JP2018176890A - Rear armrest device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a rear armrest device which can stably move an armrest when moving the armrest to a base.SOLUTION: A moving mechanism 40 has first and second guide rails 51, 52, and first and second shafts 61, 62. Therefore, when viewing the moving mechanism 40 from a vehicle left-and-right direction, an armrest 30 can be moved to the base 20 while regulating a free rotational motion of the armrest 30 with respect to the base 20 different from the case (conventional case) where the moving mechanism has only one guide rail and only one shaft. Accordingly, when moving the armrest 30 to the base 20, the armrest 30 can be stably moved.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a rear armrest device disposed in a rear seat of a vehicle.

  Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-327540 has a storage state in which the rear seat is stored in the seat back, and a development in which the lower end portion in the storage state is moved from the storage state to the seat cushion of the rear seat so as to be the vehicle front end. A rear armrest device is disclosed having a movable armrest in the state. In this device, the armrest is made movable relative to the rear seat in the stored state and the deployed state by inserting a shaft (rod) provided on the armrest into a guide rail (slide rail) provided on the rear seat.

However, the rear armrest device disclosed in the above publication has the following problems.
When viewed in the left-right direction of the vehicle, the number of guide rails is only one, and the number of shafts is also only one. Therefore, the armrest can freely rotate relative to the rear seat. Therefore, when moving an armrest, it is difficult to move an armrest stably.

JP-A-6-327540

  An object of the present invention is to provide a rear armrest device capable of stably moving the armrest when moving the armrest.

The present invention for achieving the above object is as follows.
(1) (a) A base fixed to the seat back of the rear seat of the vehicle,
(B) With an armrest,
(C) A guide rail provided on the base and a shaft provided on the armrest and moving along the guide rail, the armrest being accommodated in the seat back with respect to the base A moving mechanism capable of moving from a stored state to a deployed state in which the lower end portion in the stored state is moved onto the seat cushion of the rear seat so that the lower end portion in the stored state is the vehicle front side end portion;
Have
The guide rail includes a first guide rail extending in the vertical direction, and a second guide rail extending in the vertical direction behind the first guide rail in the vehicle,
The shaft is inserted into the first guide rail and moves along the first guide rail, and the shaft is inserted into the second guide rail and moves along the second guide rail And a second shaft,
The rear armrest device, wherein the first guide rail and the second guide rail have different inclination angles when viewed in the left-right direction of the vehicle.
(2) The upper end portion of the second guide rail is provided with an upper arc portion extending in an arc shape centering on a first shaft located at the upper end of the first guide rail, (1) Rear armrest device as described.
(3) The lower end portion of the first guide rail is provided with a lower arc portion extending in an arc shape centering on a second shaft located at the lower end of the second guide rail ((1) Or the rear armrest device according to (2).
(4) The rear armrest device according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the armrest has a cup holder and / or a storage portion.

According to the rear armrest device of (1), the moving mechanism has the first and second guide rails and the first and second shafts, so that the moving mechanism is viewed from the lateral direction of the vehicle Unlike having one guide rail and one shaft, the armrest can be moved relative to the base while restricting free rotational movement of the armrest relative to the base. Thus, when moving the armrest relative to the base, the armrest can be moved stably.

Further, since the inclination angles of the first guide rail and the second guide rail are different from each other, the armrest is moved relative to the base even when free rotational movement of the armrest relative to the base is restricted. Sometimes it is possible to change the angle when viewed from the lateral direction of the vehicle with respect to the base of the armrest. Therefore, even when the moving mechanism has the first and second guide rails and the first and second shafts, the armrest can be moved between the storage state and the deployed state.

