A cover mechanism

Abstract

A cover mechanism to be installed in a vehicle to selectively cover a vehicle space, the mechanism comprising: a cover 106 for covering the vehicle space S in a closed position and to allow access to

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a cover mechanism. Aspects of the invention relate to a cover mechanism arranged to be installed in a vehicle. BACKGROUND It is known to provide covers and drawers in vehicles. Covers may be arranged over voids for storing small items such as coins or mobile phones, or may be arranged over input devices such as buttons for controlling the temperature of the vehicle or the position of a seat. Drawers may also be provided for storing items. There is a desire to improve the efficiency of usage of space within vehicles. In particular, a large amount of space may be taken up by sliding mechanisms that are arranged to allow movement of the cover or drawer. Further, it may be preferable to use smaller and / or lighter sliding mechanisms while maintaining a sufficient strength of the drawer or cover arrangement. It is an aim of the present invention to address one or more of the disadvantages associated with the prior art. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Aspects and embodiments of the invention provide a cover mechanism as claimed in the appended claims. According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a cover mechanism arranged to be installed in a vehicle to selectively cover a vehicle space, the cover mechanism comprising: a cover arranged to cover the vehicle space in a closed position and to allow access to the vehicle space in an open position, the cover being arranged to move a first length in a first direction from the open position to the closed position; a first sliding component coupled to the cover and arranged to support the cover, the first sliding component having a sliding length that is at least 50% more than the first length; a second sliding component arranged to support the first sliding component and to allow sliding movement of the first sliding component between the open and closed positions, the second sliding component spanning a distance that is at least 50% of the first length, wherein, in the closed position, the cover and the first sliding component are arranged as a cantilever extending from the second sliding component over the vehicle space. The first sliding component may be a rail and the second sliding component may be one or more slide blocks. Where the first sliding component is a rail, the rail may support and add strength to the cover. By arranging the cover and the first sliding component as a cantilever, the volume of the vehicle space may be increased, as no supporting means for the cover may be required elsewhere on or adjacent to the vehicle space. By arranging the second sliding component to span a distance comparable to the length of the vehicle space, a bending moment between the first and second sliding components may be reduced. This may allow smoother sliding of the sliding components and / or, where the second sliding component is a plurality of slide blocks, may allow smaller slide blocks to be used. The second sliding component may span a distance that is greaterthan the length of the first sliding component minus the first distance, such that the first sliding component is supported by the entirety of the second sliding component, e.g. all of the slide blocks of a plurality, in the closed position and in the open position. It will be understood that a portion of the second sliding component, e.g. at least one slide block, may be directly adjacent the vehicle space. The one or more slide blocks may span a distance substantially equal to the first length, and the rail may have a length substantially similar to twice the first length. In this case, the cover may be relatively balanced about a slide block proximate the vehicle space, reducing a tensile force on a slide block distal from the vehicle space. The one or more slide blocks may be a plurality of slide blocks spaced apart in the first direction. The one or more slide blocks may have a span of at least 50% of the first length in order to reduce a bending moment between the slide block and the rail. The same span, and the consequence reduction in bending moment may be achieved by spaced apart slide blocks or by a single, longer slide block. By providing spaced apart slide blocks, the weight of the cover mechanism may be reduced. In some cases, the cover mechanism may have exactly two spaced apart slide blocks. The rail may be shorter than the cover. The rail may have a higher bending stiffness than the cover and so the cover may be supported by the rail over a substantial portion of its length. However, the cover may have a sufficient stiffness that the cover may be self-supporting with an acceptably small deflection over a short distance. The rail may therefore be made shorter than the cover in order to provide a lighter cover mechanism. The weight and consequent bending moment on the slide blocks may also hereby be reduced. The bending stiffness of the rail may be greaterthan the bending stiffness of the cover. The bending stiffness may be determined as the product of the elastic modulus and the second moment of area for each of the rail and the cover. The relevant bending stiff is the resistance to downward deflection, such as due to self-weight or due to an applied vertically downward load. According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a cover mechanism arranged to be installed in a vehicle to selectively cover a vehicle space, the cover mechanism comprising: a cover arranged to