Armrest structure

Abstract

To provide an armrest structure capable of storing an article in an armrest and of easily gripping a position of the article around the armrest.SOLUTION: A movement part 30 composing a part of an armrest 10 can be put in and out of a base part 28 and be used for storing a variety of articles in a storage part 42 provided for the movement part 30. At an end part 30A in the movement part 30 is provided an illumination part 32 rotatable around a sheet width direction with respect to the movement part 30. The illumination part 32 can take a first state capable of illuminating light inside the storage part 42 and a second state capable of illuminating light outside the storage part 42.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an armrest structure. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 below discloses an invention related to a drink holder. This drink holder is attached to an armrest or the like and has a storage compartment for holding beverage containers or the like, with a lighting device illuminating the bottom of the storage compartment. Therefore, with the prior art described in Patent Document 1 below, the position of items in the storage compartment can be easily determined even if it is dark around the drink holder. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-99417 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, when an item in a storage unit is dropped onto the floor, etc., it is preferable to be able to illuminate the area around the storage unit, such as the floor, with lighting. However, in the prior art described in Patent Document 1, the area that can be illuminated with lighting is limited to the inside of the storage unit, making it difficult to illuminate the area around the storage unit, such as the floor, with lighting.

[0005] In consideration of the above, the present invention aims to provide an armrest structure that allows items to be stored in the armrest and makes it easy to grasp the location of the items around the armrest. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The armrest structure of the present invention described in claim 1 comprises a base that constitutes a part of the armrest and is provided with one end side positioned on the seat back side; a movable section that constitutes a part of the armrest and is at the other end side of the base, capable of being inserted and removed from the base in the longitudinal direction of the base, and is provided with a storage section; and a lighting section that is provided at the tip of the movable section on the opposite side to the base, and is rotatable relative to the movable section around a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and is capable of taking a first state in which it can irradiate light inside the storage section and a second state in which it can irradiate light outside the storage section. a rotation limiting unit that limits rotation of the illumination unit relative to the movable unit when the illumination unit and the movable unit are in a predetermined relative position; With The rotation restricting portion includes a lock plate having a plurality of recesses formed on its outer periphery, and a stopper that engages with the recesses. .

[0007] According to the present invention as set forth in claim 1, a base portion constituting a part of the armrest is provided with one end portion thereof positioned on the seat back side. Furthermore, a movable portion constituting a part of the armrest is provided on the other end portion of the base portion, and is retractable in the longitudinal direction of the base portion. The movable portion is provided with a storage compartment. Therefore, by pulling out the movable portion from the base portion, the storage compartment can be used to store various items.

[0008] However, if the area around the armrest is dark, it may be difficult to determine the location of an item in the storage compartment. Also, if an item in the storage compartment is dropped on the floor, it may be difficult to determine the location of the item.

[0009] In the present invention, an illumination unit is provided at the tip of the moving unit opposite the base unit, and is rotatable relative to the moving unit in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the base unit, and can be in a first state in which it can irradiate light inside the storage unit, and a second state in which it can irradiate light outside the storage unit.

[0010] Therefore, in the present invention, even if the area around the armrest is dark, light can be irradiated onto items inside and outside the storage compartment. Furthermore, according to the present invention, the rotation limiting unit can limit the rotation of the lighting unit relative to the moving unit when the lighting unit and the moving unit are in a predetermined relative position. Therefore, in the present invention, the position of the lighting unit relative to the moving unit can be kept at a predetermined position, and the direction of light emitted from the lighting unit can be set to a predetermined direction.

[0011] The armrest structure of the present invention described in claim 2 is the invention described in claim 1, in which the tip side portion of the storage section is made up of a transparent partition section, and the lighting section is rotatable to a state where it can irradiate light toward the partition section.

