GB2070425A

GB2070425A - Arm-rest for a vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2070425A
Application number: GB8106035A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Daimler Benz AG
Current assignee: Daimler Benz AG
Priority date: 1980-03-04
Filing date: 1981-02-26
Publication date: 1981-09-09
Also published as: DE3008166A1

Abstract

An arm-rest, for a vehicle, comprises a foundation body 2, e.g. of plastics, which, under a predetermined force acting on it in a direction perpendicular to a face by which it is attached, e.g. to the door or wall, is permanently deformable with absorption of energy. The body has step-shaped shoulders 4 and connections between the individual shoulders are made as intended points of fracture 5, shearable when a pre-determined shock stress is exceeded, so that the said shoulders can telescope progressively one into another. The foundation body may be surrounded by plastics foam 6 on its inside and outside. There may be two spaced, but connected, deformable shouldered regions. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Arm-rest for a vehicle The invention relates to an arm-rest for an occupant of a vehicle, particularly but not exclusively an arm-rest for attachment to a door or other side wall of a motor vehicle, of the kind having a foundation body, preferably made of a plastics material and surrounded by upholstery, which body, when subjected to a predetermined force in a direction perpendicularly to a face at which it is attached, is permanently deformable with absorption of energy.

An arm-rest of this kind disclosed in German Auslegeschrift 1,267,116 has a foundation body provided with upper and lower shanks which extend substantially horizontally and are corrugated and which become permanently bent under a force such as is exerted, for example in an accident, by a vehicle occupant who is flung against the arm-rest. However, a disadvantage of such an arm-rest is that, because of the form adopted for the said shanks, the arm-rest can also yield during normal use in a direction perpendicular to the aforesaid force and thereby give rise to a feeling of instability.

The present invention seeks to avoid this disadvantage and to provide an arm-rest, especially for occupants of motor vehicles, which, while yieldable as intended, with absorption of energy, to a force directed perpendicularly to its attachment face, nevertheless satisfies requirements, with respect to bending and tensional forces, during normal vehicle operation.

According to the invention, in an arm-rest of the aforesaid kind, the foundation body has stepshaped shoulders and connections between the individual shoulders are made as intended points of fracture shearable when a predetermined shock stress is exceeded, so that the said shoulders can telescope one into another.

Preferably also the foundation body has two deformable shouldered regions.

One embodiment of the invention by way of example will be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a plan view of an arm-rest, Fig. 2 an elevational view of the arm-rest of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 a section on the line Ill-Ill in Fig. 2 to a larger scale, Fig. 4 a section on the line lV-lV in Fig. 2 to the larger scale, and Fig. 5 a detail at A in Fig. 4 to an even larger scale.

The arm-rest 1 illustrated has a foundation body 2 which is made of a plastics material and comprises two spaced deformable regions 2a and 2b connected to each other by a member 3. The regions 2a, 2b each have step-shaped shoulders 4, connected to one another by intended points of fracture 5 which extend substantially perpendicular to the walls of the shoulders 4 (Fig. 5). The fracture points 5 are designed so that shearing under shock stress caused by impact in an accident will commence in the region of the shoulders 4 which have the largest internal dimensions that is, in the example illustrated, adjoining the shoulders 4 nearest to the interior face of the adjacent vehicle wall. Thus intended shortening of the body 2 will be achieved by progressive shearing without endangering occupants of the vehicle.

The connecting member 3 between the two deformable regions 2a and 2b is designed so that it gives necessary support to the part of the armrest where the arm is placed, but also permits of the regions 2a and 2b functioning independently of each other.

The two deformable regions 2a and 2b of the body 2 are surrounded on their inside and outside by plastics foam 6 which contributes to the absorption of energy in the event of an accident.

In the example illustrated, the arm-rest 1 is intended to be attached by way of each foundation body 2 to the inner face of a vehicle wall or door by separate attachment means, whose position will be apparent from Figs. 4 and 5, passing through each part of the body in the regions 2a and 2b. The shoulders 4 of larger internal dimensions are located nearest to the interior face of the wall or door. If desired, the opposite disposition could be adopted. The shouldered body parts are open downwardly (Fig. 2).