According to the rear armrest device of the above (2), since the upper arc portion centering on the first shaft located at the upper end of the first guide rail is provided at the upper end portion of the second guide rail, Only the second shaft can be moved along the upper arc when the first shaft is at the upper end of the first guide rail. Therefore, when the first shaft is positioned at the upper end of the first guide rail and the second shaft is positioned at the upper arc portion of the second guide rail, the armrest attempts to move vertically downward by its own weight Also, the second shaft can hit the lower portion (edge) of the upper arc portion to prevent the armrest from moving downward under its own weight. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent (lock) the armrest in the stored state from moving to the deployed state side (natural deployment) against the user's intention. This structure is advantageous in cost as compared to the case where the locking device is required because a locking device only for locking the armrest in the stored state is unnecessary.

According to the rear armrest device of the above (3), the lower end portion of the first guide rail is provided with the lower arc portion centering on the second shaft located at the lower end of the second guide rail When the second shaft is at the lower end of the second guide rail, only the first shaft can be moved along the lower arc. Therefore, when the second shaft is positioned at the lower end of the second guide rail and the first shaft is positioned at the lower arc portion of the first guide rail, the armrest moves vertically upward due to traveling vibration and the like. Even when moving, the first shaft can hit the upper portion (edge) of the lower arc portion to prevent the armrest from moving upward. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent (lock) the armrest in the deployed state from moving to the stored state side (natural storage) against the user's intention. This structure is advantageous in cost as compared to the case where the locking device is required, since the locking device only for locking the armrest in the deployed state is unnecessary.

According to the rear armrest device of the above (4), since the armrest has the cup holder and / or the storage portion, the armrest can not only be used as an armrest (arm rest) but also a cup holder for holding beverage cups and / or Alternatively, it can be used as a storage unit for storing accessories. Thus, the rear armrest device can be used for multiple functions.

It is a perspective view in case an armrest is in a storing state of a rear armrest device of an example of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the rear armrest device according to the embodiment of the present invention when the armrest is in the unfolded state. It is an exploded perspective view of a rear armrest device of an example of the present invention. It is an operation view of a rear armrest device of an example of the present invention. It is a partial expanded sectional view of a rear armrest device of an example of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows an operating force direction, when moving an armrest from a expand | deployed state to a storage state of the rear armrest apparatus of this invention Example. It is a perspective view in case an armrest has a cup holder and an accommodating part of the rear armrest apparatus of this invention Example.

  Hereinafter, a rear armrest device (hereinafter, also simply referred to as a device) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. In the drawings, UP indicates the upper side, and FR indicates the front of the vehicle.

The apparatus 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is disposed at the center of the rear seat of the vehicle in the lateral direction of the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 3, the device 10 has (a) a base 20 fixed to the seat back 1 b of the rear seat 1 of the vehicle, (b) an armrest 30, and (c) a moving mechanism 40.

As shown in FIG. 4, the rear seat 1 is located above the seat cushion 1a on which the occupant sits, the seat back 1b disposed at the vehicle rear end of the seat cushion 1a and used as a backrest of the occupant, and the seatback 1b And a headrest 1c provided to support the head of the occupant from the rear side of the vehicle.

The base 20 is made of metal. The base 20 is fastened and fixed to a seat back frame (not shown) of the seat back 1 b. As shown in FIG. 3, the base 20 has a plate-like portion 21 and a pair of projecting portions 22 projecting forward of the vehicle from both end portions of the plate-like portion 21 in the vehicle left-right direction. The base 20 is fixed to the seat back 1 b by the plate-like portion 21. When viewed from the left-right direction of the vehicle, the base 20 is in the seat back 1 b and does not protrude from the seat back 1 b into the vehicle interior. The projecting portion 22 is fixed to the plate-like portion 21. The protrusion 22 is provided to extend in the vertical direction.

As shown in FIG. 4, the armrest 30 is stored in the seat back 1 b with respect to the base 20 by the moving mechanism 40, in the storage state 30 a (FIG. 4A) and the lower end in the storage state 30 a In the unfolded state 30b (FIG. 4 (e)) in which the part is moved on the seat cushion 1a so that the part is at the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle front side surface in the storage state 30a of the armrest 30 is a design surface 30c, and is a design surface (upper surface) in the deployment state 30b of the armrest 30.

