Armrest device

Abstract

To suppress unintended movement of an armrest positioned at a stored position toward a deployed position.SOLUTION: An armrest device includes a movement blocking part that blocks movement of an armrest 18 toward a deployed position when an armrest 18 that is movable between the deployed position located in front of a corresponding seat 10 (indicated by solid lines), and a stored position retracted above the seat 10 (indicated by broken lines) is positioned at the stored position, and a vehicle which includes the seat 10 satisfies conditions that the driving mode of the vehicle is a manual driving mode and the shift position of the vehicle is other than a P range.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an armrest device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 describes a technology in which, when an alighting intention detection unit detects an occupant's intention to alight, the armrest located on the outer side of the vehicle's seat in the vehicle's width direction is retracted to a position (a storage position above the seat) where the occupant can leave the seat without hindrance. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-245950 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a configuration in which an armrest is provided in the driver's seat of a vehicle, it is desirable to move the armrest from the deployed position to the stowed position not only when it is detected that the occupant intends to exit the vehicle but also when the occupant manually drives the vehicle so as not to interfere with the occupant's driving. However, if the armrest is in the stowed position above the seat and the vehicle is traveling on a rough road or the vehicle suddenly decelerates, the armrest may unintentionally move to the deployed position due to inertial force, which may injure the occupant or interfere with the occupant's driving.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above facts, and aims to provide an armrest device that can prevent an armrest located in a stored position from unintentionally moving to an deployed position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The armrest device of the first aspect includes an armrest that is movable between an extended position located in front of a corresponding seat and a stored position in which the armrest is retracted above the seat, and includes a movement preventing portion that prevents the armrest from moving to the extended position while the armrest is located in the stored position and while the vehicle in which the seat is installed satisfies specified conditions.

[0007] In a first aspect, the armrest is movable between a deployed position in front of the corresponding seat and a stowed position retracted above the seat. The movement preventing unit prevents the armrest from moving to the deployed position while the armrest is in the stowed position and the vehicle in which the seat is installed satisfies a predetermined condition. This makes it possible to prevent the armrest from unintentionally moving from the stowed position to the deployed position.

[0008] In a second aspect, in the first aspect, the predetermined condition is that the driving mode of the vehicle is a manual driving mode and the shift position of the vehicle is other than a shift position for parking.

[0009] In the second aspect, when the vehicle is in the manual driving mode and the shift position of the vehicle is other than the parking shift position, i.e., when the vehicle is being driven by the occupant, the armrest is prevented from moving to the extended position. This makes it possible to prevent the armrest, which is in the stored position, from moving unintentionally to the extended position when the vehicle is being driven by the occupant.

[0010] In a third aspect, in the first aspect, when the armrest is located in the stored position and the vehicle satisfies the specified condition, the movement preventing unit causes the notification unit to output a first alert to notify that the armrest cannot be moved to the deployed position.

[0011] In a third aspect, when the armrest is in the stored position and the vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition, i.e., when the movement prevention unit prevents the armrest from moving to the deployed position, the notification unit outputs a first alert, thereby making the occupant aware that the armrest cannot be moved to the deployed position.

[0012] The fourth aspect is the first aspect, wherein the movement preventing unit includes a locking unit capable of locking the movement of the armrest when the armrest is positioned at least in the storage position, an operating unit that is displaced to instruct the locking unit to release the lock, a displacement preventing unit capable of preventing the operating unit from being displaced, and a first control unit that prevents the operating unit from being displaced by the displacement preventing unit while the armrest is positioned in the storage position and the vehicle satisfies the specified condition.

[0013] In a fourth aspect, the movement preventing unit includes an operating unit that, when displaced, instructs the locking unit to release the lock, and a displacement preventing unit that can prevent the operating unit from being displaced. The first control unit prevents the operating unit from being displaced by the displacement preventing unit while the armrest is in the stored position and the vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition. This makes it possible, with a simple configuration, to prevent the armrest from moving to the deployed position while the armrest is in the stored position and the vehicle satisfies the predetermined condition.

