JP6685527B1 - Height-adjustable armrest - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a height-adjustable armrest capable of reducing the weight and suppressing the manufacturing cost. SOLUTION: A fixed side member 2 composed of a mounting member 21 and a lock drum 22, a rotating side member 3 having an arm member 31, a lock spring mechanism 4 composed of a lock spring 41 and cam mechanisms 42 and 43. In the height-adjustable armrest 1 provided with, the lower stopper contact portions 51 are provided at a pair of two or more positions in the fixed-side member 2 that face each other with the rotation center L2 of the rotation-side member 3 interposed therebetween. A pair of two or more lower stopper abutted portions 52 are provided on the rotating side member 3, and each lower stopper abutted portion 52 is formed in the rotating side member 3 by a recess 31c. And the lower stopper contacted portion 52 is a stepped molding portion in which the stepped portion wall surface at the end of the remaining flat surface portion 31B of the rotating side member 3 is reinforced in cross section. [Selection diagram]

Description

  The present invention relates to a height-adjustable armrest provided in a vehicle seat or the like.

  The position of the arm of a person seated in a car seat changes depending on the physique of the person. Further, when the seat back of the seat reclines, if the armrest tilts together with the seat back, the arm of the seated person does not extend and the seated person is in a position where it is difficult to relax. For this reason, in automobiles and the like, a height-adjustable armrest in which the height and inclination of the arm member can be adjusted by making the arm member that supports the arm rotatable is sometimes used.

  As the height-adjustable armrest, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 of Patent Document 1, a lock spring 13 formed of a coil spring fitted on the lock drum 12 and a cam for operating a free end of the lock spring 13. It is known that a lock spring mechanism including a mechanism (transition cam 12a, return cam 12b and auxiliary cam 15d) is adopted. This lock spring mechanism is a lock that restricts the downward rotation of the arm member while allowing the upward rotation of the arm member when the arm member is in the height adjustment range between the lowermost position in use and the uppermost position in use. When the arm member exceeds the uppermost position during use, the unlocked state that allows the arm member to rotate downward is developed.

  This type of height-adjustable armrest changes from the locked state to the unlocked state when the height of the tip of the arm member (the height based on the lowermost position during use. The same applies below) becomes about 200 mm. Many of them can be switched (in other words, the height of the tip of the arm member can be adjusted in a wide range of about 0 to 200 mm). Therefore, in the conventional height-adjustable armrest, it is required to set the allowable load strength to be high. Specifically, one safety stopper with the arm member lowermost position strength set to about 980N is provided, and the allowable load strength is about 490N when the arm member is in a height adjustment range other than the lowest position. Is set to.

International publication WO2014 / 024709

  In the conventional height-adjustable armrest, as described above, the allowable load strength is set to be high after ensuring the strength of the lowermost position, in consideration of the safety that the adjustment range of the arm member is wide. For this reason, it is necessary to increase the plate thickness of the constituent members (arm members and the like) of the armrest. This is because, for example, when the arm member is at the lowermost position during use, one lower stopper contact portion provided on the fixed side member such as the lock drum and the rotation side member such as the arm member are provided. The downward rotation of the arm member is restricted by abutting one provided lower stopper abutted portion with each other. When the plate thickness of the constituent member of the armrest is thin, the contact area between them is small. It becomes difficult to secure the compressive strength due to lack of strength, and it becomes impossible to secure the strength of the stopper at the lowermost position (one lower stopper contact portion and one lower stopper contacted portion). is there.

  As described above, in the conventional height-adjustable armrest, since it is necessary to increase the plate thickness of its constituent members, it is difficult to reduce the weight. Further, since it is difficult to process the constituent member of the armrest into a desired shape, it is difficult to progressively (progress) the manufacturing process of the constituent member, and it is difficult to suppress the manufacturing cost.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and provides a height-adjustable armrest that can not only reduce the weight but also reduce the manufacturing cost.

The above problems are
A mounting member that is mounted in a stationary state with respect to the seat frame, and a fixed-side member that includes a lock drum that is integrally fixed to the mounting member,
An arm member for supporting the arm, the arm member is provided with a tubular wall portion arranged on the same axis as the lock drum, and a rotation side member that rotates about the lock drum as an axis,
It consists of a lock drum and a lock spring consisting of a coil spring fitted on the tubular wall of the arm member, and a cam mechanism that operates the free end of the lock spring. When in the height adjustment range between the upper position and the upper position, a locked state is created that restricts the downward rotation of the arm member while allowing the upward rotation of the arm member. A height-adjustable armrest having a lock spring mechanism that develops an unlocked state that allows downward rotation of a member,
The lower stopper contact portions are provided at a pair of two or more locations on the fixed side member that face each other with the center of rotation of the rotary side member interposed therebetween,
The rotating member is provided with a pair of two or more lower stopper abutted portions that abut each of the two or more lower stopper abutting portions when the arm member is at the lowest position in use. The
Each of the lower stopper contacted portions serves as a stepped portion wall surface of a recess formed in the rotation side member,
This is solved by providing a height-adjustable armrest characterized in that the abutted portion for the lower stopper is a stepped molding portion having a reinforced cross section.

