Cushion

Abstract

To provide a cushion that enables an appropriate arm position to be maintained for a person's predetermined motion easily.SOLUTION: A cushion 1 is a cushion used by being put on the thigh of a user seated on a seat. The cushion 1 includes a body part 10 and a first notched part 21 where the body part 10 is notched into the shape following the contour of the person's belly. The body part 10 includes a support part 11 having a support base surface 111 that abuts against the user's thigh and a buffer part 12 having a flexible surface 121 on which the user's forearm is placed. The support part 11 and the buffer part 12 may be stacked with each other in a thickness direction of the body part 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cushion that defines an arm position for a predetermined human movement.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, cushions have been widely used for sitting or leaning indoors or in a vehicle. And with the diversification of recent lifestyles, there has been a demand for cushions that can be used in various applications.

[0003] Here, in the seat cushion provided in a vehicle seat, not only comfort in sitting is required, but also it is necessary to have a form that can ensure an appropriate driving position.

[0004] And, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for satisfying both ensuring an appropriate driving position and ensuring an appropriate forward view without significantly increasing the weight of the seat, regardless of differences in physique. In this technique, a thigh support portion with an adjustable vertical swing angle is configured at the front end of the seat cushion.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] It is important to maintain an appropriate arm position for a predetermined action performed by a person, such as driving a vehicle or operating a computer keyboard. In vehicle driving, it is recommended to hold the steering wheel at the 9:15 position or the 8:20 position so that the occupant's arm is not injured when the airbag is activated and to ensure an appropriate forward view. However, when holding the steering wheel in such a position, for example, compared to holding the steering wheel at the 10:10 position, it is necessary to exert muscle strength to support the arm, and it becomes difficult for the occupant to maintain a comfortable state during driving. Also, in computer keyboard operation, work tends to be performed for a relatively long time, and if an appropriate arm position is not maintained, the arm and shoulder may become extremely fatigued.

[0007] Here, according to the technique described in Patent Document 1, it seems that both ensuring an appropriate driving position and ensuring an appropriate forward view are satisfied by adjusting the position in the front-rear direction including the upward inclination angle of the seat and adjusting the swing angle of the seat back. However, this technique does not realize the maintenance of an arm position that enables continuous gripping of the steering wheel at an appropriate position for the arm gripping the steering wheel.

[0008] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a cushion that enables easy maintenance of an appropriate arm position for a predetermined action of a person.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] The cushion of the present disclosure is a cushion that defines an arm position for a predetermined action of a person. And this cushion is configured to be able to arrange the forearm of a user sitting on the seat at the position of the user's abdomen.

[0010] Specifically, one aspect of the present disclosure is a cushion that is used by being placed on the thighs of the user sitting on a seat. And this cushion includes a main body portion and a first notch portion that notches the main body portion into a shape following the contour of a human abdomen. When such a cushion is used by being placed on the thighs of a user sitting on a seat, the first notch portion will fit well on the user's abdomen, so that the cushion can continue to be stably placed on the user's thighs even when the user moves.

[0011] Here, in the above cushion, the main body portion includes a support portion having a support base surface that abuts against the thighs of the user, and a buffer portion having a flexible surface on which the user's forearm is placed, and in the thickness direction of the main body portion, the support portion and the buffer portion may be laminated. According to this, while the height of the cushion is maintained at the position of the user's thighs by the support portion, the buffer portion can disperse the body pressure by the user's forearm. And in this case, the buffer portion can be formed of a material with a lower hardness than the support portion.

[0012] Further, the cushion of the present disclosure is formed on the surface of the main body portion opposite to the surface where the first notch portion is formed, and further includes a second notch portion that notches the main body portion with a curvature smaller than that of the first notch portion and notches the opposite surface larger than the surface where the first notch portion is formed. Thus, it may be formed in a substantially H shape in plan view. Such a cushion can be suitably used by being placed on the thighs of a user sitting on the seat during driving of the vehicle. At this time, the first notch portion is directed toward the side of the user's abdomen, and the second notch portion is directed toward the side of the steering wheel. Then, by providing the second notch portion, the cushion can be placed on the thighs of the user sitting on the seat while suppressing the cushion from interfering with the steering wheel and preventing the presence of the cushion from obstructing the user's operation of the steering wheel. Also, at this time, since the first notch portion fits well to the user's abdomen, the cushion can be stably placed on the user's thighs even when the user's forearm moves due to the operation of the steering wheel. According to this, with the user's forearm placed on the cushion's buffer portion, for example, the steering wheel can be gripped at the position of 8:20, and thus, it becomes possible to maintain the arm position that enables continuous gripping of the steering wheel at an appropriate position with respect to the arm gripping the steering wheel. And in this case, the buffer portion may be inclined such that the flexible surface becomes thinner toward the surface where the second notch portion is formed.

[0013] As another aspect of the present disclosure, the cushion may include a first cushion disposed on a rail extending from the center console of the vehicle toward the seat, and a second cushion connected to a link mechanism extending from the inner door of the vehicle toward the seat. And in this case, the first cushion may be configured to be slidable on the rail, and the second cushion may be configured to be stowable in the space between the seat and the inner door by the link mechanism.

