Patent Publication Number: US-2022234508-A1

Title: Moving console for vehicle

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0011686, filed Jan. 27, 2021, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a console mounted to a vehicle. 
     Description of Related Art 
     A console is provided in a vehicle with a space for storing objects therein, and conventionally, the console is fixed to a vehicle body. 
     In a future vehicle, a seat is not fixed to the vehicle body, but move multiple seat variation may be required such that the seat may be moved backward, forward, left and right and may be swiveled. 
     Therefore, it is necessary that the console is not fixed to the vehicle body, but is movably mounted to the vehicle body to correspond to changes in seat position or posture. 
     Furthermore, when the console is provided to be movable relative to the vehicle body and configured to discharge hot or cool air supplied from an air conditioning device of the vehicle, vehicle indoor temperature control and air conditioning performance may be secured even when a vehicle where a B pillar is not provided and thus installation of an air conditioning vent is difficult. 
     The information included in this Background of the present invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the present invention and may not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     Various aspects of the present invention are directed to providing a moving console for a vehicle, wherein the moving console is provided in a vehicle body to be movable within a predetermined range relative to the vehicle body, thus being advantageous in securing different vehicle seat variations and being configured for discharging hot or cool air supplied from a vehicle air conditioning device while having mobility as described above, so that it is possible to easily control vehicle indoor temperature and air conditioning. 
     According to various aspects of the present invention, there is provided a moving console for a vehicle. The moving console includes: a housing which is slidable on a vehicle body; a moving duct mounted in the housing and configured to linearly slide together with the housing; a connecting duct configured to slide relative to sliding of the moving duct and to supply air received from a fixed duct fixed to the vehicle body to the moving duct; and a locking device configured to lock or unlock the connecting duct at a position where an entrance of the connecting duct may communicate with the fixed duct. 
     The moving duct may include a straight section which may be configured to overlap with the connecting duct while being fitted over a portion of the connecting duct, maintaining in fluidical communication with the connecting duct continuously even when the moving duct linearly slides in a direction away from the connecting duct. 
     The locking device may include: a stopper fixed to the vehicle body; a locking lever rotatably connected to the connecting duct, wherein a locked state of the locking lever to the stopper is changed according to a rotation angle of the locking lever; and a locking spring configured to apply elastic force to the locking lever in a direction in which the locking lever is locked to the stopper. 
     The locking device may include: a locking release portion fixed to the moving duct to release the locking state of the locking lever to the stopper as the moving duct slides in a direction closer to the connecting duct. 
     The stopper may be positioned below the connecting duct; the locking release portion may be configured to enter a gap between an upper end portion of the stopper and the connecting duct by sliding thereof; and the locking lever may be positioned below the connecting duct so that the shaft may be positioned below a linear sliding trajectory of the locking release portion. 
     The locking lever may include: a hook arm configured to be locked to the stopper by the elastic force of the locking spring; and a release arm integrally formed with the hook arm to be selectively rotated by the locking release portion to release the hook arm from the stopper. 
     The locking lever may include: a restraining arm configured to restrain relative sliding of the connecting duct and the moving duct by the elastic force of the locking spring when the hook arm of the locking lever is released from the stopper. 
     The locking release portion may be provided on a lower plate fixed to a lower side of the moving duct, wherein the lower plate may have a restraining hole into which the restraining arm of the locking lever may be inserted to restrain the moving duct relative to the connecting duct. 
     The stopper integrally may have a guide portion, which may guide the hook arm to be rotated and allow the restraining arm to be released from the restraining hole and then allow the hook arm to be locked to the stopper as the locking lever approaches to the stopper with the restraining arm inserted in the restraining hole. 
     In the housing, a storage box may be provided above the straight section of the moving duct configured to overlap with the connecting duct; the moving duct may be fixed to the storage box; the shaft of the locking lever may be fixed to a lower moving block integrally provided at a lower side of the connecting duct; and the locking release portion may be provided at a lower plate fixed to a lower side of the moving duct. 