coverthe vehicle space in a closed position and to allow access to the vehicle space in an open position, the cover being arranged to move a first length in a first direction from the open position to the closed position; one or more slide blocks coupled to the cover, the one or more slide blocks spanning a slide block length that is at least 50% more than the first length; a rail arranged to support the slide blocks and to allow sliding movement of the slide blocks between the open and closed positions, the rail having a length that is at least 50% of the first length, wherein, in the closed position, the cover and one or more slide blocks are arranged as a cantilever extending from the rail over the vehicle space. In this arrangement, the slide blocks may engage and disengage the rail. The one or more slide blocks may include at least two slide blocks arranged to engage the rail at either end of the rail when the cover is in the closed position, and a further two slide blocks arranged to engage the rail at either end of the rail when the cover is in the open position. One or more of the two slide blocks may be slide blocks of the further two slide blocks. The cover may have a curved outer surface, the curved outer surface being curved about an axis oriented in the first direction. By providing a curved surface of the cover, objects placed on the cover may be less likely to remain on the cover. In effect, a user may be deterred from placing an object on the cover. This may reduce the force applied to the cover, reducing the prospect of damage to the slide blocks due to the application of an excessive bending or tensile force between the rail and the slide blocks. The cover may have a hard outer surface. The outer surface may be harder than a typical material of an armrest. The outer surface of the cover may be resistant to elastic deformation. The outer surface may be formed from a rigid material. A hard outer surface of the cover may reduce the prospect of a user resting a part of their body on the cover, which may cause damage to the cover mechanism overtime. The first direction may be a direction of travel of the vehicle or may be opposite to a direction of travel of the vehicle. Generally, a userof a vehicle may face a direction of travel. It may therefore be preferable for the user to slide the cover in the direction of travel of the vehicle. Therefore, by orienting the slide direction of the cover with the direction of travel of the vehicle, the vehicle space may be more easily accessed by a user. The cover mechanism may further comprise an actuator arranged to move the cover between the open and closed positions. The actuator may be a linear actuator. The linear actuator may be a screw drive. Where the linear actuator is a screw drive, the torque of the screw drive may be resisted by engagement between the first and second sliding mechanisms. An actuator may allow the cover to be moved without a user needing to exert force on the cover, which may provide an improved user experience. A screw drive may provide a particularly efficient and compact actuator. According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a vehicle console comprising: a vehicle space, and the cover mechanism of the first-mentioned or the another aspect, the cover mechanism being arranged to selectively cover the vehicle space. The vehicle console may be a central console, may be a portion of an instrument panel or may be on a door of a vehicle. The vehicle space may be a storage compartment and / or a surface comprising one or more input devices. A storage compartment or one or more input device may be covered by a cover in order to prevent the buildup of dust in the storage compartment or on the input device. Further, in the case of a storage compartment, items may be more securely stowed if the storage compartment can be covered. In the case of input devices, a cover may prevent inadvertent inputting of commands to the devices. The vehicle space may be a storage compartment, and the storage compartment may include a side wall and / or a cavity that extends downwardly and away from the slide block diagonally. The diagonally extending sidewall may be a sideway of the cavity, which may increase a storage volume of the storage compartment. Further, in some cases the rail may abut and foul on objects placed within the storage compartment, such as due to overfilling of the storage volume. In this case, the objects may be pushed by the rail into the cavity, so as to avoid damage to the objects. According to a still further aspect of the invention, there is provided a central console for a vehicle comprising the vehicle console of the further aspect. The central console may be arranged in a vehicle comprising a first seat facing a direction of travel of the vehicle and a second seat facing the direction of travel of the vehicle, the first and second seat being spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel, wherein the central console is arranged between the first and second seats. In this way, the vehicle space may be easily accessible to two users of the vehicle, for example a driver and a passenger. The vehicle console may be a first vehicle console, and the central console may comprise a second vehicle console arranged such that the first and second vehicle consoles are spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the first direction. In this way, the central console may provide separate, and separately accessible, storage spaces or sets of interface devices for multiple users of the vehicle, for example a driver and a passenger. The central console may further comprise a vertical divider arranged between