FR3080070A1 - VEHICLE BENCH WITH ARMREST WITH TABLETS - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a bench (1) of a vehicle comprising a seat, a backrest and a central armrest (7) for transforming said seat (1) into two seats (5, 6), said armrest (7) being fit to move from a retracted position in the backrest to an extended position on the seat (10) by means of a forward rotation. According to the invention, the armrest (7) supports at least one shelf (13, 14) associated with a pivoting mechanism involving at least one pin (22) secured to the shelf (13, 14), and at least one groove helical (26) made in the armrest (7), and said shelf (13, 14) is adapted to move from a stowed position in the armrest (7) for which it is completely included in said armrest (7), at an extended position for which it protrudes from said armrest (7) by being raised relative to the stored position, by means of a rotation of said shelf (13, 14) on the armrest (7), guided by the movement of the pin (22) in the groove (26).

Description

VEHICLE BENCH WITH ARMREST WITH SHELVES

The invention relates to a vehicle seat with an armrest with shelves.

It is assumed that such a bench conventionally includes a seat and a backrest.

Certain motor vehicles include a rear bench seat defining three places, said bench seat being able to transform into two comfortable seats by means of the folding of a central armrest. Indeed, in a three-seat configuration, the armrest is tucked into the back of the seat, and when said seat is transformed into two seats, the armrest is tilted forward until it comes to rest on the seated. In this way, the three-seater bench converts into two spacious seats, separated by the folded armrest.

The folded armrest constitutes an element of comfort, capable of supporting the arms of the passengers who would be seated on the seats, and likely to have additional functions, such as for example serving as a cup holder, to further improve the comfort of said passengers. .

A vehicle seat according to the invention can be transformed into two seats, thanks to a pivoting armrest having several functions intended to improve the comfort of the passengers who would be seated on said seat.

The subject of the invention is a vehicle seat comprising a seat, a backrest and a central armrest making it possible to transform said seat into two seats, said armrest being able to pass from a position retracted into the backrest to an extended position on the seated by means of a forward rotation.

According to the invention, the armrest supports at least one tablet associated with a pivoting mechanism involving at least one pin secured to the tablet and at least one helical groove made in the armrest, said tablet being able to pass from a position stored in the armrest for which it is completely included in said armrest, in a deployed position for which it projects from said armrest while being raised relative to the stored position, by means of a rotation of said shelf on the armrest, guided by moving the pin in the groove. In this way, to move from the stowed position to the deployed position, the tablet undergoes a two-component movement, an upward translation and a rotation. A rotation of the tablet constitutes a displacement of the tablet with a reduced bulk, not requiring a large clearance space. Such a movement is often favored in a motor vehicle, for which the available spaces are few and not extensive. An upward translation makes it possible to deploy the tablet on the armrest in a vertical direction, so that an occupant can comfortably extend his legs under said tablet, without having to make the slightest effort or to contort. By manually rotating the tablet on the armrest from its stored position, the pin will move along the groove and will help raise the tablet due to the particular profile of the groove. Preferably, the pin is fixed to the tablet without the possibility of being moved relative thereto. The tablet can be compared to a small tray sized to receive everyday objects, such as for example a smartphone or an electronic tablet. In the stowed position, the tablet remains included in the armrest, so as not to prevent said armrest from occupying the retracted position in the backrest of the bench seat, because the location of said backrest intended to receive said armrest is dimensioned as accurately as possible. to receive it. The armrest has a certain width to allow each of the occupants seated on a seat to be able to rest an arm on it. In the deployed position, the tablet can project in front of the armrest and / or laterally with respect to it. Advantageously, each tablet can occupy a plurality of intermediate positions between the stowed position and the deployed position. It is assumed that for each of these intermediate positions, the tablet is locked in rotation.

Advantageously, said at least one tablet pivots about a vertical axis. In this way, the amplitude of movement of each tablet relative to the armrest is reduced.

Preferably, the amplitude of rotation of said at least one shelf to pass from the stored position to the deployed position is substantially 180 °. In other words, the amplitude of rotation is 180 ° plus or minus 10 °.

Preferably, said at least one shelf is planar and comprises a first section and a second section, said two sections being arranged perpendicularly, the first section being secured to the pivoting mechanism and the second section serving to carry an object. The two sections are therefore in the same plane, and can each be used to carry an object depending on the position of the tablet on the armrest.

