Interior structure

Abstract

The vehicle interior structure ensures smooth steering operation by the driver while allowing the driver to visualize the meter and the foreground by linking the information obtained from each. [Solution] In the passenger compartment of a vehicle, the meter hood 13 is provided to cover a portion of the area above the meter 12. The meter 12 is visibly provided within the rim 11a of the steering wheel 11. The meter hood 13 comprises a left-upper diagonal cover portion 13b that covers the upper left of the meter 12, and a right-upper diagonal cover portion 13c that covers the upper right. There is an opening (opening 13a) between the left-upper diagonal cover portion 13b and the right-upper diagonal cover portion 13c in the vehicle width direction. The opening 13a extends to the left and right in the vehicle width direction, including the upper end of the rim 11a of the steering wheel 11, and is provided so that the driver can see the lower edge of the front windshield in front of the upper end of the rim 11a.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to the structure of a vehicle interior, and more particularly to the structure in front of the driver. [Background technology]

[0002] For smooth driving, it is necessary to obtain information from the front view through the front windshield, and it is also important to be able to understand the vehicle's driving situation in a timely manner by obtaining information displayed on the instrument panel.

[0003] Patent documents 1 and 2 disclose an in-vehicle structure for assisting the driver in understanding the position of their vehicle within the driving lane. Patent document 1 discloses an in-vehicle configuration in which a projection is provided on the top of the meter hood as a vanishing point marker. The projection in patent document 1 is provided on the top of the portion that protrudes above the outer circumference of the steering wheel rim when viewed from the driver's forward perspective.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses an interior structure for a vehicle equipped with a meter hood having ridges on both sides in the vehicle width direction that substantially coincide with a virtual axis extending radially from a vanishing point when the driver, seated in the driver's seat, looks forward. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-38404 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-38405 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] As described above, while driving, the driver looks at the meter as needed while observing the road ahead. In other words, the driver operates the vehicle while visually observing the road ahead in conjunction with the information obtained from the meter display.

[0007] However, in the structures disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the driver will see a part of the meter hood (a protruding portion) while shifting their gaze from the meter to the foreground. Therefore, from the standpoint of linking the information obtained from the meter with the information obtained from the foreground, it is considered that there is room for improvement in the structures disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2.

[0008] In the structures disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Documents 1 and 2, the portion of the meter hood that protrudes upward is positioned above the lower edge of the front windshield. In contrast to this structure, it is conceivable to lower the position of the meter hood in order to reduce the protrusion height of the portion relative to the lower edge of the front windshield.

[0009] However, lowering the position of the instrument cluster hood would necessitate lowering the position of the instrument cluster itself, which would require reducing the steering column angle. In other words, since the driver views the instrument cluster from inside the rim of the steering wheel, lowering the position of the instrument cluster hood would necessitate lowering the positions of the instrument cluster and the steering wheel as well, resulting in a smaller steering column angle. A smaller steering column angle makes it more difficult for the driver to steer.

[0010] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems and provides an in-car structure that ensures smooth steering operation by the driver while allowing the driver to view the meter and the foreground in relation to the information obtained from each. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] An interior structure of a vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a steering wheel positioned in front of the driver's seat, a meter positioned in front of the steering wheel and visible to the driver within the rim of the steering wheel, and a meter hood positioned in front of the steering wheel and provided to cover a portion of the area above the meter, wherein the meter hood comprises a left-upper diagonal cover portion positioned to cover the left-upper diagonal of the meter and a right-upper diagonal cover portion positioned to cover the right-upper diagonal of the meter, and an opening is provided between the left-upper diagonal cover portion and the right-upper diagonal cover portion in the vehicle width direction, the opening of the meter hood includes the location where the upper end of the rim of the steering wheel is located in the vehicle width direction and extends to the left and right of that location, and is provided so that in the front-rear direction, the lower edge of the front windshield is visible in front of the upper end of the rim of the steering wheel to the driver.

[0012] In the above-described interior structure, the meter hood, positioned in front of the steering wheel and surrounding the meter, has an opening. The opening of the meter hood extends to the left and right from the upper end of the steering wheel rim, and is positioned so that the driver can see the lower edge of the front windshield in front of the upper end of the steering wheel in the front-to-back direction. Therefore, when the driver shifts their gaze from the meter to the foreground, or from the foreground to the meter, no part of the meter hood is obstructed by the driver's view, as is the case with the structures disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2. Thus, the above-described interior structure makes it possible for the driver to view the meter and the foreground in a way that correlates the information obtained from each.

