Vehicle armrest

Abstract

Provided is an armrest (1) for a vehicle, the armrest comprising an opening / closing body (2) that opens and closes the upper side of a storage unit (A), a switch knob (3) used to perform an operation of opening the opening / closing body (2), and a motion transmission mechanism (4) for opening the opening / closing body (2) operationally in association with the operation of the switch knob (3), the opening / closing body (2) comprising an inside base (5) and an outside lid (6) connected to the base (5) so as to be movable forward and backward in the front–rear direction, wherein the switch knob (3) is disposed at a fixed position on a box body (B), the position being on the front side of the front end of the opening / closing body (2) in the state in which the lid (6) is moved to the most forward position. While there is provided a function of allowing adjustment in the front–rear direction of the vehicle, the operation of opening the storage unit (A) can be performed easily without being affected by the adjusted position of the driver's seat or the like, thereby achieving an increase in convenience.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an improvement in a vehicle armrest that also serves as a lid for a storage section in a center console box of a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] An example of a conventional vehicle armrest is described in Patent Document 1. The vehicle armrest described in Patent Document 1 includes a door inner that covers an upper opening of a storage compartment in a box body, and a door outer that is slidable in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle relative to the door inner. The door inner is connected to the box body via a hinge, and opens and closes the storage compartment by rotating it. The door outer is connected to the door inner via a slide mechanism, and an open knob is attached to a hinge operating assembly at the front end of the door outer.

[0003] The above-mentioned vehicle armrest allows the position of the door outer to be adjusted in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle according to the driver's physique, etc., and when opening the storage section, the door outer is moved toward the rear of the vehicle relative to the door inner, and in this state, the open knob is operated, causing the door inner and door outer to rotate together. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-118653 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the conventional vehicle armrests described above, when opening the storage compartment, it is necessary to move the door outer toward the rear of the vehicle, and since the open knob is provided on the door outer, there is a risk that it may be difficult to open the storage compartment when, for example, the driver's seat is moved forward, and solving this problem was a challenge.

[0006] The present invention was made with an eye on the above-mentioned conventional problems, and aims to provide an armrest for a vehicle that has an adjustment function in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and that allows the storage section to be easily opened regardless of the adjustment position of the driver's seat, thereby achieving improved convenience. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The vehicle armrest according to the present invention doubles as a lid for a storage compartment in a center console box of a vehicle and includes an opening / closing body for opening and closing the upper side of the storage compartment, a switch knob for operating the opening / closing body to open it, and an operation transmission mechanism for opening the opening / closing body in conjunction with the operation of the switch knob. The opening / closing body includes an inner base portion rotatably connected to the box body, and an outer lid portion connected to the base portion so as to be movable forward and backward in the fore-and-aft direction. The vehicle armrest is characterized in that the switch knob is located in a fixed position forward of the front end of the opening / closing body when the lid portion is moved to its forwardmost position on the box body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] By adopting the above-mentioned configuration, the vehicle armrest of the present invention is equipped with an adjustment function in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and the storage section can be easily opened regardless of the adjustment position of the driver's seat, etc., thereby achieving improved convenience. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1]1A and 1B are diagrams showing one embodiment of a vehicle armrest according to the present invention, each showing an oblique view (A) of the lid portion in a forward position, an oblique view (B) of the lid portion in a retracted position, an oblique view (C) of the opening / closing body in an open position, and a plan view (D) of the motion transmission mechanism seen through the box body. [Figure 2] 1A is a cross-sectional view of the storage section and the main parts of the opening / closing body, and FIG. 1B is a side view of the trim clip. [Figure 3] 2(A) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA, FIG. 2(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB, and FIG. 2(C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 2(A). [Figure 4] 1A is a perspective view of a cutaway model illustrating a motion transmission mechanism, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of a cutaway model with a cross-sectional position different from that of FIG. 1A. [Figure 5] 1A is a perspective view illustrating a motion transmission mechanism, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view illustrating the motion transmission mechanism as viewed from a different direction than FIG. 1A. [Figure 6] 1A is a perspective view illustrating the motion transmission mechanism in an exploded state, and FIG. 1B is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a part of the motion transmission mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] First Embodiment An embodiment of a vehicle armrest according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the directions and positions of up, down, front, rear, left, and right are based on the orientation of the vehicle. The vehicle armrest according to the present invention also serves as a cover for a storage compartment in a center console box of the vehicle, and is equipped with not only the original armrest portion but also a structure for opening and closing the storage compartment and a structure for adjusting the position in the front-rear direction.

