FR3131880A1 - Trim element of a vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

Trim element of a vehicle A trim element (10) of a vehicle comprises: - a support (18) comprising at least one bar (26), - a carriage (20) mounted so as to be able to move in translation on the bar (26) and comprising a body (36), and - a tray (22) mounted on the body (36) and adapted to receive an electronic device (12). The carriage (20) comprises at least one friction pad (38) interposed between the body (36) and the bar (26), the carriage (20) moving in translation by sliding of the friction pad(s) (38) on the bar (26), the plate (22) being mounted rotatably relative to the carriage (20) along an axis of rotation (R-R'), the packing element (10) comprising a smooth ring (58) disposed between the plate (22) and the carriage (20) and allowing rotation of the plate (22) relative to the carriage (20). Figure for abstract: Figure 1

Description

Trim element of a vehicle

The present invention relates to a trim element of a vehicle comprising

- a support suitable for being mounted in the vehicle, the support comprising at least one bar,

- a carriage mounted movably in translation on the support bar, the carriage comprising a body, and

- a tray mounted on the body of the trolley and suitable for receiving an electronic device.

An electronic device is generally installed in modern motor vehicles, for example in the form of a screen fixed on the dashboard or a portable electronic device, such as a smartphone (ordiphone) or other, received in a removable manner on the dashboard or another trim element of the vehicle interior.

Such an electronic device has numerous functionalities for the driver and/or passengers of the vehicle.

Thus, the electronic device makes it possible, for example, to display information related to the driving of the vehicle such as the speed of the vehicle, the distance traveled, geolocation information from a satellite guidance system, an image provided by a vehicle camera. recoil, etc. The electronic device is for example tactile and then forms a control interface for adjusting the on-board functions.

The electronic device can for example be used by the passengers of the vehicle and/or the driver when stopping the vehicle as a multimedia display device for viewing audiovisual content, browsing the internet or as a workstation.

Generally, such an electronic device is attached to a trim element, such as the covering of a dashboard, the trim of a seat, etc. or is mounted on a support secured to the filling element.

It follows that depending on the user (driver and/or passengers) and depending on the functionality of the display device used, ergonomics and more particularly human-machine interaction (distance between the user and the display device). display, visibility of the display surface, etc.) are not optimal.

In order to overcome this problem, it is known to attach such an electronic device to an automated system authorizing translational movement of such a device and authorizing rotation of said device in a portrait and landscape orientation in order to adapt to the needs of the device. user and the desired functionality.

However, such systems are generally expensive and heavy, particularly due to the use of motors and metal parts.

Additionally, such systems require regular maintenance.

An aim of the invention is to provide an inexpensive and lightweight filling element to which an electronic device can be fixed in a movable manner.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a packing element of the aforementioned type, in which the carriage comprises at least one friction pad interposed between the body of the carriage and the support bar, the carriage moving in translation by sliding of the or friction pads on the bar, the plate being mounted movable in rotation relative to the carriage along an axis of rotation, the lining element comprising a smooth ring disposed between the plate and the carriage and allowing the rotation of the plate relative to to the cart .

Such movement of the carriage by sliding and rotation of the plate on the carriage via the smooth ring are implemented manually by the user. In addition, the interaction between the pad and the bar allows safe and reliable movement of the carriage, in particular without the risk of seizure. In addition, such a system is very inexpensive and remains light.

The filling element according to the invention comprises one or more of the following characteristics, taken in isolation or in any technically possible combination:

- each friction pad is made of felt;

- the support comprises two bars substantially parallel to each other, the carriage comprising at least two friction pads, the carriage being mounted movable in translation on said bars via at least one pad interposed between the body of the carriage and each bar ;

- the bar(s) are metal bars, for example chrome-plated;

- the bar(s) are chrome-plated metal bars;

- the support defines at least two notches capable of cooperating with a complementary element of the carriage to prevent the translational movement of the carriage on the bar, each notch defining a stable position of the carriage relative to the support;

- the axis of rotation of the plate relative to the carriage is substantially orthogonal to the axis of translation of the carriage on the bar;

- the rotational movement of the plate relative to the carriage is independent of the translational movement of the carriage on the bar;

- the plate is movable in rotation between two stable positions, each stable position defining an orientation of the electronic device;

- the filling element comprises a bistable spring forcing the plate towards one or the other of the two stable positions of the plate.

