Ashtray

Claim 2

An ashtray structure for a vehicle, said ashtray structure comprising a receptacle consisting of a drawer, means defining a support housing combined with a front wall having an outer surface, a cavity within said housing and containing said drawer, means defining an aperture in said front wall whereby said cavity is accessible from a side of said wall opposed to said cavity, said aperture having an upper edge and a lower edge on said outer surface, said drawer having an upper open side and a front wall having an upper outer edge, pivot means connecting said drawer to said housing to pivot about an axis between an inoperative position and a position of use in which position of use said drawer is downwardly and forwardly inclined so as to present the said open side of said drawer in front of said aperture, and means for maintaining said drawer selectively in said two positions, said pivot axis being so located relative to said drawer and said upper and lower edges of said aperture that said upper outer edge of said front wall of said drawer is in the vicinity of but does not project beyond said upper and lower edges of said aperture relative to said cavity in said two positions of said drawer whereby said drawer is located wholly within said cavity in said two positions.

Claim 3

An ashtray structure for a vehicle, said ashtray structure comprising a receptacle consisting of a drawer, means defining a support housing combined with a front wall having an outer surface, a cavity within said housing and containing said drawer, means defining an aperture in said front wall whereby said cavity is accessible from a side of said wall opposed to said cavity, said aperture having an upper edge and a lower edge on said outer surface, said drawer having an upper open side and a front wall having an upper outer edge, pivot means connecting said drawer to said housing to pivot about an axis between an inoperative position and a position of use in which position of use said drawer is downwardly and forwardly inclined so as to present the said open side of said drawer in front of said aperture, and means for maintaining said drawer selectively in said two positions, said pivot axis being so located relative to said drawer and said upper and lower edges of said aperture that said upper outer edge of said front wall of said drawer is in the vicinity of but does not project beyond said upper and lower edges of said aperture relative to said cavity in said two positions of said drawer whereby said drawer is located wholly within said cavity in said two positions, said drawer being removable and said pivot means comprising two coaxial journals mounted on said drawer and two coaxial bearing recesses in said housing and in which said journals are journaled, each of said recesses having a lateral passageway allowing the corresponding journal to be shifted radially out of the recess in a given direction, spring means interposed between said drawer and said housing and biasing said drawer in a direction to shift the drawer out of said cavity and through said aperture but in a direction other than said given direction whereby said journals are normally maintained in said recesses by said spring means but are withdrawable therefrom by shifting said drawer in said given direction in opposition to the action of said spring means whereafter said spring means eject said drawer through said aperture.

Claim 4

An ashtray structure for a vehicle, said ashtray structure comprising a receptacle consisting of a drawer, means defining a support housing combined with a front wall having an outer surface, a cavity within said housing and containing said drawer, means defining an aperture in said front wall whereby said cavity is accessible from a side of said wall opposed to said cavity, said aperture having an upper edge and a lower edge on said outer surface, said drawer having an upper open side and a front wall having an upper outer edge, pivot means connecting said drawer to said housing to pivot about an axis between an inoperative position and a position of use in which position of use said drawer is downwardly and forwardly inclined so as to present the said open side of said drawer in front of said aperture, and means for maintaining said drawer selectively in said two positions, said pivot axis being so located relative to said drawer and said upper and lower edges of said aperture that said upper outer edge of said front wall of said drawer is in the vicinity of but does not project beyond said upper and lower edges of said aperture relative to said cavity in said two positions of said drawer whereby said drawer is located wholly within said cavity in said two positions, said drawer being removable and said pivot means comprising two coaxial journals mounted on said drawer and two coaxial bearing recesses in said housing and in which said journals are journaled, each of said recesses having a lateral passageway allowing the corresponding journal to be shifted radially out of the recess in a given direction, spring means interposed between said drawer and said housing and biasing said drawer in a direction to shift the drawer out of said cavity and through said aperture but in a direction other than said given direction whereby said journals are normally maintained in said recesses by said spring means but are withdrawable therefrom by shifting said drawer in said given direction in opposition to the action of said spring means whereafter said spring means eject said drawer through said aperture.

Claim 5

An ashtray structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein said housing has lateral walls and said passageways are portions of two grooves provided in said lateral walls and extending from said recesses toward said aperture, said recesses being part-cylindrical upwardly extending inner end portions of said grooves, said journals being slidable in said grooves and capable of upwardly engaging in said part-cylindrical portions in said given direction.