1. An arm-rest for a vehicle occupant, comprising a foundation body which, under a predetermined force acting on it in a direction perpendicular to a face by which ;.t is attached, is permanently deformable with absorption of energy, which body has step-shaped shoulders and connections between the individual shoulders are made as intended points of fracture shearable when a predetermined shock stress is exceeded, so that the said shoulders can telescope one into another.

2. An arm-rest according to Claim 1, wherein the foundation body is surrounded by plastics foam on its inside and outside.

3. An arm-rest according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the shearable fracture points are so designed that the points nearest to the inside of the vehicle wall and adjoining the shoulders having the largest internal dimensions will be sheared first, shearing then continuing progressively to the further points.

4. An arm-rest according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the body has two deformable shouldered regions which are spaced from each other and connected to each other by a

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Arm-rest for a vehicle The invention relates to an arm-rest for an occupant of a vehicle, particularly but not exclusively an arm-rest for attachment to a door or other side wall of a motor vehicle, of the kind having a foundation body, preferably made of a plastics material and surrounded by upholstery, which body, when subjected to a predetermined force in a direction perpendicularly to a face at which it is attached, is permanently deformable with absorption of energy. An arm-rest of this kind disclosed in German Auslegeschrift 1,267,116 has a foundation body provided with upper and lower shanks which extend substantially horizontally and are corrugated and which become permanently bent under a force such as is exerted, for example in an accident, by a vehicle occupant who is flung against the arm-rest. However, a disadvantage of such an arm-rest is that, because of the form adopted for the said shanks, the arm-rest can also yield during normal use in a direction perpendicular to the aforesaid force and thereby give rise to a feeling of instability. The present invention seeks to avoid this disadvantage and to provide an arm-rest, especially for occupants of motor vehicles, which, while yieldable as intended, with absorption of energy, to a force directed perpendicularly to its attachment face, nevertheless satisfies requirements, with respect to bending and tensional forces, during normal vehicle operation. According to the invention, in an arm-rest of the aforesaid kind, the foundation body has stepshaped shoulders and connections between the individual shoulders are made as intended points of fracture shearable when a predetermined shock stress is exceeded, so that the said shoulders can telescope one into another. Preferably also the foundation body has two deformable shouldered regions. One embodiment of the invention by way of example will be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a plan view of an arm-rest, Fig. 2 an elevational view of the arm-rest of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 a section on the line Ill-Ill in Fig. 2 to a larger scale, Fig. 4 a section on the line lV-lV in Fig. 2 to the larger scale, and Fig. 5 a detail at A in Fig. 4 to an even larger scale. The arm-rest 1 illustrated has a foundation body 2 which is made of a plastics material and comprises two spaced deformable regions 2a and 2b connected to each other by a member 3. The regions 2a, 2b each have step-shaped shoulders 4, connected to one another by intended points of fracture 5 which extend substantially perpendicular to the walls of the shoulders 4 (Fig. 5). The fracture points 5 are designed so that shearing under shock stress caused by impact in an accident will commence in the region of the shoulders 4 which have the largest internal dimensions that is, in the example illustrated, adjoining the shoulders 4 nearest to the interior face of the adjacent vehicle wall. Thus intended shortening of the body 2 will be achieved by progressive shearing without endangering occupants of the vehicle. The connecting member 3 between the two deformable regions 2a and 2b is designed so that it gives necessary support to the part of the armrest where the arm is placed, but also permits of the regions 2a and 2b functioning independently of each other. The two deformable regions 2a and 2b of the body 2 are surrounded on their inside and outside by plastics foam 6 which contributes to the absorption of energy in the event of an accident. In the example illustrated, the arm-rest 1 is intended to be attached by way of each foundation body 2 to the inner face of a vehicle wall or door by separate attachment means, whose position will be apparent from Figs. 4 and 5, passing through each part of the body in the regions 2a and 2b. The shoulders 4 of larger internal dimensions are located nearest to the interior face of the wall or door. If desired, the opposite disposition could be adopted. The shouldered body parts are open downwardly (Fig. 2). CLAIMS

4. An arm-rest according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the body has two deformable shouldered regions which are spaced from each other and connected to each other by a connecting member.

5. A vehicle-arm-rest substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6. A vehicle having an arm-rest according to any one of the preceding claims.