Armrests and vehicle seats

Abstract

The present invention provides an armrest and a vehicle seat that allow harnesses connected to electrical components to be routed in a position that does not easily interfere with rotation. [Solution] An armrest 15 is rotatably mounted on a vehicle seat 1, comprising an armrest body 20 and an electrical component 18 supported by the armrest body, wherein the armrest body has a pivot shaft 34 that is rotatably connected to the vehicle seat, and harness holes 122 around the pivot shaft through which harnesses 77, 77B connected to the electrical component pass.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an armrest and a vehicle seat provided with the armrest.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a door trim provided with an armrest portion. The armrest portion is formed to bulge inside the vehicle cabin and is used as an elbow rest for the occupant. The armrest portion is provided with a storage portion having an open upper side.

[0003] The storage portion has a bottom wall, a pair of side walls, a front wall, and a rear wall, and an inclined surface on which an electronic device such as a smartphone is placed is provided on one of the side walls. A coil (power supply coil) for non-contact power transmission and charging of the electronic device is embedded in the inclined surface.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses an armrest disposed on a rear seat or the like of a four-wheel vehicle and rotatably attached to a seat back. [[ID=२२]]

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] It is conceivable to provide electrical components such as a power supply coil in an armrest rotatably attached to a seat back. In such a case, it is required to route a harness connected to the electrical components so as not to interfere with the rotation of the armrest.

[0007] In view of the above background, the present invention aims to provide an armrest and a vehicle seat that allow harnesses connected to electrical components to be routed in a position that does not easily interfere with rotation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention provides an armrest (15) rotatably mounted on a vehicle seat (1), comprising an armrest body (20) and an electrical component (18) supported by the armrest body, wherein the armrest body has a pivot shaft (34) rotatably connected to the vehicle seat and harness holes (122) around the pivot shaft through which harnesses (77, 77B) connected to the electrical component pass.

[0009] According to this embodiment, since a harness hole can be provided near the pivot axis, the harness connected to the electrical components can be routed in a position that does not easily interfere with rotation.

[0010] In the above embodiment, preferably, the armrest body is provided with a heat dissipation hole (61) that extends from the electrical component and opens through an opening (67) provided on the outer surface, and a harness fixing part (124A) for fixing the harness is provided at a position opposite to the opening.

[0011] According to this embodiment, the harness can be easily secured.

[0012] In the above embodiment, preferably, the harness fixing portion is provided on the opening side of the heat dissipation hole with respect to the pivot axis.

[0013] According to this embodiment, the harness fixing part can be provided in a position that is easily visible from the opening.

[0014] In the above embodiment, preferably, the harness includes a power receiving harness (77A) provided on the side of the electrical component and a power supply harness (77B) provided on the side of the vehicle seat and connected to the power receiving harness, wherein the power supply harness is provided with a power supply connector (114), the power receiving harness is provided with a power receiving connector (116) that is coupled to the power supply connector, and a connector fixing portion (124B) is provided at a position facing the opening for fixing at least one of the power supply connector and the power receiving connector.

[0015] According to this embodiment, the power supply connector and the power receiving connector can be fixed to the armrest body.

[0016] In the above embodiment, preferably, the connector fixing portion is located on the opening side with respect to the pivot axis.

[0017] According to this embodiment, the connector fixing portion can be provided in a position that is easily visible from the opening.

[0018] In the above embodiment, preferably, the armrest body is provided with a receiving hole (120) for receiving the harness and connected to the heat dissipation hole.

[0019] According to this embodiment, the harness can be guided to a position that is easily visible from the opening.

[0020] In the above embodiment, preferably, the armrest body is provided with a cover member (69) that covers the opening.

[0021] According to this embodiment, the harness fixing portion can be protected.

[0022] In the above embodiment, preferably, the armrest body comprises a trim member (150) positioned along at least a portion of the edge of the opening, and a surface material (25) connected to the trim member and covering at least a portion of the armrest body.

[0023] According to this aspect, the skin material can be favorably provided on the armrest body.

[0024] In the above aspect, preferably, it includes a main body lower part (106) constituting the lower part of the armrest body and a main body upper part (104) connected to the upper side of the main body lower part, and the harness hole is formed by a gap between the main body lower part and the main body upper part.

[0025] According to this aspect, a harness hole can be easily formed inside the armrest.

[0026] In the above aspect, preferably, the electrical component is constituted by a power supply device (18) for supplying power to the terminal.

[0027] According to this aspect, power can be supplied to the terminal by using the electrical component provided on the armrest.

[0028] In order to solve the above problems, an aspect of the present invention is a vehicle seat (1) having an armrest, which has a seat back (13) and a seat cushion (14), and the armrest is rotatably connected to the seat back about an axis extending in the left - right direction by the rotation axis, and a storage recess (16) for accommodating the armrest is provided in the seat back.

[0029] According to this aspect, a harness connected to an electrical component can be routed to a position where it is less likely to interfere with rotation, and a vehicle seat with a foldable armrest can be provided.

Effects of the Invention

[0030] One aspect of the present invention is an armrest (15) rotatably mounted on a vehicle seat (1), comprising an armrest body (20) and an electrical component (18) supported by the armrest body, wherein the armrest body has a pivot shaft (34) rotatably connected to the vehicle seat and a harness hole (122) around the pivot shaft through which harnesses (77, 77B) connected to the electrical component pass.

[0031] According to this embodiment, since a harness hole can be provided near the pivot axis, the harness connected to the electrical components can be routed in a position that does not easily interfere with rotation.

[0032] In the above embodiment, preferably, the armrest body is provided with a heat dissipation hole (61) that extends from the electrical component and opens through an opening (67) provided on the outer surface, and a harness fixing part (124A) for fixing the harness is provided at a position opposite to the opening.

