Armrest

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an armrest in which the number of components in a rotation unit is reduced, and which can maintain load withstanding performance of a rotation stopper mechanism while suppressing an increase in weight. [Solution] An armrest wherein: a mounting fitting (21) has a mounting seat (21e) in the center thereof and has a form such that, when the mounting seat (21e) abuts on a seating surface of a seat-side bracket, a gap is formed between the mounting fitting (21) and the seat-side bracket at the periphery of the seating surface and the mounting seat (21e); a lower rotation stopper and an upper rotation stopper in the form of a standing wall (21c) is provided to the outer circumferential part of the mounting fitting (21); standing receiving walls (23b, 23c) which serve as upper / lower rotation stopper receiving parts are provided to a rotation plate (23); and a fixing drum (22) and the mounting fitting (21) sandwich the rotation plate (23) with a movable fit and are clinch-joined to form a rotation unit (20). [Selected drawing] FIG. 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a rotatable armrest.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, vehicle seats are provided with armrests for supporting the arms of the seated person. Many such armrests are rotatable, which can be raised along the seat backrest when not in use and rotated to a desired height and position when in use.

[0003] Such a rotatable armrest is composed of an arm member for supporting the arm, a fixed-side member fixed to the seat frame and not rotating itself, and a rotating-side member to which the arm member is attached and rotates integrally with the arm member. The arm member can be rotated to a desired height and position by the rotation of the rotating-side member. Some rotatable armrests have a lock function by a spring lock mechanism and can be switched between a locked state and an unlocked state (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0004] Among these, Patent Document 2 discloses an armrest in which a mounting bracket 11, a lock drum 12, a lock spring 13, and a base plate 14 are covered with a cover plate 15 and unitized (as a mechanism unit 10), and a caulking portion α of the cover plate 15 and the armrest frame 20 are caulked and joined. According to Patent Document 2, by unitizing the members such as the mounting bracket 11 except the armrest frame 20, for example, the production of the mechanism unit 10 can be carried out in Japan, and the production of the armrest frame 20 and the assembly of the entire armrest (assembly of the mechanism unit 10 and the armrest frame 20) can be carried out overseas, and it is said that the production mode can be flexibly adapted.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] International Gazette No. 2020 / 031911 [Patent Document 2] International Public Gazette No. 2014 / 024709 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] However, the mechanism unit 10 disclosed in Patent Document 2 consists of seven components, specifically a flat mounting bracket 11, a thick lock drum 12 on which a displacement cam 12A and a return cam 12B are formed, a lock spring 13, a resin washer 16, a spring retainer 17, a base plate 14, and a cover plate 15 (see Figure 4). To reduce the effort required for assembly, it is desirable to have fewer parts constituting the unit.

[0007] Furthermore, in Patent Document 2, the upper limit stopper receiving portion 11a and the lower limit stopper receiving portion 11b provided on the outer circumference of the flat plate-shaped mounting bracket 11, and the upper limit stopper projection 14a and the lower limit stopper projection 14b of the base plate 14 constitute a stopper mechanism that defines the rotation angle range of the armrest (see Figure 4). The load-bearing capacity of the stopper mechanism is determined by the product of the contact area between the receiving portions 11a, 11b and the projections 14a, 14b, and the distance between their contact position and the rotation center. In order to ensure load-bearing capacity, it is necessary to use a thick steel plate for the mounting bracket 11 to increase the area of ​​the receiving portions 11a, 11b, and further increase its outer shape to move the contact position with the projections 14a, 14b away from the rotation center. However, such measures are not desirable because they lead to an increase in the weight of the mounting bracket 11.

[0008] This invention was made to solve the above problems and provides an armrest that reduces the number of parts in the rotating unit and maintains the load-bearing capacity of the rotating stopper mechanism while suppressing weight increase. In addition, ensuring the strength and rigidity of the arm member is also an objective of this invention. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The above issues are, An armrest that is rotatably attached to the seat-side bracket, An arm member for supporting the arm, A rotating side member having a rotating plate and to which an arm member is attached, A mounting bracket having a locking projection, which is positioned by inserting the locking projection into the locking hole in the seat surface of the seat-side bracket, and is bolted to the seat-side bracket, It comprises a fixed drum which forms the pivot axis of the rotating side member and has one end connected to a mounting bracket, The mounting bracket has a mounting seat in the center, and when the mounting seat is brought into contact with the seat surface of the seat-side bracket, a gap is created between the mounting bracket and the seat surface at the periphery. The mounting bracket is provided with a downward rotation stopper and an upward rotation stopper in the form of upright walls on its outer circumference, and the rotation plate is provided with an upright receiving wall that serves as a receiving portion for the upward and downward rotation stoppers. The fixed drum and mounting bracket are clinched together, sandwiching the rotating plate and leaving it in a loose state, to form a rotating unit. When the rotating plate is connected to the arm member and the rotating unit is attached to the seat-side bracket, the gap between the mounting bracket and the seat-side bracket, and the periphery of the mounting seat and seat surface, allows the arm member to rotate without interfering with the seat-side bracket. It incorporates an up-and-down rotation stopper mechanism. Armrest characterized by This is resolved by [method / method].