the first and second cover mechanisms. The vertical divider may be arranged to separate a driver portion of the vehicle from a passenger portion. According to a yet still further aspect of the invention, there is provided a vehicle comprising the cover mechanism of the first-mentioned aspect or the another aspect, the vehicle console of the further aspect, or the central console of the still further aspect. Ther vehicle may further comprise a vehicle panel arranged substantially perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the cover is arranged to extend through the vehicle panel when in the open position. The vehicle panel may limit the extent of a passenger compartment, such as where the vehicle panel is an instrument panel or dashboard. By arranging the cover to extend through a vehicle panel, the excess length of the cover, which extends away from the vehicle space in the open position, may be placed outside the passenger compartment. This may allow a more efficient arrangement of the passenger compartment. Within the scope of this application it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims and / or in the following description and drawings, and in particular the individual features thereof, may be taken independently or in any combination. That is, all embodiments and / or features of any embodiment can be combined in anyway and / or combination, unless such features are incompatible. The applicant reserves the right to change any originally filed claim or file any new claim accordingly, including the right to amend any originally filed claim to depend from and / or incorporate any feature of any other claim although not originally claimed in that manner. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS One or more embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1a and 1b show a cover mechanism according to the invention in a closed position and an open position respectively; Figures 2a and 2b show a further cover mechanism according to the invention in a closed position and an open position respectively; Figure 3 shows a vehicle console according to the invention; Figure 4 shows a further vehicle console according to the invention; Figures 5a and 5b show a still further vehicle console according to the invention; Figures 6a and 6b show a plan view of a passenger compartment of a vehicle including a cover mechanism according to the invention with the cover mechanism in a closed position and an open position respectively; Figures 7a and 7b show a drawer mechanism in a closed position and an open position respectively; Figures 8a and 8b show a further drawer mechanism in a closed position and an open position respectively; Figures 9a and 9b show a still further drawer mechanism; Figure 10 shows a yet still further drawer mechanism; Figure 11 shows an instrument panel assembly of a vehicle according to the invention; and Figure 12 shows a vehicle according to the invention, DETAILED DESCRIPTION Figure 1 a shows a cover mechanism 100 in a closed position, and Figure 1B shows the cover mechanism 100 in an open position. The cover mechanism 100 is arranged to cover a vehicle space S with a cover 106. The cover 106 is coupled to a vehicle body via a first sliding component and a second sliding component, which are arranged to slide relative to each other. The first component in this case is a rail 104 and the second sliding component is a plurality of slide blocks 102a, 102b. The rail 104 includes a groove 105 for receiving one or more rolling elements 103, which are arranged within the slide blocks 102a, 102b. The rail 104 and slide blocks 102 a, b are arranged to slide relative to each other and the cover 106 is fixed to the rail 104 such that the cover 106 may slide between a first, closed position shown in Figure 1a, where the cover 106 extends over the vehicle space S and an open position shown in Figure 1 b, where the cover 106 is retracted such that the vehicle space S is accessible by a user. The cover 106 may be formed of a decorative material in order to provide an aesthetically pleasing arrangement when the cover mechanism 100 is in the closed position. Meanwhile, the rail 104 may be formed of a relatively stiff material, such as steel, aluminium or carbon fibre, the rail 104 having a greater stiffness than the cover 106. The greater stiffness of the rail 104 may be a greater material stiffness and / or a greater bending stiffness than the cover 106. The bending stiffness may be determined by the product of the Young's modulus and the second moment of area of the rail 104 about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the direction of movement of the rail 104, while the material stiffness may be Young’s modulus. In this way, the range of materials from which the cover 106 may be made may be increased. The rail 104 may also be shorter than the cover 106, as the cover may be self-supporting over a short distance, which is the difference in the lengths of the cover 106 and the rail 104. The cover 106 may be formed from a hard material, in particular, the cover 106 may be formed from a material that is substantially rigid, such that it does not elastically deform. The cover 106 may be formed from a material that is harder than the typical material of an armrest. This may dissuade a user from resting their arm on the cover 106. The rail 104 may be movable a distance L2, which may be substantially similar to the length of the vehicle space S. The distance L2 may be the distance the rail is movable between the open position in the closed position. The slide blocks 102a, 102b may span a distance L1, and may be engaged with the rail 104 over the distance L1. The