Armrest

Abstract

The present invention provides an armrest that can achieve weight reduction while maintaining the necessary strength, even when components such as mounting parts are made thinner. [Solution] The armrest comprises a fixed side member consisting of a mounting member 10, a lock drum 20 integrally fixed to the mounting member 10, and a lock release cam 22 and a lock return cam 23 provided on the lock drum 20; a rotating side member consisting of a rotating frame 30 pivotally supported on the lock drum 20 so as to be able to rotate up and down; an arm support portion 32, a lock release holding portion 33 and a lower stopper receiving portion 34 provided on the rotating frame 30; a lock spring 50 fitted onto the lock drum 20; and a cover member 40 covering the base end of the rotating frame 30. Lower stoppers 12 and 24 are provided on the mounting member 10 and the lock drum 20, respectively, so that when the rotating frame 30 rotates downward to its lowest position during use, the downward rotation of the rotating frame 30 is restricted.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a height-adjustable armrest provided in a vehicle seat or the like. Background Art

[0002] The position of the arm of a person seated in an automobile seat varies depending on the physique of the person. In addition, when the seat back of the seat is reclined, if the armrest tilts together with the seat back, the seated person cannot extend their arm, resulting in a posture in which the seated person cannot easily relax. For this reason, in automobiles and the like, height-adjustable armrests that allow the height of the armrest body to be adjusted by adopting a rotatable structure for the arm support portion on which a user rests their arm are sometimes employed.

[0003] As height-adjustable armrests, those employing a spring lock mechanism as a locking mechanism in the vertical direction (vertical direction) are known. As shown in FIG. 5 of Patent Document 1, the spring lock mechanism includes a lock spring 50 externally fitted onto a lock drum 20, and a cam mechanism (unlock cam 21 and lock return cam 22) that operates the free end of the lock spring (the end on the operated portion 51 side).

[0004] In the armrest of Patent Document 1, when the arm support portion (armrest body 30 in FIG. 1 of the same document) is pivoted upward from the lowermost position in use, a locked state is achieved that restricts downward pivoting while allowing upward pivoting of the arm support portion 30. When the arm support portion 30 is pivoted upward to the uppermost position in use, the free end 51 of the lock spring 50 is operated by the unlock cam 21 and held by the unlock holding portion 41, so that the lock spring 50 loosens relative to the lock drum 20, resulting in an unlocked state in which both upward pivoting and downward pivoting of the arm support portion 30 are allowed. When the arm support portion 30 in the unlocked state is pivoted downward to the lowermost position in use, the free end 51 of the lock spring 50 is operated by the lock return cam 22 to disengage from the unlock holding portion 41, and returns to the locked state.

[0005] Furthermore, the arm support portion 30 can rotate downward until the lower stopper receiving portion (lower stopper contact portion α1 in the figure) of the rotating frame (rotating plate 40 in Figure 5 of Patent Document 1), which rotates integrally with it, contacts the lower stopper (lower stopper contact portion β1 in the figure) of the mounting member 10 attached to the seat frame. Also, the arm support portion 30 can rotate upward until the upper stopper receiving portion (upper stopper contact portion α2 in the figure) of the rotating frame 40 contacts the upper stopper (upper stopper contact portion β2 in the figure) of the mounting member 10. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7175063 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] Incidentally, in recent years, carbon neutrality has become a growing concern in the automotive parts industry, including for armrests, and there is a growing demand for lighter parts in order to reduce material usage and improve fuel efficiency.

[0008] However, conventional armrests employing a spring-lock mechanism have the challenge of being difficult to lighten because their main components (mounting members, rotating frames, etc.) are made of metal. In other words, in order to lighten the armrest, it is necessary to make the metal parts such as mounting members thinner, but when these metal parts are made thinner, it becomes difficult to ensure the necessary strength.

[0009] For example, in the armrest described in Reference 1 above, the mounting member 10 is provided with an arc-shaped upright wall portion 11 (Figure 5 in the same document), and the end face of this upright wall portion 11 functions as a lower stopper β1. Therefore, if metal parts such as the mounting member 10 are made thinner, it becomes impossible to secure the contact area between the lower stopper receiving portion α1 and the lower stopper β1, and if an overload is applied to the arm support, these metal parts may deform and break. The same can be said for other structures such as the upper stopper receiving portion α2 and the upper stopper β2.

