vehicle

Abstract

To provide a vehicle capable of further expanding a living space of a passenger around a vehicle seat.SOLUTION: A vehicle 10 comprises: right and left vehicle seats 12 which are juxtaposed in a vehicle width direction and respectively have a seat cushion 12A with a passenger sitting thereon; a center console 22 which is provided between the right and left vehicle seats 12 with an upper face 22A thereof positioned on a vehicle upper side than a seating surface of the seat cushion 12A; and arm rests 30 in which lower end sections 32 are extended toward the upper face 22A of the center console 22 from lateral sides of the center console 22 of the seat cushions 12A of the vehicle seats 12, and at least a part of upper end sections 34 is arranged to overlap with the upper face 22A of the center console 22 in a planner view.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle equipped with a vehicle seat having an armrest.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle in which a center console having an armrest is disposed near the rear end portion of the vehicle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When both the center console and the seat-mounted armrest are arranged around the seat of the vehicle seat, the living space of the passengers around the seat of the vehicle seat is compressed. Therefore, only one of the center console and the armrest is provided, or a part of the center console has to be used as an armrest as in the vehicle described in Patent Document 1, and there is room for improvement in the living space of the passengers around the seat of the vehicle seat.

[0005] In consideration of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to make the living space of the passengers around the seat of the vehicle seat wider.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The vehicle according to claim 1 comprises: left and right vehicle seats having seat cushions on which occupants sit, arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction; a center console provided between the left and right vehicle seats, with its upper surface positioned above the seating surface of the seat cushions; and an armrest whose lower end extends from the side of the vehicle seat on the center console side of the seat cushion toward the upper surface of the center console, with at least a portion of its upper end overlapping the upper surface of the center console in a plan view. The center console extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the armrest is movable along the center console in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. ru.

[0007] In the vehicle according to claim 1, the lower end of the armrest extends from the side of the seat cushion of the vehicle seat toward the upper surface of the center console, and at least a portion of the upper end of the armrest is positioned to overlap the upper surface of the center console in a plan view. As a result, the armrest overlaps the center console portion, and the passenger living space around the seat of the vehicle seat can be widened by the amount of overlap. Furthermore, in the vehicle according to claim 1, the armrest is movable along the center console in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, so that the armrest can be moved to a comfortable position according to the occupant's physique and posture.

[0008] In the vehicle according to claim 2, the configuration described in claim 1, wherein the armrest is formed integrally with the seat cushion.

[0009] In the vehicle according to claim 2, since the armrest is formed integrally with the seat cushion, if the seat cushion is configured to be movable in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the armrest can move together with the seat cushion in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

[0012] Claim 3 The vehicle according to the present invention described in claim 1 or claim 2 In the configuration described above, the upper surface of the center console is provided with at least one of the following: a cup holder, an operating section for operating vehicle electronic equipment, and a storage compartment.

[0013] Claim 3In the vehicle according to the present invention as described above, at least one of a cup holder, an operating section for operating vehicle electronic equipment, and a storage compartment is provided on the upper surface of the center console, so that the upper surface of the center console can be effectively utilized.

[0014] Claim 4 The vehicle according to the present invention described in claim 3 In the configuration described above, the operating unit is positioned on the upper surface of the center console on the vehicle-front side of the armrest, in a location that can be operated by the occupant's fingers.

[0015] Claim 4 In the vehicle according to the present invention as described above, the control unit capable of operating the vehicle's electronic equipment is positioned on the upper surface of the center console on the front side of the armrest, within reach of the occupant's fingers, so that the occupant can operate the control unit while resting their arm on the armrest.

[0016] Claim 5 The vehicle according to the present invention described in claim 3 In the configuration described above, the armrest is positioned at a height where the operating part can be operated by the occupant's fingers.