  By providing the lower stopper abutting portion and the lower stopper abutted portion for restricting the downward rotation of the arm member at two or more positions according to the shape of the arm member as described above, each lower side It is possible to disperse the load applied to the stopper contact portion and the lower stopper contact portion. In addition, the abutted portion for the lower stopper is not a straight shape but a stepped molding section having a wavy cross section, or a part of a cover plate described later is overlapped with the stepped molding section, so that the lower side It is also possible to secure a necessary contact area with the stopper contact portion (note that the mounting member, which is the fixed-side member, has a sufficient thickness, so a sufficient contact area can be secured). . Therefore, the plate thickness of the constituent members of the armrest can be reduced, and the weight of the armrest can be reduced. Further, since the constituent members of the armrest can be easily processed into a desired shape, it is possible to promote progressive (progression) of the constituent members and reduce the manufacturing cost of the armrest.

  In the height adjustable armrest of the present invention, it is preferable that one of the fixed-side member and the rotating-side member sandwich the other in the longitudinal direction of the rotating shaft of the rotating-side member. This makes it possible to increase the allowable load strength of the armrest in the lateral direction (the lateral direction when viewed from the seated person). In addition, since the above-described sandwiching structure does not take up space, it is possible to downsize the armrest and further reduce the weight.

  In the height-adjustable armrest of the present invention, the lower stopper abutted portions provided at a pair of two or more locations are arranged so as to face each other with the rotation center of the rotation-side member interposed therebetween. The arrangement is not particularly limited. For example, the remaining flat surface portions (the “remaining flat surface portion” will be described later) having a pair of lower stopper abutted portions in a pair can be arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal centerline of the arm member. . As a result, when the left-hand arm member is turned upside down, it can be used as a right-hand arm member. In other words, the left-hand arm member and the right-hand arm member can be shared. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the types of parts and further reduce the manufacturing cost of the armrest. Hereinafter, this arrangement may be referred to as a “symmetrical arrangement”.

  It is also preferable that the remaining flat surface portion having a pair of two or more lower stopper abutted portions is arranged on a line inclined by 20 to 40 ° with respect to the longitudinal centerline of the arm member. This is because the arm member is usually provided with an injection port for injecting a cushioning material such as urethane foam inside the skin that covers the arm member, and the injection port is located at the center of rotation of the rotating side member as much as possible. Where the lower stopper abutted portions provided at a pair of two or more locations are symmetrically arranged, they are provided at a location close to the rotation center of the rotation side member. Then, it becomes difficult to maintain the strength of the arm member around the inlet. On the other hand, by arranging the lower stopper abutted portions provided at a pair of two or more places on a line inclined by 20 to 40 ° with respect to the longitudinal centerline of the arm member, This is because even if the injection port is provided at a position close to the center, the strength around the injection port in the arm member can be maintained. Hereinafter, this arrangement may be referred to as an "inclined arrangement".

  In the height-adjustable armrest of the present invention, the peripheral wall portion of the lock drum is configured by a cylindrical surface portion having a cylindrical surface shape and a flat surface portion having a flat surface shape, and the flat surface portion has a cam mechanism in the lock spring mechanism. It is also preferable to provide at least a part of This makes it possible to increase the frictional force and the locking force of the lock spring mechanism by forming an edge at the boundary between the cylindrical surface portion and the flat surface portion of the lock drum. Further, it is not easy to provide the cam mechanism on the cylindrical surface portion with high dimensional accuracy, but it is not so difficult to provide the cam mechanism on the flat surface portion with high dimensional accuracy. In addition, it becomes easy to incorporate the manufacturing process of the rock drum into the progressive process. Therefore, it is possible to manufacture an armrest with high operation accuracy at low cost.

  In the height-adjustable armrest of the present invention, the arm member includes a steel arm member main body and a resin arm member cap attached to the tip of the arm member main body. It is also preferable to reinforce the tubular wall portion with a two-plate structure. The tubular wall portion of the arm member is a place where a load is likely to be applied. As described above, the tubular wall portion can be formed without increasing the plate thickness of the arm member by making the portion into a two-plate structure. It becomes possible to reinforce. This two-plate structure may be formed by subjecting one plate material to bending back processing, or may be formed by superimposing one plate material on another plate material.