[0010] This invention was made to solve the above problems and provides an armrest that can achieve weight reduction while ensuring the necessary strength even when components such as mounting members are made thinner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The above issues are, A mounting member that is attached to the seat frame in a way that prevents it from moving by fitting its interlocking protrusion to the member on the seat frame side, A cylindrical locking drum is integrally fixed to the mounting member, A lock release cam and a lock return cam are provided on the lock drum. A fixed side member composed of, A rotating frame is pivotally supported on the lock drum so as to be able to rotate up and down, The rotating frame includes an arm support, a lock release and holding part, and a lower stopper receiving part. The locking spring consists of a coil spring fitted onto a locking drum, with one end fixed to the rotating frame and the other end being a free end operated by a lock release cam and a lock return cam. A cover member that covers the side of the rotating frame opposite to the mounting member at the base end, together with the lock drum. A rotating side member composed of and Equipped with, Each of the mounting member and the lock drum is provided with a lower stopper. When the rotating frame rotates downward to its lowest position during use, the lower stopper receiving portion of the rotating frame comes into contact with the mounting member and the lower stopper of the lock drum, thereby restricting the downward rotation of the rotating frame. Armrest characterized by This is solved by providing [a solution].

[0012] As already mentioned, in conventional armrests, the lower stopper is provided only on the mounting member. However, in the armrest of the present invention, by providing this lower stopper not only on the mounting member but also on the lock drum, it becomes possible to distribute the load on the lower stopper to multiple locations. Therefore, even if metal parts such as the mounting member are made thinner, the necessary strength can be ensured.

[0013] In the armrest of the present invention, it is preferable that the cover member be made of metal and that a cylindrical burring portion be formed on the cover member, which is inserted into the inside of the lock drum and contacts the inner circumferential surface of the lock drum.

[0014] This is because, in an armrest, not only is there a vertical load on the arm support, but there is also a horizontal load (lateral load). By adopting the above structure, it becomes possible to ensure the lateral strength of the armrest. In other words, when a lateral load is applied to the arm support, a wide area of ​​the outer surface of the burring-processed portion of the cover member comes into surface contact with the inner surface of the lock drum, thereby increasing the strength against lateral loads. Consequently, it becomes easier to provide armrests that meet customer specifications, such as designing a longer arm support.

[0015] In the armrest of the present invention, it is also preferable that the fitting projection of the mounting member be a bridge-shaped cut and bent portion.

[0016] This is because, in conventional armrests, the fitting protrusions of the mounting member were formed by simply cutting and bending a predetermined portion of the metal plate. As a result, the structure was such that each fitting protrusion made contact with the portion of the seat frame side member (mounting bracket) into which it was fitted (fitting recess). Therefore, in order to secure the contact area between the fitting protrusion and the fitting recess and increase strength, it was necessary to increase the thickness of the mounting member (metal plate). In this respect, as described above, by making the fitting protrusion of the mounting member a bridge-shaped cut and bent portion (a portion formed in a bridge shape by cutting only the portion along a pair of side edges of a specific area on the metal plate and pushing the specific area to one side of the metal plate), a wide area of ​​the end face of the fitting protrusion can be made to contact the fitting recess, and the necessary strength can be secured even if the mounting member (metal plate) is made thinner.

[0017] In the armrest of the present invention, it is also preferable to form a plurality of friction recesses on the inner circumference of at least the first turn from the free end side of the lock spring.

[0018] This is because, even if the intermediate section of the lock spring can be formed into a precise arc shape, it is difficult to form a precise arc shape in the section near the free end, making it difficult to secure a contact area with the outer surface of the lock drum. For this reason, in order to generate the necessary locking force (lock torque) in the locked state, it is necessary to increase the number of turns of the lock spring. However, this would increase the dimensions of other parts such as the lock drum, making it difficult to lighten the armrest. In this respect, as described above, by forming multiple friction recesses near the free end of the lock spring, the locking force (lock torque) near the free end can be increased, and the number of turns of the lock spring can be reduced.