     The connecting duct may include a straight guide provided on an upper side thereof to guide linear sliding of the connecting duct relative to the storage box. 
     An upper moving block may be provided above the connecting duct and coupled to an upper side of the lower moving block; and the straight guide may be provided between the upper moving block and the storage box. 
     The moving console may include: a slider fixed to a lower side of the lower plate; guide rails securely provided on the vehicle body to guide linear sliding of the slider relative to the vehicle body; and a drive motor configured to supply power for moving the slider along the guide rails so that the lower plate, the moving duct, and the housing perform linear sliding. 
     The moving console may include: a restraining device configured to restrain the relative sliding of the connecting duct and the moving duct when the locking device is unlocked and the connecting duct is separated from the fixed duct. 
     The restraining device may be configured to be operated in conjunction with the locking device. 
     The present invention is configured to be movable within a predetermined range relative to the vehicle body, being advantageous in securing different vehicle seat variations. The present invention is configured to discharge hot or cool air supplied from the vehicle air conditioning device while having mobility as described above, easily controlling vehicle indoor temperature and air conditioning. 
     The methods and apparatuses of the present invention have other features and advantages which will be apparent from or are set forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and the following Detailed Description, which together serve to explain certain principles of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a view showing the exterior of a housing of a moving console for a vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a view showing the interior of the moving console in a state of removing the housing in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a view showing the configuration of the moving console in  FIG. 2  by being taken at a different angle from  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a disassembled perspective view showing the configuration of the moving console in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a view showing the configuration of the moving console in  FIG. 4  by being taken at a different angle from  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a view showing the configuration in  FIG. 4  by being taken at a different angle from  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a sectional view taken along line VII-VII in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a view showing a slider and guide rails where the housing of the present invention is coupled to the upper side of the slider and the guide rails to slide; 
         FIG. 9  is a view showing a locking lever according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a view showing a restraining arm of the locking lever and a restraining hole of a lower plate; 
         FIG. 11A ,  FIG. 11B , and  FIG. 11C  are views showing the moving console according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention with three states that the moving console may implement; and 
         FIG. 12A ,  FIG. 12B , and  FIG. 12C  are views showing behavior of the locking lever in a response to movement of a moving duct. 
     
    
    
     It may be understood that the appended drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of various features illustrative of the basic principles of the present invention. The specific design features of the present invention as included herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes will be determined in part by the particularly intended application and use environment. 
     In the figures, reference numbers refer to the same or equivalent portions of the present invention throughout the several figures of the drawing. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present invention(s), examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. While the present invention(s) will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that the present description is not intended to limit the present invention(s) to those exemplary embodiments. On the other hand, the present invention(s) is/are intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents and other embodiments, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. 
     In the following description, the structural or functional description specified to exemplary embodiments according to the concept of the present invention is directed to describe the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, so it may be understood that the present invention may be variously embodied, without being limited to the exemplary embodiments. 
     An exemplary embodiment described herein may be changed in various ways and various shapes, so a specific embodiment is shown in the drawings and will be described in detail in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention. However, it may be understood that the exemplary embodiments according to the concept of the present invention are not limited to the exemplary embodiments which will be described hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying drawings, but all of modifications, equivalents, and substitutions are included in the scope and spirit of the present invention. 
     It will be understood that, although the terms first or second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, but these elements may not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, from another element. For instance, a first element discussed below could be termed a second element without departing from the teachings of the present invention. Similarly, the second element could also be termed the first element. 
     It is to be understood that when one element is referred to as being “connected to” or “coupled to” another element, it may be directly connected to or directly coupled to another element or be connected to or coupled to another element, having the other element intervening therebetween. On the other hand, it is to be understood that when one element is referred to as being “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another element, it may be connected to or coupled to another element without the other element intervening therebetween. Furthermore, the terms used herein to describe a relationship between elements, that is, “between”, “directly between”, “adjacent” or “directly adjacent” may be interpreted in the same manner as those described above. 