[0014] In a fifth aspect, in the first aspect, the movement preventing unit includes a locking unit capable of locking the movement of the armrest when the armrest is positioned at least in the storage position, an operating unit for instructing the locking unit to be released, and a second control unit that prevents the locking unit from releasing the lock while the armrest is positioned in the storage position and the vehicle satisfies the specified condition, regardless of whether or not an instruction to release the locking unit is given via the operating unit.

[0015] In a fifth aspect, the second control unit performs control to prevent the locking unit from being released while the armrest is in the stored position and the vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition, regardless of whether or not an instruction to release the locking unit is given via the operation unit. In this case, as in the fourth aspect, it is possible to achieve with a simple configuration that the armrest is prevented from moving to the deployed position while the armrest is in the stored position and the vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0016] In a sixth aspect, in the first aspect, the armrest is provided with a handle for gripping when moving the armrest.

[0017] In the sixth aspect, the armrest is provided with a handle that can be grasped when moving the armrest, so that the occupant can easily move the armrest.

[0018] In a seventh aspect, in the first aspect, the movement preventing unit causes the notification unit to output a second alert to prompt the armrest to move to the stored position when the armrest is located in the deployed position and the vehicle's driving mode transitions from an automatic driving mode to a manual driving mode, or when the armrest is located in the deployed position and the vehicle's driving mode is in a manual driving mode and the vehicle's shift position is switched from a parking shift position to a shift position other than a parking shift position.

[0019] In a seventh aspect, when the armrest is in the deployed position and the vehicle's driving mode transitions from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode, or when the armrest is in the deployed position and the vehicle's driving mode is in the manual driving mode and the vehicle's shift position is switched from the parking shift position to a position other than the parking shift position, a second alert is output from the notification unit. This allows the output second alert to make the occupant aware that the armrest should be moved to the stowed position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] The present disclosure has an effect of preventing an armrest located in a storage position from unintentionally moving to a deployed position. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the seat and armrest according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1A and 1B are side views showing the pin unit and the positioning holes, 1C is a side view showing the positioning holes, 1D is a side view showing the pin unit, and 1E is a front view showing the pin unit. [Figure 3] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an armrest device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of an armrest control ECU in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 5 is a flowchart showing an armrest control process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a side view showing a seat and an armrest according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an armrest device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of an armrest control ECU according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing an armrest control process according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0023] [First embodiment] The seat 10 shown in Fig. 1 is a driver's seat for a vehicle, and includes a seat cushion 12, a seat back 14 erected above the rear end of the seat cushion 12 in the front-rear direction of the seat, and a headrest 16 connected to the upper end of the seat back 14. Support members 20 (see Figs. 2(D) and (E)) are embedded in positions on both the left and right sides of the seat back 14 that correspond to the middle part of the seat back 14 in the longitudinal direction, and a rotation shaft 20A extending in the left-right direction of the seat 10 is erected on each of the support members 20. A pair of left and right armrests 18 is rotatably supported on the left and right rotation shafts 20A, respectively.

[0024] The left and right armrests 18 are generally V-shaped in side view. That is, each armrest 18 is integrally formed with a base 18A pivotally supported on the seat back 14 via a rotation shaft 20A and an extension 18B provided at the tip of the base 18A. A connecting member 22 that can be used as a table is suspended and fixed between the extensions 18B of the left and right armrests 18. The armrests 18 are rotatable about the rotation shaft 20A between a deployed position in front of the seat 10 as shown by the solid line in FIG. 1 and a retracted position above the seat 10 as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 1.

[0025] 2(D) and 2(E), pin units 24 are provided on both the left and right sides of the seat back 14 near the support members 20. The pin units 24 are formed, for example, by a solenoid, and are capable of moving the pins 24A forward and backward between a protruding position where the tip of the pin 24A protrudes from the side surface of the seat back 14, and a retracted position where the pins 24A do not protrude from the side surface of the seat back 14. The pin unit 24 moves the pins 24A to the protruding position or the retracted position in accordance with instructions from an armrest control ECU 38 (see FIG. 3), which will be described later.