distance L1 may be at least 50% of the distance L2 and in some cases, the distance L1 may be equal to the distance L2. It will be understood that the rail 104 may have a length equal to L1 plus L2. Slide blocks 102 a, 102b may be arranged as a single slide block or may be a plurality of spaced apart slide blocks, such as two slide blocks, as shown in Figures 1a and 1b, or a great number slide blocks. The slide blocks may have a span that is determined by the distance from a proximal edge of a proximal slide block, the proximal edge and the proximal slide block both being proximal the vehicle space, to a distal edge of a distal slide block, the distal edge and distal slide block being distal from the vehicle space. The rail 104 and cover 106 may be arranged as a cantilever extending from the proximal end of the proximal slide block 102b. This may allow the vehicle space S to be free from any supporting portion, which would otherwise reduce the space available for the storage compartment or user interface of the vehicle space S. Generally, the cover 106 may be fixed to any sliding component, which may be arranged to slide relative to a further sliding component that is engaged with the vehicle body. The sliding components may be a rail in a slide block or maybe two interlocking rails, or any other sliding components. By increasing the distance L1, the range of possible sliding components may be increased. In particular, where the distance L1 is equal to or greater than the distance L2, the cover 106 may be balanced about the proximal edge of the further sliding component that is fixed to the vehicle body and so there may be no requirement to provide sliding components that can withstand a tensile force. Figures 2a and 2b show a further cover mechanism 200 in the closed position in Figure 2a and in the open position in Figure 2b. The cover mechanism 200 has a cover 204, which is fixed to a plurality of slide blocks 206a, 206b, 206c. It will be understood that the cover 204 may have a greater stiffness than the cover of the first-mentioned cover mechanism, as the cover204 may be self-supporting. The slide blocks 206a, 206b, 206c may have a plurality of rolling elements 203, which are received in a groove 205 of a rail 202. In this case, the rail may have a length L1, and the cover 204 may be movable a distance L2 between the open position and the closed position, the length L2 also being the length of the vehicle space S. In the cover arrangement 200 of Figures 2a and 2b, the slide blocks 206a and 206c, which are at either end of the cover 204, may engage and disengage the rail 202 as the cover 204 is moved from the open position to the closed position. The central slide block 206b may remain engaged with the rail 202 at all times. By having a rail 202 that has a length L1 that is at least 50% of the distance between the first and second positions L2 , the loads between the rail and the slide blocks may be reduced, and the cover may be arranged as a cantilever, extending from an edge of the rail 202 that is approximate the vehicle space S. The distance L2 may be the 6 same as or greater than the length L1, in which case tensile forces between the rail and the slide blocks may be further reduced. Figure 3 shows a vehicle console 300. The vehicle console 300 includes the cover mechanism 100, but may include any cover mechanism. The vehicle console 300 includes a vehicle space 350 that in this case comprises a plurality of user input devices 360. The user input devices 360 may take any form, such as buttons, dials or switches. Any number of user interface devices 360 may be arranged on the vehicle space 350 and the user interface devices 350 may be used for any purpose, such as controlling vehicle heating, seating configurations or external devices such as garage doors. Figure 4 shows a further vehicle console 400. The vehicle console 400 also includes the cover mechanism 100, but may include any cover mechanism. The vehicle console 400 also includes a vehicle space 450, which in this case is a storage compartment 450. The storage compartment 450 is a storage compartment arranged to store items. The storage compartment may define an empty volume underneath the cover of the cover arrangement when the cover mechanism is in the closed position. The storage compartment 450 may store any items, such as keys, coins or mobile phones. In some cases, the vehicle space may comprise a storage compartment and one or more user input devices, since the vehicle space is generally a versatile space that may have any purpose. Figure 5a shows a still further vehicle console 500. The vehicle console 500 comprises a console body 540 to which the slide blocks of the cover mechanism 100 are fixed. The console body 540 has a storage compartment 550 within it, the storage compartment 550 being substantially similar to the storage compartment 450 of Figure 4. However, the storage compartment 550 has a further cavity 560 that extends diagonally downwardly from the storage compartment 550, the cavity having a sidewall 365 that extends along a side of the cavity 560. The further cavity may extend downwardly and along the first direction from the open position to the closed position. In this way, if the cover and rail are moved from the open position toward the closed position and an item is received in the storage compartment 550 that may be in the way of the rail and / or the cover, the item may be moved into the cavity by being pushed by an end face of the rail and / or an end face of the cover. The item may thereby fall into the cavity 560 and out of the way of the rail. In this way, damage to the item may be avoided. Figure 5b shows an