  In the height-adjustable armrest of the present invention, the arm member is usually a pressed product of a steel plate material, but it is also preferably a bent product of a steel wire material. As a result, the arm member can be molded by a bending process that is easier than press molding, and the manufacturing cost of the arm member can be suppressed.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a height-adjustable armrest that can not only reduce the weight but also reduce the manufacturing cost.

The armrest of the first embodiment is (a) viewed from the outside of the seat, (b) viewed from the seat center side, and (c) cut in the longitudinal direction along the center line of the arm member, It is the figure which each showed. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of the armrest of 1st embodiment, Comprising: (a) The state in which an arm member is in the lowermost position at the time of use, (b) The state in which the arm member is in the uppermost position at the time of use, (c) 7A and 7B are views respectively showing a state in which the arm member is in the retracted position. It is sectional drawing which expanded and showed the rock drum periphery in the armrest of 1st embodiment, Comprising: (a) The state cut | disconnected in the longitudinal direction along the rotation center line of an arm member, (b) The rotation center of an arm member It is the figure which showed the state cut | disconnected in the width direction along a line, respectively. In the armrest of the first embodiment, it is a diagram showing an example of a structure for ensuring the contact area of the lower stopper contacted portion, the lower stopper contact portion and the lower stopper reinforced by corrugation It is an enlarged view which overlapped and showed the contacted part for use in the rotation direction of an arm member. It is sectional drawing which showed the state which cut | disconnected the armrest of 2nd embodiment in the longitudinal direction along the centerline of an arm member. It is the figure which showed the state which looked at the armrest of 3rd embodiment from the seat center side. It is the perspective view which showed the lock drum in the armrest of 4th embodiment. It is sectional drawing which showed the state which cut | disconnected the armrest of 5th embodiment along the centerline of an arm member in the longitudinal direction. It is the figure which each showed the state which looked at the armrest of 6th embodiment from the seat center side (a), and the state cut | disconnected in the longitudinal direction along the centerline of the arm member.

A preferred embodiment of the armrest of the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to the drawings. In the following, the armrest of the present invention will be described by taking six embodiments from the first embodiment to the sixth embodiment as examples. However, the technical scope of the armrest of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. The armrest of the present invention can be appropriately modified within a range not impairing the spirit of the invention.

1. First Embodiment Armrest First, the armrest of the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 shows the armrest 1 of the first embodiment (a) viewed from the outside of the seat, (b) viewed from the seat center side, and (c) the center line L ₁ of the arm member 31 (FIG. 1). It is the figure which showed the state cut | disconnected in the longitudinal direction along (a), respectively. 2A and 2B are views for explaining the operation of the armrest 1 of the first embodiment, in which (a) the arm member 31 is in the lowermost position when in use, and (b) the arm member 31 is in the uppermost position when in use. And (c) the arm member 31 is in the retracted position. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the periphery of the lock drum 22 in the armrest 1 of the first embodiment (α portion in FIG. 1C), and (a) the rotation center line L of the arm member 31. ₂ is a view showing a state of being cut in the longitudinal direction along ₂ and a state of being cut in the width direction along the rotation center line L ₂ of the arm member 31 (b).

  As shown in FIG. 1, the armrest 1 of the first embodiment is composed of a fixed side member 2, a rotating side member 3, and a lock spring mechanism 4. The fixed-side member 2 is a member group that does not move with respect to the seat frame (not shown), while the rotating-side member 3 is a member group that rotates with respect to the seat frame. The fixed-side member 2 includes a mounting member 21 that is mounted in a stationary state with respect to the seat frame, and a lock drum 22 that is integrally fixed to the mounting member 21.

  On the other hand, the rotating side member 3 is composed of an arm member 31 that rotates about the lock drum 22. The tip end side of the arm member 31 is a portion that functions as an arm member main body that supports the arm of a person seated in a seat. As shown in FIG. 3, a tubular wall portion 31 a is provided on the base end side of the arm member 31. The cylindrical wall portion 31 a of the arm member 31 (rotating side member 3) is connected on the same axis as the lock drum 22 so as to rotate about the lock drum 22.

  The arm member 31 rotates upward from the lowest position in use shown in FIG. 2A to the uppermost position in use shown in FIG. 2B until it reaches the storage position shown in FIG. 2C. In addition to being capable of being rotated, it can be rotated downward from the retracted position to the lowest position in use. The armrest 1 can be used when the arm member 31 is between the lowermost position in use (FIG. 2A) and the uppermost position in use (FIG. 2B). In this range (the range in which the armrest 1 can be used), the height (angle) of the arm member 31 can be adjusted by the lock spring mechanism 4 (see FIG. 1C) described later. Has become. Below, this range may be called a "height adjustment range."