Advantageously, in the stowed position the second section extends transversely relative to a longitudinal axis of the armrest and is placed behind the first section, and in the deployed position the second section is found in front of the first section and s' extends transversely to a longitudinal axis of the armrest.

Advantageously, said at least one tablet is pivotally mounted at a zone before the armrest. Indeed, it is at this end zone that the tablet is most useful, because it is easily accessible by an occupant who would be seated on one of said seats.

Preferably, the pivoting mechanism comprises a cylindrical wall included in the armrest and delimiting a recess, the groove being produced in said wall and said recess being intended to receive a base delimited by a cylindrical wall of said at least one shelf and from which protrudes the pin, the passage from the stowed position to the deployed position being effected by means of a rotation of the base in the recess. The base of the tablet acts as an axis of rotation, which will pivot on itself inside the cylindrical recess of the armrest, in order to be able to move the tablet between the stored position and the deployed position.

Preferably, the armrest comprises two shelves, one intended for a passenger seated in one seat and the other provided for a passenger seated in the other seat. The two shelves are advantageously placed side by side on the armrest, and are aligned along a transverse axis of the armrest. Each occupant seated in a seat can have their own tablet.

Advantageously, the base of said at least one shelf is hollow, and is dimensioned to serve as a cup holder. Since said at least one shelf pivots around its base, the latter is not moved in translation and can therefore be used to support a glass, a cup or a can. For this configuration, said at least one tablet serves both as a support for an object which may for example be of the smartphone type, and as a cup holder.

Another subject of the invention is an assembly comprising an armrest and at least one tablet for the production of a bench seat according to the invention.

According to the invention, the armrest supports said at least one tablet by means of a pivoting mechanism involving a pin secured to the tablet, and a helical groove made in the armrest, said at least one tablet being able to pass from '' a stowed position in the armrest for which it is completely included in said armrest, in a deployed position for which it projects laterally from said armrest while being raised relative to the stowed position, by means of a rotation of said at least one tablet on the armrest, guided by the movement of the pin in the groove.

A vehicle seat according to the invention has the advantage of being able to be effectively transformed into two particularly comfortable seats, thanks to the presence of a central armrest, which can serve both as a cup holder and as a support platform for objects such as for example smartphones or electronic tablets. It also has the advantage of having an armrest having an optimized size thanks to the concentration of all of its functions over a small area of the armrest.

A detailed description is given below of a preferred embodiment of a bench seat according to the invention, with reference to the following figures:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bench seat according to the invention, the armrest being in a retracted position,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the seat in FIG. 1, the armrest being in an extended position,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bench seat in FIGS. 1 and 2, the armrest being in an extended position and the shelves being in a stored position,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bench seat of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the armrest being in an extended position and the shelves being in a deployed position,

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the seat of FIGS. 1 to 4, the armrest being in an extended position, one tablet being in a deployed position and the other tablet being in an intermediate position,

FIG. 6 is a side view of a bench seat according to the invention, the armrest being in an extended position and at least one tablet being in a deployed position,

FIG. 7 is an enlarged side view of the armrest of the seat in FIG. 6,

FIG. 8 is a side view of the interaction zone between a tablet and the armrest of a bench seat according to the invention,

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a bench seat according to the invention, the armrest being in an extended position, and the shelves being in a deployed position,

- Figure 10 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a bench seat according to the invention, the armrest being in an extended position, and the shelves being in a deployed position.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a vehicle seat 1 according to the invention initially has three seats 2, 3, 4 as illustrated in Figure

1, and can be converted into two comfortable seats 5, 6 as illustrated in FIG. 2, by the back flap 7 of the central place 3. In fact, each of the three places is characterized by a back and by a seat, the backrest of the two lateral places 2, 4 which can be surmounted by a headrest 8 of variable height. The backrest 7 of the central place 3 includes a headrest 9 which is integrated into said backrest 7, in order to form a single piece, said headrest therefore not being adjustable in height. The central file 7 is therefore able to pass by pivoting from a retracted position (FIG. 1) for which it is inserted into a recess in the back of the bench seat 1, so as to be in continuity with the files of the two lateral places 2, 4, in an extended position (FIG. 2) for which it has been folded down on the seat 10 of the central place 3. In the extended position, the central backrest 7 acts as a common armrest for the two comfortable seats 5, 6 , so that the occupants who would be seated on said seats 5, 6 can put one of their arms on said armrest 7. To pass from the retracted position to the extended position, the central backrest 7 rotates forward , from an angle between 90 ° and 120 °. In the extended position, the central backrest 7 can be in contact with the seat 10 of the central position 3 or remain a few centimeters from the latter.