Advantages of the Invention

[0014] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a cushion that enables easy maintenance of an appropriate arm position for a predetermined human movement.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments.

[0017] <First Embodiment> The outline of the cushion in the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the cushion in the present embodiment. The cushion 1 according to the present embodiment is a cushion used by placing it on the thigh of a user seated on a seat.

[0018] And, as shown in FIG. 1(a), the cushion 1 according to the present embodiment is formed in a substantially H shape in plan view. Specifically, the main body portion 10 of the cushion 1 has a notch formed in the longitudinal side surface of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped, so that the cushion 1 is formed in a substantially H shape in plan view.

[0019] Here, the notch portion described above includes a first notch portion 21 that notches the main body portion 10 into a shape following the contour of a human abdomen, and a second notch portion 22 that is formed on the surface of the main body portion 10 opposite to the surface on which the first notch portion 21 is formed, and notches the main body portion 10 with a curvature smaller than that of the first notch portion 21 and with a larger notch on the opposite surface than the surface on which the first notch portion 21 is formed. The notch portion is composed of the first notch portion 21 and the second notch portion 22.

[0020] Then, as shown in FIG. 1(b), when the cushion 1 is used by placing it on the thigh of a user sitting on a seat, the first notch portion 21 will fit well to the user's abdomen.

[0021] Also, as shown in FIG. 1(a), the cushion 1 according to the present embodiment includes a support portion 11 having a support base surface 111 that abuts against the thigh of the user, and a buffer portion 12 having a flexible surface 121 on which the user's forearm is placed. The support portion 11 and the buffer portion 12 are laminated in the thickness direction of the main body portion 10. Here, in FIG. 1(a), the portion where the support portion 11 and the buffer portion 12 are brought into close contact is represented as a laminated portion 13.

[0022] Then, as shown in FIG. 1(b), when the cushion 1 is used by placing it on the thigh of a user sitting on a seat, the support portion 11 is placed on the thigh of the user, and the user's forearm is placed on the buffer portion 12 laminated with the support portion 11 in the thickness direction. According to this, while the height of the cushion 1 is maintained at the position of the user's thigh by the support portion 11, the body pressure by the user's forearm can be dispersed by the buffer portion 12.

[0023] Here, the buffer portion 12 can be formed of a material having a lower hardness than the support portion 11. In this case, for example, the support portion 11 is formed of a rigid polyurethane foam, and the buffer portion 12 is formed of a soft polyurethane foam.

[0024] And in this embodiment, the above-mentioned cushion 1 is used when the vehicle is being driven. This will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0025] FIG. 2 is a first diagram illustrating a usage mode of the cushion 1 placed on the thigh of a user sitting on a seat when the vehicle is being driven.

[0026] Here, in driving a vehicle, in order to prevent the user from being injured in the arm when the airbag is activated and to ensure an appropriate forward view, it is recommended to hold the steering wheel at the 9:15 position or the 8:20 position. However, when holding the steering wheel in such a position, for example, compared with holding the steering wheel at the 10:10 position, it is necessary to exert muscle strength to support the arm, and it becomes difficult for the user to maintain a comfortable state during driving.

[0027] Therefore, according to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the cushion 1 is placed on the thigh of a user sitting on a seat when the vehicle is being driven. At this time, the first notch 21 is directed toward the user's abdomen side, and the second notch 22 is directed toward the steering wheel side. Then, by providing the second notch 22, the cushion 1 can be arranged on the thigh of the user sitting on the seat while suppressing the cushion 1 from interfering with the steering wheel and preventing the presence of the cushion 1 from hindering the user's operation of the steering wheel. Also, at this time, by the first notch 21 fitting well to the user's abdomen, even if the user's forearm moves due to the operation of the steering wheel, the cushion 1 can be stably placed on the user's thigh.

[0028] And by using such a cushion 1 when the vehicle is being driven, as shown in FIG. 2, the user can hold the steering wheel at the 8:20 position with the user's forearm placed on the buffer portion 12 of the cushion 1. According to this, it becomes possible to maintain an arm position that enables the user to continuously hold the steering wheel at an appropriate position with respect to the arm holding the steering wheel.

[0029] FIG. 3 is a second diagram illustrating a usage mode of the cushion 1 placed on the thigh of a user sitting on the seat during driving of the vehicle.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 3, in the cushion 1 according to the present embodiment, the flexible surface 121 can be inclined such that the buffer portion 12 becomes thinner toward the surface on which the second notch portion 22 is formed. Then, the buffer portion 12 can support the user's forearm on the side where the first notch portion 21 is formed, and by inclining the flexible surface 121 as described above, it is possible to suppress an obstacle to the user's steering operation due to the presence of the cushion 1. At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, by the buffer portion 12 supporting the forearm from the user's elbow to the wrist, the burden on the user's arm can be reduced.

[0031] According to the above, it is possible to provide a cushion 1 that enables an appropriate arm position to be easily maintained with respect to the user's steering operation during driving of the vehicle.

