Vehicle table

Abstract

To prevent a table body from being damaged even when the table body receives a large load downward from the above at a use position.SOLUTION: A vehicular table 1 includes: a table body 2 which is pivotally supported by a member 10 to be mounted; an operation lever 4 which is pivotally supported on a table body side with a hinge pin 7; and an U-shaped rod 6 which is arranged between the member 10 to be mounted and the operation lever 4. In the rod 6, free ends 6a to be both ends are made to abut on a cam section 11 provided on the member to be mounted side, and a base end 6b to be an intermediate section is slidably arranged in a long hole 32 provided on a table body lower surface side. The table body 2 is switched to a storage position where the table body is made closer to the member 10 to be mounted and a use position where the table body is separated from the member by a rotation operation. The operation lever 4 has a lock section 43 for regulating sliding of the rod 6 at the use position of the table body 2, and a regulation section 42 which is brought into pressure contact with a receiving section 34 provided on the table body lower surface side when the lock section receives a prescribed large load from the base end 6b of the rod.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle table that is installed in the interior of a vehicle such as an automobile, and more particularly to a vehicle table that is retractable, i.e., switchable between a use position in which the table body is positioned substantially horizontally and a storage position in which it is positioned along the side of the installation section. [Background technology]

[0002] 10 and 11 show the vehicle table of Patent Document 1, a prior application of the present applicant. This table (device) 4 comprises a table body 50 pivoted to a base frame 30 by a pin P1, an operating lever 60 pivoted to the table body 50 by a hinge pin 62, and a U-shaped rod 70 disposed between the base frame 30 and the operating lever 60. The base frame 30 is attached to the side of an installation portion for a seat cushion 2 or the like. The rod 70 has free ends 74 at both ends in contact with cam portions (cam surfaces) 42 provided on the base frame 30, and a base end 72 in the middle of the rod 70 is slidably disposed in an elongated hole 54 provided on the underside of the table body. 11(a), the operating lever 60 is rotated to release the locked state of the locking portion 60b relative to the rod base end 72, and the rod base end 72 slides relative to the long hole 54 to switch the table body 50 between a stored position shown in FIG. 11(b) in which the rod 70 approaches the base frame 30, and a use position shown in FIG. 10(a) and (b) in which the rod 70 is separated from the base frame 30. At that time, the rod free end 74 of the rod 70 abuts against one end 42a of the cam portion 42 in the use position of the table body, and the rod free end 74 abuts against the other end 42b of the cam portion 42 in the storage position of the table body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6234949 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned vehicle table, when the table body receives a large downward load in the use position, the base end of the rod strongly presses the lock part of the operating lever, and the pushing force is received by the hinge pin that pivots the operating lever. Therefore, in this structure, there is a risk that the hinge pin and the shaft hole or shaft support part that pivots the hinge pin may be destroyed or deformed due to the table body receiving a large downward load in the use position.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention aims to solve the above problems and to provide a structure that prevents the table body from being broken or deformed even if it receives an excessive downward load when in the use position. Other objects will be made clear in the following description. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1, when specified with reference to the drawings, comprises a table body (20) pivotally supported on a workpiece (10), an operating lever (4) pivotally supported on the table body side by a hinge pin (7), and a U-shaped rod (6) disposed between the workpiece and the operating lever, with free ends (6a) of the rod abutting against cam portions (11) provided on the workpiece side and a base end (6b) in the middle being inserted into a long hole (32) provided on the underside of the table body. This is a vehicle table in which the table body (20) is slidably arranged and can be switched between a storage position close to the mounting member (10) and a use position away from the mounting member (10) by a rotating operation, and the operating lever (4) has a locking portion (43) that regulates the sliding of the rod when the table body is in the use position, and a regulating portion (42) that presses against a receiving portion (34) provided on the underside of the table body when the locking portion receives a predetermined large load from the base end of the rod.

[0007] The present invention is more preferably embodied as in claims 2 to 7. That is, (A) When the table body is in the use position, the restricting portion and the receiving portion are spaced apart from each other (Claim 2). (i) The operating lever has an operating portion at one end in the longitudinal direction and the locking portion at the other end, and the regulating portion is located on the locking portion side of the pivot support portion that engages with the hinge pin (Claim 3).