     The terminology used herein is for describing various exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to limit the present invention. Singular forms are intended to include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” or “have” used in the exemplary embodiment, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, components, parts, or a combination thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numerals, steps, operations, components, parts, or a combination thereof. 
     Unless otherwise defined, all terms including technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which various exemplary embodiments of the present invention belongs. It may be understood that the terms defined by the dictionary are identical with the meanings within the context of the related art, and they may not be ideally or excessively formally defined unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. 
     Hereinbelow, of the present invention an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals provided in the drawings indicate like components. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 10 , according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a moving console for a vehicle includes: a housing  1  configured to linearly slide to a vehicle body; a moving duct  3  disposed in the housing  1  and configured to linearly slide together with the housing  1 ; a connecting duct  7  configured to linearly slide relative to the moving duct  3  and to supply air received from a fixed duct  5  fixed to the vehicle body to the moving duct  3 ; and a locking device  9  configured to lock or unlock the connecting duct  7  at a position where an entrance of the connecting duct  7  communicates with the fixed duct  5 . 
     That is, the moving console of in various aspects of the present invention, the housing  1  of the moving console is provided to be linearly slidable relative to the vehicle body, so a position of the moving console may be easily changed. The moving console enables a seat position and a swiveling state of the vehicle to be variously changed, so that the vehicle has advantageous in securing different seat variations. Furthermore, the console is configured such that the moving duct  3  may discharge hot or cool air supplied from the fixed duct  5  through the connecting duct  7  into the vehicle room while the housing  1  of the console is moved, so temperature control and air conditioning performance of the vehicle may be efficiently satisfied. 
     Therefore, the present invention may be used in a future vehicle in which hot or cool air supply through a B pillar is not available since the B pillar is eliminated to efficiently secure the temperature control and air conditioning performance of the vehicle. 
     The housing  1  includes a vent  11  discharging hot or cool air supplied through the moving duct  3  and a storage box  13  configured for storing objects therein by opening a cover at the upper side of the housing. 
     As an example, in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the housing  1  is described on the premise that the housing  1  is configured for linearly sliding in forward and rearward directions with respect to the vehicle body, but the direction of linear sliding may be variously changed depending on the situation. 
     The fixed duct  5  is fixed to the floor of the vehicle body and includes an outlet. The outlet of the fixed duct  5  is open upward so that hot or cool air supplied from air conditioning devices such as an air conditioner, a heater, or the like positioned in the front of the vehicle may be supplied toward the entrance of the connecting duct  7  through the outlet of the fixed duct  5 . 
     The moving duct  3  has the straight section overlapping with the connecting duct  7  while being fitted over the outside of the connecting duct  7 . Whereby, even when the moving duct  3  linearly slides in a direction away from the connecting duct  7 , fluidical communication between the moving duct  3  and the connecting duct  7  may be continuously maintained. 
     In the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the direction in which the moving duct  3  is away from the connecting duct  7  may be understood as the rear of the vehicle body. 
     As an example, in  FIG. 11 , three states that the moving console of the present invention may implement are compared with states A, B, and C. When state B is the reference state, state A represents a state in which the moving duct  3  is moved forward relative to the vehicle body, and state C represents a state in which the moving duct  3  is moved rearward relative to the vehicle body. 
     The locking device  9  includes: a stopper  15  fixed to the vehicle body; a locking lever  17  configured to be rotatable about a shaft  20  fixed to the connecting duct  7  and of which a locked state to the stopper  15  is varied in a response to the rotation angle; and a locking spring  19  configured to apply elastic force in a direction in which the locking lever  17  is locked to the stopper  15 . 
     That is, as the locking device  9  is configured such that the locking lever  17  is locked to the stopper  15  by the elastic force of the locking spring  19 , the connecting duct  7  may be locked to the stopper  15  and stably maintain the reference state B in  FIG. 11  without being moved forward or rearward relative to the vehicle body. 
     When the moving duct  3  and the storage box  13  are moved rearward relative to the vehicle body and the state is turned from the reference state to the state C, the locking device  9  allows the connecting duct  7  to be maintained in the stable locked state by the stopper  15  without being moved rearward together with the moving duct  3  and the storage box  13 . Accordingly, the state of the connecting duct  7  fluidically-communicating with the fixed duct  5  may be stably secured. 
