Leaf spring assembly for automobile storage body

Abstract

A leaf spring assembly for an automobile storage compartment has a hook, a leaf spring, and a spring guide. The hook is coupled to an operating plate. One end portion of the leaf spring is fixedly coupled to the hook. The spring guide is fixedly coupled to a non-operating housing in the state where the other side portion of the leaf spring is coupled to the spring guide so as to elastically deform while being drawn in and out.

Claims

1. A leaf spring assembly for an automobile storage compartment, the leaf spring assembly comprising: a hook coupled to an operating plate; a leaf spring whose one end portion is fixedly coupled to the hook; and a spring guide fixedly coupled to a non-operating housing in a state where the other end portion of the leaf spring is coupled to the spring guide so as to elastically deform while being drawn in and out, wherein the hook, to which the one end portion of the leaf spring is coupled, comprises an upper cover and a lower cover, wherein a drawing-in hole, into which the one end portion of the leaf spring is drawn, is formed through the upper cover, and coupling protrusions, which are rotatably coupled to the operating plate, are outwardly protrudingly formed in left and right outer surfaces of the upper cover, respectively, and wherein an insertion protrusion is protrudingly formed at a top of the lower cover and is inserted to and passes through the leaf spring which is drawn into the drawing-in hole formed in the upper cover.

2. The leaf spring assembly of claim 1, wherein a coupling hole, whose inner diameter is equal to the insertion protrusion formed in the lower cover, is formed through the upper cover, and wherein a passing hole, which has an inner diameter equal to the coupling hole, is formed through the one end portion of the leaf spring which is inserted through the drawing-in hole.

3. The leaf spring assembly of claim 1, wherein the other end portion of the leaf spring is coupled to the spring guide, wherein a spring contact portion, with which an outer surface of the leaf spring is in contact, is formed in the spring guide and is curvedly bent, wherein a spring-drawing guiding portion is formed at a top of the spring contact portion and allows the leaf spring to be drawn out while being guided, and wherein rectangular mounting protrusions are protrudingly formed in front and rear outer surfaces of the spring guide, respectively, and are fixedly inserted and coupled to the non-operating housing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle cup holder to which a leaf spring assembly related to the present disclosure is mounted.

(2) FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the vehicle cup holder.

(3) FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the main part of the vehicle cup holder.

(4) FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the use state of a leaf spring assembly of a prior art.

(5) FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a leaf spring assembly of a prior art.

(6) FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a leaf spring assembly according to the present disclosure.

(7) FIG. 7 is an assembled perspective view of a leaf spring assembly according to the present disclosure.

(8) FIG. 8 is a front view showing the assembled state of a leaf spring assembly according to the present disclosure.

(9) FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing one embodiment of a leaf spring assembly according to the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) Descriptions are made hereinbelow in detail as to a technical configuration of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(11) FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a leaf spring assembly according to the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is an assembled perspective view of a leaf spring assembly according to the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a front view showing the assembled state of a leaf spring assembly according to the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing one embodiment of a leaf spring assembly according to the present disclosure.

(12) Referring to FIGS. 6 to 8, the leaf spring assembly for an automobile storage compartment according to the present disclosure comprises: a hook 300 coupled to an operating plate; a leaf spring 200 whose one end portion is fixedly coupled to the hook 300; and a spring guide 100 fixedly coupled to a housing, which is a non-operating part, in the state where the other side portion of the leaf spring 200 is coupled to the spring guide so as to elastically deform while being drawn in and out.

(13) The other side portion of the leaf spring 200 is coupled to the spring guide 100. A spring contact portion 110, with which an outer surface of the leaf spring 200 comes into contact, is formed in the spring guide and is curvedly bent. A spring-drawing guiding portion 120 is formed at the top of the spring contact portion 110 and allows the leaf spring 200 to be drawn out while being guided. Rectangular mounting protrusions 130 are protrudingly formed in front and rear outer surfaces of the spring guide 100, respectively, and are fixedly inserted and coupled to the non-operating housing.

(14) Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the hook 300, to which the one end portion of the leaf spring 200 is coupled, comprises an upper cover 310 and a lower cover 320. A drawing-in hole 311, into which the one end portion of the leaf spring 200 is drawn, is formed through the upper cover, and coupling protrusions 313, which are rotatably coupled to the operating plate, are outwardly protrudingly formed in left and right outer surfaces of the upper cover, respectively. An insertion protrusion 321 is protrudingly formed at the top of the lower cover and is inserted to and passes through the leaf spring 200 which is drawn into the drawing-in hole 311 formed in the upper cover 310.

(15) Further, a coupling hole 312, whose inner diameter is equal to the insertion protrusion 321 formed in the lower cover 320, is formed through the upper cover 310, and a passing hole 210, which has an inner diameter equal to the coupling hole 312, is formed through the one end portion of the leaf spring 200 which is to be inserted through the drawing-in hole 311.