[0033] According to this embodiment, the harness can be easily secured.

[0034] In the above embodiment, preferably, the harness fixing portion is provided on the opening side of the heat dissipation hole with respect to the pivot axis.

[0035] According to this embodiment, the harness fixing part can be provided in a position that is easily visible from the opening.

[0036] In the above embodiment, preferably, the harness includes a power receiving harness (77A) provided on the side of the electrical component and a power supply harness (77B) provided on the side of the vehicle seat and connected to the power receiving harness, wherein the power supply harness is provided with a power supply connector (114), the power receiving harness is provided with a power receiving connector (116) that is coupled to the power supply connector, and a connector fixing portion (124B) is provided at a position facing the opening for fixing at least one of the power supply connector and the power receiving connector.

[0037] According to this embodiment, the power supply connector and the power receiving connector can be fixed to the armrest body.

[0038] In the above embodiment, preferably, the connector fixing portion is located on the opening side with respect to the pivot axis.

[0039] According to this embodiment, the connector fixing portion can be provided in a position that is easily visible from the opening.

[0040] In the above embodiment, preferably, the armrest body is provided with a receiving hole (120) for receiving the harness and connected to the heat dissipation hole.

[0041] According to this embodiment, the harness can be guided to a position that is easily visible from the opening.

[0042] In the above embodiment, preferably, the armrest body is provided with a cover member (69) that covers the opening.

[0043] According to this embodiment, the harness fixing portion can be protected.

[0044] In the above embodiment, preferably, the armrest body comprises a trim member (150) positioned along at least a portion of the edge of the opening, and a surface material (25) connected to the trim member and covering at least a portion of the armrest body.

[0045] According to this embodiment, the surface material can be well provided on the armrest body.

[0046] In the above embodiment, preferably, the lower part of the armrest body includes a lower body portion (106) and an upper body portion (104) connected to the upper side of the lower body portion, and the harness hole is formed by the gap between the lower body portion and the upper body portion.

[0047] According to this embodiment, harness holes can be easily formed inside the armrest.

[0048] In the above embodiment, preferably, the electrical component is comprised of a power supply device (18) for supplying power to the terminal.

[0049] According to this embodiment, power can be supplied to the terminal using electrical components provided on the armrest.

[0050] One aspect of the present invention is a vehicle seat (1) having an armrest, comprising a seat back (13) and a seat cushion (14), wherein the armrest is rotatably connected to the seat back by a pivot axis about an axis extending in the left-right direction, and the seat back is provided with a storage recess (16) for housing the armrest.

[0051] According to this embodiment, the harness connected to the electrical components can be routed in a position that does not easily interfere with rotation, and a vehicle seat equipped with a retractable armrest can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0052] [Figure 1] Perspective view of the rear seat with an armrest. [Figure 2] Perspective view of the armrest according to the first embodiment, viewed from the left side. [Figure 3] Exploded perspective view of the armrest body according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] Perspective view showing the regulatory mechanism and fixing member according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] VV section view in Figure 2 [Figure 6] Perspective view of the duct and base member from below. [Figure 7] Top view showing the arrangement of the lower pad member, duct, and cover member. [Figure 8] Rear view of the cover member [Figure 9]Perspective view and enlarged view of the dashed line portion of the armrest according to the second embodiment [Figure 10] Exploded perspective view of the armrest according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] An armrest according to the second embodiment, showing a bottom view with the lower pad member removed. [Figure 12] Rear view of the armrest with the rear cover member removed according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13] Rear view of the armrest according to the second embodiment [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0053] The following describes an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to the armrest of a three-seater rear seat of an automobile, with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention can also be applied to armrests provided on mid-seats, front seats, door trims, center console boxes, etc.

[0054] <<First Embodiment>> As shown in Figure 1, the rear seat 1 comprises a right-side seat 2 which constitutes the right seat, and a left-side seat 3 which constitutes the left seat and center seat. The left-side seat 3 and the right-side seat 2 are independent of each other and are arranged to be continuous from left to right.

[0055] The right-side seat 2 has a seat cushion 5, a seat back 6, and a headrest 7. The seat cushion 5 is connected to the floor 8, and the seat back 6 is connected to the rear end of the seat cushion 5. The headrest 7 is connected to the top of the seat back 6.

[0056] The left seat 3 has a seat cushion 10, a seat back 11, a headrest 12, and an armrest 15. The seat cushion 10 is connected to the floor 8, and the seat back 11 is connected to the rear end of the seat cushion 10. The headrest 12 is connected to the top of the seat back 11.

[0057] The right-side seat 2 and the left-side seat 3 are arranged to be continuous from left to right. The seat back 6 of the right-side seat 2 and the seat back 11 of the left-side seat 3 are integrated to form the seat back 13 of the rear seat 1. The seat cushion 5 of the right-side seat 2 and the seat cushion 10 of the left-side seat 3 are integrated to form the seat cushion 14 of the rear seat 1.

[0058] A storage recess 16 that recedes towards the rear is formed in the central part of the front of the seat back 11. The base end of the armrest 15 is located inside the storage recess 16 and is rotatably connected to the seat back 11 around a rotation axis that extends left and right. The armrest 15 rotates between a usage position in which the free end protrudes forward relative to the base end (see solid line in Figure 1) and a storage position in which the free end is located above the base end and inside the storage recess 16 (see dashed line in Figure 1).

[0059] The armrest 15 is rotatably mounted on the rear seat 1. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the armrest 15 is rotatably connected at its base end to the seat back 13 of the rear seat 1 about an axis extending in the left-right direction. Similar to the first embodiment, the seat back 13 of the rear seat 1 is provided with a storage recess 16 for housing the armrest 15 (see Figure 1).