[0010] In the armrest according to the present invention, the fixed drum and mounting bracket are clinched together with the rotating plate in a loosely engaged state, forming a rotating unit. In other words, the rotating unit consists of three main components: a rotating rotating plate, a non-rotating fixed drum, and a mounting bracket, resulting in a small number of parts in the rotating unit.

[0011] Furthermore, in the armrest according to the present invention, a downward rotation stopper and an upward rotation stopper in the form of upright walls are provided on the outer circumference of the mounting bracket. This allows the contact area with the receiving portion of the upward and downward rotation stopper to be increased by raising these stoppers without increasing the thickness of the mounting bracket. As a result, the load-bearing capacity of the upward and downward rotation stopper mechanism can be maintained while suppressing an increase in weight.

[0012] Furthermore, in the armrest according to the present invention, it is preferable that a protruding mounting seat is formed in the center of the mounting bracket, which is inserted through the opening of the arm member and contacts the seat surface of the seat-side bracket. This allows a gap to be created between the armrest and the seat-side bracket even if the seat surface of the seat-side bracket is flat. If the width around the opening of the arm member is narrow, the strength and rigidity of the arm member will be low, but by providing the edge of the opening of the arm member to fit into this gap, the width around the opening of the arm member can be widened, and the strength and rigidity of the arm member can be ensured.

[0013] Furthermore, in the armrest according to the present invention, it is preferable that the locking projection of the mounting bracket has a large contact area with the locking hole of the seat-side bracket. This is because the mounting strength of the armrest to the seat-side bracket depends on the size of the contact area between the inner circumference of the locking hole of the seat-side bracket and the outer circumference of the locking projection of the mounting bracket. A larger contact area between the locking projection of the mounting bracket and the locking hole of the seat-side bracket increases the mounting strength of the armrest to the seat-side bracket.

[0014] Furthermore, in the armrest according to the present invention, if the rotating unit is equipped with a spring locking mechanism, it is preferable that the rotating plate is equipped with a spring fixing portion, a spring locking portion, and a locking auxiliary cam, and that the outer circumference of the fixed drum is equipped with a rewind cam and a return cam, and that a coil spring is provided with one end as a free end and the other end as a fixed end, with the free end bent outward. By having these functions, the spring locking function can be realized without adding any parts.

[0015] In this case, it is preferable that a notch be provided inside the coil spring constituting the spring lock mechanism. This can increase the coefficient of friction and the locking force in the spring lock function.

[0016] Furthermore, in the armrest according to the present invention, when the rotation unit does not include a spring lock mechanism, a cylindrical upright wall arranged coaxially with the fixed drum may be provided on the rotation plate. This enables the rotation unit mechanism to have an ON-OFF structure.

Advantages of the Invention

[0017] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an armrest that reduces the number of parts of the rotation unit and maintains the load-bearing performance of the rotation stopper mechanism while suppressing an increase in weight.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view along the longitudinal direction of the armrest of the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the armrest of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the rotation unit of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along the longitudinal direction of the armrest of the second embodiment.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, the armrest of the present invention will be described by taking the first embodiment and the second embodiment as examples. However, the technical scope of the armrest of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. The armrests described below can be appropriately modified within a range that does not impair the gist of the present invention.

[0020] 1. Armrest of the first embodiment Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of an armrest 1 in a first embodiment, comprising an arm member 10, a rotating unit 20 housed inside the arm member 10, and a cover member 30 fitted onto the arm member 10. Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the armrest 1 in a first embodiment. Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the rotating unit 20 in a first embodiment.

[0021] As shown in Figure 2, the arm member 10 is formed from a steel plate with a thickness of approximately 0.6 mm to 1.2 mm into a long, container-like shape in one direction. An opening 11, which serves as the mounting portion for the rotating unit, is provided at the base end of the arm member 10, and the rotating unit 20 is attached to the seat-side bracket 90 through the opening 11.

