DESC:TECHNICAL FIELD
[001] The embodiments herein relate to a collapsible glove box for a vehicle, which deforms to absorb impact energy in an event of impact between the knee of an occupant and the glove box to reduce knee injury level of the occupant in the vehicle.
BACKGROUND
[002] Generally, a glove box is a storage compartment provided to an instrument panel (dashboard) of a vehicle and is located above the co-driver’s foot well. Passenger safety is one of the important aspects in which research and development is being done in the automobile design and manufacturing field. As the placement of the glove box is in front of the occupant’s knee, the glove box should absorb impact energy in an event of frontal impact between the vehicle and another vehicle/obstacle therein to reduce the knee injury level of occupant in the vehicle. A conventional glove box comprises knee bolsters to absorb impact energy. Another conventional glove box comprises energy absorbing foams to absorb impact energy. Another conventional glove box comprises energy absorbing devices to absorb impact energy. However, providing knee bolsters, energy absorbing foams and energy absorbing devices to corresponding conventional glove box assemblies increases the overall weight of the vehicle, occupies more space for packaging, incurs high cost and involves complex assembly process.
[003] Therefore, there exists a need for a collapsible glove box for a vehicle, which obviates the aforementioned drawbacks. Further, there exists a need for a collapsible glove box assembly for a vehicle, which deforms to absorb impact energy in an event of impact between the knee of an occupant and the glove box to reduce knee injury level of the occupant in the vehicle.
OBJECTS
[004] The principal object of an embodiment of this invention is to provide a collapsible glove box for a vehicle, deforms to absorb impact energy in an event of impact between the knee of an occupant and the glove box to reduce knee injury level of the occupant in the vehicle.
[005] Another object of an embodiment of this invention is to provide a collapsible glove box assembly for a vehicle.
[006] Another object of an embodiment of this invention is to provide a collapsible glove box for a vehicle, which is configured to have an optimized design (variable stiffness) that enables deformation of the glove box to absorb impact energy in an event of impact between the knee of an occupant and the glove box to reduce knee injury level of the occupant in the vehicle thereby meeting occupant safety norms.
[007] Yet, another object of an embodiment of this invention is to provide a collapsible glove box for a vehicle, which facilitates easier assembling of the glove box to an instrumental panel of the vehicle.
[008] A further object of an embodiment of this invention is to provide a collapsible glove box for a vehicle, which incurs less manufacturing costs.
[009] These and other objects of the embodiments herein will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following descriptions, while indicating embodiments and numerous specific details thereof, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the embodiments herein without departing from the spirit thereof, and the embodiments herein include all such modifications.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0010] The embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, throughout which like reference letters indicate corresponding parts in the various figures. The embodiments herein will be better understood from the following description with reference to the drawings, in which:
[0011] Fig. 1 depicts a perspective view of a glove box assembly for a vehicle, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0012] Fig. 2 depicts a perspective view of a collapsible glove box of the glove box assembly, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0013] Fig. 3 depicts a front view of the collapsible glove box, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0014] Fig. 4 depicts a cross-sectional view of the glove box assembly, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein; and
[0015] Fig. 5 depicts a cross-sectional enlarged view of a portion of the glove box as shown in fig. 4, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
[0017] The embodiments herein achieve a collapsible glove box for a vehicle, deforms to absorb impact energy in an event of impact between the knee of an occupant and the glove box to reduce knee injury level of the occupant in the vehicle. Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 through 5, where similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the figures, there are shown embodiments.
[0018] Fig. 1 depicts a perspective view of a glove box assembly 10 for a vehicle, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. In an embodiment, the glove box assembly 10 includes a collapsible glove box 100, a glove box cover C, a glove box latch assembly L and may include other standard components as present in a standard glove box assembly.