[0060] The armrest 15 also has a receiving recess 17 on its front end (i.e., free end) side. The receiving recess 17 is used to receive various items such as beverage cups. In this embodiment, the armrest 15 is provided with a sealing member 17A for sealing the receiving recess 17.

[0061] The armrest 15 is further equipped with a contactless power supply device 18 for charging devices such as smartphones. The power supply device 18 is located slightly forward of the center of the armrest 15 and behind the receiving recess 17.

[0062] In this embodiment, the power supply device 18 is provided with a heat dissipation fan 18A. The fan 18A is located on the right half of the power supply device 18. An opening (not shown) communicating with the inside of the case is provided on the right half of the lower surface of the case that forms the outer shell of the power supply device 18. The fan 18A is housed inside the case and dissipates heat from the power supply device 18 through this opening.

[0063] In addition to the power supply device 18, the armrest 15 includes an armrest body 20 to which the power supply device 18 is provided and which is rotatably connected to the seat back 11.

[0064] The armrest body 20 includes a seat portion 22, an upper pad member 23 positioned along the upper surface of the seat portion 22, a lower pad member 24 provided on the lower side of the seat portion 22, and a surface material 25 that covers at least a portion of the upper pad member 23 and the lower pad member 24.

[0065] Figure 3 shows an exploded perspective view of the seat 22.

[0066] As shown in Figure 3, the seat portion 22 comprises a frame 26, a base member 27 supported by the frame 26, and a duct 28 connected to the base member 27. In addition to the members shown in Figure 3, the seat portion 22 is fitted with a cup member 29 for forming a receiving recess 17 (see Figure 2).

[0067] The frame 26 includes a pair of left and right side members 31, a front member 32 connecting the left and right side members 31, and a shaft 34.

[0068] The shaft 34 is made of a metal component (round bar) and is positioned to extend in the left-right direction. The shaft 34 passes through through holes provided in the rear of the left and right side members 31 and is fixed to the corresponding side member 31 at the through holes.

[0069] The shaft 34 is rotatably supported at both its left and right ends by a pair of left and right brackets 36 fixed to the seat back frame. As a result, the frame 26 is connected to the seat back 13 so that it can rotate about the central axis X of the shaft 34 (an example of a pivot axis) (see also Figure 2).

[0070] As shown in Figure 3, a restricting mechanism 42 is provided between the armrest 15 and the bracket 36 to restrict the rotation range of the armrest 15. The restricting mechanism 42 includes a rod-shaped member 43 provided on the frame 26 and a guide groove 36A provided on the bracket 36.

[0071] As shown in Figure 4, the rod-shaped member 43 is a rod-shaped member that extends to the left and right, and is connected to the rear end of the side member 31, protruding outward to the left and right of the bracket 36. The bracket 36 is provided with guide grooves 36A that receive the left and right sides of the rod-shaped member 43, and the rod-shaped member 43 is received in these guide grooves 36A. This limits the rotation range of the armrest 15 between the usage position and the stored position.

[0072] As shown in Figure 3, the base member 27 is a flat plate made of resin, metal, or the like. The base member 27 is positioned and fixed so as to overlap the side members 31 from above at both left and right edges, and the front member 32 at its front edge. The base member 27 may also be fixed to the frame 26 with screws or the like. The power supply device 18 is placed on the upper surface of the base member 27 and supported by the upper surface (also called the surface) of the base member 27.

[0073] In detail, the base member 27 comprises a rectangular frame-shaped frame body 45 extending in the front-rear direction, a support portion 47 positioned to connect the front-rear central portions of the long sides of the frame body 45, a connecting portion 49 provided on the support portion 47, and a sealing portion 51 provided behind the support portion 47.

[0074] The frame 45 includes a left frame 45L positioned along the left side member 31, a right frame 45R positioned along the right side member 31, a front frame 45F that connects the front end of the left frame 45L and the front end of the right frame 45R and is positioned along the front member 32, and a rear frame 45B that connects the rear end of the left frame 45L and the rear end of the right frame 45R.

[0075] The front frame 45F, left frame 45L, and right frame 45R are each positioned along the upper surface of the frame 26. The rear frame 45B passes above the shaft 34 and extends to the rear of the shaft 34. The rear frame 45B further includes a rear extension 53 that extends downward at its rear end. The rear extension 53 is located behind the shaft 34 and constitutes a wall body with a surface facing in the front-rear direction. A cup member 29 that constitutes a receiving recess 17 is attached to this frame body 45.

[0076] The support portion 47 is plate-shaped with a surface facing vertically. When viewed from above, the support portion 47 has a roughly rectangular shape extending horizontally. The support portion 47 is connected to the left frame 45L at its left edge, approximately in the center in the front-to-back direction, and the support portion 47 is connected to the right frame 45R at its right edge, approximately in the center in the front-to-back direction. The support portion 47 forms a surface (hereinafter referred to as the support surface 55) on its front side (top surface) that supports the power supply device 18, and the power supply device 18 is placed on the support surface 55.

[0077] Thus, the power supply device 18 is placed on the support surface 55, and its movement in the left-right direction is restricted by the right frame 45R and the left frame 45L. A front wall portion 47A is provided at the front edge of the support portion 47 to restrict the forward movement of the power supply device 18, and a rear wall portion 47B is provided between the support portion 47 and the sealing portion 51 to restrict the rearward movement of the power supply device 18. As a result, the right frame 45R and the left frame 45L, the front wall portion 47A and the rear wall portion 47B, and the support portion 47 form a housing recess 56 in the base member 27 for housing at least a part of the power supply device 18, which is an electrical component, and a housing space 56A is defined in the housing recess 56 in which the power supply device 18 is housed.

[0078] In this embodiment, a heat dissipation hole 57 is provided in the support portion 47, approximately in the center in the left-right direction, and penetrates vertically. The heat dissipation hole 57 is approximately rectangular in shape when viewed in the vertical direction.