[0022] The rotating unit 20 is fixed to the seat-side bracket 90 in a state where only the rotating plate 23 is rotatable. As will be described later, the rotating unit 20 is an integrated unit comprising a non-rotatable mounting bracket 21, a fixed drum 22, a rotatable rotating plate 23, and a coil spring 24. The rotating plate 23 is provided with an upright coupling wall 23a, and the upright coupling wall 23a is crimped to a part of the outer peripheral wall 12 of the arm member 10, thereby fixing the rotating plate 23 of the rotating unit 20 relative to the arm member 10. The crimped-together rotating plate 23 and arm member 10 constitute the rotating side member.

[0023] The seat-side bracket 90 is provided with a plurality of locking holes 91 and bolt fixing holes 92. The rotating unit 20 (mounting bracket 21) is provided with a locking projection 21a (see Figures 1 and 4), and the rotating unit 20 is positioned relative to the seat-side bracket 90 by inserting the locking projection 21a into the locking holes 91 of the seat-side bracket 90. The rotating unit 20 also has a bolt insertion hole 20a that is continuous with the bolt fixing hole 92 when positioned, and is fastened and fixed to the seat-side bracket 90 by bolts that communicate with the bolt insertion hole 20a and the bolt fixing hole 92.

[0024] Typically, the armrest 1 is covered with a surface material 1a, such as leather, to improve its appearance. Furthermore, a cushioning material 1b, such as foamed resin, is filled between the armrest 1 and the surface material 1a to mitigate the impact when the arm is rested on the armrest 1 (see Figure 1).

[0025] As shown in Figure 3, the rotating unit 20 includes a mounting bracket 21, a fixed drum 22, a rotating plate 23, and a coil spring 24.

[0026] The mounting bracket 21 directly contacts the seat-side bracket 90 (see Figure 2) and is fastened and fixed to the seat-side bracket 90 by a bolt passed through the bolt hole 21b. The mounting bracket 21 has a disc-like shape with a thickness of about 2 mm to 3 mm, and an upright wall 21c is provided on its outer circumference. As will be described later, the end faces α and β of the upright wall 21c, together with the side surfaces of the upright receiving walls 23b and 23c of the rotating plate 23, constitute an up and down rotation stopper mechanism.

[0027] The fixed drum 22 is fixed to the mounting bracket 21 and forms the pivot axis of the rotating plate 23. The fixed drum 22 is connected to the mounting bracket 21 by one end being clinched (bent and secured) to the edge of the bolt hole 21b of the mounting bracket 21 (see Figure 1). In addition, a rewind cam 22a and a return cam 22b for operating the free end 24a of the coil spring 24 are provided on the outer circumference of the other end of the fixed drum 22.

[0028] The rotating plate 23 is held in a loosely engaged state by being sandwiched between the mounting bracket 21 and the fixed drum 22, and is pivotally supported so as to be able to rotate with the fixed drum 22 as the pivot axis. Specifically, the cylindrical clamping portion 23d of the rotating plate 23 is sandwiched in a loosely engaged state between the peripheral surface 21d of the mounting bracket 21 and the reduced diameter stepped portion 22c of the fixed drum 22 (see Figure 1). In this way, the mounting bracket 21, the fixed drum 22 and the rotating plate 23 are integrated into one unit.

[0029] The rotating plate 23 is provided with a spring fixing portion for fixing the fixed end 24b of the coil spring 24, a locking (holding) auxiliary cam 23e that cooperates with the unwinding cam 22a of the fixed drum 22 to operate the free end 24a of the coil spring 24, and a spring locking portion 23f that maintains the expanded diameter state of the spring. The rotating plate 23 also includes an upright receiving wall 23b that restricts the downward rotation of the rotating plate 23 by contacting the end face α of the upright wall 21c of the mounting bracket 21, and an upright receiving wall 23c that restricts the upward rotation of the rotating plate 23 by contacting the end face β of the upright wall 21c of the mounting bracket 21.

[0030] The end face α (downward rotation stopper) of the upright wall 21c and the side surface of the upright receiving wall 23b (downward rotation stopper receiving portion) constitute a downward rotation stopper mechanism, and the end face β (upward rotation stopper) of the upright wall 21c and the side surface of the upright receiving wall 23c (upward rotation stopper receiving portion) constitute an upward rotation stopper mechanism. The load-bearing capacity of these rotation stopper mechanisms is determined by the product of the contact area between the end faces α, β and the upright receiving walls 23b, 23c, and the distance between their contact position and the rotation center (central axis γ of the fixed drum 22). In order to increase the contact area of ​​these wall surfaces and improve the load-bearing capacity, it is preferable to set the upright wall 21c high, and it is also preferable to set the upright receiving walls 23b, 23c high accordingly. This allows for an increase in the contact area between the upright wall 21c and the upright receiving walls 23b, 23c without increasing the overall thickness of the mounting bracket 21, thereby improving the load-bearing capacity of the rotation stopper mechanism.

