Description:A COOL GLOVE BOX COVER STRUCTURE

TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present subject matter described herein relates to a cool glove box cover. The present invention is particularly related to a cool glove box cover structure that enables easy cooling, effective illumination, and easy assembly. The present invention is also offered as an after-market accessory for self-assembling.

BACKGROUND
[0002] Background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present subject matter. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
[0003] One or more storage compartments are typically found in vehicles for storing stuff onboard. A glove box is a storage area in a dashboard or an instrument panel positioned at the front of the co-driver side of the car. The glove box is made up of an upper housing that is permanently attached to the dashboard and a glove box housing that opens and shuts the open front surface of the upper housing and serves as a storage box for storing items.
[0004] Generally, glove boxes often use one or more light sources, such as an incandescent lamp to give light illumination. When the glove box storage compartment lighting component opens relative to the dashboard, a traditional plunger switch is normally used to turn the light source on automatically.
[0005] Further, during rise in temperatures, passengers are interested in having a cooling option in their automobiles to keep drinkable liquids cool. Because of the rising demand for the feature, the sophistication of instrument panels, as well as their versatility, modularity, and compactness in bundling all of these functions and giving a better experience, has improved.
[0006] To provide cooling into the glove box of vehicles it is required to enclose the air volume to be cooled as it is done in refrigerators but a fact to note is that the glove box is a utility in motion and its utility must be accessible to passengers when intended to. Therefore, this creates a constraint that the glove box must be open from one area to be accessible but when closed, the glove box should be able to enclose the air to provide cooling.
[0007] Apart from this, sufficient illumination in the glove box is also one of the major requirements leading to the consequential need to package the light source/lamp, its harness and connectors. All of these features should be so easy to assemble as an accessory in after-market sales that even after the instrument panel is fixed in vehicle it can be easily assembled by a single person.
[0008] Therefore, it is required to provide a glove box cover that can be factory fitted and also meets the demand in accessory sales as an after-market requirement and that is easy to assemble.

OBJECTS OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0009] It forms an object of the present disclosure to overcome the aforementioned and other drawbacks/limitations in the existing solutions available in the form of related prior arts.
[0010] It is a primary object of the present disclosure to provide a cool glove box cover structure that is easy to assemble and is either factory fitted or provided as an after-market accessory.
[0011] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide sufficient illumination in the glove box to make objects visible in dark surroundings.
[0012] It is another object of the present disclosure to cover maximum illumination without exposing other B-surfaces and the light source to passengers.
[0013] It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide a clip and screw combination to enable easy assembly of the part against gravity.
[0014] It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide a locator and circular ribs to guide the cool glove box cover structure easily on the steel rod.
[0015] It is yet another object of the present disclosure to lock the rotation of the lamp after assembly to ensure its relative position with the cool glove box cover structure.
[0016] These and other objects and advantages of the present subject matter will be apparent to a person skilled in the art after consideration of the following detailed description taken into consideration with accompanying drawings in which preferred embodiments of the present subject matter are illustrated.

