console box

Abstract

We provide a console box that creates a comfortable in-car environment for passengers. [Solution] The console box 20 comprises a box body 21 having an opening 25a that opens upward. A pair of side surfaces 22 that make up both ends of the box body 21 in the vehicle width direction are provided with a first drawing section 26 that is configured to be drawable. The box body 21 is configured to slide between a first position in the vehicle width direction where the first drawing section 26 faces the front seats of the vehicle, and a second position in the vehicle's longitudinal direction that is different from the first position and where the first drawing section 26 is exposed into the passenger compartment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a console box.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a console box for an automobile. This console box includes a box body and a lid. The box body is composed of a rectangular box-shaped member that opens upward. The box body is installed on the floor of the vehicle between the driver's seat and the passenger seat so that the longitudinal direction thereof coincides with the front-rear direction of the vehicle. The lid is assembled to the box body so as to close the opening.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in recent years, in the passenger compartment of an automobile, it has been desired to provide an in-vehicle environment in which passengers, especially child passengers, can spend comfortably. Therefore, it is conceivable to use the surface of an interior member of an automobile as a canvas on which one can freely draw pictures and have fun. However, for example, in the case of the console box described in Patent Document 1, since the box body is arranged between the driver's seat and the passenger seat, the surfaces of the left and right side walls are covered by the driver's seat and the passenger seat. As a result, there is a problem that it is difficult to use the surface of the side wall having a relatively large surface area in the passenger compartment as a canvas.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] Each aspect of the console box for solving the above problems will be described. [Aspect 1] A console box comprising a box body having an opening that opens upward, wherein at least one of the end faces of the box body in the vehicle width direction is provided with a drawing portion configured to be able to draw, and the box body is configured to be slidable between a first position in the vehicle width direction where the drawing portion faces the seats of the vehicle, and a second position in the vehicle's longitudinal direction which is different from the first position and where the drawing portion is exposed to the interior of the vehicle.

[0006] With the above configuration, by sliding the box body from the first position to the second position along the front-to-back direction, the drawing area becomes exposed to the interior of the vehicle. This makes it easier for vehicle occupants to use the drawing area as a canvas for drawing. Furthermore, the drawing area is located on the end face in the vehicle width direction, which tends to have a larger surface area compared to the other end faces of the box body. Therefore, the surface area of ​​the drawing area tends to be larger compared to when it is located on the other end faces as described above. As a result, a relatively large area can be provided to the occupants when using the surface of the console box as a canvas. Thus, a comfortable interior environment for occupants can be achieved.

[0007] [Aspect 2] The drawing unit is configured to enable electronic drawing, the console box as described in [Aspect 1]. With the above configuration, when drawing directly on the drawing area using drawing materials such as crayons or markers, there is a risk that parts of the occupant's body or clothing may rub against the drawing area, potentially staining them. However, with the above configuration, the drawing area is configured to allow electronic drawing. Therefore, the drawing content detected by various sensors is displayed on the drawing area. As a result, even if the occupant rubs against the drawing area, parts of their body or clothing will not get stained. Consequently, a more comfortable in-vehicle environment for the occupants can be realized.

[0008] [Aspect 3] The console box according to [Aspect 2], wherein the drawing unit is electronic paper. In the above configuration, the display unit is electronic paper. Here, electronic paper consumes power when the displayed content is changed by drawing, but consumes almost no power when continuously displaying the drawn content. Therefore, compared to cases where, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display is used as the display unit, power consumption can be reduced.

[0009] [Aspect 4] A console box according to any one of [Aspect 1] to [Aspect 3], further comprising a lid attached to the box body to enable opening and closing of the opening, wherein the drawing section is a first drawing section, and a second drawing section configured to enable drawing is provided on the end face of the lid opposite to the opening.

[0010] With the above configuration, the second drawing unit can be used as a canvas in addition to the first drawing unit. Therefore, the area of ​​the console box that can be used as a canvas is expanded compared to the case where only the first drawing unit is used. Consequently, a wider area can be provided when using the surface of the console box 20 as a canvas. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an in-vehicle environment in which occupants can spend their time comfortably. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle equipped with a console box according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the console box in the second position. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the console box will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. In the following, the front and rear of the vehicle 10 in the longitudinal direction will be simply referred to as front and rear. Similarly, the right and left sides in the vehicle width direction when viewing the vehicle 10 from the rear to the front will be simply referred to as right and left. Furthermore, the area above the vehicle 10 in the vertical direction when the vehicle 10 is positioned on a horizontal plane will be simply referred to as above.

[0014] <Vehicle> As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the floor 12 of the passenger compartment 11 of the vehicle 10 is equipped with front seats 13, rear seats 14 positioned behind the front seats 13, and a pair of rail sections 15. The front seats 13 include a driver's seat 13D and a passenger seat 13P, which are spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction. In this embodiment, the driver's seat 13D is positioned to the right of the passenger seat 13P. That is, the vehicle 10 in this embodiment is a right-hand drive vehicle. The rear seats 14 include a right rear seat 14R and a left rear seat 14L, which are spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction. The pair of rail sections 15 are spaced apart in the vehicle width direction between the driver's seat 13D and the passenger seat 13P, and extend in the front-rear direction. A console box 20 is installed on the pair of rail sections 15. The console box 20 comprises a box body 21 and a lid 30. The components of the console box 20 will be described in detail below.

