Armrest device and vehicle seat

Abstract

To provide an arm rest device which is suitably operated in automatic driving.SOLUTION: An arm rest device 50 includes arm rests 10 and 20 for supporting arm parts of an occupant seating on a seat 100 of an automatic driving vehicle having an automatic driving function. The arm rest 10 is configured so as to be changeable between a first form where its tip is at an advance position that is ahead of an initial position before automatic driving and inside in a sheet width direction, and a second form where a table 16 at the tip of the arm rest 10 is positioned at a horizontal position, in automatic driving.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an armrest device having a movable armrest provided in an autonomous vehicle. And a vehicle seat equipped with the same Regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] A known example of this type of device is a device configured to extend a seat armrest provided on a vehicle seat during autonomous driving (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the device described in Patent Document 1, the seat armrest extends forward, upward, and toward the inside of the vehicle so that the driver's arms are positioned near the steering wheel during autonomous driving. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-132384 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, autonomous driving has multiple modes depending on, for example, the autonomous driving level, and the requirements for the occupants may differ for each of the multiple modes. However, the device described in Patent Document 1 simply extends the armrest to a predetermined position during autonomous driving, and it is difficult for the device described in Patent Document 1 to operate the armrest appropriately in accordance with the multiple modes of autonomous driving. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The armrest device according to one aspect of the present invention includes an armrest for supporting the arms of an occupant seated in a vehicle seat. The armrest has a table at a tip thereof that can appear in front of the vehicle seat, and the table includes: The tip is located below the armrest Storage location and Located horizontally in front of the vehicle seat Use position and Rotating betweenIn the use position, the table provided at the tip of the armrest is changed to a state in which it appears in front of the vehicle seat, and the table has a relief portion formed so as not to interfere with the steering wheel in the use position, and the relief portion is such that, in the use position of the table, To fit the outer shape of the steering wheel, The part corresponding to the center in the left-right direction escaped furthest to the rear Curved shape is formed. Another aspect of the present invention is a vehicle seat comprising the above-mentioned armrest device, a seat cushion supporting the buttocks of an occupant, a seat back tiltably mounted to the rear end of the seat cushion and supporting the back of the occupant, and a headrest mounted on an upper part of the seat back and supporting the head of the occupant, wherein the armrest is mounted on the side of the seat back. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, the armrest can be configured appropriately depending on the mode of automatic driving. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an arrangement in a vehicle compartment of a vehicle seat to which an armrest device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied; [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a support mechanism of the armrest according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 2. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a side view showing an example of the operation of a table at the tip of an armrest according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing an example of the operation of a table at the tip of an armrest according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the armrest device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a process executed by the controller of FIG. 7. [Figure 9A] 1 is a perspective view of a seat illustrating an example of an operation of the armrest device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 9B] 13A and 13B are perspective views of a seat illustrating another example of the operation of the armrest device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10A] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a first modified example of the armrest device. [Figure 10B] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a second modified example of the armrest device. [Figure 10C] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a third modified example of the armrest device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 10C. The armrest device according to this embodiment is applied to a vehicle seat arranged in a vehicle cabin. In this embodiment, a vehicle having a vehicle seat is configured as an autonomous vehicle having an autonomous driving function. Note that the autonomous vehicle can run not only in an autonomous driving mode in which no driving operation by the driver is required, but also in a manual driving mode in which the driver operates the vehicle.

[0009] The driving operation of an autonomous vehicle is controlled by a vehicle control system. In the autonomous driving mode, the vehicle control system determines a driving route including a target vehicle speed and a target acceleration to a destination input in advance, based on the current position of the vehicle measured by a GPS receiver or the like and the surrounding conditions of the vehicle detected by a camera, a radar (RADAR), a lidar (LIDAR), or the like. Then, the vehicle control system automatically controls the driving actuators so that the vehicle drives according to the driving route without the driver's operation. On the other hand, in the manual driving mode, the vehicle control system controls the driving actuators in response to the driver's operation of an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a steering wheel, and the like. The driving actuators include, for example, a throttle actuator that changes the opening of a throttle valve, a transmission actuator that changes the gear ratio of a transmission, a brake actuator that operates a braking device, and a steering actuator that operates a steering device.

[0010] The vehicle control system has a driving level command switch that commands the autonomous driving level in the autonomous driving mode. The autonomous driving level is an index of the degree to which driving is automated. The autonomous driving levels are classified into levels 0 to 5 based on SAEJ3016 defined by SAE International, for example. Specifically, level 0 is a driving level with no automation, and at level 0, all driving operations are performed by a human (driver).

[0011] Level 1 is a driving level (driving assistance) where the system performs any of the following operations: acceleration, steering, and braking. In other words, at level 1, under certain conditions, the vehicle control system controls the operation of the accelerator, brakes, or steering wheel according to the surrounding situation, and all other driving operations are performed by the human. Level 2 is a driving level (partial driving automation) where the system performs multiple operations of acceleration, steering, and braking at the same time. Up to level 2, humans are responsible for monitoring the surroundings.

[0012] Level 3 is a driving level (conditional automation) where the vehicle control system performs all acceleration, steering, and braking, and the driver only responds when requested by the vehicle control system. From level 3 onwards, the vehicle control system monitors the surroundings, and humans are no longer required to monitor the surroundings. Level 4 is a driving level (high automation) where, in certain situations, the vehicle control system performs all driving operations, and even if the vehicle control system cannot continue driving, the human does not have to take over. Therefore, from level 4 onwards, the vehicle control system will respond even in an emergency. Level 5 is a driving level (fully automated driving) where the vehicle control system drives autonomously under all conditions.

