Armrest for a motor vehicle with a padded arm support

Abstract

The invention relates to a handrail for a motor vehicle, wherein the handrail has a housing and an arm support (10) which is pivotably attached to the housing about a rotation axis (11). A latch (20) is rotatably mounted on the arm support (10), which latch (20) interacts in a locked position with a locking element (51) on the housing, thereby preventing the arm support (10) from pivoting, while in an unlocked position the latch (20) allows the arm support (10) to pivot away from the housing. The arm support (10) has a base body (40) which has a support surface (43) which faces away from the housing of the handrail when the arm support (10) is locked, and the arm support (10) is provided with a pad (30). The latch (20) has at least one contact portion (23; 24) which comes into contact with the arm support (10) in a limiting stop region during a locking and / or unlocking action of the latch (20). In order to reduce noise when making this contact, the pad (30) extends at least partially continuously from the support surface (43) to the limiting stop region.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a handrail for a motor vehicle, wherein the handrail has a housing and an arm support, the arm support having a pad pivotally disposed on the housing. Background Technology

[0002] The center console of a motor vehicle typically includes such a handrail, in which a padded arm support is pivotally mounted via a hinged joint. In the closed position, the arm support rests on a lower storage compartment, thereby closing the storage compartment. The arm support can be pivoted upwards to provide access to the storage compartment.

[0003] A latching mechanism is often present on such handrails, allowing the arm support to remain in the closed position. This latching mechanism must be released to raise the arm support, thereby providing access to storage space in the center console. To achieve this, manual pressure must typically be applied to specific gripping surfaces on the latching mechanism to move the latch, rotatably mounted on the arm support, out of its locked position where it interacts with an impact plate on the center console. When this occurs, the arm support can be raised. When the arm support closes, the latch re-engages with a locking element on the impact plate.

[0004] However, in some cases, the noise generated by the release and / or closing of this latching mechanism can be considered annoying when handling the arm support. The latch is typically formed from a pivotable plastic component, and the base of the handrail is also often made of plastic. Depending on the design, it's possible that the latch strikes the plastic of the handrail during its actuation, producing an annoying clicking sound.

[0005] Therefore, various measures for suppressing noise on pivotable armrests are known in the art. For example, EP 2682 546 A1 discloses an arm support that is pivotally designed such that a storage space located below it can be closed or opened to provide access. In this case, a latching mechanism with a lever that can rotate between locked and unlocked positions is provided. A bistable spring presses the lever into the locked or unlocked position. Furthermore, the lever has a block made of an elastomeric material that abuts against the shaft of the latching mechanism during locking. This results in reduced vibration between the lever and the shaft, which in turn reduces noise generation.

[0006] WO 2016 / 094844A1 also discloses a handrail with a pivotable arm support, wherein a damper made of elastic material is disposed in the locking area, thereby reducing noise generated during closing action. JP 2010 10401A similarly proposes measures for preventing noise on the locking mechanism for the pivotable arm support.

[0007] US 8,556,339 A further discloses a handrail with a pivotable arm support that, after being raised, can be held in an upright position by a mechanism. A blocking element, preferably made of an elastic material, is provided for this purpose to avoid annoying noise. In motor vehicles, the use of elastic dampers in other types of storage spaces with lockable covers to reduce annoying noise is known in the art. For example, US 5,484,178 discloses a lock for a glove compartment that is molded from plastic and also has a damping buffer.

[0008] Known measures for reducing annoying noise on lockable arm supports are often employed, resulting in the use of separate damping elements placed in different locations depending on the design of the locking mechanism. However, these separate damping elements constitute additional components that must be installed and increase the overall complexity of the arm support design. Given the disclosed prior art, there is therefore still room for improvement in the area of ​​the locking armrest.

[0009] The problem solved by the present invention is to provide a handrail for a motor vehicle having a pivotable arm support with a locking mechanism, wherein annoying noise can be easily avoided during locking and / or unlocking operations. Summary of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, this problem is solved by the handrail for motor vehicles described herein.