[0019] In the armrest of the present invention, A bag-shaped outer layer having a frame insertion opening for inserting a rotating frame, A cushioning material is provided covering the outer surface of the rotating frame and is inserted into the outer layer from the frame insertion opening together with the rotating frame, a skeleton member provided on at least the outer periphery of the distal end side of the rotating frame and having a plurality of outwardly protruding convex wall portions; comprising: the cushion material has a plurality of sets of clamping wall portions that clamp the convex wall portion from both sides, the clamping wall portions of the cushion material clamp the convex wall portion of the skeleton member, so that the cushion material is positioned with respect to the rotating frame , which is also preferable.

[0020] This is because, in conventional armrests, the cushion material is often provided by injecting a foamed resin as the raw material into a gap between the skin and the rotating frame to cause foaming. However, in this case, the cushion material is integrated with the rotating frame and the skin, which makes it difficult to separate the cushion material when the armrest is discarded. For this reason, it becomes difficult to recycle discarded parts. On the other hand, if the cushion material is not integrated with the rotating frame or the like, the cushion material is prone to positional displacement relative to the rotating frame, which may also deteriorate the usability of the armrest. In addition, the method of injecting foamed resin into the skin requires special equipment and can only be implemented by limited enterprises (chemical manufacturers). In this regard, the adoption of the above structure facilitates separation and recycling of the cushion material when the armrest is discarded, while making the cushion material less prone to positional displacement relative to the rotating frame and improving the usability of the armrest.

Effects of the Invention

[0021] As described above, the present invention makes it possible to provide an armrest that can ensure required strength and achieve weight reduction even when components such as a mounting member are thinned.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] It is an exploded perspective view of the armrest of the first embodiment. [Figure 2]This is an enlarged view of the area around the base end of the armrest in the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing the lock spring in the armrest of the second embodiment. [Figure 4] This is an exploded perspective view of the armrest of the third embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0023] The armrest of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following, the armrest of the present invention will be described using three embodiments (the first to the third embodiment) as examples. However, these embodiments are merely preferred embodiments, and the technical scope of the armrest of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. The armrest of the present invention can be modified as appropriate without impairing the spirit of the invention.

[0024] 1. Armrest of the first embodiment First, the armrest of the first embodiment will be described. Figures 1 and 2 show the armrest of the first embodiment. Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the armrest, and Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the area around the base end of the armrest. Figure 2(a) is a view of the area around the base end of the armrest from a direction parallel to the rotation center line L1, Figure 2(b) is a view of the area around the base end of the armrest from a direction perpendicular to the rotation center line L1 (a side view of Figure 2(a)), and Figure 2(c) is a cross-sectional view of the area around the base end of the armrest cut by a plane including the rotation center line L1 (a cross-sectional view of Figure 2(a) cut in the left-right direction). Figure 2(d) is a view of the lock release holding part 33, which will be described later, from the base end side of the armrest (arm support part 32) (a cross-sectional view of the area around the lock release holding part 33 in Figure 2(a) cut in the up-down direction). Furthermore, Figure 2(e) is a comparison diagram of the fitting projection 11, which will be described later.

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, the armrest of the first embodiment comprises a mounting member 10, a locking drum 20, a rotating frame 30, a cover member 40, and a locking spring 50. Of these, the mounting member 10 and the lock drum 20 are "fixed-side members" that do not move relative to the seat frame (not shown), while the rotating frame 30, cover member 40, and lock spring 50 are "rotating-side members" that can rotate around the rotation center line L1 relative to the fixed-side members. The following describes each component constituting the armrest of the first embodiment in order.

[0026] 1.1 Mounting components The mounting member 10 is a member that is attached to the seat frame (not shown) in a non-moving manner. This mounting member 10 is formed by bending a metal plate. As shown in Figure 2(c), the side of the mounting member 10 that is attached to the seat frame is provided with a plurality of fitting protrusions 11. The fitting protrusions 11 protrude toward the seat frame. In this embodiment, the fitting protrusions 11 are formed by cutting and bending the metal plate that forms the mounting member 10 to create a bridge shape (bridge-shaped cut and bent portion).

