JP2024073337A - Foot Heater Device - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To secure a large space on the vehicle floor surface with the plate-shaped member in an unused position. [Solution] A foot heater device includes a plate-shaped member having a footrest surface on which a vehicle occupant can place their feet, a heater provided on the plate-shaped member for heating the footrest surface, a support member that protrudes rearward from an attachment surface that is provided on an interior panel forward of the vehicle seat and extends in the height direction and supports the plate-shaped member so that its position can be changed, and a movement mechanism that changes the position of the plate-shaped member between an unused position where the plate-shaped member faces the attachment surface and the footrest surface does not face upward, and a used position where the plate-shaped member extends in a direction intersecting the attachment surface and the footrest surface faces upward. [Selected Figure] Figure 4

Description

The present invention particularly relates to a foot heater device to be installed in a vehicle.

A foot heater device (e.g., Patent Document 1) that is mounted on a vehicle and can warm the feet of a vehicle occupant is known. The foot heater device described in Patent Document 1 includes a plate-shaped member with a heater attached to its surface. This plate-shaped member is rotatably supported by a pair of arms that extend upward from the vehicle floor surface. This plate-shaped member can rotate about a rotation axis that passes near the upper ends of each of the pair of arms between an unused position where the plate-shaped member extends upward from the rotation axis and where the vehicle occupant cannot place their feet, and a used position where the plate-shaped member extends diagonally downward and rearward from the rotation axis and where the vehicle occupant can place their feet.

With this configuration, vehicle occupants can warm their feet by placing the plate-shaped member in the use position and placing their feet on the surface of the plate-shaped member when necessary. In addition, when the vehicle occupants do not need the plate-shaped member, the plate-shaped member can be placed in the unused position and removed from under the feet of the vehicle occupants, which prevents the plate-shaped member from getting in the way and creating a feeling of oppression for the occupants when getting on and off the vehicle or when not in use.

JP 2010-70087 A

However, the plate-like member is rotatably supported by an arm that extends upward from the vehicle floor. Therefore, even when the plate-like member is in an unused position, the arm remains as a structure on the vehicle floor. When an occupant stretches out their legs, their legs are likely to hit the arm, which may cause discomfort to the occupant.

The present invention was made in consideration of these points, and aims to provide a foot heater device that can secure a large space on the vehicle floor surface with the plate-shaped member in an unused position.

One aspect of the present invention is a foot heater device comprising: a plate-shaped member having a footrest surface on which a vehicle occupant can place their feet; a heater provided on the plate-shaped member for heating the footrest surface; a support member that protrudes rearward from an attachment surface that is provided on an interior panel forward of the vehicle seat and extends in the height direction and supports the plate-shaped member so that its position can be changed; and a movement mechanism that changes the position of the plate-shaped member between an unused position in which the plate-shaped member faces the attachment surface and the footrest surface does not face upward, and a used position in which the plate-shaped member extends in a direction intersecting the attachment surface and the footrest surface faces upward.

This configuration allows a large space to be secured on the vehicle floor when the plate-shaped member is not in use.

1 is a side view showing the interior of a vehicle when a plate-shaped member in a foot heater device according to an embodiment of the present invention is in a use position. 1 is a side view showing the interior of a vehicle cabin when a plate-shaped member in a foot heater device according to an embodiment is in an unused position. 1 is a perspective view showing a posture of a plate-shaped member in a use position in a foot heater device according to an embodiment; 1 is a perspective view showing a position of a plate-shaped member in an unused position in a foot heater device according to an embodiment; 4 is a cross-sectional view of a plate-shaped member in a position of use in the foot heater device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the arrangement of heat wires of a heater attached to a plate-shaped member in the foot heater device of the embodiment. FIG.

Below, a specific embodiment of the foot heater device according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6.

The foot heater device 1 according to one embodiment is a device that is mounted in a vehicle and is capable of warming the feet of a vehicle occupant. The foot heater device 1 may be installed, for example, to warm the feet of a vehicle occupant sitting in the driver's seat or a rear seat, but is particularly suitable for warming the feet of a vehicle occupant sitting in the passenger seat.

The foot heater device 1 comprises a plate-shaped member 10, a heater 20, a support member 30, and a movement mechanism 40.