[0031] The coil spring (lock spring) 24 can be switched between a locked state that restricts the rotation of the rotating plate 23 relative to the fixed drum 22 and an unlocked state that allows such rotation. The coil spring 24 is wound around the fixed drum 22, and its fixed end 24b is wound around the burring portion of the rotating plate 23 and fixed to the spring fixing portion. Its free end 24a is operated by the rewind cam 22a and the return cam 22b. The coil spring 24, the rewind cam 22a, the return cam 22b, and the spring locking (holding) portion 23f constitute the spring lock mechanism.

[0032] Furthermore, it is preferable that the free end 24a extends outward relative to the coil spring 24. This is because, when the free end 24a is far from the centerline of the coil spring 24, the force required to operate the free end 24a is reduced due to the lever principle. A smaller operating force for the free end 24a improves the durability of the operating mechanism (rewind cam 22a, return cam 22b, and spring locking part 23f). It also makes it easier to simplify the structure of the operating mechanism and to reduce its thickness and weight.

[0033] Furthermore, it is preferable that notches 24c are provided on the inside of the coil spring 24. These notches 24c increase the coefficient of friction between the coil spring and the fixed drum 22, thereby increasing the locking force.

[0034] Furthermore, the locking assist cam 23e and spring locking portion 23f provided on the rotating plate 23 are provided symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal direction. While armrests 1 are usually installed symmetrically (one for the left arm and one for the right arm), making the rotating plate 23 symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal direction makes it possible to share parts. Similarly, the rewind cam 22a and return cam 22b provided on the fixed drum 22 can also be shared by making them symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal direction. By sharing parts, the number of molds and equipment required to manufacture those parts can be reduced. In addition, reducing the number of types of parts used reduces the effort required for parts management.

[0035] As shown in Figure 1, the lower edge 22d of the fixed drum 22 is clinched to the edge of the bolt hole 21b of the mounting bracket 21, thereby causing the fixed drum 22 to clinch to the mounting bracket 21. In addition, the clamped portion 23d of the rotating plate 23 is held in a rotatable position by the mounting bracket 21 and the fixed drum 22 by being sandwiched between the peripheral surface 21d of the mounting bracket 21 and the reduced diameter step portion 22c of the fixed drum 22 with some play.

[0036] Furthermore, the mounting bracket 21 has a shape in which its central portion protrudes toward the seat-side bracket 90 more than its peripheral surface 21d. This portion that protrudes toward the seat-side bracket 90 and directly contacts its seat surface becomes the mounting seat 21e of the mounting bracket 21. Because the mounting seat 21e has a protruding shape, when the mounting seat 21e is brought into contact with the flat seat surface of the seat-side bracket 90, a gap δ is formed between the armrest 1 and the seat-side bracket 90 around the mounting seat 21e (the peripheral edge of the seat surface of the seat-side bracket).

[0037] It is preferable that the edge of the opening 11 of the arm member 10 is positioned to fit into the gap δ. This is because if the width around the opening 11, that is, the distance D between the edge of the opening 11 and the outer peripheral wall 12, is small, the strength and rigidity of the arm member 10 will be reduced. By positioning the edge of the opening 11 to fit into the gap δ and increasing the distance D, the strength and rigidity of the arm member 10 can be increased. By positioning the edge of the opening 11 of the arm member 10 to fit into the gap δ without interfering with the seat-side bracket 90, an opening 11 with a wide edge can be made. The vertical width (distance D) of the wide edge can be, for example, about 10 mm or more.

[0038] As mentioned above, the mounting bracket 21 is equipped with a locking projection 21a that is inserted into the locking hole 91 of the seat-side bracket 90. Preferably, the locking projection 21a includes a full-circumference contact type (full-circumference contact projection 21a1) whose outer circumference is in close contact with the inner circumference of the locking hole 91, as shown in Figure 1. This is because the mounting strength of the armrest 1 to the seat-side bracket 90 is determined by the size of the contact area between the inner circumference of the locking hole 91 and the outer circumference of the locking projection 21a. The presence of the full-circumference contact projection 21a1 increases this contact area, allowing for weight reduction of the seat-side bracket 90 and the mounting bracket 21 while maintaining mounting strength.

[0039] Preferably, the locking projection 21a includes not only the all-around contact projection 21a1 but also a tapered pin type (tapered projection 21a2). This is because the tapered projection 21a2 has a pointed tip (it has a tapered shape when viewed from the front or rear of the armrest 1), making it easier to insert into the locking hole 91 and facilitating attachment (insertion) to the seat-side bracket 90.

