Abstract:
A storage bin assembly is disclosed. The storage bin assembly includes a door moveably connected to an enclosure at first and second pivot axes by a pair of compound pivoting mechanisms including a first arm and a second arm. The storage bin assembly also includes an arcuate dampening arm integrally connected to the first arm of each pivoting mechanism to provide damped movement of the door relative the enclosure. A method for adjusting the position of the door relative the enclosure is also disclosed.

Description:
CLAIM TO PRIORITY  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/638,673, filed Dec. 22, 2004, the contents of which are incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0002]     The present disclosure generally relates to vehicular overhead storage bin assemblies. More particularly, the disclosure relates to an overhead storage bin assembly including a compound pivoting mechanism for causing movement of a storage bin door relative an enclosure.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     It is known in the art that vehicular overhead assemblies have typically included a variety of components, such as, for example, storage bins, for stowing any desirable item, such as, for example, sunglasses, maps, and the like. Such stowage bin doors have been typically designed to pivot about a single axis, which typically restricts fore-aft design tolerances of the overhead assembly. As a result, design considerations of overhead assemblies become constrained by the location of neighboring components (i.e., adjacent storage bins, dome lamps, and the like) to the storage bin. Thus, the conventional design of a single axis pivoting motion of the storage bin door may require additional spacing between neighboring components so that the pivoting motion of the storage bin door is not impeded during deployment. As such, a need exists for improving the design tolerances of overhead assemblies and the deployment of overhead assembly storage bin doors. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0004]     The inventors of the present disclosure have recognized these and other problems associated with conventional overhead assemblies and the deployment of storage bin doors. The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an overhead storage bin assembly including a storage bin door in a stowed position according to an embodiment;  
         [0006]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the overhead storage bin assembly according to  FIG. 1  with the storage bin door in a deployed position;  
         [0007]      FIG. 3A  is a side view of a compound pivoting mechanism according to the overhead storage bin assembly of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0008]      FIG. 3B  is another side view of the compound pivoting mechanism according to  FIG. 3A ;  
         [0009]      FIG. 3C  is another side view of the compound pivoting mechanism according to  FIG. 3B ; and  
         [0010]      FIG. 3D  is another side view of the compound pivoting mechanism according to  FIG. 3C . 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0011]     The above described disadvantages are overcome and a number of advantages are realized by an inventive storage bin assembly, which is seen generally at  10  in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . In general, the storage bin assembly  10  comprises a door  12  and an enclosure  14 . If desired, a button  16  may be located on the storage bin assembly  10  at any desirable location to cause an un-latching or to initiate movement of the door  12  relative the enclosure  14 . However, it will be appreciated that the design of the storage bin assembly  10  may not include the button  16  and that the door  12  may be initially moved relative the enclosure  14  with a conventional ‘push-push’ mechanism, or the like. Referring to  FIG. 2 , the door  12  is illustrated in a fully deployed position and includes an integral storage compartment  18  for stowing sunglasses, maps, and the like. The storage compartment  18  substantially occupies the entire volume of the enclosure  14  when the door  12  is in the stowed position.  
         [0012]     In general, movement of the door  12  relative the enclosure  14  is regulated by a pair of compound pivoting mechanisms  20 . Referring to  FIG. 3A , each compound pivoting mechanism  20  includes a first arm  26 , a second arm  28 , and a third arm  30 . As illustrated, the third arm  30  is integrated with the first arm  26 . The first and second arms  26 ,  28  are attached at respective first ends to opposing inner walls  22  of the enclosure  14 , which define first and second pivot axes A 1 , A 2 . The first and second arms  26 ,  28  are also attached at second respective ends of the first and second arms  26 ,  28  to outboard walls  24  ( FIG. 2 ) of the door  12 , which define first and second rotation center points C 1 , C 2 , respectively.  
         [0013]     The first and second arms  26 ,  28  are defined to each include linear lengths, L 1 , L 2 , respectively. The third arm  30 , which is hereinafter referred to as a dampening arm  30 , includes an arcuate shape. As illustrated, the linear length, L 1 , of the first arm  26  is greater than the linear length, L 2 , of the second arm  28 ; however, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to the second arm  28  being shorter than the first arm  26  and that the second arm  28  may be equal to or greater in length than the first arm  26 .  
         [0014]     The compound pivoting mechanisms  20  also include dampening gears  32  attached to each inner side wall  22  of the enclosure  14  by a fastener, which is generally shown at  36 . The dampening gears  32  include gear teeth  34  that mesh with corresponding teeth  38  of the dampening arm  30  to permit damped movement of the door  12  relative the enclosure  14 . Damped movement of the door  12  may be refined by increasing or decreasing the ratio of teeth  34 ,  38  included in the design of the dampening arm and gear  30 ,  32 . As illustrated, each dampening arm  30  also includes a boss  42  that is adapted to engage a stop  40  extending from each inner wall  22  of the enclosure  14 .  
         [0015]     As illustrated in  FIGS. 3A-3D , each compound pivoting mechanism  20  includes the first and second pivot points, A 1 , A 2 , located at corresponding first ends of the first and second arms  26 ,  28  to provide a simultaneous, compound pivoting movement ( FIGS. 3B and 3C ) of the door  12  about the first and second pivot points A 1 , A 2 . As described below, once the boss  42  engages the stop  40 , the simultaneous compound pivoting movement of the door  12  and first and second arms  26 ,  28  ceases and further pivoting movement of the door  12  is conducted about a single axis ( FIG. 3D ) at axis, A 2 , of the second arm  28 .  
