Patent Description:
A console of a vehicle (i.e. a middle passage between two front seats of a vehicle) generally comprises a storage box. <FIG> is an overall schematic view of an existing storage box ST of a console. As shown in <FIG>, the storage box ST comprises a housing <NUM>, a rail structure <NUM> fixed to two sides of a top opening of the housing <NUM>, and a sliding cover <NUM> capable of sliding along the rail structure <NUM> to open or close the housing <NUM>. A handle <NUM> protruding upwards is provided at a rear end of the sliding cover <NUM>, such that a user can move the sliding cover <NUM> to open the housing <NUM> by pushing the handle <NUM> forwards, and can move the sliding cover <NUM> to close the housing <NUM> by pulling the handle <NUM> backwards.

Further as shown in <FIG>, for such storage box ST, a functional bezel BZ (e.g. a USB bezel) of an instrument panel positioned at the front of the vehicle is arranged above the storage box and immediately adjacent to a front end of the sliding cover <NUM>. In accordance with design requirements, the dimension of the Z-directional gap G between the bottom of the functional bezel BZ and the sliding cover <NUM> shall be controlled to, for example, about <NUM>, so as to avoid a potential collision between the sliding cover <NUM> and the bottom of the functional bezel BZ during a sliding process due to the manufacturing tolerance of the instrument panel and the console (the accumulated tolerance is large at this position).

The defect of such storage box ST lies in that, if the user places objects with a tiny thickness such as cards and coins on the sliding cover <NUM>, these objects may be moved forwards through the gap G and fall to a position behind the instrument panel, and the fallen objects may be retrieved only by means of removing the entire front portion of the console, thus causing great inconvenience. Further, for reasons such as the manufacturing tolerance mentioned above, it is unable to provide a blocking structure, such as a protruding edge, at the bottom of the functional bezel BZ to avoid interference of the sliding cover <NUM> with the blocking structure when it slides. From the prior art <CIT>, showing the preamble of claim <NUM>, <CIT> and <CIT> are known.

The present disclosure aims to overcome the defect in the prior art by providing a storage box of a console of a vehicle that can effectively prevent an object mistakenly placed by a user on a sliding cover from falling to a position where the object is difficult to be retrieved, wherein the sliding cover does not interfere with other components when it slides.

To this end, a first aspect of the present disclosure provides a storage box of a console of a vehicle with the features of claim <NUM>, comprising: a housing having an opening; a rail structure mounted to the housing and comprising a longitudinal rail extending along an edge of the opening; a sliding cover slidably mounted to the rail structure to open or close the opening; and a blocking member comprising a body, a fixing portion, and a first blocking portion, wherein the body extends transversely above the sliding cover and adjacent to an end of the longitudinal rail, the fixing portion is connected to an end of the body and fixed to the longitudinal rail, and the first blocking portion protrudes from the body towards the sliding cover and extends along entire of the transverse length of the body.

According to the invention, the storage box further comprises a second blocking portion protruding upwards from the sliding cover below the blocking member and extending along entire of the transverse length of the sliding cover, wherein the height of the second blocking portion protruding from the sliding cover is less than the distance between the sliding cover and the first blocking portion.

According to an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the second blocking portion is integrally formed with at least a part of the sliding cover.

According to an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the sliding cover comprises a base layer and a flexible material layer arranged on the base layer, wherein the second blocking portion is integrally formed with the flexible material layer.

According to an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the first blocking portion has a pointed tip oriented towards the sliding cover.

According to an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the blocking member further comprises a reinforcing rib protruding from a surface of the body opposite to the first blocking portion and extending along at least a part of the transverse length of the body.

According to an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the fixing portion is welded to the longitudinal rail.

According to an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the storage box further comprises a handle protruding upwards from the sliding cover and adjacent to a rear end of the sliding cover, and extending along at least a part of the transverse length of the sliding cover.

A second aspect of the present disclosure provides a vehicle, with the features of claim <NUM>, comprising the storage box of a console according to the first aspect of the present disclosure.

Compared with the prior art, the storage box of a console according to the present disclosure has various beneficial effects, in particular: by arranging the blocking member, an object with a tiny thickness, that is mistakenly placed by a user on the sliding cover, can be prevented from falling from the sliding cover to a position where the object is difficult to be retrieved (such as a position behind the instrument panel) no matter the storage box is closed or partially opened, and the gap between the blocking member and the sliding cover is easy to control such that there is no potential collision between the sliding cover and the bottom of the blocking member when the sliding cover slides; in addition, the blocking member has a simple structure and is easy to be manufactured and mounted, such that it can be widely used in various types of storage boxes of console.

Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be readily understood through the following preferred embodiments described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which a same reference numeral indicates a same or similar component.

It is conceivable that the drawings are not only used to explain the present disclosure, but also help to define the present disclosure when necessary.

The implementation and usage of the embodiments are discussed in detail below. However, it is conceivable that the specific embodiments discussed herein are merely intended to illustrate specific ways of implementing and using the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present disclosure.

In the specification, when describing structures and positions of components, the directional expressions such as "up", "down", "left", "right", "front", and "rear" are defined with reference to the orientations of the vehicle.

In the drawings, the X direction corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle (i.e., the front-rear direction), the Y direction corresponds to the transverse direction of the vehicle (i.e., the left-right direction), and the Z direction corresponds to the vertical direction of the vehicle (i.e., the up-down direction).

In addition, in the specification, the terms, such as "mounted to" and "connected to", should be understood in a broad sense unless otherwise specified and defined. For example, "connected to" may be "fixedly connected to", "detachably connected to" or "integrally connected to", and may be "directly connected to", "indirectly connected to" or "associated with (something) under some effect". For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the specification can be understood according to specific circumstances.

A preferred embodiment of a storage box ST of a console according to the present disclosure is described below with reference to <FIG>, <FIG>and <FIG>. As shown in the figures, the storage box ST mainly comprises a housing <NUM>, a rail structure <NUM>, a sliding cover <NUM> and a blocking member <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the housing <NUM> delimits a storage space having an opening <NUM> for storing various objects. The rail structure <NUM> is mounted to the housing <NUM> by, for example, screwing or welding, and comprises a longitudinal rail <NUM> extending along two opposite longitudinal edges of the opening <NUM> and a curved rail <NUM> extending from the front end of the longitudinal rail <NUM> and bent downwards. In the illustrated embodiment, a welding portion <NUM> protruding upwards is provided at a position of the front end of the longitudinal rail <NUM> connected to the curved rail <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the sliding cover <NUM> is slidably mounted to the rail structure <NUM>. More particularly, the sliding cover <NUM> comprises a base layer <NUM> composed of a plurality of, for example, plastic base units, and a flexible material layer <NUM> (for example, made of rubber material) fixedly arranged on the base layer <NUM> and capable of connecting these base units. It is conceivable that such configuration of the sliding cover <NUM> not only has sufficient strength, but also is suitable for bending. When the sliding cover <NUM> slides entirely onto the longitudinal rail <NUM> (as shown in <FIG>), the sliding cover <NUM> closes the opening <NUM> and the storage box ST is thus closed. When the sliding cover <NUM> slides forwards such that at least a part of the sliding cover <NUM> is positioned on the curved rail <NUM>, the sliding cover <NUM> at least partially opens the opening <NUM>, and the storage box ST is thus at least partially opened.

In order to make it easy for a user to push or pull the sliding cover <NUM> in the longitudinal direction, the storage box ST preferably further comprises a handle <NUM> protruding upwards from the sliding cover <NUM> and adjacent to the rear end of the sliding cover <NUM>, and extending along at least a part of the transverse length of the sliding cover <NUM> preferably along entire of the transverse length of the sliding cover <NUM>. It is conceivable that the shape, position and material of the handle <NUM> are not limitative. For example, the handle <NUM> may be configured such that one part of the handle <NUM> is integrally formed with the base layer <NUM>, and another part thereof is integrally formed with the flexible material layer <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the blocking member <NUM> is, for example, a plastic member and mainly comprises a body <NUM>, a fixing portion <NUM> and a first blocking portion <NUM>. The body <NUM> extends transversely above the sliding cover <NUM> and adjacent to the front end of the longitudinal rail <NUM>. The fixing portion <NUM> is connected to two transverse ends of the body <NUM> and fixed to the front end of the longitudinal rail <NUM>. In the illustrated embodiment, the fixing portion <NUM> is provided with a welding hole <NUM> having a shape mated with the welding portion <NUM> provided on the longitudinal rail <NUM>, so as to fix the blocking member <NUM> to the longitudinal rail <NUM> by welding the fixing portion <NUM> to the longitudinal rail <NUM>.

The first blocking portion <NUM> protrudes from the bottom of the body <NUM> towards the sliding cover <NUM> and extends along entire of the transverse length of the body <NUM>. In the illustrated embodiment, the first blocking portion <NUM> is a blocking hook having a pointed tip oriented towards the sliding cover <NUM>. Since the tiny gap between the bottom of the first blocking portion <NUM> and the sliding cover <NUM> can be precisely controlled, an object with a tiny thickness, such as a card or a coin that is mistakenly placed by the user on the sliding cover <NUM>, can be prevented from sliding forwards and falling without hindering the sliding of the sliding cover <NUM>. Further, the blocking member <NUM> further comprises a reinforcing rib <NUM> protruding upwards from a surface of the body <NUM> opposite to the first blocking portion <NUM> and extending along at least a part of the transverse length of the body <NUM>, preferably along entire of the transverse length of the body <NUM>, so as to increase the strength of the blocking member <NUM>.