[0013] An armrest device suitable for use in an autonomous vehicle capable of changing the driving level as described above will be described below.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a vehicle seat 100 (hereinafter simply referred to as a seat) to which an armrest device 50 according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, and particularly shows the configuration of the seat 100 in a manual driving mode. In the following, for convenience, the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction are defined based on an occupant seated in the seat 100 as shown in the figure, and the configuration of each part will be described according to these definitions. The front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction of the seat 100 coincide with the front-rear direction (length direction), left-right direction (vehicle width direction), and up-down direction (height direction) of a vehicle 200. FIG. 1 shows a driver's seat 100 on the right side of a vehicle, and the configuration of the armrest device applied to the driver's seat 100 will be mainly described.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 1, the seat 100 includes a seat cushion 1 that supports the buttocks of an occupant, a seat back 2 that supports the back of the occupant, and a headrest 3 that is provided on the upper part of the seat back 2 and supports the head of the occupant. The seat cushion 1 extends in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, and has a generally rectangular shape as a whole in a plan view. The seat back 2 extends in the up-down direction and the left-right direction, and has a generally rectangular shape as a whole in a front view. The seat back 2 is supported on the rear end of the seat cushion 1 so as to be tiltable in the front-rear direction.

[0016] A seat armrest 10 is provided on the left side of the seat back 2, which is generally rectangular in plan view and elongated in the front-to-rear direction. The seat armrest 10 has a pair of upper and lower plates, an upper plate 11 and a lower plate 12, supported on a base member 13. The base member 13 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in the front-to-rear direction, and its rear end is fixed to the left side surface 2a of the seat back 2. The seat armrest 10 constitutes a part of the armrest device 50 according to this embodiment.

[0017] The lower plate 12 is placed on the front upper surface of the base member 13 so that its rear end surface is located forward of the seat surface 2b of the seat back 2. The lower plate 12 is supported so as to be movable rightward and upward from the initial position in FIG. 1 via a support mechanism 14 provided on the base member 13. Since the rear end surface of the lower plate 12 is located forward of the seat surface 2b, the lower plate 12 can be moved rightward without interfering with the seat back 2. The lower plate 12 may be provided so as to be movable forward along the upper surface of the base member 13, and may be moved rightward and upward after being moved forward. In this case, the rear end surface of the lower plate 12 may be located rearward of the seat surface 2b in the initial position before the lower plate 12 is moved forward.

[0018] The upper plate 11 has the same width in the left-right direction as the lower plate 12, and is placed on the lower plate 12. When the seat armrest 10 is located at the initial position in FIG. 1, the rear end surface of the upper plate 11 is located on the same vertical plane as the rear surface of the lower plate 12. Therefore, the upper plate 11 can move rightward and upward together with the lower plate 12 relative to the base member 13 without interfering with the seat back 2. The upper plate 11 is supported so as to be movable forward relative to the lower plate 12 via a slide mechanism 15, and when the upper plate 11 moves forward, the rear end of the upper plate 11 is located forward of the rear end of the lower plate 12. The seat armrest 10 further includes a substantially rectangular table 16 rotatably supported at the front end of the upper plate 11. The table 16 is stored on the left side of the seat 100 in the initial position in FIG. 1.

[0019] An openable and closable door 110 is provided on the right side of the seat 100, and passengers get in and out of the vehicle 200 through the door 110. An inner wall (side wall) 111 of the door 110 is provided with a door handle 112 for opening and closing the door operated by the passenger, and the door armrest 20. Although not shown in the figure, the inner wall 111 is also provided with an operation switch for inputting commands to open and close a window 113 and commands to operate a locking device of the door 110, a door gripping portion for gripping the door 110, a drink holder, and the like.

[0020] The door armrest 20 is formed in a generally rectangular shape in a plan view and elongated in the front-rear direction. The door armrest 20 has a pair of upper and lower plates, an upper plate 21 and a lower plate 22, supported on a base member 23. The base member 23 is provided so as to bulge from an inner wall 111 into the vehicle cabin, and a cavity is formed inside. The door armrest 20 constitutes a part of the armrest device 50 according to this embodiment.

[0021] The lower plate 22 is placed on the upper surface of the base member 23, with its rear end surface located forward of the seating surface 2b of the seat back 2. The lower plate 22 is supported via a support mechanism 24 provided on the base member 23 so as to be movable leftward and upward from the initial position in FIG. 1. Since the rear end surface of the lower plate 22 is located forward of the seating surface 2b, the lower plate 22 can move leftward without interfering with the seat back 2. Note that when the lower plate 22 can move rightward without interfering with the seat back 2, the rear end surface of the lower plate 22 may be located rearward of the seating surface 2b.

[0022] The upper plate 21 has the same width in the left-right direction as the lower plate 22, and is placed on the lower plate 22. When the door armrest 20 is located at the initial position in FIG. 1, the rear end surface of the upper plate 21 is located on the same vertical plane as the rear surface of the lower plate 22. Therefore, the upper plate 21 can move leftward and upward relative to the base member 23 together with the lower plate 22 without interfering with the seat back 2. The upper plate 21 is supported via a slide mechanism 25 so as to be movable forward relative to the lower plate 22, and when the upper plate 21 moves forward, the rear end of the upper plate 21 is located forward of the rear end of the lower plate 22.

[0023] Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the support structure of the door armrest 20, Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view (horizontal cross-sectional view) of the armrest 20 in Fig. 2 cut along a vertical plane (line III-III in Fig. 2) extending in the left-right direction, and Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view (longitudinal cross-sectional view) of the armrest 20 in Fig. 2 cut along a vertical plane (line IV-IV in Fig. 2) extending in the front-rear direction. Note that the base member 23 is not shown in Figs. 2 to 4.

[0024] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the support mechanism 24 has a link mechanism arranged in the internal space of the base member 23. The link mechanism has a pair of left and right bar-shaped front rods 241, 242 and a pair of left and right bar-shaped rear rods 243, 244. These rods 241 to 244 have the same length and are provided parallel to each other. The front rods 241, 242 are positioned so as to overlap each other in a side view, and the rear rods 243, 244 are also positioned so as to overlap each other in a side view.