For the following description, the central backrest 7 will be called the armrest.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3, in the extended position, the armrest 7 is elongated and has an upper wall 11 acting as a cover. This wall 11 is pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis of rotation extending in a transverse direction of the armrest 7, said axis being placed at a rear region of the armrest. It can therefore pass from a closed position of the armrest 7, as illustrated in the figure.

2, to a fully open position as illustrated in FIG. 4, passing through intermediate positions as illustrated in FIG. 3. In the fully open position, this wall 11 is in continuity with the backrests of the two seats 5, 6 comfortable.

Referring to FIG. 4, when the upper wall 11 is completely open, it gives access to a storage space 12 located in a rear zone of the armrest 7 and to two support shelves 13, 14, placed in a front zone of said armrest 7. The storage space 12 is a free space located inside the armrest 7 and delimited by walls of said armrest 7. This storage space 12 can be closed by a sliding upper flap 15, placed at the level of an upper opening of said storage space 12. This flap 15 is capable of sliding along a longitudinal axis of the armrest 7, between a closed position of the storage space 12 and an open position of the latter, said sliding being effected towards the rear of the armrest 7.

The support shelves 13, 14 are capable of passing each and independently from a stowed position for which they are completely included in the armrest 7, as illustrated in FIG. 3, to a deployed position for which they project laterally from the armrest 7, as illustrated in FIG. 4. To pass from one position to the other, they must each undergo a rotation of 180 ° around a vertical axis, said rotation being carried out, either by means of a manipulation of the tablet 13, 14 by an occupant of the vehicle, either automatically by means of a control member and a motorization. The term “independent” means that a single shelf 13, 14 can be rotated to pass from one position to another, without the other shelf 13, 14 not undergoing any displacement.

According to another embodiment of a bench seat according to the invention, the deployment of only one of the two shelves 13, 14 systematically and concomitantly causes the deployment of the other shelf 13, 14 with the same amplitude.

The support tablets 13, 14 are relatively small in size, since they are designed to support objects 30 such as, for example, smartphones or electronic tablets. Each shelf 13, 14 is flat and of small thickness, and comprises a first section 16 and a second section 17 arranged in the same plane, being perpendicular to one another. The first section 16 is connected to a pivot mechanism of the shelf 13, 14, and the second section 17 has an inclined flap 18 which can serve as a support for the object carried by the shelf 13, 14, as shown in the Figures 7 and 10.

Referring to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, the first section 16 comprises, at an end zone, a hollow cylindrical base 19, delimited by a cylindrical side wall 20 and by a solid circular bottom 21. In other words, the first section 16 comprises a circular opening, and the base 19 is located on said first section 16 so that the cylindrical side wall 20 of the base 19 surrounds said opening, and the plane of the bottom 21 of said base 19 is offset relative to the plane of the first section 16. This base 19 has two cylindrical and diametrically opposite pins 22, projecting from an external surface of the cylindrical side wall 20 of said base 19.

A front zone of the armrest 7 has two identical cylindrical recesses 23, aligned along a transverse axis of said armrest 7. Each cylindrical recess 23 is delimited by a cylindrical side wall 24 and by a solid circular bottom 25. Two helical grooves 26 having a similar profile are made in the cylindrical side wall 24 delimiting the recess 23. Each groove 26 begins with a horizontal lower sector, then is extended by a rising sector which ends in a horizontal upper sector. The two grooves 26 are arranged diametrically opposite on the cylindrical side wall 24 delimiting the recess 23.

The base 19 of the first section 16 of each shelf 13, 14 is inserted into one of the two recesses 23 in the front area of the armrest 7, so that each of the two pins 22 is engaged in a groove 26. If the two pins 22 were found at the horizontal lower sectors of the grooves 26, a rotation of the base 19 in the recess 23, would cause a progressive elevation of the base 19 due to the displacement of the pins 22 in the rising sectors of said grooves 26. This elevation stops when the pins 22 reach the horizontal upper sectors of the grooves 26. In the stored position, the pins 22 are placed at the lower sectors of the grooves 26, and in the deployed position the pins are placed in the upper sectors of said grooves 26, after having passed through the rising sectors thereof 26.

Referring to Figure 3, when the shelves 13, 14 are in the stowed position, the second sections 17 extend in a transverse direction of the armrest 7 and are placed behind the first sections 16, which extend to them in a longitudinal direction of said armrest 7. In this stored configuration, the two second sections 17 are superposed on one another.

