Abstract:
An interior fitting device is provided for a vehicle, particularly a motor vehicle, having several adjacent interior fitting devices and having a receiving space with a feeding opening for at least one card-type and/or strip-type flat object. In order to be able to better utilize the available installation space at the interior fitting of the vehicle, it is provided that the receiving space is arranged in a gap which is situated between the interior fitting parts.

Description:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This application claims the priority of German application 101 07 286.4, filed Feb. 16, 2001, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.  
           [0002]    The invention relates to an interior fitting device for a vehicle having a receiving space with a feeding opening for at least one flat object.  
           [0003]    An interior fitting device of the above-mentioned type for a vehicle, particularly a motor vehicle, is known from Japanese Patent Document JP 1 0 -217 860 A. It is arranged in a vehicle occupant compartment and has several mutually adjoining interior fitting parts which are formed, for example, by a center part of a dashboard and by an adjoining covering part of the dashboard. In the center part, a receiving element is arranged which has a feeding opening and a receiving space for at least one flat object, particularly a card, such as a refueling card, a parking receipt or the like. For this purpose, a recess is provided in the center part, into which recess the box-shaped receiving element for the flat object is inserted. In the center part of the dashboard which is within the driver&#39;s reach, the receiving element requires installation space which is no longer available for other functioning or operating elements.  
           [0004]    It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an interior fitting device of the initially mentioned type into which a receiving space for a flat object can be integrated in a simple manner without requiring installation space in an interior fitting part.  
           [0005]    This object is achieved by an interior fitting device wherein the receiving space is arranged in a gap which is present between the interior fitting parts. Additional further developments which advantageously develop the invention are described herein and in the claims.  
           [0006]    Advantages achieved by the invention are that the receiving space for the flat object can be provided in the gap existing between the two interior fitting parts. Because of the small thickness of the flat object, the width of the gap is sufficient for this flat object. Without requiring installation space in one of the interior fitting parts, the receiving space can nevertheless be arranged within the driver&#39;s reach or within the reach of another occupant. In addition, the manufacturing and tool costs for the arrangement of the interior fittings are reduced because no separate recess for the receiving space must be provided in one of the interior fitting parts.  
           [0007]    According to certain preferred embodiments, it is advantageous that the flat object is securely held in the receiving space.  
           [0008]    In certain preferred embodiments, it is advantageously possible to securely hold flat objects—also of different thicknesses—in the receiving space, by utilizing elastically deforming friction lining in the receiving space.  
           [0009]    According to a further development of certain preferred embodiments of the invention, receiving space forms and interior door covering section arranged in a region of a window or door opening  9  with such an arrangement it is particularly advantageously achieved that, when the driver leaves the vehicle, his attention is drawn to the object inserted in the receiving space and it is avoided that this object is unintentionally left in the vehicle.  
           [0010]    Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of an interior fitting device having a receiving space for a flat object, constructed according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a second embodiment of an interior fitting device according to the invention;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a sectional view along line III-III of the interior fitting device according to FIG. 2;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a view of a third embodiment of an interior fitting device according to the invention; and  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5 is a view of a receiving element having a receiving space for a flat object, constructed according to preferred embodiments of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view of a center part  1  of a dashboard  2  of a vehicle, particularly a passenger car. The vertical axis Fh of the vehicle and the longitudinal axis F 1  of the vehicle are situated in the sectional plane. The dashboard  2  is arranged in an occupant compartment  3  of the vehicle and is therefore a component of the interior fitting  4  which therefore has at least one interior fitting device  5 , which—according to FIG. 1—may be formed by the center part  1 . The interior fitting device  5  comprises at least two mutually adjoining interior fitting parts  6  and  7  which may be arranged side-by-side or above one another and, in the embodiment shown, form components of the center part  1 . According to the equipment of the vehicle, additional interior fitting parts  8  and/or  9  may be provided which may be arranged side-by-side, above or below the other interior fitting parts  6  and  7  respectively.  
         [0017]    The interior fitting parts  6  to  9  may be safety or function modules, covering or operating elements, such as switches or the like, trays, storage spaces or other interior fitting components.  
         [0018]    The interior fitting part  6  may be formed by an operating part  10  of an audio system or of an onboard computer or the like. The interior fitting part  7  may, for example, be an operating element  11 , particularly for a heating/air-conditioning unit. The interior fitting part  8  is constructed as a tray  12 , and the interior fitting part  9  is constructed as a connection part to a center console  13  (FIG. 2) arranged between two vehicle seats not illustrated here, or it adjoins the center console  13 .  