[0011] It should be noted that the features and measures individually specified in the following description can be combined with each other in any technically feasible manner, and other embodiments of the invention are disclosed. This description characterizes and illustrates the invention, particularly in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0012] The armrest according to the invention can be used in motor vehicles, particularly in the center console of a vehicle. The center console may be positioned between two front seats or two rear seats. However, the armrest may also be positioned, for example, on the inside of a door. The armrest has a housing and an arm support attached to the housing, the arm support being pivotable about an axis of rotation. Vehicle passengers can rest their forearms on the arm support, while the housing below can be used to store items. For this purpose, one or more cavities are formed in the housing, which are concealed when the arm support is folded. In this case, the housing is at the bottom, and the arm support is at the top of the housing. To access the cavities in the housing, the arm support pivots upward about its axis of rotation. In this invention, the terms "bottom" and "top" refer to the position of a component or surface when the armrest according to the invention is in its installed position in a motor vehicle.

[0013] A latch is rotatably mounted on the arm support. In the locked position, the latch interacts with a locking element on the housing, thereby preventing the arm support from pivoting away from the housing. In the unlocked position, the latch allows the arm support to pivot away from the housing because the latch no longer interacts with the locking element. The latch and the associated latching mechanism with the locking element can be constructed in known ways. The latch can be manually actuated to raise the locked position, allowing the arm support to pivot away from the housing during proper operation. The latch is preferably manually actuated because the passenger rests their forearm on the arm support, grasps the front edge of the arm support with their fingers, and pulls upward on the latch beneath the arm support. In this way, the natural grip movement can be ergonomically used to unlock the latch. The latch is also raised during the subsequent lifting of the arm support.

[0014] For example, the latch has a latch tongue that interacts with an impact plate on the housing in the locked position. For this purpose, a latch lug is formed on the latch tongue, which engages with a groove in the impact plate. If the latch is actuated and rotated about its axis of rotation during this period, the latch lug moves out of the impact plate and the lock is released, allowing the arm support to move freely. The mechanism can, of course, also be constructed in the opposite manner, where the latch has a groove and the latch lug on the housing engages with this groove. Other suitable designs are also conceivable. Additionally, the latch can be moved to its locked position without interacting with a locking element on the housing. Therefore, the term "locked position" used to describe the invention does not necessarily result in the locking of the armrest, but simply defines the position of the latch relative to the arm support.

[0015] The arm support itself is formed as a cover on the housing, wherein it preferably protrudes beyond the edge of the housing. The arm support has a base with a support surface on which a passenger can rest when the arm support is folded down. Thus, when the arm support is locked, the support surface faces away from the armrest housing and forms the upper side of the arm support. The support surface is padded, making it soft and visually appealing. The base of the arm support is preferably made of plastic. It forms a hood-shaped cover with downwardly extending side edges. The padding of the arm support preferably extends across the entire support surface and extends to the side edge of the base. The padding is preferably folded inward at the side edge. The latch is also preferably made of plastic or a combination of plastic and metal components.

[0016] In one embodiment, the latch has a reset mechanism to push it into the locked position. For this reset mechanism, one or more springs engage at different points between the latch and the arm support, for example, to continuously press the latch into the locked position. For example, a coil spring may be clamped between the latch and the arm support in such a way that the latch is always pressed into the locked position. To unlock, the passenger manually moves the latch against the spring force, and it automatically returns to the locked position once the passenger releases the latch.

[0017] According to the invention, the latch has at least one contact portion that contacts the arm support in a limiting stop region during locking and / or unlocking actions of the latch. In this limiting stop region, the arm support acts as a limiting stop for latch movement. A pad extends continuously, at least partially, from the support surface into the limiting stop region. In this way, the limiting stop region is cushioned by the pad. There is no contact between the two rigid components, but there is contact between the latch and the soft pad, which produces a damping effect. This prevents annoying noise when there is contact between the latch and the arm support. In this way, it is particularly advantageous that no additional damping element needs to be attached. The pad, in any case, only extends until it reaches the filled limiting stop region. This can be visually appealing. Furthermore, this can save components and reduce assembly time.