     Therefore, even in state C in  FIG. 11 , the hot or cool air supplied through the fixed duct  5  may be discharged to the vent  11  through the connecting duct  7  and the moving duct  3 . 
     The locking device  9  includes a locking release portion  21  fixed to the moving duct  3 . The locking release portion is provided to release the locked state of the locking lever  17  as the moving duct  3  linearly slides in a direction closer to the connecting duct  7 . 
     That is, when the moving duct  3  is moved from state B to state A in  FIG. 11 , the locking release portion  21  may allow the locking lever  17  to be released from the locked state thereof. 
     However, the locking release portion  21  is not configured to release the locked state of the locking lever  17  while the moving duct  3  is moved from state C to state B in  FIG. 11 . 
     That is, while the moving duct  3  is moved from state C to state B in  FIG. 11 , the locking lever  17  may maintain the securely locked state to the stopper  15 . Alternately, to move the moving duct  3  from state B to state an in  FIG. 11 , the moving duct  3  may be moved together with the connecting duct  7 . Therefore, the locking release portion  21  releases the locked state of the locking lever  17  so that the connecting duct  7  may be disconnected from the stopper  15  and slide forward thereof. 
     In the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the stopper  15  is positioned below the connecting duct  7 ; the locking release portion  21  is configured to enter a gap between an upper end portion of the stopper  15  and the connecting duct  7  by linearly sliding; and the locking lever  17  is positioned below the connecting duct  7  so that the shaft of the locking lever  17  is positioned below a linear sliding trajectory of the locking release portion  21 . 
     The locking lever  17  includes: a hook arm  23  configured to be locked to the stopper  15  by the elastic force of the locking spring  19 ; and a release arm  25  integrally formed with the hook arm  23  to be rotated by the locking release portion  21  to release the hook arm  23  from the stopper  15 . 
       FIG. 7  shows the locking lever  17 , the stopper  15 , and the locking release portion  21  in the reference state. Referring to  FIG. 7 , since a position in which the locking release portion  21  be brought into contact with the release arm  25  of the locking lever  17  is positioned above the shaft of the locking lever  17 , when the locking release portion  21  is moved to the left side in the drawing, that is, is moved forward relative to the vehicle body, the release arm  25  of the locking lever  17  is rotated counterclockwise so that the hook arm  23  is released from the stopper  15 . 
     Meanwhile, when the locking device  9  is released, the connecting duct  7  may be separated from the stopper  15  and be freely moved forward relative to the vehicle body. The connecting duct  7  is separated from the fixed duct  5  by the movement of the connecting duct  7 , as shown in state A in  FIG. 11 . 
     In the above state, a restraining device is provided for restraining relative sliding of the connecting duct  7  and the moving duct  3 , so that the connecting duct  7  is moved together with the moving duct when the moving duct  3  moved rearward is returned to the reference state. 
     The restraining device may be separately provided, but may be configured to be operated in conjunction with the locking device  9 , causing a desirable result of reducing the number of parts. 
     In the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the restraining device is implemented with the locking device  9  and configured to be operated in conjunction with each other. 
     That is, the locking lever  17  includes a restraining arm  27 . The restraining arm  27  is configured to restrain the relative sliding of the connecting duct  7  and the moving duct  3  by the elastic force of the locking spring  19  when the hook arm  23  of the locking lever  17  is separated from the stopper  15 . 
     Furthermore, the locking release portion  21  is provided on a lower plate  29  fixed to a lower side of the moving duct  3 ; and the lower plate  29  has a restraining hole  31  into which the restraining arm  27  of the locking lever  17  is inserted to restrain the moving duct  3  to the connecting duct  7 . 
     Therefore, in the state A in  FIG. 11 , the restraining arm  27  of the locking lever  17  is inserted into the restraining hole  31  of the lower plate  29  by the elastic force of the locking spring  19  so that the moving duct  3  and the connecting duct  7  are restrained each other as shown state A in  FIG. 12 . Whereby when the moving duct  3  is moved rearward thereof, the connecting duct  7  may be moved together with the moving duct  3 . 
