Closure unit for a storage compartment, storage compartment

Abstract

A closure unit for a storage compartment, in particular of a motor vehicle, with a frame that forms an access opening for the storage compartment, with two closure elements arranged displaceable on the frame, wherein the closure elements each close a different part of the access opening in a closed position and together close the entire access opening in their respective closed position, and wherein a handle for manually moving the closure elements is disposed at the mutually facing ends of the closure elements. It is provided that the closure elements each have an off-center projection at their mutually facing ends, on which the respective handle is disposed, such that the handles in the closed position of both closure elements are arranged in a line transverse to the sliding direction of the closure elements.

Claims

1. A closure unit for a storage compartment of a motor vehicle, the closure unit comprising: a frame that forms an access opening for the storage compartment; two closure elements arranged displaceable on the frame, the two closure elements each close a different part of the access opening in a closed position and together close the entire access opening in their respective closed position; and handles for manually moving the two closure elements, a respective one of the handles being disposed at each of mutually facing ends of the two closure elements, wherein the two closure elements each have an off-center projection at the mutually facing ends, on which the respective one of the handles is disposed, such that in the closed position of both of the two closure elements, the handles are arranged in a line transverse to a sliding direction of the two closure elements, and wherein one of the two closure elements has an end face formed concave at least in areas of the mutually facing end with the off-center projection and areas of the mutually facing end without the off-center projection and the other of the two closure elements has an end face formed convex at least in areas of the mutually facing area with the off-center projection and areas of the mutually facing end without the off-center projection and which is associated with the concave end face.

2. The closure unit according to claim 1, wherein the two closure elements are mounted movable in a same plane.

3. The closure unit according to claim 1, wherein each respective off-center projection extends as an extension of a respective one of the two closure elements in a direction toward the other of the two closure elements.

4. The closure unit according to claim 1, wherein each respective off-center projection extends only as an extension of a respective one of the two closure elements.

5. The closure unit according to claim 1, wherein each respective off-center projection protrudes vertically from a respective one of the two closure elements so as to cover the respective other of the two closure elements in the closed position.

6. The closure unit according to claim 1, wherein each respective handle is arranged or designed as a web-shaped grip strip or as a longitudinally extending grip recess on or in each respective off-center projection.

7. The closure unit according to claim 1, wherein each of the two closure elements are designed as a roller blind or a cover.

8. The closure unit according to claim 1, wherein the frame has two mutually opposite guide grooves in which side edges of the two closure elements are mounted and guided.

9. The closure unit according to claim 1, wherein the two closure elements are designed complementary to one another on the mutually facing ends in order to form a closed joint.

10. The closure unit according to claim 1, wherein the off-center projections are formed in one piece with the two closure elements, respectively.

11. The closure unit according to claim 1, wherein the handles are formed in one piece with the off-center projections, respectively.

12. The closure unit according to claim 1, wherein the handles are attached as separate components to the off-center projections, respectively.

13. The closure unit according to claim 1, wherein the two closure elements are arranged displaceable independently of one another on the frame.

14. A storage compartment for a motor vehicle, the storage comprising: a receiving well for objects; and the closure unit according to claim 1, the closure unit being associated with the receiving well for releasing or closing the receiving well.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows an exemplary storage compartment in a perspective view;

(3) FIG. 2 is a plan view of the storage compartment;

(4) FIG. 3 is a first longitudinal sectional view through the closure unit; and

(5) FIG. 4 is a second longitudinal sectional view through the closure unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) FIG. 1 shows, in a perspective view, an advantageous storage compartment 1 for a motor vehicle, in particular for a center console of a motor vehicle. Storage compartment 1 has a receiving well 2 for receiving and storing objects, wherein receiving well 2 is designed to be open at the top in the intended mounted state. This opening is associated with a closure unit 3 by means of which access to receiving well 2 can be released or closed. For this purpose, closure unit 3 has a frame 4 which rests on the side edges of receiving well 2. Frame 4 forms an access opening 5 to receiving well 2. In this regard, frame 5 has a guide groove 8, 9 on each of two opposite long sides 6 and 7, wherein guide grooves 8, 9 are oriented parallel to one another. Closure unit 3 further has two closure elements 10, 11, which are each designed as roller blinds. Closure elements 10, 11 are each displaceably mounted with their side edges in one of guide grooves 8, 9 such that together they can completely close access opening 5, as shown in FIG. 1. In this state, both closure elements 10, 11 are moved in guide grooves 8, 9 such that they bear against one another with their mutually facing end faces 12, 13 and each close a section of access opening 5 or of storage compartment 1. If closure elements 10, 11 are moved away from one another, as indicated by arrows 14, 15, access opening 5 is opened and storage compartment 1 is released. In this case, closure elements 10, 11 can be moved independently of one another. Due to guide grooves 8, 9, closure elements 10, 11 are preferably arranged or oriented in a common plane in frame 4, so that they lie at the same level in relation to one another and in the closed state, as shown in FIG. 1, form an at least substantially continuous surface.