[0008] (c) A configuration in which a plurality of the restricting portions and the receiving portions are provided in the width direction (claim 4). (E) The table body has a hinge bracket attached to its underside, and the hinge bracket is configured to form a support portion that pivots the hinge pin, the long hole, and the receiving portion (Claim 5). Effect of the Invention

[0009] In the invention of claim 1, when the table body receives a heavy downward load in the use position shown in Fig. 1 etc., the locking part receives an excessive load from the base end of the rod, and the operating lever tries to move due to the load, but the restricting part abuts on the receiving part and can prevent the movement. This makes it possible to prevent damage or deformation of the hinge pin and / or the pivot support part such as the pivot hole that pivots the hinge pin caused by the movement of the operating lever. This allows the vehicle table of the invention to receive a higher load in the use position with the table body, improving the quality and reliability.

[0010] In the invention of claim 2, when the restricting portion and the receiving portion are spaced apart when the table body is in the use position, the restricting portion and the receiving portion do not normally interfere with each other, so that the operability of the operating lever can be maintained excellent.

[0011] In the invention of claim 3, the operating lever has a restricting portion on the locking portion side of the pivot portion that fits with the hinge pin. This makes it easier to prevent damage to the pivot portion of the operating lever by providing the restricting portion on the locking portion side of the pivot portion that fits with the hinge pin compared to a configuration in which the restricting portion is provided on the operating portion side of the pivot portion.

[0012] In the invention as recited in claim 4, the restricting portion and the receiving portion of the table body contact each other at a plurality of points, so that the operating lever can withstand a heavier load.

[0013] In the invention of claim 5, it is easier and more accurate to form the pivot support portion, the long hole, and the receiving portion on a dedicated hinge bracket and then attach them later, rather than forming them integrally with the table body. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the vehicle table in the use position as viewed from below. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded schematic view showing main components of the table. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of the table when viewed from above in a usage position, and FIG. 1B is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 4] 1A is a schematic diagram of the table when viewed from below in the usage position, and FIG. 1B is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram seen from direction C in FIG. [Figure 6] 13 is a schematic diagram showing the table switched from the use position to the storage position. FIG. [Figure 7] 5(a) and (b) are schematic diagrams showing the relationship between the rod, hinge bracket, and operating lever when the table is in the use position or the stored position. FIG. [Figure 8] 1A is a bottom view showing the hinge bracket alone, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line A1-A1 in FIG. [Figure 9] 1A is a bottom view showing the operating lever alone, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line B1-B1 of FIG. [Figure 10] 11 and 9 of Patent Document 1. [Figure 11] 6 and 10 of Patent Document 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A vehicle table according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this description, the table structure and its main operations will be described in detail in that order.

[0016] (Table Structure) As shown in the drawings, the vehicle table 1 of the embodiment includes a table body 2 pivotally supported on the base frame 10 side, a hinge bracket 3 attached to the underside of the table body 2, an operating lever 4 pivotally supported on the hinge bracket 3 so as to be swingable about a hinge pin 7 as a fulcrum, and a U-shaped rod 6 disposed between the base frame 10 and the hinge bracket 3. In this table 1, the rod 6 has free ends 6a at both ends which are in contact with cam portions 11 provided on the base frame 11 side, and a base end 6b in the middle which is disposed slidably in a long hole 32 provided on the underside of the hinge bracket 3, and is switched by a pivot operation between a storage position shown in Figures 5 and 7(b) where the table body 2 approaches the base frame 10 by sliding along the long hole 32 of the base end 6b, and a usage position shown in Figures 3, 4, 7(a), etc., where it is spaced apart.

[0017] More specifically, the table body 2, the hinge bracket 3, and the operating lever 4 are resin molded products, but may be made of materials other than resin. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the table body 2 is composed of a rectangular body member 20 and edge members 25 attached to both sides of the lower surface of the body member 20. The body member 20 has a recess 20a provided in the middle part on the free end side, a plurality of shaft parts 21 protruding from the lower surface at positions corresponding to the hinge bracket 3, a plurality of shaft parts 24 protruding from positions corresponding to the edge member 25, two pairs of protruding parts 22 protruding from the middle part on the base end side, and shaft holes 23 provided in each protruding part 22 and penetrating on the same axis. Each edge member 25 has a plurality of through holes 26 through which each shaft part 24 is inserted, and is attached to the body member 20 in a state in which the shaft parts 24 corresponding to each through hole 26 are inserted and the stopper 9a is engaged with the shaft parts 24. In the attached state, the front sides of both edge members 25 are positioned in the recesses 20a, with a gap being maintained between them. An operating portion 40 of an operating lever, which will be described later, is disposed in this gap.