[0026] Two positioning holes 26A, 26B are drilled in the surface of the base 18A of the armrest 18 facing the pin unit 24 (see FIG. 2(C)). The positioning hole 26A is provided at a position corresponding to the pin 24A of the pin unit 24 when the armrest 18 is in the storage position (see FIG. 2(A)). When the pin 24A fits into the positioning hole 26A when the armrest 18 is in the storage position, the armrest 18 is locked against movement when in the storage position. The positioning hole 26B is provided at a position corresponding to the pin 24A of the pin unit 24 when the armrest 18 is in the deployed position (see FIG. 2(B)). When the pin 24A fits into the positioning hole 26B when the armrest 18 is in the deployed position, the armrest 18 is locked against movement when in the deployed position. Thus, the pin unit 24 is an example of a locking portion in the present disclosure.

[0027] Furthermore, a roughly U-shaped handle 28 and an operating lever 30 rotatably supported by the handle 28 are provided on the surface of the base 18A of the armrest 18 that faces downward when the armrest 18 is in the deployed position. The operating lever 30 is a lever that, when rotated, issues an instruction to release the lock of the armrest 18 by the pin unit 24, and is an example of an operating part in the present disclosure. The operating lever 30 is biased to the position shown in FIG. 1 by a biasing means (not shown).

[0028] An electromagnetic lock 32 (see FIG. 3) capable of preventing rotation of the operating lever 30 is provided on the handle 28 near the rotation axis of the operating lever 30. The electromagnetic lock 32 switches between a blocked state in which rotation of the operating lever 30 is prevented and a released state in which rotation of the operating lever 30 is not prevented in accordance with instructions from an armrest control ECU 38 (see FIG. 3) described below. The electromagnetic lock 32 is an example of a displacement prevention section in the present disclosure.

[0029] 3, the armrest device 34 according to the first embodiment includes an armrest position sensor 36, an armrest control ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 38, a pin unit 24, an electromagnetic lock 32, a lever sensor 40, and a notification unit 42. The armrest position sensor 36, the pin unit 24, the electromagnetic lock 32, the lever sensor 40, and the notification unit 42 are each connected to the armrest control ECU 38. In addition, an automatic driving control ECU 44 and a shift position sensor 46 are also connected to the armrest control ECU 38.

[0030] The armrest position sensor 36 is a sensor that detects whether the armrest 18 is in the stored position or the deployed position, and outputs a signal representing the detection result to the armrest control ECU 38. The armrest position sensor 36 can be configured, for example, with a plurality of limit switches that detect whether the pin 24A of the pin unit 24 is inserted into the positioning hole 26A or the positioning hole 26B. The armrest position sensor 36 can also be configured with a rotary encoder or the like that detects the rotation angle of the armrest 18 around the rotation axis 20A.

[0031] The lever sensor 40 is a sensor that detects the rotation of the operating lever 30 when the operating lever 30 is rotated by the occupant gripping the operating lever 30 against the biasing force of the biasing means, and outputs a signal representing the detection result to the armrest control ECU 38. The lever sensor 40 may be configured, for example, by a limit switch or a rotary encoder.

[0032] The notification unit 42 includes a display 42A and an audio output unit 42B. The notification unit 42 is capable of outputting a first alert to notify the driver that the armrest 18 cannot be moved to the deployed position, or a second alert to urge the driver to move the armrest 18 to the stored position, in response to an instruction from the armrest control ECU 38. The notification unit 42 is an example of a notification unit according to the present disclosure.

[0033] A vehicle equipped with the seat 10 according to the first embodiment has two driving modes: a manual driving mode in which the vehicle is driven by a passenger seated in the seat 10 manually operating the vehicle, and an automatic driving mode. When the vehicle's driving mode is set to the automatic driving mode, the automatic driving control ECU 44 controls the vehicle to drive automatically. When the armrest control ECU 38 inquires about the driving mode, the automatic driving control ECU 44 notifies the armrest control ECU 38 whether the current driving mode is the manual driving mode or the automatic driving mode. The shift position sensor 46 is a sensor that detects the shift position of the vehicle's transmission and notifies the armrest control ECU 38 of the detected shift position.