end view of the storage compartment 550 taken along the section line A-A. Figure 5b shows an end wall 505 of the storage compartment 550, and in particular shows a cutout 510 of the end wall 505, which allows the rail 104 of the cover mechanism 100 to pass therethrough. By allowing the rail 104 to pass through a cutout 510 in an end wall 505 of the storage compartment 550, the overall height of the cover mechanism and vehicle space arrangement may be reduced. A curved outer surface 107 of the cover 106 can also been seen in Figure 5b. The vehicle consoles of Figures 3 to 5b may be central consoles of a vehicle or may be consoles arranged elsewhere, such as within doors or within an instrument panel arrangement. Figures 6a and 6b show plan views of a passenger compartment 600 of a vehicle including a central console 650, which may be the console of any arrangement described above, including the covers of any arrangement described above. The passenger compartment 600 also includes a driver’s seat 604, a passenger’s seat 606, a steering wheel 608 in front of the driver’s seat 604. Behind the passenger compartment 600, there is also provided a parcel shelf 602. The central console 650 is arranged between the driver’s seat 604 and the passenger seat 606. Generally, the central console 650 may be arranged on a centreline of the vehicle. An instrument panel unit 614 is arranged in front of the driver’s seat 604 and the passenger seat 606, and an instrument panel 610, which is part of the instrument panel unit 614, faces the driver’s seat 604 and passenger seat 606. The instrument panel unit 614 also has a firewall 612 at a front end, which may separate the instrument panel unit 614 from a front engine space or from a further storage compartment. The central console 650 includes two cover mechanisms 100, any may be considered to comprise two consoles as described above, where each cover mechanism 100 covers a respective vehicle space. The cover mechanisms 100 are arranged to move to cover or uncover vehicle spaces 550. In Figure 6a, the covers are in the closed position, preventing access to the vehicle spaces and the covers are shown in the open position in Figure 6B, allowing access to the vehicle space 550. The vehicle further comprises linear actuators 660 arranged to move the covers of the console 650 between the open and closed positions. The linear actuators 660 may be screw drives, which may include a threaded shaft that is rotatable to move the rails between the open and closed positions. Rotation of the rails may be prevented by engagement between the grooves of the rails and rolling elements of the slide blocks as shown in Figures 1 a to 2b and 5b. The central console 650 also comprises a central divider 652, which extends upwardly between the two cover mechanisms 100. The central console 650 may thereby provide a separate vehicle space for each user of the vehicle, and the central divider 652 may allow a degree of privacy for the driver and passenger sitting in their respective seats. Figures 7a and 7b show a drawer arrangement 700, which is shown in a closed position in Figure 7a and in an open position in Figure 7b. The drawer arrangement 700 includes a drawer 702, which has a base portion 702a, which is arranged ata bottom of the drawerand arranged to support contents of the drawer 702, a back portion 702c, which extends upwardly from the base portion 702a. The back portion 702c may prevent contents from leaving the drawer and becoming inaccessible when the drawer is opened. The drawer 702 may also have a top portion 702d extending forwardly from the back portion 702c. Therefore, the top portion 702d may extend over the base portion 702a. The drawer 702 may also comprise two side portions 702b, each extending upwardly from the base portion 702a and the side portions 702b may also extend forwardly from the back portion 702C, such that the base portion, back portion and side portions 702 a, b, c, together define an internal volume of the drawer 702. In this way, contents within the drawer may be securely stored within the internal volume. The top portion 702d may further define the internal volume of the drawer 702. A front portion 702e of the drawer 702 is optional and may extend upwardly from the front of the base portion 702a. The front portion 702e may also extend from the side portions 702b, to further define the internal volume of the drawer 702. An aperture may be formed between the top portion 702d and the front portion 702e, which may allow a user to access an inner volume of the drawer 702 when the drawer 702 is in the open position. The drawer 702 is coupled to an underside of a further component 710 of the vehicle, the further component 710 being coupled to the drawer 702 via a sliding mechanism. The sliding mechanism may be formed by any means, as described above with reference to figures 1a to 2b. In the case of the arrangement shown in Figures 7a and 7b, the sliding mechanism is formed from a slide block 704, which is coupled to the top portion 702d of the drawer 702 and a rail 708, which is coupled to the underside of the further component 710. The rail 708 includes a groove 709, which is arranged to receive rolling elements 705 of the slide block 704, the rolling elements 705 being arranged to roll along the groove 709 to facilitate a slidable movement of the drawer 702 between the open and closed positions. The top portion 702d may extend a distance L3 from the back portion 702c, and the slide block 704 may also be arranged such that an edge of the slide block 704 distal from the back portion 702c is the distance L3 from the back portion 72d. The drawer may move a distance L5 from the