Shutter type container for vehicle

Abstract

To provide a shutter type container for a vehicle, capable of suppressing the appearance of a shutter from becoming bad.SOLUTION: A container body includes a pair of guide grooves positioned on both sides in the width direction of a shutter 12. The shutter 12 includes a shutter body 50 constituted to be bendable and stretchable, and a front layer part 60 disposed on an outer face 51A of the shutter body 50 so as to cover the outer face 51A. The shutter body 50 includes a sheet-like base part 51 constituted to be elastically deformable, and slats 52 disposed in an inner face 51B of the base part 51 and extending in the width direction. The plurality of slats 52 is disposed to be aligned at intervals in the lengthwise direction, and has both ends in the width direction slidably supported on the guide grooves. The outer face 51A of the base part 51 has a flat shape. The inner face 51B of the base part 51 is provided with a groove-like groove part 55 extending in the width direction in a connection part 51C sandwiched by two slats 52 adjacent in the lengthwise direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a shutter-type storage compartment for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] An example of a shutter-type storage compartment for a vehicle is described in Patent Document 1. The storage compartment described in Patent Document 1 includes a storage compartment body having an opening, and a shutter configured to open and close the opening.

[0003] The storage container body is provided with a guide rail having a linear portion that extends linearly and a curved portion that extends curvedly. The shutter has a shutter body that is configured to be bendable and stretchable, and a surface layer that is provided on the outer surface of the shutter body so as to cover the outer surface of the shutter body. The shutter body has a sheet-shaped base portion that is configured to be elastically deformable, and a plurality of slats that form protrusions that extend in the width direction. The multiple slats are provided on the inner surface of the base portion so as to be aligned at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the shutter.

[0004] In the storage container described above, the shutter slats are slidably supported on guide rails on the storage container body, allowing the shutter to slide along the guide rails relative to the storage container body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-193952 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the storage compartment, the shutter is bent and stretched when it is opened or closed. Due to its structure, the shutter bends and stretches only at the portion of the shutter body where no slats are provided, i.e., the portion sandwiched between two adjacent slats in the longitudinal direction (hereinafter referred to as the connecting portion). The connecting portion of the shutter body has a two-layer structure consisting of a base portion and a surface layer. Therefore, when the shutter, specifically the connecting portion of the shutter body, is bent and stretched, stress tends to be large on the surface layer, which is located on the outside in the bending direction, and stress tends to remain in the surface layer. Therefore, unevenness may occur on the surface of the surface layer, which may result in a poor appearance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] Various aspects of the device for solving the above problems will be described. [Aspect 1] A shutter-type storage container for a vehicle includes a storage container body having an opening and a shutter configured to open and close the opening, wherein the storage container body has a pair of guide grooves located on both sides of the shutter in a width direction, the guide grooves having a first curvature portion extending with a first curvature and a second curvature portion extending with a second curvature different from the first curvature, and the guide grooves guide the movement of the shutter, and the shutter includes a shutter body configured to be bendable and stretchable in the length direction of the shutter, and a surface layer provided on the outer surface of the shutter body, which is the outer surface of the storage container body, so as to cover the outer surface. a shutter-type storage container for a vehicle, the shutter body having a sheet-like base portion configured to be elastically deformable, and slats provided on the inner surface of the base portion, which is the inner surface of the storage container body, and extending in the width direction, the slats being provided in a row at intervals from each other in the length direction, and both ends in the width direction being slidably supported by the guide groove portions, the outer surface of the base portion being flat, and the inner surface of the base portion having a groove-like portion extending in the width direction at a portion sandwiched between two slats adjacent in the length direction.

[0008] According to the above configuration, a groove-shaped portion is provided in the portion of the base portion of the shutter that is sandwiched between two longitudinally adjacent slats (hereinafter referred to as the connecting portion), i.e., the connecting portion that is bent and stretched when the shutter is opened or closed. This allows the thickness of the portion of the base portion that is actually bent and stretched to be thinner, thereby minimizing the change in the length (so-called perimeter) of the outer surface of the base portion in the bending direction when the shutter is bent and stretched. Therefore, compared to a shutter without a groove-shaped portion, the force acting to press the surface layer against the outer surface of the base portion when the shutter is bent can be reduced, and the force acting to peel the surface layer from the outer surface of the base portion when the shutter is stretched can be reduced. This reduces the stress applied to the surface layer when the shutter is bent and stretched, making it less likely for the stress to remain in the surface layer. This therefore suppresses deformation of the surface layer due to residual stress. This prevents the shutter from becoming unattractive.