(16) Assembling the leaf spring assembly according to the present disclosure, which is configured as described above, is completed by coupling the hook 300, which is to be coupled to the operating plate, to the one end portion of the leaf spring 200, and then coupling the other side portion of the leaf spring 200, whose one end portion is coupled to the hook 300, to the spring guide 100.

(17) At this time, the one end portion of the leaf spring 200, through which the passing hole 210 is formed, is drawn through the drawing-in hole 311 formed in the upper cover 310 such that the inner diameter of the passing hole coincides with the center of the coupling hole 312. After the one end portion of the leaf spring 200 is drawn through the drawing-in hole 311, the insertion protrusion 321 formed in the lower cover 320 is inserted to and passes through both the coupling hole 312 of the upper cover 310 and the passing hole 210, thus fixing the hook 300 and maintaining the state where the hook 300 is coupled to the one end portion of the leaf spring 200.

(18) Further, the other side portion of the leaf spring 200 is coupled to the spring guide 100 such that the leaf spring is drawn in and out through the spring-drawing guiding portion 120 in the state where the outer surface of the leaf spring 200 is in contact with the spring contact portion 110 formed to be curvedly bent.

(19) Assembling the leaf spring assembly may be performed by first seating the other side portion of the leaf spring 200 such that the outer surface of the leaf spring comes into contact with the spring contact portion 110 of the spring guide 100, and then by coupling the hook 300, which is to be coupled to the operating plate, to the one end portion of the leaf spring 200 whose other side portion is seated in the state where the outer surface of the leaf spring is in contact with the spring contact portion 110.

(20) After the leaf spring assembly is assembled as described above, the hook 300, to which the one end portion of the leaf spring 200 is coupled, is fixedly coupled to the operating plate, and then the rectangular mounting protrusions 130, which are protrudingly formed in the front and rear outer surfaces of the spring guide 100 to which the other side portion of the leaf spring 200 is coupled, are fixed inserted to and coupled to the non-operating housing.

(21) At this time, the coupling protrusions 313 formed in the upper cover 310 of the hook 300 are rotatably coupled to the operating plate. When the installation position of the hook 300 coupled to the operating plate is higher or lower than the installation position of the spring guide 100 installed to the housing, the hook is rotated so as to coincide with the operating direction of the leaf spring 200.

(22) Therefore, in case where the operating plate inserted into the non-operating housing is to be drawn out for its use, as the leaf spring 200 is drawn out while being guided through the spring-drawing guiding portion 120 formed in the spring guide 100 installed to the housing, the hook 300 is rotated about the coupling protrusions 313 so as to coincide with the operating direction of the leaf spring 200. Thus, the operating plate is smoothly drawn out from the housing without occurrence of the bending phenomenon of the leaf spring 200 and the abnormal sound.

(23) Further, in case where the operating plate drawn out from the non-operating housing is to be drawn in, the operating plate is smoothly drawn into the housing as the leaf spring 200 is drawn in while being guided through the spring-drawing guiding portion 120 formed in the spring guide 100.

(24) The leaf spring 200 is drawn inwardly and outwardly of the spring guide 100 while being guided through the spring-drawing guiding portion 120 according to the drawn-in or drawn-out state of the operating plate in the state where the outer surface of the leaf spring is in contact with the spring contact portion 110 of the spring guide 100. Also, at the same time, the hook 300 is rotated so as to coincide with the operating direction of the leaf spring 200. Thus, when the leaf spring 200 is operated, bending and abnormal sound, which are caused due to the noncoincidence with the operating direction, are not generated. Further, stresses applied to the leaf spring 200 is minimized, thus improving the durability of the leaf spring.

(25) Further, when the leaf spring 200 is drawn inwardly and outwardly of the spring guide 100 through the spring-drawing guiding portion 120, the distance between the center of the mounting protrusion 130 of the spring guide 100 fixedly inserted into the housing and the center of the coupling protrusion 313 of the hook 300 is minimized. Thus, the leaf spring 200 can be used up to its maximum force value. Furthermore, the rectangular mounting protrusions 130 protrudingly formed in the front and rear outer surfaces of the spring guide 100 are fixedly inserted to the housing. Thus, due to the elastic force of the leaf spring 200, shaking is not generated and abnormal operation sound is not generated thereby.

(26) TABLE-US-00001 [Description of Reference Numerals] 100: spring guide 110: spring contact portion 120: spring-drawing guiding portion 130: mounting protrusion 200: leaf spring 210: passing hole 300: hook 310: upper cover 311: drawing-in hole 312: coupling hole 313: coupling protrusion 320: lower cover 321: insertion protrusion