AND VEHICLE HAVING THE SAME

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to and benefits of Chinese Patent Application No. 201110379949.3, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of P. R. C. on November 25, 2011, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to a lifting device for vehicle-mounted equipment and a vehicle having the same.

BACKGROUND

Recently, more and more vehicle-mounted equipments are mounted on the vehicle. Conventional vehicle-mounted equipments are mounted in the dashboard of the vehicle, and extended out of the dashboard when it is in use and retracted into the dashboard when it is not in use. However, after the vehicle-mounted equipment is retracted into the dashboard, the opening in the dashboard may affect the appearance integrality of the dashboard, and the aesthetic of the interior of the vehicle, and the vehicle-mounted equipment is not capable to be inosculated to the vehicle, thus reducing the humanization, and intelligentization of the vehicle.

SUMMARY

An object of embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide a lifting device for vehicle-mounted equipment capable of driving the vehicle-mounted equipment to extend out of the dashboard when it is in use and retract into the dashboard and close the opening of the dashboard after the vehicle-mounted equipment is retracted into the dashboard when it is not in use.

Another object of embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle having the lifting device mentioned above. The lifting device for vehicle-mounted equipment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure comprises: a housing adapted to be disposed in a dashboard having an opening; a cover-flipping mechanism disposed pivotably in the housing and having a first end with a cover plate for opening and closing the opening; and a lifting-box assembly, onto which the vehicle-mounted equipment is adapted to be mounted, the lifting-box assembly being disposed in the housing, connected to a second end of the cover-flipping mechanism, and configured to be vertically movable between an extended position, in which the cover plate opens the opening and the vehicle-mounted equipment is extended out of the dashboard through the opening, and a retracted position, in which the vehicle-mounted equipment is retracted into the dashboard through the opening and the cover plate closes the opening.

The lifting device according to embodiments of the present disclosure may open the opening so that the vehicle-mounted equipment may be extended out of the dashboard , and may close the opening by the cover plate after the vehicle-mounted equipment is retracted into the dashboard when the vehicle-mounted equipment is not in use, thus ensuring the appearance integrality of the dashboard, preventing the dust from entering into the dashboard via the opening, and improving the inosculation of the vehicle-mounted equipment to the vehicle and the humanization and intelligentization of the vehicle.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a vehicle comprising above lifting device for vehicle-mounted equipment is provided.

Additional aspects and advantages of embodiments of present disclosure will be given in part in the following descriptions, become apparent in part from the following descriptions, or be learned from the practice of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

Fig.l is an exploded view of a lifting device for vehicle-mounted equipment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Fig.2 is a partial schematic view of the lifting device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Fig.3 is a schematic view of the motion process of a lifting device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Fig.4 is a schematic view of the cover-flipping mechanism of a lifting device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

Fig.5 is a schematic view of the power mechanism of a lifting device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will be made in detail to embodiments of the present disclosure. The embodiments described herein with reference to drawings are explanatory, illustrative, and used to generally understand the present disclosure. The embodiments shall not be construed to limit the present disclosure. The same or similar elements and the elements having same or similar functions are denoted by like reference numerals throughout the descriptions.

In the description, relative terms such as "longitudinal", "transversal", "front", "rear", "right", "left", "lower", "upper", "horizontal", "vertical", "above", "below", "up", "top", "bottom" as well as derivative thereof (e.g., "horizontally", "downwardly", "upwardly", etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawings under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and do not require that the present disclosure be constructed or operated in a particular orientation. Terms concerning attachments, coupling and the like, such as "connected" and "interconnected", refer to a relationship, in which structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise.

As shown in Figs.1-5, a lifting device for vehicle-mounted equipment according to embodiments of the present disclosure, comprises: a housing 1, cover-flipping mechanism 6 and a lifting-box assembly 3 onto which the vehicle-mounted equipment is adapted to be mounted. In some embodiments, the vehicle-mounted equipment (not shown) may be a vehicle-mounted robot, a driving reminder, or a vehicle-mounted GPS, etc. The housing 1 is adapted to be disposed in a dashboard 10 having an opening for the vehicle-mounted equipment passing through. The cover-flipping mechanism 6 is disposed pivotably in the housing 1 and has a first end provided with a cover plate 7 for opening and closing the opening.