[0018] For example, the pad is a flexible material fabric with a foam layer attached thereto, such as pad arm supports commonly used in motor vehicles. In this case, material fabrics, particularly woven fabrics, vinyl, leather, and / or synthetic leather, can be used. The selected material fabric forms the visible top side of the pad, with the foam layer underneath facing the support layer. For example, a material fabric with a thickness of about 0.4 mm and a foam layer of 3 mm thickness can be provided. Contact advantageously occurs between the latch and the pad on the material fabric side of the pad. However, it is also possible to provide a pad that extends into the stop area in such a way that contact occurs on the side of the foam layer.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, when the arm support is locked, the limiting stop area of ​​the latch is located on the side of the arm support housing facing the handrail, i.e., on the underside of the arm support. The latch is attached to the underside of the arm support and can impact the arm support from below during locking and / or unlocking. In this embodiment, the padding extends at least partially to the underside of the arm support. In this case, the entire underside of the arm support may be provided with padding, but only the portion of the underside that contacts the latch is preferably provided with additional padding. The extended padding is then limited within the limiting stop area of ​​the latch and the arm support.

[0020] In this configuration, padding on different side edges of the arm support base can extend to reach the underside of the arm support. Preferably, the side edges of the arm support base extend from the support surface to a limiting stop area opposite the axis of rotation of the arm support. In this case, this is typically the short front edge of the arm support, in the area where the passenger's hand is located when the passenger's forearm is placed on the arm support. However, padding may also extend along one or both longitudinal edges of the arm support to the underside.

[0021] The latch may contact the arm support in one, two, or more portions, creating one or more limiting stop regions on the arm support. In one embodiment of the invention, the latch has two contact portions, for example, during locking and / or unlocking actions of the latch, the two contact portions contact the padding of the arm support in the limiting stop regions. For example, when the latch is in the locked position, the first contact region contacts the arm support, and when the latch is in the unlocked position, the second contact portion contacts the arm support. The latch preferably contacts the arm support in the limiting stop regions under the action of a spring force through at least one contact region, wherein, particularly when the latch is in the locked position, the first contact portion contacts the limiting stop region.

[0022] The first contact portion of the latch is located, for example, in the front region of the arm support, which can be lifted. When a passenger grasps the latch with their fingers, this first contact portion of the latch contacts the arm support to release the lock. During this time, the latch rotates relative to the arm support about its axis of rotation, and the passenger can, for example, pull the gripping surface of the latch toward the arm support until the first contact portion contacts the underside of the arm support. The arm support acts as a restraining stop for the latch there, with an extended pad reaching the first stop area. Thus, initial noise during the unlocking action can be avoided. At the latest in this latched position, the arm support can be lifted and pivoted upward about its axis of rotation.

[0023] If the passenger releases the latch now, it is preferably turned back to the locked position by the spring force of the reset mechanism. In this case, the latch is rotated until the second contact area of ​​the latch contacts the arm support. The underside of the arm support again acts as a limiting stop for the latch. Viewed from the front edge, this second contact area is closer to the center of the arm support. An extended pad also reaches this second limiting stop area, thus preventing noise when the latch is released.

[0024] Further noise is avoided when the arm support pivots downwards to lock again. For this purpose, the latch must engage with a locking element on the armrest housing. In some cases, the latch is initially deflected slightly from its locked position against the spring force. This can be done manually by the passenger. However, it is preferably provided that the latch is initially pressed away from the housing against the spring force during the arm support's descent. If the latch element has moved into the area of ​​the corresponding locking element on the housing, the two elements can engage with each other, thereby allowing the latch to rotate back to its locked position. The underside of the arm support can also serve as a limiting stop for the second contact portion described in this position. Because this area of ​​the arm support has a soft construction due to the extended padding, noise is also avoided during the locking action.

[0025] The pad can extend into the limiting stop area between the latch and the arm support in various ways. In one embodiment of the invention, the pad forms a strip-shaped pad tongue extending into the limiting stop area. In the case of multiple limiting stop areas, the pad tongue can extend in such a way that it is located in both the limiting stop area of ​​the first contact portion of the latch and the arm support, and also in the limiting stop area of ​​the second contact portion of the latch and the arm support. In this way, both limiting stop areas are covered by the pad tongue. In an alternative embodiment, a first pad tongue extends in such a way that it is located in the limiting stop area of ​​the first contact portion of the latch and the arm support, while a second pad tongue extends in such a way that it is located in the limiting stop area of ​​the second contact portion of the latch and the arm support. In this way, the limiting stop areas are covered by the respective pad tongues. Additionally, due to specific design requirements, the pad tongue may also be larger than required for cushioning at least one limiting stop area.