closed position to the open position, as can be seen by a comparison of Figures 7a and 7b. The distance L3 may be equal to or greater than the distance L5, such that the drawer 702 is supported ata midpoint of the drawer 702, reducing a forward pitching moment exerted by the drawer 702 on the rail 708. It will be appreciated that the top portion 702d may extend from the back portion 702c or may extend from or between one or more of the side portions 702b. The base portion of the drawer 702a may have a length L4, which may define a distance over which the drawer is likely to support contents of the drawer 702. The top portion 702d may extend a distance L3 from the back portion 702c that is at least 50% of the distance the base portion 702a extends from the back portion 702c, i.e. L4. Alternatively put, L4 may be less than or equal to double L3. In this way, the drawer 702 may be well-balanced about the slide block 704, such that a pitching moment between the sliding mechanism and the drawer 702 is reduced. This may allow a lighter sliding mechanism to be used, with less material required for strengthening the sliding mechanism. It will be understood that all lengths L3, L4, L5 are in the direction of movement of the drawer, i.e. in a direction parallel to the rail 708. The drawer 702, when in the open position as shown in figure 7b, may have a substantial portion of the base portion 702a underneath the adjacent component 710. This may reduce the access to the inner volume of the drawer 702. However, the improvement of the strength of the drawer 702 and of the sliding mechanism may be sufficient to outweigh this disadvantage with a significant advantage as described above. The drawer arrangement 700 also comprises a linear actuator 712, that is coupled to the top portion 702d. The linear actuator 712 may be telescoping actuator arranged to extend the drawer 702 from the closed position to the open position and to retract the drawer 702 from the closed open position to the closed position. The linear actuator 712 may be fixed to the adjacent component 710, or may be fixed to another part of the vehicle. By coupling the linear actuator 712 to the drawer 702 at the top portion 702, a bending moment between the sliding mechanism and the linear actuator 712 may be reduced. Further, the linear actuator 712 may be coupled to the top portion 702d at a location distal from the linear actuator. In this way, the linear actuator 712 may, when retracted, have a length that extends a substantial distance over the drawer 702. This may allow the linear actuator 712 and the drawer 702 to be packaged more compactly. Figures 8a and 8b show a further drawer arrangement 800. The drawer arrangement 800 is shown in the closed position in Figure 8a and in the open position in Figure 8b. The drawer 802 may, similarly to the abovedescribed drawer 702, have a base portion 802a, a back portion 802c, side portions 802b, and a front portion 802e. The top portion 802d may extend between the side portions 802b. As shown in Figures 8a and 8b, the top portion 802d may be arranged as a slat extending between top edges of the side portions 802b and may not necessarily be connected to the back portion 802c. This may reduce the weight of the drawer 802, while maintaining the strength of the drawer 802 and the above-explained benefits of the drawer being balanced about the sliding mechanism of the drawer assembly 800. Generally, the top portion 802d may extend between the side portions 802b and / or may be fixed to the back portion 830c. In the case where the top portion 802d is coupled only to the back portion 802c, the side portions 802b may be made smaller, such as not extending to the top of the drawer 802. This may reduce the overall weight of the drawer 802. However, by coupling the top portion 802d to the side portions 802b, the bending moment between the top portion 802d and the back portion 802c may be reduced and the drawer 802 may be strengthened. Further, as shown in Figures 8a and 8b, the sliding mechanism of the drawer arrangement 800 may be reversed, with a rail 804 coupled to the top portion 802d and an elongated slide block 808, which may optionally have rolling elements 809, coupled to the adjacent component 710. The rail 804 may have a groove 805 arranged to receive the rolling elements 809. Generally, the drawer arrangement may have any sliding mechanism, and may have a first sliding component coupled to the drawer and a further sliding component coupled to an adjacent component, such that sliding of the drawer between the closed and open positions may be facilitated. The exact arrangement of the sliding mechanism is not of importance to present invention. Figures 9a and 9b show a further drawer arrangement 900. The drawer arrangement 900 includes a drawer 902 having a base portion 902a, a side portion 902b, a back portion 902c, a top portion 902d and a front portion 902e. The drawer 902 and the respective portions may be substantially similar to any of those described above with reference to the preceding figures. The drawer arrangement 900 includes an adjacent component 910, to an underside of which the drawer 900 is slidably coupled via a rail 908 and slide block 904. The adjacent component 910 has a downwardly extending portion 910a. The downwardly extending portion 910a is arranged to obscure the rail 908 and slide block 904 from view of a user. The downwardly extending portion 910a is arranged to extend such that a panel including 10 the adjacent component 910, which may be an instrument panel, may lie flush with the front portion 902e of the drawer 902 when the drawer 902 is in the closed position. The drawer 902, or