Vehicle seat structure

Abstract

Use the side rests effectively as backrests. [Solution] The seat 10 includes a seat bottom 12 that supports the occupant's buttocks and a seat back 14 that supports the occupant's back, and a side rest 20 that is rotatable on the side of the seat back 14 such that its front end pivots around its rear end as an axis, wherein the side rest 20 is movable from the side of the seat back 14 forward, with its upper surface functioning as an armrest position, and with its front end facing upward and its back surface being at the same level as the front of the seat back 14 as a backrest position, and the angle of the back of the side rest 20 relative to the front can be adjusted within a predetermined range around the backrest position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle seat structure, particularly to the configuration of a siderest that can be used as an armrest and a backrest.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an armrest for supporting the front arm part (the part below the elbow) of an occupant may be provided on the side of a vehicle seat. This armrest is configured to protrude forward from the side of the seat back that supports the occupant's back. And in many cases, the base of the armrest is rotatably fixed to the seat back and can be rotated backward to be stored on the side of the seat back.

[0003] Here, in Patent Document 1, it is shown that when the armrest is stored, the inclination of the front surface (the lower surface when the armrest is in use) at the time of storage is made to match the inclination of the end of the seat back, eliminating the step at the connection part between the two. It is said that the appearance is improved by such a configuration.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Here, when the armrest is stored, the seat back appears to be widened. However, sufficient consideration has not been given to using the stored armrest together with the seat back. In this specification, an armrest that functions not only as an armrest but also as a backrest is called a siderest.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The vehicle seat structure according to this disclosure includes a seat including a seat bottom that supports the occupant's buttocks and a seat back that supports the occupant's back, and a side rest that is rotatable on the side of the seat back such that its front end pivots around its rear end as an axis, wherein the side rest is movable to an armrest position where it protrudes forward from the side of the seat back and its upper surface functions as an armrest for the occupant, and to a backrest position where its front end faces upward and its back is equivalent to the front of the seat back, and the angle of the back of the side rest with respect to the front can be adjusted within a predetermined range around the backrest position.

[0007] The side rest is preferably rotatable about an axis to which its rear end is fixed to the body.

[0008] The side rest can preferably be locked to rotate at any position within the predetermined range around the backrest position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the vehicle seat structure described herein, the side rest can be effectively used as an extension of the seat back. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view showing a vehicle seat structure according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the frame members of the center console and rear section. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the occupant seated in the left seat, with the right side rest positioned as an armrest and the left side rest as a backrest. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the settings of the right side rest, with (a) being the forward limit position, (b) being the rear limit position, and (c) being a position within a predetermined range from the rear limit position. [Figure 5]This diagram shows the position of the side rest relative to the side of the left seat. (a) shows the case where the front of the side rest is gradually positioned forward toward the center, (b) shows the case where the fronts of the side rests are in approximately the same position, and (c) shows an example where the fronts of the two side rests are aligned. [Figure 6] This diagram shows an example where the sides of the left and right seats and the fronts of the two side rests are aligned. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are not limiting to this disclosure, and configurations formed by selectively combining multiple examples are also included in this disclosure.

[0012] "Overall structure of vehicle seat configuration" Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a vehicle seat structure according to an embodiment. In this example, two separate seats 10 are shown, specifically a right seat 10a and a left seat 10b. In this example, the seats 10 (right seat 10a, left seat 10b) are rear seats, but they may also be front seats. In this specification, left and right refer to the left and right when the vehicle is facing forward.

[0013] Each seat 10 includes a seat bottom 12 that supports the occupant's buttocks and a seat back 14 that supports the back. The seat bottom 12 is preferably adjustable in terms of its fore-aft position, height, and fore-aft angle relative to the body. The seat back 14 is often able to rotate around its lower end relative to the seat bottom through a reclining function.

[0014] The seat back 14 has a central portion 14a located on the center side in the left - right direction and side portions 14b on both the left and right sides. The central portion 14a is recessed backward so as to support the back of the occupant. The side portions 14b on both the left and right sides are located forward so as to rise from the central portion 14a and extend to the side ends of the seat back 14. The surface of the side portion 14b is convex, but it rises from the end portion on the central portion 14a side, and at the side end, it is a surface that extends substantially in the horizontal direction, that is, a surface substantially perpendicular to the front - rear direction of the seat back 14. Also, as a surface complementary to the occupant's shoulder, it may extend so as to be located forward on the side.