[0009] [Aspect 2] A shutter-type storage container for a vehicle as described in [Aspect 1], wherein the groove-shaped portion extends along the entire width of the inner surface. According to the above configuration, even though the groove-shaped portion is provided on the inner surface of the base portion, the connecting portion of the base portion can be bent and stretched well over the entire width direction Y so as not to create unnecessary irregularities on the outer surface and surface layer portion of the base portion. This prevents the shutter from looking unattractive. Furthermore, according to the above configuration, the stress applied to the surface layer portion when the shutter is bent and stretched can be reduced over the entire width direction. This prevents the stress from remaining in the surface layer portion over the entire width direction of the surface layer portion, thereby effectively preventing deformation of the surface layer portion due to residual stress. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the shutter from becoming unattractive. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a vehicle shutter-type storage compartment with the shutter closing the opening. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an end view of the embodiment taken along line 2-2 of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a side end view showing the state in which the shutter opens the opening in the embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is an end view of the embodiment taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the shutter of the embodiment. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view of the shutter of the embodiment taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the shutter of the embodiment taken along line 7-7 in FIG. 5. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the shutter of the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of a part of the shutter of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a shutter-type storage compartment for a vehicle will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 9. Note that in each drawing, for the sake of convenience, some components may be shown exaggerated or simplified. Furthermore, the dimensional ratios of each component may differ from the actual ratios. Note that, hereinafter, the vertical direction of the vehicle will be simply referred to as the vertical direction Z, and the upper and lower sides in the vertical direction Z will be simply referred to as the upper and lower sides, respectively.

[0013] <Basic configuration of a shutter-type storage compartment for vehicles> As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a shutter-type storage compartment for a vehicle is provided in, for example, the center console of an automobile. The shutter-type storage compartment for a vehicle includes a storage compartment body 10 having an opening 11 that opens upward, and a shutter 12 configured to be able to open and close the opening 11 by moving along an opening surface 11A of the opening 11. In the following description, the direction of the long side of the shutter 12 (the left-right direction in Figure 2) when the opening 11 is closed (the state shown in Figure 2) will be referred to as the length direction X, and the direction of the short side of the shutter 12 (the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 2) will be referred to as the width direction Y.

[0014] <Storage compartment body 10> The container body 10 has a main body portion 20, a shutter storage portion 30, and a pair of guide groove portions 40.

[0015] (Main body 20) The main body 20 has a peripheral wall 21 that forms the opening 11, and a bottom wall 22 that is connected to the lower edge of the peripheral wall 21 and faces the opening surface 11A of the opening 11. The opening 11 has a rectangular shape in a plan view, with a pair of long sides extending in the length direction X and a pair of short sides extending in the width direction Y. The peripheral wall 21 has a pair of first wall portions 23 (see FIG. 1) that form the pair of long sides of the opening 11, and a pair of second wall portions 24 (see FIG. 2) that form the pair of short sides of the opening 11. The peripheral wall 21 and the bottom wall 22 define a space S that stores items such as beverage containers and small items.

[0016] (Shutter storage section 30) The shutter storage section 30 is provided adjacent to the main body section 20 in the longitudinal direction X. The shutter storage section 30 has an outer peripheral wall 31, an inner peripheral wall 32, and a pair of side wall sections 33. The outer peripheral wall 31 extends in a curved manner in one direction. The inner peripheral wall 32 is located on the inner peripheral side of the outer peripheral wall 31 and has a portion curved along the outer peripheral wall 31. Each of the pair of side wall sections 33 extends along the outer peripheral wall 31 and the inner peripheral wall 32 so as to connect an end of the outer peripheral wall 31 and an end of the inner peripheral wall 32 in the width direction Y. As shown in FIG. 3 , the shutter storage section 30 is configured to be able to store the shutter 12 in a curved state.