The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows, given solely by way of example, and made with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

- there is a perspective view of a packing element according to the invention;

- there is a sectional view along a first section plane of the filling element of the ;

- there is a sectional view along a second sectional plane of the filling element of the ; And

- there is a schematic view of the rotation device of the packing element of the .

There illustrates a packing element 10 carrying an electronic device 12.

The trim element 10 is intended to be installed in the passenger compartment of a vehicle, and more particularly of a motor vehicle.

In the description which follows, the term “longitudinal” is defined in relation to the direction in which the vehicle travels. The terms “top” and “bottom” are defined in relation to a direction of elevation corresponding to the height of the vehicle and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The terms “left”, “right”, “front” and “rear” are defined in relation to the usual direction of travel of the vehicle.

The trim element 10 is for example a dashboard placed at the front of the passenger compartment between a driver's seat and a passenger seat. It is understood that the invention applies to any other type of trim element, such as a central console, a door panel or the like.

In the case of a dashboard, the electronic device 12 is intended to be used by a user installed in the passenger seat and also by a user installed in the driver's seat.

The electronic device 12 is for example an on-board computer or a screen permanently mounted on the trim element.

Alternatively, the electronic device 12 is a nomadic electronic device, such as a smartphone, fixed temporarily and reversibly on the filling element 10.

The electronic device 12 comprises for example a screen 14 defining a display surface 16 of substantially rectangular shape.

The electronic device 12 is for example capable of displaying information related to the driving of the vehicle such as the speed of the vehicle, the distance traveled, geolocation information from a satellite guidance system, an image provided by a reversing camera , etc.

The electronic device 12 is also, for example, suitable for use as a multimedia display device for viewing audiovisual content, browsing the Internet or as a workstation.

Preferably, the screen 14 is touchscreen, that is to say that a user can control the electronic device 12 and/or functions of the vehicle by directly touching it.

As illustrated on the , the filling element 10 comprises a support 18, a carriage 20 mounted on the support 18 and a plate 22 mounted on the carriage 20 and suitable for receiving the electronic device 12.

The support 18 is fixedly mounted on the trim element, for example on the dashboard between the driver's seat and the passenger seat. It is understood that the support 18 can be mounted on a trim element which is movable in the vehicle, so that the support 18 is movable with the trim element, such as, for example, a door panel.

The support 18 comprises a plate 24 and at least one bar 26 fixed on the plate 24.

The plate 24 is a plate of substantially rectangular shape.

The plate 24 is for example fixed on the packing element 10, for example using screws 28 and/or by clipping, and/or welding by vibration or ultrasound.

Advantageously, the plate 24 is made of a plastic material which has the advantage of being light.

Preferably, in the case of a dashboard, the bar 26 is arranged so as to extend in the transverse direction of the vehicle, corresponding to a right-left direction of the vehicle.

The bar 26 thus defines a first end 30, for example on the driver's side, for example the left end, and a second end 32, for example on the passenger side, for example the right end. The bar 26 is fixed integrally to the plate 24, for example by means of a fixing ring 34 at each of the first and second ends 30, 32 of the bar 26.

In one embodiment, the bar 26 is integral with the plate 24

The bar 26 has, for example, a length of between 10 cm and 80 cm.

The bar 26 is for example of circular section with a diameter for example between 8 mm and 50 mm. Alternatively, other section shapes can be considered.

The bar 26 is a metal bar, preferably chrome-plated.

By chrome-plated metal bar, we mean a metal bar covered with a layer of chrome coating, thus giving a smooth exterior appearance with little adhesion to the bar 26.

Alternatively, the bar 26 can be hidden from view of the user. In this case, only the plate 22 and part of the carriage 20 extend outside the filling element 10.

As illustrated on the , the support 18 advantageously comprises two bars 26 substantially parallel to each other.

The carriage 20 comprises a body 36 and at least one friction pad 38 interposed between the body 36 of the carriage 20 and the bar 26. In the case where the support 18 comprises two bars 26, the carriage 20 comprises at least two friction pads 38 each interposed between the body 36 of the carriage 20 and one of the bars 26 of the support 18.

The remainder of the description will be made with reference to the embodiment in which the support 18 comprises two bars 26.

The body 36 of the carriage 20 comprises a proximal part 35 on which the pads 38 are fixed and a distal part 37 extending at a distance from the bars 26 of the support 18.

The body 36 of the carriage 20, and more particularly the proximal part 35, defines a through channel 40 for each of the bars 26 of the support 18.

As illustrated in the figures, the bars 26 of the support 18 are each received in a through channel 40 of the body 36.