[0015] <Box body> As shown in Figure 2, the box body 21 is a rectangular parallelepiped that is longer in the front-rear direction than in the vehicle width direction. The box body 21 has a pair of side surfaces 22 that form both end faces in the vehicle width direction, a front surface 23 and a rear surface 24 that form both end faces in the front-rear direction, and a top surface 25 that forms the upper end face. The pair of side surfaces 22 extend in both the front-rear and up-down directions. The surface area of ​​each of the pair of side surfaces 22 is larger than the surface area of ​​the front surface 23, the rear surface 24, and the top surface 25. Each of the pair of side surfaces 22 is provided with a first drawing unit 26 configured to be capable of electronic drawing. In this embodiment, the first drawing unit 26 is a display device provided separately from the box body 21. The first drawing unit 26 is attached to the box body 21, for example, by being fitted into a recess or hole formed in the side surface 22. Examples of the first drawing unit 26 include a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), or electronic paper using electronic ink. In this embodiment, the first drawing unit 26 is electronic paper.

[0016] As shown in Figure 1, when the console box 20 is in the first position indicated by the dashed line, the right side surface 22 and the first drawing section 26 face the left side surface of the driver's seat 13D in the vehicle width direction. Also, the left side surface 22 and the first drawing section 26 face the right side surface of the passenger seat 13P in the vehicle width direction. In other words, when the console box 20 is in the first position, the pair of first drawing sections 26 are covered by the front seats 13 from both sides in the vehicle width direction.

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the box body 21 is configured to slide between a first position and a second position different from the first position on a pair of rail sections 15. In this embodiment, the second position is rearward from the first position, and the pair of first drawing sections 26 are in a position where they do not face the front seats 13 in the vehicle width direction. At this time, the entire pair of first drawing sections 26 are exposed inside the passenger compartment 11.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, an opening 25a is formed in the upper surface 25. The opening 25a is formed, for example, inside the box body 21 and communicates with a storage recess (not shown) configured to be able to store articles and the like.

[0019] <Lid> As shown in FIG. 2, the lid 30 is attached to the box body 21 so as to close the opening 25a. The lid 30 has a rectangular plate shape. When the lid 30 is in the closed position closing the opening 25a, its longitudinal direction coincides with the front-rear direction. The upper surface 30a, which is the end face of the lid 30 on the side opposite to the opening 25a, has a tray shape in which portions other than the peripheral edge 31 are recessed. Thereby, the lid 30 is provided with functions as a tray and a table. A second drawing portion 32 configured to be electronically drawable is provided in the recessed portion of the upper surface 30a. In the present embodiment, the second drawing portion 32 is a display device provided separately from the lid 30. The second drawing portion 32 is attached to the lid 30, for example, by being fitted into a recess or a hole formed in the upper surface 30a. In the present embodiment, the second drawing portion 32 is an electronic paper similar to the first drawing portion 26. [[ID=]8]

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the lid 30 is configured to be rotatable with respect to the box body 21 about an axis L extending in the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the axis L is an axis passing through the central portion of the lid 30 in both the front-rear direction and the vehicle width direction. The lid 30 is configured to be rotatable between a closed position closing the opening 25a and an open position opening the opening 25a (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2). When the lid 30 is in the open position, the longitudinal direction of the lid 30 coincides with the vehicle width direction. Also, at this time, the front portion and the rear portion of the opening 25a of the box body 21 are in an open state not covered by the lid 30. Thereby, it becomes possible to store an article in the storage recess (not shown) through the front portion or the rear portion of the opening 25a.

[0021] [[ID=]13] <Operation of the present embodiment> By sliding the box body 21 along the front-rear direction from the first position to the second position, a pair of first drawing portions 26 are exposed inside the passenger compartment 11. As a result, it becomes easier for the passengers sitting on the rear seat 14 of the vehicle 10 to use the first drawing portion 26 as a canvas for drawing pictures. Further, the first drawing portion 26 is provided on the side surface 22 having a larger surface area compared to other end surfaces such as the front surface 23, the rear surface 24, and the upper surface 25 of the box body 21. For this reason, the surface area of the first drawing portion 26 can be made larger compared to the case where it is provided on the other end surfaces described above. As a result, when using the surface of the console box 20 as a canvas, a relatively wide area can be provided for the passengers.

[0022] <Effects of the present embodiment> (1) The console box 20 includes a box body 21 in which an opening 25a that opens upward is formed. A pair of side surfaces 22 that constitute both end surfaces of the box body 21 in the vehicle width direction are provided with first drawing portions 26 configured to be able to draw. The box body 21 is configured to be slidable between a first position in the vehicle width direction where the first drawing portion 26 faces the front seat 13 of the vehicle 10 and a second position that is different from the first position in the front-rear direction and where the first drawing portion 26 is exposed inside the passenger compartment 11.