[0013] Furthermore, the above-described interior structure, by providing the above-described opening in the meter hood, makes it possible to view the meter and the foreground by associating the information obtained from each without moving the positions of the meter and the meter hood downwards. Therefore, the above-described interior structure does not require reducing the steering post angle in order to make the meter and the foreground visible by associating the information obtained from each. For this reason, the above-described interior structure allows the driver to perform smooth steering operations.

[0014] In the vehicle interior structure according to the above embodiment, the upper left diagonal cover portion and the upper right diagonal cover portion of the meter hood are each provided so that they can be seen by a driver seated in the driver's seat on the radially outer side of the rim of the steering wheel, and the rear end edge portion on the driver's seat side may have an inclined portion such that the distance between them gradually narrows as it goes from bottom to top.

[0015] In the above-described interior structure, the inclined portions of the rear edges of the upper left and upper right diagonal cover portions are inclined such that the distance between them gradually narrows as one moves from bottom to top. Therefore, the above-described interior structure can guide the driver's gaze from the meter to the foreground towards the opening at the top. Thus, the above-described interior structure enables smooth guidance of the driver's gaze from the meter to the foreground.

[0016] In the vehicle interior structure according to the above embodiment, the left upper diagonal cover portion and the right upper diagonal cover portion of the meter hood may each have a horizontal portion provided such that the rear end edge portion is continuous with the lower end of the inclined portion and extends from the lower end portion in a direction that is spaced apart in the vehicle width direction from the outer circumference of the steering wheel rim.

[0017] In the vehicle interior structure according to the above aspect, since each rear end edge portion of the upper left diagonal cover portion and the upper right diagonal cover portion has a horizontal portion that is continuous with the lower end of the inclined portion, it is possible to suppress the driver's line of sight from deviating outward in the vehicle width direction and guide the line of sight to each inclined portion. Therefore, the above vehicle interior structure is more desirable from the viewpoint of associating mutual information when the driver shifts the line of sight between the meter and the foreground.

[0018] In the vehicle interior structure according to the above aspect, the meter hood further includes two air-conditioning outlets arranged below each horizontal portion of the upper left diagonal cover portion and the upper right diagonal cover portion, and each of the two air-conditioning outlets may be provided so as to extend in a direction spaced apart in the vehicle width direction with respect to the outer periphery of the rim of the steering wheel starting from the lower end of the inclined portion.

[0019] In the vehicle interior structure according to the above aspect, since air-conditioning outlets are provided directly below each horizontal portion of the upper left diagonal cover portion and the upper right diagonal cover portion, it is possible to make the driver recognize that each horizontal portion is the lower end position of the meter hood. Therefore, the above vehicle interior structure can suppress the driver's line of sight from deviating downward from each horizontal portion, and can enable the driver to drive smoothly.

[0020] In the vehicle interior structure according to the above aspect, two decorative members may be further provided between each horizontal portion of the upper left diagonal cover portion and the upper right diagonal cover portion of the meter hood and each of the two air-conditioning outlets, and the two decorative members extend in the vehicle width direction.

[0021] In the vehicle interior structure according to the above aspect, since a decorative member extending in the vehicle width direction is provided between each horizontal portion and each air-conditioning outlet, it is more advantageous in suppressing the driver's line of sight from deviating outward in the vehicle width direction when the driver shifts the line of sight between the meter and the foreground.

[0022] In the vehicle interior structure according to the above embodiment, when drawing a virtual line that passes through the radial center of the steering wheel and extends vertically, the upper left diagonal cover portion and the upper right diagonal cover portion may be provided with their respective rear end edges having a shape that is symmetrical with respect to the virtual line.