According to the invention, the friction pads 38 are arranged inside said through channels 40 between the body 36 of the carriage 20 and the corresponding bar 26 of the support 18, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3.

Advantageously, the carriage 20 comprises two friction pads 38 per bar 26 of the support 18.

In such an embodiment illustrated on the , the two pads 38 arranged on the same bar 26 are spaced from one another in the direction in which the corresponding bar 26 extends.

As can be seen on the , each friction pad 38 has a toric shape having an internal surface 42 resting on one of the bars 26 and an external surface 44 fixed on the body 36 of the carriage 20.

Each friction pad 38 is for example made of felt.

For the purposes of the present invention, the term “felt” means a mixture of base fibers and binder. The fibers can be noble and/or recycled fibers, natural or synthetic, of one or more types. Examples of natural fibers that can be used are linen, cotton, hemp, bamboo etc. Examples of synthetic fibers that can be used are glass fibers, Kevlar, polyamide, acrylic, polyester, polypropylene.

The binder is for example a resin or binder fibers which have a melting point lower than that of the base fibers to be bound. Examples of resins are epoxy resins, or phenolic resins. Examples of binder fibers are polypropylene, polyethylene, polyamide, polyester, or two-component polyesters.

In a variant, the felt comprises a high percentage of microfibers, for example more than 50% and advantageously 80% of microfibers.

By “microfibers” we mean fibers with a density of less than 0.9 dtex, advantageously 0.7 dtex.

In a variant, the felt contains recycled material, for example coming from waste of internal or external origin, in particular scraps of automobile equipment parts, manufacturing scrap, or parts at the end of the life of a vehicle. . This waste is for example crushed and incorporated into the felt in the form of pieces of divided material consisting of agglomerates, flakes or particles. Waste components can be separated before or during grinding.

The felt is selected so that the internal surface 42 of each pad 38 has little adhesion and more particularly that the roughness Ra of the pads 38 on the bar 26 remains less than 0.6 μm. Such roughness is achieved for example by compressing each pad 38 to a greater or lesser extent and/or by adding grease to each pad 38.

Preferably, the external surface 44 of the pads 38 is covered with a layer of silicone in order to facilitate the fixing of the pads 38 in the channels 40 of the body 36 of the carriage 20.

The carriage 20 is mounted movably in translation on the bars 26 of the support 18.

More particularly, the carriage 20 moves in translation by sliding of the shoes 38 on the bars 26 of the support 18. According to one embodiment, only the shoes 38 are in contact with the bars 26, that is to say that there is no contact between the body of the carriage 20 and the bars 26.

The carriage 20 is thus movable in translation along the translation axis T-T' which extends in the direction of extension of the bars 26, and more particularly in the right-left direction of the vehicle in the case of a board. on board.

By the arrangement of the body 36 of the carriage 20 on two bars 26 of the support 18, the other degrees of freedom of the carriage 20, that is to say the translation in the horizontal and vertical directions as well as the rotations, are preferably blocked .

The carriage 20 can be moved over the entire length of the bars 26 manually by the user, for example by pushing the carriage 20 either towards the first end 30 or towards the second end 32.

Preferably, the support 18 defines at least two notches 46 capable of cooperating with a complementary element 48 of the carriage 20 to prevent the translational movement of the carriage 20 on the bar(s) 26.

Each notch 46 defines a stable position of the carriage 20 relative to the support 18.

As illustrated on the , two notches 46 are for example defined projecting from the plate 24 of the support 18. Each of the notches 46 is arranged near one of the ends 30, 32 of the bars 26.

A complementary element 48 is for example provided projecting from the body 36 of the carriage 20 and is able to cooperate with each of the notches 46 so as to block the carriage 20 in position.

Each of the notches 46 and/or the complementary element 48 is able to deform under the action of sufficient external stress. Thus, to remove the carriage 20 from one of the stable positions at one of the ends 30, 32, a user exerts a force capable of deforming the notch 46 and/or the corresponding complementary element 48, for example by pushing the carriage 20 towards the other of the ends 30, 32, thus causing the end of the cooperation between the complementary element 48 and said notch 46.

The carriage 20 can thus be blocked either in a "driver" position near the first end 30 on the driver's side as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, or in a "passenger" position near the second end 32 on the passenger side, in the case of a dashboard.