The lifting-box assembly 3 is disposed in the housing 1 , connected to a second end of the cover-flipping mechanism 6, and configured to be vertically movable between an extended position in which the cover plate 7 opens the opening and the vehicle-mounted equipment is extended out of the dashboard 10 through the opening, and a retracted position in which the vehicle-mounted equipment is retracted into the dashboard 10 through the opening and the cover plate 7 closes the opening.

With the lifting device according to embodiments of the present disclosure, the opening may be opened so that the vehicle-mounted equipment may be extended out of the dashboard 10 when it is needed to use the vehicle-mounted equipment, and the opening may be closed by the cover plate 7 after the vehicle-mounted equipment is retracted into the dashboard 10 when the vehicle-mounted equipment is not needed to use, thus ensuring the appearance integrality of the dashboard, preventing the dust from entering the dashboard, and improving the inosculation of the vehicle-mounted equipment to the vehicle and the humanization and intelligentization of the vehicle.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in Fig.2, the lifting-box assembly 3 comprises a lifting-box body 301 and a power mechanism 302 disposed in the lifting-box body 301 for driving the lifting-box body 301 to move between the extended position and the retracted position. The power mechanism 302 comprises a power unit and a transmission mechanism connected to the power unit. Correspondingly, each of two opposing inner sidewalls of the housing 1 has a toothed bar 2 extended vertically and meshed with the transmission mechanism 13, thus facilitating the ascending and descending of the lifting-box assembly 3 along the vertical direction.

More specifically, the power unit may be a motor 12. As shown in Fig.5, a motor gear 121 is provided on an output shaft of the motor 12. The transmission mechanism 13 comprises an input gear 1301 , a worm 1303 , an intermediate gear 1304 and an output gear 1302. The input gear 1301 is meshed with the motor gear 121. The worm 1303 is coaxial with the input gear 1301. The intermediate gear 1304 is meshed with the worm 1303. And the output gear 1302 is coaxial with the intermediate gear 1304 and meshed with the toothed bar 2. Therefore, with the engagements between the input gear 1301 and the motor gear 121, and between the output gear 1302 and the toothed bar 2, the lifting-box body 301 can move along the vertical direction.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, a sidewall of the lifting-box body 301 is provided with a guiding structure 4. The second end of the cover-flipping mechanism 6 is provided with a guiding column structure 11 fitted slidably in the guiding structure 4 so that the lifting-box assembly 3 may drive the guiding column structure 11 to pivot the cover- flipping mechanism 6 via the guiding structure 4. Therefore, the lifting of the lifting-box assembly 3 may cause the guiding column structure 11 to slide along the guiding structure 4, and the cover-flipping mechanism 6 to pivot, so that the opening and closing of the opening are realized by the ascending and descending of the vehicle-mounted equipment respectively.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, an inner side of each sidewall of the housing 1 is provided with a rotating shaft 9 onto which the cover-flipping mechanism 6 is pivotably mounted. Referring to Fig.4, the cover- flipping mechanism 6 comprises first and second rotating arms 601,602 parallel to each other and pivotably mounted onto the rotating shaft 9 respectively. The cover plate 7 is connected to a first end of each of the first and second rotating arms 601, 602.

As shown in Fig.4, the first rotating arm 601 comprises a first mounting ring 6012, and first and second rotating rods 6011, 6013, the first and second rotating rods 6011, 6013 are connected to the first mounting ring 6012 respectively and form an angle a therebetween from the first rotating rod 6011 to the second rotating rod 6013 in a clockwise direction which shown in Fig. 4. Similarly, the second rotating arm 602 comprises a second mounting ring 6022, and third and fourth rotating rods 6021, 6023, the third and fourth rotating rods 6021, 6023 are connected to the second mounting ring 6022 respectively and form the angle a therebetween in the clockwise direction from the third rotating rod 6021 to the fourth rotating rod 6023 which shown in Fig. 4. The first mounting ring 6012 and the second mounting ring 6022 are pivotably mounted onto the rotating shaft 9 respectively, thus causing the first rotating arm 601 and the second rotating arm 602 to pivot about the rotating shaft 9 respectively. Preferably, the angle a may range from about 100 degrees to about 150 degrees.