[0017] (Guide groove portion 40) 1 to 4, the guide groove portion 40 is provided on both sides of the main body portion 20 and the shutter storage portion 30 in the width direction Y. The guide groove portion 40 has a straight portion 41 that extends linearly in the length direction X, and a curved portion 42 that extends continuously from the straight portion 41 and is curved in one direction. In this embodiment, the straight portion 41 that extends linearly corresponds to a first curvature portion that extends with a first curvature, and the curved portion 42 corresponds to a second curvature portion that extends with a second curvature.

[0018] The straight portion 41 is provided adjacent to the first wall portion 23 above the portion of the first wall portion 23 that defines the opening 11 (see FIG. 4). The curved portion 42 is provided on the side wall portion 33 of the shutter storage portion 30.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 4, both end portions of the shutter 12 in the width direction Y are located inside the guide groove portions 40. In this embodiment, both end portions of the shutter 12 are guided along the pair of guide groove portions 40, so that the shutter 12 is configured to be movable between a closed position (see Fig. 2) where the opening 11 is closed and an open position (see Fig. 3) where the opening 11 is open.

[0020] <Shutter 12> 4 to 6, the shutter 12 has a generally rectangular plate shape when it closes the opening 11. The shutter 12 has a shutter body 50, a surface layer 60, and an operation portion .

[0021] (Shutter body 50) The shutter body 50 has a base portion 51 and a plurality of slats 52 . The base portion 51 is made of a soft resin material (for example, a thermoplastic elastomer). The base portion 51 has a substantially rectangular plate shape when it closes the opening 11. An outer surface 51A of the base portion 51, which is the surface facing outward from the storage container body 10, is formed flat and without irregularities. In this embodiment, the outer surface 51A of the base portion 51 is formed as a flat or curved surface without irregularities. An inner surface 51B of the base portion 51, which is the surface facing inward from the storage container body 10, is provided with slats 52.

[0022] (Slat 52) As shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, the slats 52 are made of a hard resin material (e.g., ABS). The slats 52 are provided integrally with the base portion 51. The slats 52 and the base portion 51 can be integrally molded, for example, by two-color molding. The slats 52 are protrusions extending in the width direction Y. A plurality of slats 52 are provided on the inner surface 51B of the base portion 51 so as to be aligned at intervals from each other in the length direction X.

[0023] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the slat 52 specifically has a slat body 53 and a pair of shaft portions 54. The slat body 53 is formed in a rectangular column shape having a plurality of recesses 53A that open downward, and extends in the width direction Y. Each of the pair of shaft portions 54 is cylindrical with a central axis extending in the width direction Y. The pair of shaft portions 54 protrude outward from both end faces 53B of the slat body 53 in the width direction Y. In this embodiment, the outer surfaces of the shaft portions 54 are covered with a covering member made of a soft resin material.

[0024] (Groove 55) As shown in Figures 6 to 8, a groove-shaped portion 55 is provided on the inner surface 51B of the base portion 51 of the shutter main body 50. The groove-shaped portion 55 is provided in a portion of the base portion 51 that is sandwiched between two slats 52 adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction X (hereinafter referred to as the connecting portion 51C). The groove-shaped portion 55 has a groove-like shape that extends in the width direction Y with its inner surface having a U-shaped cross section. The groove-shaped portion 55 extends over the entire length of the inner surface 51B of the base portion 51 in the width direction Y.

[0025] (Surface layer 60) The surface layer 60 is provided on the outer surface 51A of the base portion 51 so as to cover the outer surface 51A. The surface layer 60 is made of woven fabric. The surface layer 60 is attached to the outer surface 51A of the base portion 51 via an adhesive or double-sided tape (not shown). The surface layer 60 covers substantially the entire outer surface 51A of the base portion 51.

[0026] (Operation unit 70) 1 and 2, the operating unit 70 is provided at one end of the shutter 12 in the longitudinal direction X. A handle 71 protrudes from the upper surface of the operating unit 70. The operating unit 70 is used to operate the shutter 12.

[0027] 4, in this embodiment, both end portions of the shutter 12 in the width direction Y, more specifically, the end portion of the base portion 51 in the width direction Y, the shaft portion 54 of the slat 52, and the end 60A of the surface layer portion 60 in the width direction Y, are located inside the guide groove portions 40. With both end portions of the shutter 12 guided along the pair of guide groove portions 40, the shutter 12 is movable between a closed position (see FIG. 2) where the opening 11 of the storage container body 10 is closed and an open position (see FIG. 3) where the opening 11 is open.