Claim 6

An ashtray structure as claimed in claim 3, wherein said spring means and said means for maintaining said drawer selectively in said two positions are combined in a single spring comprising first portions in engaging relation to said journals and biasing said journals in a direction for maintaining said journals in said recesses and ejecting said drawer after withdrawal of said journals from said recesses in opposition to the action of said first spring portions and a second portion in engaging relation to said drawer, said second spring portion, said drawer and said pivot axis being so adapted and arranged that said second spring portion resiliently yieldably retains said drawer in said two positions of said drawer.

Claim 7

An ashtray structure as claimed in claim 4, wherein said spring consists of an elastically yieldable rod which is cranked and includes two eye portions engaged on two studs carried by said lateral walls of the housing, said drawer having a rear portion in sliding contact with said second portion of said spring, the arrangement being such that said second spring portion is capable of exerting two torques on said drawer about said pivot axis in opposite directions in said two positions of said drawer respectively.

Claim 8

An ashtray structure as claimed in claim 3, comprising two abutments carried by said housing and located intermediate said pivot axis and said upper edge of said aperture, said drawer having upper edges cooperable with said abutments when said drawer is pivoted beyond said inoperative position so as to tilt said drawer about said abutments and downwardly disengage said journals from said part-cylindrical portions of said grooves and subsequently remove said drawer from said housing.

Claim 9

An ashtray structure as claimed in claim 4, comprising two abutments carried by said housing in a position to be encountered by said first spring portions for limiting movement of said first spring portions after said drawer has been extracted from said housing, whereby when said drawer is placed back in said housing, said journals are capable of restressing said spring by sliding in said grooves and reengaging in said part-cylindrical upwardly extending end portions.

Claim 10

An ashtray structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said drawer comprises two lateral ribs mounted to slide in two rabbets in lateral walls of said housing when mounting said drawer in and removing it from said housing.

Claim 11

An ashtray structure for a vehicle, said ashtray structure comprising a receptacle having a first front wall and an upper opening, means defining a housing combined with a second front wall, said housing having lateral walls defining a cavity in which said receptacle is located, means defining an aperture in said second front wall through which said receptacle is accessible, pivot means connecting said receptacle to said lateral walls so that said receptacle is pivotable about a pivot axis between a lower position of use in which said receptacle opening is accessible through said aperture, an intermediate position corresponding to an inoperative position in which said receptacle front wall closes the major part of said aperture, and an extreme upper position, said pivot means comprising two lateral coaxial journals integral with said receptacle, recesses in said lateral walls in which said journals are pivotably mounted, grooves in said lateral walls extending in a direction from said first front wall towards said recesses, upwardly extending passageways connecting said recesses to said grooves through which passageways said journals are capable of Being radially withdrawn from said recesses, abutment means constituting pivot means integral with said housing in a position to be encountered by aid receptacle in said intermediate position when pivoting said receptacle upwardly about said pivot axis, whereby said journals may be withdrawn from said recesses in passing through said passageways and said receptacle removed from said housing by continuing to pivot said receptacle upwardly about said abutment means beyond said intermediate position, and resiliently yieldable means interposed between said housing and said receptacle for yieldably normally retaining said journals in said recesses, said resilient yieldable means being adapted to be stressed when passing said journals through said grooves into said recesses for placing said receptacle back in said housing.

Claim 12

An ashtray structure for a vehicle, said ashtray structure comprising a receptacle having a first front wall and an upper opening, means defining a housing combined with a second front wall, said housing having lateral walls defining a cavity in which said receptacle is located, means defining an aperture in said second front wall through which said receptacle is accessible, pivot means connecting said receptacle to said lateral walls so that said receptacle is pivotable about a pivot axis between a lower position of use in which said receptacle opening is accessible through said aperture, an intermediate position corresponding to an inoperative position in which said receptacle front wall closes the major part of said aperture, and an extreme upper position, said pivot means comprising two lateral coaxial journals integral with said receptacle, recesses in said lateral walls in which said journals are pivotably mounted, grooves in said lateral walls extending in a direction from said first front wall towards said recesses, upwardly extending passageways connecting said recesses to said grooves through which passageways said journals are capable of Being radially withdrawn from said recesses, abutment means constituting pivot means integral with said housing in a position to be encountered by aid receptacle in said intermediate position when pivoting said receptacle upwardly about said pivot axis, whereby said journals may be withdrawn from said recesses in passing through said passageways and said receptacle removed from said housing by continuing to pivot said receptacle upwardly about said abutment means beyond said intermediate position, and resiliently yieldable means interposed between said housing and said receptacle for yieldably normally retaining said journals in said recesses, said resilient yieldable means being adapted to be stressed when passing said journals through said grooves into said recesses for placing said receptacle back in said housing.