[0026] Furthermore, the pad tongue can be located within and completely fill the recess of the arm support. In this case, the pad can be inserted flush with or slightly protruding from the recess. In this way, the extended pad can have a visually pleasing design because it is integrated into the arm support and the side edges of the extended pad are not visible. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Other advantageous embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the following description of the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

[0028] Figure 1 A lower view of an embodiment of the arm support is shown;

[0029] Figure 2 It shows according to Figure 1 A schematic longitudinal section of the arm support component;

[0030] Figure 3 A three-dimensional view of the latch is shown;

[0031] Figure 4 It shows according to Figure 3 Details of the latch with a spring mechanism;

[0032] Figure 5 A schematic partial longitudinal section is shown through the arm support, with the latching mechanism in the locked position; and

[0033] Figure 6 It shows according to Figure 5 The arm support during the unlocking action. Detailed Implementation

[0034] In different drawings, the same parts always have the same reference numerals, which is why they are usually described only once.

[0035] The handrail according to the invention includes at least one housing and an arm support attached thereto. The arm support is pivotally mounted on the housing via a rotation axis and forms a cover for opening the housing upwards. This arm support 10 can be viewed from a bottom view. Figure 1 Inference from the middle, and Figure 2 A schematic longitudinal section AA of this arm support is shown. The axis of rotation 11 to the housing, not shown, is located on the left side of the figure. The associated housing can be formed in a manner known in the art, having one or more cavities that are accessible from above in the installed state.

[0036] The arm support 10 is formed from a base 40, which forms the basic shape of the arm support 10. The base 40 has a bonnet-shaped design, such as... Figure 2 A schematic longitudinal view is also visible. The base 40 essentially comprises a rectangular or trapezoidal plate with its side edges drawn downwards. The rear edge 41 and the opposite front edge 42 in the region of the rotation axis 11 can, for example, be in… Figure 2 The cross-section of the base 40 is deduced from the short side. Similarly, side edges are formed on the longitudinal side of the base 40. In this case, the base 40 may also have, for example, reinforcing ribs or other functional elements. Furthermore, it is preferably made of plastic.

[0037] A support surface 42 is formed on the upper side of the substrate 40. At least this support surface 43 is covered with a pad 30. The pad 30 preferably extends from the support surface 43 beyond the side edge of the substrate 40. In this case, the pad 30 is folded inward at the side edge, particularly from... Figure 2As can be seen in the longitudinal section, the entire arm support appears as a cushion from the outside. The extent to which the pad 30 folds back at its side edges depends largely on the design of the arm support, where the pad preferably does not extend over the entire underside of the base 40. Instead, the pad 30 is only partially enlarged, such that it extends to the underside of the arm support in the form of a pad tongue 31. This pad tongue 31 connects to the pad on the support surface 43, such that the pad 30 in this region extends continuously to the underside of the arm support. In this case, the pad tongue 31 is located in the region of the front edge 42. This is the side edge of the base 40, which is movable during rotation of the arm support 10 about the axis of rotation 11 and can be gripped by the passenger's fingers to actuate the latching mechanism of the handrail. Hereinafter also referred to as the front edge 32.

[0038] The padding tongue 31 protrudes towards the underside of the arm support 10, covering the area where a limiting stop occurs between the latch and the underside of the base 40. In the exemplary embodiment shown in the figure, the two limiting stop areas are located between the center of the base 40 and the front edge 42, such that the padding tongue 31 has corresponding dimensions. Additionally, in this case, the padding tongue 31 has a first rectangular area adjacent to the side edge 42, however, it gradually tapers towards the end of the padding tongue 31. This is because, in the illustrated armrest embodiment, the first limiting stop area near the side edge 42 is wider than the second limiting stop area further towards the center of the arm support 10.