[0023] According to such a configuration, the above-described operation is achieved. Therefore, it is possible to realize an in-vehicle environment in which passengers can spend comfortably. (2) The console box 20 further includes a lid 30 that is attached to the box body 21 and is configured to be able to open and close the opening 25a. The upper surface 30a that constitutes the end surface of the lid 30 on the side opposite to the opening 25a is a second drawing portion 32 configured to be able to draw.

[0024] With this configuration, the crew can use the second drawing unit 32 as a canvas in addition to the first drawing unit 26. As a result, the area of ​​the console box 20 that can be used as a canvas is expanded compared to the case where only the first drawing unit 26 is used. Therefore, a wider area can be provided when using the surface of the console box 20 as a canvas.

[0025] (3) Both drawing units 26 and 32 are configured to be capable of electronic drawing. When drawing directly on the drawing area using drawing materials such as crayons or markers, there is a risk that parts of the occupant's body or clothing may rub against the drawing area, potentially staining them. However, with the above configuration, the drawing areas 26 and 32 are configured to enable electronic drawing. Therefore, the drawing content detected by sensors is displayed on the drawing areas 26 and 32. This prevents staining of parts of the occupant's body or clothing even if they rub against the drawing areas 26 and 32. Consequently, a more comfortable in-vehicle environment for the occupants can be achieved.

[0026] (4) Both drawing units 26 and 32 are electronic paper. In this configuration, the drawing units 26 and 32 are electronic paper. Here, electronic paper consumes power when the displayed content is changed by drawing, but consumes almost no power when continuously displaying the drawn content. Therefore, compared to cases where LCD or OLED is used as the drawing units 26 and 32, power consumption can be reduced.

[0027] <Example of changes> This embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that they do not contradict each other technically.

[0028] The drawing units 26 and 32 may also be provided with a transmission unit that transmits the drawn content as image data to other electronic devices. With this configuration, for example, the drawn content drawn by the drawing units 26 and 32 can be displayed on a display unit provided in another electronic device.

[0029] The drawing units 26 and 32 may be controlled, for example, to turn off their power or reduce their brightness when the box body 21 is in the first position. The drawing sections 26 and 32 do not have to be configured to allow electronic drawing as exemplified in this embodiment. For example, they may be physically drawable with drawing materials such as crayons or markers. In this case, for example, the drawing sections 26 and 32 may be formed from synthetic leather mainly composed of resin materials such as polyurethane (PU), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPO). This allows the drawings on the drawing sections 26 and 32 to be erased, for example, by using orange oil. In other words, the drawing sections 26 and 32 can be used repeatedly.

[0030] The second drawing unit 32 may be omitted. The box body 21 is not limited to being configured to slide between a first position and a second position further back than the first position, as illustrated in this embodiment. For example, the box body 21 may be configured to slide between a third position located between the right rear seat 14R and the left rear seat 14L in the vehicle width direction and a second position further forward than the third position. In this case, the pair of first drawing sections 26 of the box body 21 in the third position will be covered by the rear seats 14 from both sides in the vehicle width direction. For this reason, the third position corresponds to the first position described in the [Means for Solving the Problem] section.

[0031] The box body 21 may be configured to slide between a first position and a third position. The lid 30 may be configured to be detachable from the box body 21. In this case, the entire opening 25a can be opened by removing the lid 30 from the box body 21.

[0032] The console box according to the present invention is not limited to one in which the first drawing unit 26 is provided on both sides of the pair of sides 22, as illustrated in this embodiment. The console box may also have the first drawing unit 26 provided on only one of the pair of sides 22.

[0033] The console box according to the present invention is not limited to being applied to a right-hand drive vehicle 10, but can also be applied to a left-hand drive vehicle in which the driver's seat 13D is located to the left of the passenger seat 13P. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0034] L…Axis line 10... Vehicles 11...Vehicle compartment 12... Floor 13…Front seats 13D…Driver's seat 13P…Passenger seat 14…Rear seats 14R…Right rear seat 14L…Left rear seat 15... Rail section 20…Console box 21... Box body 22... Side view 23...Front 24…Rear side 25…Top surface 25a...Opening 26...First drawing section 30... Lid 30a…Top surface 31... Peripheral area 32...Second drawing section

Claims

1. A console box comprising a box body having an opening that opens upward, At least one of the end faces of the box body in the vehicle width direction is provided with a drawing section configured to be capable of drawing. The box body is configured to slide between a first position in the vehicle width direction where the drawing portion faces the vehicle's seats, and a second position in the vehicle's longitudinal direction that is different from the first position and exposes the drawing portion to the interior of the vehicle. Console box.

2. The drawing unit is configured to be capable of electronic drawing. The console box according to claim 1.

3. The drawing unit is electronic paper. The console box according to claim 2.

4. The box body is further equipped with a lid that is attached to the box body and allows the opening to be opened and closed, When the drawing unit is designated as the first drawing unit, A second drawing section, configured to be capable of drawing, is provided on the end face of the lid opposite to the opening. A console box according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

Images