Moving axis compartment door

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10208518-B2
Application number	US-201615198277-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2016
Priority date	Aug 21, 2014
Publication date	Feb 19, 2019
Grant date	Feb 19, 2019

Abstract

An assembly for mounting a door with a vehicle compartment includes an arm coupled with the compartment and with the door and a constant-force spring having a coil coupled with one of the door and the compartment and an end coupled with the other of the door and the compartment such that a contraction of the spring causes the door to move with rotation of the arm.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly for mounting a door with a vehicle compartment, comprising:
an arm coupled with the compartment and with the door; and
a constant-force spring having a coil coupled with one of the door and the compartment and an end coupled with the other of the door and the compartment such that a contraction of the spring causes the door to open with rotation of the arm.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , further including:
a track fixed with the compartment; and
a carrier rotatably coupled with the door and slidable along the track;
wherein the coil of the constant-force spring is coupled with the door in a location aligned with an axis about which the carrier is pivotably coupled with the door.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , further including:
a track fixed with the compartment; and
a carrier rotatably coupled with the door and slidable along the track, wherein:
the contraction of the spring further causes the door to move with movement of the carrier along the track.

4. The assembly of claim 3 , wherein the rotation of the arm is associated with rotation of the door during opening thereof about a fixed, primary axis, and wherein the movement of the carrier along the track is associated with rotation of the door during opening about a second, moving axis at a point of rotatable coupling between the carrier and the door.

5. The assembly of claim 3 , further including:
a latch member operatively coupled with the carrier; and
a notch fixed with respect to the compartment;
wherein the latch is positioned on the carrier and the notch is positioned on the compartment in respective locations such that the latch engages with the notch when the door is in a closed position to retain the door in the closed position against the contraction of the spring and such that, upon a disengagement of the latch from the notch, the door moves to an open position by the contraction of the spring and the corresponding movement of the carrier along the track moves the latch away from the notch.

6. The assembly of claim 3 , further including a damper coupled with the carrier and operatively engaged with a portion of the track to slow the movement of the carrier along the track under the contraction of the spring.

7. A vehicle interior console, comprising:
a compartment;
a door; and
a mounting mechanism, including:
an arm coupled between the compartment and the door; and
a constant-force spring having a coil coupled with one of the door and the compartment and an end coupled with the other of the door and the compartment such that a contraction of the spring causes the door to open with rotation of the arm.

8. The console of claim 7 , wherein the compartment defines at least one cup holder compartment, and wherein the door is further movable against a contraction force of the spring to a closed position covering an open end of the cup holder.

9. The console of claim 7 , wherein the compartment defines a door pocket, and wherein the contraction of the spring causes the door to move from a closed position to an open position with at least a portion of the door disposed within the door pocket.

10. The console of claim 7 , further including:
a carrier having a latch member operatively coupled therewith; and
a notch coupled with the compartment;
wherein the latch and the notch are respectively positioned such that the latch engages with the notch when the door is in a closed position so as to retain the door in the closed position against the contraction of the spring and such that, upon a disengagement of the latch from the notch, the door moves to an open position by the contraction of the spring.

11. The console of claim 7 , wherein the disengagement of the latch from the notch is caused by movement of the door from the closed position in a direction away from the open position.

12. The console of claim 7 , wherein:
the console includes a substrate having an edge;
the door is positionable in a closed position with an edge thereof adjacent an edge of the substrate; and
the contraction of the spring causes the door to move with rotation of the arm and movement of the axis along the track such that the edge of the door moves away from the edge of the substrate in a direction away from the substrate.

13. The vehicle interior console of claim 7 , wherein:
the compartment has a track fixed therewith;
the door coupled with the track about an axis; and
the contraction of the spring further causes the door to move movement of the axis along the track.

14. A vehicle interior compartment assembly, comprising:
a cavity housing defining an opening;
a door rotatably mounted to the cavity housing and positionable over the opening; and
a constant-force spring having a coil coupled with one of the door and the compartment and an end coupled with the other of the door and the compartment such that a contraction of the spring causes the door to rotate with respect to the opening.

15. The vehicle interior compartment assembly of claim 14 , wherein the cavity housing has a track and a notch fixed therewith, the assembly further comprising:
a carrier slidably coupled with the track and rotatably coupled with the door, the carrier having a damper fixed therewith and operatively engaged with a portion of the track and a latch engageable with the notch to retain the door in a position over the opening against a force of the spring.

16. The assembly of claim 15 , wherein:
the track includes a plurality of teeth spaced along a length thereof;
the damper includes a gear engaged with the teeth and coupled with a rotational damper element; and
the door is moveable between an open position and a closed position though a movement including sliding of the carrier along the track, the gear rotating during the movement by engagement with the teeth.

17. The assembly of claim 16 , wherein the coupling of the gear with the rotational damper element is operative to provide a force opposing the movement.

18. The assembly of claim 15 , further including an arm coupled between the cavity housing and the door, wherein:
the spring is coupled between the door and the cavity housing such that a contraction of the spring alone causes the door to move with a rotation of the arm with respect to the cavity housing, movement of the carrier along the track, and rotation of the door with respect to the carrier and with respect to the arm.

19. The assembly of claim 15 , wherein:
the cavity housing further defines a pocket adjacent the opening;
the door is moveable from a closed position with the door over the opening to an open position with the door at least partially disposed within the pocket;
the carrier moves from a first end of the track adjacent the opening when the door is in the closed position to a second end of the track remote from the opening when the door is in the open position.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Simon Scott
• Fesenmyer Christopher Emery
• Neumann Michael
• Sattler Mike

Classifications

• E05D15/0608 Primary

  caused by track lay-out · CPC title

• B60R7/046

  mounted on door · CPC title

• B60R7/08

  Disposition of racks, clips {, holders, containers} or the like {for supporting specific articles (B60R7/005 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60R7/04 Primary

  in driver or passenger space {, e.g. using racks (B60R7/005, B60R7/08 take precedence)} · CPC title

• E06B3/50

  with more than one kind of movement (E06B3/48 takes precedence){(E06B3/92 takes precedence)} · CPC title