Abstract:
The present invention relates to a storage system of a center facia panel and more particularly a storage system of a center facia panel for convenience of a user comprising an opening formed at one side in the front surface of the center facia, a housing to be inserted in the opening, guide rails formed at both sides of the housing, guiding members capable of sliding along the guide rails, and a storage part with the guiding members attached.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a storage system of a center facia panel which is located at both sides of the center facia panel of the front seat in an automobile for storing articles of small size.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    In general, a center facia which comprises devices for convenience of a driver such as an audio system, air conditioner, drink holder, ash tray and various switches installed thereon, as a part of an instrument panel, is disposed in the central space of the front seat in an automobile.  
           [0005]    Conventionally, since various articles such as maps, dictionaries, cassette tapes, pens, scratch papers and the like have been kept in a glove box formed at the assistant&#39;s seat, it is not easy to take out any article needed while driving or stopping.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an article storage structure of a center facia panel comprising an opening formed at one side in the front surface of the center facia, a housing with guide rails to be inserted in the opening, and a storage part inserted in the housing to be drawn out for convenience of a user.  
           [0007]    In accordance with the present invention, the above and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of an article storage structure of a center facia panel comprising an opening formed at one side in the front surface of the center facia, a housing to be inserted in the opening, guide rails formed at both sides of the housing, guiding members capable of sliding along the guide rails and a storage part with the guiding members attached. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 is a front view of the center facia panel according to the present invention;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the storage part according to the present invention;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 is a broken perspective view of the housing and the storage part according to the present invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 is a sectional plane view of the housing and the storage part according to the present invention;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 is a sectional side view of the housing and the storage part according to the present invention;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 6 is a sectional side view of the storage part according to the present invention which is drawn out;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged sectional view of the rocking member and the second guiding part;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 8 is a partially enlarged sectional view showing the state in which the rocking member is inserted in the second guiding part; and  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 9 is a partially enlarged sectional view of FIG. 5. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0018]    Now, the article storage structure of a center facia panel according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
         [0019]    As shown in figures, a center facia panel  100  is provided at one side in the front surface thereof with an opening  110 .  
         [0020]    The opening  110  may be formed at the center of the front surface of the center facia panel  100 , or a plurality of openings may be formed at the upper and lower and right and left sides of the center facia panel.  
         [0021]    A housing  200  is inserted in the opening  110 . The housing  200  has a receiving part  210  with a space therein and is provided with a plurality of binding holes  220  at edges of its front surface.  
         [0022]    Also, as shown in figures, the side walls  230  of the housing  220  is formed with a plurality of ribs  240  extending horizontally and vertically while crossing each other.  
         [0023]    Guide rails  250  are formed on the side walls of the housing  200  while penetrating the ribs across the side walls  230 . Here, a plurality of guide rails may be formed on each side wall.  
         [0024]    The guide rails  250  are connected to protrusion receiving parts  260  which is located at the rear end of the housing, parallel to the lower end of the housing  200 . Thus, the guide rails  250  define arcs which extend from the protrusion receiving parts  260  and reach a higher height as closer to the front part of the housing  200 .  
         [0025]    A storage part  300  is inserted in the receiving part  210  formed in the housing  200 . The storage part  300  is provided with guiding members  310  at both sides. The guiding members  310  are designed to be inserted in and travel along the guide rails  250  and thus have a shape corresponding to the guide rails  250 .  
         [0026]    The guiding members  310  are formed on the side walls of the storage part  300  and include a first guiding member  320  and a second guiding member  330 .  
         [0027]    The first guiding member  320  and the second guiding member  330  are disposed at different heights.  
         [0028]    The storage part  300  has a space for article storage  340  therein.  
         [0029]    Also, the storage part  300  is provided with a binding part to be fastened with a pushing part  400 .  
         [0030]    A groove  270  is formed at an edge of the rear surface of the housing  200 . The groove  270  is provided with a rocking binding part  271  at one side thereof. The rocking binding part  271  has a through hole  272  at one side thereof.  
