JP2007186070A - Mounting structure for meter cluster - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To clip-fix a meter cluster to an instrument panel in the instrument panel enhancing design property by constituting a lower edge of an opening for visually recognizing an instrument by a part of the instrument panel. <P>SOLUTION: The instrument panel 1 part constituting the lower edge 13 of the opening 11 for visually recognizing the instrument is extended to a neighborhood to a lower edge of an instrument surface M1 and is largely overlapped with the instrument panel 1 part constituting an upper edge 12 of the opening 11 for visually recognizing the instrument in plan view. The meter cluster 2 is molded to an approximately flat plate shape, a front end of the meter cluster 2 is positioned near an upper edge of an instrument surface M1, and a rear end of the meter cluster 2 is positioned adjacent to a folded/returned end 121 of an upper edge 12 of the opening for visually recognizing the instrument folded/returned to an approximately U shape cross section. An opening half part 15 of a clip opening 31 for mounting the meter cluster 2 is formed on the folded/returned end 121 folded and directed to an inner side of the opening 11 for visually recognizing the instrument, and a remained opening half part 26 of the clip opening is formed on a rear end of the meter cluster 2. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a mounting structure of a meter cluster installed in an instrument visual recognition opening of a vehicle instrument panel.

  FIG. 6 shows an exploded perspective view of a vehicle instrument panel having a meter cluster. In FIG. 6, the instrument panel 4 has an instrument viewing opening 41 formed substantially at the center in the left-right direction. The opening 41 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape by connecting the left and right side walls of the panel recessed portion 411 formed in a horizontally long rectangle with an elongated beam portion 412, and a cylindrical shape having substantially the same diameter in the opening 41. The meter cluster 5 formed in the above is mounted. Details of the mounting structure are shown in FIG. The upper edge 42 of the opening of the instrument panel 4 is folded back into the opening 41 in a substantially U-shaped cross section, and projecting pieces 43 are formed at three locations in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction in FIG. 7) of the folded end 421. A circular attachment hole 431 is provided in the protruding piece 43 as shown in FIG.

  The meter cluster 5 is positioned by engaging locking pieces 53 formed at three locations (FIG. 6) on the front end (left end in FIG. 7) of the upper side wall 51 with the upper edge protrusion M2 of the instrument section M. At the same time, circular mounting holes 54 formed at three locations (FIG. 6) on the rear end of the upper surface of the upper side wall 51 are made to coincide with the mounting holes 431 of the instrument panel 4, and petal-like shapes are formed in these mounting holes 54 and 431. The upper wall 51 of the meter cluster 5 is fixed to the opening upper edge 42 of the instrument panel 4 by inserting the clip 32 that expands into the instrument panel 4. The lower side wall 52 of the meter cluster 5 is located above the beam part 412 of the instrument panel 4 to form the lower edge of the instrument viewing opening 41, and the protruding pieces 55 provided at the left and right end parts of the lower side wall 52. The mounting holes 551 in FIG. 6 are made to coincide with the mounting holes 413 provided at the left and right positions of the lower edge of the opening 41 of the instrument panel 4, and bolts are inserted into these mounting holes 551 and 413 to insert the instrument panel 4. Fixed to.

Here, Patent Document 1 shows an example of a mounting structure for mounting a cylindrical meter cluster (meter hood) in an instrument viewing opening of an instrument panel.
JP-A-9-175233

  By the way, the lower edge of the instrument visualizing opening 41 of the conventional instrument panel 4 is composed of the lower wall 52 of the meter cluster 5 which is a different material from the instrument panel 4, and from the viewpoint of improving the design, There has been a demand to configure the lower edge of the opening 41 as a part of the instrument panel 4 like the upper edge 42 of the opening 41. However, in this case, it is necessary to make the instrument panel 4 part constituting the lower edge of the instrument viewing opening greatly enter the opening 41, and the instrument panel 4 part constituting the lower edge of the opening 41 Since the instrument panel 4 that constitutes the upper edge 42 of the opening 41 overlaps with the instrument panel 4 in plan view, it is difficult to install a vertically movable slide type for making the circular mounting hole 431 in the protruding piece 43 of the upper edge 42 of the opening. Thus, there arises a problem that the meter cluster 5 using the clip 32 cannot be simply fixed.