[0034] The armrest control ECU 38 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memories such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory), and non-volatile storage units such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and an SSD (Solid State Drive). The storage unit of the armrest control ECU 38 stores a program for causing the CPU of the armrest control ECU 38 to function as a first control unit 48 (see FIG. 4). The first control unit 48 uses an electromagnetic lock 32 to prevent the operating lever 30 from being rotated while the armrest 18 is in the storage position and the vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0035] In addition, in the first embodiment, the pin unit 24, the operating lever 30, the electromagnetic lock 32 and the first control unit 48 function as an example of a movement prevention unit that prevents the armrest 18 from moving to the extended position while the armrest 18 is located in the stored position and the vehicle in which the seat 10 is installed satisfies certain conditions.

[0036] Next, as an operation of the first embodiment, the armrest control process executed by the armrest control ECU 38 while an occupant is seated in the seat 10 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0037] In step 100 of the armrest control processing, the first control unit 48 acquires a detection signal from the armrest position sensor 36 and determines, based on the acquired detection signal, whether the current position of the armrest 18 is the stored position or the extended position. If the armrest 18 is located in the stored position, the process proceeds from step 100 to step 102.

[0038] In step 102, the first control unit 48 causes the pin unit 24 to move the pin 24A to the extended position, thereby locking the armrest 18 in the stored position. This prevents the armrest 18 from unintentionally moving to the extended position due to inertial force, even when the vehicle is traveling on a rough road or suddenly decelerating. In addition, in step 104, the first control unit 48 switches the electromagnetic lock 32 to the blocking state, thereby locking the rotation of the operating lever 30. This also prevents the occupant from rotating the operating lever 30 in an attempt to release the lock provided by the pin unit 24.

[0039] In step 106, the first control unit 48 inquires of the automatic driving control ECU 44 about the current driving mode of the vehicle, and determines whether the current driving mode of the vehicle is the automatic driving mode based on the reply to the inquiry from the automatic driving control ECU 44. If the determination in step 106 is negative, the process proceeds to step 108.

[0040] In step 108, first control unit 48 determines whether the shift position notified by shift position sensor 46 is in P range, which is the shift position for parking. If the determination in step 108 is negative, the vehicle is in manual driving mode and the shift position is outside P range, so there is a possibility that the vehicle is being driven manually. Therefore, if the determination in step 108 is negative, the process proceeds to step 110.

[0041] In step 110, the first control unit 48 causes the notification unit 42 to output a first alert notifying the user that the armrest 18 cannot be moved to the deployed position. The first alert can be output from the notification unit 42, for example, by displaying a message such as "The armrest cannot be moved to the deployed position because manual operation is in progress" on the display 42A and outputting a voice reading out the message from the voice output unit 42B. After the processing of step 110 is completed, the process returns to step 104, and steps 104 to 110 are repeated until the determination in step 106 or step 108 is affirmative.

[0042] Alternatively, a touch sensor may be provided on the operating lever 30, and the determinations in steps 106 and 108 may be made when the touch sensor detects that the occupant's hand is touching the operating lever 30. Also, in step 108, it may be determined whether the vehicle's shift position is in the D range or the R range, and if the determination is affirmative, the process may proceed to step 110, and if the determination is negative, the process may proceed to step 112.

[0043] On the other hand, if the determination in step 106 is positive or if the determination in step 108 is positive, that is, if the vehicle driving mode is the automatic driving mode or the vehicle driving mode is the manual driving mode and the vehicle is parked, the process proceeds to step 112. In step 112, the first control unit 48 switches the electromagnetic lock 32 to the release state, thereby releasing the state in which the rotation of the operating lever 30 is locked.

