Vehicle instrument panel cover assembly

Claim 2

In a vehicle of a type including a seat, an instrument panel support structure spaced forwardly of the seat and a generally upright instrument panel including upper, lower and opposite side edges and being spaced forwardly of the seat and supporting a plurality of instruments positioned so as to be in the line of sight of a forwardly facing operator seated in the seat, an instrument panel cover assembly, comprising: cover support means forming part of said panel support structure and having upwardly facing, substantially planar slide surface means extending forwardly from and generally perpendicular to said instrument panel adjacent one of said upper and lower edges thereof; an instrument panel cover having a central planar portion dimensioned for covering said instrument panel; said panel cover including first and second end portions at opposite sides of said central planar portion; said panel cover having a stored position wherein said first end portion rests upon said slide surface means at a forward location of the latter and said central panel portion extends generally parallel to said slide surface means; stop surface means being fixed to said panel support structure at a location, in the path of rearward movement of said first end portion of said panel cover along said slide surface means from said stored position, spaced a distance rearwardly from said forward location of said slide surface means at least as great as that between said forward location and the rear end of said slide surface means; said first end portion and said stop means being configured so as to cooperate to establish a horizontal pivot axis when the cover is in an intermediate position wherein said first end portion is in bearing engagement with said stop means, said cover being pivotable about said axis to an operative position wherein said central planar portion thereof extends rearwardly of and in covering relationship to said instrument panel; and releasable lock means for selectively releasably securing said panel cover to said support structure when the cover is in said operative position.

Claim 3

The vehicle defined in claim 1 wherein said stop means includes transverse, horizontal pin means being fixed to said panel support structure so as to define a pivot axis located rearwardly of and spaced vertically from one of said upper and lower edges of the panel; said first end portion of said panel cover, as viewed in its stored position, defining a rearwardly opening hook-like receptacle means adjacent the forward end thereof, the receptacle means extending to one side of the planar portion and having an arcuate seating surface positioned and shaped for the complementary reception of said pin means when the panel cover is moved rearwardly to said intermediate position, the pin means and receptacle means thus forming hinge means whereby said cover may be swung vertically, about said axis defined by the pin means, to the operative position of the cover.

Claim 4

The vehicle as defined in claim 2 wherein said horizontal pin means is positioned vertically above the upper edge of said instrument panel and said hook-like receptacle means being in sliding engagement with said slide surface means of said cover support means when the panel cover is in said stored position.

Claim 5

The vehicle as defined in claim 3 and further including a compressible biasing means connected to said support structure at a location positioning said biasing means above and in compressed engagement with said panel cover when the latter is in said stored position.

Claim 6

The vehicle as defined in claim 4 wherein said biasing means comprises an elastomeric member having a hollow lower end.

Claim 7

The vehicle as defined in claim 2 wherein one of said instruments is a key-operable ignition switch having a key receptacle; said operative position of the panel cover being spaced closer to said switch than the minimum distance required for permitting a key to remain in said key receptacle with the cover in said operative Position; said releasable latch means including a key-operable lock carried by said panel cover and including a rotatable latching finger spaced forwardly from the cover, when the latter is closed, and extending generally parallel to the cover; and said panel support structure including a plate located in the path of rotation of said finger when the cover is in said operative position; and said plate containing an aperture for releasably receiving said finger when the latter has been rotated to a latching position.

Claim 8

The vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein one of said instruments is a key-operable ignition switch having a key receptacle; said operative position of the panel cover being spaced closer to said switch than the minimum distance required for permitting a key to remain in said key receptacle with the cover in said operative position; said releasable latch means including a key-operable lock carried by said panel cover and including a rotatable latching finger spaced forwardly from the cover, when the latter is closed, and extending generally parallel to the cover; and said panel support structure including a plate located in the path of rotation of said finger when the cover is in said operative position; and said plate containing an aperture for releasably receiving said finger when the latter has been rotated to a latching position.