(7) FIG. 2 shows a plan view of storage compartment 1 in the area of end faces 12, 13 of closure elements 10, 11. Both closure elements 10, 11 have a projection 16, 17 which extends as an extension of the respective closure element 10, 11.

(8) Projections 16, 17 thus extend in the plane of guide grooves 8, 9 and each in the direction of the opposite closure element 11, 10. In this regard, projections 16, 17 are formed complementary to one another, so that closure elements 10, 11 in the shown closed position completely close access opening 5 and bear against one another over the entire width. A continuously closed joint 18 thus results.

(9) Each projection 16, 17 has a handle 19, 20. According to a present exemplary embodiment, the handles are designed as web-shaped grip strips 21 or 22, which protrude vertically from the respective closure element 10, 11, namely on the upper side of closure elements 10, 11, said side facing away from receiving well 2. Grip strips 21, 22 are arranged on projections 16, 17 such that they are aligned with one another in a straight line in the closed position of closure elements 10, 11. Joint 18 preferably runs, as shown in FIG. 2, between the two grip strips 21, 22.

(10) FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal sectional view through closure unit 3 along the line A-A from FIG. 2. In the area of joint 18, the mutually facing end faces 12 and 13 are formed complementary to one another such that a non-see-through joint is created, so that therefore one cannot see into the storage compartment from the outside when closure elements 11, 10 are both in the closed position, as shown in FIG. 1. For this purpose, end face 13 of closure element 11 is formed convex in areas and end face 12 of closure element 10 complementary thereto is concave in areas, so that closure elements 10, 11 overlap in areas in the closed position of both closure elements 10, 11, so that a visible gap is prevented and an incidence or emission of light is at least largely changed.

(11) FIG. 4 also shows a longitudinal sectional view through closure unit 3 but along the line B-B from FIG. 2. Here, as well, the complementary design of end faces 12, 13 to one another can be seen. The design of the closure elements as roller blinds can likewise be seen, which have multiple slats 23 or 24 flexibly connected to one another, which enable the respective closure element 10, 11 to roll up at a distance from access opening 5.

(12) As also shown in FIG. 3, grip strips 21, 22 are optionally designed with an insert element 25, which is designed in particular as a light guide or as a light, by means of which the respective handle 19, 20 can be illuminated, for example, to make it easier for the user to grasp the respective handle in the dark.

(13) Whereas, according to the present exemplary embodiment, projections 16, 17 each only extend as an extension of the respective closure element 10, 11, so that projections 16, 17 of closure elements 10, 11 only lie next to one another in the closed position of both closure elements 10, 11, therefore, bear against one another on the end faces at the end edges, it is provided according to a further exemplary embodiment that the respective projection 16, 17 also protrude vertically from the respective closure element 10, 11 such that it covers the other closure element 11, 10 in the closed position of both closure elements 10, 11. As a result, projections 16, 17 can be pushed over the respective other closure element 11, 10 when the closure elements are moved into the closed position, in order then to lie in a common line. The closure elements thereby mutually overlap in the closed position.

(14) It is achieved by the advantageous design of closure unit 3 that the user can release storage compartment 1 in areas as needed by moving only one of closure elements 10, 11 into an open position. In addition, a high-quality impression is imparted because grip strips 21, 22 extend in a line transverse to the sliding direction and thus initially act like a single actuating handle in the closed position of both closure elements 10, 11. A closed joint or a tight closure of access opening 5 is made possible by the advantageous design of closure elements 10, 11, and a cost-effective and robust realization of closure unit 2 is provided.

(15) The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.