[0025] A pair of left and right rotation shafts 245, 246 extending in the front-rear direction are rotatably supported on the bottom of the lower plate 22. A pair of left and right rotation shafts 247, 248 extending in the front-rear direction are rotatably supported on the bottom of the base member 23. The rotation shafts 245 to 248 are arranged parallel to each other. The upper ends of the left front rod 241 and rear rod 243 are each supported rotatably relative to the rotation shaft 245. The lower ends of the left front rod 241 and rear rod 243 are each supported rotatably relative to the rotation shaft 247. The upper ends of the right front rod 242 and rear rod 244 are each supported rotatably relative to the rotation shaft 246.

[0026] The lower ends of the right front rod 242 and rear rod 244 are each fixed to a rotating shaft 248. An actuator 31 such as an electric motor is provided at the end of the rotating shaft 248, and the rotating shaft 248 rotates when driven by the actuator 31. As the rotating shaft 248 rotates, the right front rod 242 and rear rod 244 rotate left and right with the rotating shaft 248 as a fulcrum.

[0027] The distance from the rotation shaft 245 to the rotation shaft 246 and the distance from the rotation shaft 247 to the rotation shaft 248 are equal to each other. Therefore, the support mechanism 24 forms a parallelogram link in a front view having two sides each consisting of the pair of left and right front rods 241, 242, and also forms a parallelogram link in a front view having two sides each consisting of the pair of left and right rear rods 243, 244. Note that instead of supporting the rods 241, 243 by the common rotation shafts 245, 247 and supporting the rods 242, 244 by the common rotation shafts 246, 248, the rods 241, 243 may be supported by different rotation shafts, and the rods 242, 244 may be supported by different rotation shafts. This allows the length of the rotating shaft in the front-rear direction to be shortened.

[0028] When the door armrest 20 is located at the initial position P1 (solid line in FIG. 3), the rotation shaft 245 is located to the right of the rotation shaft 247, and the rotation shaft 246 is located to the right of the rotation shaft 248. Therefore, the front rods 241, 242 and the rear rods 243, 244 each extend upward and inclined to the right. When the right front rod 242 and rear rod 244 are rotated forward from this state, for example, to a vertical state (two-dot chain line in FIG. 3) by the drive of the actuator 31, as shown by the arrow A, the left front rod 241 and rear rod 243 also rotate to the left at the same time. As a result, the door armrest 20 (upper plate 21, lower plate 22) moves to an inner position P2 (two-dot chain line in FIG. 3) which is leftward and above the initial position P1.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 2, the upper plate 21 of the door armrest 20 is configured to be movable from an inner position P2 to a forward position P3 protruding forward relative to the lower plate 22 via a slide mechanism 25. As shown in FIG. 3, the lower surface of the upper plate 21 and the upper surface of the lower plate 22 are each formed to have a concave cross section. The upper plate 21 has a pair of left and right side plates 211, 211 extending in the front-rear direction, and the lower plate 22 has a pair of left and right side plates 221, 221 extending in the front-rear direction. The side plates 211, 211 are fitted to the outsides of the side plates 221, 221 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction along the side plates 221, 221. A protruding portion 212 is provided downward at the center of the recess on the bottom surface of the upper plate 21. The protruding portion 212 extends in the front-rear direction, and a concave-convex gear portion 213 is formed on its lower end surface.

[0030] A pinion 222 is disposed below the gear portion 213 so as to mesh with the gear portion 213. An actuator 32 such as an electric motor is fixed to the upper surface of the recessed portion of the lower plate 22, and a rotation shaft of the pinion 222 is rotatably supported by the actuator 32. The gear portion 213, the pinion 222, and the actuator 32 constitute a slide mechanism 25.

[0031] 4, when the actuator 32 is rotationally driven after the door armrest 20 has moved from the initial position P1 (solid line) to the inner position P2 (chain double-dashed line), the upper plate 21 moves forward to a forward position P3 (chain double-dashed line) as indicated by arrow B, while the left and right side plates 211 are guided by the left and right side plates 221. In this state, the total length of the door armrest 20 in the front-rear direction, i.e., the length from the rear end surface of the lower plate 22 to the front end surface of the upper plate 21, becomes longer, and the door armrest 20 extends.

[0032] Although not shown in the figures, the support mechanism 14 and slide mechanism 15 of the left seat armrest 10 of the seat 100 are configured similarly to the support mechanism 24 and slide mechanism 25 of the door armrest 20. That is, the seat armrest 10 (upper plate 11, lower plate 12) is moved from an initial position to an upper and rightward inward position relative to the base member 13 by driving an actuator such as an electric motor via the support mechanism 14. Furthermore, the upper plate 11 is moved from the inward position to a forward advanced position relative to the lower plate 12 by driving an actuator such as an electric motor via the slide mechanism 15.

[0033] Fig. 5 is a side view of the seat 100 showing the configuration of the approximately rectangular plate-like table 16 provided at the front end of the seat armrest 10, and Fig. 6 is a plan view. In Figs. 5 and 6, the seat armrest 10 and the door armrest 20 are located at a forward position P3 protruding forward of the seat 100. The table 16 is rotatable via a rotation mechanism 17 at the front end of the upper plate 11.

[0034] As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, a holding plate 161 is provided at the front end of the upper plate 11 of the seat armrest 10. A rotating member 162 is arranged on the right side of the holding plate 161, and a pin 162a integral with the rotating member 162 is provided on the rotating member 162 so as to protrude leftward. A through hole is provided in the holding plate 161, and the pin 162a is inserted into the through hole. An actuator 33 such as an electric motor is connected to an end of the pin 162a, and the table 16 can be rotated by the actuator 33 between a position (storage position P4) where the tip is located below the seat armrest 10 as shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 5 and a position (vertical position P5) where the tip is located above the seat armrest 10 as shown by the solid line in Fig. 5, with the pin 162a as a fulcrum.