When the armrest 30 in the stored state 30a is viewed from the left-right direction of the vehicle, the entire or substantially the entire armrest 30 is in the seatback 1b, and the armrest 30 is suppressed from protruding from the seatback 1b into the vehicle interior. The armrest 30 has a seat cushion abutting portion 31 which protrudes downward from the front end portion or its vicinity and abuts on the upper surface of the seat cushion 1a when in the unfolded state 30b. Since the seat cushion contact portion 31 is provided, the armrest 30 in the unfolded state 30b can be supported by the seat cushion 1a, and breakage of the armrest 30 can be suppressed. Further, since the seat cushion contact portion 31 is provided, the gap S can be formed between the lower surface of the armrest 30 in the unfolded state 30b and the upper surface of the seat cushion 1a, and the illumination of the unillustrated light for illuminating the gap S is the armrest. By providing it at 30, indirect lighting can be provided to the vehicle interior.

The armrest 30 has a cup holder 33 and an accommodating portion 34, as shown in FIG. However, the cup holder 33 and the housing portion 34 are not essential components.

The cup holder 33 may be a single-piece type that can hold only one cup, or may be a two-piece type that can simultaneously hold two cups. The cup holder 33 can slide in and out of the front and rear direction of the vehicle with the tray 33a rotatably provided about the rotation axis extending in the left and right direction of the vehicle at the front end of the armrest 30 in the unfolded state 30b. And a support 33b for holding the sides of the cups. When using the cup holder 33, the tray 33a is rotated and expanded, and the support 33b is protruded forward of the vehicle. Thus, the bottom of the cups can be supported by the tray 33a, and the side of the cups can be supported by the support 33b.

When the cup holder 33 is provided, the housing portion 34 is provided on the vehicle rear side of the cup holder 34 of the armrest 30 in the unfolded state 30 b. The housing portion 34 has an accessory storage space 34 a provided in the armrest 30 and a lid 34 b for opening and closing the accessory storage space 34 a. The housing portion 34a is accessible by opening the lid 34b, and is inaccessible by closing the lid 34b.

The moving mechanism 40 is a mechanism that allows the armrest 30 to move relative to the base 20 between the storage state 30 a and the deployed state 30 b. As shown in FIG. 3, the moving mechanism 40 includes a guide rail 50 provided on the base 20 and a shaft 60 provided on the armrest 30 and moving along the guide rail 50.

The guide rails 50 are provided on each of the pair of protrusions 22 of the base 20. The guide rail 50 has a first guide rail 51 extending in the vertical direction, and a second guide rail 52 extending in the vertical direction at the rear of the first guide rail 51 in the vehicle.

The first guide rail 51 is a rail for slidingly moving the armrest 30 downward by the weight of the armrest 30, and the second guide rail 52 changes the angle of the armrest 30 as viewed from the left-right direction of the vehicle. These first and second guide rails 51 and 52 are juxtaposed in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

As shown in FIG. 5, the first guide rail 51 has a linear portion 51a extending linearly in parallel or substantially in parallel with the vehicle front side surface of the seatback 1b when viewed in the left-right direction of the vehicle. The straight portion 51a is inclined upward and rearward with respect to the vehicle when viewed from the left and right direction of the vehicle. The lower end portion of the first guide rail 51 is continuous with the lower end of the straight portion 51 a and extends in an arc shape centering on a second shaft 62 described later located at the lower end of the second guide rail 52 An arc portion 51 b is provided. The lower arc portion 51b is provided to prevent the armrest 30 in the unfolded state 30b from moving to the stored state 30a side (naturally stored) against the intention of the user due to vehicle traveling vibration or the like. Be The length of the lower side arc portion 51b is made significantly smaller than the length of the straight portion 51a. This is because the natural storage preventing effect can be obtained even if the lower arc portion 51b is short.