One side of the cover plate 7 is fixed to a first end of the first rotating rod 6011 away from the first mounting ring 6012, and the other side of the cover plate 7 is fixed to a first end of the third rotating rod 6021 away from the second mounting ring 6022. A top surface of the cover plate 7 is flush with an outer surface of the dashboard 10 in the retracted position, and the cover plate 7 is received in the opening of the dashboard.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in Fig.4, the guiding column structure 11 comprises first and second sliding columns 111, 112 disposed on second ends of the first and second rotating arm 601, 602 respectively.

Moreover, as shown in Fig.2, the guiding structure 4 comprises first and second guiding grooves 401, 402 formed in opposite outer sidewalls (the front sidewall and back sidewall in Fig. 2) of the lifting-box body 301 respectively. The first sliding column 111 is slidably fitted in the first guiding groove 401, and the second sliding column 112 is slidably fitted the second guiding groove 402. By cooperation between the guiding column structure 11 and the guiding structure 4, the guiding column structure 11 may slide in the guiding structure 4, thus guiding the pivoting of the cover- flipping mechanism 6.

As shown in Figs.2 and 3, in a particular embodiment of the present disclosure, the first guiding groove 401 comprises a first vertical groove portion 4012 extended vertically and a first horizontal groove portion 4011 communicated with and perpendicular to the first vertical groove portion 4012. Similarly, the second guiding groove 402 comprises a second vertical groove portion 4022 extended vertically and a second horizontal groove portion 4021 communicated with and perpendicular to the first vertical groove portion 4022.

The ascending of the lifting-box assembly 3 comprises first and second ascending stages and the descending of the lifting-box assembly 3 comprises first and second descending stages.

Particularly, at the first ascending stage, the lifting-box assembly 3 is moved upwardly from the retracted position towards the extended position, the first and second sliding columns 111, 112 slide rightward in Fig. 3 in the first horizontal groove portion 4011 and the second horizontal groove portion 4021 respectively, that is, the first and second sliding columns 111, 112 moves rightward until they reach the upper ends of the first vertical groove portion 4012 and the second vertical groove portion 4022 respectively, at the same time, the cover-flipping mechanism 6 is driven to rotate in the anti-clockwise direction in Fig. 3 and the opening is opened totally by the cover plate 7. At the second ascending state, the lifting-box assembly 3 is moved continuously upwardly, at the same time, the first and second sliding columns 111, 112 slide downwardly in the first vertical groove portion 4012 and the second vertical groove portion 4022 respectively without driving the cover-flipping mechanism 6 to rotate, and finally the lifting-box assembly 3 reaches the extended position.

On the contrary, at the first descending stage, the lifting-box assembly 3 is moved downwardly from the extended position towards to the retracted position, the first and second sliding columns 111, 112 slide upwardly in the first vertical groove portion 4012 and the second vertical groove portion 4022 towards to the right ends (in Fig. 3) of the first horizontal groove portion 4011 and the second horizontal groove portion 4021 respectively, without driving the cover-flipping mechanism 6 to rotate. At the second descending stage, the lifting-box assembly 3 is continuously moved downwardly, at the same time, the first and second sliding columns 111, 112 slide leftward in the first horizontal groove portion 4011 and the second horizontal groove portion 4021 respectively with driving the cover- flipping mechanism 6 to rotate and driving the cover plate 7 to close the opening, finally, the first and second sliding columns 111, 112 reach the left ends of the first horizontal groove portion 4011 and the second horizontal groove portion 4021 respectively, the lifting-box assembly 3 reaches the retracted position and the cover plate 7 closes the opening totally.

In brief, the cover-flipping mechanism 6 is driven and guided by the first horizontal groove portion 4011 and the second horizontal groove portion 4021 during the ascending and descending of the lifting-box assembly 3.