         [0016]     Referring first to  FIG. 3A , the door  12  may be initially moved in a substantially outward direction, away from the enclosure  14 , for example, when a user presses the button  16 , or alternatively, when the user presses the door  12 , for example, in a ‘push-push’ manner, with a force in the direction of arrow, F 1 . Referring to  FIG. 3B , the applied force in the direction of arrow, F 1 , causes the first and second arms  26 ,  28  to slightly pivot the door  12  in a compound motion as the first and second arms  26 ,  28  move in the direction of counter-clockwise arrow, P 1 , as the damping arm  30  is rotated about the dampening gear  32  in the direction of counter-clockwise arrow, P 2 , to draw the boss  42  toward the stop  40 . Although the door  12  is slightly pivoted in a compound motion in the direction of arrow, P 1 , the dominant movement of the door  12  is a generally linear, outward movement away from the enclosure  14  in the direction opposite the arrow, F 1 . By moving the door  12  in a generally linear, outward direction away from the enclosure  14 , a pivoting clearance of the door  12  is provided about the enclosure  14  for subsequent compound pivoting movement of the door  12  relative the enclosure  14 .  
         [0017]     Accordingly, the door  12  is presented to the user, such that the user may apply a force to the door  12  in the general direction of the arrow, F 2 . Referring to  FIG. 3C , counter-clockwise compound pivoting movement of the arms  26 ,  28  is further advanced in the direction of arrow, P 3 . As illustrated, the damping arm  30  is further rotated in the counter-clockwise direction of arrow, P 4 , thereby drawing the boss  42  proximate the stop  40 . As such, the door  12  is further pivoted in the compound motion in a regulated fashion about the first and second pivot axes, A 1 , A 2 . The user may continue to apply a force on the door  12  in the direction of arrow, F 3 , to draw the boss  42  into an abutting relationship with the stop  40 .  
         [0018]     Referring to  FIG. 3D , the compound pivoting motion of the first and second arms  26 ,  28  ceases when the boss  42  engages the stop  40 . Accordingly, the first arm  26  is restrained from further pivoting movement since the damping arm  30 , which includes the boss  42 , is integrated with the first arm  26 . As such, the second arm  28  is free to pivot about the axis, A 2 , toward the fixed location of the first arm  26 . Accordingly, the regulated pivoting movement of the door  12  is translated from compound pivoting axes at axes A 1 , A 2  to a single pivoting axis at axis, A 2 .  
         [0019]     The single axis pivoting of the second arm  28  about the second axis, A 2 , in the direction of counter-clockwise arrow, P 5 , is carried out as a user continues to apply a force to the door  12  in the general direction of arrow, F 4 , until an end  44  of the second arm  28  abuts an end  46  of the first arm  26  to thereby locate the door  12  in a fully deployed position. According to the illustrated embodiment, pivoting movement of the second arm  28  causes the door  12  to move with a snapping, detent action once the center point, C 2 , of the second arm  28  travels past an over-center line, OC. As illustrated, the over-center line, OC, extends through the center point, C 1 , of the first arm  26  and the center/pivot point of the second pivot axis, A 2 , of the second arm  28 . Accordingly, because the first arm  26  is essentially in a locked state and the second arm  28  is free to pivot, the configuration of the first and second arms  26 ,  28  creates an over-center relationship whereby the second arm  28  binds and snaps into the first arm  26 . Such movement is commonly associated with so-called “four-bar linkages.” Once the door  12  snaps into place, the door  12  is essentially locked in place. As such, when the door  12  moves in the direction of arrow, P 6 , with a snapping action, the overall feel of the door  12  is that of the door  12  traveling over a detent.  
         [0020]     Upon locating the door  12  in a fully deployed position (i.e., where the door  12  is shown in phantom in  FIG. 3D ), the door  12  is frictionally locked in place until the user applied a force in the direction opposite the arrow, F 4 , such that the second arm  28  is advanced away from the first arm  26  with the second arm&#39;s center point, C 2 , traveling past the over-center line, OC. Accordingly, the door  12  may be relocated to the stowed position as illustrated in  FIG. 3A  by applying forces in the direction opposite the arrows F 3 , F 2 , and F 1 .  
         [0021]     The storage bin assembly  10  described above provides an improved alternative to conventional storage bin assemblies by incorporating the compound pivoting motion of the pivoting mechanism  20  about the first and second pivot axes A 1 , A 2 . The presentation of the door  12  in a first, substantially linear motion in the direction opposite the arrow, F 1 , coupled with the compound pivoting action of the door  12  provides a clearance of the door  12  from the enclosure  14  such that other neighboring components in the overhead assembly may be located in a tighter relationship, thereby reducing the size of the overhead assembly. Even further, the over-center relationship of the first and second arms  26 ,  28  provides a storage bin assembly  10  with a frictionally locked position of the door  12  when fully deployed. Although the above-described embodiment shows forces F 1 -F 4  being applied to the door  12 , the door  12  may be automatically deployed by a biasing spring. Alternatively, automatic deployment of the door  12  may be carried out with an electric motor that may drive the damping gear  32  and/or the second arm  28 , for example.  
         [0022]     The present invention has been described with reference to certain exemplary embodiments thereof. However, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that it is possible to embody the invention in specific forms other than those of the exemplary embodiments described above. This may be done without departing from the spirit of the invention. The exemplary embodiments are merely illustrative and should not be considered restrictive in any way. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents, rather than by the preceding description.