Glove box structure

• US 6,076,878 A
• Filed: 09/16/1998
• Issued: 06/20/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Isano, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Pape, Joseph D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, KIRAN B
• Application Number:
  US09/154,439
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 296/37.12, 296/37.8, 16/82, 16/85
• US Class Current: 296/37.12
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 7/06 mounted on or below dashboards
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 5/06 Buffers or stops limiting opening of swinging wings, e.g. floor or wall stopsE05F5/02 takes precedence

Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to open a glove box in two stages with a simple structure. A stopper formed of an elastic member is fixed to side faces of the glove box. An inclined face is formed on a tip portion of the stopper. When the glove box is incorporated in the instrument panel and is opened, the inclined face is engaged with an opening edge portion incorporating the instrument panel so that the glove box is held in a half-opening position. Furthermore, when the glove box is rotated, a projection is controlled by the opening edge portion of the instrument panel so that the glove box is held in a full-opening state.

Claims

1. A glove box structure comprising:

a glove box provided in an opening formed on an instrument panel of an automobile, the glove box having side faces,

a rotary shaft provided in the glove box for rotatably supporting the glove box on the instrument panel,

a control member for controlling a maximum rotational position when the glove box is to be opened, and

an engagement member having an inclined face to be engaged with an opening edge portion of the instrument panel, which engagement member is provided on one of the side faces of the glove box,

wherein the engagement member is engaged at an arbitrary angle between a closing state of the glove box and the maximum rotational position during rotation to open the glove box.

2. The glove box structure according to claim 1, wherein the control member is provided on side portions of the glove box, has a convex shape extending in a transverse direction of a car body, and is engaged with the opening edge portion of the instrument panel.

3. The glove box structure according to claim 1, further comprising another inclined face provided on the engagement member for being engaged with the opening edge portion of the instrument panel during rotation to close the glove box.

4. A glove box structure comprising:

a glove box provided in an opening formed on an instrument panel of an automobile, said glove box having side faces;

a hinge shaft connected to said glove box and connected to said instrument panel for rotatably supporting said glove box with respect to the instrument panel;

a projection connected to said glove box for defining a maximum rotational position of said glove box relative to the instrument panel when said glove box is opened; and

an stopper having an inclined face for engagement with an opening edge portion of the instrument panel, said stopper being connected to one of said side faces of said glove box, said stopper being engaged by opening edge portion of the instrument panel at an angle of opening of said glove box which is between a closed angle of said glove box and said maximum rotational position.

5. The glove box structure according to claim 4, wherein said projection is provided on one of said side faces of said glove box and extends in a transverse direction of a car body, and is engaged with said opening edge portion of the instrument panel.

6. The glove box structure according to claim 4, further comprising another inclined face provided on said engagement member for being engaged with the opening edge portion of the instrument panel during rotation to close said glove box.

7. The glove box structure according to claim 4, wherein said stopper comprises an elastic engagement member, wherein said elastic engagement member is movable to allow the opening edge portion of the instrument panel to pass by said inclined face after engagement.