Panel assembly for a motor vehicle

• US 8,419,103 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2011
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Spitler, Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Kiran B
• Application Number:
  US13/015,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20120193933A1
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 296/74, 296/70, 296/193.02, 381/386, 381/86, 362/85, 704/258, 704/260, 704/270
• US Class Current: 296/74
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0262 Mid-console liners
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0007 Mid-console
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2013/0281 made of a plurality of visible parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2013/0293 Connection or positioning of adjacent panels
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/14 Dashboards as superstructure sub-units other dashboard aspects B60K

Abstract

A panel assembly includes an audio panel and a finisher panel. The audio panel has a base portion, a support portion, and an accent portion. The accent portion is adjacent to the base portion and the support portion. The finisher panel is connected to the audio panel such that a lateral edge of the finisher panel is adjacent to the base portion of the audio panel, a side edge of the finisher panel is adjacent to the accent portion of the audio panel, and the support portion is concealed by the finisher panel.

Claims

1. A center stack assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising:

an instrument panel having a center stack opening defined between a first side edge and a second side edge;

an audio panel that is disposed within the center stack opening of the instrument panel, the audio panel having;

a base portion,

a support portion, wherein the base portion and the support portion of the audio panel are separated by a lateral edge of the audio panel,

a first accent portion that is positioned adjacent to the first side edge of the instrument panel such that the base portion is spaced from the instrument panel by the first accent portion, the first accent portion including a first groove and a first accent surface, wherein a first portion of the first groove is disposed between the first accent surface and the base portion and a second portion of the first groove is disposed between the first accent surface and the support portion, and

a second accent portion that is positioned adjacent to the second side edge of the instrument panel such that the base portion is spaced from the instrument panel by the second accent portion, the second accent portion including a second groove and a second accent surface, wherein a first portion of the second groove is disposed between the second accent surface and the base portion and a second portion of the second groove is disposed between the second accent surface and the support portion; and

a finisher panel that is connected to the audio panel such that a lateral edge of the finisher panel is adjacent to the lateral edge of the audio panel, a first side edge of the finisher panel is adjacent to the first groove of the first accent portion of the audio panel, a second side edge of the finisher panel is adjacent to the second groove of the second accent portion of the audio panel, and the support portion is concealed by the finisher panel.

2. The center stack assembly of claim 1, wherein the first portion and the second portion of each of the first groove and the second groove meet at the lateral edge of the audio panel.

3. The center stack assembly of claim 2, wherein the lateral edge of the audio panel extends from the first groove to the second groove.

4. The center stack assembly of claim 3, wherein the first groove and the second groove each extend substantially transverse to the lateral edge of the audio panel.

5. The center stack assembly of claim 2, wherein the lateral edge of the finisher panel is adjacent to the lateral edge of the audio panel.

6. The center stack assembly of claim 5, wherein the lateral edge of the finisher panel and the lateral edge of the audio panel are substantially co-extensive.

7. The center stack assembly of claim 1, wherein the finisher panel includes a first fastening structure that is connected to a second fastening structure that is formed on the support portion of the audio panel.

8. The center stack assembly of claim 1, wherein the first accent surface of the first accent portion and the second accent surface of the second accent portion have a different surface finish than the base portion.

9. The center stack assembly of claim 8, wherein the first groove and the second groove are each painted to resemble a panel gap, such that the first accent portion, the second accent portion, and the base portion appear to be separate panels.

10. The center stack assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

an audio head unit connected to the audio panel.