[0035] A pin 16b integral with the table 16 protrudes rearward from the base end of the table 16. The pin 16b passes through a rotating member 162 and has an end connected to an actuator 34 such as an electric motor. When driven by the actuator 34, the table 16 can rotate about the pin 16b as a fulcrum between a vertical position P5 shown by a solid line in FIG. 5 and a horizontal position P6 in FIG. 6. A placement portion 165 on which the right end of the table 16 is placed is provided on the right door armrest 20. The placement portion 165 can be stored inside the upper plate 21 of the door armrest 20.

[0036] The table 16 has a curved portion 16a that curves along the steering wheel 4. The curved portion 16a is a relief portion formed so as not to interfere with the steering wheel 4 when the table 16 is rotated to the horizontal position P6 in FIG. 6. When using the table 16, the table 16 stored in the storage position P4 in FIG. 5 is rotated to the vertical position P5 about the pin 162a as shown by the arrow A, and then rotated to the horizontal position P6 about the pin 16b as shown by the arrow B, and the tip of the table 16 is placed on the placement portion 165 of the door arm rest 20. A lock mechanism for fixing the table 16 on the placement portion may be provided.

[0037] The placement portion 165 to which the right end portion of the table 16 is fixed may be configured to be plate-shaped in a plan view, and may be configured to be rotatable at a predetermined rotation angle. For example, the placement portion 165 is connected to the door arm rest 20 via a rotation shaft extending in the left-right direction, and is provided so as to be rotatable within a predetermined rotation range around the rotation shaft. This allows the table 16 to be tilted at a predetermined angle, so that, for example, when the seat 100 is reclined, the angle of the table 16 can be adjusted to set a book, an information terminal such as a smartphone, or the like at a position that is easy for the occupant to see. This improves the comfort of the occupant in the autonomous driving state.

[0038] The armrest device 50 according to this embodiment has the armrest (seat armrest 10 and door armrest 20) configured as described above, and the armrest is configured to be automatically movable. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the armrest device 50 according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 7, the armrest device 50 has a controller 51 for controlling the armrests 10, 20, and a manual / automatic change-over switch 52, a driving level command switch 53, an operation selection switch 54, a door armrest driving actuator AC1, a seat armrest driving actuator AC2, and a table driving actuator AC3, each of which is connected to the controller 51 via an in-vehicle network such as a CAN (Controller Area Network).

[0039] The manual / automatic changeover switch 52 is configured as a switch that can be manually operated by the driver, and outputs a command to switch to an automatic driving mode in which the automatic driving function is enabled or to a manual driving mode in which the automatic driving function is disabled, depending on the switch operation. A command to switch from the manual driving mode to the automatic driving mode or from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode may be issued when a predetermined driving condition is met, regardless of the operation of the manual / automatic changeover switch 52. In other words, the manual / automatic changeover switch 52 may be automatically switched, so that the mode switching is performed automatically rather than manually.

[0040] The driving level command switch 53 is configured as a switch that can be manually operated by the driver, for example, and commands one of the automatic driving levels from level 0 to 5 depending on the operation of the switch. It can also be configured so that the vehicle control system determines whether or not the conditions for autonomous driving are satisfied based on the surrounding situation, etc., and automatically switches the driving level command switch 53 depending on the determination result to command one of the levels from 0 to 5.

[0041] The operation selection switch 54 is configured as a switch that can be manually operated by the driver, for example, and commands permission or prohibition of the armrests 10, 20 from moving to predetermined positions in response to the operation of the operation selection switch 54. For example, the operation selection switch 54 commands permission or prohibition of the seat armrest 10 and the door armrest 20 from moving from their initial positions P1. When the seat armrest 10 is moved to the forward position P3, the operation selection switch 54 may also command permission or prohibition of the table 16, which is a part of the seat armrest 10, from moving from the storage position P4 to the horizontal position P6.

[0042] The door armrest driving actuator AC1 is an actuator for driving the door armrest 20 from the initial position P1 to the advanced position P3. Specifically, the door armrest driving actuator AC1 has an actuator 31 (e.g., an electric motor) provided on the support mechanism 24 for moving the door armrest 20 to the left and upward of the base member 23, and an actuator 32 (e.g., an electric motor) provided on the slide mechanism 25 for moving the upper plate 21 of the door armrest 20 forward relative to the lower plate 22.

[0043] The seat armrest driving actuator AC2 is an actuator for driving the seat armrest 10 from the initial position P1 to the forward position P3. Specifically, the seat armrest driving actuator AC2 has an actuator (e.g., an electric motor) provided on the support mechanism 14 for moving the seat armrest 10 to the right and upward of the base member 13, and an actuator (e.g., an electric motor) provided on the slide mechanism 15 for moving the upper plate 11 of the seat armrest 10 forward relative to the lower plate 12.

[0044] The table driving actuator AC3 is an actuator for driving the table 16 from the storage position P4 to the horizontal position P6. Specifically, the table driving actuator AC3 is provided in the turning mechanism 17 and has an actuator 33 (e.g., an electric motor) that rotationally drives a pin 162a integrated with the turning member 162 to turn the table 16 from the storage position P4 to a vertical position P5, and an actuator 34 (e.g., an electric motor) that rotationally drives a pin 16b integrated with the table 16 to turn the table 16 from the vertical position P5 to the horizontal position P6.

[0045] The controller 51 is an electronic control circuit (ECU) and includes a microcomputer equipped with a central processing unit (CPU) as an operating circuit, a storage unit such as a read only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM), an input / output interface (I / O interface), and other peripheral circuits. The controller 51 executes a predetermined process based on input signals from a manual / automatic changeover switch 52, an operation level command switch 53, and an operation selection switch 54, and outputs control signals to the actuators AC1 to AC3, respectively.

[0046] 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a process executed by the controller 51 in accordance with a prestored program. The process shown in this flowchart is started, for example, when the power key switch of the vehicle is turned on.