[0019] Fig. 2 depicts a perspective view of a collapsible glove box 100 of the glove box assembly 10, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. Fig. 3 depicts a front view of the collapsible glove box 100, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. In an embodiment, the collapsible glove box 100 has a first wall 102F, a second wall 102R, a plurality of side walls 102S and a bottom wall 102B. In an embodiment, the first wall 102F of the collapsible glove box 100 defines at least one crush initiating portion 102C adapted to facilitate/initiate deformation of the glove box 100 to absorb impact energy when the glove box 100 receives impact energy in an event of impact between the knee of occupant and the collapsible glove box 100, where the crush initiating portion 102C is configured to extend along a widthwise direction of the vehicle. The crush initiating portion 102C of the first wall 102F of the collapsible glove box 100 is at least an elongated notch. The crush initiating portion 102C of the first wall 102F of the collapsible glove box 100 substantially defines a V-shape configuration. It is also within the scope of the invention to provide the crush initiating portion 102C of the first wall 102F of the collapsible glove box 100 in any other shape and orientation. In another embodiment, the first wall 102F of the collapsible glove box 100 defines a plurality of crush initiating portions 102C, where each crush initiating portions 102C is spaced away from the other and extends along the widthwise direction of the vehicle. In an embodiment, the first wall 102F of the collapsible glove box 100 defines a portion 102Fa which is not provided with weld ribs so as reduce the stiffness thereof. For example, the stiffness between the glove box 100 and the glove box cover C is reduced by eliminating the weld ribs in the portion 102Fa of the first wall 102F of the collapsible glove box 100. The first wall 102F of the collapsible glove box 100 is at least a front wall. The second wall 102R of the collapsible glove box 100 is spaced away and opposite with respect to the first wall 102F of the collapsible glove box 100. The second wall 102R of the collapsible glove box 100 is at least a rear wall. Each side wall 102S of the collapsible glove box 100 is adapted to extend between the first wall 102F and the second wall 102R of the collapsible glove box 100. Each side wall 102R is parallel and spaced away with respect to one other. The bottom wall 102B of the collapsible glove box 100 is connected to the first wall 102F, the second wall 102R and each side wall 102S of the collapsible glove box 100. The bottom wall 102B of the collapsible glove box 100 is configured to be provided with variable wall thickness. The bottom wall 102B of the collapsible glove box 100 defines a first portion 102Bf and a second portion 102Bs, where a wall thickness of the second portion 102Bs is substantially lesser than a wall thickness of the first portion 102Bf of the bottom wall 102B of the collapsible glove box 100.
[0020] The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
,CLAIMS:We claim,
1. A collapsible glove box 100 to reduce knee injury level of an occupant in a vehicle, said glove box 100 having:
a first wall 102F defining at least one crush initiating portion 102C adapted to facilitate deformation of said glove box 100 to absorb impact energy when said glove box 100 receives impact energy in an event of impact between the knee of occupant and said glove box 100.
2. The collapsible glove box 100 as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one crush initiating portion 102C of said first wall 102F is at least an elongated notch.
3. The collapsible glove box 100 as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least one crush initiating portion 102C of said first wall 102F is configured to extend along a widthwise direction of the vehicle.
4. The collapsible glove box 100 as claimed in claim 3, wherein at least one crush initiating portion 102C of said first wall 102F substantially defines a V-shape configuration.
5. The collapsible glove box 100 as claimed in claim 4, wherein said first wall 102F defines a portion 102Fa which is not provided with weld ribs.
6. The collapsible glove box 100 as claimed in claim 5 has,
a second wall 102R adapted to be spaced away and opposite with respect to said first wall 102F;
a plurality of side walls 102S, where each of said side wall 102S is adapted to extend between said first wall 102F and said second wall 102R; and
a bottom wall 102B adapted to be connected to said first wall 102F, said second wall 102R and each of said side wall 102S.
7. The collapsible glove box 100 as claimed in claim 6, wherein said bottom wall 102B is configured to be provided with variable wall thickness.
8. The collapsible glove box 100 as claimed in claim 7, wherein said bottom wall 102B defines a first portion 102Bf and a second portion 102Bs, where a wall thickness of said second portion 102Bs is substantially lesser than a wall thickness of said first portion 102Bf.
9. A glove box assembly 10 for a vehicle, said glove box assembly 10 comprising:
a collapsible glove box 100 having a first wall 102F defining at least one crush initiating portion 102C adapted to facilitate deformation of said glove box 100 to absorb impact energy when said glove box 100 receives impact energy in an event of impact between the knee of occupant and said glove box 100;
a glove box cover C; and
a glove box latch assembly L.
10. The glove box assembly 10 as claimed in claim 9, wherein least one crush initiating portion 102C of the first wall 102F of said collapsible glove box 100 is at least an elongated notch.