[0018] Here, the installation portion M on which the table 1 is placed is assumed to be the side of a seat cushion constituting the seat, but it may be various consoles, interior walls of the vehicle, etc. A base frame 10 for supporting the table is attached to the corresponding side surface of the installation portion M, together with a shield 17 covering the outer surface thereof and a plate 14 sandwiched between the shield 17 and the base frame 10.

[0019] That is, the base frame 10 has cam parts 11 provided on both sides, openings 12 provided inside each cam part 11, and through holes 13 provided on the left, right, and middle above the cam parts 11 and openings 12. A plurality of shaft parts 18 are provided on the shield 17, and restricting pieces 15 are protruding on both sides of the plate 14. The restricting pieces 15 on both sides prevent the rod from moving to narrow the gap between the free ends 6a. In this structure, after the plate 14 is positioned relative to the shield 17, the base frame 10 is placed on top of it. In this case, the base plate 10 is attached with the shaft parts 18 of the shield inserted into the corresponding through holes 13 of the base frame and the stopper 9b engaged with the shaft parts 18. In the attached state, the restricting pieces 15 of the plate protrude outward from the openings 12. In addition, support pieces 16 are attached to both sides of the base frame 10 to the shield 17. Each support piece 16 has a U-shaped cross section and has a through hole (not shown) provided in the middle of the U-shape and axial holes 16a provided coaxially in both pieces of the U-shape. Each support piece 16 is attached in a state where the U-shaped middle part is in contact with the shield 17, and the shanks 18 on both sides of the shield are inserted into the corresponding through holes and the stopper 9c is engaged with the shanks 18.

[0020] The table body 2 is rotatably held by each of the support pieces 16 via the shaft members 5. The shaft members 5 have a large-diameter head 8a provided at one end of the shaft and a claw 5b provided around the tip of the shaft. The table body 2 is supported by two sets of support pieces 16, with the upper ends of the corresponding support pieces 16 disposed between pairs of protruding parts 22, and the shaft members 5 inserted into one shaft hole 23, each shaft hole 16a of the support pieces 16, and the other shaft hole 23, so that the table body 2 can be switched between a substantially horizontal use position and a storage position along the side of the installation section M by a rotational operation.

[0021] On the other hand, the hinge bracket 3 has a mounting plate 30 attached to the underside of the table body 2, a pair of partition walls 31 defining a long hole 32 between the mounting plate 30 and the underside thereof, a protrusion 33 and a receiving portion 34 protruding from each partition wall 31, and tubular portions 35, 36 forming mounting holes 35a, 36a provided at the four corners of the mounting plate 30, as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 8. Of these, each protrusion 33 has an axial hole 33a provided on the same axis. Each receiving portion 34 protrudes in a state continuous with the protrusion 33, and an end face intersecting with the protrusion 33 becomes an abutment surface that abuts against a regulating portion 42 described later. In the drawings, reference numerals 31a and 31b denote reinforcing ribs, and reference numeral 37 denotes a partition rib protruding from one side edge of the mounting plate 30.

[0022] In addition, the plate portion 30a forming the mounting plate 30 between the partition walls 31 is provided with a through hole 30b, a substantially rectangular opening 30c, and a locking recess 30d between the projections protruding near the opening 30c. An elastic body 38 that receives a corresponding portion of the operating lever 4 is attached to the through hole 30b. The elastic body 38 is a member that prevents the generation of a hitting sound when the operating lever 4 described later is returned by the biasing force of the biasing spring 8 after the unlocking operation, as the lower surface of the locking portion 43 hits the plate portion 30a hard, which may cause a hitting sound. The recess 30d is a portion that locks one end of the biasing spring 8.

[0023] In contrast, the operating lever 4 is formed in the longitudinal direction with an operating portion 40, a pivot support portion 41 protruding one step higher than the operating portion 40, a restricting portion 42 capable of pressing against the receiving portion 34, and a locking portion 43, as shown in Figs. 2 and 9. Of these, the operating portion 40 has a concave portion formed on the underside for a finger rest. The pivot support portion 41 has a cavity 45 formed inside, and has a shaft hole 46 penetrating the front and rear walls on the same axis. The restricting portion 42 is formed wider than the pivot support portion 41. The restricting portion 42 is provided with a recess 47 at a location connected to the pivot support portion 41, and a hole portion 48 is provided between the recess 47 and the locking portion 43. The locking portion 43 is a portion where an end face 43a abuts against the rod 6 to immobilize it, and has a large recess 49 provided in the center and small recesses 49a provided on both sides of the large recess 49.