SUMMARY
[0017] A solution to one or more drawbacks of existing technology and additional advantages are provided through the present disclosure. Additional features and advantages are realized through the technicalities of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered to be a part of the claimed disclosure.
[0018] The present disclosure provides a solution in the form of a cool glove box cover structure located on top of the glove box. The structure includes a base having a first side and a second side. A plurality of locators is provided at a distance from one another on a first side wherein the locators have semi-circular ribs and a conical locator pin situated adjacent to each other. Further, a step surface is provided on top of a lamp housing of the cool glove box cover structure. An embossed surface is provided adjacent to the step surface, wherein the embossed surface has snap hooks configured to mount a wire harness of a lamp and mounting locations are provided at the second side, wherein end of the second side is configured to get mounted to an instrument panel.
[0019] In an aspect, the mounting locations have first fastening holes.
[0020] In an aspect, a two-piece clip is inserted inside the fastening hole to mount the cool glove box cover structure to the instrument panel.
[0021] In an aspect, a plurality of first fasteners are inserted inside the first fastening holes to mount the cool glove box cover structure to the instrument panel.
[0022] In an aspect, the locators have second fastening holes to mount the cool glove box cover structure with the steel rod using second fasteners.
[0023] In an aspect, the second side of the cool glove box cover structure is elevated from the base of the cool glove box cover structure.
[0024] In an aspect, a slot and a rib are provided on one surface of the step surface to mount the lamp.
[0025] In an aspect, the middle mounting location is angularly elevated.
[0026] In an aspect, the locators face a steel rod.
[0027] The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
[0028] It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of the present subject matter and are therefore not to be considered for limiting of its scope, for the present disclosure may admit to other equally effective embodiments. The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numbers are used throughout the figures to reference like features and components. Some embodiments of system or methods or structure in accordance with embodiments of the present subject matter are now described, by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:
[0029] Fig. 1(A) illustrates top isometric view of a cool glove box structure according to the present disclosure;
[0030] Fig. 1(B) illustrates side view of a cool glove box structure according to the present disclosure;
[0031] Fig. 2(A) illustrates a steel rod connected to an instrument panel according to the present disclosure;
[0032] Fig. 2(B) illustrates an exploded view of a cool glove box cover structure according to the present disclosure;
[0033] Fig. 3 illustrates a locator provided on a base of a cool glove box cover structure according to the present disclosure;
[0034] Fig. 4 illustrates a second side of a base of a cool glove box cover structure according to the present disclosure;
[0035] Fig. 5(A) illustrates a top view of a step surface provided on a base of a cool glove box cover structure according to the present disclosure;
[0036] Fig. 5(B) illustrates a bottom view of a step surface provided on a base of a cool glove box cover structure according to the present disclosure;
[0037] Fig. 5(C) illustrates a lamp fitted on the step surface according to the present disclosure;
[0038] Fig. 5(D) illustrates various fitting positions of the lamp according to the present disclosure;
[0039] Fig. 6 illustrates snap hooks on embossed surface on a base of a cool glove box cover structure according to the present disclosure.
[0040] The figures depict embodiments of the present subject matter for illustration only. A person skilled in the art will easily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
[0041] The detailed description of various exemplary embodiments of the disclosure is described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments are described herein in such details as to communicate the disclosure. However, the amount of details provided herein is not intended to limit the anticipated variations of embodiments; on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
[0042] It is also to be understood that various arrangements may be devised that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the present disclosure, as well as specific examples, are intended to encompass equivalents thereof.
[0043] It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions/acts noted may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two figures shown in succession may be executed concurrently or may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved.
[0044] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which example embodiments belong. It will be further understood that terms, e.g., those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
[0045] In the following detailed description of the embodiments of the disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.
[0046] Hereinafter, a description of an embodiment with several components in communication with each other does not imply that all such components are required. On the contrary, a variety of optional components are described to illustrate the wide variety of possible embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0047] The present invention discloses a glove box cover structure that is either factory fitted or is offered as an after-market accessory. The glove box cover structure is provided with semi-circular ribs and a conical locator to locate the glove box cover structure with a steel rod during assembly.
[0048] Referring to FIG. 1(A) and FIG. 1(B) show the cool glove box cover structure (100) that is assembled on top of the glove box (110). The cool glove box cover structure (100) has a base (109) that has a first side (107) and a second side (108). The first side (107) includes locators (101a, 101b) that are positioned at a distance from one another. The locators (101a, 101b) are specifically present at each end of the first side (107) of the cool glove box cover structure (100).
