Vehicle covering part with large free surface

• US 6,123,377 A
• Filed: 05/07/1999
• Issued: 09/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Sacco, Bruno, Lecher, Franz, Scheper, Hubert, Reichel, Anton
• Primary Examiner(s): Pape, Joseph D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, KIRAN B
• Application Number:
  US09/307,028
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 296/24.1, 296/208, 296/37.8, 180/315, 454/162
• US Class Current: 296/24.34
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00295 for trim components, e.g. panels, dashboards, liners
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00985 Control systems or circuits characterised by display or indicating devices, e.g. voice simulators characterised by the input of sound using a voice synthesizer B60H1/00757; B60H1/00978 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/003 Component temperature regulation using an air flow
• 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 37/00 Dashboards as road-vehicle superstructure sub-units B62D25/14

Abstract

A covering part for mounting on a front wall of an occupant compartment of a vehicle, having an instrument panel and a center console which starts in the center on a lower instrument panel area and continues in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle occupant compartment. For providing a sufficiently large free surface for a combined accommodation of a plurality of operating elements with or without control and display elements in a cohesive operating unit and of large-surface air outlet openings, the instrument panel is constructed with a hood-shaped center part which extends in a diagonally sloped manner with respect to the center console and changes into the center console at the end side. The center part is provided with a bridge console spanning the center part at a distance from its front surface, which bridge console extends from the upper instrument panel area to the center console.

Claims

1. A covering part for mounting on a front wall of a vehicle occupant compartment, comprising an instrument panel, a center console which extends centrally in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle occupant compartment, and a hood-shaped center part extending centrally of a lower area of the instrument panel and changing on an end side thereof into the center console,

wherein a bridge console, which is sized to span the center part at a distance from a front surface thereof, extends from an upper area of the instrument panel to the center console, and air outlet openings are operatively arranged in the center part.

2. The covering part according to claim 1, wherein one end, the bridge console flushly adjoins an upper edge of the instrument panel and another end the bridge console rests against contours of the center console.

3. The covering part according to claim 1, wherein the bridge console is configured to be separable from the instrument panel and the center console.

4. The covering part according to claim 3, wherein one end, the bridge console flushly adjoins an upper edge of the instrument panel and another end the bridge console rests against contours of the center console.

5. The covering part according to claim 1, wherein a top side of the bridge console is slightly curved and is rounded on lateral edges thereof.

6. The covering part according to claim 1, wherein one of the air outlet openings is arranged in a front surface of the center part and the other air outlet openings are arranged in lateral surfaces of the center part.

7. The covering part according to claim 6, wherein the air outlet openings in the lateral surfaces are configured to have a shut-off flap associated therewith.

8. The covering part according to claim 1, wherein the bridge console is configured to be displaceable in a direction of a normal line thereof with respect to the surface so as to be placeable on a front surface of the center part and retained in a desired displacement position.

9. The covering part according to claim 1, wherein the bridge console is configured to be swivelled by a defined swivelling angle about a swivel pin arranged proximate the center console and aligned transversely to a dimensional direction of the bridge console so as to be retainable in a desired swivelling position.

10. The covering part according to claim 8, wherein one of the air outlet openings in a front surface of the center part and a backside of the bridge console in the area of the one air outlet opening are coordinated with one another such that the one air outlet opening is closed when the bridge console is placed on the front surface of the center part.

11. The covering part according to claim 9, wherein one of the air outlet openings in a front surface of the center part and a backside of the bridge console in the area of the one air outlet opening are coordinated with one another such that the one air outlet opening is closed when the bridge console is placed on the front surface of the center part.

12. The covering part according to claim 1, wherein an operating unit with operating elements and/or control and display elements is operatively arranged on a top side of the bridge console.

13. The covering part according to claim 12, wherein all electric connections leading to the operating elements and/or control and display elements are combinable so as to comprise a central plug.

14. The covering part according to claim 12, wherein the operating elements are configured as foil switches.

15. The covering part according to claim 13, wherein the operating elements are configured as foil switches.