         [0019]    The interior fitting  4  may be such that it can be assembled in a module-type manner of the interior fitting parts. One of the interior fitting parts  6 ,  7 ,  8  or  9  is arranged at a narrow distance from an adjoining other interior fitting part  6 ,  7 ,  8  or  9 , so that a gap  15  exists between the interior fitting parts, and thus a space  16  is formed into which a receiving element  17  can be inserted for at least one flat object  18 . The receiving element  17  has a feeding opening  19  for the object  18 . The feeding opening  19  is preferably situated within the reach of an occupant in the vehicle occupant compartment  3 . The, particularly card-type or strip-type flat object  18  —in comparison to its surface size —has a narrow thickness D and is, for example, a refuelling or credit card, a parking receipt, a road map or an inspection booklet of the vehicle or the like. So that the object is held securely but removably in a receiving space  20 , the latter has a holding element  21 . The holding element  21  is preferably constructed in an elastically springy or deformable manner, so that it presses the object  18  against an interior wall W of the receiving space  20  and thus holds this object in a clamping manner, According to a first embodiment, the receiving space  20  may be surrounded by an insertion part E which can be inserted into the space  16 , which insertion part can be implemented as a box K which may form the receiving element  17 . The insertion part E or the box K is open on at least one side and thus forms the feeding opening  19 . According to a second embodiment, the receiving space  20  with its feeding opening is formed by the space  16  which is open at the edge. The interior wall W of the receiving space  20  is therefore formed of boundary walls Bw of the adjacent interior fitting parts  7  and  8 . The holding element  21  may be fastened on one of these boundary walls Bw.  
         [0020]    In a preferred embodiment, the holding element  21  is formed by a friction lining  22  which is situated on the interior wall W in the area of the feeding opening  19 . The friction lining may be present in a punctiform or strip-shaped manner and may extend at least in regions around the feeding opening. It is preferably implemented as a rubber lip.  
         [0021]    The depth T (FIG. 5) of the receiving space  20  is preferably dimensioned such that flat objects of the conventional card format are only partially received therein, so that the object  18  projects slightly out of the feeding opening  19 , as clearly illustrated in FIG. 1. The width of the receiving space  20  measured transversely to the depth T is preferably adapted to the conventional card format.  
         [0022]    As illustrated in FIG. 5, the friction lining  22  may, however, also be arranged on a holding element which has a web-type or strip-type tension clip  131  which is preferably constructed in an elastically springy manner and carries the friction lining  22  on its free end. In a preferred embodiment, the free end  132  is situated in the area of the feeding opening  19 . The tension clip  131  therefore presses the friction lining  22  onto the object  18 . As an addition or an alternative, the friction lining can rest on the interior wall W. The tension clip will then press the object onto the friction lining. The tension clip and the box K may be constructed in one piece.  
         [0023]    The insertion part E or the box K has side walls  23  forming the interior wall W as well as a bottom  24 . A covering section  25  extending away from the feeding opening  19  may start at the free end of at least one side wall  23 , which covering section  25 , after the insertion in the space of the receiving element  17 ,  117 , which can be constructed as the insertion part E, closes off flush with the interior fitting part  6 ,  7 ,  8  or  9  or slightly overlaps the interior fitting part.  
         [0024]    On the center console  13  illustrated in FIG. 2, a transmission shifting device  26  and an operating element  27  for a manually operable parking brake can be arranged. The center console  13  forming an interior fitting device  105  also has a tray  28  which may be arranged next to the operating device  27 , as illustrated particularly in FIG. 3. The tray  28  forms an interior fitting part  29  of the interior fitting device  105 . Another interior fitting part  30  is the housing of the center console  13 . The gap  15  is situated between the interior fitting parts  29  and  30 , into which gap  15 , at least one of the receiving elements  17  and  117  respectively can be inserted.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of an interior fitting part  205 . It forms the interior door covering Tv and, as an interior fitting part  31 , may have an interior covering of the door, and may have a recessed grip  33  as an interior fitting part  32  adjoining the interior covering or inserted therein, in which recessed grip  33  an operating device  34  for the door opening is arranged. Between the interior fitting parts  31  and  32 , the gap  15  is formed into which at least one of the receiving elements  117  and  17  respectively can be inserted. The receiving space  20  is therefore arranged within the region of the door opener  34  so that, when opening the door from the inside, an occupant&#39;s attention is drawn to a flat object  18  which may possibly be arranged in the receiving space  20 . However, it would also be conceivable to arrange the receiving element  17  and  117  respectively between an operating element B (FIG. 2) for the window F (FIG. 4) and the interior fitting part  29 , in which case, the operating element B may, for example, be an electric switch of a window lifting device. As an alternative, this switch could be mounted on the interior covering Tv of the door.  
         [0026]    The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.