[0028] <Operation of this embodiment> The operation of this embodiment will be described. 6 and 9, in this embodiment, a groove-like groove portion 55 is provided in the connecting portion 51C, which is a portion of the base portion 51 sandwiched between two slats 52 adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction X, i.e., the connecting portion 51C that is bent and stretched when opening and closing the shutter 12. This allows the thickness of the portion of the base portion 51 that is actually bent and stretched to be thin, thereby reducing the change in the length (so-called circumferential length) of the outer surface 51A of the base portion 51 in the bending direction when it is bent and stretched.

[0029] 9, when the shutter 12 is bent, the base portion 51 elastically deforms so as to increase the circumferential length. In this case, by providing the groove-shaped portion 55 on the inner surface 51B of the base portion 51, the degree to which the circumferential length increases can be reduced compared to when the groove-shaped portion 55 is not provided, and therefore the force acting to press the outer surface 51A of the base portion 51 against the surface layer portion 60 can be reduced.

[0030] 9, when the shutter 12 is extended, the base portion 51 elastically deforms so as to shorten the circumferential length. In this case, by providing the groove-shaped portion 55 on the inner surface 51B of the base portion 51, the degree to which the circumferential length shortens can be reduced compared to when the groove-shaped portion 55 is not provided, and therefore the force acting to peel the surface layer portion 60 from the outer surface 51A of the base portion 51 can be reduced.

[0031] According to this embodiment, the force acting on the surface layer portion 60 when bending and straightening the shutter 12 can be reduced, thereby reducing the stress acting on the surface layer portion 60. This makes it difficult for the stress to remain in the surface layer portion 60, thereby suppressing deformation of the surface layer portion 60 due to the residual stress.

[0032] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the outer surface 51A of the base portion 51 is formed flat. As a result, the opposing surface between the outer surface 51A of the base portion 51 and the surface layer portion 60 is flat. Therefore, when the shutter 12 is bent or stretched, one of the outer surface 51A of the base portion 51 and the surface layer portion 60 is partially and strongly pressed against the other, thereby preventing a large force from acting locally on the surface layer portion 60. Therefore, deformation of the surface layer portion 60 is suppressed.

[0033] <Effects of this embodiment> The effects of this embodiment will be described. (1) A shutter-type storage container for a vehicle includes a storage container body 10 having an opening 11 and a shutter 12 configured to open and close the opening 11. The storage container body 10 has a pair of guide grooves 40 located on both sides of the shutter 12 in the width direction Y, and the guide grooves 40 have a linear portion 41 extending linearly and a curved portion 42, guiding the movement of the shutter 12. The shutter 12 includes a shutter body 50 configured to be bendable and stretchable in the longitudinal direction X and a surface layer 60 provided on the outer surface 51A of the shutter body 50 so as to cover the outer surface 51A. The shutter body 50 includes a sheet-like base portion 51 configured to be elastically deformable and slats 52 provided on the inner surface 51B of the base portion 51 and extending in the width direction Y. A plurality of slats 52 are provided lined up at intervals in the longitudinal direction X, and both ends in the width direction Y are slidably supported by the guide grooves 40. The outer surface 51A of the base portion 51 is flat. The inner surface 51B of the base portion 51 is provided with a groove-shaped portion 55 extending in the width direction Y at a connecting portion 51C sandwiched between two slats 52 adjacent in the length direction X.

[0034] This configuration provides the above-mentioned effects, and therefore prevents the shutter 12 from looking unattractive. (2) The groove portion 55 extends over the entire length in the width direction Y on the inner surface 51B of the base portion 51.

[0035] According to the above configuration, although the groove-shaped portion 55 is provided on the inner surface 51B of the base portion 51, the connecting portion 51C of the base portion 51 can be bent and stretched well over the entire width direction Y so as not to create unnecessary unevenness on the outer surface 51A of the base portion 51 and the surface layer portion 60. This makes it possible to prevent the appearance of the shutter 12 from becoming poor. Moreover, according to the above configuration, the stress applied to the surface layer portion 60 when the shutter 12 is bent and stretched can be reduced over the entire width direction Y. This makes it possible to suitably prevent the stress from remaining in the surface layer portion 60, and therefore suitably prevent deformation of the surface layer portion 60 due to residual stress.