Claim 9

The vehicle as defined in claim 7 wherein said second end portion of said panel cover includes a tab positioned for insertion in said aperture in said plate when the panel cover is being moved to said operative position; and said tab being apertured for receiving said rotatable latching finger of said key-operable lock when the finger is in its latching position.

Claim 10

The vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein said first end portion of said panel cover is turned back in general parallel, spaced relationship to said central planar portion and includes a horizontal transversely extending pivot pin means in bearing engagement with said slide surface means.

Claim 11

The vehicle defined in claim 9 wherein the rear end of said slide surface means terminates at said instrument panel; and said instrument panel forming said stop means.

Claim 12

The vehicle defined in claim 10 wherein said slide surface means is located adjacent to but below the upper edge of said instrument panel; and said cover being dimensioned such that said central planar portion thereof rests upon said upper edge when the cover is in its stored position.

Claim 13

The vehicle defined in claim 11 wherein a rubber-like molding forms a substantial portion of said upper edge.

Claim 14

The vehicle defined in claim 12 wherein said releasable lock means includes a key-operable lock mounted on the cover at a central location between the opposite transverse sides of said cover adjacent the rearward end thereof, and said upper edge of said instrument panel defining a notch for accommodating a portion of said lock when the cover is in said stored position.

Claim 15

An instrument panel and panel cover assembly, comprising: an instrument panel support structure including spaced, substantially upright sidewalls; an instrument panel extending between said sidewalls and being secured to said panel support structure; said instrument panel having spaced side edges respectively disposed at least in close proximity to said opposite sidewalls and having spaced transverse edges extending transversely to said opposite sidewalls; a plurality of instruments being mounted in said panel and having surfaces facing in a direction generally perpendicular to said panel; cylindrical pin means defining an axis extending transversely to said opposite sidewalls, the pin means being fixed to said panel support structure at a location spaced from one of said transverse edges in a direction away from said panel and spaced from said panel in the direction faced by said instruments; said panel support structure including guide surface means extending substantially perpendicular to said panel in a direction oppOsite to that faced by said instruments and said guide surface means including an end portion located adjacent to said one of said transverse edges; an instrument panel cover being dimensioned to cover said panel and including a substantially central planar portion having spaced side edges adapted to be placed in close proximity with said sidewalls; said panel cover having at least one end portion extending transversely to said sidewalls and being reversely curved to one side of said planar portion so as to define a hook means shaped complementary to said pin means for receiving the pin means when the panel cover is moved from a stored position, wherein said panel cover engages said pin means and said guide surface means, in the direction faced by said instruments, to thus form a hinge connection about which the panel cover is swingable to an operative position wherein the panel cover extends over and blocks access to said instruments; and releasable lock means for releasably fixing said panel cover to said panel structure when the panel cover is in said operative position.

Claim 16

An instrument panel and panel cover assembly, comprising: an instrument panel support structure including spaced, substantially upright sidewalls; an instrument panel extending between said sidewalls and being secured to said panel support structure; said instrument panel having spaced side edges respectively disposed at least in close proximity to said opposite sidewalls and having spaced transverse edges extending transversely to said opposite sidewalls; a plurality of instruments being mounted in said panel and having surfaces facing in a direction generally perpendicular to said panel; cylindrical pin means defining an axis extending transversely to said opposite sidewalls, the pin means being fixed to said panel support structure at a location spaced from one of said transverse edges in a direction away from said panel and spaced from said panel in the direction faced by said instruments; said panel support structure including guide surface means extending substantially perpendicular to said panel in a direction oppOsite to that faced by said instruments and said guide surface means including an end portion located adjacent to said one of said transverse edges; an instrument panel cover being dimensioned to cover said panel and including a substantially central planar portion having spaced side edges adapted to be placed in close proximity with said sidewalls; said panel cover having at least one end portion extending transversely to said sidewalls and being reversely curved to one side of said planar portion so as to define a hook means shaped complementary to said pin means for receiving the pin means when the panel cover is moved from a stored position, wherein said panel cover engages said pin means and said guide surface means, in the direction faced by said instruments, to thus form a hinge connection about which the panel cover is swingable to an operative position wherein the panel cover extends over and blocks access to said instruments; and releasable lock means for releasably fixing said panel cover to said panel structure when the panel cover is in said operative position.

