Vehicle center console

Abstract

To provide a center console for a vehicle which enables control units and a sound source to be disposed compactly.SOLUTION: A center console 20 for a vehicle includes a plurality of control units 21, 22 disposed inside the vehicle front side of the center console 20, and a sound source 23 disposed inside the vehicle rear of the center console 20. The sound source 23 is disposed facing toward lateral sides of the vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a center console of a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, with the increasing development of electric vehicles, many proposals have been made regarding the arrangement of control units (ECUs). For example, Patent Document 1 describes a vehicle in which a power conversion device is arranged inside a center console.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When focusing on the acoustics inside the vehicle cabin, the number of vehicles with a large number of speakers arranged has been increasing, but there are problems in the layout regarding the arrangement of the speakers.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a center console of a vehicle capable of compactly arranging a control unit and a sound source.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The center console of a vehicle according to the present invention adopts the following configuration in order to solve the above problems. That is, the center console (for example, the center console 20 of the embodiment) of the vehicle according to the present invention (for example, the vehicle 100 of the embodiment) comprises a plurality of control units (for example, control units 21, 22 of the embodiment) located inside the front of the center console, and a sound source (for example, the sound source 23 of the embodiment) located inside the rear of the center console, wherein the sound source is positioned to face the side of the vehicle.

[0007] With the above configuration, even if a large footprint is required for the sound source, it can be compactly arranged within the center console together with the control unit.

[0008] The center console includes a box (for example, box 24 in the embodiment) that secures space for the sound source, and the box may be positioned extending below the front passenger seat of the vehicle (for example, the driver's seat 12 in the embodiment). In this case, the dead space beneath the front passenger seats can be effectively utilized to secure space for placing the sound source box.

[0009] An air conditioning duct (for example, the air conditioning duct 27 in this embodiment) may be provided on the upper surface of the sound source, extending from the lower surface of the control unit through the space between the control unit and the sound source. In this case, the air conditioning ducts, along with the control unit and sound source, can be compactly arranged within the center console.

[0010] The center console includes at least a cover (for example, cover 25 in the embodiment) that houses the control unit and the sound source, and the cover may have an opening (for example, an opening 28 in the embodiment) that leads to the control unit and the sound source. In this case, the heat from the control unit and the sound pressure from the sound source can be released to the outside of the center console.

[0011] The opening may be positioned to overlap with the seat surface of the vehicle (for example, the seat surface 15 in the embodiment). In this case, the openings for dissipating heat from the control unit and sound pressure from the sound source are positioned to be less visible to the occupants, improving the appearance of the interior. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] The vehicle center console according to the present invention allows for the compact arrangement of the control unit and sound source. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a schematic plan view showing the interior of the vehicle's passenger compartment. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view illustrating the appearance of the center console. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view illustrating the positional relationship between the sound source in the center console and the passenger seats. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view illustrating the arrangement of components built into the center console. [Figure 5] This is a side view illustrating the arrangement of ducts in the center console. [Figure 6] This is a rear view illustrating the arrangement of the components built into the center console. [Figure 7] This is a side view illustrating the arrangement of the openings relative to the seat surface. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments.

[0015] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view showing the interior of the passenger compartment 10 of the vehicle 100 of this embodiment, which includes the center console 20. Figure 1 includes arrows FR pointing to the front of the vehicle 100 and LH pointing to the left side of the vehicle 100. The top of the vehicle 100 is the front of the page.

[0016] The vehicle 100 includes an instrument panel 11, a driver's seat 12, a passenger seat 13, a steering wheel 14, etc. inside the passenger compartment 10.

[0017] The driver's seat 12 is arranged in the front of the vehicle 100 and is the seat used by the driver. The passenger seat 13 is arranged adjacent to the driver's seat 12 in the front of the vehicle 100 and is the seat used by passengers other than the driver. The driver's seat 12 and the passenger seat 13 are the front passenger seats arranged in the front of the vehicle 100.

