Vehicle having an overhead console

• US 8,770,644 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2013
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Harders, Richard, Karg, Horst-Reiner
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan, Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): Daniels, Jason S
• Application Number:
  US13/850,113
• Publication Number:
  US 20130214548A1
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 296/24.34, 296/37.7, 296/37.8, 296/214, 296/210, 224/311, 224/328
• US Class Current: 296/37.7
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/00 Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/02 Internal Trim mouldings ; Internal Ledges; Wall liners for passenger compartments; Roof liners B60R13/01 takes precedence ; padded linings for the vehicle interior B60R21/04; arrangements or adaptations of floor mats or carpets in vehicles B60N3/04; internal lining for trains B61D17/18
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0206 Arrangements of fasteners and clips specially adapted for attaching inner vehicle liners or mouldings devices for fastening or securing F16B
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0212 Roof or head liners movable head-liners B60J7/0007
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 7/04 in driver or passenger space , e.g. using racks B60R7/005, B60R7/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0885 the sensor being integrated in a rear-view mirror module

Abstract

A vehicle having a roof lining which is bounded at the front by a front windscreen and has an overhead console which is extended toward the front by a front windscreen unit in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the covering element of the windscreen unit being attached to a front windscreen-end support at at least a first attachment point and to the overhead console at at least a second attachment point. The covering element being mounted so as to float with play in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and/or in the lateral direction of the vehicle at the first attachment point, and is mounted without play at the second attachment point for accurate alignment with the overhead console.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a windshield;

a windshield unit;

a roof lining that is delimited at a front by the windshield; and

an overhead console that extends towards the front in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle to the windshield unit, a covering element thereof being attached to a windshield-end support at at least one first attachment point and to the overhead console at at least one second attachment point,

wherein the windshield unit and the overhead console are first installable independently of each other during vehicle assembly with an offset between the windshield unit and the overhead console resulting from molded part and assembly tolerances,

wherein the covering element is mounted so as to float with play in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and in the lateral direction of the vehicle at the first attachment point to compensate for a tolerance-related offset between the overhead console and the windshield unit, and

wherein the covering element is mounted without play at the second attachment point for dimensionally accurate alignment with the overhead console.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the support has a height stop at the first attachment point, at which a supporting member of the covering element is supported in a vertical direction.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the height stop at the first attachment point of the support has a guiding gap in which the supporting member is fixed in the vertical direction and which is movable in the longitudinal and lateral directions.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the overhead console has longitudinal and lateral stops at the second attachment point that position the covering element without play in the longitudinal and lateral directions.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein at least one securing element is provided at the second attachment point, which secures the covering element against detachment from the overhead console.

6. The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the at least one securing element secures the covering element via interlocking latching contours of the covering element and the overhead console.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a rear-view mirror is affixed to windshield-end support, a mirror base thereof being guided through an opening in the covering element.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the covering element extends backward towards the mirror base in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

9. The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the insert is disposed between the mirror base and the overhead console in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

10. The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the opening is delimited by peripheral edge sections of the covering element and by an insert.

11. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the insert is insertable into a recess in the covering element, which is open, in a direction of the overhead console.

12. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the insert is attachable exclusively to the covering element independently of the overhead console.

13. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the covering element has a compensating ring that surrounds an opening edge of a mirror base opening provided in the covering element.

14. The vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the compensating ring is mounted so as to float in the longitudinal and lateral directions.

15. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the cover element encompasses the windshield-end support on a side via a lateral peripheral web with a free gap, a gap width defining an available play of the covering element.

16. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the windshield unit and the overhead console are independent components.

17. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the windshield unit and the overhead console are structurally separate components.

18. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the windshield unit and the overhead console are disposed separate from each other.

19. A vehicle comprising:

a windshield unit; and

an overhead console including a covering element attached to a windshield-end support at a first attachment point and to the overhead console at a second attachment point, the windshield unit being independent from and positioned offset with respect to the overhead console,

wherein the covering element is mounted so as to float with play in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and in a lateral direction of the vehicle at the first attachment point, and

wherein the covering element is mounted without play at the second attachment point.

20. An assembly method, comprising:

mounting a windshield unit onto a vehicle windshield; and

independently mounting an overhead console onto a vehicle roof lining, the overhead console being mounted with an offset between the overhead console and the windshield unit, the overhead console comprising a covering element attached to a windshield-end support at a first attachment point and to the overhead console at a second attachment point,

wherein the covering element is mounted so as to float with play in a longitudinal direction and in a lateral direction at the first attachment point, and

wherein the covering element is mounted without play at the second attachment point.