[0027] The mounting member 10 is fixed to the seat frame with bolts (not shown). By fitting the fitting projection 11 into a fitting recess provided on a member on the seat frame side (for example, a mounting bracket fixed to the seat frame), the mounting member 10 is prevented from rotating relative to the seat frame. In conventional armrest mounting members 10, as shown in the left diagram of Figure 2(e), the fitting projection 11 was formed by simply cutting and bending a predetermined part of a metal plate, so the fitting projection 11 could only contact the fitting recess within the range indicated by the shaded area in the figure. In contrast, in the mounting member 10 of this embodiment, as shown in the right diagram of Figure 2(e), the fitting projection 11 is formed in a bridge shape, allowing the fitting projection 11 to contact the fitting recess over a wide range indicated by the shaded area in the figure. Therefore, even if the metal plate forming the mounting member 10 is thin, the necessary strength can be secured. Consequently, the armrest can be made lighter.

[0028] Furthermore, the mounting member 10 is provided with a lower stopper 12 and an upper stopper 13. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the mounting member 10 is provided with a pair of bent portions that are bent on the side where the lock drum 20 is placed, with the end face of one bent portion functioning as the lower stopper 12 and the end face of the other bent portion functioning as the upper stopper 13.

[0029] 1.2 Rock Drums The lock drum 20 is a cylindrical member that is integrally fixed to the mounting member 10. The lock drum 20 is also made of metal. The lock drum 20 is equipped with a lock release cam 22, a lock return cam 23, and a lower stopper 24. Specifically, a flange portion 21 is provided at one open end of the lock drum 20, and the flange portion 21 has multiple bent portions that are bent toward the side where the mounting member 10 is placed, and the end faces of each of these bent portions function as the lock release cam 22, the lock return cam 23, and the lower stopper 24.

[0030] 1.3 Rotating Frame The rotating frame 30 is a member that is pivotally supported on the lock drum 20 so as to be able to rotate up and down around the rotation center line L1. In this embodiment, the rotating frame 30 is also made of metal. The rotating frame 30 is provided with a cylindrical wall portion 31, an arm support portion 32, a lock release holding portion 33 (Figures 2(c), (d)), a lower stopper receiving portion 34, and an upper stopper receiving portion 35.

[0031] The cylindrical wall portion 31 is the part that houses the lock drum 20 together with the lock spring 50, which will be described later. The arm support portion 32 is the part that supports the arm of the user of the armrest and is provided projecting forward from the outer circumference of the cylindrical wall portion 31. The lock release holding portion 33 is a recess provided in a projection cut outward from near one open end of the cylindrical wall portion 31 of the rotating frame 30. The lower stopper receiving portion 34 is located on the outer surface of the rotating frame 30 near the boundary between the cylindrical wall portion 31 and the arm support portion 32, and the upper stopper receiving portion 35 is located on the outer surface of the rotating frame 30 on the opposite side from the lower stopper receiving portion 34.

[0032] 1.4 Cover component The cover member 40 is a member that covers the side of the rotating frame 30 opposite to the mounting member 10 at the base end, together with the lock drum 20. In this embodiment, the cover member 40 is made of metal. This allows the cover member 40 to share the strength that would otherwise be borne by the rotating frame 30. Therefore, it becomes possible to make the metal plate forming the rotating frame 30 thinner, thereby further reducing the weight of the armrest.

[0033] A cylindrical burring section 41 is provided on the side of the cover member 40 where the lock drum 20 is located. As shown in Figure 2(c), this burring section 41 is inserted into the lock drum 20 from one of its open ends. The armrest is subjected to lateral loads in the left-right direction (parallel to the rotation center line L1), and by adopting the above structure, when a lateral load is applied to the arm support section 32, a wide area of ​​the outer surface of the burring section 41 can be made to contact the inner surface of the lock drum 20. This increases the strength of the armrest against lateral loads. Consequently, it is also possible to design the arm support section 32 to be longer.

[0034] 1.5 Lock spring The lock spring 50 is a coil spring fitted onto the lock drum 20. The inner diameter of the lock spring 50 is set to be a few percent smaller than the outer diameter of the lock drum 20. As a result, the lock spring 50 tightens around the outer circumference of the lock drum 20. One end of the lock spring 50 is a fixed end 51 fixed to the rotating frame 30, and the other end is a free end 52. The free end 52 is the part that is operated by the lock release cam 22 and the lock return cam 23.