Referring to Figures 4, 6, 7, 9 and 10, when an occupant wishes to deploy his tablet 13, 14, he rotates it by approximately 180 ° in the recess 23 in the area before the armrest 7 , until the second section 17 extends again in a transverse direction of the armrest 7 but being placed in front of the first section 16, which again extends to it in a longitudinal direction of the armrest 7 Thanks to the interaction between the pins 22 and the grooves 26, the shelf 13, 14 has risen between the stowed position and the deployed position, in particular to allow an occupant of the vehicle to place his legs under said shelf 13 , 14.

It is obviously assumed that it remains as simple to store the shelves 13, 14 in the armrest 7, performing a reverse movement to that described above, and which will inevitably be accompanied by a lowering of said shelf 13, 14.

Referring to Figures 6 and 7, the hollow bases 19 of the first sections 16 of the shelves 13, 14 are dimensioned so as to be able to act as a cup holder when the shelves 13, 14 are in a deployed position. They can thus accommodate an object 40, such as for example, a glass, a cup, a can or a bottle. This cup holder function is particularly suitable because of the elevation of the bases 19 on the armrest 7.

Claims (10)

1. Vehicle seat (1) comprising a seat, a backrest and a central armrest (7) making it possible to transform said seat (1) into two seats (5, 6), said armrest (7) being able to pass from a position retracted into the backrest to an extended position on the seat (10) by means of a forward rotation, characterized in that the armrest (7) supports at least one tablet (13, 14) associated with a pivoting mechanism involving at least one pin (22) secured to the tablet (13, 14), and at least one helical groove (26) formed in the armrest (7), and in that said tablet (13, 14) is capable of passing from a stowed position in the armrest (7) for which it is completely included in said armrest (7), to a deployed position for which it projects from said armrest (7) while being raised relative to the position row, by means of a rotation of said shelf (13, 14) on the armrest (7), guided by the movement of the pin (22) in the groove (26). 2. Vehicle bench seat according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one shelf (13, 14) pivots about a vertical axis. 3. Vehicle bench seat according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the amplitude of rotation of said at least one shelf (13, 14) to pass from the stored position to the deployed position is substantially 180 °. 4. Vehicle bench seat according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said at least one shelf (13, 14) is planar and comprises a first section (16) and a second section (17), said two sections (16, 17) being arranged perpendicularly, and in that the first section (16) is secured to the pivoting mechanism and the second section (17) is used to carry an object (30). 5. Vehicle bench seat according to claim 4, characterized in that in the stowed position the second section (17) extends transversely relative to a longitudinal axis of the armrest (7) and is placed behind the first section (16 ), and in that in the deployed position the second section (17) is found in front of the first section (16) and extends transversely relative to a longitudinal axis of the armrest (7). 6. Vehicle bench seat according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said at least one shelf (13, 14) is pivotally mounted at a front area of the armrest (7). 7. Vehicle bench seat according to claim 1 to 6, characterized in that the pivoting mechanism comprises a cylindrical wall (24) included in the armrest and delimiting a recess (23), the groove (26) being produced in said wall (24), and in that said recess (23) is intended to receive a base (19) delimited by a cylindrical wall (20) of said at least one shelf (13, 14) and from which protrudes the pin (22) , the passage from the stowed position to the deployed position being effected by means of a rotation of the base (19) in the recess (23). 8. Vehicle bench seat according to claim 7, characterized in that the armrest (7) comprises two shelves (13, 14), one provided for a passenger seated on a seat (5, 6) and the other provided for a passenger seated in the other seat (5, 6). 9. Bench according to any one of claims 7 or 8, characterized in that the base (19) of said at least one shelf (13, 14) is hollow, and is dimensioned to serve as a cup holder. 10. Assembly comprising an armrest (7) and at least one shelf (13, 14) for the production of a bench seat (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the armrest (7) supports said at least one shelf (13, 14) by means of a pivoting mechanism involving a pin (22) secured to said at least one shelf (13, 14), and a helical groove (26) made in the armrest (7), and in that said at least one shelf (13, 14) is able to pass from a stowed position in the armrest (7) for which it is completely included in said armrest (7), to a position deployed for which it projects laterally from said armrest (7) while being raised relative to the stowed position, by means of a rotation of said at least one shelf (13, 14) on the armrest (7), 5 guided by the displacement of the pin (22) in the groove (26).