any above-described drawer, may further comprise a user input device 920, which may, for example, be a button ora capacitive sensor arranged to receive an input from a user. The user input device 920 may, upon receiving an input, send a signal to actuate the linear actuator 912, which is coupled to the drawer 902, such that the actuator moves the drawer 902 from the closed position to the open position or vice versa. In some cases, the actuator 912 may be arranged to move the drawer 902 from the closed position to the open position and the drawer may be moved from the open position to be closed position by a force imparted onto the drawer 902 by user. Figure 9b shows the drawer arrangement 900 as viewed along the section B-B. As can be seen in figure 9b, the drawer 902 may be coupled to the adjacent component 910 via a plurality of rails 908, which are spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the drawer 902 between the open and closed positions, and via a plurality of slide blocks 904 arranged to engage with the rails 908. It will be understood that, while each rail 908 is associated with one corresponding slide block 904 in the above-described figures, a plurality of slide blocks 908, which may be spaced apart in the direction of movement of the drawer, may engage with each rail 904, as shown in Figure 10 and described below. The actuator 912 may be coupled to the drawer 902 via an actuator coupling arrangement 914 that is coupled to the top portion 902d of the drawer 902. The actuator coupling arrangement 914 may be a pivotal coupling between the drawer 902 and the actuator 912 to avoid the generation of any unnecessary bending stresses between the drawer 902 and the actuator 12. The actuator 912 may be a single telescoping linear actuator, in this case, the actuator 912 may double in length between the closed position and the open position. In this way, if the actuator 912 is coupled to the drawer such that the point of which the actuator is coupled to the drawer in the closed position is midway between a first end of the actuator and a second, opposite end of the actuator in the open position, the end of the actuator that is proximate a back portion of the drawer may be arranged close to the drawer 902, allowing more efficient packaging of the drawer assembly 900. This may be a further advantage provided by the top portion 902d of the drawer. It will be understood that such an actuator, user input device and actuator coupling assembly may also be combined with other drawer arrangement described herein. Figure 10 shows a further drawer arrangement 1000. The further drawer arrangement 1000 including a drawer 802 coupled to two spaced-apart slide blocks 1004, each slide block 1004 having a plurality of rolling elements 1005, the rolling elements 1005 being received in a groove 1009 of a rail 1008, which is coupled to an adjacent component 910. The drawer 802 may otherwise be substantially similar to the same drawer described above with reference to Figures 8a and 8b. It will be understood that any drawer described above may be used with such an arrangement. By further providing a plurality of spaced apart slide blocks 1004, the stresses on the slide blocks may be reduced further and stability of the drawer 802 may be increased. The linear actuator 1012 may be coupled to 11 the top portion 802D of the drawer 1002 via an actuator coupling arrangement 1014, which may be arranged between the slide blocks 1004. The linear actuator 1012 may be coupled to the top portion 1002d at a location that is distal from the actuator 1012, which may a allow more compact arrangement of a telescoping actuator as explained above. Figure 11 shows an instrument panel arrangement 1100 includes a steering wheel 1108, a driver display unit 1109, an instrument panel top surface 1114, an instrument panel trim panel 1110, and a plurality of drawer arrangements 1120 arranged underneath the instrument panel trim panel 1110. Each drawer arrangement 1120 is provided with a respective user input device 1122, which may be button or a capacitive sensor as described above. The Instrument panel arrangement 1100 may be arranged above respective driver and passenger footwells 1102,1104, and in front of respective driver and passenger seats, which are not shown. The instrument panel arrangement 1100 may include a central console 1111, which may be a console of any one of Figures 3 to 5, and the instrument panel may be arranged within the passenger compartment of Figures 6a and 6b. Figure 12 shows a vehicle 1200, which may comprise any of the consoles, cover arrangements, passenger compartments, drawers, drawer arrangements, instrument panel arrangements, passenger compartments discard, or consoles described above. It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A cover mechanism arranged to be installed in a vehicle to selectively cover a vehicle space, the cover mechanism comprising:a cover arranged to cover the vehicle space in a closed position and to allow access to the vehicle space in an open position, the cover being arranged to move a first length in a first direction from the open position to the closed position;a rail coupled to the cover and arranged to support the cover, the rail having a rail length that is at least 50% more than the first length;one or more slide blocks arranged to support the rail and to allow sliding movement of the rail between the open and closed positions, the one or more slide blocks spanning a distance that is at least 50% of the first length,wherein, in the closed position, the cover and rail are arranged as a cantilever extending from the one or more slide blocks over the vehicle space.