  As shown in FIG. 3, the lock spring mechanism 4 includes a lock spring 41, which is a coil spring externally fitted to the cylindrical wall portion 31 a of the lock drum 22 and the arm member 31, and one end portion 41 a (free end) of the lock spring 41. ) Is operated (a mechanism including a lock release cam 42 and a lock return cam 43 described later). The other end portion 41b of the lock spring 41 is a fixed end fixed to the turning side member 3. When the arm member 31 is in the above-mentioned height adjustment range, the lock spring mechanism 4 allows the arm member 31 to rotate upward, but at the same time restricts the downward rotation of the arm member 31. When the time exceeds the uppermost position, the unlocked state that allows the arm member 31 to rotate downward is exhibited.

  That is, when the arm member 31 is in the height adjustment range (when the arm member 31 is in the locked state), when the arm member 31 is rotated downward, the lock spring 41 clamps the lock drum 22 and rotates. It is in an impossible state. On the other hand, when the arm member 31 is rotated upward, the lock spring 41 is loosened relative to the lock drum 22 and is rotatable.

  Further, when the arm member 31 in the height adjustment range is rotated upward and the arm member 31 exceeds the uppermost position (FIG. 2B) during use, the lock release cam 42 provided on the lock drum 22. (FIG. 3B) abuts on the free end 41a of the lock spring 41 and forcibly displaces the free end 41a in the unlocking direction (the direction in which the lock spring 41 is loosened) and locks on the locking portion 44. Then, the unlocked state is developed. Further, when the arm member 31 is rotated downward while the arm member 31 is in the unlocked state, the lock drum 22 is moved to the position immediately before the arm member 31 reaches the lowest position (FIG. 2A) in use. The lock return cam 43 (FIG. 3B) provided is brought into contact with the free end 41a of the lock spring 41, and the free end 41a of the lock spring 41 is disengaged from the locking portion 44. Therefore, the above-mentioned locked state is developed again, and the height of the arm member 31 is adjusted again.

  By the way, as shown in FIG. 2A, when the arm member 31 is at the lowermost position during use, two lower stopper contact portions 51 provided on the fixed side member 2 and the turning side member. The two lower stopper abutted portions 52 provided on the arm 3 contact each other, so that the arm member 31 does not rotate downward from the lowermost position during use. The lower strength of the lower stopper including the lower stopper contact portion 51 and the lower stopper contacted portion 52 is set to about 980N. Further, as shown in FIG. 2C, when the arm member 31 is in the retracted position, the upper stopper contact portion 61 provided on the fixed side member 2 and the upper stopper abutment provided on the rotation side member 3 are provided. The arm member 31 is prevented from pivoting upward from the storage position by contacting the contact target portion 62 with each other.

The lower stopper abutted portions 52 are a pair of pairs formed at two positions on the base end side of the arm member 31 (rotating side member 3) that face each other with the rotation center L ₂ of the rotating side member 3 interposed therebetween. It is the wall surface of the step portion of the remaining flat portion 31b. The pair of remaining flat surface portions 31b are provided at two positions on the base end side of the steel plate arm member 31 (rotation side member 3) and along the rotation direction of the arm member 31 (rotation side member 3). When the recess 31c is pressed, it is a portion that remains without being molded. The remaining flat surface portion 31b is in a relatively protruding state when viewed from the hollow portion 31c. Each of the remaining flat surface portions 31b has a pair of step portion wall surfaces on one side in the rotation direction of the rotation side member 3 and on the other side in the rotation direction, and one of them serves as the lower stopper contacted portion 52. The other side serves as the upper stopper contacted portion 62.

  On the other hand, the lower stopper abutting portion 51 is provided at a position corresponding to the lower stopper abutted portion 52, and is an end surface of the protruding piece portion 21 a of the mounting member 21. An end surface on the opposite side of the projecting piece portion 21a (an end surface on the side other than the lower stopper contact portion 51) is an upper stopper contact portion 61.