[0015] On the central side of the right seat 10a, a right - hand side - rest 20a is arranged, and on the right side (central side) of the left seat 10b, a left - hand side - rest 20b is arranged. The side - rests 20 (20a, 20b) function as arm - rests or back - rests on the sides of the seats 10 (10a, 10b). The side - rest 20 is pivotally supported at its lower - end portion at a corresponding position at the lower end of the seat back 14. The side - rest 20 is rotatable about the axis of the lower end such that the tip side rotates from the front upward and obliquely backward.

[0016] As will be described later, in this embodiment, the side - rest 20 is pivotally supported by the vehicle body rather than by the seat 10 and is independent of the reclining of the seat back 14 of the seat 10.

[0017] When the side - rest 20 is at the lower - limit position where the tip is on the front side, the upper surface of the side - rest 20 becomes substantially horizontal and functions as an arm - rest on which the occupant can rest their elbows. At this time, the side - rest 20 is locked so as not to rotate further downward, but rotation upward may be made possible.

[0018] When the tip of the side - rest 20 is at the rear - limit position, the back surface of the side - rest 20 is located on the side of the adjacent seat 10 in a state where it faces obliquely backward. For this reason, the back surface of the side - rest 20 functions as a back - rest that extends the side portion 14b of the left seat 10b to the side.

[0019] Here, in the present embodiment, rotation is prohibited at the upper limit position. For example, a locking mechanism is turned on at this position. The locking mechanism may be turned on mechanically, but it may also be electronically controlled. This locking mechanism may be releasable by a predetermined operation. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a release button 46 may be provided on the central side surface of the side rest 20, and the lock may be turned off while the release button 46 is being pressed. According to this configuration, the side rest 20 can be rotated with the lock off, and the rotation position of the side rest 20 can be adjusted by turning on the lock.

[0020] For example, it is preferable that the side rest 20 can move within a range of 120 degrees from the lower limit position to the upper limit position, and the stop (lock) position can be adjusted continuously within a range of 55 degrees (40 - 70 degrees) in front of the upper limit position. Instead of being continuous, it may be adjustable to a plurality of positions.

[0021] In addition, the rotation position adjustment mechanism of the side rest 20 can adopt a mechanism similar to the reclining mechanism of the seat. For example, an angle adjustment mechanism similar to the reclining mechanism may be incorporated inside the side rest 20. Also, as described above, the side rest 20 can rotate between the armrest position and the backrest position, and the restriction of this rotation range can be configured by a known limit mechanism.

[0022] A center console 30 is disposed between the right seat 10a and the left seat 10b. The center console 30 includes a storage space and a connector portion 34 for connection to various devices such as a mobile phone. In this example, the center console 30 includes a back portion 32 that extends to the same height as the seat back 14 on the rear side of the side rest 20. Also, a buckle 40 into which a fitting (tongue) attached to the seat belt is inserted and fixed is disposed on the central side portion of the seat bottom 12.

[0023] Figure 2 shows the frame members 36 of the center console 30 and the rear section 32. The frame members 36a, 36b, and 36c are made of metal plates. The lower frame member 36a supports the center console 30 against the body. The upper end of the upper frame member 36c is fixed to the crossbar 42 that separates the trunk compartment from the passenger compartment.

[0024] The skeletal member 36b in the middle of the rear section 32 is fixed to the vehicle body at its lower and upper ends. This fixing is done by welding or bolting. A pivot shaft 44 that pivotally supports the lower end of the side rest 20 is fixed to the skeletal member 36b. Therefore, the angle of the side rest 20 can be adjusted independently of the angle of the seat back 14.

[0025] Thus, in this embodiment, the positions of the two side rests 20a and 20b can be determined independently. Therefore, as shown in Figure 2, one of the side rests 20 can be set to the armrest position and the other to the backrest position.

[0026] Figure 3 shows a state where occupant A is sitting on the left seat 10b, with the right side rest 20a in the armrest position and the left side rest 20b in the backrest position. In this state, the left side rest 20b functions as a backrest, causing the left seat 10b to spread out laterally. The right side rest 20a can then be used as an armrest for occupant A. This provides occupant A with a spacious and comfortable seating experience for their upper body.

[0027] Figures 4(a)-(c) illustrate the settings of the right seat 10a and the right side rest 20a. (a) shows the right side rest 20a set to its forward limit position. In this state, the lock is released and the right side rest 20a functions as an armrest, with forward rotation restricted at the forward limit position. (b) shows the right side rest 20 set to its rear limit position. From the state in (a), when the right side rest 20a is rotated to the rear limit position, it locks and fixes in this position. At this rear limit position, the side rest 20a functions as a backrest. The range between the forward limit position and the rear limit position is, for example, 120 degrees. (c) shows the position setting state of the side rest 20a within a predetermined range from the rear limit position. At the rear limit position, with the lock released, the right side rest 20a can be rotated forward and locked at any position to change its position as a backrest. This adjustable range is, for example, 55 degrees just before the rear limit position. Then, by moving to the rear limit position and unlocking it, it becomes possible to move to the forward limit position.