[0012] According to the present invention described in claim 2, the tip end side portion of the moving part in the storage section is made up of a transparent partition section, and by rotating the lighting section so that it can irradiate light toward the partition section, the light irradiated from the lighting section can be irradiated into the inside of the storage section through the partition section. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] As described above, the armrest structure according to the present invention has the excellent effect of being able to store items in the armrest and making it easy to grasp the location of the items around the armrest. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view (a cross-sectional view showing the state cut along line 1-1 in FIG. 2) schematically showing the state of the armrest when the lighting unit is in the first state and the second state in the use state of the armrest to which the armrest structure of this embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] 7 is a plan view (view taken in the direction of arrow 2 in FIG. 6) schematically showing a state in which a moving part is pulled out when the armrest to which the armrest structure according to the present embodiment is applied is in use. [Figure 3] 5 is a side view (view taken in the direction of arrow 3 in FIG. 4) that schematically shows the configuration of a rotation limiting portion provided in an armrest to which the armrest structure according to the present embodiment is applied. [Figure 4] 7] FIG. 7 is a plan cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view showing a state cut along line 4-4 in FIG. 7) that schematically shows the configuration of a rotation limiting portion provided in an armrest to which the armrest structure according to the present embodiment is applied. [Figure 5]8 is a plan cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view showing a state cut along line 5-5 in FIG. 7) illustrating the configuration of a power supply unit provided in an armrest to which the armrest structure according to the present embodiment is applied. [Figure 6] 1 is a side view showing a state in which a moving part is pulled out when the armrest to which the armrest structure according to the present embodiment is applied is in use. FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an armrest to which the armrest structure according to the present embodiment is applied and its surrounding area. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] An example of an embodiment of the armrest structure according to the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 7. As shown in Figure 7, an "armrest 10" to which the armrest structure according to this embodiment is applied is attached to a vehicle rear seat 14 (hereinafter referred to as "seat 14") mounted in a vehicle 12. Note that arrows FR, UP, and RH shown as appropriate in each figure indicate the front, upper, and right directions of the seat 14, respectively. In this embodiment, the front direction of the seat 14 approximately coincides with the front direction of the vehicle 12, the upper direction of the seat 14 approximately coincides with the upper direction of the vehicle 12, and the right direction of the seat 14 approximately coincides with the right direction of the vehicle 12.

[0018] The seat 14 is a so-called bench seat for three people, which is composed of a right seat 16, a left seat 18, and a center seat 20 provided between the right seat 16 and the left seat 18, all arranged in a single unit in the width direction of the vehicle.

[0019] More specifically, the seat 14 includes a "seat back 22" capable of supporting the backs of occupants seated on the right seat 16, left seat 18, and center seat 20, and a seat cushion 24 capable of supporting the buttocks and thighs of the occupants.

[0020] The seat back 22 is formed with a recess 26. The recess 26 is open toward the front of the seat and has a rectangular shape with its longitudinal direction extending in the vertical direction of the seat in a front view. The armrest 10 can be stored in the recess 26.

[0021] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, the armrest 10 includes a "base portion 28," a "moving portion 30," and a "lighting portion 32."

[0022] The base 28 has an overall shape of a rectangular cylinder with a bottom, the other end of which, a "tip end 28A," is open in the longitudinal direction of the base 28, and its surface is covered with a skin material 34. One end of the base 28, a "base end 28B," is attached to the seat back 22 so as to be rotatable about the width of the seat. The armrest 10 can be rotated about the base end 28B side to take a stored state in which it is stored in the recess 26 and a used state in which it extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the seat. The following description will be continued assuming that the armrest 10 is in a used state, unless otherwise specified.

[0023] The moving section 30 is made of resin and has an overall box-like shape that is open toward the upper side of the seat, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The moving section 30 includes a pair of side walls 36 spaced apart in the seat width direction, a "front wall 38" that serves as a partition that constitutes the portion of the moving section 30 on the front side of the seat, a connecting rear wall (not shown) that constitutes the portion of the moving section 30 on the rear side of the seat, and a bottom wall 40 that constitutes the portion of the moving section 30 on the lower side of the seat.

[0024] In detail, the side wall portion 36 is formed in a plate shape extending in the front-to-rear direction of the seat with the thickness direction being the seat width direction, and the peripheral portion on the tip portion 36A side is formed in an arc shape that convex toward the front side of the seat.

[0025] The front wall portion 38 is made of a transparent resin material and has a plate shape extending in the seat width direction with its thickness direction being the seat front-rear direction, and is disposed on the seat rear side with a gap between it and the tip portions 36A of the side wall portions 36. The front wall portion 38 connects the side wall portions 36 in the seat width direction at the portions of the side wall portions 36 that are on the seat front side. Note that, hereinafter, the portions of the side wall portions 36 that are on the seat front side of the front wall portion 38 will be referred to as extension portions 36B.

[0026] On the other hand, the rear wall portion of the moving portion 30 is plate-shaped with its thickness direction being the front-to-rear direction of the seat and extending in the seat width direction, and connects the side wall portions 36 to each other in the seat width direction at the rear side of the seat.