[0039] Figure 3 A possible embodiment, such as a latch 20, is shown, mounted on an arm support about a rotation axis 27. The latch 20 is essentially formed of a plastic housing on which multiple functional elements are formed. For example, a gripping surface 28 for actuating the latch 20 is formed on the latch 20. Furthermore, the latch 20 has a protruding latch tongue 21 on which latch lugs 22 are formed. Additionally, a protruding bracket 23 is provided. The free end of the bracket 23 forms a contact portion that contacts the underside of the arm support during actuation of the latch 20. A second contact portion is formed by an edge 24. Figure 5 and Figure 6 This shows how the two contact portions 23 and 24 of the latch 20 contact the lower side of the arm support. In this case, Figure 3 The contact portion 23 is shown to be narrower than the contact portion 24. Relative to... Figure 1The padding tongue 31 in the middle means that the wider contact portion 24 contacts the padding tongue 31 in the region of the front edge 42, so that the padding tongue 31 has a corresponding width in this region. On the other hand, the smaller contact portion 23 contacts the arm support in the triangularly tapering region of the padding tongue 31, so that the padding tongue 31 can gradually taper to a point in this region. In this case, the padding tongue 31 can be directly attached to and rest on the underside of the base 40. However, it is also possible to provide a recess 44 on the underside of the base 40, in which the padding tongue 31 is partially or completely inserted.

[0040] The latch 20 can be pressed against the underside of the arm support 10 by a force manually applied by a passenger in the vehicle. Alternatively, a reset mechanism can be provided that continuously presses the latch 20 in the direction of its locked position, thus pressing it against the underside of the arm support. For this purpose, a spring mechanism can be provided, for example, so that the latch can also be pressed against the limiting stop area of ​​the arm support by spring force. Figure 4 A possible embodiment of this spring mechanism is shown. In this case, the helical spring 25 is wound around the web 26 on the latch 20, and its end is sandwiched between the latch and the arm support (not shown).

[0041] The latch 20, constructed in this manner, is attached to the underside of the arm support 10 via a rotation axis 27, as shown below. Figure 5 As shown. In this case, Figure 5 Only the front portion of the arm support 10 is shown, in which the latch 20 is located. The latch 20 is pivotally mounted on the arm support 10 via a pivot axis 27, and is therefore movable between different positions. Figure 5 The latch is shown in the locked position, with the arm support 10 resting on a housing (not shown) and preferably closed from above like a lid. Only the area of ​​the impact plate 50 within the housing is shaded. A recess 51 is located within this impact plate 50, and the latch lug 22 on the latch tongue 21 of the latch 20 engages with the recess 51. In this way, any lifting of the arm support 10 is prevented. When the latch 20 is in this position, its contact portion 23 (see...) Figure 3 The latch 20 contacts the underside of the arm support 10, specifically the padding tongue 31, which extends into the limiting stop area. Noise generated during contact between the contact portion 23 and the arm support during the journey to the locked position is thus damped by the padding tongue 31. In this case, the spring mechanism presses the latch tongue 21 in the direction of the impact plate 50 to ensure reliable locking. Therefore, the contact area 23 of the latch 20 also presses against the underside of the arm support 10.

[0042] To raise the arm support 10, the passenger places their forearm on the support surface of the arm support, allowing their fingers to grip around its padded front edge 32 and thus grasp the gripping surface 28 of the latch. If the passenger pulls the gripping surface 28 under the arm support 10 with their fingertips, the latch 20 rotates about the axis of rotation 27 against the force of the spring mechanism, causing the latch lug 22 to move out of the groove in the impact plate 50. This is caused by... Figure 6 The rotating arrow X is shown in the diagram. Simultaneously, the contact portion 24 of the latch 20 moves in the direction below the arm support 10 and contacts the pad tongue 31 there. During this unlocking action, the pad tongue 31 thus similarly dampens the contact between the latch 20 and the arm support 10.