When the carriage 20 is in the “passenger” position, the display surface 16 of the electronic device 12 is positioned so as to be visible in an ergonomic and comfortable manner by a passenger seated in the front passenger seat of the vehicle. If the screen 14 is touchscreen, it is positioned so that it can be used ergonomically by the passenger.

When the carriage 20 is in the "driver" position, the display surface 16 of the electronic device 12 is positioned so as to be visible in an ergonomic and comfortable manner by a driver of the vehicle or a passenger seated on the driver's seat at the rear. stopping the vehicle.

Optionally, an inertia lock is also placed between the carriage 20 and the bars 26 of the support 18, in order to brake the carriage 20 and thus prevent any unwanted movement of the carriage 20, particularly in the event of sudden movements of the vehicle.

The plate 22 comprises a base 50 and a cylindrical shaft 52 projecting from the base 50.

The base 50 receives the electronic device 12, for example in a fixed manner in a base 54 defined for this purpose in the base 50, as illustrated in the .

Alternatively, the base 50 receives the electronic device 12, which is for example a smartphone, in a removable manner for example using fixing jaws.

When the electronic device 12 is received in the tray 22, the screen 14, and more particularly the display surface 16, is oriented towards the interior of the passenger compartment.

The cylindrical shaft 52 of the plate 22 is housed in a bore 56 formed in the body 36 of the carriage 20, and more particularly in the distal part 37 of the carriage 20, as is illustrated in the .

The cylindrical shaft 52 extends along a shaft axis substantially orthogonal to the axis of extension of the bars 26, and therefore to the right-left axis of the vehicle.

Advantageously, the plate 22 is mounted movable in rotation relative to the carriage 20 along an axis of rotation R-R', preferably substantially orthogonal to the axis of translation T-T' of the carriage 20 on the bars 26.

More particularly, the cylindrical shaft 52 is movable in rotation in the bore 56 of the distal part 37 of the carriage 20, along the axis of rotation R-R'.

Advantageously, a smooth ring 58 is placed between the plate 22 and the carriage 20, and more precisely between the cylindrical shaft 52 and the bore 56.

The smooth ring 58 allows the rotation of the plate 22 relative to the carriage 20, in particular by relative sliding of one relative to the other.

More particularly, the smooth ring 58 is fixed in the bore 56 defined in the body 36 of the carriage 20 and the shaft 52 of the plate 22 slides in rotation on the smooth ring 58 thus authorizing the rotation of the plate 22 relative to the carriage 20 .

For this purpose, the smooth ring 58 has a low coefficient of friction, for example the roughness Ra of the smooth ring 58 on the shaft 52 remains less than 0.6 μm.

The smooth ring 58 is for example made of a thermoplastic polymer or bronze. The smooth ring 58 is for example lubricated.

The rotational movement of the plate 22 relative to the carriage 20 is independent of the translational movement of the carriage 20.

The plate 22 can be oriented manually by the user without causing the carriage 20 to translate.

Advantageously, the plate 22 is movable in rotation between two stable positions.

The two stable positions of the plate 22 are for example spaced 90° apart from each other.

As illustrated on the , the filling element 10 comprises for example, for this purpose, a bistable spring 60 forcing the plate 22 towards one or the other of the two stable positions of the plate 22.

The bistable spring 60 comprises a first end branch 62 fixed on the plate 22 and a second end branch 64 fixed on the carriage 20.

The bistable spring 60 is configured such that in a first stable state the plate 22 is in the first stable position and in a second stable state the plate 22 is in the second stable position.

Without external actions, the bistable spring 60 naturally returns to one of these stable states. Thus to move from the first position to the second position, a user exerts a force capable of overcoming the constraint exerted by the bistable spring 60 towards the first position until reaching the zone in which the bistable spring 60 forces the plate towards the second position.

There illustrates the first stable state of the bistable spring 60, the two end branches 62, 64 being substantially perpendicular.

In a second stable state of the bistable spring 60, the two end branches 62, 64 are substantially parallel.

Advantageously, the packing element 10 also includes a slowing down gear 66 capable of preventing any unwanted rotation of the plate 22.

A first toothed surface 68 is for example defined on the cylindrical shaft 52 of the plate 22 and a second complementary gear toothed wheel 70 is fixed on the body 36 of the carriage 20.

Such a slowing down gear 66 is defined so as to only allow the rotation of the plate 22 if the external action exerted on the plate 22 to cause its rotation is exerted with sufficient force, for example greater than 10 N.

This makes it possible to avoid unwanted rotation of the plate 22, particularly in the event of sudden movements of the vehicle.