[0017] Claim 5 In the vehicle according to the present invention as described above, the armrest is positioned at a height where the operating part can be operated by the occupant's fingers, so the height from the top surface of the center console to the armrest can be set to a position where the occupant can operate the operating part. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] As described above, the vehicle according to the present invention has the excellent effect of making the living space for occupants around the seats of the vehicle wider. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0019] [Figure 1] This is a schematic plan view of a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a side view showing a part of the vehicle in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a front view showing the main part of the vehicle in FIG. 1 as seen from the front side of the seat. [Figure 4] It is a plan view showing the main part of FIG. 3 as seen from the upper side of the seat. [Figure 5] It is a side view showing the main part of the vehicle in FIG. 1 as seen from the left side of the seat.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] The vehicle 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. In the following description, when the directions of front, rear, left, right, up, and down are shown, they shall indicate the directions of front, rear, left, right, up, and down of the vehicle. Also, the arrow FR shown appropriately in each figure indicates the front direction, the arrow UP indicates the upward direction, the arrow RH indicates the right direction, and the arrow LH indicates the left direction, respectively. Hereinafter, when simply describing using the directions of front and rear, up and down, and left and right, unless otherwise specified, they shall indicate the front and rear in the vehicle front-rear direction, the up and down in the vehicle up-down direction, and the left and right when facing the front direction.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 10 of the present embodiment includes a driver's seat 16 and a passenger seat 18 configured by a vehicle seat 12 on which the occupants in the vehicle interior 14 are seated, and a rear seat 20 configured by a vehicle seat 13. In the vehicle 10 of the present embodiment, as an example, the steering wheel 15 is arranged on the left side of the vehicle interior 14, the driver's seat 16 is arranged on the left side of the vehicle interior 14, and the passenger seat 18 is arranged on the right side of the driver's seat 16. Also, a center console 22 is provided between the driver's seat 16 and the passenger seat 18, and a dashboard 24 is provided on the front side of the driver's seat 16 and the passenger seat 18.

[0022] As shown in Figure 3, the center console 22 has its upper surface 22A positioned above the occupant seating surface of the seat cushion 12A, which will be described later. Also, as shown in Figure 1, the center console 22 extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and its upper surface 22A is provided with, for example, two cup holders 25, a storage compartment 26 with a concave shape, and an operating unit 28 for operating various vehicle electronic devices (not shown) mounted on the vehicle 10. Examples of vehicle electronic devices include a car navigation system, an audio system, and a control device for controlling the operation of the vehicle 10. In this embodiment, for example, the operating unit 28 is composed of a touch panel type liquid crystal screen, and the liquid crystal screen is displayed on the upper surface 22A of the center console 22.

[0023] The rear seats 20 are located behind the driver's seat 16 and the passenger seat 18. The vehicle seats 13 that make up the rear seats 20 are, for example, bench-type seats that can accommodate three passengers. However, the rear seats 13 are not limited to bench-type seats; individual vehicle seats 12 may also be provided.

[0024] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vehicle seats 12 comprising the driver's seat 16 and the passenger seat 18 include a seat cushion 12A on which the occupant sits, and a seat back 12B connected to the rear end of the seat cushion 12A and capable of supporting the occupant's back. A headrest 12C capable of supporting the occupant's head is provided at the upper end of the seat back 12B. The vehicle seat 12 also has an armrest 30 on the center console 22 side. In each figure, as an example, an embodiment in which the armrest 30 is provided only on the center console 22 side is shown, but an armrest may also be provided on the outside in the vehicle width direction.

[0025] The seat cushion 12A is composed of a frame that forms the skeleton of the seat cushion 12A, a cushioning material made of foamed urethane, and a cloth or leather covering material that covers the surface of the cushioning material. The vehicle seat 12 is provided with a seat slide section 40 that allows the seat cushion 12A to slide in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

[0026] The seat slide section 40, although not shown in the figures, includes a seat rail fastened to the floor of the vehicle 10 and an upper rail to which the vehicle seat 12 is attached and which is slidable relative to the seat rail. The seat rail and the upper rail are composed of a pair of left and right rails extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The seat slide section 40 also includes a transmission shaft (not shown) stretched between the pair of left and right rails of the upper rail, a slide motor 42 that rotationally drives this transmission shaft, and a control unit (not shown) that controls the rotational drive of the slide motor 42.

[0027] The vehicle seat 12, mounted on the upper rail, slides in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle (arrow X) based on the driving force of the slide motor 42 transmitted via the transmission shaft. Although not shown in the figures, the vehicle seat 12 may also be provided with a lift device that raises and lowers the seat cushion 12A in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

[0028] The seat back 12B is composed of a frame that forms the skeleton of the seat back 12B, a cushioning material made of foamed urethane, and a cloth or leather covering material that covers the surface of the cushioning material. The seat back 12B is equipped with a reclining section 50 that rotates the seat back 12B in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, centered on the lower end of the seat back 12B of the vehicle.