[0024] The above-mentioned operating lever 4 is supported to be swingable on the hinge bracket 3 via the hinge pin 7. In this case, the shaft hole 46 of the operating lever 4 and the shaft hole 33a of the hinge bracket 3 are arranged on the same axis, and the hinge pin 7 is inserted into the shaft hole 33a and the shaft hole 46 in a skewered state. In this case, the coil-shaped biasing spring 8 is inserted between the shaft holes 46 and assembled so as to be supported by the corresponding part of the hinge pin 7. The biasing spring 8 is in the cavity 45, and in a state where one end is engaged with the recess 30d on the hinge bracket side and the other end is engaged with the corresponding inner surface in the cavity 45, the biasing spring 8 biases the locking part 43 side toward the mounting plate 10 side and biases the operating part 40 side away from the mounting plate 10. Therefore, the rattle of the operating lever 4 is absorbed by the biasing spring 8, and the operating lever 4 is unlocked against the biasing force of the biasing spring 8.

[0025] The rod 6 is supported in a state in which free ends 6a, 6a, which are both ends of the U-shape, are in contact with corresponding cam portions 11 provided on the base plate 10, and a base end 6b, which is the middle of the U-shape, is slidably disposed in an elongated hole 32 provided in the hinge bracket 3. In other words, the free ends 6a, which are both ends of the rod 6, are hinged to the corresponding cam portions 11, thereby enabling the rod 6 to rotate while being pressed against the cam portions 11.

[0026] In addition, this hinge connection is performed in a state where both free ends 6a are bent in a direction approaching each other by the cam parts 11 on both sides, and the reaction force acting on both free ends 6a allows both free ends 6a to be pressed and held against one end 11a or the other end 11b of the cam parts 11. In addition, in this structure, when both free ends 6a of the rod 6 are pressed and held against one end 11a of the cam parts 11, the rod 6 faces upward, thereby keeping the table body 2 approximately horizontal, and the rod base end 6b is pressed against the corresponding inner end surface of the long hole 32 of the table body 2. As a result, the table body 2 is held in an approximately horizontal use position, and the upper surface or the placement surface of the table body 2 can be used as a platform for placing articles. In this state, the lock part 43 restricts the movement of the rod base end 6b in the long hole 32. Therefore, in the above-described vehicle table 1, when the table body 2 is in the use position, the table body 2 can be locked to the base frame 10 by the lock portion 43 of the operating lever, making it possible to place heavy items on the loading surface, which is the upper surface of the table body 2.

[0027] (Main Operation) Next, the main operation or usage example of the above-mentioned vehicle table 1 will be clarified. (1) First, when switching the table body 2 from the use position to the storage position, from the state shown in FIG. 3, the operating part 40 of the operating lever is pushed toward the underside of the table body 2 with the finger of the occupant against the biasing force of the biasing spring 8 (see FIG. 11(a) for this point). Then, the operating lever 2 swings like a seesaw with the hinge pin 7 as the fulcrum, and the locking part 43 moves downward from the long hole 32, that is, the lock is released. Therefore, in this state, the occupant can rotate the table body 2 downward with the shaft member 5 as the fulcrum. In this structure, as the table body 2 falls, both free ends 6a of the rod 6 move from one end 11a of the corresponding cam part 11 to the other end 11b while being pressed against the cam surface. In this process, both free ends 6a of the rod bend so as to approach each other, and when both free ends 6a reach the other end 11b of the cam portion, the bending of both free ends 6a of the rod is released and both free ends 6a are held by the other end 11b of the cam portion (see FIG. 7). When held in this manner, the rod 6 faces downward, the table body 2 is folded along the side of the installation portion M, and the base end 6b of the rod is pressed against the inner end faces of both long holes 32 of the table body 2, thereby preventing rattling.