  Accordingly, the present invention solves such a problem, and an instrument that improves the design by configuring the lower edge of the instrument viewing opening with a part of the instrument panel together with the upper edge of the instrument viewing opening. An object of the present invention is to provide a mounting structure for a meter cluster that can clip the meter cluster to an instrument panel.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the instrument panel (1) constituting the lower edge (13) of the instrument viewing opening (11) is moved to the vicinity of the lower edge of the instrument surface (M1). The instrument cluster (2) is formed so as to substantially overlap with the instrument panel (1) that forms the upper edge (12) of the instrument viewing opening (11). Then, one end of the meter cluster (2) is positioned in the vicinity of the upper edge of the meter surface (M1), and the other end of the meter cluster (2) is folded back into a substantially U-shaped cross section. ) Of the clip opening (31) for attaching the meter cluster (2) to the folding end (121) which is positioned close to the folding end (121) and faces inward of the instrument viewing opening (11). Open half (15) is formed Together form remains open halves of a clip opening (31) to the other end of the meter cluster (2) (26).

  In the first aspect of the present invention, a half portion of the clip opening may be formed on the upper edge that greatly overlaps the lower edge of the instrument opening in a plan view, so that a negative angle is generated in the slide type sliding direction. If there is no such thing, the slide mold can be easily installed. And since the said half part 15 is complemented with the half part formed in the meter cluster and it is set as the opening for clips, the conventional clip which expands in the shape of a petal is inserted in the said opening for clips, The meter cluster can be fixed easily.

  In the second aspect of the invention, the opening half is a U-shaped notch (15) that opens to one side, and the remaining opening half is a straight line that closes the opening of the notch (15). Let it be a convex part (26). In the second aspect of the invention, each opening half can be easily formed.

  In addition, the code | symbol in the said parenthesis shows the correspondence with the specific means as described in embodiment mentioned later.

  As described above, according to the meter cluster mounting structure of the present invention, the lower edge of the instrument viewing opening is configured with a part of the instrument panel together with the upper edge of the instrument viewing opening to improve the design. In the instrument panel, the meter cluster can be easily fixed to the instrument panel with a clip.

  FIG. 1 shows an exploded perspective view of an instrument panel for a vehicle provided with a meter cluster attached with the attachment structure of the present invention. In FIG. 1, an instrument viewing opening 11 is formed on the right side of the center of the instrument panel 1. The opening 11 has an upper edge 12 that is curved upward and a lower edge 13 that is circularly downward. Curved in an arc. Both the upper edge 12 and the lower edge 13 of the opening 11 are formed by a part of the instrument panel 1, and the instrument panel 1 part constituting the opening lower edge 13 is formed on the instrument surface M1 (see FIG. 2). It greatly enters into the opening 11 to the vicinity, and overlaps with a portion of the instrument panel 1 constituting the upper edge 12 of the opening 11 in plan view. The meter cluster 2 is mounted in the instrument visualizing opening 11 having such a structure.

  In FIG. 1, the meter cluster 2 is a plate-like body in which both end portions 21 are twisted with respect to a main body portion 22 positioned therebetween, and a plurality of locking claws 23 protruding from the both end portions 21. Is inserted into the mounting holes 14 provided in the instrument panel 1 at both ends of the instrument viewing opening 11, and the meter cluster 2 is positioned in the opening 11. The meter cluster 2 has body portions 22 formed with insertion pieces 24 that are bent in a reverse L-shape and project at three locations in the longitudinal direction on the upper surface of the front end and mounting seats at three locations in the longitudinal direction on the upper surface of the rear end. A portion 25 is formed to protrude. Details of the mounting seat 25 are shown in FIG. The mounting seat 25 is formed by projecting a circular area of the plate surface of the meter cluster main body 22 upward, and a circular clip insertion hole 251 is formed at the center of the top surface 25a. A straight convex portion having a certain length is formed at the front end of the outer periphery of the top surface 25 a along the clip insertion hole 251 to form the opening half 26.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the meter cluster 2 is positioned by inserting the insertion piece 24 at the front end into the insertion gap S formed above the instrument portion M, and in this state, the mounting seat 25 at the rear end is the upper edge of the opening. It extends in 12 directions. The upper edge 12 of the opening is folded back into a substantially U-shaped cross section, and projecting pieces 14 are formed at three positions in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction in FIG. 2) of the folded end 121. As shown in FIG. 4, the protruding piece 14 includes a horizontal wall 142 supported by a standing wall 141 that hangs from the lower surface of the upper wall of the opening upper edge 12, and the horizontal wall 142 has a U-shaped notch that opens forward. Is formed as the opening half 15.

