Abstract:
A console housing has a top wall formed with an opening that receives an upwardly extending handle of a parking brake. A gap hider includes a close out insert for closing the gap between the opening and the handle. The close out insert is supported on the top wall for limited floating movement so that it will not interfere with the operation of the parking brake handle.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/751,523, filed Dec. 19, 2005. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a center console of a motor vehicle, and more particularly to a center console having a close out insert for closing the gap between a parking brake handle and an opening in the console through which the handle extends. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is common practice for the handle of a parking brake to extend upwardly through an opening in the console. Typically there is a gap between the opening and the handle. The gap is needed for console loading and build tolerance. A permanently attached close out to close the gap often interferes with the operation of the parking brake. Such interference requires excess effort to operate the parking brake and can result in damaged parts. Then too, a permanently attached close out may still leave space around the handle. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, a gap hider comprising a loosely mounted or floating close out insert is provided to close the gap between the console opening and the parking brake handle. The handle projects through a slot in the insert. Because the insert is capable of limited floating movement relative to the console, there will be no damage to the parts nor any interference with the operation of the parking brake. 
     More particularly, and according to the embodiment about to be described, the insert is slidably received in channels on the console. The insert can slide in the channels laterally as well as longitudinally. 
     The close out insert is preferably in the form of an elongated flexible cover strip. 
     Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a center console constructed in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the console showing the close out insert extending across an aperture in the top wall of the console, but omitting the parking brake handle; 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view taken on the line  3 - 3  in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional view taken on the line  4 - 4  in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a fragmentary elevation showing channel-forming tracks on the underside of the top wall of the console and the close out insert in the channels; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the close out insert; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the close out insert as seen from a different angle; and 
         FIG. 8  is a side view of the close out insert. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The following description of the preferred embodiment is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses. 
     Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is shown a center console  10  of a motor vehicle. The center console comprises a housing  14  overlying a parking brake handle  16  which operates a parking brake (not shown) by means of a cable  18  pivoted at  19  to the parking brake handle. The parking brake handle  16  is pivoted at  20  on a transverse horizontal axis in a fixed position beneath the top wall  22  of the console housing. A gear shift level  23  shown in  FIG. 1  is not part of this invention. 
     As seen in  FIG. 4 , the parking brake handle  16  is in the form of a circular disc and projects upwardly through an opening  24  in the top wall  22  of the housing. The handle terminates in a hand grip  26  above the top wall. The opening  24  is in the form of an elongated aperture  28  which is larger than the handle, creating a gap between the aperture and the handle. The console  10  is installed by loading it over the handle  16  and the gap is needed to facilitate console loading and also to accommodate build tolerance. 
     The gap between the handle  16  and the aperture  28  is closed by a close out insert  30  in the form of an elongated cover strip  32  made of a flexible material such as natural or synthetic rubber (see  FIGS. 6-8 ). The cover strip  32  has an elongated center slot  34  which extends lengthwise of the cover strip and is closed at both ends. The cover strip is generally flat throughout its length, but has a turned-up tab  36  at the rear end. Upturned flanges  38 ,  40  and  42  extend along the outer side edge portions of the cover strip  32  and along the front end of the cover strip. The opposite side edges of the slot  34  have up-turned flanges  44  and  46 . The front edge of the slot  34  has an upturned flange  47 . The tab  36  has a lip  48  which closes the rear end of the slot  34 . The handle  16  is closely received in the slot  34 , with its side surfaces in continuous contact with the flanges  44  and  46  on opposite sides of the slot and its end surfaces in continuous contact with the flange  47  at the front of the slot and with the lip  48  on the tab  36  at the rear of the slot. 
     On the underside of the top wall  22  of the housing, there is a retainer  49  for holding the cover strip  32 . The retainer  49  comprises a pair of laterally spaced apart elongated parallel side tracks  50  and  52  which are on opposite sides of the aperture  28  and extend parallel to the aperture. The two tracks cooperate with the undersurface of the top wall  22  of the housing to defined elongated laterally spaced apart side channels  54  and  56  which are parallel to the aperture  28  and open inwardly toward one another. At the front end of the side tracks  50  and  52 , there is a transverse connecting end track  58  which connects to the ends of the side tracks and provides an end channel  59  that communicates with the side channels  54  and  56  to form one continuous generally U-shaped groove. The tracks  50 ,  52  and  58  are generally L-shaped in cross section, having a vertical outer wall connecting into the top wall  22  of the housing, and a horizontal bottom wall. 
     The sides of the aperture  28  in the top wall  22  of the housing have downturned abutment flanges  60  and  62 . The front end of the aperture  28  has a downturned abutment flange  64 . The abutment flanges  60 ,  62  and  64  limit the floating movement of the insert. 
     As seen in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the cover strip  32  has its opposite side portions extending lengthwise within the side channels  54  and  56  and its front end portion disposed in the end channel  59 . The flange  38  of the insert is captured between the abutment flange  60  of the top wall  22  and the vertical wall of the track  50 , the flange  40  of the insert is captured between the abutment flange  62  of the top wall  22  and the vertical wall of the track  52 , and the flange  42  of the insert is captured between the abutment flange  64  of the top wall  22  and the vertical wall of the track  58 . The cover strip  32  is of a width relative to the width of the channels  54  and  56  such that it can slide or float from side to side, limited by the vertical wall of the tracks  50  and  52  and the flanges  60  and  62  of the aperture  28 . The cover strip  32  is of a length relative to the length of the side channels  54  and  56  such that it can slide or float from front to rear, limited by the vertical wall of the track  58  and the flange  64  of the aperture and also by an abutment wall  70  of the housing which overlaps the tab  36  of the cover strip. 
     The parking brake handle  16  can be pivoted about the pivot  20  to apply and release the parking brake, but any gap between the parking brake handle and the aperture  28  will be closed by the floating close out insert  30 . 
     The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.