[0028] (2) When the table body 2 is switched from the storage position to the use position, the occupant pinches the operating part 40 of the operating lever with the fingers or the like and rotates the table body 2 so as to raise it about the shaft member 5 as a fulcrum. Then, the base end 6b of the rod overcomes the lock part 43 of the operating lever and is returned to abut the corresponding inner end face of the long hole 32. At the same time, both free ends 6a of the rod are held by the respective ends 11a of the pair of cam parts, thereby holding the table body 2 in the use position. When the table body 2 is in the use position, the operating lever 6 prevents the base end 6b of the rod from moving in each long hole 32 by abutting against the end faces 43a of the lock part. Therefore, even if a heavy object is placed on the table body 2 in the use position, the table body 2 cannot be inadvertently switched from the use position to the storage position.

[0029] (3) However, when the table body 2 is in the use position and receives a predetermined large downward load F as shown in Fig. 3(b), the operating lever 4 is pressed forward (to the right in the figure) by the base end 6b of the rod, which may damage or deform the hinge pin 7 and the pivot support part 41 that support the operating lever 4 to the hinge bracket 3. As a countermeasure, in this structure, when the table body 2 receives such an excessively large downward load F and the operating lever 4 is pressed forward via the base end 6b, the restricting part 42 comes into contact with the receiving part 34 of the hinge bracket, and the operating lever 4 is fixed in position.

[0030] (4) In addition, in this structure, the restricting portion 42 and the receiving portion 34 are set to be slightly spaced apart when the table body 2 is in the use position, and the restricting portion 42 and the receiving portion 34 of the hinge bracket do not usually interfere with each other, making it possible to maintain good operability of the operating lever 4. In addition, in this structure, the operating lever 4 has the restricting portion 42 formed on the locking portion 43 side from the shaft hole 46 of the pivot support portion 41 that engages with the hinge pin 7. This is because providing the restricting portion 42 on the locking portion 43 side from the pivot support portion 41 that engages with the hinge pin 7 makes it easier to prevent damage to the operating lever 4 compared to a configuration in which the restricting portion 42 is provided on the operating portion 40 side from the pivot support portion 41. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the restricting portion 42 and the receiving portion 34 are made to come into contact with each other at multiple points, and the operating lever 4 is designed to be able to withstand a higher load.

[0031] The present invention is embodied in the above-mentioned form, but except for the technical elements described in claim 1, the details may be modified and additional functions such as a cup holder may be added as appropriate. In addition, a part of the table body may be used to provide, for example, a cup hole or a cup receiving member together with the cup hole, or an electrical connection part for portable devices may be added as necessary. The installation part in the vehicle cabin is not limited to the side of the seat cushion of the seat, but may be an interior wall, a console, or any other suitable place for a collapsible type. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 1. Vehicle table 2. Table body 3. Hinge bracket (32 is an oblong hole) 4... Operating lever (40 is an operating part) 5...Shaft member 6 Rod (6a is the free end on both sides, 6b is the base end) 7. Hinge pin 8.... Bias spring 9a Fastener 9b Fastener 9c... Fastener 10...Base frame (mounting member) 11 Cam section 14. Plate 15...Regulation piece 16: Support piece (16a is shaft hole) 33....shaft support portion (33a is a shaft hole) 34... Receiving part 41 .....shaft support portion (46 is a shaft hole) 42 Regulatory section 43: Locking portion (43a is an end surface) M····· Installation part (mounted part)

Claims

1. A vehicle table comprising a table body pivotally supported on a workpiece, an operating lever pivotally supported on the table body side by a hinge pin, and a U-shaped rod disposed between the workpiece and the operating lever, the free ends of the rod abutting on cam portions provided on the workpiece and the intermediate base end being slidably disposed in an elongated hole provided on the underside of the table body, and the table body being switchable between a storage position close to the workpiece and a use position away from the workpiece by a rotational operation, The operating lever has a locking portion that restricts the sliding of the rod when the table body is in the use position, and a regulating portion that presses against a receiving portion provided on the underside of the table body when the locking portion receives a predetermined load from the base end of the rod.

2. 2. The vehicle table according to claim 1, wherein the restricting portion and the receiving portion are spaced apart from each other when the table body is in the use position.

3. The vehicle table according to claim 1, characterized in that the operating lever has an operating portion at one end in the longitudinal direction and the locking portion at the other end, and the regulating portion is located on the locking portion side of the pivot support portion that engages with the hinge pin.

4. 4. The vehicle table according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the restricting portions and the receiving portions are provided in the width direction.

5. The vehicle table according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the table body has a bracket attached to its underside, and the bracket is formed with a support portion for pivotally supporting the hinge pin, the long hole, and the receiving portion.

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