[0047] First, in step S1, it is determined whether or not the driving mode is the automatic driving mode based on a signal from the manual / automatic changeover switch 52. If the result in step S1 is negative, i.e., if it is determined to be in the manual driving mode, the process proceeds to step S2, where the actuators AC1 to AC3 are controlled so as to position the armrests 10, 20 in the initial position P1. If the result in step S1 is positive, the process proceeds to step S3, where it is determined whether or not the driving level is equal to or higher than a predetermined driving level based on a signal from the driving level command switch 53. As the predetermined driving level, for example, level 4 is set.

[0048] If the result in step S3 is positive, the process proceeds to step S5; if the result in step S3 is negative, the process proceeds to step S4. In step S4, the actuators AC1 to AC3 are controlled so that the armrests 10, 20 are located in the forward position P3 and the table 16 is located in the storage position P4. In step S5, it is determined based on a signal from the operation selection switch 54 whether or not a command has been issued to prohibit the movement of the armrests 10, 20 and the table 16. If the result in step S5 is positive, the process proceeds to step S2; if the result in step S5 is negative, the process proceeds to step S6. In step S6, the actuators AC1 to AC3 are controlled so that the armrests 10, 20 are located in the forward position P3 and the table 16 is located in the horizontal position P6.

[0049] The operation of the armrest device 50 according to this embodiment will be described in more detail. Figures 9A and 9B are perspective views each showing an example of the operation of the armrest device 50. When traveling in the manual driving mode, the seat armrest 10 and the door armrest 20 are in the initial position P1 shown by the two-dot chain line in Figures 9A and 9B, respectively (step S2).

[0050] When the driving mode is switched to the automatic driving mode, the configuration of the armrests 10, 20 changes according to the driving level. For example, when the driving level is level 3, as shown in Fig. 9A, the door armrest 20 is displaced to the left, upward and forward to a forward position P3, and the seat armrest 10 is displaced to the right, upward and forward to a forward position P3 (step S4). This allows the driver to place his / her hands (fingers, etc.) near the steering wheel 4 by placing his / her arms on the armrests 10, 20. This allows for easy and quick response to emergencies, etc.

[0051] That is, in level 3 autonomous driving, although the driver takes his / her hands off the steering wheel 4, he / she needs to keep his / her hands near the steering wheel 4 so that he / she can operate the steering wheel 4 immediately in an emergency, etc., which can be a burden for the driver. In this regard, by displacing the tip of the armrests 10, 20 toward the inside, forward and upward of the vehicle, the driver can easily place his / her hands near the steering wheel 4, and the driver's fatigue in the autonomous driving mode can be reduced.

[0052] When the driving level is level 4 or higher, as shown in Fig. 9B, the door arm rest 20 is displaced to the left, upward and forward to a forward position P3, and the seat arm rest 10 is displaced to the right, upward and forward to a forward position P3 (step S4). Furthermore, the table 16 at the tip of the door arm rest 20 is displaced to a horizontal position P6 (step S6). This allows the driver to place his / her arms on the arm rests 10, 20 and his / her hands or objects on the table 16 to perform various tasks.

[0053] That is, in level 4 autonomous driving, the vehicle control system responds in the event of an emergency, so the driver does not need to place his hands near the steering wheel 4 in preparation for an emergency. Therefore, even if the table 16 is placed in a position that interferes with driving operations, there is no problem, and the driver can suitably use the table 16 as a work table or an auxiliary table. By placing the table 16, the comfort of the driver during autonomous driving is improved. The table 16 has high rigidity because both left and right ends are supported by the left and right armrests 10, 20.

[0054] Even when the vehicle is traveling in level 4 autonomous driving mode, if the driver selects prohibition of operation by operating the operation selection switch 54, the armrests 10, 20 are held in the initial position P1 (step S5 → step S2). Therefore, the armrests 10, 20 do not move inwardly of the seat 100, and the driver can sit in a relaxed posture with his / her arms placed on the armrests 10, 20. That is, unlike level 3 autonomous driving, in level 4 autonomous driving, the desired posture differs for each driver, but by changing the operation of the seat armrest 10 according to the driver's preference in response to the operation of the operation selection switch 54, the driver can easily assume the desired posture.

[0055] According to this embodiment, the following advantageous effects can be obtained. (1) The armrest device 50 according to this embodiment includes armrests 10, 20 that support the arms of an occupant seated on a seat 100 of an autonomous vehicle having an autonomous driving function. The armrest (e.g., the seat armrest 10) is configured to be changeable between a form (called a first form) in which the tip of the armrest is in a forward position P3 forward of an initial position P1 before autonomous driving and on the inner side in the seat width direction, and a form (called a second form) in which the table 16, which is the tip of the armrest 10, is in a horizontal position P6 (FIGS. 9A and 9B) (FIGS. 9A and 9B). In this way, the armrest 10 can take a plurality of forms during autonomous driving, allowing the armrest 10 to operate optimally according to the driving level.

[0056] (2) The armrest (e.g., seat armrest 10) is configured to be changeable to a first form when the autonomous driving level is below a predetermined level (e.g., level 4), and is configured to be changeable to a second form when the autonomous driving level is equal to or higher than the predetermined level (FIGS. 9A and 9B). An autonomous vehicle may make different demands on the driver depending on the driving level during autonomous driving. In this embodiment, the armrest changes its form depending on the driving level, so that the driver can easily satisfy the demands according to the driving level, such as placing hands near the steering wheel 4 in preparation for an emergency.

[0057] (3) The armrest device 50 further includes a support portion, i.e., a support mechanism 14, a slide mechanism 15, and a rotation mechanism 17, that movably supports the armrest 10 (e.g., the seat armrest 10) so that the tip portion (the tip portion of the upper plate 11 or the table 16) of the armrest 10 can be displaced to a forward position P3 corresponding to the first mode or a horizontal position P6 corresponding to the second mode (FIGS. 1 and 5). This allows the position of the tip portion of the armrest 10 to be easily displaced to different positions.