[0023] In the above embodiment, the rear edges of the upper left and upper right diagonal cover portions are provided in a shape that is symmetrical with respect to the above-mentioned imaginary line, thereby stabilizing the driver's head (allowing them to perceive the vertical axis). Therefore, the above embodiment is even more effective in supporting smooth driving by the driver. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] The interior structure of each of the above embodiments ensures smooth steering operation by the driver while allowing the driver to view the meter and the foreground in relation to the information obtained from each. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0025] [Figure 1] This diagram shows a portion of the interior structure of a vehicle according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a plan view of the meter hood, seen from above. [Figure 3] This is a rear view of the meter hood, seen from the rear. [Figure 4] (a) is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the arrangement of meters and the steering post angle in the interior structure of a vehicle according to Comparative Example 1, (b) is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the arrangement of meters and the steering post angle in the interior structure of a vehicle according to Comparative Example 2, and (c) is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the arrangement of meters and the steering post angle in the interior structure of a vehicle according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0026] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are illustrative examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments except for its essential configuration.

[0027] Furthermore, in the diagrams used in the following explanation, "FR" indicates the front of the vehicle, "RR" indicates the rear of the vehicle, "LH" indicates the left side of the vehicle, "RH" indicates the right side of the vehicle, "UP" indicates the top of the vehicle, and "LO" indicates the bottom of the vehicle.

[0028] 1.Interior structure The structure of the passenger compartment 1a of the vehicle 1 according to this embodiment will be explained with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a diagram showing a part of the structure of the passenger compartment 1a as seen from the driver's seat looking forward.

[0029] Vehicle 1 according to this embodiment includes a steering wheel 11, a meter 12, a meter hood 13, and an air conditioning vent 14 within the passenger compartment 1a. The steering wheel 11 is located in front of the driver's seat (not shown). The meter 12 provides the driver with information such as the vehicle's speed and is located in front of the steering wheel 11. In vehicle 1, the meter 12 is positioned so as to be visible to the driver seated in the driver's seat, within the rim 11a of the steering wheel 11 and on the hub 11b. The meter hood 13 includes a left-upper diagonal cover portion 13b that covers the left-upper diagonal of the meter 12, and a right-upper diagonal cover portion 13c that covers the right-upper diagonal of the meter 12. In the meter hood 13, there is an opening (opening 13a) between the left-upper diagonal cover portion 13b and the right-upper diagonal cover portion 13c in the vehicle width direction.

[0030] A virtual line CL passes through the radial center of the steering wheel 11 and extends vertically. V Draw a line. In this case, in the meter hood 13, the left upper diagonal cover portion 13b and the right upper diagonal cover portion 13c are aligned with each other by the imaginary line CL at their rear edges (the edges on the near side of the page in Figure 1). VIt is provided with a shape that is symmetrical to the left. Details of the shapes of the rear edges of the upper left diagonal cover portion 13b and the upper right diagonal cover portion 13c will be described later.

[0031] The opening 13a of the meter hood 13 is provided so that when a driver seated in the driver's seat looks forward, the lower edge 17a of the front windshield 17 can be directly seen in front of the upper end 11e of the rim 11a of the steering wheel 11 without being obstructed by the components of the meter hood 13.

[0032] In this specification, "lower edge 17a of the front windshield 17" refers to the lower edge of the light-transmitting region (the region in which the driver can see the foreground) of the front windshield 17, and refers to the lower edge of the region excluding the so-called ceramic line.

[0033] The air conditioning vents 14 are located below the meter hood 13, on the left and right sides, outward in the vehicle width direction relative to the rim 11a of the steering wheel 11. The air conditioning vents 14 blow cool or warm air into the passenger compartment 1a based on the occupant's command.

[0034] A virtual line CL passes through the radial center of the steering wheel 11 and extends in the vehicle width direction. H Draw the line. In this case, the air conditioning outlet 14 is below the meter hood 13, and the virtual line CL H It is positioned higher than the virtual line CL. However, for the air conditioning outlet 14, it is not necessarily the virtual line CL. H It does not need to be positioned above the virtual line CL H It is positioned lower than the virtual line CL H They may be arranged to straddle each other vertically.

[0035] In the structure of the passenger compartment 1a according to this embodiment, a decorative member 16 is provided between the lower ends of the left upper cover portion 13b and the right upper cover portion 13c of the meter hood 13 and each air conditioning outlet 14. The decorative member 16 is provided so as to extend in the vehicle width direction between the lower edges of the left upper cover portion 13b and the right upper cover portion 13c and each air conditioning outlet 14. The decorative member 16 is formed to provide higher visibility to the driver than the surrounding members. For example, the surface of the decorative member 16 may be metallic in color due to plating or other means, or it may be colored in a color that is easily visible to the surrounding members.