[0049] The base (109) further includes a step surface (102) that is provided on top of a lamp housing (103). The lamp housing (103) houses a lamp (504) (as provided in FIG. 5C) for illuminating the glove box (110). Multiple snap hooks (104a, 104b, 104c) are provided on an embossed surface (111) that is located adjacent to the step surface (102) to mount a wire harness (105) of the lamp (504).
[0050] Furthermore, the glove box cover structure (100) has mounting locations (106a, 106b, 106c) that are given on the second side (108) of the cool glove box cover structure (100). The ends of the second side (108) are configured to get mounted to a lower part of an instrument panel (202) (as provided in FIG.2A).
[0051] Referring to FIG. 2(A), a steel rod (201) is positioned horizontally and is connected at the ends of an inside of the instrument panel (202). Referring to FIG. 2(B), the first side (107) of the cool glove box cover structure (100) faces a steel rod (201) that is connected to the instrument panel (202) which is further connected to a vehicle body. The glove box cover structure (100) is assembled to the steel rod (201) using a plurality of second fasteners (as disclosed in fig. 3).
[0052] A plurality of locators (101a, 101b) are provided at the ends of the first side (107) to locate the steel rod (201) and get the cool glove box cover structure (100) connected to the steel rod (201). When the cool glove box cover structure (100) is brought near the steel rod (201), the semi-circular ribs (301) (as illustrated in FIG.3) self-guide the part over the steel rod (201).
[0053] Referring FIG. 3, shows the locator (101a). The locator (101a) has a quadrilateral shape and is embossed. The locator (101a) is present on the first side (107) of the base (109). On the top of the locator, semi-circular ribs (301) are provided. In between the area of the semi-circular ribs (301), a second fastening hole (303a) is provided through which the fastener (304a) connects the glove box cover structure (100) with the steel rod (201).
[0054] Further, a conical locator pin (302) is positioned on to the locator (101a). The conical locator pin (302) is extended in an upwards direction toward the steel rod (201). The semi-circular ribs (301) guide the locator (101a) and ultimately detect the cool glove box cover structure (100) with a curvature of the steel rod (201) and the lateral position of the cool glove box cover structure (100) is further ensured by the conical locator pin (302) that is tapered and which is also capable of accommodating the diametrical manufacturing variations.
[0055] This combination of semi-circular ribs (301) and the conical locator pin (302) ensure that the blind assembly of the cool glove box cover structure (100) is done easily with the steel rod (201).
[0056] Furthermore, the steel rod (201) has a first hole (305a) and a second hole (305b). The first hole (305a) is the place where the conical locator pin (302) gets inserted. Besides the first hole (305a), the second hole (305b) is present. The second hole (305b) accommodates a second fastener (304a). This aids further in fastening the cool glove box cover structure (100) with the steel rod (201).
[0057] The other locator (101b) has the same structural features as of the locator (101a). The locator (101b) have second fastening hole (303b) to mount the cool glove box cover structure with the steel rod (201) using a plurality of second fasteners (304b).
[0058] Referring FIG. 4, shows the second side (108) of the cool glove box cover structure (100). The second side (108) is elevated from the base (109) in an upwards direction towards the instrument panel (202).
[0059] The second side (108) of the cool glove box cover structure (100) has the mounting locations (106a, 106b, 106c). The mounting locations (106a, 106c) are present at the ends of the second side (108) and one mounting location (106b) is present at the middle of the two mounting locations (106a, 106c).
[0060] The mounting location (106b) on the middle is angularly elevated in an upwards direction where a two-piece clip (402b) is used to fix and hang the cool glove box cover structure (100) with the instrument panel (202). Due to the two-piece clip (402b) mounted to the instrument panel (202) at the mounting locations (106b), it gets easy to assemble the cool glove box cover structure (100) with the instrument panel (202) against gravity.
[0061] After the assembling of the cool glove box cover structure (100) with the instrument panel (202) using the clip (402b) on the mounting locations (106b) by inserting the clip (402b) through fastening hole (401b), the mounting locations (106a, 106c) on the cool glove box cover structure (100) are further fastened to the instrument panel (202) using first fasteners (402a, 402c) that are inserted through the first fastening holes (401a, 401c).
[0062] Referring FIG. 5A and FIG. 5C, a step surface (102) encapsulating a lamp housing (103) is disclosed. The lamp housing (103) has a lamp (504) for illuminating the glove box (110). The step surface (102) hides the lamp (504) in such a position to provide diffused illumination and prevents direct viewing of lamp to vehicle occupant.
[0063] Referring FIG. 5B, shows the cool glove box cover structure (100) from the bottom surface that faces inside the glove box (110). One surface (501) of the step surface (102) that has more height than the other surface (502). The surface (501) provides a slot (503) for mounting the lamp (504).
[0064] Referring FIG. 5D, the lamp (504) enters the cool glove box cover structure (100) through the slot (503) and then the lamp (504) is rotated so that it gets locked and does not come out of the slot (503).
[0065] If there is a possibility that during operation due to wire harness (105) movement, the lamp (504) rotates back and try to come out of the slot (503), a rib (506) is provided near the slot (503) which controls the over stroke rotation and accidental detachment of the lamp (504) is prevented.
[0066] Referring FIG. 6, the embossed surface (111) provided on the base (109) is shown. The embossed surface (111) is extended in upwards direction towards the instrument panel (202) (as shown in FIG.2). On top of the embossed surface (111), snap hooks (104a, 104b, 104c) are provided.
[0067] The snap hooks (104a, 104b, 104c) have an opening that faces upwards. The snap hooks (104a, 104b, 104c) have a provision to accommodate the wire harness (105) and connectors of the lamp (504) by integrating it such that it is not visible to the passenger.
[0068] Further, the snap hooks (104a, 104b, 104c) are a non-returnable type of snap-hook and the chances of wire harness (105) coming out of guides and creating sounds after collision with surrounding parts is reduced.