[0058] (4) The armrest (e.g., seat armrest 10) is extendable so that its tip can be displaced to forward position P3 corresponding to the first mode or horizontal position P6 corresponding to the second mode (FIGS. 9A and 9B). This increases the area of ​​armrest 10 on which the arms and hands can be placed in both the first and second modes, improving the comfort of the occupant.

[0059] (5) The actuators AC1 to AC3 that displace the tip of the armrest (for example, the seat armrest 10) to the forward position P3 or the horizontal position P6 (FIG. 7) are further provided. This allows the armrest 10 to be automatically moved according to the driving level, etc.

[0060] (6) The forward position P3 of the armrests 10, 20 is further above the initial position P1 (FIG. 9A). This allows the driver's hands to easily move closer to the steering wheel 4 in the autonomous driving mode.

[0061] (7) The armrests 10, 20 are provided on both the left and right sides of the seat 100, and are configured to be connected to each other when the table 16, which is the tip of the left seat armrest 10, is in the horizontal position P6 and the tip of the right door armrest 20 is in the forward position P3 (FIG. 9B). This increases the rigidity of the entire armrest.

[0062] (8) The armrest 10 has a table 16 at its tip, which is formed in front of the seat 100 (seat back 2), and the left and right armrests 10, 20 are connected to each other via the table 16 (FIG. 6). This increases the rigidity of the table 16, allowing heavy objects to be placed on the table 16 stably.

[0063] (9) There is further provided an operation selection switch 54 for commanding permission or prohibition of the armrests 10, 20 from moving to the forward position P3 (FIG. 7). This allows the armrests 10, 20 to move according to the selection of the occupant, making it possible to easily satisfy the requirements of each occupant and improving the comfort of the occupants.

[0064] The above embodiment can be modified in various ways. Modifications will be described below. In the above embodiment, the tip of the seat armrest 10 is displaced from the initial position P1 to a forward position P3 (first position) corresponding to the first form and a horizontal position P6 (second position) corresponding to the second form, but the operation form of the armrest is not limited to the above as long as it is configured to be changeable during automatic driving between the first form in which the tip is positioned forward and inward in the seat width direction from the initial position before automatic driving, and the second form in which the position of the tip of the armrest is different from that of the first form.

[0065] Fig. 10A is a plan view showing a first modified example of the armrest device. In Fig. 10A, instead of the seat armrest 10, a table 26 is provided at the tip of the door armrest 20, which can be rotated from a storage position to a vertical position and a horizontal position via a rotation mechanism similar to the rotation mechanism 17. Fig. 10A shows an example of the form (second form) of the armrest at level 4 or higher, and at level 3 or lower, the armrest is in the form (first form) similar to that shown in Fig. 9A. As shown in Fig. 10A, the tip of the seat armrest 10 is located at the forward position P3, and the table 26 at the tip of the door armrest 20 is located at the horizontal position P6. At this time, the table 26 is supported on a plate-shaped placement portion 261 protruding rightward from the tip of the seat armrest 10.

[0066] Fig. 10B is a plan view showing a second modified example of the armrest device. In Fig. 10B, the end of the seat armrest 10 and the end of the door armrest 20 are provided with tables 18, 28 that can be rotated from a storage position to a vertical position and a horizontal position via a rotation mechanism. Fig. 10B shows an example of the form (second form) of the armrest at level 4 or higher, and at level 3 or lower, the armrest is in a form (first form) similar to that shown in Fig. 9A. As shown in Fig. 10B, the table 18 at the end of the seat armrest 10 and the table 28 at the end of the door armrest 20 are each located at a horizontal position P6. At this time, the tables 18, 28 are connected to each other.

[0067] Fig. 10C is a plan view showing a third modified example of the armrest device. Fig. 10C shows the position of the upper plate 21 of the door armrest 20, and the seat armrest 10 is omitted from the illustration. The seat armrest 10 is provided, for example, symmetrically with respect to the door armrest 20. In Fig. 10C, the first position of the door armrest 20 is the forward position P3 (two-dot chain line) forward and to the left of the initial position P1, as in Fig. 9B. Meanwhile, the second position P7 is either forward and to the left (solid line) or forward and to the right (solid line) of the first position. In this case, the first position (forward position P3) and the second position P7 may be at the same height or at different heights.

[0068] The first position and the second position may be the same position in the front-rear direction, but different positions in at least one of the left-right direction and the up-down direction. The first position and the second position may be the same position in the left-right direction, but different positions in at least one of the front-rear direction and the up-down direction. That is, the second position may be any position as long as it is different from the first position. For example, the second position may be rearward or lower than the first position. The second position may be the same as the initial position P1. In the above embodiment, the table 16 at the tip of the seat armrest 10 is rotated to the horizontal position P6 to set the horizontal position P6 (second position) different from the forward position P3 (first position), but the table may be omitted as shown in FIG. 10C to make the first position and the second position different.

[0069] In the above embodiment, when the autonomous driving level is less than level 4, the armrest (for example, the seat armrest 10) is changed to the first form (forward position P3), and when the autonomous driving level is level 4 or more, the armrest is changed to the second form (horizontal position P6). However, the armrest may be changed between the first form and the second form based on a mode other than the driving level. In the above embodiment, the seat armrest 10 is supported by the support mechanism 14, the slide mechanism 15, and the rotation mechanism 17 so that the seat armrest 10 can be moved to the first position or the second position, but the configuration of the support part is not limited to this. For example, the door armrest 20 may be moved by providing a rail extending in the front-rear direction on the inner wall 111 of the door 110, and the door armrest 20 may be moved in the front-rear direction along the rail. The support part may be configured so that the armrests 10, 20 are displaced only forward and toward the inside of the vehicle at the forward position P3, and are not displaced upward. In the above embodiment, the armrest is displaced using a parallelogram link, but the displacement may be restricted so that the upper surface of the armrest is horizontal using other link mechanisms or restricting members.

