JP6899240B2 - Armrest - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an armrest, particularly an armrest capable of reducing or suppressing the movement of an occupant during a collision by forcibly moving a part of the occupant's body.

Various airbags have been developed to protect vehicle occupants, such as drivers. For example, the driver's seat airbag device for a vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a main chamber that expands in front of the driver and a subchamber that expands to the side of the main chamber, and the main chamber and the subchamber collide with each other in the event of a collision. It can also protect the driver when he / she moves diagonally forward.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-199123

For example, the front airbag deployed from the steering wheel receives and protects the occupant at the point where the occupant moves forward due to the impact at the time of a collision. However, it is difficult to reduce or suppress the forward movement of the occupant by making it difficult for the occupant to move even if an impact acts, and it is difficult to realize with a front airbag or the like, and it has been dealt with by abrupt winding of the seat belt or the like. .. At present, armrests are not used as protective members for occupants, or there are very few examples of their use.

In view of this, an object to be solved by the present invention is to provide an armrest capable of reducing or suppressing the movement of the occupant at the time of a collision by forcibly moving a part of the occupant's body.

As a means for solving the above-mentioned problems, the armrests according to the present invention are armrests provided on the side of the seat on which the occupant of the vehicle sits, and are provided in pairs on the left and right sides of the occupant on which the forearm portion of the occupant is mounted. It includes a side portion that extends in the front-rear direction so that it can be placed, and a drive unit that can move the side portion by driving. The rear portion of the side portion is moved outward in the seat width direction relative to the front portion.

In the armrest according to the present invention, it is preferable that the rear portion of the drive unit is moved outward in the seat width direction and the front portion is moved inward in the seat width direction.

In the armrest according to the present invention, it is preferable that the drive unit moves to the rear side of the side portion so that the front-rear position of the occupant's elbow is on the front side or the same position as the shoulder.

In the armrest according to the present invention, it is preferable that the side portion has a support portion for supporting the forearm portion of the occupant on at least one of the front portion outside in the seat width direction and the rear portion inside in the seat width direction.

According to the present invention, since the elbow position is in a position where the occupant is pulled by the upper body of the occupant when the occupant tries to move forward due to the movement of the side portion, the movement of the occupant can be reduced or suppressed, and as a result, the occupant moves forward. Alternatively, it is possible to provide an armrest that suppresses an increase in the injury value that may occur by moving diagonally forward.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a seat provided with an armrest according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 (a) is a side schematic view showing the seat in a side view, and FIG. 1 (b) is a side view. It is a plane schematic view which shows a sheet in a plan view. FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a seat driven by a drive unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2A is a side schematic view showing the seat in a side view, and FIG. 2B is a side view. Is a schematic plan view showing the sheet in a plan view. FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a seat provided with an armrest according to another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3A is a side schematic view showing the seat in a side view, and FIG. 3B is a side view. Is a schematic plan view showing the sheet in a plan view.

(Basic embodiment)
An embodiment of the armrest according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
Note that FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a seat 100 provided with an armrest 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1A is a side schematic view showing the seat 100 in a side view. 1 (b) is a plan schematic view which shows the sheet 100 in a plan view. FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a seat 100 driven by a drive unit 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2A is a side schematic view showing the seat 100 in a side view. FIG. (B) is a plan schematic view which shows the sheet 100 in a plan view.

As shown in FIG. 1, the armrest 1 is mounted on the seat 100 and includes a side portion 2 and a drive portion 3.

The side portions 2 are long members provided on both the left and right sides of the occupant P and extending substantially parallel to the front-rear direction. The extending direction of the side portion 2 may be substantially along the anteroposterior direction, and may be inclined up and down or left and right to some extent with respect to the anteroposterior direction.

Further, the side portion 2 is connected to the seat 100 via the rear portion 4. The rear portion 4 is a shaft member that penetrates the seat back 101 in the left-right direction, and is connected to a substantially central portion of the seat back 101 in the vertical direction and is connected to the rear end side of the side portion 2. The rear portion 4 in the present embodiment is fixedly attached to the seat frame 102 arranged in the seat back 101 so as to be immovable in the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions of the vehicle.

The side portion 2 has a slide portion 21 and a rotating portion 22.

The slide portion 21 is a portion forming the rear side of the side portion 2. On the rear side of the slide portion 21, a slide groove 23 that penetrates in the left-right direction along the extending direction of the slide portion 21 is provided. The slide portion 21 is fixed to the sheet 100 by inserting the rear portion 4 into the rear end portion of the slide groove 23. The front side of the slide portion 21 is connected to the rear side of the rotating portion 22. The slide portion 21 is formed in a flat plate shape having a front side extending in a substantially horizontal direction. The slide unit 21 can slide backward by the drive unit 3 described later while maintaining the inclination with respect to the horizontal direction.