[0079] The support portion 47 is provided with a support opening 59 that penetrates in the thickness direction at the right edge of the support surface 55, opposite the fan 18A of the power supply device 18. The support opening 59 has a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from above. A sealing member 60 is provided between the power supply device 18 and the support surface 55, positioned along the edge of the support opening 59.

[0080] As shown in Figure 5, the connecting portion 49 is joined to the support opening 59 from below and has a groove shape that extends downward from the support opening 59.

[0081] More specifically, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the connecting portion 49 is connected to the front edge of the support opening 59 and comprises a front wall 59A extending downward, a pair of left and right side walls 59B connected to the left and right side edges of the support opening 59 and extending downward, and a bottom wall 59C connected to the lower ends of the front wall 59A and the side walls 59B and extending rearward. As a result, the connecting portion 49 has a sealed front end and a groove shape with a U-shaped cross-section extending rearward, and comprises a groove-shaped opening 59D that opens toward the rear.

[0082] As shown in Figures 3 and 6, the sealing portion 51 is a rectangular plate shape with surfaces facing vertically. The sealing portion 51 is connected to the left frame 45L at its left edge, to the rear frame 45B at its rear edge, and to the right frame 45R at its right edge. The upper pad member 23 is placed on the upper surface of the sealing portion 51.

[0083] As shown in Figure 3, the duct 28 has a bottom wall 28A that extends substantially horizontally and side walls 28B that are erected from the left and right edges of the bottom wall 28A. The side walls 28B of the duct 28 are connected by upper walls 28C that extend left and right at approximately the center of the upper end. As a result, the central part of the duct 28 has a cylindrical shape with a front opening 28D that opens toward the front and a rear opening 28E that opens toward the rear.

[0084] Furthermore, the front end of the duct 28 is provided with a front groove 28F, which is formed by the front part of the bottom wall 28A and the front parts of the left and right side walls 28B. The rear end of the duct 28 is also provided with a rear groove 28G, which is formed by the rear part of the bottom wall 28A and the rear parts of the left and right side walls 28B. The front groove 28F and the rear groove 28G each have a U-shaped cross-section that opens upward. With the provision of the front groove 28F and the rear groove 28G, the duct 28 has a groove shape at its front and rear ends, respectively.

[0085] The duct 28 extends in the front-rear direction, and the front groove portion 28F is positioned to cover the connection portion 49 from below. As a result, the duct 28 is connected to the connection portion 49 at the front end of the central part. At this time, the sealing portion 51 is located above the rear groove portion 28G, and the rear groove portion 28G (the groove-shaped rear end portion of the duct 28) is positioned to face the sealing portion 51 vertically. Furthermore, the rear upper edges of the side walls 28B each abut against the lower surface of the sealing portion 51, and the rear groove portion 28G is sealed from above by the sealing portion 51.

[0086] An extension wall 28H is provided at the rear end of the duct 28, extending rearward from the lower edge of the lower wall of the rear groove 28G.

[0087] As a result, as shown in Figure 5, the duct 28 and the base member 27 form a heat dissipation hole 61 in the armrest body 20 that extends from the connection portion 49 to the rear end of the duct 28 and to the rear surface of the armrest body 20. This heat dissipation hole 61 defines a heat dissipation passage 61A that extends from the connection portion 49 to the rear end of the duct 28 and to the rear surface of the armrest body 20.

[0088] Therefore, the duct 28 can be referred to as a passage forming member (or flow path forming member) that works in cooperation with the base member 27 to form a heat exhaust passage 61A, and the base member 27 can also be referred to as a lid member that seals the upper side of the rear groove portion 28G. As shown in Figure 3, it is preferable that a sealing member 62 is provided between the duct 28 and the sealing portion 51 to seal the gap between the side wall 28B (specifically, the rear part of the side wall 28B) that constitutes the rear groove portion 28G and the sealing portion 51.

[0089] The front groove portion 28F of the duct 28 may be bonded to the connection portion 49, or it may be configured so that the duct 28 is maintained in a state where it is connected to the connection portion 49 by being biased upward by the lower pad member 24.

[0090] As shown in Figures 5 and 7, the lower pad member 24 is provided with a pad receiving recess 63 that is recessed downward to receive the connection portion 49 and the duct 28. The provision of the pad receiving recess 63 ensures that the lower pad member 24 is well coupled to the base member 27 and the duct 28.

[0091] As shown in Figure 5, the rear of the side wall 28B of the duct 28 is provided with a notch 65 cut out from the upper edge downward (i.e., in the direction away from the base member 27). The notch 65 is provided in the side wall 28B that constitutes the rear groove 28G (see also Figure 3). The shaft 34 passes through the notch 65 of the duct 28. As a result, the heat dissipation passage 61A defined by the duct 28 and the base member 27 is configured to overlap the shaft 34 in a side view.

[0092] The rear end of the duct 28 extends to near the front of the rear extension 53. The rear extension 53 has an opening 67 (see also Figure 6) formed at a position opposite the rear end of the duct 28 in the front-rear direction. The rear extension 53 is provided with a rear cover member 69 that seals the opening 67. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the rear cover member 69 is plate-shaped with a rectangular shape when viewed from the front. The rear cover member 69 has a through hole 70 that penetrates it from behind the rear end of the duct 28.

[0093] As shown in Figure 8, the through-hole 70 is provided with a grid frame 71 extending in the vertical and horizontal directions, respectively. As a result, the rear cover member 69 is provided with a plurality of ventilation holes 73 arranged in the vertical and horizontal directions. The rear cover member 69 is also provided with a design portion 69A to enhance the aesthetic appearance of the armrest 15, but this is not essential.

