Vehicle interior panel having compartment and swing door

• US 6,601,897 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2001
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Stelandre, Bertrand, Charlet, Olivier
• Primary Examiner(s): PAPE, JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US10/032,271
• Publication Number:
  US 20030116988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 296/37.1, 296/37.8, 296/37.12, 180/90, 312/326, 312/327, 312/328
• US Class Current: 296/37.12
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 7/06 mounted on or below dashboards

Abstract

The present invention involves a vehicle interior panel. The interior panel comprises a panel body having a face defining a compartment having an opening at the face and defining a door-receiving space underlying the compartment. The interior panel further comprises a swing door including a door panel and an arm extending from the door panel to an end, wherein the end is remote from the door panel and has a pivot point adjacent the end. The door panel is configured to close the opening and pivotally move between a closed position wherein the door panel closes the opening and an open position wherein the door panel is received in the door-receiving space to permit access to the compartment. The interior panel further comprises a pivot connection pivotally connecting the arm at the pivot point to the panel body to define a pivot access providing pivotal movement of the door panel between the closed and open positions. The arm is connected to the panel body at a connection point spaced apart from the face. The swing door is pivotally moveable about the pivot access to swing between the closed position and the open position in the door-receiving space.

Claims

1. An interior panel compartment assembly of a vehicle interior panel, the interior panel having a panel body to which the assembly attaches, the panel compartment assembly comprising:

a compartment having top and bottom walls integrally connected by a back wall and a pair of side walls defining a face having an opening for access to the compartment, the compartment and the interior panel further defining a door-receiving space adjacent the compartment;

a door panel having an outer surface and an inner surface engageable with the face to close the opening in a closed position, the door panel being pivotally moveable between the closed position and an open position wherein the door panel is received in the door-receiving space to permit access to the compartment;

a pivotable arm attached to the inner surface of the door and extending therefrom pivotally connecting to the vehicle interior panel to define a pivot axis spaced apart from the face and providing the door panel and the arm pivotal movement from the closed position to the open position without moving toward an occupant of the vehicle.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the arm extends substantially orthogonal from the door panel to an end.

3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the door panel includes first and second lateral sides and wherein the end is a first end and the arm is a first arm extending from the first lateral side of the door panel to the first end, the swing door further including a second arm extending from the second lateral side of the door panel to a second end remote from the door panel, the second end having a second pivot point adjacent the second end.

4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the panel body further defines an arm-receiving slot in adjacent lateral relationship with the compartment to receive the arm when the swing door swings between the closed and open positions.

5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the door panel has upper and lower ends and the face of the panel body has top and bottom ends, respectively, engageable therewith, the upper end of the door panel having a latch, the top end of the face having a latch-receiving mechanism to receive the latch and retain the door panel in the closed position.

6. The assembly of claim 5 wherein the upper end of the door panel in the open position is positioned in front of the face of the body panel.

7. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the connection point is spaced apart from the face and the door receiving space.

8. The assembly of claim 5 wherein the connection member is spaced apart from the door panel and the bottom end of the face, wherein the space between the connection member and the door panel is greater than the space between the connection member and the bottom end of the face.

9. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the connection member is a connecting pin.

10. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the door-receiving space underlies the compartment.

11. A vehicle interior panel of a vehicle, the interior panel comprising:

a panel body having a face and an aperture, the panel body further including an attached compartment having an opening aligned with the aperture at the face, the panel body further defining a door-receiving space underlying the compartment;

a swing door including a door panel and an arm extending from the door panel to an end, the end being remote from the door panel and having a pivot point at the end, the door panel being configured to close the opening and pivotally move between a closed position wherein the door panel closes the opening and an open position wherein the door panel is received in the door-receiving space to permit access to the compartment; and

a pivot connection pivotally connecting the arm at the pivot point to the panel body to define a pivot axis spaced apart from the face providing pivotal movement of the door panel between the closed and open positions, the arm being connected to the panel body at a connection point spaced apart from the face;

the swing door being pivotally moveable about the pivot axis to swing from the closed position and the open position in the door-receiving space without moving toward an occupant of the vehicle.

12. The interior panel of claim 11 wherein the arm extends substantially orthogonal from the door panel to the end.

13. The interior panel of claim 11 wherein the door panel includes first and second lateral sides and wherein the end is a first end and the arm is a first arm extending from the first lateral side of the door panel to the first end, the swing door further including a second arm extending from the second lateral side of the door panel to a second end remote from the door panel, the second end having a second pivot point adjacent the second end.

14. The interior panel of claim 11 further comprising an arm-receiving slot in adjacent lateral relationship with the compartment to receive the arm when the swing door swings between the closed and open positions.

15. The interior panel of claim 11 wherein the door panel has upper and lower ends and the face of the panel body has top and bottom ends, respectively, engageable therewith, the upper end of the door panel having a latch, the top end of the face having a latch-receiving mechanism to receive the latch and retain the door panel in the closed position.

16. The interior panel of claim 11 wherein the connection point is spaced apart from the face and the door receiving space.

17. The interior panel of claim 15 wherein the pivot connection is spaced apart from the door panel and the bottom end of the face, wherein the space between the pivot connection and the door panel is greater than the space between the pivot connection and the bottom end of the face.

18. The interior panel of claim 11 wherein the pivot connection is a connecting pin.

19. A vehicle interior panel of a vehicle compartment, the interior panel comprising:

a panel body having a face and an aperture at the face;

a retaining compartment having an opening aligned with the aperture, the retaining compartment including top and bottom walls adjacent which a door-receiving space is defined by the interior panel;

a door panel having an outer surface facing the vehicle compartment and an inner surface engageable with the face in a closed position;

a pivotable arm attached to the inner surface of the door panel and extending therefrom to an end remote from the door panel;

a connection member disposed on the panel body and spaced apart from the face, the end of the pivotable arm being attached to the connection member to define a pivot axis about which the arm pivots so that the door panel pivotally moves about the pivot axis between the closed position and an open position in the door-receiving space without moving toward an occupant of the vehicle.

20. The interior panel of claim 19 wherein the arm extends substantially orthogonal from the door panel to an end.

21. The interior panel of claim 20 wherein the door panel includes first and second lateral sides and wherein the end is a first end and the arm is a first arm extending from the first lateral side of the door panel to the first end, the swing door further including a second arm extending from the second lateral side of the door panel to a second end remote from the door panel, the second end having a second pivot point adjacent the second end.

22. The interior panel of claim 19 wherein the panel body further defines an arm-receiving slot in adjacent lateral relationship with the compartment to receive the arm when the swing door swings between the closed and open positions.

23. The interior panel of claim 19 wherein the door panel has upper and lower ends and the face of the panel body has top and bottom ends, respectively, engageable therewith, the upper end of the door panel having a latch, the top end of the face having a latch-receiving mechanism to receive the latch and retain the door panel in the closed position.

24. The interior panel of claim 23 wherein the upper end of the door panel in the open position is positioned in front of the face of the body panel.

25. The interior panel of claim 19 wherein the connection point is spaced apart from the face and the door receiving space.

26. The interior panel of claim 23 wherein the connection member is spaced apart from the door panel and the bottom end of the face, wherein the space between the connection member and the door panel is greater than the space between the connection member and the bottom end of the face.

27. The interior panel of claim 19 wherein the connection member is a connecting pin.