The rotating portion 22 is a portion forming the front side of the side portion 2. The rear side of the rotating portion 22 is configured to sandwich the front side of the slide portion 21, and the slide portion 21 and the rotating portion 22 are connected by being pivotally supported in the vertical direction by the rotating shaft 24. The rotating shaft 24 is arranged along a substantially vertical direction, and the rotating portion 22 is rotatable in a substantially left-right direction about the rotating shaft 24. The rotating shaft 24 is fixed in the initial state before the collision shown in FIG.
The rotating portion 22 is a portion on which the forearm portion from the elbow to the hand of the occupant P is placed, and in particular, the length on the rear side extends to a position where the elbow can be easily placed in a relaxed state of the occupant P. It is good to be there.

In the rotating portion 22, the portion on the front side of the rotating shaft 24 formed as the front portion 221 is an example of the front portion in the present invention, and the portion on the rear side of the rotating shaft 24 formed as the rear portion 222. The site is an example of the posterior portion in the present invention.

The drive unit 3 is a member capable of moving the slide portion 21 and the rotating portion 22 of the side portion 2 by driving. As shown in FIG. 1, the drive unit 3 has a first drive unit 31 and a second drive unit 32.
When a drive signal is input, the first drive unit 31 exerts power on the connecting portion between the rear portion 4 and the slide portion 21 to move the slide portion 21 rearward.
When a drive signal is input, the second drive unit 32 exerts power on the rotation shaft 24 to rotate the rotation unit 22 with respect to the slide unit 21.
The drive mode of the first drive unit 31 and the second drive unit 32 is not particularly limited as long as it can be driven before the occupant P starts to move forward or diagonally forward due to a collision, and is, for example, a drive mode using gas pressure. It may be a drive form using an actuator that drives at high speed.

The drive unit 3 drives when a collision occurs or when a collision is predicted. In the present embodiment, the detection unit 5 detects a collision or a collision prediction. The detection unit 5 is input with information regarding, for example, the presence or absence of a collision detected by an in-vehicle acceleration sensor, a camera that monitors the outside of the vehicle, a sensor, a radar, or the like, and the presence or absence of a collision prediction determined via a driving control system or the like. To.
Although the drive unit 3 and the detection unit 5 in the present embodiment are described as independent control members, they may be included in an existing in-vehicle control system such as an operation control system.

Here, the protection form of the occupant P by the armrest 1 will be described in detail.

First, the detection unit 5 detects a collision or a collision prediction. The detection unit 5 detects the occupant P, particularly before the upper body starts to move forward or diagonally forward, or immediately after the occupant P starts to move. When the detection unit 5 detects a collision or a collision prediction, a drive signal is input to the drive unit 3.
The detection unit 5 may be able to mechanically output the drive signal of the drive unit 3, and a control unit for performing operation control may be provided separately, and the drive signal from this control unit to the drive unit 3 may be provided. May be output.

In the drive unit 3 to which the drive signal is input, the first drive unit 31 moves the slide unit 21, and the second drive unit 32 rotates the rotating unit 22.
As shown in FIG. 2A, the first drive unit 31 moves the rear portion 4 to the rear side so as to feed the slide portion 21 rearward while maintaining the fixed state to the seat back 101.
Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, the second drive unit 32 rotates the rotation unit 22 around the rotation shaft 24. The rotating portion 22 moves the rear portion 222 relatively outward in the width direction of the seat 100 with respect to the front portion 221. In the present embodiment, the rotating portion 22 rotates so that the front portion 221 moves inward in the width direction of the seat 100 and the rear portion 222 moves outward in the width direction of the seat 100.

The forearm portion of the occupant P is forcibly moved by the drive of the drive unit 3.
Specifically, the elbow of the occupant P moves to the rear side by the movement of the slide part 21 to the rear side by the first drive unit 31. Further, due to the rotation of the rotating portion 22 by the second driving unit 32, the elbow of the occupant P moves outward in the width direction of the seat 100, and the hand moves inward in the width direction of the seat 100. As a result, the occupant P is forced to pull the elbow toward the upper body while projecting the elbow outward in the width direction as compared with that before the collision. That is, the position of the forearm portion of the occupant P placed on the side portion 2 of the armrest 1, particularly the position of the elbow is regulated.

Due to the regulation of the elbow position of the occupant P, when the occupant P tries to move forward or diagonally forward at the time of a collision, the forearm portion pulls the upper body through the upper arm portion. Therefore, it becomes difficult for the occupant P to move forward as compared with the case where the elbow position is not regulated, and as a result, the movement of the occupant P can be reduced or suppressed. When the forward movement of the occupant P is reduced or suppressed, it is not necessary to increase the tension of the seat belt for restraining the occupant P, so that the increase in the injury value of the chest can be suppressed. Further, the speed or acceleration of hitting the front airbag or the like is also reduced, and the impact received by the occupant P is also reduced. Thereby, the protection of the occupant P by the armrest 1 is achieved.

