Armrest of a vehicle seat

Abstract

To provide an armrest for a vehicle seat that is able to easily change the height and reduce the manufacturing cost, weight, and assembling man-hours.SOLUTION: An armrest 20 for a vehicle seat 10 includes: a first armrest portion 22 one-end 22B of which is turnably supported by a side part 14A of a seat back 14 and that selectively takes a non-use position disposed at the side part 14A of the seat back 14 so as to extend toward a seat upper side and a use position disposed so as to rotate from the side part 14A of the seat back 14 toward a seat front side and extend toward the seat front side; and a second armrest portion 24 one- end 24B of which is rotatably supported by a middle part of the first armrest portion 22 and that is configured to be housed inside the first armrest portion 22 and that selectively takes a stowed position in which the second armrest portion is housed inside the first armrest portion 22 at the non-use position and an extended position in which the second armrest portion is rotated from inside the first armrest portion 22 toward the seat front side and disposed so as to extend toward the seat front side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an armrest for a vehicle seat. [Background technology]

[0002] Armrests for vehicle seats that are configured to be able to change the height to suit the physique of the occupant have been known for some time (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). Specifically, armrests that change the height of the armrest in stages by rotating a gear or that change the height of the armrest steplessly by air pressure have been proposed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-213604 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-189092 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, changing the height of an armrest using a mechanical structure such as gear rotation or air pressure increases the manufacturing cost, weight, and assembly steps of the armrest, and such mechanical structures also have the disadvantage of being cumbersome to operate when changing the height of the armrest due to their complex mechanisms.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an armrest for a vehicle seat that can be easily adjusted in height and that can reduce manufacturing costs, weight, and assembly steps. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the armrest of the vehicle seat described in claim 1 of the present invention comprises a first armrest portion, one end of which is rotatably supported on a side portion of the seat back, and which selectively adopts an unused position in which it is arranged to extend toward the upper side of the seat from the side portion of the seat back, and an used position in which it rotates from the side portion of the seat back toward the front of the seat and extends toward the front of the seat; and a second armrest portion, one end of which is rotatably supported on a middle portion of the first armrest portion and is configured to be able to be stored inside the first armrest portion, and which, in the unused position, selectively adopts a stored position in which it is stored inside the first armrest portion, and an deployed position in which it rotates from the inside of the first armrest portion toward the front of the seat and is arranged to extend toward the front of the seat.

[0007] According to the invention described in claim 1, an occupant seated in a vehicle seat can use a first armrest portion when the first armrest portion is in the in-use position. The occupant seated in the vehicle seat can use a second armrest portion housed inside the first armrest portion in the non-use position when the second armrest portion is in the extended position. One end of the second armrest portion is rotatably supported at a midpoint of the first armrest portion. Therefore, the extended position of the second armrest portion is higher than the in-use position of the first armrest portion. By selectively using the first armrest portion and the second armrest portion in this way, the height of the armrest can be easily changed. Furthermore, because the armrest is simply configured with a first armrest portion and a second armrest portion of different heights, the manufacturing cost, weight, and assembly man-hours of the armrest are reduced.

[0008] Furthermore, the armrest of the vehicle seat described in claim 2 is the armrest of the vehicle seat described in claim 1, in which a cutout portion is formed in the side wall portion of the first armrest portion to expose the second armrest portion housed inside.

[0009] According to the invention described in claim 2, the second armrest portion housed inside is exposed by the cutout portion formed in the side wall portion of the first armrest portion, which makes it easy for an occupant seated in the vehicle seat to grasp the second armrest portion housed inside the first armrest portion with their fingers from the seat width direction, and to rotate the second armrest portion to the deployed position (pull it out from inside the first armrest portion).

[0010] The armrest of the vehicle seat according to claim 3 is the armrest of the vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein a grip member is provided at the other end of the second armrest portion.