[0043] After latch 20 is unlocked, the front side 32 of arm support 10 can be raised and arm support 10 pivots as a whole about its axis of rotation 11. This pivoting movement is caused by Figure 6 The rotating arrow Y in the diagram represents this. Typically, the passenger then releases the gripping surface 28, and the force of the spring mechanism rotates the latch 20 back to the locked position. In this case, contact is again made between the contact portion 23 and the underside of the arm support 10, where noise is damped by the padding tongue 31. If the passenger wants to close and lock the armrest again, he simply pivots the arm support 10 downwards until the locking lug 22 engages with the groove 51 in the impact plate 50. By design, it is possible here that the latch tongue 21 is initially pressed away by the impact plate 50 against the spring force of the reset mechanism, causing the latch 20 to rotate slightly out of its locked position. However, once the latch lug 22 is able to engage with the groove 51, the latch 20 rotates back to the locked position and it reaches the limiting stop between the contact portion 23 and the underside of the arm support 10, a process damped by the padding tongue.

[0044] List of reference numerals in the attached diagram:

[0045] 10-arm support

[0046] 11 Rotation axis

[0047] 20 latches

[0048] 21 latch tongue

[0049] 22 latch lugs

[0050] 23, 24 Contact parts

[0051] 25 springs

[0052] 26 webs

[0053] 27 Rotation axis

[0054] 28 gripping surfaces

[0055] 30 padding

[0056] 31 Padding tongue

[0057] 32 Front Edge

[0058] 40 matrix

[0059] 41, 42 side edges

[0060] 43 Support Surface

[0061] 50 impact plate

[0062] 51 grooves

[0063] X is the direction of latch rotation for unlocking.

[0064] Y is the rotation direction of the lifting arm support.

Claims

1. A handrail for a motor vehicle, wherein the handrail has a housing and an arm support (10) pivotally attached to the housing about a rotation axis (11), and a latch (20) is rotatably mounted on the arm support (10), the latch (20) interacting with a locking element (51) on the housing in a locked position to prevent the arm support (10) from pivoting away from the housing, and in an unlocked position the latch (20) allowing the arm support (10) to pivot away from the housing, and the arm support (10) has a base (40) having a support surface (43) facing away from the housing of the handrail when the arm support (10) is locked, and the arm support (10) having a pad (30). Its features are, The latch (20) has at least one contact portion that contacts the arm support (10) in a limiting stop area during locking and / or unlocking of the latch (20), and the pad (30) extends at least partially from the support surface (43) continuously into the limiting stop area.

2. The handrail according to claim 1, Its features are, When the arm support (10) is locked, the limiting stop area is located on the side of the housing of the arm support (10) facing the handrail.

3. The handrail according to claim 1 or 2, Its features are, The pad (30) extends from the support surface (43) on the side edge of the base (40) of the arm support (10) to the limiting stop area opposite to the rotation axis (11) of the arm support (10).

4. The handrail according to claim 1, Its features are, The latch (20) has at least two contact portions, including a first contact portion (23) and a second contact portion (24), and the at least two contact portions contact the pad (30) of the arm support (10) in the restricted stop area during the locking and / or unlocking action of the latch (20).

5. The handrail according to claim 4, Its features are, When the latch (20) is in the locked position, the first contact portion (23) contacts the arm support (10), and when the latch (20) is in the unlocked position, the second contact portion (24) contacts the arm support (10).

6. The handrail according to claim 4, Its features are, The latch (20) contacts the arm support (10) through at least one contact area under the action of spring force in the restricted stop area.

7. The handrail according to claim 5 or 6, Its features are, When the latch (20) is in the locked position, the latch (20) contacts the arm support (10) through the first contact portion (23) under the action of spring force in the restricted stop area.

8. The handrail according to claim 4, Its features are, The pad (30) forms a strip-shaped pad tongue (31) that extends into the restricted stop area.

9. The handrail according to claim 8, Its features are, The pad tongue (31) extends in such a way that it is located in the first contact portion (23) of the latch (20) and the limiting stop area of ​​the arm support (10), and also in the second contact portion (24) of the latch (20) and the limiting stop area of ​​the arm support (10).

10. The handrail according to claim 8, Its features are, The first pad tongue extends in such a way that it is located in the first contact portion (23) of the latch (20) and the limiting stop area of ​​the arm support (10), and the other second pad tongue extends in such a way that it is located in the second contact portion (24) of the latch (20) and the limiting stop area of ​​the arm support (10).

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