[0032] <Modification Example of the First Embodiment> The outline of the cushion in the modification example of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the cushion in this modification example.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 4, the cushion 1 according to this modification example includes a first notch portion 21 that notches the main body portion 10 into a shape following the contour of a human abdomen, similar to the cushion described in the explanation of the first embodiment. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 4(b), when the cushion 1 is used by being placed on the thigh of a user sitting on the seat, the first notch portion 21 will fit well to the user's abdomen.

[0034] On the other hand, in the cushion 1 according to this modification example, unlike the cushion described in the explanation of the first embodiment, a second notch portion is not formed in the main body portion 10. And such a cushion 1 can be used by being placed on the thigh of the user sitting on the seat, for example, when the user operates a computer keyboard.

[0035] At this time, since the support portion 11 is placed on the user's thigh portion and the user's forearm is placed on the cushion portion 12 laminated in the thickness direction with the support portion 11, the height of the cushion 1 is maintained at the position of the user's thigh portion by the support portion 11, while the cushion portion 12 can disperse the body pressure by the user's forearm.

[0036] According to this, for example, in the keyboard operation of a personal computer, even if the work is performed for a relatively long time, an appropriate arm position can be maintained, and it is possible to suppress the arms and shoulders from being extremely fatigued.

[0037] According to the above, it is possible to provide the cushion 1 that can easily maintain an appropriate arm position for a predetermined movement of a person.

[0038] <Second Embodiment> The outline of the cushion in the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of the cushion in the present embodiment.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 5, the cushion 1 according to the present embodiment includes a first cushion 100 disposed on a rail 300 extending from the center console of the vehicle toward the seat, and a second cushion 200 connected to a link mechanism 400 extending from the inner door of the vehicle toward the seat. The first cushion 100 and the second cushion 200 are configured to be able to place the forearm of the user sitting on the seat at the position of the user's abdomen. For the sake of explanation, in FIG. 5, the illustration of the inner door is omitted.

[0040] Then, by using such a cushion 1 during driving of the vehicle, the user can hold the steering wheel at the 8:20 position. According to this, it is possible to realize the maintenance of an arm position that enables the user to continuously hold the steering wheel at an appropriate position with respect to the arm holding the steering wheel.

[0041] Here, the first cushion 100 is configured to be slidable on the rail 300 in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 5.

[0042] On the other hand, the second cushion 200 is configured to be storable in the space between the seat and the inner door by the link mechanism 400. This will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

[0043] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the storage of the second cushion 200. Here, the link mechanism 400 includes a first link portion 410 and a second link portion 420. FIG. 6(a) shows a state in which the second cushion 200 rotates upward when the first link portion 410 is rotated, and FIG. 6(b) shows a state in which the second cushion 200 rotates rearward when the second link portion 420 is rotated.

[0044] Then, as shown in FIG. 6(b), when the second cushion 200 rotates rearward, the second cushion 200 is stored in the space between the seat and the inner door.

[0045] And, as described above, when the first cushion 100 slides on the rail 300 and the second cushion 200 is stored in the space between the seat and the inner door, the user can smoothly sit on the seat without interfering with the cushion 1 when getting on and off the vehicle.

[0046] Also, as described above, it is possible to provide a cushion 1 that enables the user to easily maintain an appropriate arm position with respect to the steering wheel operation during driving of the vehicle.

[0047] <Other Modifications> The above embodiments are merely examples, and the present disclosure can be appropriately modified and implemented without departing from the gist thereof.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0048] 1 ····· Cushion 10 ····· Main body part 11 ····· Support part 111 ···· Support base surface 12 ····· Buffer part 121 ··· Soft surface 21 ····· First notch part 22 ····· Second notch part

Claims

1. A cushion that defines an arm position for a predetermined movement of a person, configured to be able to place the forearm of a user seated on the seat at the position of the user's abdomen, the cushion.

2. Used by placing it on the thigh of the said user seated on the seat, comprising a main body portion and a first notch portion that notches the main body portion into a shape following the contour of a person's abdomen, the cushion according to Claim 1.

3. The main body portion comprises a support portion having a support base surface that abuts against the thigh of the user, and a buffer portion having a flexible surface on which the forearm of the user is placed, in the thickness direction of the main body portion, the support portion and the buffer portion are laminated, the cushion according to Claim 2.

4. The buffer portion is formed of a material with a lower hardness than the support portion, the cushion according to Claim 3.

5. Formed on the surface of the main body portion opposite to the surface where the first notch portion is formed, and further comprising a second notch portion that notches the main body portion with a smaller curvature than the first notch portion and notches the opposite surface larger than the surface where the first notch portion is formed, thereby forming a substantially H shape in plan view, the cushion according to Claim 3.

6. The buffer portion is such that the flexible surface inclines so as to become thinner toward the surface where the second notch portion is formed, the cushion according to Claim 5.

7. A first cushion disposed on a rail extending from the center console of a vehicle toward the seat, and a second cushion connected to a link mechanism extending from the inner door of the vehicle toward the seat, the cushion according to Claim 1.

8. The first cushion is configured to be slidable on the rail, the second cushion is configured to be storable in the space between the seat and the inner door by the link mechanism, the cushion according to Claim 7.

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