[0094] As shown in Figure 3, the support portion 47 is provided with a through-hole (not shown) that penetrates to the left of the heat dissipation hole 57. As a result, the armrest body 20 penetrates through the through-hole (not shown) between the base member 27 and the lower pad member 24, creating a gap that extends rearward between the base member 27 and the lower pad member 24.

[0095] A harness 77 is connected to the power supply device 18 for supplying power from a battery or the like installed in the vehicle body. The harness 77 connected to the power supply device 18 enters the gap between the base member 27 and the lower pad member 24 and extends to the rear. As shown in Figure 7, the harness 77 further extends through the rear cover member 69 and the duct 28 to the gap between the bracket 36 and the armrest 15 (see also Figure 4).

[0096] In order to stably hold the harness 77 between the rear cover member 69 and the duct 28, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, a fixing portion 79 for fixing the harness 77 is provided on the rear edge of the bottom wall 28A of the duct 28. The fixing portion 79 has a locking hole 83 into which a harness clip 81 (see Figures 5 and 7) is locked. The harness 77 is fastened to the harness clip 81, and the harness clip 81 is locked into the locking hole 83. As a result, the harness 77 is locked to the rear edge of the duct 28 and held between the rear cover member 69 and the duct 28. Furthermore, by providing the fixing portion 79 for fixing the harness 77 on the duct 28, there is no need to provide a separate member for fixing the harness 77 on the base member 27, thus reducing the number of parts in the armrest 15.

[0097] As shown in Figures 3 and 7, a pair of regulating pieces 85 are provided on at least one side wall 28B of the duct 28. The regulating pieces 85 are spaced apart on the upstream (front) and downstream (rear) sides of the side wall 28B located at the rear of the duct 28.

[0098] Each restricting piece 85 extends parallel to the bottom wall 28A from the side wall 28B and protrudes toward the lower pad member 24. Each restricting piece 85 is plate-shaped with a surface facing in the vertical direction. Due to its shape, the restricting piece 85 is also called a tab or a flat rib (flat rib). In this embodiment, the restricting piece 85 protrudes to the left from the lower edge of the left side wall 28B of the duct 28.

[0099] The lower pad member 24 has a recess 87 formed at a position corresponding to the restricting piece 85. As a result, the lower pad member 24 protrudes between the pair of restricting pieces 85 arranged front to back within the recess 87. Hereinafter, the portion of the lower pad member 24 located between the restricting pieces 85 will be referred to as the bulge portion 89. The bulge portion 89 protrudes between the pair of restricting pieces 85 arranged front to back, restricting the front-to-back movement of the lower pad member 24 relative to the base member 27.

[0100] Each restricting piece 85 is provided with a rib 91 that protrudes upward and has opposing surfaces. In this embodiment, the rib 91 on the front restricting piece 85 extends in the left-right direction along the rear edge of the front restricting piece 85. On the other hand, the rib 91 on the rear restricting piece 85 extends in the left-right direction along the front edge of the rear restricting piece 85. As a result, each of the two ribs 91 has opposing surfaces in the front-rear direction.

[0101] The bulging portion 89 is sandwiched between the rear surface of the rib 91 provided on the front restricting piece 85 and the front surface of the rib 91 provided on the rear restricting piece 85. This more firmly restricts the movement of the lower pad member 24 in the front-rear direction relative to the base member 27.

[0102] Next, a method for manufacturing the armrest 15 configured in this way will be described. The worker manufacturing the armrest 15 first forms the frame 26 of the armrest 15 by joining a pair of left and right side members 31, a front member 32, and a shaft 34. Then the worker joins the rod-shaped member 43 to the frame 26. Next, the worker joins the duct 28 to the base member 27, and then joins the power supply device 18 to the base member 27. Next, the worker joins the upper pad member 23 and the lower pad member 24 to the base member 27 and the frame 26, and covers the upper pad member 23 and the lower pad member 24 with the surface material 25, thereby completing the manufacturing of the armrest 15.

[0103] Next, we will explain the effects of the armrest 15 configured in this way.

[0104] Air heated by the heat generated by the power supply device 18 is discharged by the fan 18A through an opening in the case. This air flows downward through the support opening 59 and connection part 49 in the support part 47 and flows into the heat dissipation passage 61A between the duct 28 and the base member 27. The air that has flowed between the duct 28 and the base member 27 is then discharged to the outside of the armrest 15 through the ventilation holes 73 in the rear cover member 69 (see arrow in Figure 5).

[0105] Thus, the heat dissipation passage 61A functions as a flow passage for releasing heat from the power supply device 18. The heat dissipation passage 61A is connected to the power supply device 18 on the upstream side and opens on the downstream side at a position on the surface of the seat portion 22 that does not overlap with the power supply device 18. Therefore, heat from the power supply device 18 can be effectively discharged through this heat dissipation passage 61A.

[0106] A rear cover member 69 having ventilation holes 73 is provided at the downstream end of the heat exhaust passage 61A. By providing the rear cover member 69, foreign matter can be prevented from entering the heat exhaust passage 61A. In addition, the simple configuration of the duct 28 and the base member 27 can form part of the heat exhaust passage connected to the power supply device 18.

[0107] In the above embodiment, an example was described in which a lattice frame 71 is provided in the opening 67. However, instead of the lattice frame 71, the rear cover member 69 may be provided with a frame extending in the vertical direction (or horizontal direction), and slits may be formed in a row on the rear cover member 69.