The second guide rail 52 is different from the first guide rail 51 in the inclination angle as viewed in the left-right direction of the vehicle. The second guide rail 52 has a larger vehicle front-rear distance from the first guide rail 51 as it goes upward. The second guide rail 52 has a second straight portion 52a that extends in a straight line when viewed from the left and right direction of the vehicle. The second straight portion 52a is inclined upward and rearward of the vehicle at an angle closer to horizontal than the straight portion 51a of the first guide rail 51 when viewed from the left-right direction of the vehicle. The upper end portion of the second guide rail 52 is continuous with the upper end of the second linear portion 52 a and has an arc shape centered on a first shaft 61 described later located at the upper end of the first guide rail 51. An extending upper arc portion 52b is provided. The upper arc portion 52b is provided to prevent the armrest 30 in the stored state 30a from moving to the unfolded state 30b side (naturally expanding) against the user's intention due to its own weight. The central angle A between the two ends of the upper arc portion 52b is 5 degrees or more and 40 degrees or less. The central angle A is set to 5 degrees or more because, if the angle is less than 5 degrees, the upper arc portion 52b becomes close to a straight line and it becomes difficult to obtain the natural development preventing effect. In addition, when the central angle A is 40 degrees or less, when it is larger than 40 degrees, the natural expansion preventing effect can be obtained, but the length of the upper arc portion 52b becomes large and the upper arc portion 52b becomes the base It is because it becomes difficult to provide in 20 protrusion parts 22.

The total length of the second guide rail 52 is larger than the total length of the first guide rail 51. The lower end of the second guide rail 52 is located below the lower end of the first guide rail 51 and is located substantially in the same vehicle longitudinal direction as the lower end of the first guide rail 51. The upper end of the second guide rail 52 is at substantially the same height position as the upper end of the first guide rail 51 and is rearward of the upper end of the first guide rail 51 in the vehicle.

The shaft 60 is inserted into the first guide rail 51 and moves along the first guide rail 51. The shaft 60 is inserted into the second guide rail 52. The shaft 60 is inserted into the second guide rail 52. And a second shaft 62 moving along.

Each of the first shaft 61 and the second shaft 62 may have a one-part configuration or a multi-part configuration. In addition, in FIG. 3, the case where the 1st shaft 61 is 2 components structure and the 2nd shaft 62 is 1 components structure is shown.

The portion of the first shaft 61 inserted into the first guide rail 51 is circular in cross section, and the portion of the second shaft 62 inserted into the second guide rail 52 is circular in cross section It is. Therefore, the first shaft 61 can smoothly move (slide or slide with rotation) in the first guide rail 51, and the second shaft 62 can move smoothly in the second guide rail 52 (slide). Or slide with rotation). The first shaft 61 and the second shaft 62 may be rotatably provided at the armrest 30 or may be provided fixed to the armrest 30, respectively.

The operation of the embodiment of the present invention will now be described.
(I) When the armrest 30 is in the stored state 30a As shown in FIG. 4A, the first shaft 61 is at the upper end of the first guide rail 51, and the second shaft 62 is the second guide rail At the top of 52 The second shaft 62 is in the upper arc 52 of the second guide rail 52.

(Ii) When the armrest 30 is moved from the storage state 30a to the unfolded state 30b When the occupant seated in the rear seat 1 grips the lower end portion of the armrest 30 by hand from the state of (i), FIG. First, the armrest 30 is slightly rotated and the second shaft 62 has an upper arc of the second guide rail 52 while the first shaft 61 is positioned at the upper end of the first guide rail 51 as shown in FIG. The inside of the part 52 is moved to the second straight part 52a side. When the vehicle is further pulled out to the front side of the vehicle, as shown in FIGS. 4C and 4D, the first shaft 61 moves downward in the straight portion 51a of the first guide rail 51, and the second shaft 62 Move downward in the second straight portion 52 a of the second guide rail 52. Along with this, the armrest 30 changes its angle from the state where the design surface 30c faces the front of the vehicle to the state where it faces upward.

