movement, at least initiated by a user of the equipment, of the central part (3) between its two equilibrium positions by elastic deformation of the lateral extension (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d), and, on the other hand,maintaining the central part (3) in each equilibrium position into which the central part (3) is brought by the user, each lateral extension (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) being integral with the central part (3).,

2. Equipment (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that each lateral extension (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) is connected to the central part (3) and / or to the support (2) by a flexible connection (5) produced by at least one thinning (6) of material.

3. Equipment (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the support (2) is integral with each lateral extension (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d).

4. Equipment (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it is obtained by a 3D printing process, in particular of plastic material.

5. Equipment (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the central part (3) forms a shelf or a shutter of a storage cavity.

6. Passenger compartment element comprising at least one piece of equipment (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, each support (2) being fixed to the passenger compartment element, each central part (3) being mounted to move around the support (2) between at least two distinct equilibrium positions.

7. Passenger compartment element according to claim 6, characterized in that the central part (3), in one of its equilibrium positions, closes a storage cavity.

8. Passenger compartment element according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that it forms a row 1 seat.

9. Interior element according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that it forms a dashboard, a door and / or a central console.

10. Motor vehicle having at least one piece of equipment (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5 and / or a passenger compartment element according to one of claims 6 to 9.

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