The plate-shaped member 10 is a footrest on which a vehicle occupant places their feet. The plate-shaped member 10 is disposed in front of the vehicle seat 2 on which the vehicle occupant sits in the vehicle interior. The plate-shaped member 10 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape. The plate-shaped member 10 is large enough to accommodate the two feet of the vehicle occupant placed side by side, and has a thickness that ensures rigidity against the load when the two feet are placed. The plate-shaped member 10 has a footrest surface 11 on which the vehicle occupant can place their feet. The plate-shaped member 10 may be designed to accommodate the feet of the vehicle occupant wearing shoes, or may be designed to accommodate the feet of the vehicle occupant removing their shoes.

The direction indicated as "forward" may be based on the forward direction in which the vehicle occupant seated in the vehicle seat 2 faces. For example, "forward" refers to the direction in which the vehicle occupant seated in the vehicle seat 2 extends his/her legs relative to the vehicle seat 2, and usually coincides with the direction based on the vehicle's traveling direction. In addition, "left-right direction" refers to the left-right direction relative to the forward direction in which the vehicle occupant seated in the vehicle seat 2 faces, which means the width direction of the vehicle in terms of the vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 5, the plate-shaped member 10 is composed of an inner base material 12, an outer base material 13, a cushion 14, a heat insulating material 15, a heater 20 (described in detail later), and a skin 16. The inner base material 12 and the outer base material 13 are stacked and assembled together in the thickness direction of the plate-shaped member 10 (i.e., the front-back direction). The inner base material 12 and the outer base material 13 are formed, for example, from a resin material.

A groove 13a is provided on the surface of the outer base material 13 (i.e., the footrest surface 11 side of the plate-like member 10). In the groove 13a of the outer base material 13, a cushion 14, a heat insulating material 15, and a heater 20 are arranged in that order from the bottom side of the groove. The cushion 14 is a member that ensures cushioning when a vehicle occupant places their feet on it. The heat insulating material 15 is a member that blocks the heat generated by the heater 20 from being transmitted to the cushion 14 side. The skin 16 is a member that covers the surface of the outer base material 13 and the surface of the heater 20.

The heater 20 is a heat generating member for heating the footrest surface 11. The heater 20 is provided on the plate-shaped member 10. As shown in FIG. 6, the heater 20 has a heat generating element 21 made of a hot wire and an insulating sheet 22 that holds the heat generating element 21. The heater 20 operates and generates heat when power is supplied to the heat generating element 21 from a battery or the like mounted on the vehicle. When the heater 20 generates heat, the surface temperature of the footrest surface 11 becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature. This predetermined temperature is a temperature at which the vehicle occupant feels warm under the soles of their feet even in winter, and is preferably set to an experimentally obtained value of, for example, 33°C or higher.

The heater 20 is controlled by the operation of a dedicated heater switch or in conjunction with the operation of the vehicle's air conditioner. For example, the heater 20 is turned on when the heater switch is turned on. The heater 20 may be turned on on the condition that the plate-shaped member 10 is in a use position, which will be described later. The heater 20 may be automatically turned on when the plate-shaped member 10 is in a use position, and may be automatically turned off when the plate-shaped member 10 is in an unused position.

The support member 30 is an arm member that movably supports the plate-like member 10. The support member 30 protrudes rearward from the mounting surface 3 of the interior panel. The mounting surface 3 is a surface that is provided forward of the vehicle seat 2 and extends in the height direction, and is formed on, for example, the lower instrument panel as an interior panel. The mounting surface 3 extends in the height direction from the vehicle floor surface 4 on which the vehicle seat 2 is installed. The mounting surface 3 may extend in the vertical direction, but it is sufficient that it extends including a component in the height direction. For example, the mounting surface 3 may be inclined, for example, within a range of 20° or less with respect to the vertical direction. The mounting surface 3 may extend in a flat shape, but may also extend in a curved shape.

The support member 30 consists of a pair of arms separated in the left-right direction by a distance shorter than the left-right width of the plate member 10 in order to distribute the load applied to the plate member 10. The support member 30 may be attached and fixed to the mounting surface 3 of the interior panel itself, or, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, may extend forward of the mounting surface 3 and be fixed to the vehicle body forward of the mounting surface 3. In addition, the support member 30 may have a protruding portion 31 that extends rearward of the mounting surface 3 and a bent portion 32 that bends and extends further upward from the protruding portion 31, as shown in Figure 4.