[0044] In the next step 114, the first control unit 48 determines whether or not the operating lever 30 has been rotated based on the signal input from the lever sensor 40. If the determination in step 114 is negative, the process returns to step 106, and steps 106, 112, and 114 are repeated. If the determination in step 114 is positive, the process proceeds to step 116.

[0045] In step 116, the first control unit 48 causes the pin unit 24 to move the pin 24A to the retracted position, thereby releasing the state in which the movement of the armrest 18 is locked at the stored position. Also, in step 118, the first control unit 48 determines whether or not the armrest 18 has been moved to the deployed position based on a signal input from the armrest position sensor 36. If the determination in step 118 is negative, the process returns to step 106, and steps 106, 112 to 118 are repeated.

[0046] In the first embodiment, the handle 28 is provided on the armrest 18, so the occupant can easily operate the armrest 18 to move to the deployed position by grasping both the handle 28 and the operating lever 30. When the occupant performs this operation, the determination in step 118 is affirmative and the process proceeds to step 120. In step 120, the first control unit 48 moves the pin 24A by the pin unit 24 to the protruding position, thereby locking the movement of the armrest 18 at the deployed position. After the processing of step 120 is performed, the process returns to step 100.

[0047] On the other hand, if the armrest 18 is in the deployed position in step 100, the process proceeds from step 100 to step 122. In step 122, the first control unit 48 inquires of the automatic driving control ECU 44 about the driving mode of the vehicle, and determines whether the driving mode of the vehicle has transitioned from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode based on the reply from the automatic driving control ECU 44 to the inquiry.

[0048] As described above, the condition under which movement of the armrest 18 to the deployed position is permitted is when the vehicle's driving mode is the automatic driving mode, or when the vehicle's driving mode is the manual driving mode and the shift position is in P range. If the vehicle's driving mode has transitioned from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode, the determination in step 122 is affirmative and the process proceeds to step 124. In step 124, the first control unit 48 determines whether the shift position notified by the shift position sensor 46 is in P range.

[0049] If the determination in step 124 is negative, the process proceeds to step 128, where the first control unit 48 causes the notification unit 42 to output a second alert urging the user to move the armrest 18 to the stowed position. The output of the second alert from the notification unit 42 is achieved, for example, by displaying a message such as "Please stow the armrest" on the display 42A and outputting a voice reading out the message from the voice output unit 42B. After the processing of step 128 is completed, the process proceeds to step 130. If the determination in step 124 is positive, the process skips step 128 and proceeds to step 130.

[0050] Furthermore, if the determination in step 122 is negative, the process proceeds to step 126. If the determination in step 122 is negative and the process proceeds to step 126, this occurs when the vehicle's driving mode remains in the automatic driving mode, or when the vehicle's driving mode is in the manual driving mode and the shift position is in the P range. In step 126, the first control unit 48 determines whether the vehicle's driving mode notified by the automatic driving control ECU 44 is the manual driving mode and whether the shift position notified by the shift position sensor 46 has been switched to a position other than the P range. If the determination in step 126 is positive, the process proceeds to step 128, and the notification unit 42 outputs the second alert as described above. If the determination in step 126 is negative, i.e., when the vehicle's driving mode remains in the automatic driving mode, or when the vehicle's driving mode is in the manual driving mode and the shift position remains in the P range, the process proceeds to step 130.

[0051] In step 130, the first control unit 48 determines whether or not the operating lever 30 has been rotated based on the signal input from the lever sensor 40. If the determination in step 130 is negative, the process returns to step 122 and repeats the processing from step 122 onwards. If the operating lever 30 has been rotated, the determination in step 130 is positive, and the process proceeds to step 132.

[0052] In step 132, the first control unit 48 causes the pin unit 24 to move the pin 24A to the retracted position, thereby releasing the state in which movement of the armrest 18 is locked at the deployed position. Furthermore, in step 134, the first control unit 48 determines whether or not the armrest 18 has been moved to the stored position based on the signal input from the armrest position sensor 36. If the determination in step 134 is negative, the process returns to step 122, and the processes from step 122 onwards are repeated.