[0027] The lower wall portion 40 is shaped like a plate extending in the front-to-rear direction of the seat with its thickness direction aligned with the seat up-down direction, and connects the side wall portions 36 in the seat width direction at the portions of the side wall portions 36 below the seat. An inner slide rail (not shown) is provided on the surface of the lower wall portion 40 below the seat, and this inner slide rail engages with an outer slide rail (not shown) provided on the inside of the base portion 28. This allows the moving portion 30 to be moved in and out of the base portion 28 in the longitudinal direction of the base portion 28, i.e., in the front-to-rear direction of the seat.

[0028] Furthermore, by configuring the moving section 30 as described above, the moving section 30 is provided with a "storage section 42" that is open above the seat, and the storage section 42 is capable of storing various items.

[0029] On the other hand, the illumination unit 32, which will be described in detail later, is disposed between the pair of extension units 36B in a state in which it can rotate relative to them. In other words, the illumination unit 32 is provided at the "tip end 30A" of the moving unit 30. The illumination unit 32 includes a housing unit 44 that forms the outer shell of the illumination unit 32, a lens unit 46 that is provided integrally with the housing unit 44, and a light-emitting unit 48.

[0030] More specifically, the housing 44 has a cylindrical outer shape with its axial direction aligned with the seat width direction, and a peripheral wall 44A constituting the outer periphery thereof is formed with a through-hole 50. A lens 46 including a reflector is attached to the through-hole 50.

[0031] The light-emitting unit 48 includes a light-emitting element such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode), and is housed inside the housing 44. As will be described later, power can be supplied to the light-emitting unit 48 from a power supply unit 78, and the light-emitting unit 48 can be switched between an on state and an off state by operating an operation switch (not shown). The light emitted from the light-emitting unit 48 is diffused by the lens unit 46.

[0032] 3 and 4, a shaft 54 ​​extends to the right in the seat width direction from the right portion of the housing 44 in the seat width direction, and the shaft 54 ​​is supported by a bearing 56 provided on the extension 36B on the right side in the seat width direction so as to be rotatable around the seat width direction. The rotation of the shaft 54 ​​relative to the extension 36B on the right side in the seat width direction can be limited by a "rotation limiting portion 58."

[0033] The rotation restricting portion 58 is configured to include a base ring 60, a lock plate 62, a stopper 64, a housing 66, and a biasing portion 68. The base ring 60 has an annular shape when viewed in the seat width direction, and is fitted into a recess 70 that is formed by recessing the surface on the left side in the seat width direction of the extension portion 36B on the right side in the seat width direction toward the right side in the seat width direction.

[0034] The lock plate 62 has a thickness direction that is the seat width direction and is a substantially circular plate when viewed from the seat width direction, with the shaft portion 54 fitted into a through-hole 72 provided in the center thereof.

[0035] More specifically, a plurality of recesses 74 are formed at predetermined intervals around the periphery of the lock plate 62, and these recesses 74 are V-shaped when viewed in the seat width direction, widening from the center of the lock plate 62 toward the periphery. Furthermore, the angle θ between a pair of flat surfaces 74A that form the recesses 74 when viewed in the seat width direction is an obtuse angle. When attached to the shaft 54, the lock plate 62 is fitted within the inner periphery of the base ring 60.

[0036] The stopper 64 has an overall shape of a rectangular column, and can be inserted and removed radially from the base ring 60 through a through-hole 76 provided in the portion of the base ring 60 above the seat. A tip 64A of the stopper 64 is V-shaped and narrows toward the center of the lock plate 62, and is engageable with the recess 74.

[0037] The housing 66 is configured to include a main body 66A in which part of the stopper 64 fits, and a pair of mounting pieces 66B attached to the outer peripheral surface of the base ring 60, and has a hat-like shape when viewed in the seat width direction that is open toward the lower side of the seat. The portion of the stopper 64 opposite to its tip is inserted into the main body 66A. The recess 70 is provided with a portion in which the housing 66 fits, and the housing 66 is fitted into the recess 70 in the same way as the base ring 60.

[0038] The biasing portion 68 includes a biasing member such as a compression coil spring disposed within the main body portion 66 A of the housing 66 , and biases the stopper 64 toward the center of the lock plate 62 .

[0039] In this embodiment, the rotation restriction section 58 is configured as described above, so that when the lighting section 32 and the moving section 30 are in a predetermined relative position, the rotation of the lighting section 32 relative to the moving section 30 is restricted.

[0040] In detail, when the lighting unit 32 is rotated around the width direction of the seat by the user's operation, the tip 64A of the stopper 64, which is biased by the biasing portion 68, engages with the recess 74 of the lock plate 62 at a predetermined position, and the lighting unit 32 is positioned and locked.