The moving mechanism 40 is a mechanism that changes the position of the plate member 10 between the unused position and the used position. The unused position is a position where the plate member 10 faces the mounting surface 3 and the footrest surface 11 does not face upward. In this unused position, the vehicle occupant cannot place his/her feet on the footrest surface 11. In the unused position, the plate member 10 may be parallel to the mounting surface 3, or the plate member 10 may be in contact with the mounting surface 3. In a structure in which the plate member 10 is in contact with the mounting surface 3 in the unused position, the plate member 10 is inclined obliquely upward from the support position by the support member 30 toward the front, so that stability can be ensured when fixing the plate member 10 in the unused position.

The use position is a position where the plate-like member 10 extends in a direction intersecting with the mounting surface 3 and the footrest surface 11 faces upward. In this use position, the vehicle occupant can place their feet on the footrest surface 11. In the use position, the plate-like member 10 may be horizontally spread out, or may be inclined diagonally downward from the support position by the support member 30 toward the rear. In a structure where the plate-like member 10 is inclined diagonally downward in the use position, it is preferable for the rear end of the plate-like member 10 to contact the vehicle floor surface 4 in order to distribute the load when the vehicle occupant's feet are placed on the footrest surface 11 of the plate-like member 10 to the vehicle floor surface 4 and suppress a decrease in rigidity.

The moving mechanism 40 has a rotation axis C that rotates the plate-shaped member 10. The rotation axis C extends horizontally. The rotation axis C is an axis that does not change position relative to the mounting surface 3, i.e., does not move radially. The rotation axis C is configured to pass through a portion of the plate-shaped member 10 that is the front portion in the use position, and to pass through a portion of the support member 30 that protrudes rearward from the mounting surface 3. The moving mechanism 40 rotates the plate-shaped member 10 around the rotation axis C between the unused position and the use position.

The height position at which the pivot axis C extends horizontally is set to be within a predetermined height range from the vehicle floor surface 4, and is located within a height range of, for example, 6.0 cm to 9.7 cm. The height position of this pivot axis C may be set, for example, so that the plate-shaped member 10 forms a desired angle with respect to the horizontal direction when the rear end of the plate-shaped member 10 is in the use position and in contact with the vehicle floor surface 4. This desired angle may be, for example, an optimal angle at which the vehicle occupant does not feel tired even if the vehicle occupant places his/her feet on the footrest surface 11 of the plate-shaped member 10 for a long period of time, and is, for example, within an angle range of 15° to 22°.

The height position at which the pivot axis C extends horizontally may be the same as the protruding height position at which the support member 30 protrudes rearward from the mounting surface 3, or may be higher than that protruding height position as shown in FIG. 4. In a structure in which the height position at which the pivot axis C extends horizontally is higher than the protruding height position of the support member 30, the pivot axis C is provided in the bent portion 32 extending upward from the protruding portion 31 of the support member 30, and as shown in FIG. 3, it is possible to hide the support member 30 below the plate member 10 when the plate member 10 is in the use position.

The moving mechanism 40 has an engaging portion (not shown) provided on the plate-shaped member 10 and an engaging portion (not shown) provided on the support member 30. These engaging portions engage with each other so that the plate-shaped member 10 can rotate around the rotation axis C relative to the support member 30. For example, the plate-shaped member 10 may have an axial hole as an engaging portion corresponding to the rotation axis C, and the support member 30 may have an axial body as an engaging portion that is inserted and fitted into the axial hole of the plate-shaped member 10 corresponding to the rotation axis C. In addition, it is preferable to provide a pair of these engaging portions spaced apart on the left and right in order to improve resistance to load.

The plate-shaped member 10 and the support member 30 may each have an axial hole as an engagement portion corresponding to the rotation axis C, and may engage with each other via a separate shaft inserted into both of these axial holes. In this case, the movement mechanism 40 may further have an actuator that generates power to change the position of the plate-shaped member 10 between the unused position and the used position. In this structure, the power generated by the actuator may be transmitted to the shaft as a force that rotates the shaft, causing the plate-shaped member 10 to rotate relative to the support member 30.

Furthermore, the movement mechanism 40 may be provided with a biasing member that generates a biasing force that constantly biases the plate-shaped member 10 toward the unused position, and the vehicle occupant's foot operation causes the plate-shaped member 10 to change its position to the unused position against the biasing force of the biasing member. In this structure, when the vehicle occupant removes their foot from the footrest surface 11 of the plate-shaped member 10, the plate-shaped member 10 changes its position to the unused position due to the biasing force of the biasing member.