[0035] 1.6 Armrest operation This armrest operates as follows:

[0036] When the free end 52 of the lock spring 50 is detached from the lock release holding part 53 (in the position shown by the solid line in Figure 2(d)), the lock spring 50 tightens the lock drum 20. At this time, the inner circumference of the lock spring 50 is in close contact with the outer circumference of the lock drum 20, and the frictional force restricts the downward rotation of the rotating frame 30, resulting in a "locked state" where only upward rotation is permitted.

[0037] At this time, even though the lock spring 50 is tightening the lock drum 20, the reason why the rotating frame 30 is allowed to rotate upward is that when the rotating frame 30 is rotated upward, a frictional force is generated between the outer surface of the lock drum 20 and the inner surface of the lock spring 50 that displaces the free end 52 of the lock spring 50 slightly in the loosening direction (in the direction that expands the diameter of the lock spring 50).

[0038] Furthermore, as the rotating frame 30, which is in the locked state, is rotated upward, the free end 52 of the lock spring 50 eventually comes into contact with the unlock cam 22. The free end 52 is displaced by the unlock cam 22 in the loosening direction (the direction that expands the diameter of the lock spring 50) and is held in place by the unlock holding part 33 (the state shown by the dashed line in Figure 2(d)). As a result, the lock spring 50 remains loose relative to the lock drum 20, and an "unlocked state" is created in which upward and downward rotation of the rotating frame 30 is permitted.

[0039] Furthermore, when the rotating frame 30, which is in the unlocked state, is rotated downward to its lowest position (the lowest position in use where the arm support portion 32 is facing approximately forward horizontally), the free end 52 of the lock spring 50 comes into contact with the lock return cam 23, and the lock return cam 23 disengages it from the unlocked holding portion 33. As a result, the return elastic force of the lock spring 50 returns the free end 52 to the position shown by the solid line in Figure 2(d), and the "locked state" is re-established.

[0040] When the arm support 32 (rotating frame 30) is rotated upward from its lowest position (lowest position during use) to its highest position (storage position) while in the locked state, the upward rotation of the rotating frame 30 can be stopped at any position within the adjustment range of the spring lock (a range of approximately 60° from the usage position). The armrest can then be used (the arm can be placed on the arm support 32) at the position where the upward rotation of the rotating frame 30 has been stopped. In this way, the height of the arm support 32 can be adjusted steplessly in the armrest of the first embodiment.

[0041] Incidentally, when the arm support section 32 (rotating frame 30) is rotated downward to its lowest position (lowest position during use), as shown in Figure 2(b), the lower stopper 12 of the mounting member 10 and the lower stopper 24 of the lock drum 20 come into contact with the lower stopper receiving section 34 of the rotating frame 30. As a result, even if an abnormal downward load is applied to the arm support section 32, the lower stopper receiving section 34 is supported by the lower stoppers 12 and 24, preventing the rotating frame 30 from rotating downward beyond its lowest position.

[0042] In conventional armrests, the lower stoppers 12 and 24 were provided at only one location on the mounting member 10. However, as described above, by providing the lower stoppers 12 and 24 at a total of two locations, on the mounting member 10 and the lock drum 20, the load on the lower stoppers 12 and 24 can be distributed. As a result, it is possible to ensure the necessary strength even if the metal plate forming the mounting member 10 is made thinner.

[0043] On the other hand, when the arm support portion 32 (rotating frame 30) is rotated upward to its uppermost position (storage position), the upper stopper 13 (Figure 1) of the mounting member 10 comes into contact with the upper stopper receiving portion 35 (Figure 1) of the rotating frame 30. This prevents the rotating frame 30 from rotating upward beyond its uppermost position (storage position). Since it is unlikely that an abnormal upward load will be applied to the arm support portion 32, in this embodiment the upper stopper 13 is provided only on the mounting member 10 and not on the lock drum 20. However, an upper stopper can also be provided on the lock drum 20.

[0044] 1.7 Summary As described above, in the first embodiment of the armrest, the fitting projection 11 of the mounting member 10 is formed in a bridge shape, and the lower stoppers 12 and 24 are distributed between the mounting member 10 and the lock drum 20. As a result, even if the metal plate forming the mounting member 10 is made thinner, the necessary strength can be ensured. While the metal plate forming the mounting member 10 is conventionally about 4 mm thick, in the armrest of the first embodiment, it can be about 2 mm (2.3 mm). Therefore, it is possible to lighten the armrest.