     The stopper  15  is integrally formed with a guide portion  33 . The guide portion  33  guides the hook arm  23  to be rotated and allows the restraining arm  27  to be released from the restraining hole  31  and then allows the hook arm  23  to be locked to the stopper  15  as the locking lever  17  approaches to the stopper  15  with the restraining arm  27  inserted in the restraining hole  31 . 
     That is, when the moving duct  3  is moved rearward from state A in  FIG. 11  or state A in  FIG. 12 , the hook arm  23  of the locking lever  17  is locked to the stopper  15  with state C in  FIG. 12  through state B in  FIG. 12  immediately before state B in  FIG. 11 . During the change from state B to state C in  FIG. 12 , the hook arm  23  is moved rearward and is brought into contact with the guide portion  33  of the stopper  15  to be guided, being rotated counterclockwise. Accordingly, the elastic force of the locking spring  19  is continuously applied to the locking lever  17 , so that the hook arm  23  is rotated clockwise again to form the locked state as shown in state C in  FIG. 12 . 
     As an example, state C in  FIG. 12  remains the same even when the moving duct  3  is rearward than the reference state as in state C in  FIG. 11 . 
     In the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in the housing  1 , the storage box  13  is provided above the straight section of the moving duct  3  configured to overlap with the connecting duct  7 ; the moving duct  3  is fixed to the storage box  13 ; the shaft of the locking lever  17  is fixed to a lower moving block  35  integrally formed at a lower side of the connecting duct  7 ; and the locking release portion  21  is integrally provided with the lower plate  29  fixed to the lower side of the moving duct  3 . 
     A straight guide  37  is provided on an upper side of the connecting duct  7  to guide the relative linear sliding of the connecting duct  7  and the storage box  13 . 
     An upper moving block  39  is provided above the connecting duct  7  and coupled to an upper side of the lower moving block  35  and the straight guide  37  is provided between the upper moving block  39  and the storage box  13 . 
     The connecting duct  7  is integrally formed while being covered by the upper moving block  39  at the upper side and the lower moving block  35  at the lower side thereof. The shaft of the locking lever  17  and the locking spring  19  are provided at a lower side of the lower moving block  35  and the straight guide  37  is provided between the upper moving block  39  and the storage box  13 , so that the movement of the storage box  13  when the storage box  13  is moved relative to the connecting duct  7  together with the moving duct  3  may be smoothly and stably guided. 
     In the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the moving console includes: a slider  41  fixed to a lower side of the lower plate  29 ; guide rails  43  fixed to the vehicle body to guide linear sliding of the slider  41  relative to the vehicle body; and a drive motor  45  configured to supply power for moving the slider  41  along the guide rails  43  so that the lower plate  29 , the moving duct  3 , and the housing  1  linearly slide. 
     Accordingly, when the present invention is configured such that, when the drive motor  45  is operated by a separate operating switch, as the slider  41  linearly slides along the guide rails  43 , the housing  1  and the moving duct  3  are moved and thus a position of the moving console may be varied relative to the vehicle body. 
     As an example, the configuration in which the slider  41  is linearly slid by the rotational force of the drive motor  45  may be realized by conventional variable linear operating device such as a lead screw. 
     For convenience in explanation and accurate definition in the appended claims, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “inner”, “outer”, “up”, “down”, “upwards”, “downwards”, “front”, “rear”, “back”, “inside”, “outside”, “inwardly”, “outwardly”, “interior”, “exterior”, “internal”, “external”, “forwards”, and “backwards” are used to describe features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the positions of such features as displayed in the figures. It will be further understood that the term “connect” or its derivatives refer both to direct and indirect connection. 
     The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described to explain certain principles of the present invention and their practical application, to enable others skilled in the art to make and utilize various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, as well as various alternatives and modifications thereof. It is intended that the scope of the present invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto and their equivalents.