[0011] According to the invention recited in claim 3, a gripping member is provided at the other end of the second armrest portion. Therefore, an occupant sitting in the vehicle seat can easily rotate the second armrest portion housed inside the first armrest portion to the deployed position (pull it out from inside the first armrest portion) by gripping and pulling the gripping member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] As described above, the armrest for a vehicle seat according to the present invention allows the height to be easily adjusted, and also reduces the manufacturing cost, weight, and assembly steps. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic side view showing a vehicle seat provided with an armrest according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a second armrest portion according to the first embodiment before it is deployed. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a second armrest portion according to the first embodiment after being unfolded. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing a second armrest portion according to a second embodiment before it is deployed. [Figure 5]FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view showing a second armrest portion according to a third embodiment before it is deployed. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing a vehicle seat provided with an armrest according to a fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. For ease of explanation, the arrow UP shown in each drawing indicates the seat upper direction, and the arrow FR indicates the seat forward direction. Therefore, in the following description, when up / down and front / rear directions are mentioned unless otherwise specified, they refer to the up / down and front / rear directions of the vehicle seat 10 shown in FIG. 1. Furthermore, the left / right direction is synonymous with the seat width direction.

[0015] First Embodiment First, an armrest 20 according to the first embodiment will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, a vehicle seat 10 provided in a vehicle (not shown) has a seat cushion 12 on which an occupant sits (supporting the thighs and buttocks of the occupant), a seatback 14 that supports the back of the occupant, a headrest 16 that supports the head of the occupant, and an armrest 20 that supports the forearm of the occupant (mainly from the elbow to the wrist).

[0016] 1 to 3, the armrest 20 includes a first armrest portion 22 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and a second armrest portion 24 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is provided symmetrically on both the left and right side portions 14A (see FIG. 1) of the seat back 14. Note that the armrest 20 is not limited to being provided on both the left and right side portions 14A of the seat back 14, and may be provided only on the outer or inner side portion 14A in the vehicle width direction.

[0017] The first armrest portion 22 has one longitudinal end 22A formed in an approximately arc shape when viewed from the side, and the other longitudinal end 22B (one end) is rotatably supported with a predetermined rotational resistance (friction) by an axis portion 18 provided on the side portion 14A of the seat back 14 with the seat width direction as the axial direction.

[0018] That is, a through-hole (not shown) that penetrates in the seat width direction is formed in the other longitudinal end 22B of the first armrest portion 22, and the shaft portion 18 is press-fitted (inserted with friction) into the through-hole, thereby enabling the first armrest portion 22 to rotate with a predetermined rotation resistance.

[0019] The first armrest portion 22 is configured to be able to selectively adopt an inoperative position (shown by a solid line in Figure 1) in which it is arranged to extend upward along the side portion 14A of the seat back 14, and an inoperative position (shown by a virtual line in Figure 1) in which one longitudinal end portion 22A thereof is rotated forward from the side portion 14A of the seat back 14 and arranged to extend forward.

[0020] The second armrest portion 24 has one longitudinal end 24A formed in an approximately arc shape when viewed from the side, and the other longitudinal end 24B (one end) is rotatably supported with a predetermined rotational resistance (friction) by an axis portion 28 provided in the middle of the first armrest portion 22 with the seat width direction as its axial direction.

[0021] That is, a through-hole (not shown) that penetrates in the seat width direction is formed in the other longitudinal end 24B of the second armrest portion 24, and the shaft portion 28 is press-fitted (inserted with friction) into the through-hole. This allows the second armrest portion 24 to rotate with a predetermined rotation resistance. Note that the midpoint of the first armrest portion 22 refers to a predetermined position above the shaft portion 18 when the first armrest portion 22 is placed in the non-use position.

[0022] The second armrest portion 24 is configured so that its entirety can be accommodated inside the first armrest portion 22. In other words, the second armrest portion 24 is formed so that its length, width (length along the up-down direction in the deployed position described below) and thickness (length along the seat width direction) are smaller than those of the first armrest portion 22, and an opening 22H (see Figures 2 and 3) for passing the second armrest portion 24 in and out is formed in the front surface of the first armrest portion 22 in the non-use position (the underside of the first armrest portion 22 in the use position).