[0029] The reclining section 50 includes a shaft 52. The central axis direction of the shaft 52 is in the vehicle width direction, and the rear portion of the frame of the seat cushion 12A and the lower portion of the frame of the seat back 12B are mechanically connected by the shaft 52. The reclining section 50 also includes a reclining motor 54 and a control unit (not shown) that controls the rotational drive of the reclining motor 54. The reclining motor 54 is provided, for example, on the seat cushion 12A. The output shaft of the reclining motor 54 is connected, for example, to a gear train (not shown) that serves as a reduction gear or drive force transmission device provided on the shaft 52.

[0030] The seat back 12B is rotated around the shaft 52 by the driving force of the reclining motor 54. As a result, the seat back 12B rotates around the shaft 52 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle (in the direction of arrow M in Figure 1).

[0031] The headrest 12C is provided at the upper end of the seat back 12B. The headrest 12C is composed of a cushioning material made of foamed urethane and a cloth or leather covering material that covers the surface of the cushioning material.

[0032] The armrest 30 is composed, for example, of a frame that forms the skeleton of the armrest 30, a cushioning material made of foamed urethane, and a cloth or leather covering material that covers the surface of the cushioning material. The armrest 30 may also be covered around the frame with a molding, which is a decorative component made of resin or the like.

[0033] As shown in Figure 3, the armrest 30 is formed in an inverted L shape when viewed from the front of the seat. The lower end 32 of the armrest 30 extends from the side of the seat cushion 12A on the center console 22 side toward the upper surface 22A of the center console 22. The upper end 34 of the armrest 30 extends substantially horizontally toward the center console 22 from the upper end of the lower end 32, and as shown in Figure 4, at least a portion of it is positioned to overlap the upper surface 22A of the center console 22 in a plan view.

[0034] In this embodiment, as an example, the upper ends 34 of the driver's seat 16 and the passenger seat 18 are positioned to overlap approximately one-quarter of the upper surface 22A of the center console 22 in the vehicle width direction, and the cup holders 25 are positioned to be exposed. Also in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the operating section 28 is positioned so that it can be operated with the occupant's fingers F when the occupant rests their arms on the armrest 30.

[0035] Furthermore, the armrest 30 is formed integrally with the seat cushion 12A, for example. Specifically, the frame that forms the skeleton of the armrest 30 extends from the frame that forms the skeleton of the seat cushion 12A.

[0036] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the armrest 30 is positioned at a height that allows the occupant to operate the control unit 28 with their fingers F while the occupant rests their arm on the upper end 34 of the armrest 30. In this embodiment, since the armrest 30 is integrally formed with the seat cushion 12A, as described above, when the vehicle seat 12 is moved in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle by the seat slide unit 40, the armrest 30 also moves in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle together with the seat cushion 12A.

[0037] In other words, as shown in Figure 5, the armrest 30 is movable along the upper surface 22A of the center console 22 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. For example, it moves from the position of the armrest 30 shown by the solid line to the position of the armrest 30 shown by the dashed line by moving backward as the vehicle seat 12 moves. In this embodiment, in order to allow the armrest 30 to move smoothly along the upper surface 22A of the center console 22, a gap is provided between the upper surface 22A of the center console 22 and the lower surface of the upper end portion 34 of the armrest 30, such that the occupant can maintain a height position in which they can operate the control section 28 with their fingers F while resting their arm on the upper end portion 34 of the armrest 30.

[0038] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as an example, when the seat back 12B is tilted backward by the reclining section 50, the armrest 30 is configured to move backward according to the reclining angle of the seat back 12B. Specifically, although not shown in the figures, the armrest 30 has a second upper end on the upper surface of the upper end 34 that is slidable in the front-rear direction relative to the upper end 34. The second upper end is configured to slide backward as the seat back 12B is tilted backward.

[0039] In this embodiment, a posture sensor (not shown) is provided to detect the reclining angle of the seat back 12B of the vehicle seat 12, i.e., the posture of the seat back 12B. The posture sensor is, for example, a rotary encoder that detects the rotational position of the output shaft of the reclining motor 54. The seat back 12B is rotated in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle by the driving force of the reclining motor 54. Therefore, by detecting the rotational position of the output shaft of the reclining motor 54, the rotational angle of the seat back 12B in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, i.e., its posture, can be indirectly detected. The posture sensor outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the rotational position of the output shaft of the reclining motor 54, i.e., the rotational angle (posture) of the seat back 12B.