When the armrest 30 is pulled forward of the vehicle until the first shaft 61 reaches the lower end of the straight portion 51 a of the first guide rail 51 and the second shaft 62 reaches the lower end of the second guide rail 52, The seat cushion contact portion 31 is at a position slightly lifted from the upper surface of the seat cushion 1a. Thereafter, when the armrest 30 is rotated downward, as shown in FIG. 4E, the first shaft 61 is the first guide while the second shaft 62 is positioned at the lower end of the second guide rail 52. The linear portion 51a of the rail 51 is shifted to the lower arc portion 51b, and the lower arc portion 51b is moved in the direction away from the linear portion 51a.

(Iii) When the arm rest 30 is in the unfolded state 30b, as shown in FIG. 4E, the first shaft 61 is in the lower arc portion 51b of the first guide rail 51, and the second shaft 62 is It is at the lower end of the second guide rail 52. The seat cushion contact portion 31 of the armrest 30 is on the upper surface of the seat cushion 1a.

(Iv) When moving the armrest 30 from the unfolded state 30b to the stowed state 30a From the state of (iii), the seated occupant of the rear seat 1 grasps the front end portion of the armrest 30 and rotates slightly upward. As a result, the first shaft 61 moves in the lower arc portion 51 b of the first guide rail 51 toward the linear portion 51 a while the second shaft 62 is positioned at the lower end of the second guide rail 52. Thereafter, when the armrest 30 is pushed rearward of the vehicle, the first shaft 61 moves upward in the straight portion 51 of the first guide rail 51 as shown in FIGS. 4 (d), (c) and (b). The second shaft 62 moves upward in the second straight portion 52 a of the second guide rail 52. Along with this, the armrest 30 changes its angle from the state in which the design surface 30 c faces upward to the state in which the front surface of the vehicle is facing. Thereafter, when the armrest 30 is further pushed rearward of the vehicle, as shown in FIG. 4A, the armrest 30 is slightly rotated and the first shaft 61 is positioned at the upper end of the first guide rail 51. The second shaft 62 shifts from the second straight portion 52a of the second guide rail 52 to the upper arc portion 52, and moves in the upper arc portion 52b in a direction away from the second straight portion 52a. When the armrest 30 reaches the storage state 30a, the state (i) is obtained.

Next, the effects of the embodiment of the present invention will be described.
Since the moving mechanism 40 has the first and second guide rails 51 and 52 and the first and second shafts 61 and 62, one guide when the moving mechanism 40 is viewed from the lateral direction of the vehicle Unlike the case of having only the rail and one shaft (conventional), the armrest 30 can be moved relative to the base 20 while restricting free rotational movement of the armrest 30 relative to the base 20. Therefore, when moving the armrest 30 relative to the base 20, the armrest 30 can be moved stably.

Since the inclination angles of the first guide rail 51 and the second guide rail 52 are different from each other, the armrest 30 can be used as the base 20 even when free rotational movement of the armrest 30 with respect to the base 20 is restricted. The angle of the base 20 of the armrest 30 as viewed from the left-right direction of the vehicle can be changed when moving relative to the vehicle. Therefore, even when the moving mechanism 40 has the first and second guide rails 51 and 52 and the first and second shafts 61 and 62, the armrest 30 is moved to the storage state 30a and the unfolded state 30b. be able to.

Since the upper arc portion 52 b centered on the first shaft 61 located at the upper end of the first guide rail 51 is provided at the upper end portion of the second guide rail 62, the first shaft 61 is the first While being positioned at the upper end of the guide rail 51, only the second shaft 62 can be moved along the upper arc portion 52b. Therefore, when the first shaft 61 is positioned at the upper end of the first guide rail 51 and the second shaft 62 is positioned at the upper arc portion 52b of the second guide rail 52, the armrest 30 is under its own weight. Even if it is going to move vertically downward, the second shaft 62 can hit the lower portion (edge) of the upper arc portion 52b and prevent the armrest 30 from moving downward under its own weight. Therefore, it is possible to prevent (lock) the armrest 30 in the storage state 30a from moving to the deployed state 30b side (natural expansion) against the user's (passenger) intention. This structure is advantageous in cost as compared to the case where a lock device is required because a lock device only for locking the armrest 30 in the stored state 30a is unnecessary.