[0045] In addition, the armrest of the first embodiment employs a structure in which a burring section 41 provided on the metal cover member 40 is inserted into the lock drum 20. This makes it possible to reduce the width of the armrest in the left-right direction while still providing the armrest with excellent lateral load resistance. Therefore, in this respect as well, it is possible to reduce the weight of the armrest.

[0046] 2. Armrest of the second embodiment Next, the armrest of the second embodiment will be described. The description of the armrest of the second embodiment will mainly focus on the configurations that differ from those of the armrest of the first embodiment. For configurations of the armrest of the second embodiment that are not specifically mentioned, the same configurations as those of the armrest of the first embodiment described above can be adopted.

[0047] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the lock spring 50 in the armrest of the second embodiment. In the armrest of the second embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, a plurality of friction recesses 53 are formed on the inner circumference of at least the first turn from the free end 52 side of the lock spring 50. Specifically, a plurality of friction recesses 53 are formed on the inner circumference of the first and second turns from the free end 52 side. The reason for forming these friction recesses 53 is as follows.

[0048] In other words, the lock spring 50 is formed by bending a metal wire into a coil shape (arc shape), and the intermediate section of the coil (the section far from both ends (fixed end 51 and free end 52)) can be processed into an arc shape with relatively high dimensional accuracy. For this reason, the intermediate section of the coil can be easily shaped to closely fit the outer circumference of the lock drum 20, and the desired locking force (locking torque) can be generated.

[0049] In contrast, in the end sections of the coil (sections close to both ends (fixed end 51 and free end 52)), the bending direction changes near the fixed end 51 and the free end 52, making it difficult to achieve an accurate arc shape, and thus the locking force tends to decrease. However, improving the processing accuracy of the end sections of the coil is not easy.

[0050] In this regard, as in this embodiment, by forming a friction recess 53 on the inner circumference of the section of the lock spring 50 close to the free end 52, the frictional force between that section and the lock drum 20 can be secured even if the dimensional accuracy of that section is somewhat low. Therefore, the desired locking force can be secured without increasing the number of turns in the intermediate section of the lock spring 50 in order to secure the locking force, and further weight reduction of the armrest becomes possible.

[0051] The number of turns to which the friction recesses 53 are provided from the free end 52 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, the friction recesses 53 are provided up to the second turn. The friction recesses 53 may also be provided evenly in the end section of the coil portion, but in this embodiment, sets of five friction recesses 53 are provided at 90° intervals.

[0052] 3. Armrest of the third embodiment Finally, the armrest of the third embodiment will be described. The armrest of the third embodiment will be described mainly focusing on the configurations that differ from the armrest of the first embodiment. For configurations of the armrest of the third embodiment that are not specifically mentioned, the same configurations as those of the armrests of the first and second embodiments described above can be adopted.

[0053] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the armrest of the third embodiment. As shown in Figure 4, the armrest of the third embodiment includes, in addition to the main body portion of the armrest (the portion consisting of the rotating frame 30, etc.), a surface material 60, a cushioning material 70, and a skeletal member 80.

[0054] The outer skin 60 is a bag-shaped member having a frame insertion opening 61. In this embodiment, the frame insertion opening 61 is provided on the base end side of the outer skin 60. The frame insertion opening 61 is a portion for inserting the main body portion of the armrest (rotating frame 30, etc.) into the inside of the outer skin 60 with the cushioning material 70 (described later) assembled to it. The frame insertion opening 61 is provided with a notch 62, and by opening this notch 62, the frame insertion opening 61 can be enlarged. This allows the main body portion of the armrest, etc., to be inserted into the outer skin 60 without force. The outer skin 60 is made of cloth, leather, or the like.

[0055] The cushioning material 70 is intended to provide cushioning to the armrest. For this reason, the cushioning material 70 is made of a cushioning material such as foamed resin. The cushioning material 70 has a structure that allows it to be divided into multiple parts. In this embodiment, it has a structure that allows it to be divided into an upper cushioning material 71 that is assembled to the upper part of the main body of the armrest and a lower cushioning material 72 that is assembled to the lower part of the main body of the armrest. The cushioning material 70 is provided with multiple sets of clamping walls 73.