  In this way, the lower stopper contact portion 51 and the lower stopper contacted portion 52 that restrict the downward rotation of the arm member 31 are provided at two locations, and the lower stopper contact portion 51 and the lower stopper contact portion 51 are provided. The load applied to the stopper contacted portion 52 is dispersed.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a structure for ensuring the contact area of the contacted portion 52 for the lower stopper in the armrest 1 of the first embodiment, which is the contact portion 51 for the lower stopper (projecting piece). 21A) and a lower stopper contacted portion 52 (end surface of the remaining flat surface portion 31b) reinforced by corrugation are overlapped in the rotation direction of the arm member 31 and are enlarged views. The lower stopper abutted portion 52 is not limited to be reinforced by the arm member 31 alone, but may be additionally reinforced by using a part of the cover plate 32 (FIG. 3) described later.

  As described above, by making the lower stopper contacted portion 52 a devised stepped molding portion, necessary contact between the lower stopper contact portion 51 and the lower stopper contacted portion 52 is achieved. It is possible to secure the area. In addition, in the armrest 1 of the first embodiment, as described above, the protruding piece portion 21a and the remaining flat surface portion 31b are also provided with the upper stopper contact portion 61 and the upper stopper contacted portion 62. The required contact area between the upper stopper contact portion 61 and the upper stopper contacted portion 62 can be secured. The strength of the upper stoppers 61 and 62 is not so required, but in the armrest of the first embodiment, the upper stoppers 61 and 62 have the same shape as the lower stoppers 51 and 52.

  As described above, the lower stopper abutting portion 51 and the lower stopper abutted portion 52, the upper stopper abutting portion 61 and the upper stopper abutting portion 62 are provided at a plurality of positions, respectively. By devising that the contact area of each becomes wider (stepped molding part), when the lower stopper abutting part 51 and the lower stopper abutted part abut, and the upper stopper abutting part When the contact part 61 and the upper stopper contacted part 62 contact each other, the force applied to each part can be dispersed. In addition, by setting the strengths of the upper stoppers 61, 62 and the lower stoppers 51, 52 to be the same, it is possible to share the left-hand arm member 31 and the right-hand arm member 31.

  Therefore, the plate thickness of the constituent members of the armrest 1 such as the mounting member 21 and the arm member 31 can be reduced. For example, the plate thickness of the arm member 31 can be reduced from about 1.4 mm in the related art to about 0.6 mm, and the plate thickness of the mounting member 21 is about 4.2 mm in the related art. The object can be reduced to about 2.6 mm. Therefore, the weight of the armrest 1 can be reduced.

If the pair of remaining flat surface portions 31b forming the lower stopper contacted portion 52 are arranged so as to face each other with the rotation center L ₂ of the rotation side member 3 interposed therebetween, a specific arrangement thereof is particularly preferable. Not limited. In the armrest 1 of the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2A, the pair of remaining flat surface portions 31b are arranged on the longitudinal centerline L ₁ of the arm member 31. Therefore, the arm member 31 has a symmetrical shape with respect to the center line L ₁ . Therefore, the parts of the arm member 31 for the left hand and the parts of the arm member 31 for the right hand can be shared, and the manufacturing cost of the armrest 1 can be suppressed.

Further, in the armrest 1 of the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the rotation side member 3 has a structure in which the lock drum 22 (fixed side member 2) is sandwiched from both sides in the longitudinal direction of the rotation center line L _2. There is. Specifically, the cover plate 32 covering one end side of the lock drum 22 is integrally attached to the base end side of the arm member 31, and the flat plate portion of the cover plate 32 and the tubular wall portion of the arm member 31 are attached. The lock drum 22 is sandwiched from both sides by the end surface of 31a. A step portion for abutting the end surface of the cylindrical wall portion 31a is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the lock drum 22.

This makes it possible to increase the strength of the armrest 1 in the lateral direction (horizontal direction). Specifically, in a general height-adjustable armrest, the lateral allowable load strength is about 600 N, whereas in the armrest 1 of the first embodiment, the lateral allowable load strength is increased to about 980 N. ing. Further, as described above, by adopting the structure in which the fixed side member 2 is sandwiched by the rotating side member 3, it is possible to downsize the armrest 1 and further reduce the weight.

2. Armrest of Second Embodiment Next, the armrest of the second embodiment will be described. The armrest of the second embodiment will be described focusing on a configuration different from that of the armrest of the first embodiment. Regarding the structure not particularly mentioned in the armrest of the second embodiment, it is possible to adopt the same structure as the armrest of the first embodiment described above. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the armrest 1 of the second embodiment is longitudinally cut along a center line of the arm member 31 (a straight line corresponding to the center line L ₁ in FIG. 1).

