US 5,385,378 A · Glove box structure for motor vehicles

Abstract

A glove box is pivotally mounted at a lower end thereof in an opening defined in an instrument panel. The glove box is angularly movable from the opening to an opening limit position in which the glove box is locked and partly opens the opening. The opening is defined by a partition assembly which includes a side partition having a rail. The glove box has a roll rotatably mounted on an arm coupled to a shaft rotatably supported on the glove box. When the glove box is in the opening limit position, the roll is engaged by the rail. To service an accessory device, such as the inflator of an air bag or the filter of an air-conditioning unit, disposed behind the opening, the shaft is rotated to turn the arm to displace the roll out of engagement with the rail, thus allowing the glove box to be tilted from the opening limit position to a fully open position in which the glove box fully opens the opening. The serviceman can now reach the accessory device directly through the opening.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A glove box structure for use in an instrument panel in a motor vehicle, comprising:

a partition assembly defining an opening;
a glove box pivotally mounted at a lower end thereof in said opening for angular movement between a first angular position in which said glove box is fully disposed in said opening, a second angular position in which said glove box is partly displaced out of said opening, and a third angular position in which said glove box is fully displaced out of said opening;
said partition assembly including a side partition having a fixed pivot connection for mounting said glove box and a limit member;
said glove box having means defining a pivot axis for mounting in said pivot connection and an engaging member for engaging said limit member to lock said glove box in said second angular position;
and
releasing means mounted on said glove box for releasing said engaging member from said limit member to allow said glove box to move angularly about said pivot connection from said second angular position to said third angular position.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Glove box structure for motor vehicles

Life of this patent

Glove box structure for motor vehicles

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14