[0108] <<Second Embodiment>> Figure 9 shows a perspective view of the armrest 15 according to the second embodiment. The armrest 15 according to the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment mainly in the wiring structure 100 of the harness 77 (see Figure 10) and the configuration of the rear cover member 69, while other configurations are generally the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0109] In the following, with reference to the drawings, the structure of the armrest 15 related to the wiring harness 77 100 will be described, followed by a detailed description of the wiring harness 77 100. However, parts similar to those in the first embodiment will be omitted from the description as appropriate, and the front, rear, left, right, up, and down directions will be defined based on the direction of the vehicle body. Note that the manufacturing method of the armrest 15 according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the armrest 15 according to the first embodiment, so the description will be omitted.

[0110] The armrest 15 according to the second embodiment is rotatably connected to the seat back 11 at its base end, about an axis extending in the left-right direction, and is displaceable between a forward-projecting usage position and a storage position where it is housed in a storage recess 16 provided in the seat back 11. For the sake of convenience, the structure of the armrest 15 will be described below based on the armrest 15 being in the usage position.

[0111] As shown in Figure 9, the armrest 15, like in the first embodiment, includes a power supply device 18 as an example of an electrical component (device), and an armrest body 20 that supports the power supply device 18. The power supply device 18, like in the first embodiment, supplies power to a terminal (smartphone, etc.) held by the user.

[0112] The armrest body 20, similar to the first embodiment, comprises a seat portion 22, an upper pad member 23 positioned above the seat portion 22 and supported by the seat portion 22, and a lower pad member 24 provided below the seat portion 22. The armrest 15 includes a power supply device 18 and the armrest body 20, as well as a surface material 25 (see Figure 2) that constitutes the outer surface of the armrest 15, and a rear cover member 69 (also simply called a cover member) provided at the rear of the armrest 15. In this embodiment, the upper pad member 23 is covered from above by a resin cover plate 101. The seat portion 22 and the upper pad member 23 constitute the upper half (upper part 104) of the armrest body 20, and the lower pad member 24 constitutes the lower half (lower part 106) of the armrest body 20. The surface material 25 is made of a sheet-like material such as cloth or leather, and covers at least a part of the armrest body 20, forming the outer surface of the armrest 15.

[0113] The seat portion 22, like in the first embodiment, comprises a frame 26, a base member 27, and a duct 28. The base member 27 comprises a frame 45, a support portion 47, a connecting portion 49, and a sealing portion 51. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the rear edge of the base member 27 is provided with a rear extension portion 53 that extends downward behind the shaft 34. The base member 27 is further provided with a housing recess 56 for housing a part of the power supply device 18, similar to the first embodiment. This housing recess 56 forms a housing space 56A in the armrest body 20 for housing a part of the power supply device 18.

[0114] Similar to the first embodiment, a shaft 34 (rotation axis) is provided at the rear of the armrest body 20. In this embodiment, as shown in the enlarged view of Figure 9, the shaft 34 is received in a recess provided at the rear end of the side member 31 of the frame 26 and is connected to the armrest body 20 by being sandwiched above and below by the frame 26 and the base member 27.

[0115] Figure 11 shows a bottom view of the armrest body 20 with the lower pad member 24 removed. In Figure 11, the area that the lower pad member 24 contacts and is sealed by the lower pad member 24 is indicated by a dashed line.

[0116] Similar to the first embodiment, the shaft 34 is arranged to extend in the left-right direction and is rotatably connected at both ends to brackets 36 provided on the seat back 11.

[0117] Similar to the first embodiment, the armrest body 20 has a heat exhaust hole 61 formed by the base member 27 and the duct 28, which extends rearward from the power supply device 18 and opens at an opening 67. The heat exhaust hole 61 forms a heat exhaust passage 61A (see arrow in Figure 5) for releasing the heat generated in the power supply device 18. The heat exhaust hole 61 extends rearward along the extension wall 28H provided at the rear end of the duct 28 and is connected to an opening 67 provided in the rear extension portion 53. The opening 67 is positioned to overlap with the space between the base member 27 and the duct 28 when viewed from the rear, and constitutes the opening portion of the heat exhaust hole 61. That is, the heat exhaust hole 61 opens at an opening 67 provided on the outer surface of the armrest body 20. As shown in Figure 11, it is preferable that the opening 67 extends in the left-right direction beyond the space formed by the base member 27 and the duct 28 when viewed from the rear.

[0118] Next, we will describe the details of the wiring structure 100 of the harness 77.

[0119] As shown in Figure 10, the harness 77 includes a power receiving harness 77A provided on the power supply device 18 side and a power supply harness 77B provided on the seat back 11 side. The power supply harness 77B extends from the seat back 11 into the interior of the armrest 15. For example, a battery (not shown) that supplies power to the power supply device 18 is connected to the power supply harness 77B, and power is supplied to the power supply device 18. The power supply harness 77B may also be connected to a control device (not shown) that transmits control signals to the power supply device 18. The power receiving harness 77A is coupled to the power supply device 18.

[0120] A power supply connector 114 is provided at the end of the power supply harness 77B, and a power receiving connector 116 is provided on the power receiving harness 77A. When the power supply connector 114 and the power receiving connector 116 are coupled (connected), the power supply harness 77B is coupled (connected) to the power receiving harness 77A, and power, control signals, etc. are supplied to the power supply device 18.

[0121] As shown in Figure 11, the base member 27 is provided with a through hole 118 that penetrates to the left of the heat dissipation hole 57. The power receiving harness 77A enters the gap formed between the lower pad member 24 and the base member 27 through the through hole 118 and extends to the rear end of the armrest body 20.

[0122] The receiving harness 77A reaches the rear end of the armrest body 20, then bends to the left or right (to the right in this embodiment) and extends toward the heat dissipation hole 61 (heat dissipation passage 61A). The receiving connector 116 and the supplying connector 114 connect the receiving harness 77A to the supplying harness 77B at its extended end. The supplying harness 77B passes inside the heat dissipation hole 61 (heat dissipation passage 61A) and extends to the left or right (to the right in this embodiment). In this way, a receiving hole 120 that receives a part of the harness 77 is formed by the gap between the lower pad member 24 and the base member 27, and the receiving hole 120 is configured to connect to the heat dissipation hole 61 (see Figure 10). This allows the receiving harness 77A to be easily routed while being guided toward the opening 67.