         [0031]    A rocking member  500  is inserted in the through hole  272  in the rocking binding part  271  and installed in a way that it can move upward and downward. The rocking member  500  binds with a protrusion  510  at the inside of the end.  
         [0032]    The storage part  300  is provided with a second guiding part  520  at one side of the rear end where the protrusion  510  is inserted. The second guiding part  520  defines an insert part  521  in which the protrusion  510  of the rocking member can be inserted. The insert part  521  starts from the rear of the storage part  300  and defines a curve that has a less slope, as it is closer to the front.  
         [0033]    The insert part  521  extends to form a upper guiding part  522  at the upper part and a lower guiding part  523  at the lower part. The upper guiding part  522  is connected to a second separation-inhibiting part  526 , which is in turn connected to the lower guiding part  523 . Here, a knoll for separation inhibition  525  is formed to have an incline plane  527  from the first separation-inhibition part  524  to the second separation-inhibition part  526 .  
         [0034]    The incline plane  527  forms an angle greater than 90° with respect to the second separation inhibiting part  526 .  
         [0035]    Between the upper guiding part  522  and the lower guiding part  523 , a guiding protrusion  530  with a receiving groove  528  is provided. Here, the receiving groove  528  is formed in a way that its center is located at a height lower than that of the upper edge  529  of the knoll for separation inhibition  525 . Also, the guiding protrusion  530  has an insert edge  531 , where the protrusion  510  is inserted, at a height lower than that of the receiving groove  528 .  
         [0036]    The guiding protrusion is disposed at the center of the upper guiding part  522 , lower guiding part  523  and knoll for separation inhibition  521  and an angle of inclination from the insert edge  531  is lower than that of the lower end of the insert  521 .  
         [0037]    The rear wall of the storage part  300  has a guiding hole  350  at one side thereof, in which a guiding bar  600  is inserted.  
         [0038]    Also, a separation wall  360  is formed at the lower end of the second guiding part  520  and a guiding bar receiving part  370  is formed at the lower end of the storage part  300 . The guiding bar  600  inserted in the guiding bar receiving part  370  is provided with a transferring member  700  at its center.  
         [0039]    The transferring member  700  has a shaped cross section. An elastic member  800  is disposed between the transferring member  700  and the guiding bar  600 .  
         [0040]    One end of the elastic member  800  is supported by the inner surface  710  of the transferring member  700  and the other end is supported by the wall on which the guiding hole  350  is formed.  
         [0041]    The transferring member  700  is also provided with an engaging part  720  at the outer surface thereof. The separation wall  360  of the guiding bar receiving part  370  is partially cut or is provided with a long hole  380  to correspond to the engaging part  720 .  
         [0042]    When the guiding bar  600  is transferred, the engaging part  720  of the transferring member  700  is guided by the long hole  380  formed on the separation wall  360  due to the elastic member  800 .  
         [0043]    The operation and embodiments of the article storage structure of the ceter facia panel according to the present invention as described above will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 5 is a sectional side view of the housing and the storage part according to the present invention, FIG. 6 is a sectional side view of the storage part according to the present invention which is drawn out, FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged sectional view of the rocking member and the second guiding part, and FIG. 8 is a partially enlarged sectional view showing the state in which the rocking member is inserted in the second guiding part.  
         [0045]    The housing  200  is inserted in the opening  110  which is formed at one side of the front surface of the center facia  100 , in which a plurality of binding holes  220  is fastened with one end of the opening  110  of the center facia panel  100 .  
         [0046]    The rocking member  500  is fastened in the groove  270  formed at one side of the rear end of the housing  200 .  
         [0047]    One end of the rocking member  500  is inserted rotatably in the through hole  272  of the rocking binding part  271  formed at one side of the groove  270 .  
         [0048]    On the front of the storage part  300 , the pushing part  400  is provided and the guide bar  600  is disposed at the guiding bar receiving part  370  formed at one side of the rear end of the storage part  300 .  
         [0049]    The guiding bar receiving part  370  is inserted in the guiding hole  350  formed at the wall and is the guiding bar  600  is provided with the transferring member  700  at its center.  