In the armrest 1 of the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the rotation side member 3 (the cover plate 32 and the tubular wall portion 31a of the arm member 31) rotates the fixed side member 2 (lock drum 22) around the rotation center line. The structure was such that it was sandwiched from both sides in the longitudinal direction of L ₂ . On the other hand, in the armrest 1 of the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the fixed side member 2 has a structure in which the rotating side member 3 is sandwiched from both sides in the longitudinal direction of the rotation center line L ₂ . Specifically, the flange portion 22a is provided at the end of the lock drum 22 opposite to the side fixed to the mounting member 21, and the base end side plate 33 that covers the base end side of the arm member 31 is attached to the arm. The plate 31 of the mounting member 21 and the flange 22a of the lock drum 22 are integrally attached to the base end side of the member 31, and the standing wall portion 33a of the base end side plate 33 and the base end of the arm member 31. The area around the part is sandwiched from both sides.

Even if the rotating side member 3 does not sandwich the fixed side member 2 like the armrest 1 of the first embodiment, the fixed side member 2 rotates on the rotating side like the armrest 1 of the second embodiment. If the structure in which the member 3 is sandwiched is adopted, it is possible to increase the lateral allowable load strength of the armrest 1 and downsize the armrest 1.

3. Armrest of Third Embodiment Next, the armrest of the third embodiment will be described. The armrest of the third embodiment will also be described focusing on a configuration different from that of the armrest of the first embodiment. Regarding the structure not particularly mentioned in the armrest of the third embodiment, the structure substantially similar to that of the armrest of the first embodiment or the second embodiment described above can be adopted. FIG. 6 is a view showing the armrest 1 of the third embodiment as viewed from the seat center side.

In the armrest 1 of the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2A, the pair of remaining flat surface portions 31b forming the lower stopper contacted portion 52 and the upper stopper contacted portion 62 are provided in the arm member. It was arranged on the center line L _{1 in} the longitudinal direction of 31. Therefore, in the armrest 1 of the first embodiment, a space for providing an injection port 31d for injecting a cushion material such as urethane foam inside a skin (not shown) covering the arm member 31 is provided around the remaining flat surface portion 31b. There was nothing else. However, when the injection port 31d is provided in the remaining flat surface portion 31b itself, it becomes difficult to maintain the strength of the arm member 31 around the injection opening 31d. The inlet 31d was provided. Therefore, the injection port 31d may be visible from the outside of the armrest 1 unless the process of hiding the injection port 31d is performed.

On the other hand, in the armrest 1 of the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the pair of remaining flat surface portions 31b is a line L inclined by 20 to 40 ° with respect to the longitudinal centerline L ₁ of the arm member 31. It is placed on top of ₃ . This makes it possible to secure a space for providing the injection port 31d in the one recess 31c. If the injection port 31d is provided at the location shown in FIG. 6, the strength of the arm member 31 around the injection port 31d can be maintained. In addition, it is possible to provide the inlet 31d at a position closer to the rotation center L ₂ of the rotation-side member 3, the inlet 31d is also possible to less visible from the outside of the armrest 1.

4. Armrest of 4th embodiment Then, the armrest of 4th embodiment is demonstrated. The armrest of the fourth embodiment will also be described focusing on a configuration different from that of the armrest of the first embodiment. With respect to the structure not particularly mentioned in the armrest of the fourth embodiment, substantially the same structure as the armrest of the first embodiment to the third embodiment described above can be adopted. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the lock drum 22 in the armrest 1 of the fourth embodiment.

In the lock drum 22 of the armrest 1 of the first embodiment, the entire peripheral wall portion is formed in a cylindrical shape. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, the lock drum 22 of the armrest 1 according to the fourth embodiment has a peripheral wall portion including a cylindrical surface portion 22c having a cylindrical surface shape and a flat surface portion 22b having a flat surface shape. It has become a thing. In the example of FIG. 7, the four cylindrical surface portions 22c and the four flat surface portions 22b are arranged so as to be rotationally symmetrical with respect to the center line L ₄ of the lock drum 22. As a result, by forming an edge at the boundary between the cylindrical surface portion 22c and the flat surface portion 22b of the lock drum 22, it is possible to increase the frictional force and increase the locking force of the lock spring mechanism 4.

  In addition, in the lock drum 22 of the armrest 1 of the fourth embodiment, among the four flat surface portions 22b, a pair of facing flat surface portions 22b has a part of cams (FIGS. In the example of No. 7, a lock return cam 43) is provided. Although it is not easy to provide the cam on the cylindrical surface portion 22c with high dimensional accuracy, the cam can be provided with high dimensional accuracy on the flat surface portion 22b. Therefore, the manufacturing process of the lock drum 22 can be easily incorporated in the progressive process.