In addition, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the storage box ST further comprises a second blocking portion <NUM> that is a protrusion protruding upwards from the sliding cover <NUM> below the blocking member <NUM> and extending along entire of the transverse length of the sliding cover <NUM>. The height of the second blocking portion <NUM> protruding from the sliding cover <NUM> is less than the distance between the sliding cover <NUM> and the bottom of the first blocking portion <NUM>, so as not to hinder the sliding of the sliding cover <NUM> below the blocking member <NUM>. Preferably, the second blocking portion <NUM> is integrally formed with at least a part of the sliding cover <NUM>, for example, with the flexible material layer <NUM>.

The principle of the anti-falling function of the storage box ST is described below with reference to <FIG>. As mentioned above, the functional bezel BZ (e.g. the USB bezel) of the instrument panel positioned at the front of the vehicle is arranged above the storage box and immediately adjacent to the front end of the sliding cover <NUM>, and an object with a tiny thickness, such as a card or a coin, can easily pass through the gap G between the bottom of the functional bezel BZ and the sliding cover <NUM> and fall to a position where the object is difficult to be retrieved, such as a position behind the instrument panel. Therefore, the present disclosure overcomes the defect that the object is easy to fall by the arrangement of the blocking member. The blocking member is for example arranged on the front side of the functional bezel BZ with respect to the X direction of the vehicle, such that it is invisible from the vehicle compartment.

As shown in <FIG>, if the user places a card CD having a thickness less than the distance of the gap G on the sliding cover <NUM> when the storage box ST is closed, the card CD cannot continue to slide forwards to fall as it is blocked by at least one of the first blocking portion <NUM> and the second blocking portion <NUM> after it passes through the gap G by sliding forwards. As for which blocking portion blocks the card, it depends on the relative position between the first blocking portion <NUM> and the second blocking portion <NUM> in the front-rear direction. For example, in the illustrated situation, the second blocking portion <NUM> is positioned at the rear of the first blocking portion <NUM>, such that the card CD is blocked by the second blocking portion <NUM>. With the second blocking portion <NUM>, an object with a very tiny thickness (e.g., a film having a thickness less than that of a normal card, even less than the distance between the bottom of the first blocking portion <NUM> and the sliding cover <NUM>) can also be blocked from sliding forwards to fall.

As shown in <FIG>, if the user places the card CD having a thickness less than the distance of the gap G on the sliding cover <NUM> when the storage box ST is opened, the card CD cannot continue to slide forwards to fall as it is blocked by the first blocking portion <NUM> after it passes through the gap G by sliding forwards. The second blocking portion <NUM> can drive the blocked card CD to slide backwards when the sliding cover <NUM> slides backwards again to close the storage box ST, thereby facilitating retrieval of the card CD.

The technical contents and features of the present disclosure have been disclosed above. However, it is conceivable that those skilled in the art can make various changes and improvements to the above-disclosed conception under the creative concept of the present disclosure, and all these various changes and improvements fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Claim 1:
A storage box of a console of a vehicle, comprising:
a housing (<NUM>) having an opening (<NUM>);
a rail structure (<NUM>) mounted to the housing (<NUM>) and comprising a longitudinal rail (<NUM>) extending along two opposite longitudinal edges of the opening (<NUM>); and
a sliding cover (<NUM>) slidably mounted to the rail structure (<NUM>) to open or close the opening (<NUM>);
wherein the storage box further comprises a blocking member (<NUM>) comprising:
a body (<NUM>) extending transversely above the sliding cover (<NUM>) and adjacent to an end of the longitudinal rail (<NUM>);
a fixing portion (<NUM>) connected to an end of the body (<NUM>) and fixed to the longitudinal rail (<NUM>); and
a first blocking portion (<NUM>) protruding from the body (<NUM>) towards the sliding cover (<NUM>) and extending along entire of the transverse length of the body (<NUM>) characterized in that the storage box further comprises a second blocking portion (<NUM>) protruding upwards from the sliding cover (<NUM>) below the blocking member (<NUM>) and extending along entire of the transverse length of the sliding cover (<NUM>), and wherein the height of the second blocking portion (<NUM>) protruding from the sliding cover (<NUM>) is less than the distance between the sliding cover (<NUM>) and the first blocking portion (<NUM>).