TECHNICAL ADVANTAGES
[0069] With the help of the solution as proposed herein in the context of the present disclosure, the illumination from the lamp is utilized to the maximum without hurting the eyes of the passenger and make the objects present inside the glove box clearly visible.
[0070] With the step surface design in the present disclosure, the lamp source is invisible to the passenger, making the design seamless.
[0071] The wire harness and connector of the lamp are housed on the cool glove box cover structure, thereby utilizing the space.
[0072] Further, the chances of the wire harness coming out of the snap hooks are reduced along with the chances of making sounds after collision with surrounding parts.
[0073] The cool glove box cover structure can be easily assembled on the instrument panel against the gravity.
[0074] The lamp can easily be locked.
[0075] The present disclosure is easy to manufacture, and no complex tooling such as lifters or sliders is required.
[0076] Lastly, the cool glove box cover structure can be offered as an after-market accessory to make it as a modular feature.
[0077] It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation, no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to disclosures containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. Also, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general, such construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances, where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general, such construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms or both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”
[0078] It will be further appreciated that functions or structures of a plurality of components or steps may be combined into a single component or step, or the functions or structures of one-step or component may be split among plural steps or components. The present disclosure contemplates all of these combinations. Unless stated otherwise, dimensions and geometries of the various structures depicted herein are not intended to be restrictive of the disclosure, and other dimensions or geometries are possible. Also, while a feature of the present disclosure may have been described in the context of only one of the illustrated embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of other embodiments, for any given application. It will also be appreciated from the above that the fabrication of the unique structures herein and the operation thereof also constitute methods in accordance with the present disclosure. The present disclosure also encompasses intermediate and end products resulting from the practice of the methods herein. The use of “comprising” or “including” also contemplates embodiments that “consist essentially of” or “consist of” the recited feature. , Claims:We claim:
1. A cool glove box cover structure (100) located on top of the glove box (110), the structure (100) comprising:
a base (109) having a first side (107) and a second side (108);
a plurality of locators (101a, 101b) provided at a distance from one another on a first side (107),
wherein the plurality of locators (101a, 101b) has a plurality of semi-circular ribs (301) and a conical locator pin (302) that are situated adjacent to each other;
a step surface (102) provided on top of a lamp housing (103) of the cool glove box cover structure (100);
an embossed surface (111) provided adjacent to the step surface (102), wherein the embossed surface has a plurality of snap hooks (104a, 104b, 104c) configured to mount a wire harness (105) of a lamp (504); and
a plurality of mounting locations (106a, 106b, 106c) provided at the second side (108), wherein end of the second side (108) is configured to get mounted to an instrument panel (202).

2. The cool glove box cover structure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of mounting locations (106a, 106b, 106c) has first fastening holes (401a, 401b, 401c).

3. The cool glove box cover structure (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein a two-piece clip (402b) is inserted inside the fastening hole (401b) to mount the cool glove box cover structure (100) to the instrument panel (202).

4. The cool glove box cover structure (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein a plurality of first fasteners (402a, 402c) is inserted inside the first fastening holes (401a, 401c) to mount the cool glove box cover structure (100) to the instrument panel (202).

5. The cool glove box cover structure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of locators (101a, 101b) has second fastening holes (303a, 303b) to mount the cool glove box cover structure (100) with a steel rod (201) using a plurality of second fasteners (304a, 304b).

6. The cool glove box cover structure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein second side (108) of the cool glove box cover structure (100) is elevated from the base (109) of the cool glove box cover structure (100).

7. The cool glove box cover structure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein a slot (503) and a rib (506) are provided on one surface (501) of the step surface (102) to mount the lamp (504).

8. The cool glove box cover structure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the middle mounting location (106b) is angularly elevated.

9. The cool glove box cover structure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locators (101a, 101b) face a steel rod (201).