[0028] The rotational position of the side rests 20 can be adjusted independently for each of the two side rests 20a and 20b, allowing the side rests 20 to be used in various ways. Furthermore, as mentioned above, the rotation axis of the side rest 20 is fixed to the vehicle body. Therefore, it can be adjusted independently of the seat 10's recline, and no problems arise even if the angle of the adjacent seat's seatback 14 is changed when using the side rest 20 on the adjacent seat.

[0029] Here, as shown in Figure 1, the angle between the left and right centerlines of the seatback 14 and the line connecting the center of the thigh and the upper end of the side rest 20 at the backrest position is the torso angle, which is set to, for example, 53 degrees. The left-right angle of the rear surface of the side rest 20 (the left-right angle relative to the center) should be set according to the torso angle. This allows the occupant's shoulders to be properly supported by the back of the side rest 20.

[0030] Figure 5(a) shows an example where the front of the side rest is gradually positioned forward relative to the side of the left seat. In this example, the back of the side rest 20 and the side 14b are adjacent to each other in the left-right direction at approximately the same position. The back of the left side rest 20b is positioned forward toward the center, matching the angle of the back of the occupant's shoulder. Therefore, the left side rest 20b can properly support the occupant's shoulder.

[0031] Figure 5(b) shows an example where the back of the left side rest 20b faces in the same left-to-right direction (vehicle width direction) as the side 14b of the seat 10b. In this way, because the back of the left side rest 20b faces in the same left-to-right direction (vehicle width direction) as the front of the side 14b of the seat 10b, there is no problem even if the occupant moves from side to side, and the back of the left side rest 20b can be effectively used as a backrest.

[0032] Figure 5(c) shows an example where the left side rest 20b is positioned forward of the side 14b of the left seat 10b. In this example, the back of the side rest 20 is positioned forward of the side of the seat 10, creating a step between them. This allows the occupant's shoulders to be wrapped around from the side.

[0033] The seat 10 has a surface covering material such as cloth or leather, and is filled with an elastic material such as urethane foam inside. A rigid plastic frame material is also placed inside or on the back, but in the diagram, only the elastic material is shown for simplicity. Similarly, the side rest 20 also has a surface covering material covering the surface material 22c, upper part 22b, and lower part 22a, but the description of the surface covering material is omitted in the diagram.

[0034] The urethane foam 22 inside the seat 10 is relatively firm. The lower urethane foam 22a located on the back side of the side rest 20 is the same firmness as the seat 10. The upper urethane foam 22b located on the top side of the side rest 20 is relatively soft.

[0035] This allows the upper part 22b to suppress the transmission of body vibrations to the surface when it functions as an armrest, resulting in a comfortable state when resting the elbow.

[0036] On the other hand, the rear side, which functions as a backrest, can support the occupant's body with the same stress as the seat 10.

[0037] With the Side Rest 20, the top surface is harder than the bottom surface, which suppresses the transmission of body vibrations and helps maintain a comfortable ride when used as an armrest.

[0038] Furthermore, the underside has a hardness that matches the seat back, so it feels natural and comfortable to use as a backrest.

[0039] The seatback 14 may be able to recline significantly towards the rear, and in this case, the side rests 20 should also be able to rotate significantly towards the rear.

[0040] Figure 6 shows an example where the sides 14b of the left and right seats 10a and 10b and the fronts of the two side rests 20a and 20b are aligned. In this example, the seat backs 14 of the two seats 10a and 10b are connected by the backs of the two side rests 20. Therefore, a large, nearly horizontal seat surface can be obtained. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 10 Seat, 12 Seat bottom, 14 Seat back, 14a Center section, 14b Side section, 20 Side rest, 22 Urethane foam, 22a Lower section, 22b Upper section, 22c Surface material, 30 Center console, 32 Rear section, 34 Connector section, 36 Frame component, 40 Buckle, 42 Crossbar, 44 Rotating axis, 46 Release button.

Claims

[Claim 1] A seat including a seat bottom that supports the occupant's buttocks and a seat back that supports the occupant's back, A side rest is provided on the side of the seat back, which is rotatable such that its front end pivots around its rear end as an axis, Includes, The side rest is movable between an armrest position where its upper surface functions as an armrest for the occupant, and a backrest position where its tip faces upward and its back is at the same level as the front of the seat back, and the angle of the back of the side rest relative to the front can be adjusted within a predetermined range around the backrest position. Vehicle seat structure.

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