3, the footrest surface 11 of the plate-shaped member 10 includes a first region 11a that is the front part in the use position, and a second region 11b that is the rear part in the use position. The first region 11a includes the region where the toes of a vehicle occupant are placed when the vehicle occupant places their feet on the footrest surface 11. The second region 11b does not include the region where the toes of a vehicle occupant are placed when the vehicle occupant places their feet on the footrest surface 11, but includes the region where the heels are placed.

The heater 20 is configured so that the first region 11a of the footrest surface 11 is hotter than the second region 11b. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the heater 20 has a first heater section 23 corresponding to the first region 11a and a second heater section 24 corresponding to the second region 11b. The first heater section 23 is a section where the heating elements 21 are densely arranged. The second heater section 24 is a section where the heating elements 21 are sparsely arranged. In this structure, when power is supplied to the heating elements 21, the first heater section 23 heats up more easily than the second heater section 24, and the first region 11a of the footrest surface 11 is hotter than the second region 11b.

The first heater section 23 and the second heater section 24 may be configured with a heating element 21 consisting of the same heat wire, but as shown in FIG. 6, the heating element 21 of the first heater section 23 and the heating element 21 of the second heater section 24 may be separate. In this structure in which the heating elements 21 are separate, it becomes possible to control the heat generation in the first heater section 23 and the heat generation in the second heater section 24 individually by turning them on and off.

Next, the operation of the foot heater device 1 will be described.
In the foot heater device 1, when the plate-like member 10 is in an unused position and the heater 20 is not turned on, the footrest surface 11 does not face upward and is not heated, so that a vehicle occupant cannot place his/her feet on the footrest surface 11 of the plate-like member 10 and furthermore, the feet do not get warm.

When the movement mechanism 40 is activated from the above state, the plate-like member 10 rotates from the unused position to the used position around the rotation axis C, and the heater 20 is activated, the footrest surface 11 faces upward and is further heated. In this case, the vehicle occupant can place their feet on the footrest surface 11 of the plate-like member 10, and when the feet are placed on the footrest surface 11, the feet are warmed.

Therefore, according to the foot heater device 1, the plate-shaped member 10 is changed in position from an unused position to a used position using the movement mechanism 40, and the footrest surface 11 of the plate-shaped member 10 is heated using the heater 20, so that the vehicle occupant can warm his/her feet placed on the footrest surface 11 of the plate-shaped member 10.

In addition, in the used position, the plate-like member 10 protrudes rearward from the mounting surface 3 near the vehicle floor surface 4, while in the unused position, it is stored facing the mounting surface 3. Therefore, when the plate-like member 10 is in the unused position, the plate-like member 10 can be removed from under the feet of the vehicle occupant, so that the plate-like member 10 does not get in the way when the vehicle occupant gets in and out of the vehicle, and the feeling of pressure on the vehicle occupant can be reduced.

In the foot heater device 1 of this embodiment, a plate-like member 10 having a footrest surface 11 is supported by a support member 30 so that its posture can be changed. The support member 30 protrudes rearward from an attachment surface 3 that is provided on the interior panel forward of the vehicle seat 2 and extends in the height direction. In this structure, the support member 30 that supports the plate-like member 10 does not protrude from the vehicle floor surface 4.

Therefore, with the foot heater device 1, it is not necessary to install a structure on the vehicle floor surface 4 to support the plate-like member 10, and this makes it possible to secure a large space on the vehicle floor surface 4 in the unused position of the plate-like member 10. Therefore, even if a vehicle occupant stretches his/her legs in the unused position of the plate-like member 10, the legs will not come into contact with the structure, and discomfort to the vehicle occupant can be avoided.

However, as described in Patent Document 1, if the support member 30 supporting the plate-like member 10 is composed of a pair of arms separated in the left-right direction and the distance between the pair of arms is equal to or greater than the left-right width of the plate-like member 10, the plate-like member 10 itself and its arms may be easily bent by the load when the vehicle occupant places their feet on the plate-like member 10 in the use position, and rigidity may decrease. In particular, in a structure in which the rear end of the plate-like member 10 does not contact the vehicle floor surface 4 in the use position of the plate-like member 10, a large load may be easily concentrated on the plate-like member and the arms, and rigidity may decrease significantly.

In contrast, in the foot heater device 1 of this embodiment, the support member 30 is made up of a pair of arms separated in the left-right direction by a distance shorter than the left-right width of the plate-like member 10. In this structure, the distance between the pair of arms is shorter than in a structure in which the pair of arms of the support member 30 are separated in the left-right direction by a distance equal to or greater than the left-right width of the plate-like member 10, making it difficult for the plate-like member 10 and the support member 30 to bend due to the load when the vehicle occupant places their feet on the plate-like member 10 in the use position, and reducing a decrease in rigidity.

