Interior components of motor vehicles

• US 20060237981A1
• Filed: 03/30/2006
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LISA Drã¤Xlmaier GmbH (Fritz Dräxlmaier Holding GmbH)
• Original Assignee: LISA Drã¤Xlmaier GmbH (Fritz Dräxlmaier Holding GmbH)
• Inventors: Windl, Michael, Pusl, Robert, Bubenhofer, Max
• Granted Patent: US 7,475,930 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/24.340
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/774 on or in the centre console
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 37/10 Arrangements for attaching the dashboard to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 65/14 the sub-units or components being passenger compartment fittings, e.g. seats, linings, trim, instrument panels

Abstract

An interior component for a motor vehicle is fixed to the vehicle by way of protrusions to reduce movement in a plane and by way of a tool-free fastener to reduce movement in a direction perpendicular to the plane. The tool-free fastener may Velcro® fastener. The tool-free fastener may allow slight movement along the plane during assembly and may prevent such movement by pressing the two complementary portions of the tool-free fastener toward each other. Employing such a tool-free fastener reduces assembly time. Because the tool-free fastener need not be accessible to tools, the fixation point may be placed at a location ideally suited for load-bearing.

Claims

1. An interior component for the interior of vehicles that is fixed to the vehicle or to a support element connected to the vehicle, wherein the component is positionable in an x-y plane by means of protrusions and is fixable in a z-direction direction that is perpendicular to the x-y plane by means of Velcro®

fasteners, wherein the Velcro®

fasteners are formed such that the component is displaceable in the x-y-plane when the Velcro®

fasteners lie upon another, and are fixable by pressing in the z-direction.

2. The component according to claim 1, wherein each Velcro®

fastener is formed on both sides by means of Velcro®

pads attachable with glue to the component.

3. The component according to claim 2, wherein the Velcro®

pads have a round-headed structure.

4. The component according to claim 2, wherein the Velcro®

pads have a mushroom-headed structure.

5. The component according to claim 1, wherein the protrusions are formed as positioning pins.

6. The component according to claim 1, wherein the component is a center console.

7. The component according to claim 6, wherein the protrusions are wall portions of the center console.

8. An interior component for an interior of a motor vehicle, the component comprising:

a body having a mounting location, the body positionable in a plane relative to the vehicle;

a position locator cooperating with the body and constructed and arranged to at least initially locate the body relative to the vehicle in the plane; and

a tool-free fastener cooperating with the body and located at the mounting location, the tool-free fastener adapted to mount the body to the vehicle to secure the body in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the plane.

9. The component according to claim 8, wherein the tool-free fastener comprises a first portion, with the first portion comprising a plurality of substantially equal-length and substantially equidistant stems extending substantially perpendicularly from a base surface, a free-end of each stem having a generally spherical form.

10. The component according to claim 9, wherein the tool-free fastener comprises a second portion adapted to mate with the first portion, wherein the second portion comprising a plurality of substantially equal-length and substantially equidistant second stems extending substantially perpendicularly from a second base surface, each second stem having a stem diameter, a free-end of each second stem having a generally spherical form, wherein a diameter of the generally spherical free-end of each first stem is larger than the diameter of each second stem and larger than the smallest distance between neighboring free-ends of each second stem.

11. The component according to claim 8, wherein the tool-free fastener comprises a first portion glued to the body.

12. The component according to claim 11, in combination with the motor vehicle, wherein the tool-free fastener comprises a second portion glued to the vehicle.

13. The component according to claim 11, wherein the first portion comprises a round-headed structure.

14. The component according to claim 11, wherein the first portion comprises a mushroom-headed structure.

15. The component according to claim 8, wherein the position locator comprises a protrusion formed on the body.

16. The component according to claim 8, in combination with the motor vehicle, wherein the position locator comprises a protrusion formed on the vehicle and a mating opening formed on the body.

17. The component according to claim 8, wherein component is a center console.

18. The component according to claim 15, wherein the component is a center console and wherein the protrusion is a wall portion of the center console.