The lower end portion of the first guide rail 51 is provided with the lower arc portion 51b centered on the second shaft 62 located at the lower end of the second guide rail 52, so that the second shaft 62 When positioned at the lower end of the second guide rail 52, only the first shaft 61 can be moved along the lower arc portion 51b. Therefore, when the second shaft 62 is positioned at the lower end of the second guide rail 52 and the first shaft 61 is positioned at the lower arc portion 51 b of the first guide rail 51, the armrest 30 travels Even if it is intended to move vertically upward due to vibration or the like, the first shaft 61 can hit the upper portion (edge) of the lower arc portion 51 b to prevent the armrest 30 from moving upward. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent (lock) the armrest 30 in the unfolded state 30b from moving to the accommodated state 30a side (natural storage) against the user's (passenger's) intention. This structure is advantageous in cost as compared to the case where a locking device is required because a locking device only for locking the armrest 30 in the deployed state 30b is unnecessary.

Since the armrest 30 has the cup holder 33 and / or the housing portion 34, the armrest 30 can not only be used as an armrest (arm rest), but also a cup holder 33 for holding beverage cups and / or a housing for containing accessories. It can also be used as part 34. Therefore, the rear armrest device 10 can be used for multiple functions.

  The first guide rail 51 has a straight portion 51a, and the second guide rail 52 has a second straight portion 52a. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, when the armrest 30 in the unfolded state 30b is pushed to the rear of the vehicle and moved to the stored state 30a, the first shaft 61 runs in the straight portion 51a of the first guide rail 51. When moving upward and the second shaft 62 moves upward in the second straight portion 52a of the second guide rail 52, the straight line of the first guide rail 51 with a force F that pushes the armrest 30 rearward of the vehicle The component force in the direction of the portion 51a can be made constant (including substantially constant), and the component force in the direction of the second straight portion 52a of the second guide rail 52 can be made constant (including substantially constant) . Therefore, the armrest 30 can be moved to the storage state 30a side while the operation force F pushing the armrest 30 to the rear of the vehicle is constant (including substantially constant). Thus, good storage operability can be obtained.

Reference Signs List 1 rear seat 1a seat cushion 1b seat back 1c headrest 10 rear armrest device 20 base 21 plate-like portion 22 projecting portion 30 armrest 30a storage state 30b unfolded state 30c design surface 31 cushion contact portion 33 cup holder 33a tray 33b support 34a storage portion 34a Small item storage space 34b Lid 40 Moving mechanism 50 Guide rail 51 First guide rail 51a Straight portion 51b Lower side arc portion 52 Second guide rail 52a Second straight portion 52b Upper side arc portion 60 Shaft 61 First shaft 62 Shaft A center angle S gap of 2

Claims (4)

(A) a base fixed to a seat back of a rear seat of the vehicle;
(B) With an armrest,
(C) A guide rail provided on the base and a shaft provided on the armrest and moving along the guide rail, the armrest being accommodated in the seat back with respect to the base A moving mechanism capable of moving from a stored state to a deployed state in which the lower end portion in the stored state is moved onto the seat cushion of the rear seat so that the lower end portion in the stored state is the vehicle front side end portion;
Have
The guide rail includes a first guide rail extending in the vertical direction, and a second guide rail extending in the vertical direction behind the first guide rail in the vehicle,
The shaft is inserted into the first guide rail and moves along the first guide rail, and the shaft is inserted into the second guide rail and moves along the second guide rail And a second shaft,
The rear armrest device, wherein the first guide rail and the second guide rail have different inclination angles when viewed in the left-right direction of the vehicle.   The rear end according to claim 1, wherein the upper end portion of the second guide rail is provided with an upper arc portion extending in an arc shape centering on a first shaft located at the upper end of the first guide rail. Armrest device.   The lower end portion of the first guide rail is provided with a lower arc portion extending in an arc shape centering on a second shaft located at the lower end of the second guide rail. The rear armrest device according to Item 2.   The rear armrest device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the armrest has a cup holder and / or a housing.

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