[0018] Although not particularly shown, one or more rows of passenger seats may be provided behind the front passenger seats in the passenger compartment 10. Whether the passenger sitting in the passenger seat 13 assists the driver during the operation of the vehicle 100 or not is not a concern, and there may be no passenger in the passenger seat 13. In the illustrated vehicle 100, the driver's seat 12 is arranged on the left side of the passenger seat 13, but conversely to the illustrated example, the driver's seat 12 may be arranged on the right side of the passenger seat 13. The number, arrangement, etc. of the seats are not limited to the illustrated example and may be changed as appropriate.

[0019] Each seat such as the driver's seat 12 and the passenger seat 13 includes a seat surface 15 on which the passenger sits and a backrest 16 against which the passenger leans. The position of the seat surface 15 in the front-rear direction may be adjustable and changeable, or may be fixed. The inclination of the backrest 16 with respect to the seat surface 15 may be changeable, or may be fixed.

[0020] The vehicle 100 of the present embodiment includes a center console 20 described later. The center console 20 in the passenger compartment 10 is arranged between the driver's seat 12 and the passenger seat 13. The center console 20 is provided linearly from the lower part of the instrument panel 11 toward the rear. The rear part of the illustrated center console 20 is arranged between the backrests 16 of the front passenger seats.

[0021] Although not specifically shown in the diagram, the rear of the center console 20 may extend to the rear passenger seats. For example, the center console 20 can extend between the right rear seat and the left rear seat. If the rear of the center console 20 does not extend to the rear passenger seats and is contained between the front passenger seats, it facilitates the lateral movement of passengers in the rear seats.

[0022] Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating the external appearance of the center console 20. Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating the positional relationship between the sound source 23 built into the center console 20 and the passenger seat 13. Figure 4 is a perspective view illustrating the arrangement of the control units 21, 22 and the sound source 23 built into the center console 20. In Figure 4, arrows FR and LH, which have the same meaning as in Figure 1, are indicated, along with an arrow UP that points upwards towards the vehicle 100. In Figures 3 and 4, the cover 25 of the center console 20 shown in Figure 2 is omitted from the illustration.

[0023] The center console 20 of this embodiment includes a plurality of control units 21, 22 located inside the front of the vehicle 100, and a sound source 23 located inside the rear of the vehicle 100. Furthermore, in the center console 20 of this embodiment, the sound source 23 is positioned facing the side of the vehicle 100. The illustrated example of the center console 20 includes a cover 25 that houses at least the control units 21, 22 and the sound source 23.

[0024] As the sound source 23, one or more can be used, appropriately selected from known speakers, etc. To improve the low-frequency reproduction quality, it is preferable that the sound source 23 includes a subwoofer. To improve the volume and sound quality of the sound source 23, it is preferable to ensure a large area and diameter of the sound source 23.

[0025] If the sound source 23 is positioned facing forward, backward, or upward of the vehicle 100, the diameter of the sound source 23 is positioned in the left-right direction, making it difficult to integrate it into the center console 20 located between the driver's seat 12 and the passenger seat 13. If the sound source 23 is positioned facing sideways, the diameter of the sound source 23 is positioned in the front-rear and up-down directions along the longitudinal center plane of the vehicle 100, allowing the sound source 23 to be compactly placed within the center console 20.

[0026] If the control units 21 and 22 are placed at the rear of the vehicle 100, the distance from the instrument panel 11 increases, and the space occupied by wiring and other components within the center console 20 tends to increase. If the control units 21 and 22 are placed at the front of the vehicle 100, they are closer to the instrument panel 11, making it easier to design the layout of wiring and other components.

[0027] Furthermore, in the center console 20, the sound source 23 is positioned on the side of the backrest 16 of the front passenger seat, so that sound is emitted from near the center of the passenger compartment 10 towards the front and rear. Therefore, high-quality sound can be emitted towards each passenger sitting in the front and rear passenger seats.

