Glove box for vehicle

• US 6,786,524 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2003
• Issued: 09/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Tamura, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan, D. Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLANKENSHIP, GREGORY A
• Application Number:
  US10/336,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20030129418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 296/37.12, 296/37.8, 296/70, 296/37.16, 296/74, 180/90, 280/752, 224/483
• US Class Current: 296/37.12
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0051 Knees
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/045 associated with the instrument panel or dashboard
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 7/06 mounted on or below dashboards
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/265 1 mil or less

Abstract

In a vehicle glove box including a main body provided movably to an instrument panel, a lid portion provided to the main body on the interior side and forming a closed section with a surface of the main body on the interior side, and a reinforcing member of a substantially plate-like shape extending across the closed section in the width direction of the main body, a plurality of support portions provided to the main body on the interior side in the form of protrusions which extend toward the interior. These support portions support a peripheral surface of the reinforcing member, so that the reinforcing member can be thus provided to the main body to form an integral structure. In this way, it is possible to provide the glove box which can be assembled through a simple and easy assembling process and thereby reduce the burden to an operator.

Claims

1. A glove box for a vehicle, said glove box adapted to be opened and closed at an opening of an instrument panel facing a passenger compartment within the vehicle, said glove box comprising:

a main body portion adapted to be provided in the opening of the instrument panel, said main body portion having a rear face and an extended portion extending from a peripheral area of said rear face rearwardly so as to extend toward the passenger compartment when said main body portion is in the opening portion of the instrument panel;

a lid portion coupled to said main body portion and adapted to cooperate with said rear face and said extended portion to form a closed space;

a reinforcing member having a substantially plate-like configuration and positioned between said rear face and said lid portion; and

a plurality of support portions extending from an inner surface of said extended portion toward an inside of the closed space to form protrusions for supporting a peripheral surface of said reinforcing member.

2. The glove box according to claim 1, wherein:

each of said plurality of support portions has a greater height in a direction extending from said lid portion toward said rear face; and

said peripheral surface of said reinforcing member tilts in the direction extending from said lid portion toward said rear face to be in close contact with said support portion.

3. The glove box according to claim 1, wherein said main body portion, said reinforcing member, and said lid portion comprise resin and are assembled integrally.

4. The glove box according to claim 2, wherein said main body portion, said reinforcing member, and said lid portion comprise resin and are assembled integrally.

5. The glove box according to claim 1, wherein said reinforcing member comprises a grid-like structure having pores extending in a thickness direction thereof.

6. The glove box according to claim 2, wherein said reinforcing member comprises a grid-like structure having pores extending in a thickness direction thereof.

7. The glove box according to claim 3, wherein said reinforcing member comprises a grid-like structure having pores extending in a thickness direction thereof.

8. The glove box according to claim 5, wherein said reinforcing member is provided with bonding portions to be connected with said lid portion, said bonding portions being formed on one side of said reinforcing member and facing said lid portion.

9. The glove box according to claim 1, wherein said reinforcing member is provided on an upper side of said lid portion.

10. The glove box according to claim 1, wherein said reinforcing member is formed in such a manner that its thickness varies in a downward direction.

11. The glove box according to claim 1, wherein said reinforcing member is provided with bonding portions to be connected with said lid portion, said bonding portions being formed on one side of said reinforcing member and facing said lid portion.

12. The glove box according to claim 6, wherein said reinforcing member is provided with bonding portions to be connected with said lid portion, said bonding portions being formed on one side of said reinforcing member and facing said lid portion.

13. The glove box according to claim 7, wherein said reinforcing member is provided with bonding portions to be connected with said lid portion, said bonding portions being formed on one side of said reinforcing member and facing said lid portion.

14. A glove box for a vehicle, said glove box adapted to be opened and closed at an opening of an instrument panel facing a passenger compartment within the vehicle, said glove box comprising:

a main body portion adapted to be provided in the opening of the instrument panel, said main body portion having a rear face and an extended portion extending from a peripheral area of said rear face rearwardly so as to extend toward the passenger compartment when said main body portion is in the opening portion of the instrument panel;

a reinforcing member of a substantially plate-like configuration extending in a widthwise direction of said main body portion; and

a plurality of support portions extending from an inner surface of said extended portion toward an inside of said extended portion to form protrusions for supporting a peripheral surface of said reinforcing member.

15. The glove box according to claim 14, wherein:

each of said plurality of support portions has a greater height in a direction extending toward said rear face; and

said peripheral surface of said reinforcing member tilts in the direction extending toward said rear face, causing said peripheral surface to be in close contact with said support portions.

16. The glove box according to claim 14, wherein said main body portion and said reinforcing member comprise resin and are assembled integrally.

17. The glove box according to claim 14, wherein said reinforcing member comprises a grid-like structure having pores extending in a thickness direction thereof.

18. The glove box according to claim 14, wherein said reinforcing member is formed in such a manner that its thickness varies in a downward direction.

19. A glove box provided in an instrument panel in a passenger compartment of a vehicle, said glove box comprising:

a main glove box body provided in said instrument panel with an opening at an upper side thereof to permit containing of small items in said main glove box body;

a lid provided on a rear surface of said main glove box body;

a reinforcing member having a grid configuration, interposed between said main glove box body and said lid in order to effectively absorb shock upon collision of the vehicle; and

a supporting member formed around said reinforcing member and behind said main glove box body to surround said reinforcing member.

20. A glove box for a vehicle, said glove box adapted to be opened and closed at an opening of an instrument panel facing a passenger compartment within the vehicle, said glove box comprising:

a main body portion adapted to be provided in the opening of the instrument panel, said main body portion having an interior and an exterior;

a lid portion coupled to said main body portion to form a closed section with a first surface of said main body portion;

a reinforcing member of a substantially plate-like configuration within said closed section of said main body portion; and

a plurality of support portions extending from an inner surface of said main body portion to form protrusions extending toward the interior of said closed section of said main body portion for supporting a peripheral surface of said reinforcing member therewithin.

21. The glove box according to claim 20, wherein:

each of said plurality of support portions has a greater thickness in a direction extending from said lid portion toward said first surface of said main body portion; and

said peripheral surface of said reinforcing member tilts in the direction extending from said lid portion toward said first surface of said main body portion, causing said peripheral surface to be in close contact with said support portions.

22. A glove box for a vehicle, said glove box adapted to be opened and closed at an opening of an instrument panel facing a passenger compartment within the vehicle, said glove box comprising:

a main body portion adapted to be provided in the opening of the instrument panel, said main body portion having an interior and an exterior;

a reinforcing member of a substantially plate-like configuration extending in a widthwise direction of said main body portion; and

a plurality of support portions extending from an inner surface of said main body portion to form protrusions extending toward the interior of said main body portion for supporting a peripheral surface of said reinforcing member.

23. The glove box according to claim 22, wherein:

each of said plurality of support portions has a greater thickness in a direction extending toward the interior of said main body portion; and

said peripheral surface of said reinforcing member tilts in the direction extending toward the interior of said main body portion, causing said peripheral surface to be in close contact with said support portions.