[0011] That is, as shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle armrest 1 includes an opening / closing body 2 that opens and closes the upper side of the storage compartment A of the box body B, a switch knob 3 for operating to open the opening / closing body 2, and an action transmission mechanism 4 for opening the opening / closing body 2 in conjunction with the operation of the switch knob 3. The illustrated box body B has a container holder H1 on the front right side of the opening / closing body 2 and a parking brake operating lever P on the front left side. The container holder H1 is commonly called a drink holder or cup holder and holds plastic bottles or cups. Note that Fig. 1 does not show the front portion of the box body B.

[0012] 2 and 3, the vehicle armrest 1 has an opening / closing body 2 which includes an inner base 5 rotatably connected to a box body B, and an outer lid 6 which is connected to the base 5 so as to be movable forward and backward in the front-rear direction. The vehicle armrest 1 has the switch knob 3 disposed in a fixed position forward of the front end of the opening / closing body 2 when the lid 6 is moved to the frontmost position in the box body B.

[0013] The base 5 of the opening / closing body 2 is large enough to close the upper opening of the storage section A, and its rear end is connected to the box body B via a hinge (not shown), and is biased in the opening direction (upward) by an elastic body such as a torsion spring attached to the hinge shaft. In this case, the biasing force of the base 5 should be at least sufficient to lift the front end of the opening / closing body 2 when the opening / closing body 2 is released from its locked state.

[0014] 2(A), the lid portion 6 of the opening / closing body 2 can move in the front-to-rear direction relative to the base portion 5, in particular, by means of left and right guides 7, 7 provided between the lid portion 6 and the base portion 5, and a rack 9 that meshes with a pinion 8 arranged on the base 5 side. The lid portion 6 can maintain its adjusted position due to appropriate frictional resistance at the contact points of both guides 7, pinion 8, and rack 9, and can move freely with a force that exceeds this frictional resistance.

[0015] 2(A), the opening / closing body 2 in the illustrated example is equipped with a pin-shaped locking member 10 that is attached from the inside of the base part 5, and the base part 5 has a fixing hole 11 on one side in the left-right direction (the left side in the figure) through which the locking member 10 is attached in a penetrated state, and a storage hole 12 on the other side (the right side in the figure) through which the locking member 10 is attached in a penetrated state. This opening / closing body 2 is equipped with a positioning part 13 on the lid part 6 that engages with the tip of the locking member 10 that has passed through the fixing hole 11 at a predetermined advance / retract position.

[0016] 2(A) between the base part 5 and the lid part 6, the opening / closing body 2 has left and right spaces 14L, 14R on both sides in the left-right direction, into which the tip part of the locking member 10 that has passed through the fixing hole 11 and the storage hole 12 is inserted. As shown in FIG. 3(C), the opening / closing body 2 has a positioning part 13 disposed in one space 14L, and as shown in FIG. 3(A), the other space 14R is continuous in the front-rear direction over a length corresponding to the range of movement of the lid part 6 relative to the base part 5.

[0017] As shown in Figure 2(B), the locking member 10 is a trim clip having a threaded portion 10B provided on the axis of a main body 10A and a tip portion 10C that expands and deforms in the radial direction when the threaded portion 10B is screwed in. The positioning portions 13 are holes through which the tip portion 10C of the locking member 10 passes, and are formed at multiple locations in the front-to-rear direction on the inner wall 6A of the lid 6. The holes serving as the positioning portions 13 are arranged at least in two locations corresponding to the forward (forwardmost) position and the retracted (rearmost) position of the lid 6, and more preferably in two or more locations including a location midway between the forward and retracted positions.

[0018] The locking member 10 is attached to either the fixing hole 11 or the storage hole 12. That is, as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 2(A), the opening / closing body 2 is attached by passing the locking member 10 through the fixing hole 11 or the positioning portion 13, and then operating the screw portion 10B to cause the tip portion 10B to expand and deform, thereby restraining the lid portion 6 to the base portion 5.

[0019] Furthermore, the locking member 10 can be removed from the fixing hole 11 and the positioning portion 13 to make the lid 6 movable, and at this time, the locking member 10 can be stored by passing it through the storage hole 12 as shown by the solid line in Fig. 2(A) and causing the tip portion 10C to bulge and deform as shown by the imaginary line in Fig. 2(B). At this time, the opening / closing body 2 has a space 14R that is continuous in the front-to-rear direction, into which the locking member 10 that has passed through the storage hole 12 is inserted, so the lid 6 can be moved forward and backward without interference between the locking member 10 and the lid 6.