         [0050]    The elastic member  800  is disposed between the inner side of the transferring member  700  and the outer side of the guiding bar  600 .  
         [0051]    The elastic member  800  is supported by the wall of the guiding hole  350  formed at the storage part  300  and the inner surface of the guiding bar receiving part  370 .  
         [0052]    The storage part  300  is inserted in the receiving part  210  formed inside the housing  200  in which the guiding members  310  formed at both sides the storage part  300  are inserted in the guide rails  250  formed on the both surface of the housing  200 .  
         [0053]    The article storage structure of center facia according to the present invention as described above operates as follows.  
         [0054]    As shown in FIG. 5, a sectional side view of the housing and the storage part, when an article is intended to be stored, the pushing part  400  formed on the front surface of the storage part  300  is pushed.  
         [0055]    Then, the protrusion part  510  formed on the rocking member slides downward along the inclined plane  527  formed on the knoll for separation inhibition  525  to the second separation inhibiting part  526 .  
         [0056]    Simultaneously, the transferring member  700  engaged with the the guiding bar  600  is transferred by the elasticity of the elastic member  800  formed at the inner surface thereof and the engaging part  720  formed at the outer surface of the transferring member  700  is guided in the long hole  380  to the end of the hole  380 .  
         [0057]    The protrusion part  510  formed on the rocking member  500  is guided between the upper surface of the lower guiding part  523  and the lower surface of the guiding protrusion part  530 , whereby the storage part  300  moves forward.  
         [0058]    When the storage part comes out, the guiding member  310  is transferred in the protrusion receiving part  260  formed the side wall of the housing  200 . As the guiding member  310  slides forward along the guide rails  250 , the storage part  300  comes out.  
         [0059]    In the contrary, when the storage part  300  is intended to be put in the receiving part  210  formed in the housing  200 , by pushing the pushing part  400 , the rear end of the guiding bar  600  reaches the inner wall of the receiving part  210 . Thus, the front of the guiding bar  600  is inserted and transferred, whereby the transferring member  700  engaged with the guiding bar  600  is guided in the long hole  380 .  
         [0060]    At the same time, the protrusion  531  formed on the rocking member  500  is inserted in the insert part  521  of the second guiding part  520 . Since the lower end of the inser part  521  is inclined upward, the protrusion part  510  is easily guided.  
         [0061]    Also, as the insert edge  531  formed on the guiding protrusion  530  is located in the rear of the inclined plane formed at the end of the insert part  521 , the insert edge forms an inclined plane starting from the guiding protrusion  530 , the protrusion part  510  is transferred between the upper surface of the guiding protrusion  530  and the lower surface of the upper guiding part  522 .  
         [0062]    The protrusion part  510  is transferred to the first separation inhibiting part  524  and reaches the receiving groove  528  formed on the guiding protrusion  530  when the user releases the pushing part  400 .  
         [0063]    As described above, the article storage structure of the center facia according to the present invention can be used conveniently by a simple manipulation and can store various articles for convenience of a user.  
         [0064]    The above described article storage structure of the center facia according to the present invention has effects as follows.  
         [0065]    It is possible to conveniently take out various articles such as scratch papers, dictionaries, mobile phone, maps, cassette tapes, which are stored in the storage system formed on the center facia panel, while driving or stopping.  
         [0066]    Therefore, the articles which have been conventionally stored in the glove box formed at the assistant&#39;s seat can be safely used while driving or stopping.  
         [0067]    Since the storage part is drawn out by the guide rails formed on the housing, it can be conveniently used.  
         [0068]    The storage part can be smoothly drawn out by the guiding members which are inserted and slide in the guide rails.  
         [0069]    The guide rails and the protrusion receiving parts are formed in a arc shape so that the storage part has different angles upon drawing out or insertion and maintains the horizontal state.  
         [0070]    The storage part can be conveniently drawn out by only one pushing of the pushing part because of the actions of the rocking member and the second guiding part and the guiding bar and the transferring member.