Interior components of motor vehicles

• US 7,475,930 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2006
• Issued: 01/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LISA Drã¤Xlmaier GmbH (Fritz Dräxlmaier Holding GmbH)
• Original Assignee: LISA Drã¤Xlmaier GmbH (Fritz Dräxlmaier Holding GmbH)
• Inventors: Pusl, Robert, Bubenhofer, Max, Windl, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan; Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLANKENSHIP, GREGORY A
• Application Number:
  US11/394,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20060237981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 296/37.7, 296/37.8, 296/37.12, 296/37.14, 296/37.15, 296/24.34, 296/37.1
• US Class Current: 296/24.34
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/774 on or in the centre console
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/774 on or in the centre console
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/87 Fixation of dashboard to vehicle structure
• 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 37/10 Arrangements for attaching the dashboard to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 65/14 the sub-units or components being passenger compartment fittings, e.g. seats, linings, trim, instrument panels

Abstract

An interior component for a motor vehicle is fixed to the vehicle by way of protrusions to reduce movement in a plane and by way of a tool-free fastener to reduce movement in a direction perpendicular to the plane. The tool-free fastener may Velcro® fastener. The tool-free fastener may allow slight movement along the plane during assembly and may prevent such movement by pressing the two complementary portions of the tool-free fastener toward each other. Employing such a tool-free fastener reduces assembly time. Because the tool-free fastener need not be accessible to tools, the fixation point may be placed at a location ideally suited for load-bearing.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body having a protrusion formed thereon; and

an interior component mountable to the vehicle body, the interior component comprising;

a component body having a mounting locator, the component body positionable in a plane relative to the vehicle body, the component body having an opening constructed and arranged to mate with the protrusion formed on the vehicle body; and

a tool-free fastener cooperating with the component body and the vehicle body and located at the mounting location, the tool-free fastener adapted to mount the body to the vehicle to secure the body in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the plane.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the tool-free fastener comprises a first portion glued to the body.

3. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the tool-free fastener comprises a second portion glued to the vehicle.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the tool-free fastener comprises a round-headed structure.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the tool-free fastener comprises a mushroom-headed structure.

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the interior component is a center console.

7. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the tool-free fastener comprises a first portion, with the first portion comprising a plurality of substantially equal-length and substantially equidistant stems extending substantially perpendicularly from a base surface, a free-end of each stem having a generally spherical form.

8. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the tool-free fastener comprises a second portion adapted to mate with the first portion, wherein the second portion comprising a plurality of substantially equal-length and substantially equidistant second stems extending substantially perpendicularly from a second base surface, each second stem having a stem diameter, a free-end of each second stem having a generally spherical form, wherein a diameter of the generally spherical free-end of each first stem is larger than the diameter of each second stem and larger than the smallest distance between neighboring free-ends of each second stem.