[0020] In the opening-closing body 2, the base portion 5 has recesses 15L and 15R on both the left and right sides of its inner surface, and as shown in Fig. 3(C), a fixing hole 11 is disposed at the bottom of one recess 15L, and a storage hole 12 is disposed at the bottom of the other recess 15R. This prevents the opening-closing body 2 from causing the locking member 10 attached to the fixing hole 11 or the storage hole 12 to protrude into the storage section A. In other words, it prevents the head of the locking member 10 from interfering with the items stored in the storage section A.

[0021] Furthermore, the depth dimension DL of one recess 15L of the opening / closing body 2 is smaller than the depth dimension DR of the other recess 15R. This ensures that the opening / closing body 2 has sufficient space 14R for the locking member 10 attached to the storage hole 12 to protrude therein, and ensures a storage space for the locking member 10 in a narrow vertical space. Furthermore, by making the depth dimensions of both recesses 15L and 15R different, it is easy to distinguish between the recesses for fixing and the recesses for storage.

[0022] Furthermore, the opening / closing body 2 has both recesses 15L and 15R formed as short grooves extending in the front-to-rear direction. As a result, when the opening / closing body 2 pinches the locking member 10 with the fingers to attach or detach it, the short groove-shaped recesses 15L and 15R ensure space around the locking member 10, making the attachment and detachment operation easier.

[0023] Next, the motion transmission mechanism 4 of the vehicle armrest 1 is engageable with and disengageable from the base portion 5 of the opening / closing body 2, and as shown in Figures 4 and 5, is equipped with a switch shaft 16 guided in the vertical direction and biased upward, a locking member 17 guided in the front-rear direction and biased rearward, and a cam mechanism 18 that converts downward movement of the switch shaft 16 into forward movement of the locking member 17. The switch knob 3 is fixed to the upper end of the switch shaft 16 and is disposed on the top surface of the box body B on the front side of the opening / closing body 2, that is, disposed in a fixed position that is forward of the front end of the opening / closing body 2 when the lid portion 6 is moved to the frontmost end (forward limit).

[0024] The switch shaft 16 is guided in the up-down direction by a vertical guide portion 51 formed in a housing 50, which is an internal structure of the box body B, and has a cam surface 18A in the middle that constitutes the cam mechanism 18. This cam surface 18A is a downward-facing cam surface that slopes upward in the forward direction. The switch shaft 16 is urged upward by a vertical spring 19 attached to the lower end portion.

[0025] The locking member 17 is guided in the front-rear direction by a groove-shaped guide portion 52 formed in the housing 50, and has a cam surface 18B that, together with the cam surface 18A, constitutes the cam mechanism 18. This cam surface 18B is an upward-facing cam surface that slopes downward in the rearward direction. The locking member 17 is biased rearward by a horizontal spring 20 disposed on the front side.

[0026] The switch shaft 16 and locking member 17 are combined with each other with their respective shapes set so that cam surfaces 18A, 18B come into contact with each other and do not interfere with the reciprocating movements of the cam surfaces 18A, 18B, particularly around the peripheries of the cam surfaces 18A, 18B. These structures are not particularly limited, but as an example, switch shaft 16 is made hollow and open in the front-rear direction, locking member 17 passes through the hollow portion, and cam surfaces 18A, 18B are arranged at the intersection between them.

[0027] The motion transmission mechanism 4 also includes a locking protrusion and a locking recess, which are mutually engageable and disengageable when the opening / closing body 2 is in the closed position, between the rear end of the locking member 17 and the front end of the base 5. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3(B) and 5, a locking protrusion 17A is provided at the rear end of the locking member 17, and a locking recess 5A is provided at the front end of the base 5. The locking protrusion 17A protrudes into the storage section A and has an upwardly inclined surface that slopes downward toward the rear as a surface that pushes the locking member 17 when the opening / closing body 2 is closed.

[0028] The motion transmission mechanism 4 may have the opposite configuration to the above, in that a locking protrusion is provided on the base portion 5 and a locking recess is provided on the locking member 17. In this case, the locking protrusion has a downwardly inclined surface that slopes downward in the rear direction.