[0040] In this embodiment, the locking projection 21a consists of one full-circumference contact projection 21a1 and two tapered projections 21a2, but the number of these is not limited to this. For example, if it is desired to further improve the load-bearing capacity of the armrest 1 itself, two or more full-circumference contact projections 21a1 may be provided.

[0041] 2. Armrest of the second embodiment Next, the armrest 2 of the second embodiment will be described. Note that, for configurations not specifically mentioned in the description of the armrest 2 of the second embodiment, substantially the same configuration as that of the armrest 1 of the first embodiment described above can be adopted.

[0042] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the rotating unit 20 in the second embodiment, along the longitudinal direction of the armrest. In the first embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the coil spring 24 was wound around the fixed drum 22. In contrast, in the second embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the coil spring is not provided. Accordingly, the rotating plate 23 is provided with a cylindrical upright wall 23g that surrounds the fixed drum 22 and stands up to its upper end. The cylindrical upright wall 23g has the same central axis as the fixed drum 22.

[0043] In the second embodiment, although the spring locking function is not achieved by eliminating the coil spring, the number of parts in the rotating unit 20 can be reduced. In addition, the rotating unit 20 can be made lighter.

[0044] In addition, by eliminating the mechanism (such as a cam mechanism) for operating the free end of the coil spring, the structure of the rotating unit 20 can be simplified, making it possible to further reduce its weight. Furthermore, since this mechanism is unnecessary, it becomes easy to share parts between the right arm and the left arm armrest 1. This reduces the number of molds and equipment required to manufacture these parts. Also, by reducing the number of types of parts used, the effort required for parts management can be reduced. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1: Armrest (First Embodiment) 1a: Covering material 1b: Cushioning material 2: Armrest (Second Embodiment) 10: Arm component 11: Opening 12:Outer wall 20: Rotating Unit 20a: Bolt insertion hole 21: Mounting bracket 21a: Locking protrusion 21a1: Full circumference contact protrusion 21a2: Tapered projection 21b: Bolt hole 21c: Standing wall 21d: Peripheral surface 21e: Mounting base 22: Fixed drum 22a: Rewind cam 22b: Comeback Cam 22c: Reduced diameter step part 22d: Lower edge 23: Rotating plate 23a: Standing joint wall 23b: Standing wall 23c: Standing wall 23d: Pinched portion 23e: Locking (holding) auxiliary cam 23f: Spring locking (holding) part 23g: Tubular erect wall 24: Coil spring (lock spring) 24a: Free end 24b: Fixed end 24c: cut 30: Cover component α: Downward rotation stopper β: Upward rotation stopper γ: Rotation centerline δ: gap

Claims

1. An armrest that is rotatably attached to the seat-side bracket, An arm member for supporting the arm, having an opening at the base end, A rotating plate has a pair of upright receiving walls that serve as a downward rotation stopper receiving portion and an upward rotation stopper receiving portion, and a rotating side member to which an arm member is attached, A mounting bracket for bolting to the seat-side bracket has a locking projection that is positioned by being inserted into a locking hole in the seat surface of the seat-side bracket, and a pair of end faces that act as a downward rotation stopper and an upward rotation stopper, respectively, which when they come into contact with the downward rotation stopper receiving portion and the upward rotation stopper receiving portion, thereby restricting the downward and upward rotation of the rotation plate, and the upright wall is provided extending upright from the outer circumference toward the rotation plate side, A fixed drum, which forms the pivot axis of the rotating member and has one end connected to a mounting bracket, and Equipped with, The mounting bracket has a mounting seat in its center that protrudes so as to be insertable into the opening, and when the mounting seat is brought into contact with the seat surface of the seat-side bracket, a gap is created between the mounting bracket and the seat surface at the periphery. The downward rotation stopper and upward rotation stopper of the mounting bracket, and the downward rotation stopper receiving portion and upward rotation stopper receiving portion of the rotation plate are arranged inside the arm member. The fixed drum, the rotating plate, and the mounting bracket form a rotating unit in which the cylindrical clamping portion of the rotating plate is loosely clamped between the peripheral surface of the mounting bracket and the reduced diameter step portion of the fixed drum. The edge of the opening in the arm member is designed to fit into the gap, thereby allowing the arm member to rotate without interfering with the seat-side bracket. An armrest characterized by the following features.

2. The rotating plate is provided with a cylindrical upright wall that is arranged on the same axis as the fixed drum. The armrest according to claim 1.

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