[0053] In the first embodiment, the handle 28 is provided on the armrest 18, so the occupant can easily move the armrest 18 to the storage position by grasping both the handle 28 and the operating lever 30. When the occupant performs this operation, the determination in step 134 is affirmative, and the process proceeds to step 136.

[0054] In step 136, the first control unit 48 moves the pin 24A to the protruding position using the pin unit 24, thereby locking the armrest 18 in the retracted position. In step 138, the first control unit 48 switches the electromagnetic lock 32 to the blocking state, thereby locking the rotation of the operating lever 30. After processing step 138, the process returns to step 100.

[0055] As described above, in the armrest device 34 according to the first embodiment, the movement preventing section (pin unit 24, operating lever 30, electromagnetic lock 32, and first control section 48) prevents the armrest 18, which is movable between a deployed position in front of the corresponding seat 10 and a stowed position retracted above the seat 10, from moving to the deployed position while the armrest 18 is in the stowed position and while the vehicle in which the seat 10 is installed satisfies predetermined conditions. This makes it possible to prevent the armrest 18, which is in the stowed position, from moving unintentionally to the deployed position.

[0056] In the first embodiment, the predetermined condition is that the vehicle is in a manual driving mode and the vehicle's shift position is not in P. This prevents the armrest 18, which is in the stored position, from unintentionally moving to the deployed position when the vehicle is being driven by the occupant.

[0057] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, when the armrest 18 is in the stored position and the vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition, the notification unit 42 outputs a first alert to notify the occupant that the armrest 18 cannot be moved to the deployed position. This allows the occupant to recognize that the armrest 18 cannot be moved to the deployed position due to the output of the first alert.

[0058] Moreover, in the first embodiment, the movement preventing section includes a pin unit 24 capable of locking movement of the armrest 18 when the armrest 18 is at least in the stored position, an operating lever 30 that is rotated to issue an instruction to release the lock established by the pin unit 24, an electromagnetic lock 32 capable of preventing the operating lever 30 from being rotated, and a first control section 48 that, while the armrest 18 is in the stored position and the vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition, prevents the armrest 18 from moving to the extended position using the electromagnetic lock 32. This makes it possible, with a simple configuration, to prevent the armrest 18 from moving to the deployed position when the armrest 18 is in the stored position and the vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0059] In the first embodiment, the armrest 18 is provided with a handle 28 that can be grasped when moving the armrest 18. This allows the occupant to easily move the armrest.

[0060] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, when the armrest 18 is in the deployed position and the vehicle driving mode transitions from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode, or when the armrest 18 is in the deployed position and the vehicle driving mode is in the manual driving mode and the vehicle shift position is switched from the P range to a range other than the P range, the movement preventing unit causes the notification unit 42 to output a second alert to urge the occupant to move the armrest 18 to the stored position. This allows the occupant to recognize that the armrest 18 should be moved to the stored position by the output second alert.

[0061] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Note that the same parts as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0062] 6, the armrest 18 according to the second embodiment is provided with a lever guide 60 and an operating lever 62 instead of the handle 28 and the operating lever 30. The lever guide 60 is a rectangular groove bored along the longitudinal direction of the base 18A of the armrest 18 on the surface that faces downward when the armrest 18 is in the extended position.

[0063] The operating lever 62 is rod-shaped, with its base inserted into the lever guide 60 and slidable along the lever guide 60. The operating lever 62 is a lever that, when slid, issues an instruction to release the lock on the armrest 18 by the pin unit 24, and is an example of an operating part in the present disclosure. The operating lever 62 is biased to the position shown in FIG. 1 by a biasing means (not shown).

[0064] 7, an armrest device 64 according to the second embodiment does not include the electromagnetic lock 32. In the second embodiment, when an occupant slides the operating lever 62 against the biasing force of the biasing means, the lever sensor 40 detects the sliding movement of the operating lever 62 and outputs a signal representing the detection result to the armrest control ECU 38. The lever sensor 40 is formed of, for example, a limit switch.