[0036] <Modification> The above embodiment can be modified as follows: The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0037] The shape of the slat body 53 can be changed arbitrarily as long as it is a shape that extends in the width direction Y. For example, the recess 53A of the slat body 53 may be omitted. The cross-sectional shape of groove portion 55 is not limited to a U-shaped inner surface, and can be changed as desired. For example, the cross-sectional shape of groove portion 55 can be a V-shaped inner surface or a semicircular cross-section.

[0038] Instead of providing the groove portions 55 so as to extend over the entire length in the width direction Y on the inner surface 51B of the base portion 51, the groove portions 55 may be provided so as to be interrupted at a portion in the width direction Y on the inner surface 51B of the base portion 51. For example, it is possible to form no groove portions 55 at both ends in the width direction Y on the inner surface 51B of the base portion 51, or to provide the groove portions 55 so as to extend intermittently in the width direction Y on the inner surface 51B of the base portion 51.

[0039] The shape of the guide groove portion 40 can be changed to any shape as long as it has a first curvature portion extending with a first curvature and a second curvature portion extending with a second curvature different from the first curvature. For example, instead of providing the linear portion 41 extending linearly in the longitudinal direction X, a curvature portion extending with a slight curve in the longitudinal direction X may be provided. Furthermore, instead of providing the curved portion 42 curved in one direction, it is also possible to provide a curvature portion having both a curved portion and a linear portion.

[0040] The base portion 51 may be made of a thermoplastic elastomer or any other soft resin material. The covering member covering the outer surface of the shaft portion 54 of the slat body 53 may be omitted.

[0041] The slats 52 may be made of ABS or any other hard resin material. The surface layer 60 may be made of a woven fabric, a film made of a resin material, synthetic leather made of a resin material, or nonwoven fabric.

[0042] The shutter-type storage compartment for a vehicle according to the above embodiment is not limited to a storage compartment having a shutter 12 that opens and closes an opening 11 that opens upward, but can also be applied to a storage compartment having a shutter that opens and closes an opening that opens in a direction intersecting the vertical direction Z.

[0043] The vehicle shutter-type storage compartment according to the above embodiment can also be applied to a shutter-type storage compartment that is incorporated into a vehicle component other than the center console of the automobile. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 10...Storage compartment body 11...Opening 11A…Opening surface 12...Shutter 20...Main body 21...Peripheral wall 22...Bottom wall 23…First wall part 24…Second wall part 30...Shutter storage section 31…Outer wall 32…Inner peripheral wall 33...Side wall 40...Guide groove 41...Straight section 42...Bend 50...Shutter body 51...Base 51A…External surface 51B...Inside 51C…Connection part 52...Slat 53...Slat body 53A...recess 53B…End face 54...Shaft 55…Groove portion 60...Surface layer 60A...end 70...Operation unit 71...Handle

Claims

1. A shutter-type storage container for a vehicle includes a storage container body having an opening and a shutter configured to open and close the opening, the container body has a pair of guide grooves located on both sides of the shutter in the width direction, the guide grooves having a first curvature portion extending with a first curvature and a second curvature portion extending with a second curvature different from the first curvature, and the guide grooves guide movement of the shutter; The shutter has a shutter body configured to be bendable and stretchable in the length direction of the shutter, and a surface layer portion provided on the outer surface of the shutter body, which is the surface of the shutter body facing outward from the storage container body, The shutter body has a sheet-like base portion configured to be elastically deformable, and slats provided on an inner surface of the base portion that is an inner surface of the storage container body and that extend in the width direction, The slats are provided in a plurality of positions spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction, and both ends in the width direction are slidably supported by the guide groove portions, The outer surface of the base portion is flat, The inner surface of the base portion is provided with a groove-shaped portion extending in the width direction in a portion sandwiched between two of the slats adjacent in the length direction. A shutter-type storage compartment for vehicles.

2. The groove portion extends over the entire length of the inner surface in the width direction.

2. The shutter-type storage compartment for a vehicle according to claim 1.

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