Claim 17

The instrument panel and panel cover assembly defined in claim 14 and further including deflectable resilient means fixed to said panel support so as to be in the path of movement of said panel cover when the latter is moved from said operative to said stored position and being so constructed and arranged that said panel cover deflects the resilient means as the panel cover moves to said stored position, in such a manner that the resilient means biases said panel cover against said pin means and said guide means.

Claim 18

The vehicle as defined in claim 14 wherein said panel cover includes a second end portion located on the opposite side of said central portion from said one end portion; said second end portion defining a tab angled away from said central portion so as to extend generally parallel to said guide surface means when the panel cover is in said operative position; said panel support structure including a plate having an aperture located to receive said tab when the panel cover is in said operative position; said tab having an aperture therein; and said releasable lock means including a key-operable latching finger rotatably mounted on said panel cover in a location for movement into the respective apertures of said plate and said tab when the panel cover is in said operative position.

Claim 19

In a vehicle of a type including a seat, an instrument panel support structure spaced forwardly of the seat, a generally upright instrument panel connected to the panel support structure and including upper, lower and opposite side edges bounding a plurality of instruments supported thereby so as to be in the line of sight of a forwardly facing, seated operator, an instrument panel cover assembly comprising: an instrument panel cover having a central portion dimensioned for covering the instrument panel; connection means interposed between a first end portion of the panel cover and the panel support structure for hingedly supporting the panel cover for movement between an operative position, wherein the central portion thereof extends rearwardly of and in covering relationship to the instrument panel, and a second position wherein the central portion of the panel cover is displaced angularly away from the instrument panel; said panel cover having a second end portion disposed on a side opposite from said first end portion; a key-operable lock carried by said panel cover adjacent the second end portion thereof and including a rotatable latching finger spaced forwardly from the cover when the latter is in said operative position; said panel support structure including a plate located in the path of rotation of said finger when the cover is in said operative position; an aperature located in said plate for releasable receiving said finger when the latter has been rotated to a latching position; said second end portion of the panel cover including a tab positioned so as to be inserted in said aperture in said plate when the panel cover is in said operative position; and said tab being apertured for receiving said rotatable finger of said key-operable lock when the finger is in its latching position.

Claim 20

In a vehicle of a type including a seat, an instrument panel support structure spaced forwardly of the seat, a generally upright instrument panel connected to the panel support structure and including upper, lower and opposite side edges bounding a plurality of instruments supported thereby so as to be in the line of sight of a forwardly facing, seated operator, an instrument panel cover assembly comprising: an instrument panel cover having a central portion dimensioned for covering the instrument panel; connection means interposed between a first end portion of the panel cover and the panel support structure for hingedly supporting the panel cover for movement between an operative position, wherein the central portion thereof extends rearwardly of and in covering relationship to the instrument panel, and a second position wherein the central portion of the panel cover is displaced angularly away from the instrument panel; said panel cover having a second end portion disposed on a side opposite from said first end portion; a key-operable lock carried by said panel cover adjacent the second end portion thereof and including a rotatable latching finger spaced forwardly from the cover when the latter is in said operative position; said panel support structure including a plate located in the path of rotation of said finger when the cover is in said operative position; an aperature located in said plate for releasable receiving said finger when the latter has been rotated to a latching position; said second end portion of the panel cover including a tab positioned so as to be inserted in said aperture in said plate when the panel cover is in said operative position; and said tab being apertured for receiving said rotatable finger of said key-operable lock when the finger is in its latching position.