[0065] In the second embodiment, the storage unit of the armrest control ECU 38 stores a program for causing the CPU of the armrest control ECU 38 to function as a second control unit 66 (see FIG. 8). While the armrest 18 is in the storage position and the vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition, the second control unit 66 does not release the lock by the pin unit 24, regardless of whether or not an instruction to release the lock by the pin unit 24 is given via the operating lever 62.

[0066] In addition, in the second embodiment, the pin unit 24, the operating lever 62, and the second control unit 66 function as an example of a movement prevention unit that prevents the armrest 18 from moving to the extended position while the armrest 18 is located in the storage position and the vehicle in which the seat 10 is installed satisfies certain conditions.

[0067] Next, as an operation of the second embodiment, with reference to FIG. 9, the armrest control process according to the second embodiment will be described, focusing only on the parts that are different from the armrest control process described in the first embodiment.

[0068] In the armrest control process according to the second embodiment, the second control unit 66 locks the movement of the armrest 18 in the storage position using the pin unit 24 in step 102, and then proceeds to step 105. In step 105, the second control unit 66 determines, based on a signal input from the lever sensor 40, whether the operating lever 62 has been slid to issue an instruction to release the lock using the pin unit 24. If the determination in step 105 is negative, step 105 is repeated until the determination is affirmative.

[0069] When the operating lever 62 is slid, the determination in step 105 is affirmative, and the process proceeds to step 106. In step 106, the second control unit 66 determines whether the current driving mode of the vehicle is the autonomous driving mode, as described in the first embodiment. If the determination in step 106 is negative, the process proceeds to step 108. In step 108, the second control unit 66 determines whether the shift position is in the P range, as described in the first embodiment. If the determination in step 108 is negative, the process proceeds to step 110. In step 110, the second control unit 66 causes the notification unit 42 to output a first alert, as described in the first embodiment, and returns to step 105.

[0070] By the above-described processing, as long as the conditions that the armrest 18 is in the storage position, the vehicle's driving mode is the manual driving mode, and the vehicle's shift position is other than the P range are met, the lock by the pin unit 24 will not be released regardless of whether the operating lever 62 is slid to instruct the release of the lock by the pin unit 24.

[0071] If the determination in step 106 or step 108 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 116. Then, in step 116, the second control unit 66 causes the pin unit 24 to move the pin 24A to the retracted position, as described in the first embodiment, thereby releasing the state in which the movement of the armrest 18 is locked in the stored position. Note that the processing when the armrest 18 is in the deployed position (when the process proceeds from step 100 to step 122) is the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0072] As described above, in the second embodiment, the movement preventing section includes the pin unit 24 that can lock the movement of the armrest 18 when the armrest 18 is at least in the stored position, the operating lever 62 for issuing an instruction to release the lock by the pin unit 24, and the second control section 66 that, while the armrest 18 is in the stored position and the vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition, does not release the lock by the pin unit 24 regardless of whether an instruction to release the lock by the pin unit 24 is issued via the operating lever 62. This makes it possible, with a simple configuration, to prevent the armrest 18 from moving to the extended position while the armrest 18 is in the stored position and the vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0073] In the above embodiment, the seat 10 is described as a driver's seat of a vehicle, but the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the seat 10 may be a passenger seat of a vehicle or a rear seat of a vehicle.

[0074] In the above embodiment, the embodiment has been described in which, with the armrest 18 in the deployed position, it is determined in step 122 whether the vehicle's driving mode has transitioned from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, when transitioning the driving mode from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode, the autonomous driving control ECU 44 may be configured to inquire of multiple ECUs installed in the vehicle about whether transition to the manual driving mode is permitted. In this case, the armrest control ECU 38 may be configured to not permit transition to the manual driving mode when the armrest 18 is in the deployed position, but to permit transition to the manual driving mode after the armrest 18 has been moved from the deployed position to the stowed position. This prevents a situation in which the driving mode is the manual driving mode and the armrest 18 is in the deployed position.