[0123] As shown in Figures 9 and 11, the armrest body 20 is provided with a harness hole 122 for introducing the power supply harness 77B into the interior. The harness hole 122 is located on either the left or right side of the armrest body 20 (in this embodiment, the right side) and is provided around the shaft 34. After being connected to the power receiving harness 77A, the power supply harness 77B extends in the left-right direction, passes through the harness hole 122, and extends to the outside of the armrest body 20. In other words, the power supply harness 77B is introduced into the interior of the armrest body 20 from the seat back 11 through the harness hole 122. The harness hole 122 is formed by the gap between the lower body 106 (lower pad member 24) which constitutes the lower part of the armrest body 20, and the upper body 104 (seat portion 22 and upper pad member 23) which constitutes the upper part of the armrest body 20. In this embodiment, the harness hole 122 is formed by the gap between the base member 27 and the lower pad member 24. By forming the harness hole 122 in this way using the gap between the base member 27 and the lower pad member 24, the harness hole 122 can be easily formed.

[0124] In this embodiment, fixing portions 124 for securing the harness 77 are provided on both the duct 28 and the base member 27.

[0125] Specifically, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, a harness fixing portion 124A similar to the fixing portion 79 of the first embodiment is provided on the duct 28. More specifically, as shown in Figure 10, the harness fixing portion 124A protrudes upward from the extension wall 28H. As shown in Figures 10 and 12, the harness fixing portion 124A is located behind the shaft 34 (i.e., on the side of the opening 67 relative to the shaft 34).

[0126] The power supply harness 77B is secured to the harness fixing part 124A by a harness clip 125. A resin member or the like may be provided between the harness fixing part 124A and the harness clip 125 to protect the harness fixing part 124A.

[0127] The base member 27 is provided with a connector fixing portion 124B for fixing at least one of the power receiving connector 116 and the power supply connector 114. As shown in Figure 10, the base member 27 is provided with a rear wall recess 126 that is recessed forward by a rear extension portion 53. The rear wall recess 126 is provided with a through hole 128 that penetrates in the left-right direction, and the harness 77 is arranged to pass through this through hole 128. The connector fixing portion 124B is provided on the front wall 130 that defines the front part of the rear wall recess 126.

[0128] As shown in Figure 12, the harness fixing portion 124A and the connector fixing portion 124B are each positioned to face the opening 67 in approximately the front-to-back direction and are visible to the naked eye. The connector fixing portion 124B is also located behind the shaft 34 (i.e., on the side of the opening 67 relative to the shaft 34), similar to the harness fixing portion 124A.

[0129] As shown in Figures 9, 10, and 13, the armrest body 20 has a rear cover member 69 positioned to cover the opening 67, similar to the first embodiment. By providing the rear cover member 69 in this way, the harness fixing portion 124A and the connector fixing portion 124B are covered from the rear when in use, thus protecting the harness fixing portion 124A and the connector fixing portion 124B. In this embodiment, the lower wall 132 defining the lower edge of the rear wall recess 126 is provided with a connector protection portion 134 that protrudes upward behind the connector fixing portion 124B. This connector protection portion 134 further strengthens the protection of the connector fixing portion 124B.

[0130] The rear cover member 69 is made of a roughly plate-shaped resin material. As shown in Figure 13, the rear cover member 69 is provided with a cover opening 140 having a plurality of through holes that penetrate in the front-back direction. The cover opening 140 is positioned to overlap with the portion defined between the duct 28 and the base member 27 when viewed from the rear. The rear cover member 69 is further provided with a cover covering portion 142 located to the left of the cover opening 140. As shown in Figure 10, the cover covering portion 142 is positioned to cover the connector fixing portion 124B from the rear. While the cover opening 140 has through holes arranged in a grid pattern, the cover covering portion 142 does not have through holes, and is provided with grid-like ribs 144 to give it a similar design appearance to the cover opening 140.

[0131] The surface material 25 is provided with a surface opening (not shown) that overlaps with the opening 67. A trim member 150 is provided along the edge of the surface opening. In Figure 12, the trim member 150 is shown by a dashed line. The trim member 150 plays a role in maintaining the shape of the edge that defines the surface opening and is made of a flat resin member. By sewing the trim member 150 along the edge of the surface opening, the surface material 25 can be easily and aesthetically pleasingly attached to the armrest body 20.

[0132] The trim member 150 is positioned along at least a portion of the edge of the opening 67 provided in the base member 27. The trim member 150 may be an annular shape extending along the edge of the opening 67. In this embodiment, the trim member 150 is an annular shape extending along the edge of the opening 67, except for an inwardly protruding convex portion 150A formed to avoid overlapping the connector protection portion 134 in the front and rear directions.

[0133] Next, the effects of the armrest 15 configured in this way will be explained. As shown in the enlarged view of Figure 9, the harness 77 connected to the power supply device 18 provided on the armrest 15 is introduced into the armrest body 20 through harness holes 122 provided on the left and right sides of the armrest body 20 and around the shaft 34. By providing the harness holes 122 around the shaft 34 in this way, the harness 77 can be positioned near the shaft 34, so that the harness 77 can be routed in a position that does not easily interfere with the rotation of the armrest 15.

[0134] As shown in Figure 12, the harness fixing part 124A is positioned opposite the opening 67 of the heat dissipation vent 61 and is visible from the opening 67. Therefore, when assembling the armrest 15, the harness fixing part 124A can be seen and the power supply harness 77B can be fixed, making the fixing work easier. In addition, since the harness fixing part 124A is located behind the shaft 34, the harness fixing part 124A is easily visible, and the shaft 34 does not obstruct the fixing work.