[0036] Vehicle 1 is equipped with front pillars 15 (only the left front pillar 15 is shown in Figure 1) positioned on both the left and right sides in front of the passenger compartment 1a and extending toward the roof (not shown). The meter hood 13 is provided such that the lower part of the left diagonal upper cover portion 13b extends to the lower end (root portion) of the front pillar 15.

[0037] 2. Detailed structure of meter hood 13 The detailed structure of the meter hood 13 will be explained using Figures 2 and 3.

[0038] As shown in Figure 2, the meter hood 13 is provided such that, in a plan view from above, the left diagonal cover portion 13b and the right diagonal cover portion 13c face each other across the opening 13a. The front portion of the opening 13a is configured to have a larger opening dimension in the vehicle width direction than the rear portion where the left diagonal cover portion 13b and the right diagonal cover portion 13c face each other. A HUD (head-up display) hole 1b is provided in the front portion of the opening 13a.

[0039] The edge portion 13d facing the opening 13a in the left obliquely upward cover portion 13b and the edge portion 13e facing the opening 13a in the right obliquely upward cover portion 13c each extend in the front-rear direction and face each other in the vehicle width direction. In the structure within the passenger compartment 1a of the present embodiment, the edge portions 13d and 13e are arranged substantially parallel to the vehicle horizontal axis. The "substantially parallel" in this case means that not only when the angle formed with the vehicle horizontal axis is 0 deg, but also a tilt within the range of ±3 deg is allowed.

[0040] In a plan view from above, the rear edge portion (the edge portion on the driver side) 13f of the left obliquely upward cover portion 13b and the rear edge portion (the edge portion on the driver side) 13g of the right obliquely upward cover portion 13c extend obliquely rearward as they go outward in the vehicle width direction from the side of the opening 13a, and are provided to extend obliquely forward as they go outward in the vehicle width direction continuously at the end of that portion. That is, the rear edge portions 13f and 13g of the meter hood 13 are not formed linearly along the vehicle width direction, but are formed in a shape that is bent in the front-rear direction.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 3, the opening 13a is provided so as to include the location where the virtual line CL V is located and to spread to the left and right thereof. In other words, the opening of the meter hood 13 is provided so as to include the location where the upper end 11e of the rim 11a of the steering wheel 11 is located in the vehicle width direction and to spread to the left and right from that location.

[0042] When the driver seated in the driver's seat looks forward, both the left obliquely upward cover portion 13b and the right obliquely upward cover portion 13c of the meter hood 13 are arranged to be visible outside the radial direction of the rim 11a of the steering wheel 11 rather than the outer circumference 11c of the rim 11a.

[0043] On the other hand, the meter 12 is arranged at a position where it can be visually recognized radially inside the inner circumference 11d of the rim 11a of the steering wheel 11 and above the virtual line CL H for the driver seated in the driver's seat.

[0044] The rear edge 13f of the upper left diagonal cover portion 13b of the meter hood 13 is composed of a continuous inclined portion 13f1 extending diagonally and a horizontal portion 13f2 extending along the vehicle width direction. Similarly, the rear edge 13g of the upper right diagonal cover portion 13c of the meter hood 13 is composed of a continuous inclined portion 13g1 extending diagonally and a horizontal portion 13g2 extending along the vehicle width direction.

[0045] The inclined portion 13f1 of the rear edge 13f and the inclined portion 13g1 of the rear edge 13g are separated by the imaginary line CL V It is provided with a shape that is symmetrical to the left and right. Furthermore, the inclined portion 13f1 of the rear edge portion 13f and the inclined portion 13g1 of the rear edge portion 13g are inclined such that the distance between them gradually narrows as you go from bottom to top.

[0046] The horizontal portion 13f2 of the rear edge portion 13f and the horizontal portion 13g2 of the rear edge portion 13g are continuous with the lower ends of the inclined portions 13f1 and 13g1, and are provided to extend from these lower ends at a distance from the outer circumference 11c of the rim 11a of the steering wheel 11 in the vehicle width direction. Each of the horizontal portions 13f2 and 13g2 is provided to extend substantially horizontally along the vehicle width direction.

