Patent Publication Number: US-6702354-B2

Title: Receptacle assembly with a case pivotally mounted in a housing shell

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a receptacle assembly including a housing shell, a case that is pivotally mounted in the shell to be movable between an open position and a closed position, a spring biasing the case to the open position and a latching mechanism for latching the case in the closed position, the latching mechanism releasing the case from the closed position under the action of a push onto the case against the force of the spring moving the case to a pushed position. 
     Examples of such a case are ashtrays, coin holders and glove compartments in vehicles. In order to move the case out of the open position to the closed position, an upper edge of the case is pushed until the closed position has been reached. A latch mechanism ensures that the case is maintained in the closed position. In order to move to the open position, the case is pushed again, as a result of which it is unlatched and moved automatically to the open position under the action of the spring. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In order to prevent accidental unlatching of the case with subsequent movement into the open position, under the action of inertial forces, for example, it is known from DE 44 27 768 C1 to mount a spring-stressed weight so that it can be slid onto a locking lever that interacts with the latching mechanism, the weight being movable into a deflected position in which it interacts with a stop on the shell in order to block the locking lever. As a result, however, the already complicated latching mechanism becomes even more complex. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention provides a receptacle assembly that uses very simple means to prevent unlatching of the case under the influence of inertial forces. Specifically, the inventive assembly includes a housing shell, a case that is pivotally mounted in the shell to be movable between an open position and a closed position, a spring biasing the case to the open position and a latching mechanism for latching the case in the closed position. The latching mechanism releases the case from the closed position under the action of a push onto the case against the force of the spring moving the case to a pushed position. The assembly further includes a blocking device with a blocking body that is spring biased to a normal rest position and movable under inertial forces to an active blocking position. The blocking body, in the normal rest position, permits free pivotal movement of the case and, in the blocking position, obstructs movement of the case from the closed to the pushed position, thereby preventing the case from being unlatched and accidentally pivoting to the open position. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the blocking device includes an engagement member attached to one of the case and the housing shell, the blocking body being movably mounted on the other of said case and housing shell. The blocking body has a notch and the engagement member has a projection. The projection fits into the notch when the blocking member is in the normal rest position and the case is in the pushed position, but the projection on the notch of the engagement member abuts the blocking body when the blocking body is in the active blocking position and the case moves from the closed position towards the pushed position. In this embodiment, the blocking device is reduced to just a few components that are easily produced by injection molding of plastics. 
    
    
     SHORT DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     Further features and advantages of the invention ensue from the description below of an embodiment and from the drawing to which reference is made. In the drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a receptacle assembly with a housing shell and a case pivotally mounted in the shell; 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the assembly; 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of the assembly where the case is shown in a closed position; 
     FIG. 4 is a similar view but showing the case in a pushed position beyond the closed position; and 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the assembly showing the case blocked in the closed position. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The embodiment shown in the drawings is an ashtray assembly for installation into a vehicle door. The ashtray assembly has a flange-like frame  10 , a trough-like housing shell  12  and a collar  14  that projects away from the flange on the side opposite from the housing shell  12 . In the housing shell, a case  18  is pivotally mounted on an axis  16 . As usual, the case  18  is a cup-shaped component that is open at the top. The case  18  is biased by an actuation spring (schematically illustrated at  19 ) into its open position in which it is largely pivoted out of the housing shell. A latching mechanism  20 , only shown schematically in FIG. 1, maintains the case  18  in the closed position shown in FIG.  3 . Case  18  is unlatched and released from the closed position by pushing against its upper section to be pivoted into a pushed position. Unlatched, the case  18  swings to the open position under the action of the actuation spring. 
     On the bottom of the housing shell  12 , an internal groove is formed in which a blocking body  22  is slidingly guided. The blocking body  22  is biased into a normal inactive position shown in FIG. 3 by a return spring  23  (FIG.  2 ). On the surface facing the case  18 , the blocking body  22  is provided with a notch  24  that lies across from a nose-like projection  26  on the bottom of the case  18 . When the case  18  is pivoted out of the closed position shown in FIG. 3 into the pushed position shown in FIG. 4, then the projection  26  enters the notch  24  of the blocking body  22 . In the embodiment shown, the case  18  is pivoted by an angle of about 7° from the closed position to the pushed position. 
     When an impact acts upon the ashtray assembly, for example, when a vehicle door is slammed in which the assembly is installed, then the blocking body  22  is displaced under the effect of inertial forces into a deflected active position shown in FIG.  5 . In this position of the blocking body  22 , the notch  24  is no more aligned with the projection  26  and the projection now strikes the blocking body when the case  18  attempts to pivot towards the pushed position due to inertial forces. As a result of the blocking body  22  being in the active position, the pivotal movement of the case  18  is limited to a small angle of, for example, 3°, so that the pushed position required for unlatching is not reached. Therefore, the case  18  remains in its closed position.