  The top surface 25a (FIG. 2) of the mounting seat 25 formed at the rear end of the meter cluster 2 is in contact with the lower surface of the horizontal wall 142, and in this state, a U-shaped opening as shown in FIG. The opening part of the half part 15 is closed by the linear opening half part 26 of the mounting seat part 25, and the clip opening 31 whose entire circumference is substantially closed is formed. The rear end of the meter cluster 2 is formed at the upper edge 12 of the opening by inserting the clip 32 which expands into a petal shape as shown in FIG. 2 through the clip insertion hole 251 (FIG. 3) into the opening 31 for the clip. The protruding piece 14 is fixed.

  According to the mounting structure of the present embodiment, the opening upper edge 12 that greatly overlaps the lower edge 13 of the instrument opening 11 in plan view is not a circular mounting hole as in the prior art, but an opening half that opens forward. Since the portion 15 may be formed, it can be easily formed by installing a horizontally movable slide mold. And since the said opening half part 15 is complemented with the opening half part 26 formed in the attachment seat part 25 of the meter cluster 2, it is set as the clip opening 31, Therefore The clip 32 is inserted in the said opening 31 for clips, and instrument visual recognition The meter cluster 2 can be easily fixed in the opening 11 for use. In the above embodiment, the opening half 15 is U-shaped and the opening half 26 is linear so as to close the opening. However, the opening half 15 has a negative angle with respect to the horizontal movement slide type. The shape of both opening halves 15 and 26 is not particularly limited as long as it is a shape that opens without being generated.

It is a disassembled perspective view of the instrument panel provided with the meter cluster which shows one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing along the II-II line of FIG. It is the A section expansion perspective view of FIG. It is the perspective view seen from the X direction of FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the rear end of the meter cluster as viewed from the Y direction in FIG. 2. It is a disassembled perspective view of the instrument panel provided with the meter cluster which shows a prior art example. It is sectional drawing along the VII-VII line of FIG. It is a top view of the protrusion piece formed in the opening upper edge of the instrument visual recognition opening.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Instrument panel, 11 ... Opening for instrument visual recognition, 12 ... Opening upper edge, 121 ... Folding end, 13 ... Opening lower edge, 15 ... Opening half, 2 ... Meter cluster, 26 ... Opening half, 31 ... Clip Opening, M1 ... instrument surface.

Claims (2)

The instrument panel that forms the lower edge of the instrument viewing opening extends to the vicinity of the lower edge of the instrument surface so that it overlaps the instrument panel that forms the upper edge of the instrument viewing opening in plan view. The meter cluster is formed into a substantially flat plate shape, and one end of the meter cluster is positioned in the vicinity of the upper edge of the instrument surface, and the other end of the meter cluster is folded back into a substantially U-shaped cross section. An opening half portion of a clip opening for attaching the meter cluster is formed at the folded end that is positioned close to the folded end of the upper edge of the opening and is turned back and faces inward of the instrument viewing opening. A mounting structure for a meter cluster, wherein an opening half portion in which the opening for the clip remains is formed at the other end. 2. The meter cluster according to claim 1, wherein the half of the opening is a notch that is U-shaped and opens to one side, and the remaining half of the opening is a linear protrusion that closes the opening of the notch. Mounting structure.