[0047] For each of the inclined sections 13f1, 13g1 and the horizontal sections 13f2, 13g2, imaginary lines LNf1, LNg1, LNf2, and LNg2 are drawn along the inclined sections 13f1, 13g1 and the horizontal sections 13f2, 13g2. In this case, the continuous imaginary lines LNf1 and LNf2 form an approximately inverted L shape, and the continuous imaginary lines LNg1 and LNg2 form an approximately L shape. The approximately inverted L shape formed by imaginary lines LNf1 and LNf2, and the approximately L shape formed by imaginary lines LNg1 and LNg2 are defined by imaginary line CL V It has a symmetrical relationship with respect to the left-right axis. That is, the meter hood 13 has a rear end edge 13f of the upper left diagonal cover portion 13b and a rear end edge 13g of the upper right diagonal cover portion 13c, along the imaginary line CL VIt is designed to be symmetrical to the left and right.

[0048] 3. Opening 13a of the meter hood 13 In this embodiment, a meter hood 13 having an opening 13a is employed. The advantages of employing such a meter hood 13 will be explained with reference to Figure 4. Figure 4(a) is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the arrangement of meters and the steering post angle in the interior structure of a vehicle according to Comparative Example 1, Figure 4(b) is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the arrangement of meters and the steering post angle in the interior structure of a vehicle according to Comparative Example 2, and Figure 4(c) is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the arrangement of meters and the steering post angle in the interior structure of a vehicle according to the embodiment.

[0049] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the meter hood 13 has an opening 13a between the upper left diagonal cover portion 13b and the upper right diagonal cover portion 13c. This is to allow the driver to concentrate on driving without reducing the steering post angle, by ensuring that there are no structures that obstruct the driver's line of sight when moving their gaze between the meter 12, which is located within the rim 11a of the steering wheel 11 (see Figure 1), and the foreground. For example, in an interior structure that employs a meter hood 923 that covers the upper part of the meter 12, as shown in Figure 4(a), the driver 500's line of sight LN V1 ,LN V2 When shifting your gaze upwards from a position where you are viewing meter 12 to look at the foreground, a portion of the meter hood 913 (the protruding part) will be visible in between.

[0050] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4(b), the line of sight LN of the driver 500 who is viewing the foreground. V1 ,LN V2To avoid obstruction, let's assume the steering wheel 11 and meter 12 are lowered as indicated by arrow A1. In this case, the angle θ2 of the steering shaft central axis Ax11 with respect to the vehicle's horizontal axis (steering post angle) must be smaller than the angle θ1 shown in Figure 4(a). When the steering post angle θ2 is small in this way, the operability of the steering wheel 11 during turns becomes poor.

[0051] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4(b), when attempting to lower the steering wheel 11, the steering wheel 11 will come into contact with the driver's 500's lower limbs, as indicated by arrow A2, making it impossible to actually adopt the configuration shown in Figure 4(b).

[0052] In contrast, as shown in Figure 4(c), in the meter hood 13 of this embodiment, an opening 13a is provided above the meter 12 (see Figures 2 and 3), so the driver 500's line of sight LN V1 ,LN V2 When the driver shifts their gaze from viewing the meter 12 to looking at the foreground, they can do so through the opening 13a provided in the meter hood 13. Therefore, the structure of the passenger compartment 1a according to this embodiment allows the driver to concentrate on driving.

[0053] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4(c), the structure of the passenger compartment 1a according to this embodiment does not obstruct the driver's view of the foreground even without reducing the steering post angle θ3, which is the angle of the steering shaft central axis Ax11 with respect to the vehicle's horizontal axis, as shown in Figure 4(b). Therefore, the structure of the passenger compartment 1a according to this embodiment can ensure high operability of the steering wheel 11 while enabling smooth eye movement between the meter 12 and the foreground.