2. The cover mechanism of claim 1, wherein the one or more slide blocks are a plurality of slide blocks spaced apart in the first direction.

3. The cover mechanism of claim 1 or 2, wherein the rail is shorter than the cover.

4. A cover mechanism arranged to be installed in a vehicle to selectively cover a vehicle space, thecover mechanism comprising:a cover arranged to cover the vehicle space in a closed position and to allow access to the vehicle space in an open position, the cover being arranged to move a first length in a first direction from the open position to the closed position;one or more slide blocks coupled to the cover, the one or more slide blocks spanning a slide block length that is at least 50% more than the first length;a rail arranged to support the slide blocks and to allow sliding movement of the slide blocks between the open and closed positions, the rail having a length that is at least 50% of the first length,wherein, in the closed position, the cover and one or more slide blocks are arranged as a cantilever extending from the rail over the vehicle space.

5. The cover mechanism of any preceding claim, wherein the cover has a curved outer surface, the curved outer surface being curved about an axis oriented in the first direction.

6. The cover mechanism of any preceding claim, wherein the cover has a hard outer surface.

7. The cover mechanism of any preceding claim, further comprising a linear actuator arranged to movethe cover between the closed and open positions.

8. A vehicle console comprising:a vehicle space, andthe cover mechanism of any preceding claim, the cover mechanism being arranged to selectively cover the vehicle space.

9. The vehicle console of claim 8, wherein the vehicle space is a storage compartment and / or a surface comprising one or more input devices.

10. The vehicle console of claim 9, wherein the vehicle space is a storage compartment, and wherein the storage compartment includes a side wall that extends downwardly and away from the slide block diagonally.

11. A central console for a vehicle comprising the vehicle console of claim 8, 9 or 10.

12. The central console of claim 11, wherein the vehicle console is a first vehicle console, and whereinthe central console comprises a second vehicle console arranged such that the first and second vehicle consoles are spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the first direction.

13. The central console of claim 12, further comprising a vertical divider arranged between the first and second cover mechanisms.

14. A vehicle comprising the cover mechanism of any one of claims 1 to 7, the vehicle console of claim 8, 9 or 10, or the central console of claim 12 or 13.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, further comprising a vehicle panel arranged substantially perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the cover is arranged to extend through the vehicle panel when in the open position.15

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