[0028] The control units 21 and 22 are used to control a variety of functions, including functions necessary for the vehicle 100 to run, functions necessary for comfortable living in the passenger compartment 10, and functions necessary for the use of the sound source 23. Therefore, by having multiple control units 21 and 22 share and cooperate in controlling each function, the functions necessary for the vehicle 100 can be ensured.

[0029] Vehicle 100 is preferably a vehicle equipped with a power source driven by electrical energy. Examples of such vehicles include electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles (FCVs). Examples of electric vehicles include battery electric vehicles (BEVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) equipped with an internal combustion engine that provides at least a portion of the power, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).

[0030] The illustrated center console 20 includes a first control unit 21 on the upper side and a second control unit 22 on the lower side. These control units 21 and 22 may be arranged, for example, with a staggered position in the left-right direction. Terminals, wiring, etc., connected to the control units 21 and 22 can be arranged around the control units 21 and 22 within the cover 25 of the center console 20.

[0031] The number of control units 21 and 22 located on the center console 20 is not particularly limited. In the illustrated example, the center console 20 is equipped with two control units 21 and 22, but the center console 20 may be equipped with three or more control units.

[0032] The instrument panel 11 may be equipped with information devices such as a recording medium playback device and an information display device. Examples of recording media include music recording media and video recording media. The information devices may only play sound, or they may display characters, symbols, images, etc., along with sound. The sound is not particularly limited and may include human voices, animal voices, musical instrument sounds, sounds that occur in nature, and artificially synthesized sounds. The illustrated example vehicle 100 is equipped with a display 17 on the instrument panel 11.

[0033] The illustrated center console 20 includes an operating device 26 for operating information equipment such as a display 17. The operating device 26 may include switches, indicator lamps, icons, a touch panel, etc., as an operating unit or display unit. The operating device 26 is preferably positioned to the side of the seat surface 15 to facilitate operation by an occupant sitting in the front passenger seat. The sound reproduced by the sound source 23 may be controlled based on electrical signals transmitted from the operating device 26. It is also possible to reproduce sound received wirelessly from outside the vehicle, such as sound obtained through television, radio, the internet, etc., using the sound source 23.

[0034] In the case of a sound source 23 used for low frequencies, such as a subwoofer, a box 24 is provided to ensure a space that confines the sound energy emitted from the back of the speaker unit inside the sound source 23. The box 24 is also called an enclosure. The box 24 does not necessarily have to be housed in the cover 25.

[0035] The box 24 is preferably positioned extending beneath the seat surface 15 of the front passenger seat. This allows for effective use of the dead space beneath the seat surface 15 to secure space for positioning the sound source 23 box 24. The height of the box 24 is not particularly limited, but the box 24 may be in contact with the floor of the passenger compartment 10 or positioned above the floor of the passenger compartment 10.

[0036] Figure 5 is a side view illustrating the arrangement of the air conditioning duct 27 in the center console 20. It is preferable that the air conditioning duct 27 be built into the center console 20. This allows for smooth air conditioning of the rear passenger seats. The air conditioning function in the passenger compartment 10 is not particularly limited, but may include functions selected from cooling, heating, dehumidification, humidification, ventilation, etc.

[0037] In the center console 20, it is preferable that the air conditioning duct 27 is positioned from the bottom surface of the control units 21 and 22, through the space between the control units 21 and 22 and the sound source 23, and onto the top surface of the sound source 23. This allows the air conditioning duct 27, together with the control units 21 and 22 and the sound source 23, to be compactly arranged within the center console 20.

[0038] The air conditioning duct 27 on the underside of the control units 21 and 22 can be positioned along the underside of either one of the control units 21 or 22. When multiple control units 21 and 22 are arranged vertically, it is preferable to position the duct 27 along the underside of the lowest control unit 22.