[0029] Here, the box body B is provided with a second container holder H2 that opens and closes in accordance with the range of motion of the parking brake operating lever P and the forward and backward movement of the lid portion 6 when the opening / closing body 2 is in the closed position, and as shown in FIG. 2(D), a locking member 17 is disposed between the range of motion of the operating lever P and the second container holder H2. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 5, the locking member 17 has a crank shape in plan view to avoid the second container holder H2, and has rib-like reinforcing portions 17F at the corners of the crank shape. Note that FIG. 2(D) shows the arrangement of the locking member 17 by looking through the box body B.

[0030] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, the motion transmission mechanism 4 is provided with a left-right regulating portion 21 on at least one of the switch knob 3 and the switch shaft 16, which abuts against the other to regulate the left-right movement of both, and is provided with a front-rear regulating portion 22 on at least one of the switch shaft 16 and the housing 50, which abuts against the other to regulate the front-rear movement of both.

[0031] In this embodiment, locking claws 23 shown in Fig. 6(A) are provided on the left and right sides of the upper end of the switch shaft 16, and protrusions 24 for receiving the switch knob 3 are provided on the front and rear of the upper end. Locking holes 25 shown in Fig. 5(A) are provided on both the left and right sides of the switch knob 3, and the switch knob 3 is fixed to the switch shaft 16 by placing the switch knob 3 on the protrusions 24 and elastically locking the locking claws 23 into the locking holes 25.

[0032] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 6(A), protruding left-right restricting portions 21 are provided on the left and right sides of the upper end of the switch shaft 16, which come into contact with the mating switch knob 3. Also, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 6(B), protruding front-rear restricting portions 22 are provided at two locations, one above and one below, on the front and rear of the switch shaft 16, which come into contact with the mating housing 50 so as to be movable up and down.

[0033] The vehicle armrest 1 having the above-described configuration allows the position of the lid portion 6 of the opening / closing body 2 to be adjusted between the forward position shown in Fig. 1(A) and the retracted position shown in Fig. 2(B). In this case, as described above, the position of the lid portion 6 can be adjusted continuously by attaching the locking member 10 to the storage hole 12. In addition, the position of the lid portion 6 can be adjusted in stages and can be restrained at the adjusted position by attaching the locking member 10 to the fixing hole 11.

[0034] In addition, in the vehicle armrest 1, when the switch knob 3 is pressed, the action transmission mechanism 4 functions to rotate the opening / closing body 2 upward, opening the storage compartment A, as shown in Fig. 1(C). Specifically, when the switch knob 3 is pressed, the switch shaft 16 descends against the vertical spring 19, and its cam surface 18A presses the cam surface 18B of the locking member 17. This causes the locking member 17 to move forward against the horizontal spring 20, and the locking protrusion 17A disengages from the locking recess 5A of the base 5. At this time, since the opening / closing body 2 is biased upward by an elastic body (not shown), the lock state is released by the disengagement of the locking protrusion 17A, and the front part rises up, opening the storage compartment A.

[0035] Furthermore, when the opening / closing body 2 of the vehicle armrest 1 is rotated downward, the lower end of the locking recess 5A of the base 5 presses against the inclined surface of the locking protrusion 17A, pushing the locking member 17 forward against the horizontal spring 20. Then, when the opening / closing body 2 is pressed until the lower end of the locking recess 5A passes the tip of the locking protrusion 17A, the locking member 17 is pushed back rearward by the horizontal spring 20, and the locking protrusion 17A protruding into the storage section A engages with the locking recess 5A, thereby entering a locked state.

[0036] The vehicle armrest 1 described above comprises an opening / closing body 2 composed of an inner base portion 5 and an outer lid portion 6, a switch knob 3, and an action transmission mechanism 4, with the switch knob 3 located in a fixed position forward of the opening / closing body 2 with the lid portion 6 moved to the frontmost end in the box body B. By being provided with the above configuration, the vehicle armrest 1 is not only equipped with an adjustment function in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, but also allows the storage portion A to be easily opened using the switch knob 3 in a fixed position, regardless of the adjustment position of the driver's seat, thereby achieving improved convenience.

[0037] In the above-mentioned vehicle armrest 1, the motion transmission mechanism 4 can be engaged with and disengaged from the base portion 5 of the opening / closing body 2, so that regardless of the position of the lid portion 6 within the forward / backward range, the opening / closing body 2 can be rotated in conjunction with the operation of the switch knob 3, thereby opening and closing the storage portion A.