Further, of the four flat surface portions 22b, the other pair of flat surface portions 22b facing each other is cut by cutting the portion connected to the edge rail or the feed rail in the lock drum 22 that is pressed through the progressive feeding process. The part 22d is left. The cutting portion 22d is housed inside the cylindrical surface (a virtual cylindrical surface that is an extension of the cylindrical surface formed by the cylindrical surface portion 22c) so that the cutting portion 22d does not protrude and the burr-like cutting portion 22d is left as it is. However, the operation of the lock spring mechanism 4 is not adversely affected.

5. Armrest of Fifth Embodiment Next, the armrest of the fifth embodiment will be described. The armrest of the fifth embodiment will also be described focusing on a configuration different from that of the armrest of the first embodiment. As for the structure not particularly mentioned in the armrest of the fifth embodiment, it is possible to adopt the same structure as the armrest of the first embodiment to the fourth embodiment described above. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the armrest 1 of the fifth embodiment is longitudinally cut along a center line of the arm member 31 (a straight line corresponding to the center line L ₁ of FIG. 1).

  In the armrest 1 of the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the tubular wall portion 31a of the arm member 31 has a single plate structure (single structure). On the other hand, in the armrest 1 of the fifth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the tubular wall portion 31a of the arm member 31 has a two-plate structure (double structure). The tubular wall portion 31a of the arm member 31 is a place where a load is easily applied. By forming this portion into a two-plate structure, the tubular wall portion 31a can be formed without increasing the plate thickness of the arm member 31. It is possible to reinforce. In the example of FIG. 8, the tubular wall portion 31a has a two-plate structure by bending back one plate, but the present invention is not limited to this, and one plate may be overlaid with another plate. Thus, the tubular wall portion 31a can have a two-plate structure.

  In addition, in the armrest 1 of the first embodiment, the arm member 31 is formed by pressing one steel plate material (steel plate) (press work product), and the arm member 31 The whole was made of steel. Further, a curl bending portion is provided at the edge of the arm member 31 to improve the strength and safety of the arm member 31. However, the width of the tip end side of the arm member 31 is narrower than that of other portions, and it is not easy to form the curl bent portion at the tip end portion of the arm member 31.

On the other hand, in the armrest 1 of the fifth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the arm member 31 includes a steel arm member main body 31e and a resin arm attached to the tip of the arm member main body 31e. It is composed of a member cap portion 31f. The arm member main body portion 31e has a form in which the tip end side is cut off, and the arm member cap portion 31f is fitted into this cut off portion. The arm member main body 31e has a curl bent portion at its edge, but does not have a curl bent portion at the tip of the arm member main body 31e. The strength and safety of the tip portion of the arm member main body portion 31e are ensured by the arm member cap portion 31f. In this way, by forming the tip end portion of the arm member 31 with the arm member cap portion 31f, the arm member 31 satisfies the necessary specifications without performing complicated curl bending on the tip end portion of the arm member 31. You can do things with it.

6. Armrest of 6th Embodiment Finally, the armrest of 6th Embodiment is demonstrated. The armrest of the sixth embodiment will also be described focusing on a configuration different from that of the armrest of the first embodiment. As for the structure not particularly mentioned in the armrest of the sixth embodiment, the same structure as the armrest of the first embodiment to the fifth embodiment described above can be adopted. FIG. 9 shows the armrest 1 of the sixth embodiment in a state (a) viewed from the seat center side and (b) along the center line L ₁ of the arm member 31 (see FIG. 9A). It is the figure which showed the state cut | disconnected in the direction, respectively.

In the armrest 1 of the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the arm member 31 is a pressed product of a steel plate material (steel plate). On the other hand, in the armrest 1 of the sixth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the arm member 31 is a bent product of a steel wire rod (steel wire). As a result, the arm member 31 can be formed by a bending process that is easier than press forming, and the processing cost of the arm member 31 can be suppressed. The diameter of the steel wire (steel wire) forming the arm member 31 can be about 6 mm.

7. Further reduction of weight of armrest In the armrest 1 of the present invention described above, the load applied to the lower stoppers 51, 52 is provided by providing the lower stopper contact portion 51 and the lower stopper contacted portion 52 at two locations. By reducing the thickness of the armrest 1 and reducing the plate thickness of the constituent members of the armrest 1, the weight can be reduced. However, the weight is further reduced by the following measures.

  For example, in the armrest 1 of the first embodiment and the like, the uppermost position in use (Fig. 2 (b)), which is the upper limit of the height adjustment range, is set lower. Specifically, the lowermost position in use (Fig. 2 (a)), which is the lower limit of the height adjustment range, is set to a position where the arm member 31 is horizontal, while the uppermost position in use (Fig. 2 (b)) is set. )) Is set at a position where the tip of the arm member 31 is at a height of 50 to 60 mm from the lowermost position in use.