[0070] In the above embodiment, the armrests 10, 20 are formed by a pair of upper and lower plate members, but the configuration of the armrest is not limited to this. In the above embodiment, the armrests 10, 20 are provided so as to be extendable by sliding the upper plate 11, 21 forward relative to the lower plate 12, 22, but the entire armrest may be displaced without changing the length of the armrest. When the upper plate 11, 21 is the only part on which the arm is mounted, only the upper plate 11, 21 may be treated as the armrest. In the above embodiment, the actuators AC1 to AC3 such as electric motors are used to operate the armrests 10, 20, but the configuration of the actuators is not limited to the above. The armrests may be operated manually without using the actuators. In this case, a locking mechanism may be provided in the support part of the armrest, and the locking mechanism may be operated according to the driving level or the like to permit or prohibit the armrest from being changed from the initial position to the first form and from the first form to the second form.

[0071] In the above embodiment, the left and right armrests 10, 20 are provided so as to be movable from their initial positions, but only one of the left and right armrests may be movable. For example, only the door armrest 20 may be provided so as to be movable to the first position and the second position, and the seat armrest 10 may be provided on the side surface 2a of the seat back so as to be rotatable about a left-right rotation axis as a fulcrum. In the above embodiment, the left and right armrests 10, 20 are connected via the table 16, but the left and right armrests may be connected without the table. In the above embodiment, the armrest 10 is permitted or prohibited from changing to the second form in response to the operation of the operation selection switch 54, but the configuration of the movement command unit is not limited to this. The armrest may be permitted or prohibited from changing to the first form in response to the operation of the movement command unit.

[0072] In the above embodiment, the seat armrest 10 is provided on the left side surface 2a of the seat 100, but a seat armrest that can rotate between a stored position, which is a vertical position, and a use position, which is a horizontal position, may be provided on the right side surface (door side). In this case, an electric motor may be provided that rotates the seat armrest on the door side from the stored position to the use position when the autonomous driving mode of level 4 or higher is set and the occupant reclines the seat 100 backward. A sub-armrest may be provided inside the armrests 10, 20 so as to slide forward to expand the area of ​​the portion on which the occupant's arms can be placed.

[0073] When a predetermined automatic driving mode is set, the seat 100 may be provided with an auxiliary armrest that supports the upper arms (parts between the shoulder joints and the elbow joints) of an occupant seated on the seat 100 from below. As the auxiliary armrest, for example, a rotating auxiliary armrest that is rotatably provided on the bank portion of the seat 100 (parts that protrude forward from both the left and right ends of the seat 100 so as to hold the occupant) can be adopted. When the manual driving mode is set, the rotating auxiliary armrest is stored in a position where it cannot be touched by the driver. When the driving mode of the vehicle is switched from the manual driving mode to an automatic driving mode of a predetermined level, the rotating auxiliary armrest is rotated and placed in a support position that supports the upper arms of the occupant from below. According to this configuration, in an automatic driving mode of a predetermined level (for example, level 3), the upper arms can be supported by the auxiliary armrest, thereby reducing the fatigue of the driver. In addition, the driver can easily operate an information terminal such as a smartphone, thereby improving comfort.

[0074] The configuration of the auxiliary armrest is not limited to the above-mentioned rotating auxiliary armrest. For example, an inflatable expansion section may be provided in a part of the bank section protruding forward from both the left and right ends of the seat back 2, and this expansion section may be used as the auxiliary armrest. When the driving mode of the vehicle is set to the manual driving mode, the expansion section is in a contracted state, and when the driving mode is switched to a predetermined level of automatic driving mode, the inflatable auxiliary armrest is inflated, and the expansion section supports the driver's upper arm from below. In this case, the driver's fatigue can also be reduced.

[0075] An armrest (e.g., seat armrest 10) may be configured to be rotatable around a left-right rotation axis by an electric motor or the like, and an auxiliary armrest may be provided at the tip of the armrest, which is rotatably attached by an electric motor or the like. When the driving mode of the vehicle is set to a manual driving mode, this auxiliary armrest is arranged to extend forward from the tip of the armrest. When the driving mode of the vehicle is set to, for example, a level 3 autonomous driving mode, the armrest is moved to a stored state by the electric motor or the like, and further the auxiliary armrest is rotated 90 degrees by the electric motor or the like to support the driver's upper arm from below. In this case, the driver's fatigue can also be reduced.

[0076] The armrests 10 and 20 may be provided with an input / output device that becomes operable when the autonomous driving mode is set. The input / output device may include, for example, switches for operating turn signals, headlights, windshield wipers, etc., a switching operation unit related to autonomous driving, an operation panel having a touch sensor that displays various information and detects contact with the occupant's fingers, etc., and other operation units for inputting various operations. The input / output device may be, for example, a trackball, a touch panel, etc. provided on the top or side of the tip of the armrest. The input / output device may be a device equipped with a gesture control function using image data captured by a camera that captures an image of the occupant, or may be equipped with a voice recognition function that recognizes the voice of the occupant.

[0077] A lighting unit may be provided in the armrest 10, 20. The lighting unit is controlled to be turned on or off depending on the operation of the armrest and the driving mode of the vehicle. For example, the lighting unit is controlled to blink when switching from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode, and notifies the driver that the driving mode is being switched to the manual driving mode. The lighting unit may be configured to blink when the armrest moves to make the driver aware that the armrest is moving, or to move the lighting unit to make the driver aware of the direction of movement. The lighting unit is controlled to illuminate an object at the occupant's hand when, for example, an automatic driving mode of level 3 or level 4 or higher is set. Furthermore, the lighting unit is controlled to be turned on, for example, when the occupant gets on or off the vehicle. It is preferable that the lighting unit is provided movably so that it can illuminate any location.