By fixing the electronic device 12 on the plate 22, the rotation of the plate 22 causes the rotation of the electronic device 12, and more particularly of the rectangular display surface 16 defined by the screen 14.

Each stable position of the plate 22 thus defines an orientation of the electronic device 12, and therefore of the display surface 16.

The first stable position corresponds for example to a portrait orientation of the electronic device 12. In such a portrait orientation, the rectangular display surface 16 is positioned such that the largest side of the rectangle is vertical and the smallest is horizontal.

The second stable position corresponds for example to a landscape orientation of the electronic device 12. In such a landscape orientation, the rectangular display surface 16 is positioned such that the smallest side of the rectangle is vertical and the largest is horizontal.

Such a filling element 10 allows mobile attachment of the electronic device 12.

The user can choose the position of the electronic device 12 according to its position in the vehicle and the orientation of the latter according to the desired use.

For example, for use of the electronic device 12 as a workstation by a passenger seated in the front passenger seat of the vehicle, the carriage 20 is positioned in the “passenger” position and the tray 22 is oriented so as to position the device electronic 12 in portrait orientation.

For use of the electronic device 12 by the driver of the vehicle wishing to receive navigation information, the carriage 20 is positioned in the “driver” position and the plate 22 is oriented so as to position the electronic device in landscape orientation.

Such a filling element 10 is easy to use by the user.

In addition, such a filling element 10 remains inexpensive and simple to manufacture.

Furthermore, such a filling element 10 allows safe and reliable positioning of the electronic device 12 thanks to the definition of stable positions preventing undesired translation and/or rotation movements.

In addition, such a filling element 10 is also reliable and robust thanks to its entirely manual use with few intermediate elements and the interaction between the felt pad and the bar guaranteeing sliding without risk of seizure.

Due to the use of plastic parts, such a filling element is also light.

In addition, such a trim element 10 makes it possible to position the electronic device 12 even when the vehicle is stationary, since the translation and orientation are only carried out manually.

In another embodiment of the invention, the carriage 20 is movable in translation along a front-rear axis, or a top-bottom axis of the vehicle.

Claims (10)

Trim element (10) of a vehicle comprising:
- a support (18) suitable for being mounted in the vehicle, the support (18) comprising at least one bar (26),
- a carriage (20) mounted movably in translation on the bar (26) of the support (18), the carriage (20) comprising a body (36), and
- a plate (22) mounted on the body (36) of the carriage (20) and adapted to receive an electronic device (12);
characterized in that the carriage (20) comprises at least one friction pad (38) interposed between the body (36) of the carriage (20) and the bar (26) of the support (18), the carriage (20) moving in translation by sliding of the friction pad(s) (38) on the bar (26), the plate (22) being mounted movable in rotation relative to the carriage (20) along an axis of rotation (R-R'), l 'filling element (10) comprising a smooth ring (58) disposed between the plate (22) and the carriage (20) and allowing rotation of the plate (22) relative to the carriage (20). Lining element according to claim 1, wherein each friction pad (38) is made of felt. Filling element according to claim 1 or 2, in which the support (18) comprises two bars (26) substantially parallel to each other, the carriage (20) comprising at least two friction pads (38), the carriage (20) being mounted movable in translation on said bars (26) via at least one shoe (38) interposed between the body (36) of the carriage (20) and each bar (26). Filling element according to one of the preceding claims, in which the bar(s) (26) are metal bars, for example chrome-plated. Trimming element according to claim 4, in which the bar(s) (26) are chrome-plated metal bars. Filling element according to one of the preceding claims, in which the support (18) defines at least two notches (46) capable of cooperating with a complementary element (48) of the carriage (20) to prevent the translational movement of the carriage ( 20) on the bar (26), each notch (46) defining a stable position of the carriage (20) relative to the support (18). Filling element according to one of the preceding claims, in which the axis of rotation (R-R') of the plate (22) relative to the carriage (20) is substantially orthogonal to the axis of translation (T-T' ) of the carriage (20) on the bar (26). Filling element according to one of the preceding claims, in which the rotational movement of the plate (22) relative to the carriage (20) is independent of the translational movement of the carriage (20) on the bar (26). Filling element according to one of the preceding claims, in which the plate (22) is movable in rotation between two stable positions, each stable position defining an orientation of the electronic device (12). Filling element according to claim 9 comprising a bistable spring (60) forcing the plate (22) towards one or the other of the two stable positions of the plate (22).