[0040] In this embodiment, as an example, the amount of slide of the second upper end relative to the rotation angle of the seat back 12 is set in advance, and the second upper end 34 is slid according to the detected rotation angle of the seat back 12B. The sliding of the second upper end 34 in the vehicle's longitudinal direction can be performed, for example, by providing a motor (not shown).

[0041] (Effects and Benefits) Next, the effects and advantages of this embodiment will be explained.

[0042] In the vehicle 10 according to this embodiment, the lower end portion 32 of the armrest 30 extends from the side of the seat cushion 12A of the vehicle seat 12 toward the upper surface 22A of the center console 22. Furthermore, at least a portion of the upper end portion 34 of the armrest 30 is positioned to overlap the upper surface 22A of the center console 22 in a plan view. As a result, the armrest 30 overlaps the center console 22 portion, thereby widening the passenger living space around the seat of the vehicle seat 12.

[0043] Furthermore, in the vehicle 10 according to this embodiment, since the armrest 30 is integrally formed with the seat cushion 12A, if the seat cushion 12A is configured to be movable in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, the armrest 30 can move together with the seat cushion 12A in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

[0044] Furthermore, in the vehicle 10 according to this embodiment, the armrest 30 is movable along the center console 22 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, so the armrest 30 can be moved to a comfortable position according to the occupant's physique and posture.

[0045] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the vehicle 10 is provided with a cup holder 25, an operating unit 28 for operating vehicle electronic equipment, and a storage compartment 26 on the upper surface 22A of the center console 22, so the upper surface 22A of the center console 22 can be effectively utilized.

[0046] Furthermore, in the vehicle 10 according to this embodiment, the operating unit 28 capable of operating vehicle electronic equipment is positioned on the upper surface 22A of the center console 22 on the front side of the armrest 30, so that it can be operated by the occupant's finger F. Therefore, the occupant can operate the operating unit 28 while resting their arm on the armrest 30.

[0047] Furthermore, in the vehicle 10 according to this embodiment, the armrest 30 is positioned at a height where the operating unit 28 can be operated by the occupant's finger F, so the height from the upper surface 22A of the center console 22 to the armrest 30 can be set to a position where the occupant can operate the operating unit 28.

[0048] Furthermore, in the vehicle 10 according to this embodiment, the second upper end of the armrest 30 is configured to move toward the rear of the vehicle according to the reclining angle of the seat back 12B, thereby preventing the armrest 30 from moving away from the occupant when reclining.

[0049] (Supplementary information for this embodiment) In the embodiments described above, a cup holder 25, an operating unit 28 for operating vehicle electronic equipment, and a storage compartment 26 are provided on the upper surface 22A of the center console 22, but the present invention is not limited thereto. It is sufficient that at least one of the cup holder 25, the operating unit 28 for operating vehicle electronic equipment, and the storage compartment 26 is provided.

[0050] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the armrest 30 is formed integrally with the seat cushion 12A, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may be formed separately. In this case, the armrest 30 and the seat cushion 12A are joined by a known fastening method. Also, the armrest 30 may be connected to the seat back 12B instead of the seat cushion 12A, or the armrest 30 may be independent and not connected to either the seat cushion 12A or the seat back 12B.

[0051] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the lower end portion 32 of the armrest 30 extends diagonally toward the upper surface 22A of the center console 22, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and it may extend vertically toward the upper surface 22A of the center console 22.

[0052] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above, and can be implemented in various other ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0053] 10 vehicles 12 Vehicle seats 12A Seat Cushion 22 Center Console 22A Top 25 Cup Holder 26 Storage 28 Control section 30 Armrest 32 Lower end 34 Upper end

Claims

1. The vehicle seats have seat cushions on which the occupants sit, and are arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction, A center console is provided between the left and right vehicle seats, with its upper surface positioned above the seating surface of the seat cushion. An armrest whose lower end extends from the side of the seat cushion of the vehicle seat toward the upper surface of the center console, and whose upper end is positioned so as to overlap the upper surface of the center console in a plan view, Equipped with, A vehicle in which the center console extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the armrest is movable in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle along the center console.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the armrest is formed integrally with the seat cushion.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the center console is provided with at least one of a cup holder, an operating section for operating vehicle electronic equipment, and a storage compartment.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the operating unit is positioned on the upper surface of the center console on the vehicle-front side of the armrest and can be operated by the occupant's fingers.

5. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the armrest is positioned at a height that allows the operating part to be operated by the occupant's fingers.

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