[0023] 2 and 3, a rectangular opening 22H is formed on the longitudinal end 22A side of the first armrest portion 22 relative to the shaft 18, and its length is slightly greater than that of the second armrest portion 24. The other longitudinal end 24B side of the second armrest portion 24 is formed to be narrower than the width of the other longitudinal end 24A side, and the other longitudinal end 24B is disposed inside the first armrest portion 22 from the opening 22H and is rotatably supported by the shaft 28 at a midpoint of the first armrest portion 22 (a predetermined position close to the shaft 18).

[0024] As a result, when the first armrest portion 22 is in its unused position, the second armrest portion 24 is configured to be able to selectively take on either a stored position (see Figure 2) in which it is housed inside the first armrest portion 22, or an deployed position (see Figures 1 and 3) in which one longitudinal end portion 24A of the second armrest portion 24 is rotated forward from inside the first armrest portion 22 around the axis portion 28 and is positioned to extend forward.

[0025] The second armrest portion 24 is configured to be positioned in the substantially horizontal position shown in Fig. 1 by having its underside 24D on the shaft 28 side (the narrower longitudinal end 24B side) abut against the opening edge 22D on the shaft 18 side of the first armrest portion 22 that is positioned in the non-use position. In other words, the opening edge 22D of the first armrest portion 22 functions as a stopper for the second armrest portion 24 pivoting forward.

[0026] Furthermore, the second armrest portion 24 does not have to be configured to be rotatable with a predetermined rotational resistance (friction), but at least the side surface 24C (see Figure 3) of the second armrest portion 24 and at least the side wall portion 22C (see Figure 3) of the first armrest portion 22, whose inner surface is in sliding contact with the side surface 24C, may be made of a material with high friction force (large friction coefficient), so that the second armrest portion 24, which is positioned in the storage position, does not come out from inside the first armrest portion 22 under its own weight.

[0027] Next, the operation of the armrest 20 according to the first embodiment configured as above will be described.

[0028] As shown by the phantom lines in Fig. 1, an occupant seated in the vehicle seat 10 can place the first armrest portion 22 in the use position by rotating the first armrest portion 22 forward from the side portion 14A of the seat back 14. Here, depending on the physique of the occupant, the height of the first armrest portion 22 in the use position may feel low. In this case, the occupant uses the second armrest portion 24 housed inside the first armrest portion 22, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3.

[0029] That is, an occupant seated in the vehicle seat 10 places the first armrest portion 22 in the unused position and pulls out the longitudinal end portion 24A of the second armrest portion 24 exposed through the opening 22H from inside the first armrest portion 22. At this time, the second armrest portion 24 can be easily pulled out because it is only held inside the first armrest portion 22 by friction.

[0030] The second armrest portion 24 is then placed in the deployed position by rotating one longitudinal end 24A of the second armrest portion 24 forward around the shaft portion 28. This allows the second armrest portion 24 to be placed at a higher position than the first armrest portion 22, as shown in FIG.

[0031] Therefore, even an occupant with a certain physique who feels that the first armrest portion 22 is too low to use as the armrest 20 when in its use position can place their forearm on the upper surface of the second armrest portion 24 and use it effectively and comfortably as the armrest 20. In other words, an occupant seated in the vehicle seat 10 can use the armrest 20 that suits their physique, thereby eliminating or reducing problems such as fatigue caused by difficulty in placing their elbows or car sickness caused by looking down at a smartphone screen for a long period of time.

[0032] As described above, with the armrest 20 according to the first embodiment, the height of the armrest 20 can be easily changed by selectively using the first armrest portion 22 and the second armrest portion 24. Furthermore, because of this simple structure that simply provides the first armrest portion 22 and the second armrest portion 24 with different heights, the manufacturing cost, weight, and assembly man-hours for the armrest 20 can be reduced compared to armrests that change the height of the armrest 20 using a mechanical structure such as gear rotation or air pressure.

[0033] In addition, the second armrest portion 24 has its other longitudinal end portion 24B rotatably supported in the middle of the first armrest portion 22 with a predetermined rotational resistance (friction), or its side surface 24C slides against the inner surface of the side wall portion 22C of the first armrest portion 22 with friction, so that the second armrest portion 24 can be prevented from coming out from inside the first armrest portion 22 under its own weight when the first armrest portion 22 is in the non-use position or the use position.