[0054] 4. Effects In the structure of the passenger compartment 1a according to this embodiment, a meter hood 13, positioned in front of the steering wheel 11 and surrounding the meter 12, has an opening 13a. The opening 13a of the meter hood 13 extends to the left and right from the location where the upper end 11e of the rim 11a of the steering wheel 11 is located, and is positioned so that the driver can see the lower edge 17a of the front windshield 17 in front of the upper end 11e of the steering wheel 11 in the front-rear direction. Therefore, when the driver shifts their gaze from the meter 12 to the foreground, or from the foreground to the meter 12, a part of the meter hood 13 does not enter the driver's field of vision, as is the case with the structures disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2. Thus, the structure of the passenger compartment 1a according to this embodiment allows the driver to view the meter 12 and the foreground in a way that correlates the information obtained from each.

[0055] Furthermore, the structure of the passenger compartment 1a according to this embodiment allows the driver to view the meter 12 and the foreground by associating the information obtained from each, without moving the positions of the meter 12 and the meter hood 13 downward relative to the steering wheel 11. Therefore, the structure of the passenger compartment 1a according to this embodiment does not require reducing the steering post angle θ1 in order to make the meter 12 and the foreground visible by associating the information obtained from each. For this reason, the structure of the passenger compartment 1a according to this embodiment allows the driver to perform smooth steering operations.

[0056] Furthermore, in the structure of the passenger compartment 1a according to this embodiment, the inclined portions 13f1 and 13g1 of the rear end edges 13f and 13g1 of the left upper diagonal cover portion 13b and the right upper diagonal cover portion 13c are inclined such that the distance between them (distance in the vehicle width direction) gradually narrows as you move from bottom to top. Therefore, the structure of the passenger compartment 1a according to this embodiment can guide the driver's gaze toward the upper opening 13a when they are trying to shift their gaze from the meter 12 to the foreground. Thus, the structure of the passenger compartment 1a according to this embodiment enables smooth guidance of the driver's gaze from the meter 12 to the foreground.

[0057] Furthermore, in the structure of the passenger compartment 1a according to this embodiment, the rear end edges 13f and 13g of the left upper diagonal cover portion 13b and the right upper diagonal cover portion 13c have horizontal portions 13f2 and 13g2 that are continuous with the lower ends of the inclined portions 13f1 and 13g1. This prevents the driver's line of sight from straying outward in the vehicle width direction and guides it to the respective inclined portions 13f1 and 13g1. Therefore, the structure of the passenger compartment 1a according to this embodiment is more desirable from the viewpoint of associating information between the meter 12 and the foreground when the driver shifts their gaze between them.

[0058] Furthermore, in the structure of the passenger compartment 1a according to this embodiment, air conditioning outlets 14 are provided directly below the horizontal sections 13f2 and 13g2 of the upper left diagonal cover section 13b and the upper right diagonal cover section 13c, respectively, so that the driver can recognize that the horizontal sections 13f2 and 13g2 are at the lower end of the meter hood 13. Therefore, the structure of the passenger compartment 1a according to this embodiment can prevent the driver's gaze from drifting downwards below the horizontal sections 13f2 and 13g2, allowing the driver to drive smoothly.

[0059] Furthermore, the structure of the passenger compartment 1a according to this embodiment is advantageous in further suppressing the driver's gaze from drifting outward in the vehicle width direction when shifting their gaze between the meter 12 and the foreground, as decorative members 16 extending in the vehicle width direction are provided between each horizontal section 13f2, 13g2 and each air conditioning outlet 14.

[0060] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the structure inside the vehicle compartment 1a is such that the rear end edges 13f and 13g of the left upper diagonal cover portion 13b and the right upper diagonal cover portion 13c are connected by a virtual line CL V Because it is provided with a symmetrical shape, it can stabilize the driver's head (allowing them to perceive the vertical axis). Therefore, the structure inside the passenger compartment 1a according to this embodiment is even more effective in supporting smooth driving by the driver.

[0061] As described above, the structure of the passenger compartment 1a according to this embodiment ensures smooth steering operation by the driver, while allowing the driver to view the meter 12 and the foreground in relation to the information obtained from each.

[0062] [Differentiation] In the above embodiment, the structure inside the vehicle compartment 1a employs a structure in which the rear end edges 13f and 13g of each cover portion 13b, 13b of the meter hood 13 have inclined portions 13f1 and 13g1. However, in the present invention, it is not necessary for each cover portion to have an inclined portion at its rear end edge.