In addition, in the foot heater device 1, when the plate-like member 10 is in the use position, the rear end of the plate-like member 10 comes into contact with the vehicle floor surface 4. In this structure, when the vehicle occupant places their feet on the plate-like member 10 in the use position, the load acts not only on the support member 30 but also on the vehicle floor surface 4, distributing the load. This further reduces the risk of bending of the plate-like member 10 and the support member 30 due to the load, ensuring rigidity.

In the foot heater device 1, the foot placement surface 11 of the plate-like member 10 includes a first region 11a that is the front part when in the use position, and a second region 11b that is the rear part when in the use position. The heater 20 is configured so that the first region 11a is hotter than the second region 11b. Specifically, the first region 11a that contacts the toes is provided with a first heater section 23 in which the heating elements 21 are densely arranged, and the second region 11b that contacts the heel is provided with a second heater section 24 in which the heating elements 21 are sparsely arranged.

In this structure, when the heater 20 is turned on, the first region 11a, which the toes of the footrest surface 11 contact, becomes hotter than the second region 11b, which the heels contact. People tend to get colder in the toes, which are located closer to the distal end than the heels, and so people feel warmer when their toes are warmed. Therefore, it is possible to warm the toes of the vehicle occupant in a concentrated manner, and to warm the vehicle occupant's feet efficiently while saving energy.

In the above embodiment, the support member 30 is made up of a pair of arms separated in the left-right direction by a distance shorter than the left-right width of the plate-like member 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the support member 30 may be formed in a belt-like or plate-like shape extending in the left-right direction. Even in this modified structure, it is possible to prevent the plate-like member 10 and the support member 30 from bending due to the load when the vehicle occupant places their feet on the plate-like member 10, thereby suppressing a decrease in rigidity.

In the above embodiment, the rotation axis C of the moving mechanism 40 is an axis that does not change position relative to the mounting surface 3, i.e., does not move radially, and the plate-shaped member 10 rotates between the unused position and the use position around the rotation axis C, and in the unused position, the footrest surface 11 of the plate-shaped member 10 faces forward and faces the mounting surface 3. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the rotation axis C of the moving mechanism 40 may be an axis that changes position relative to the mounting surface 3 and moves radially. In this modified form, the plate-shaped member 10 may rotate between the unused position and the use position around the rotation axis C, and in the unused position, the surface of the plate-shaped member 10 opposite the footrest surface 11 faces forward and faces the mounting surface 3.

Furthermore, in a configuration in which the rotation axis C is an axis that moves in the radial direction as described above, the movement mechanism unit 40 may have a rail or link mechanism.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments and variations, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, this specification not only discloses the technical ideas shown by the citation relationships described in each claim at the time of filing, but also discloses technical ideas that appropriately combine the matters described in each claim.

1: Foot heater device, 2: Vehicle seat, 3: Mounting surface, 4: Vehicle floor surface, 10: Plate-like member, 11: Footrest surface, 11a: First area, 11b: Second area, 20: Heater, 21: Heating element, 23: First heater section, 24: Second heater section, 30: Support member, 40: Movement mechanism section, C: Rotation shaft.

Claims (5)

A plate-like member having a footrest surface on which a vehicle occupant can place their feet;
a heater provided on the plate-like member for heating the footrest surface;
a support member that protrudes rearward from a mounting surface of the interior panel that is provided forward of the vehicle seat and extends in a height direction, and supports the plate-like member in a position changeable manner;
a movement mechanism that changes the position of the plate-like member between an unused position in which the plate-like member faces the mounting surface and the footrest surface does not face upward, and a use position in which the plate-like member extends in a direction intersecting the mounting surface and the footrest surface faces upward;
A foot heater device comprising: The foot heater device according to claim 1, wherein in the use position, the rear end of the plate-like member contacts the vehicle floor surface. The footrest surface includes a first region that is a front portion in the use position and a second region that is a rear portion in the use position,
2. The foot heater device according to claim 1, wherein the heater is configured so that the first region has a higher temperature than the second region. The foot heater device according to claim 1, wherein the surface temperature of the foot support surface becomes 33°C or higher when the heater is activated. The foot heater device according to claim 1, wherein the movement mechanism has a rotation shaft that rotates the plate-like member.

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