[0041] On the other hand, when the tip 64A of the stopper 64 is engaged with the recess 74 of the lock plate 62, and the lighting unit 32 is rotated around the width direction of the seat by the user's operation, the tip 64A of the stopper 64 is pressed by the flat portion 74A of the recess 74, and the locked state of the lighting unit 32 is released.

[0042] In the following description, a state in which the light-emitting unit 48 of the illumination unit 32 is disposed at a position facing the front wall 38 of the moving unit 30, and the illumination unit 32 is capable of irradiating light onto the inside of the storage unit 42, will be referred to as a first state of the illumination unit 32. Also, a state in which the light-emitting unit 48 of the illumination unit 32 is disposed at a position facing the ceiling surface or floor surface 12A (not shown) inside the vehicle 12, and the illumination unit 32 is capable of irradiating light onto the outside of the storage unit 42 will be referred to as a second state of the illumination unit 32 (see FIG. 1).

[0043] On the other hand, the left portion of the housing 44 in the seat width direction is supported via a power supply part 78 by the extension part 36B on the left side in the seat width direction, as shown in FIG.

[0044] The power supply unit 78 is configured to include a brush unit 80 and a ring unit 82. The brush unit 80 includes a case 84 that forms the outer shell thereof, and a plurality of metal brushes 86.

[0045] The case 84 has an outer shape that is cylindrical with its axial direction aligned with the seat width direction, and includes a storage section 84A provided inside the case 84 that can store the brush 86 and part of the ring unit 82, and a pair of through-holes 84B provided on the left and right sides of the storage section 84A in the seat width direction. The case 84 is fitted into a through-hole 88 provided in the extension section 36B on the left side in the seat width direction.

[0046] On the other hand, the brushes 86 extend radially of the case 84, and are insulated and collected into a single wiring 90, which is connected to a power supply source (not shown) and earth via an insertion portion 92 formed in the extension portion 36B on the left side in the seat width direction and a groove portion (not shown) provided on the inner surface of the base portion 28.

[0047] When the movable part 30 is stored in the base part 28, the excess length of the wiring 90 is wound up by a winding device (not shown) located inside the base part 28, and when the movable part 30 is pulled out from the base part 28, the wiring 90 is pulled out from this winding device.

[0048] The ring unit 82 includes a rod 94 that constitutes its main portion, and metal rings 96 in the same number as the brushes 86. The rod 94 includes a ring base portion 94A to which the rings 96 are attached, and guide tube portions 94B that extend from the ring base portion 94A to the left and right sides in the seat width direction.

[0049] The ring base 94A is cylindrical with its axis aligned with the seat width direction, and has a plurality of partition walls 94A1 on its surface spaced apart in the width direction. Rings 96 are fitted between the partition walls 94A1, and the corresponding brushes 86 are in contact with these rings 96.

[0050] The guide tube portion 94B is shaped like a tube extending in the seat width direction, and its left portion in the seat width direction is supported rotatably around the seat width direction by the through-hole 84B on the left side in the seat width direction of the case 84. On the other hand, a right portion of the guide tube portion 94B in the seat width direction is supported rotatably around the seat width direction by the through-hole 84B on the right side in the seat width direction of the case 84, and is attached to the left portion in the seat width direction of the housing 44 of the illumination unit 32. The guide tube portion 94B is provided with a stopper (not shown) that limits relative displacement between the guide tube portion 94B and the case 84 in the seat width direction.

[0051] In addition, a plurality of wires 98 extending from the rings 96 are inserted inside the right side portion of the guide tube portion 94B in the seat width direction, and these wires 98 are electrically connected to the light-emitting portion 48.

[0052] In this embodiment, the light-emitting unit 48 is electrically connected to the power supply source via the power supply unit 78 configured as described above, so that the electrical connection between the light-emitting unit 48 and the power supply source is maintained even when the illumination unit 32 rotates.

[0053] In addition, the power supply unit 78 is also provided at the boundary between the armrest 10 and the seat back 22, and this power supply unit 78 electrically connects the wiring 90 routed in the base 28 to the above-mentioned power supply source and earth.

[0054] <Actions and Effects of This Embodiment> Next, the operation and effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0055] 6 and 7, the base 28 constituting part of the armrest 10 is provided so that the base end 28B side is located on the seat back 22 side. In addition, the movable part 30 constituting part of the armrest 10 is retractable from the base 28 in the longitudinal direction of the base 28 at the tip end 28A side of the base 28, and the movable part 30 is provided with a storage part 42 as shown in Fig. 1. Therefore, by pulling out the movable part 30 from the base 28, the storage part 42 can be used to store various items.