In the present invention, the front-rear position of the occupant's elbow is preferably the front side or the same position as the occupant's shoulder as the range in which the occupant's elbow is moved rearward by the movement of the side portion. By adopting this range, the elbow position is restricted in both the situation where the occupant's upper body first tries to move forward from the elbow and when the upper body tries to move further forward in front of the elbow. You can get the effect of.

Here, a modified example of the armrest according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a seat 100 provided with an armrest 11 according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3A is a side schematic view showing the seat 100 in a side view. FIG. (B) is a plan schematic view which shows the sheet 100 in a plan view. The same reference numerals as those of the same members as those of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In the armrest 11 shown in FIG. 3A, a first support portion 61 and a second support portion 62 are provided as one form of the support portion of the present invention.
The first support portion 61 and the second support portion 62 are airbags that are deployed from the rotating portion 22, and before deployment, the bag body is housed in the rotating portion 22 together with the inflator.
Specifically, the first support portion 61 is outside the width direction of the seat 100 of the front portion 221 of the rotating portion 22 before rotation, and the upper surface on which the forearm portion of the occupant P of the rotating portion 22 is placed. It is an airbag that deploys above the section.
The second support portion 62 is an airbag that expands inside the seat 100 of the rear portion 222 of the rotating portion 22 before rotation in the width direction and above the upper surface portion of the rotating portion 22.

The first support portion 61 and the second support portion 62 project upward from the rotating portion 22 when gas is press-fitted into the bag body from the inflator at the time of collision or collision prediction. The first support portion 61 and the second support portion 62 project above the rotating portion 22 by deploying at the time of collision or collision prediction and before the rotating portion 22 rotates. When the first support portion 61 and the second support portion 62 are deployed, the first support portion 61 is the hand portion of the occupant P when the second drive portion 32 of the drive unit 3 is driven to rotate the rotating portion 22. Is pressed in the rotation direction of the rotating portion 22, and the second support portion 62 presses the elbow portion of the occupant P in the rotating direction.
That is, the first support portion 61 and the second support portion 62 make it easier for the forearm portion of the occupant P to follow the movement of the side portion 2. When the surface material of the rotating portion 22 is formed to be slippery, or when the rotating speed, the amount of rotation, etc. of the rotating portion 22 is large, the forearm portion of the occupant P completely follows the movement of the side portion 2. Although it may be difficult, the followability can be improved by providing the first support portion 61 and the second support portion 62.

In the present embodiment, the first support portion 61 and the second support portion 62 are provided, but in the present invention, if at least one of the support portions is provided, the followability to the movement of the side portion of the forearm portion of the occupant is improved. It is preferable because it does.
Further, instead of the form in which the first support portion 61 and the second support portion 62 are formed when the drive unit 3 is driven as shown in FIG. 3, the position and size do not cause a problem when the occupant P normally uses the armrest. If it has a shape and shape, the support portion may be formed in advance by using a convex portion or the like protruding upward from the side portion.

Although the embodiment to which the invention made by the present inventor is applied has been described above, the present invention is not limited by the essay and the drawings which form a part of the disclosure of the present invention according to this embodiment. That is, it should be added that all other embodiments, examples, operational techniques, and the like made by those skilled in the art based on this embodiment are of course included in the scope of the present invention.

1 and 11: Armrest, 2: Side, 3: Drive, 31: 1st drive, 32: 2nd drive, 4: Rear, 5: Detection, 61: 1st support, 62: 2nd Support part, 100: Seat, 101: Seat back, 102: Seat frame, P: Crew

Claims (4)

An armrest provided on the side of the seat on which the occupants of the vehicle sit.
A pair of long members provided on both the left and right sides of the occupant and provided in the front-rear direction of the seat, a rotating portion located on the front side of the seat, and a rear portion of the rotating portion and the seat. And the side part having the slide part to connect
A drive unit that can move the side portion by driving is provided.
At the time of a collision or a collision prediction, the drive unit moves the side portion to the rear side by sliding the slide portion, and the rear portion of the rotating portion is located outside in the seat width direction relative to the front portion. Move to
Armrest. The drive unit moves the rear portion of the rotating portion outward in the seat width direction and moves the front portion of the rotating portion inward in the seat width direction.
The armrest according to claim 1. The drive unit moves to the rear side of the side portion so that the front-rear position of the occupant's elbow is on the front side or the same position as the shoulder.
The armrest according to claim 1 or 2. The side portion has a support portion that supports the forearm portion of the occupant on at least one of the front portion of the rotating portion on the outside in the seat width direction and the rear portion of the rotating portion on the inside in the seat width direction. ,
The armrest according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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