[0063] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the structure inside the vehicle compartment 1a employs a configuration in which horizontal sections 13f2 and 13g2 are continuous at the lower ends of inclined sections 13f1 and 13g1 at the rear end edges 13f and 13g of each cover section 13b and 13c. However, in the present invention, the horizontal section does not necessarily have to be continuous at the lower end of the inclined section. Also, the rear end edge does not necessarily have to have a horizontal section.

[0064] Furthermore, the structure inside the vehicle compartment 1a according to the above embodiment is represented by the virtual line CL V In this invention, a configuration is adopted in which the rear edge portion 13f and the rear edge portion 13g have a left-right symmetrical relationship, but in this invention, the rear edges do not necessarily have to be left-right symmetrical to each other.

[0065] Furthermore, although the structure of the passenger compartment 1a according to the above embodiment employs a configuration in which the air conditioning outlets 14 are located directly below each cover portion 13b, 13c of the meter hood 13, the present invention does not necessarily require that the air conditioning outlets be located directly below each cover portion.

[0066] Furthermore, although the structure of the vehicle compartment 1a according to the above embodiment employs a configuration in which a decorative member 16 is placed between each cover portion 13b, 13c and the air conditioning outlet 14, the present invention does not necessarily require that a decorative member be placed in that location.

[0067] Furthermore, although the structure of the passenger compartment 1a according to the above embodiment does not include line lighting that emits line-shaped light from the meter hood 13, the present invention may provide line lighting on the meter hood 13. For example, two line lights may be provided, each extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction along the edges 13d and 13e, and arranged parallel to each other in the vehicle width direction with the opening 13a in between.

[0068] Furthermore, although the structure of the passenger compartment 1a in the above embodiment was based on a so-called left-hand drive vehicle in which the steering wheel 11 is located on the left side of the passenger compartment 1a, the present invention can also be applied to a right-hand drive vehicle. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0069] 1 vehicle 1a Cabin 11 Steering Wheel 11a Rim 12 meters 13 Meter Hood 13a aperture 13f,13g Rear edge 14. Air conditioning vents 17 Front windshield 17a lower edge θ3 Steering post angle

Claims

1. The steering wheel is located in front of the driver's seat, A meter positioned in front of the steering wheel and visible to the driver within the rim of the steering wheel, A meter hood is provided, positioned in front of the steering wheel and covering a portion of the area above the meter, Equipped with, The meter hood comprises a left-upper diagonal cover portion positioned to cover the upper left of the meter, and a right-upper diagonal cover portion positioned to cover the upper right of the meter, with an opening between the left-upper diagonal cover portion and the right-upper diagonal cover portion in the vehicle width direction. The opening of the meter hood includes the location of the upper end of the steering wheel rim in the vehicle width direction, extending to the left and right of that location, and is provided in the front-to-rear direction such that the lower edge of the front windshield is visible in front of the upper end of the steering wheel rim to the driver. Vehicle interior structure.

2. The upper left and upper right diagonal cover portions of the meter hood are each provided so that they can be seen by a driver seated in the driver's seat on the radially outer side of the steering wheel rim, and the rear end edges on the driver's side have inclined portions such that the distance between them gradually narrows as they move from bottom to top. The vehicle interior structure according to claim 1.

3. Each of the upper left and upper right diagonal cover portions of the meter hood has a rear edge that is continuous with the lower end of the inclined portion, and a horizontal portion that extends from the lower end in a direction that is spaced apart in the vehicle width direction from the outer circumference of the steering wheel rim. The vehicle interior structure according to claim 2.

4. The meter hood further comprises two air conditioning outlets located below the horizontal sections of the upper left and upper right diagonal cover sections, respectively. Each of the two air conditioning outlets is provided so as to extend from the lower end of the inclined portion in a direction that is spaced apart in the vehicle width direction from the outer circumference of the steering wheel rim. The vehicle interior structure according to claim 3.

5. The meter hood is provided between the horizontal portions of the upper left and upper right diagonal cover portions and each of the two air conditioning outlets, and further comprises two decorative members extending in the vehicle width direction. The vehicle interior structure according to claim 4.

6. When drawing a virtual line that passes through the radial center of the steering wheel and extends vertically, The upper left diagonal cover portion and the upper right diagonal cover portion are provided such that their respective rear edges are symmetrical with respect to the imaginary line. The vehicle interior structure according to any one of claims 2 to 5.

Images