[0056] However, if the area around the armrest 10 is dark, it may be difficult to determine the location of an item in the storage compartment 42. Also, if an item in the storage compartment 42 is dropped onto the floor or the like, it may be difficult to determine the location of the item.

[0057] In this embodiment, an illumination unit 32 is provided at the tip end 30A of the moving unit 30. The illumination unit 32 is rotatable around the sheet width direction relative to the moving unit 30, and can be in a first state in which it can irradiate light onto the inside of the storage unit 42, and a second state in which it can irradiate light onto the outside of the storage unit 42.

[0058] Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the area around the armrest 10 is dark, light can be irradiated onto items inside and outside the storage section 42.

[0059] In addition, in this embodiment, the portion of the storage section 42 on the tip 30A side of the moving section 30 is made up of a transparent front wall section 38, and by rotating the lighting section 32 to a state where it can irradiate light toward the front wall section 38, the light irradiated from the lighting section 32 can be irradiated onto the inside of the storage section 42 through the front wall section 38.

[0060] 3, in this embodiment, the rotation of the illumination unit 32 relative to the movable unit 30 can be restricted by the rotation restricting unit 58 when the illumination unit 32 and the movable unit 30 are in a predetermined relative position. Therefore, in this embodiment, the position of the illumination unit 32 relative to the movable unit 30 can be kept at a predetermined position, and the direction of the light emitted from the illumination unit 32 can be set to a predetermined direction.

[0061] For example, in the second state of the lighting unit 32, the lighting unit 32 can be used as indirect lighting by positioning the lighting unit 32 so that the light-emitting unit 48 faces the ceiling surface of the vehicle 12, or the lighting unit 32 can be used as a floor light by positioning the lighting unit 32 so that the light-emitting unit 48 faces the floor surface 12A of the vehicle 12.

[0062] In this way, the armrest structure according to this embodiment allows items to be stored in the armrest 10, and also makes it easy to grasp the location of the items around the armrest.

[0063] <Supplementary explanation of the above embodiment> (1) In the above-described embodiment, the armrest 10 is configured to be rotatable relative to the seat back 22. However, depending on the specifications of the seat 14, the armrest 10 may be configured to be in a usable state only. In addition, the configuration of the seat 14 is not limited to that described above, and various configurations may be adopted.

[0064] (2) In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the lighting unit 32 is configured to be rotatable around the width direction of the seat relative to the moving unit 30. However, depending on the specifications of the seat 14, the lighting unit 32 may be configured to be rotatable around the up-down direction of the seat relative to the moving unit 30.

[0065] (3) Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the rotation of the lighting unit 32 relative to the moving unit 30 was restricted by the rotation restricting unit 58. However, depending on the specifications of the seat 14, the rotation of the lighting unit 32 relative to the moving unit 30 may be restricted by the frictional force between the shaft provided on the lighting unit 32 and the bearing provided on the moving unit 30.

[0066] (4) In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the portion of the storage compartment 42 on the front side of the seat is configured as a transparent front wall 38, thereby allowing light from the illumination unit 32 to be irradiated into the storage compartment 42. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the dimension of the front wall 38 in the up-down direction of the seat may be shortened, or a slit or the like may be provided in the front wall 38, so that light from the illumination unit 32 is directly irradiated into the storage compartment 42. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 10 Armrest 14 Rear seat for vehicle (seat) 22 Seat back 26 Recessed section (storage section) 28 Base 28A Tip (other end) 30 Moving Part 30A tip 38 Front wall 42 Storage area 58 Rotation limiter

Claims

1. a base portion that forms part of the armrest and has one end portion positioned on the seat back side; a moving section that forms part of the armrest, is retractable in the longitudinal direction of the base at the other end of the base, and has a storage section; an illumination unit that is provided at a tip end of the moving unit opposite to the base unit, is rotatable relative to the moving unit around a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and can be in a first state in which light can be irradiated inside the storage unit, and in a second state in which light can be irradiated outside the storage unit; a rotation limiting unit that limits rotation of the illumination unit relative to the movable unit when the illumination unit and the movable unit are in a predetermined relative position; and The rotation restricting portion is configured to include a lock plate having a plurality of recesses formed on an outer periphery thereof, and a stopper that engages with the recesses. Armrest structure.

2. The portion of the storage section on the tip end side is made up of a transparent partition section, The lighting unit is rotatable to a state in which it can irradiate light toward the partition unit. The armrest structure according to claim 1 .

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