[0056] The skeletal member 80 is attached to the outer circumference of the tip side of the rotating frame 30. The skeletal member 80 may be made of metal, but in this embodiment it is made of resin to reduce the weight of the armrest. The skeletal member 80 has a plurality of convex wall portions 81 formed thereon. The convex wall portions 81 are provided so as to protrude outward from the skeletal member 80 (upward, downward, leftward, or rightward, etc.). The cushioning material 70 is positioned relative to the rotating frame 30 by clamping each of the convex wall portions 81 with the clamping wall portions 73 of the cushioning material 70.

[0057] By forming the cushioning material 70 as described above, it becomes possible to easily separate the cushioning material 70 from the rotating frame 30 and the outer covering 60 when the armrest is to be disposed of. This makes it easier to recycle the components of the armrest. Nevertheless, it is also possible to prevent the cushioning material 70 from shifting position, thereby improving the usability of the armrest. In addition, the work of assembling the cushioning material 70 to the rotating frame 30 and the work of inserting the rotating frame 30 into the outer covering 60 can be done without special equipment, so it is possible to reduce the transportation costs of intermediate parts, etc.

[0058] 4. Others The armrest described above can be installed on various types of seats, but it is particularly suitable for installation on seats in vehicles such as automobiles. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0059] 10 Mounting components 11 Fitting protrusion 12 Lower stopper 13 Upper stopper 20 Rock Drums 21 Flange section 22 Unlock Cam 23 Rock's comeback cam 24 Lower stopper 30-rotation frame 31 Cylindrical wall section 32 Arm support section 33. Lock release and holding part 34 Lower stopper receiving part 35 Upper stopper receiving part 40 Cover component 41 Burring section 50 Lock springs 51 Fixed end 52 Free end 53 Friction recess 60 Epidermis 61 Frame insertion slot 62 Cut section 70 cushioning material 71 Upper cushioning material 72 Lower cushioning material 73 Clamping wall part 80 Structural members 81 Convex wall section

Claims

1. A mounting member that is attached to the seat frame in a way that prevents it from moving by fitting its interlocking protrusion to the member on the seat frame side, A cylindrical locking drum is integrally fixed to the mounting member, A lock release cam and a lock return cam are provided on the lock drum. A fixed side member composed of, A rotating frame is pivotally supported on the lock drum so as to be able to rotate up and down, The rotating frame includes an arm support, a lock release and holding part, and a lower stopper receiving part. The locking spring consists of a coil spring fitted onto a locking drum, with one end fixed to the rotating frame and the other end being a free end operated by a lock release cam and a lock return cam. A cover member that covers the side of the rotating frame opposite to the mounting member at the base end, together with the lock drum. A rotating side member composed of and Equipped with, Each of the mounting member and the lock drum is provided with a lower stopper. When the rotating frame rotates downward to its lowest position during use, the lower stopper receiving portion of the rotating frame comes into contact with the mounting member and the lower stopper of the lock drum, thereby restricting the downward rotation of the rotating frame. An armrest characterized by the following features.

2. The cover component is made of metal, The cover member has a cylindrical burring section that is inserted into the inside of the lock drum and contacts the inner circumferential surface of the lock drum. The armrest according to claim 1.

3. The armrest according to claim 2, wherein the fitting projection of the mounting member is a cut and bent portion that forms a bridge shape.

4. The armrest according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of friction recesses are formed on the inner circumference of at least the first coil from the free end side of the lock spring.

5. A bag-shaped outer layer having a frame insertion opening for inserting a rotating frame, A cushioning material is provided covering the outer surface of the rotating frame and is inserted into the outer layer from the frame insertion opening together with the rotating frame, A skeletal member having a plurality of convex wall portions that protrude outward, provided at least on the outer circumference of the tip side of the rotating frame Equipped with, The cushioning material has multiple sets of clamping walls that clamp the convex wall from both sides, The cushioning material is positioned relative to the rotating frame by the clamping wall portion of the cushioning material clamping the convex wall portion of the skeletal member. The armrest according to claim 4.

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