[0038] The vehicle armrest 1 described above employs a power transmission mechanism 4 including a switch shaft 16 having a switch knob 3 fixed to its upper end, a locking member 17, and a cam mechanism 18, and also has a locking protrusion 17A and a locking recess 5A provided relative to each other on the locking member 17 and the base portion 5. By employing the above-described configuration, the vehicle armrest 1 described above can position the switch knob 3 at a fixed position away from the opening / closing body 2 with a relatively simple configuration, thereby enabling the opening and closing operation of the opening / closing body 2 to be performed reliably.

[0039] Furthermore, in the vehicle armrest 1, a locking member 17 is disposed in the box body 3 between the range of motion of the operating lever P and the second container holder H2, which opens and closes in accordance with the advancement and retreat of the opening / closing body 2. This allows the vehicle armrest 1 to place the switch knob 3 in a fixed position away from the opening / closing body 2 without interfering with the range of motion of the operating lever P, and the second container holder H2 further improves convenience.

[0040] Furthermore, in the vehicle armrest 1, the locking member 17 has a crank shape that avoids the second container holder H2, and the corners of the crank shape have reinforcing portions 17F. This allows the vehicle armrest 1 to place the power transmission mechanism 4 in the narrow space of the box body B, and the reinforcing portions 17F prevent deformation of the locking member 17, maintaining reliable operation for a long period of time.

[0041] Furthermore, the vehicle armrest 1 is provided with a left-right restricting portion 21 on at least one of the switch knob 3 and the switch shaft 16, and a front-rear restricting portion 22 on at least one of the switch shaft 16 and the housing 50. As a result, the vehicle armrest 1 prevents rattling of the switch knob 3 and the switch shaft 16 in the front-rear and left-right directions, and can maintain smooth operation of the switch knob 3 and the motion transmission mechanism 4 for a long period of time.

[0042] In the above embodiment, a configuration has been exemplified in which the rear end of the base part 5 of the opening / closing body 2 is rotatably connected to the box body B, but a configuration in which the side part of the base part 5 is rotatably connected to the box body B can also be adopted. In this case, the opening / closing body 2 is configured such that the outer lid part 6 is combined with the inner base part 5 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction, and rotates in the left-right direction of the vehicle to open and close the storage part A.

[0043] The configuration of the vehicle armrest according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] A Storage area B Box body H2 Second vessel holder P control lever 1 Vehicle armrest 2 Opening and closing body 3 Switch Knob 4. Motion transmission mechanism 5 Base 5A Locking recess 6 Lid 16 Switch shaft 17 Locking member 17A Locking protrusion 17F Reinforcement section 18 Cam mechanism 21 Left and right regulation part 22 Front and rear restrictor 1. Housing

Claims

1. An armrest for a vehicle that also serves as a lid for a storage compartment in a center console box of a vehicle, The device includes an opening / closing body that opens and closes the upper side of the storage section, a switch knob for operating to open the opening / closing body, and an operation transmission mechanism for opening the opening / closing body in conjunction with the operation of the switch knob, The opening / closing body includes an inner base portion rotatably connected to the box body, and an outer lid portion connected to the base portion so as to be movable forward and backward in the front-rear direction, An armrest for a vehicle, characterized in that the switch knob is arranged in a fixed position forward of the front end of the opening / closing body when the lid portion is moved to the frontmost position in the box body.

2. The armrest for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the motion transmission mechanism is capable of engaging with and disengaging from the base portion of the opening / closing body.

3. the motion transmission mechanism includes a switch shaft guided in a vertical direction and biased upward, a locking member guided in a front-rear direction and biased rearward, and a cam mechanism that converts downward movement of the switch shaft into forward movement of the locking member, a locking projection and a locking recess that are engageable with and disengageable from each other when the opening / closing body is in a closed position are provided between a rear end of the locking member and a front end of the base portion; 3. The armrest for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the switch knob is fixed to an upper end of the switch shaft.

4. The box body includes a container holder that is opened and closed in accordance with the movement of the lid portion when the opening / closing body is in a closed position and a movable range of a parking brake operating lever, 4. The armrest for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the locking member is disposed between the movable area of ​​the operating lever and the container holder.

5. 5. The vehicle armrest according to claim 4, wherein the locking member has a crank shape in plan view to avoid the container holder, and a reinforcing portion is provided at a corner of the crank shape.

6. At least one of the switch knob and the switch shaft is provided with a left-right restricting portion that abuts against the other to restrict left-right movement of both the switch knob and the switch shaft, An armrest as described in any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that at least one of the switch shaft and the housing that guides the switch shaft in the up and down direction is provided with a front-to-rear regulating portion that abuts against the other side and regulates the front-to-rear movement of both.

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