  Further, in the conventional armrest that employs the lock spring mechanism, the downward strength of the lock spring is set to about 490 N. However, in the armrest 1 of the first embodiment and the like, the lock spring 41 (FIG. 1 (c)) is used. The directional strength is set to about one third, about 190 N, or less. For this reason, the lock force of the lock spring 41 is small, but as described above, the uppermost position in use (FIG. 2B), which is the upper limit of the height adjustment range, is set to a low position. Even if the arm member 31 in the adjustment range rotates downward, the drop is small and the safety is ensured.

As described above, by setting the uppermost position at the time of use to be low, the downward strength of the lock spring 41 can be reduced, so that the lock spring 41 and the lock drum 22 can be reduced, and the lock drum 22 and the arm can be reduced. It is possible to further reduce the plate thickness of the cylindrical wall portion 31a of the member 31. Therefore, the armrest 1 can be further downsized and reduced in weight. When the plate thickness of the constituent members of the armrest 1 is reduced, it becomes easy to process those constituent members into a desired shape, and the progressive production (progression) of the constituent members of the armrest 1 is promoted to reduce the manufacturing cost of the armrest 1. There is also an advantage that it can be suppressed.

8. Use The armrest of the present invention described above can be provided in various seats, and its use is not particularly limited, but it is suitable for use in a seat installed in a moving body such as an automobile.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Armrest 2 Fixed side member 3 Rotation side member 4 Lock spring mechanism 21 Mounting member 21a Projecting piece part 22 Lock drum 22a Flange part 22b Flat surface part 22c Cylindrical surface part 22d Cutting part 31 Arm member 31a Cylindrical wall part 31b Remaining flat surface part 31c Indentation 31d Inlet 31e Arm member body 31f Arm member cap 32 Cover plate 33 Base plate 33a Standing wall 41 Lock spring 41a One end of lock spring (free end)
41b Lock spring other end (fixed end)
42 Unlocking cam (cam mechanism)
43 Lock return cam (cam mechanism)
44 Locking portion 51 Lower stopper abutting portion 52 Lower stopper abutting portion 61 Upper stopper abutting portion 62 Upper stopper abutting portion

Claims (7)

A mounting member that is mounted in a stationary state with respect to the seat frame, and a fixed-side member that includes a lock drum that is integrally fixed to the mounting member,
An arm member for supporting the arm, the arm member is provided with a tubular wall portion arranged on the same axis as the lock drum, and a rotation side member that rotates about the lock drum as an axis,
It consists of a lock drum and a lock spring consisting of a coil spring fitted on the tubular wall of the arm member, and a cam mechanism that operates the free end of the lock spring. When the arm member is in the height adjustment range between the upper position and the upper position, a locked state is created that restricts the downward rotation of the arm member while allowing the upward rotation of the arm member. A height-adjustable armrest having a lock spring mechanism that develops an unlocked state that allows downward rotation of a member,
The lower stopper contact portions are provided at a pair of two or more locations on the fixed side member that face each other with the center of rotation of the rotary side member interposed therebetween,
The turning member is provided with a pair of two or more lower stopper abutted portions that abut each of the two or more lower stopper abutting portions when the arm member is at the lowermost position in use. The
Each of the lower stopper contacted portions serves as a stepped portion wall surface of a recess formed in the rotation side member,
A height-adjustable armrest characterized in that the abutted portion for the lower stopper is a stepped molding portion having a reinforced cross section.
The height-adjustable armrest according to claim 1, wherein one of the fixed-side member and the rotating-side member has a structure in which the other is sandwiched in the longitudinal direction of the rotating shaft of the rotating-side member.
3. The height-adjustable armrest according to claim 1, wherein a pair of remaining flat portions having two or more lower stopper abutted portions are symmetrically arranged with respect to a longitudinal centerline of the arm member.
The height according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the remaining flat surface portion having a pair of lower stopper contacted portions at two or more locations is arranged on a line inclined by 20 to 40 ° with respect to the longitudinal centerline of the arm member. Adjustable armrest.
The peripheral wall portion of the lock drum is composed of a cylindrical surface portion having a cylindrical surface shape and a flat surface portion having a flat surface shape,
The height-adjustable armrest according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of a cam mechanism of a lock spring mechanism is provided on the flat surface portion.
Arm member,
A steel arm member body,
It consists of a resin arm member cap attached to the tip of the arm member main body,
The height-adjustable armrest according to claim 1, wherein the tubular wall portion of the arm member is reinforced by a two-plate structure.
  The height-adjustable armrest according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the arm member is a bent product of a steel wire rod.

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