[0039] The air conditioning duct 27 between the control units 21, 22 and the sound source 23 may run along the rear (rear side) of the control units 21, 22, or along the front (front side) of the sound source 23. Although not specifically shown, the center console 20 may be equipped with an air outlet that blows air from the air conditioning duct 27 toward the rear passenger seats. If the air conditioning duct 27 extends to the backrest 16 of the front passenger seats, the air outlet may be located above the front passenger seats.

[0040] Figure 6 is a rear view illustrating the arrangement of the control units 21, 22 and the sound source 23 built into the center console 20. When the center console 20 is viewed from the rear of the vehicle 100, openings 28 are formed in the cover 25 of the center console 20 on both the left and right sides of the sound source 23.

[0041] The opening 28 in the cover 25 is preferably connected to the control units 21 and 22 and the sound source 23. By having the opening 28 serve as both an opening for releasing heat from the control units 21 and 22 and an opening for releasing sound pressure from the sound source 23, the design of the opening 28 on the outer surface of the center console 20 can be simplified. Although not specifically shown, it is also possible to arrange the openings for the control units 21 and 22 and the opening for the sound source 23 separately.

[0042] Figure 7 is a side view illustrating the arrangement of the opening 28 relative to the seat surface 15. Preferably, the opening 28 is positioned so as to overlap with the seat surface 15 of the vehicle 100. This arrangement makes the opening 28, which releases heat from the control units 21 and 22 and sound pressure from the sound source 23, less visible to the occupants, thereby improving the appearance of the interior.

[0043] The illustrated center console 20 has a first opening 28 located at a position overlapping with the seat surface 15 of the driver's seat 12, and a second opening 28 located at a position overlapping with the seat surface 15 of the passenger seat 13. Although not specifically shown, the center console 20 may have an opening 28 only on the driver's seat 12 side, or an opening 28 only on the passenger seat 13 side.

[0044] The number of areas on the cover 25 where openings 28 are located is not particularly limited and may be one or more. Preferably, each opening 28 is a collection of multiple holes. Examples of collections of multiple holes include mesh, grids, etc. Multiple holes may be formed in the cover 25 itself, or a mesh member, grid member, etc. having multiple holes may be attached to the cover 25.

[0045] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various design modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. Examples of vehicles include automobiles equipped with a passenger compartment. While there are no particular limitations on automobiles, examples include automobiles with four to eight wheels, and more specifically, passenger cars, trucks, etc. The center console equipped with the control unit and sound source described above can also be applied to other mobile devices, transportation equipment, etc. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0046] 10...Car compartment, 11...Instrument panel, 12...Driver's seat, 13...Passenger seat, 14...Steering wheel, 15...Seat cushion, 16...Backrest, 17...Display, 20...Center console, 21,22...Control unit, 23...Sound source, 24...Box, 25...Cover, 26...Operating device, 27...Air conditioning duct, 28...Opening, 100...Vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle's center console comprising: a plurality of control units located inside the front part of the center console; a sound source located inside the rear part of the center console; and a box that secures space for the sound source. The sound source is positioned facing the side of the vehicle. The box is the center console of the vehicle, extending beneath the front passenger seats of the vehicle.

2. A vehicle's center console comprising a plurality of control units located inside the front part of the center console, a sound source located inside the rear part of the center console, and an air conditioning duct, The sound source is positioned facing the side of the vehicle. The air conditioning duct is located on the lower surface of the control unit, passing between the control unit and the sound source, and positioned on the upper surface of the sound source, in the center console of the vehicle.

3. A vehicle center console comprising: a plurality of control units located inside the front part of the center console; a sound source located inside the rear part of the center console; and a cover that houses at least the control units and the sound source. The sound source is positioned facing the side of the vehicle. The cover is the center console of the vehicle, having an opening that leads to the control unit and the sound source.

4. The center console of the vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the opening is positioned to overlap with the seat surface of the vehicle.

Images