[0034] The armrest 20 is of a storage type in which the second armrest portion 24 is stored inside the first armrest portion 22. This allows an occupant seated in the vehicle seat 10 to easily and intuitively use the first armrest portion 22 and the second armrest portion 24. Furthermore, such a configuration of the armrest 20 not only provides excellent space-saving capabilities for the armrest 20, but also improves mountability to the vehicle seat 10 (seat back 14).

[0035] (Variation) The second armrest portion 24 is not limited to a configuration in which its other longitudinal end portion 24B is rotatably supported in the middle of the first armrest portion 22 with a predetermined rotational resistance (friction), or in which its side surface 24C slides against the inner surface of the side wall portion 22C of the first armrest portion 22 with friction.

[0036] Although not shown, the second armrest portion 24 may be configured so as to be constantly biased in a direction to be accommodated inside the first armrest portion 22 by a biasing member such as a torsion spring provided on the shaft portion 28. In other words, the second armrest portion 24 may be of a so-called torque hinge type.

[0037] With this configuration, the second armrest portion 24 can be easily pulled out from inside the first armrest portion 22, and the second armrest portion 24 can be prevented from coming out from inside the first armrest portion 22 due to its own weight when the first armrest portion 22 is in the non-use position or the use position.

[0038] Furthermore, the second armrest portion 24 may be configured by a known mechanism so that the biasing force of the biasing member is released only when the second armrest portion 24 is placed in the extended position (when the lower surface 24D of the second armrest portion 24 is in contact with the opening edge portion 22D of the first armrest portion 22). In this way, even if an occupant seated in the vehicle seat 10 removes their forearm from the upper surface of the second armrest portion 24 placed in the extended position, the second armrest portion 24 does not rotate (return) in the direction of being accommodated in the first armrest portion 22, making the second armrest portion 24 easier to use.

[0039] Furthermore, in this configuration, when the second armrest portion 24 is rotated slightly upward from the deployed position (when the underside 24D of the second armrest portion 24 is moved away from the opening edge portion 22D of the first armrest portion 22), the biasing force of the biasing member acts again, and the second armrest portion 24 is automatically stored inside the first armrest portion 22, just as when the second armrest portion 24 is constantly biased in the direction of being stored inside the first armrest portion 22.

[0040] Second Embodiment Next, an armrest 20 according to a second embodiment will be described. Note that the same reference numerals are used to designate parts equivalent to those in the first embodiment, and detailed descriptions (including common functions) will be omitted as appropriate.

[0041] As shown in Figure 4, the armrest 20 of this second embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in that a cutout 23 is formed in the side wall portion 22C of the first armrest portion 22 to expose the side surface 24C of the second armrest portion 24 housed therein.

[0042] The cutout 23 is formed in a generally trapezoidal shape that is long in the longitudinal direction from the opening 22H to the side wall 22C of the first armrest 22. Therefore, the side surface 24C of the second armrest 24, excluding the other longitudinal end 24B side where the width is narrowed, is exposed from the side wall 22C of the first armrest 22.

[0043] This allows an occupant seated in the vehicle seat 10 to easily grasp the side surface 24C of the second armrest portion 24 with their fingers in the seat width direction (thickness direction of the second armrest portion 24), and easily pull out the second armrest portion 24 housed inside the first armrest portion 22 from inside the first armrest portion 22. In other words, the second armrest portion 24 can be easily rotated to the deployed position.

[0044] <Third embodiment> Next, an armrest 20 according to a third embodiment will be described. Note that the same reference numerals are used to designate the same parts as those in the first embodiment, and detailed descriptions (including common functions) will be omitted as appropriate.

[0045] As shown in Figure 5, the armrest 20 of this third embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in that a gripping member 26 that can be gripped with the fingers of an occupant seated in the vehicle seat 10 is provided on the underside of one longitudinal end 24A (other end) of the second armrest portion 24.