[0078] The armrests 10 and 20 can be configured to change the width of the portion on which the occupant's arms are placed according to the driving level during automatic driving. For example, when the seat armrest is in use, an automatic driving mode of a predetermined level (e.g., level 4 or higher) is set and the occupant performs an operation to recline the seat 100, the armrest is rotated about 90 degrees around an axis extending along the longitudinal direction of the armrest. As a result, the portion that was the side in the automatic driving mode below the predetermined level is positioned on the upper surface, making it possible to place the occupant's arms on it. In other words, by forming the armrest into a vertically long rectangular cross-sectional shape so that the width of the side surface of the armrest below the predetermined level is larger than the width of the upper surface, the width of the portion supporting the occupant's arms can be expanded when an automatic driving mode of a predetermined level or higher is set. In this way, by configuring the width of the portion of the armrest on which the occupant's arms are placed to be variable according to the automatic driving level and / or the reclining operation, comfort inside the vehicle can be improved. When switching from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode, the armrest may be moved to guide the driver's arms to the steering wheel.

[0079] A display device such as a liquid crystal panel may be provided on the armrests 10, 20. Furthermore, the angle of the display screen of the display device may be changed according to the reclining angle of the seat 100. Information from an in-vehicle camera that captures images of the rear of the vehicle is input to the display device via a harness routed inside the armrest, for example, and the display device can display, for example, an image of the rear of the vehicle. This allows the occupant to check the situation behind the vehicle on the display screen of the display device in the armrest when the vehicle is in an autonomous driving state.

[0080] An in-vehicle camera may be attached to the armrest 10, 20. In this case, image information of the driver captured by the in-vehicle camera provided in the armrest is output to an ECU for monitoring the in-vehicle situation, and the driver is monitored. The armrest may be provided with a holder for holding an information terminal such as a smartphone, or a charger for charging the information terminal.

[0081] A device capable of adjusting the movable range may be provided so that the movable range of the armrest 10, 20 when the automatic driving mode is set is larger than the movable range of the armrest when the manual driving mode is set. Alternatively, a device capable of adjusting the movable range may be provided so that the movable range of the armrest when the driving level in the automatic driving mode is equal to or higher than a predetermined level is larger than the movable range of the armrest when the driving level is below the predetermined level. This prevents the armrest from moving unintentionally in a manual driving state, for example, and from interfering with driving, and allows the armrest to be moved to any position in the automatic driving state to improve comfort.

[0082] In the embodiment described above, in which seat armrests are provided on the left and right sides of the seat 100, the seat armrest on the door 110 side may be an obstacle when the occupant gets in and out of the vehicle. For this reason, the seat armrest may be rotated so that the tip of the seat armrest 10 on the door side is positioned outside the vehicle in conjunction with the operation of the opening / closing switch of the door 110, to ensure a path for the occupant to get in and out of the vehicle. In this case, it is preferable to flash or light the illumination unit provided at the tip of the seat armrest to notify the driver of the other vehicle behind that the door 110 has been opened or closed and the seat armrest is protruding outside the vehicle. The seat armrest is arranged to extend laterally from inside the vehicle to the outside, so that the occupant can hold it when getting in and out of the vehicle. In other words, the seat armrest can be used as a support member when the occupant gets in and out of the vehicle.

[0083] In the above embodiment, the armrest device is applied to an autonomous vehicle having an autonomous driving function, but the armrest device of the present invention can also be applied to a vehicle not having an autonomous driving function. In the above embodiment, the vehicle seat is described as an example of a vehicle seat, but the present invention can be applied to vehicle seats in various vehicles.

[0084] The above description is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment and modifications, as long as the features of the present invention are not impaired. The above-mentioned embodiment and one or more modifications can be arbitrarily combined, and modifications can be combined with each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 10 seat armrest, 11 upper plate, 12 lower plate, 14 support mechanism, 15 slide mechanism, 16 table, 17 rotation mechanism, 20 door armrest, 21 upper plate, 22 lower plate, 51 controller, 54 operation selection switch, 100 seat, AC1 to AC3 actuators

Claims

1. An armrest is provided to support the arms of an occupant seated in the vehicle seat, the armrest has a table at a tip portion thereof that can appear in front of the vehicle seat, the table is provided rotatably about a base as a rotation axis between a storage position vertically disposed below the armrest and a use position horizontally disposed in front of the vehicle seat, In the use position, the table provided at the tip of the armrest is changed to an aspect in which it appears in front of the vehicle seat, the table has a recess formed so as not to interfere with the steering wheel when in the use position, The armrest device is characterized in that, when the table is in the use position, the recess is formed in a curved shape with a portion corresponding to the left-right center recessed furthest to the rear so as to follow the outer shape of the steering wheel.

2. The armrest device according to claim 1, The armrest device according to claim 1, wherein the recess is formed so that the steering wheel is positioned in a concave space formed by forming the recess when the table is in the use position.

3. In the armrest device according to claim 1 or 2, The armrest device according to claim 1, wherein the recess is provided at a position avoiding both left and right ends of the table.

4. In the armrest device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The armrest device according to claim 1, wherein the table is disposed so as to be at the same height as the steering wheel in the up-down direction when in the use position.

5. In the armrest device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, a side portion of the vehicle seat is provided with an openable / closable door for allowing a passenger to get in and out of the vehicle, the inner wall of the door includes a door handle and a door armrest; the door armrest has a support portion on which a side end of the table is supported when the table is in the use position, The armrest device according to claim 1, wherein the placement portion is provided rearward of a front end portion of the table.

6. In the armrest device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, An armrest device, wherein at least one of the left and right ends of the table is provided laterally outboard of the corresponding left and right end of the steering wheel.

7. In the armrest device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The vehicle seat is provided in an autonomous vehicle having an autonomous driving function, The armrest device according to claim 1, wherein the table is moved to the use position during automatic driving.

8. An armrest device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, A seat cushion that supports the buttocks of an occupant; a seat back provided at a rear end of the seat cushion so as to be tiltable and supporting a back of an occupant; A headrest is provided on an upper portion of the seat back and supports a head of an occupant. The armrest is provided on a side of the seat back.

Images