[0075] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, only one positioning hole 26B corresponding to the deployed position of the armrest 18 is provided, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, a plurality of holes at different positions may be provided as positioning holes corresponding to the deployed positions of the armrest 18, allowing the deployed position of the armrest 18 to be finely adjusted to any one of a plurality of positions corresponding to any one of the plurality of holes. However, the present disclosure also encompasses within its scope an embodiment in which the positioning hole 26A is provided at least in a position corresponding to the stored position of the armrest 18, and the positioning hole 26B is not provided in a position corresponding to the deployed position of the armrest 18.

[0076] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the connecting member 22 functioning as a table is fixed to the armrest 18, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, a table provided at the tip of the armrest 18 may be rotatable relative to the armrest 18. In this configuration, a configuration may be adopted in which the table is rotated by a table driving unit so that the top surface of the table is approximately horizontal when the armrest 18 is in the extended position.

[0077] In addition, in the above embodiment, a pair of armrests 18 are provided on both the left and right sides of the seat back 14 of the seat 10, but the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the armrests 18 may be provided on only one of the left and right sides.

[0078] In the first embodiment, a program for causing the armrest control ECU 38 to function as the first control unit 48 in the present disclosure is pre-stored (installed) in the storage unit, and in the second embodiment, a program for causing the armrest control ECU 38 to function as the second control unit 66 in the present disclosure is pre-stored (installed) in the storage unit. However, the above program can also be provided in a form recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as an HDD, SSD, or DVD. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 10 sheets 18 Armrest 24-pin unit (lock part) 28 Handle 30 Operating lever (operating part) 32 Electromagnetic lock (displacement prevention part) 34 Armrest device 38 Armrest control ECU 42 Notification Department 48 First Control Section 62 Operating lever (operating part) 64 Armrest device 66 Second Control Section

Claims

1. An armrest device including an armrest movable between a deployed position located in front of a corresponding seat and a stored position retracted above the seat, the armrest being located at the stored position, and including a movement preventing part that prevents the armrest from moving to the deployed position while the vehicle in which the seat is installed satisfies a predetermined condition.

2. 2. The armrest device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition is that the driving mode of the vehicle is a manual driving mode and the shift position of the vehicle is other than a shift position for parking.

3. 2. The armrest device according to claim 1, wherein the movement preventing unit causes a notification unit to output a first alert to notify the user that the armrest cannot be moved to the deployed position when the armrest is located in the stored position and the vehicle satisfies the predetermined condition.

4. The movement prevention portion is a locking portion capable of locking the armrest against movement when the armrest is positioned at least at the storage position; an operating unit that, when displaced, issues an instruction to release the lock by the lock unit; a displacement prevention portion capable of preventing the operation portion from being displaced; a first control unit configured to prevent the operation unit from being displaced by the displacement prevention unit while the armrest is located at the storage position and the vehicle satisfies the predetermined condition; and 2. The armrest device of claim 1, comprising:

5. The movement prevention portion is a locking portion capable of locking the armrest against movement when the armrest is positioned at least at the storage position; an operation unit for issuing an instruction to release the lock by the lock unit; a second control unit that does not release the lock by the lock unit while the armrest is located at the storage position and the vehicle satisfies the predetermined condition, regardless of whether or not an instruction to release the lock by the lock unit is given via the operation unit; and 2. The armrest device of claim 1, comprising:

6. 2. The armrest device according to claim 1, wherein the armrest is provided with a handle for gripping when moving the armrest.

7. The armrest device according to claim 1, wherein the movement prevention unit causes a notification unit to output a second alert to prompt the armrest to move to the stored position when the armrest is located in the deployed position and the driving mode of the vehicle transitions from an automatic driving mode to a manual driving mode, or when the armrest is located in the deployed position and the driving mode of the vehicle transitions from an automatic driving mode to a manual driving mode and the shift position of the vehicle is switched from a parking shift position to a shift position other than a parking shift position.

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