[0046] The gripping member 26 is in the form of a strap (string) having a predetermined width, and is formed in a ring shape so that it can be easily gripped with the fingers of an occupant seated in the vehicle seat 10. Therefore, an occupant seated in the vehicle seat 10 can easily pull out the second armrest portion 24 housed inside the first armrest portion 22 from inside the first armrest portion 22 by gripping and pulling the gripping member 26. In other words, the second armrest portion 24 can be easily rotated to the deployed position.

[0047] In the armrest 20 according to the third embodiment, the gripping member 26 is not limited to a strap-like member having a predetermined width and formed in a ring shape. For example, although not shown, the gripping member 26 may be formed of a flat resin member or the like that is provided on the underside of the second armrest portion 24 at one longitudinal end 24A side so as to be rotatable about its axis in the thickness direction (seat width direction) and that is sized to be gripped by fingers.

[0048] <Fourth embodiment> Finally, an armrest 20 according to a fourth embodiment will be described. Note that the same reference numerals are used to designate the same parts as those in the first embodiment, and detailed descriptions (including common functions) will be omitted as appropriate.

[0049] 6, the armrest 20 according to the fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in that the height of the second armrest portion 24 is higher than that of the first embodiment. Specifically, when the first armrest portion 22 is in the non-use position, the position of the shaft portion 28 is higher than that of the first embodiment, and the length of the second armrest portion 24 is shorter than that of the first embodiment by the amount of that height.

[0050] In this way, the height position of the second armrest portion 24 in the unfolded position can be appropriately set by changing the position of the shaft portion 28 of the second armrest portion 24 housed inside the first armrest portion 22 and the length of the second armrest portion 24. Therefore, for example, the height position of the second armrest portion 24 in the unfolded position can be changed between the armrest 20 of the passenger seat and the armrest 20 of the rear seat.

[0051] The armrest 20 of the vehicle seat 10 according to this embodiment has been described above based on the drawings, but the armrest 20 of the vehicle seat 10 according to this embodiment is not limited to the one shown in the drawings, and can be modified in design as appropriate within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

[0052] For example, the illustrated second armrest portion 24 is formed so that the width at the other longitudinal end 24B side is smaller than that at the one longitudinal end 24A side, but the second armrest portion 24 may be formed with the same width from its one longitudinal end 24A side to its other longitudinal end 24B side.

[0053] Furthermore, instead of constructing the side surface 24C of the second armrest portion 24 and the side wall portion 22C of the first armrest portion 22 from a material with high friction (large coefficient of friction), a sheet-like member with a high coefficient of friction (not shown) may be attached to the side surface 24C of the second armrest portion 24 and the inner surface of the side wall portion 22C of the first armrest portion 22, respectively, so that the side surface 24C of the second armrest portion 24 and the inner surface of the side wall portion 22C of the first armrest portion 22 slide against each other with friction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 10 Vehicle seats 14 Seat back 14A Side 20 Armrest 22 First armrest section 22B Other longitudinal end (one end) 22C Side wall part 23 Notch 24 Second armrest section 24A Longitudinal one end (other end) 24B Other longitudinal end (one end) 26 Gripping member

Claims

1. a first armrest portion, one end of which is rotatably supported on a side portion of the seat back, which selectively takes an unused position in which the armrest is disposed on the side portion of the seat back so as to extend toward an upper side of the seat, and an used position in which the armrest is disposed by rotating from the side portion of the seat back toward a front side of the seat so as to extend toward the front side of the seat; a second armrest portion, one end of which is rotatably supported in a middle portion of the first armrest portion and which is configured to be retractable within the first armrest portion, and which, in the unused position, selectively adopts a stored position in which it is retracted within the first armrest portion and a deployed position in which it rotates from the inside of the first armrest portion toward the front of the seat and extends toward the front of the seat; An armrest for a vehicle seat.

2. 2. The armrest for a vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein a cutout portion is formed in a side wall portion of the first armrest portion to expose the second armrest portion housed therein.

3. 2. The armrest for a vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein a grip member is provided at the other end of the second armrest portion.

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