Furthermore, as shown in Fig. l, a position limit structure 8 is disposed on an upper edge of a sidewall of the housing 1 and comprises first and second position limit grooves 801, 802 extended downwardly from top surfaces of the sidewall of the housing respectively. A first position limit block 811 is disposed on the sidewall of the housing at a bottom end of the first position limit groove 801, and a second limit block 812 is disposed on the side wall of the housing at a bottom end of the second position limit groove 802. Therefore, the first rotating arm 601 is adapted to be fitted within the first limit groove 801 so that the position of the first rotating arm 601 is limited, and the second rotating arm 602 is adapted to be fitted within the second position limit groove 802 so that the position of the second rotating arm 602 is limited.

Particularly, the first rotating rod 6011 is cooperated with the first position limit grooves 801 and moves along the vertical first position limit grooves 801 until the first rotating rod 6011 reaches the bottom of the first position limit grooves 801 , thus limiting the position of the first rotating rod 6011. Furthermore, the first position limit block 811 may increase the contact area between the first rotating rod 6011 and the position limit structure 8 when the first rotating rod 6011 is moved to the bottom of the first position limit grooves 801, thus enhancing stability of the position limiting.

Similarly, the third rotating rod 6021 is cooperated with the second position limit groove 802 and moves along the vertical second position limit groove 802 until the third rotating rod 6021 reaches the bottom of the second position limit groove 802, thus limiting the position of the third rotating rod 6021. Furthermore, the second limit block 812 may increase the contact area between the third rotating rod 6021 and the position limit structure 8 when the third rotating rod 6021 is moved to the bottom of the second position limit groove 802, thus enhancing stability of position limiting.

The operation of the lifting device according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to Figs.1-4.

When it is desired to use and extend the vehicle-mounted equipment out of the dashboard through the opening, the lifting-box assembly 3 is moved upwardly in the vertical direction from the retracted position, via the engagement between the power mechanism 302 disposed in the lifting-box body 301 and the toothed bar 2. Simultaneously, the first and second sliding columns 111, 112 disposed on two sides of the cover- flipping mechanism 6 and may slide in the first horizontal groove portion 4011 and the second horizontal groove portion 4021, towards to the upper ends of the first vertical groove portion 4012 and the second vertical groove portion 4022 (i.e. towards the right direction in Fig.3) respectively. Accordingly, the cover-flipping mechanism 6 is driven to pivot and thus the cover plate 7 is overturned. Finally, the opening of the dashboard 10 is totally opened and the lifting-box assembly 3 reaches the extended position. That is, the cover plate 7 opens the opening and the vehicle-mounted equipment is extended out of the dashboard 10 through the opening.

When the vehicle-mounted equipment is not needed to use and it is desired to retract the vehicle-mounted equipment into the dashboard 10 through the opening, the lifting-box assembly 3 moves downwardly in the vertical direction, via the engagement between the power mechanism 302 in the lifting-box body 301 and the toothed bar 2. Simultaneously, the first and second sliding columns 111, 112 disposed on two sides of the cover- flipping mechanism 6 slide firstly and downwardly in the first vertical groove portion 4012 and the second vertical groove portion 4022 respectively without driving the cover-flipping mechanism 6 to pivot. Secondly, the first and second sliding columns 111, 112 slide leftward in the first horizontal groove portion 4011 and the second horizontal groove portion 4021 respectively with driving the cover-flipping mechanism 6 to pivot. Finally, the lifting-box assembly 3 arrives the retracted position and the opening of the dashboard 10 is totally closed. Therefore, the opening of the dashboard 10 is opened or closed according to the ascending and descending of the lifting-box assembly 3. Accordingly, the opening of the dashboard 10 is closed after the vehicle-mounted equipment being retracted into the dashboard 10, thus ensuring the appearance integrality of the dashboard 10.

A vehicle according to some embodiments of the present disclosure comprises: the lifting device for vehicle-mounted equipment described with reference to the above embodiments; and a vehicle-mounted equipment disposed on the lifting-box assembly 3 of the lifting device.

With the vehicle according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the vehicle- mounted equipment may be extended out of the dashboard and retract into the dashboard, thus ensuring the appearance integrality of the dashboard 10, preventing the dust entering into the dashboard, and improving the humanization and intelligentization.

Although explanatory embodiments have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the above embodiments can not be construed to limit the present disclosure, and changes, alternatives, and modifications can be made in the embodiments without departing from spirit, principles and scope of the present disclosure.