[0135] The connector fixing portion 124B is also positioned opposite the opening 67 of the heat dissipation hole 61 and is visible from the opening 67. Therefore, similar to the harness fixing portion 124A, the connector fixing portion 124B can be visually identified and at least one of the power supply side connector 114 and the power receiving side connector 116 can be fixed to the connector fixing portion 124B, making the fixing work easier. In addition, since the connector fixing portion 124B is located behind the shaft 34, the connector fixing portion 124B is easily visible, preventing the shaft 34 from obstructing the fixing work.

[0136] This concludes the description of specific embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be broadly modified and implemented.

[0137] In the above embodiment, the case in which the armrest 15 is rotatably mounted on the seat back 13 was described. However, the armrest 15 only needs to be rotatably mounted on a seat such as the rear seat 1, and may be rotatably mounted on a member other than the seat back 13, for example, on the seat cushion 14. In this case, a shaft 34 (rotating axis) that rotatably connects the armrest body 20 to the seat cushion 14 is attached to the seat cushion 14.

[0138] If the armrest 15 is rotatably mounted on the seat cushion 14, the seat cushion 14 may be provided with a storage recess for storing the armrest 15. The armrest 15 may be rotatably connected to the seat cushion 14 so that it can be displaced between a storage position where it is stored in the storage recess and a usage position where it is raised from the storage position. In this case, the armrest body 20 may be configured to have, in the stored state, a main part that extends front to back and whose upper surface is parallel to the upper surface of the seat cushion 14, and a hanging part that extends downward from the front end of the main part.

[0139] The armrest body 20 may be composed of two members connected to each other via a pivot axis. When the armrest 15 is in use, it may be configured so that one member is rotated relative to the other to unfold, and the two members form a surface substantially parallel to the upper surface of the seat cushion 14. Even if the armrest body 20 is provided with one or more pivot axes for deformation such as unfolding, it is preferable that harness holes 122 be provided around the shaft 34 (pivot axis) for connecting the armrest body 20 to the seat cushion 14.

[0140] Furthermore, although the above embodiment describes an example in which the armrest 15 is provided on the rear seat 1 that constitutes the rear seat, the armrest 15 may also be provided on a vehicle seat other than the rear seat 1, such as the front seat that constitutes the front seat or a mid-seat. For example, the armrest 15 may be rotatably attached to the seat cushion 14 of the front seat, in which case the seat cushion 14 does not need to have a storage recess.

[0141] Furthermore, in the second embodiment described above, the harness fixing portion 124A was provided on the duct 28 and the connector fixing portion 124B was provided on the base member 27, but the harness fixing portion 124A and the connector fixing portion 124B may each be provided on either the duct 28 or the base member 27. Also, the armrest 15 may be provided with multiple harness fixing portions 124A and connector fixing portions 124B. [Explanation of symbols]

[0142] 1: Rear seat (an example of a vehicle seat) 13: Seat back 14: Seat cushion 15: Armrest 16: Storage recess 18: Power supply device (an example of an electrical component) 20: Armrest body 25:Skin material 34: Shaft (an example of a pivot axis) 56A: Containment space 61: Heat exhaust hole 67: Opening 77: Harness 77A: Power receiving harness 77B: Power supply harness 79:Fixed part 104: Top of the main unit 106: Lower part of the main unit 114: Power supply side connector 116: Power receiving side connector 120: Receptor pore 122: Harness hole 124:Fixed part 124A: Harness fixing part 124B: Connector fixing part 150: Trim member

Claims

1. An armrest that is rotatably mounted on a vehicle seat, The armrest body and The armrest body has electrical components supported by it, The armrest body has a pivot shaft that is rotatably connected to the vehicle seat, and a harness hole around the pivot shaft through which a harness connected to the electrical components passes.

2. The armrest body is provided with heat dissipation holes that extend from the electrical components and open through openings on the outer surface. The armrest according to claim 1, wherein a harness fixing portion for fixing the harness is provided at a position opposite to the opening.

3. The armrest according to claim 2, wherein the harness fixing portion is provided on the opening side of the heat dissipation hole with respect to the pivot axis.

4. The harness includes a power receiving harness provided on the side of the electrical component and a power supply harness provided on the side of the vehicle seat and connected to the power receiving harness. The power supply harness is provided with a power supply connector. The power receiving harness is provided with a power receiving connector that connects to the power supply connector. The armrest according to claim 2, wherein a connector fixing portion for fixing at least one of the power supply side connector and the power receiving side connector is provided at a position opposite to the opening.

5. The armrest according to claim 4, wherein the connector fixing portion is located on the opening side with respect to the pivot axis.

6. The armrest according to claim 4, wherein the armrest body is provided with a receiving hole that receives the harness and is connected to the heat dissipation hole.

7. The armrest according to claim 4, wherein the armrest body is provided with a cover member that covers the opening.

8. The armrest according to claim 7, further comprising: a trim member positioned along at least a portion of the edge of the opening; and a surface material connected to the trim member and covering at least a portion of the armrest body.

9. The armrest body includes a lower body portion that constitutes the lower part of the armrest body, and an upper body portion that connects to the upper side of the lower body portion, The armrest according to claim 1, wherein the harness hole is formed by the gap between the lower part of the main body and the upper part of the main body.

10. The armrest according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the aforementioned electrical component is comprised of a power supply device for supplying power to the terminal.

11. A vehicle seat having an armrest as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, It has a seat back and seat cushion, The armrest is rotatably connected to the seatback by the pivot axis, with respect to an axis extending in the left-right direction. A vehicle seat having a storage recess in the seat back for accommodating the armrest.

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