JP2017136994A - Vehicle armrest device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle armrest device which enables change of a position or shape of an armrest according to a physical frame of an occupant.SOLUTION: An armrest device 2 provided in a vehicle includes: an armrest 2a; a change mechanism 7 which changes a position or shape of the armrest 2a; a slide position detection sensor 4a, a seat weight sensor 4b, a seat belt sensor 4c, or a camera 4d which detects physical frame information of an occupant when the occupant is seated; and a control part C which controls the change mechanism 7 on the basis of the physical frame information detected by the slide position detection sensor 4a, the seat weight sensor 4b, the seat belt sensor 4c, or the camera 4d.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle armrest device, and more particularly to a vehicle armrest device that changes the position or shape of an armrest according to the physique of an occupant.

  A vehicle such as a passenger car or a forklift is generally provided with an armrest on which an occupant can put his arm. The shape and location of the armrest is determined based on the position of the elbow of the occupant with a general physique and posture, so it can be used for large people, small people, and people who do not have a general posture. It was difficult to do.

  As a technique made in view of such a problem, Patent Document 1 discloses a seat in which the posture of the occupant changes in order to change the position of the armrest to a position corresponding to the position of the elbow of the occupant that changes depending on the posture of the occupant. A technique for swinging the armrest up and down in accordance with the reclining operation of the back is disclosed.

Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for moving the armrest in the front-rear direction in accordance with the slide in the front-rear direction of the seat as a technique applied to the forklift that adjusts the position of the armrest according to the physique of the occupant. .
Specifically, the armrest is moved by a slide amount that is proportional to the slide amount in the front-rear direction of the seat, which depends on the physique of the occupant, by connecting the slide rail provided below the seat and the armrest with a link member. Technology.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-144094 JP 2005-297666 A

  However, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, even if the height of the armrest can be adjusted according to the posture of the occupant, the height of the armrest cannot be adjusted according to the physique of the occupant. . For this reason, when an occupant having a physique uses the armrest, the armrest has the same height if the occupant's posture is the same, and the height cannot be adjusted according to each person.

Moreover, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 2, the slide rail slide amount and the arm rest slide amount are configured to adjust the movement amount of the arm rest by the link member mechanically coupled to the slide rail and the arm rest. Is a one-to-one relationship.
For this reason, it was practically difficult to position the armrest at a position suitable for the physique of passengers with different postures. For example, the armrest may move excessively to a position appropriate for the occupant's physique even after sliding.
Furthermore, in order to position the armrest at an arbitrary position, it is necessary to loosen a bolt for fastening the slide rail and the link member, which is inconvenient.
In particular, when the position of the armrest is changed by an operation such as loosening a bolt to be fastened between the slide rail and the link member, it may interfere with other members in the vehicle.

This invention is made in view of the said situation, The objective is to provide the armrest apparatus for vehicles which can change an armrest to the position or shape according to a passenger | crew's physique.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an easy-to-use vehicle armrest device.
Another object of the present invention is to prevent interference with other members when moving or changing the shape of the armrest.
Another object of the present invention is to prevent an excessive change in the position or shape of the armrest.

  According to the vehicle armrest device according to the present invention, the above-described problem is a vehicle armrest device provided inside the vehicle, in which the armrest, a change mechanism for changing the position or shape of the armrest, and an occupant are seated This is sometimes solved by including a sensor that detects the physique information of the occupant and a control unit that controls the change mechanism based on the physique information detected from the sensor.

  As described above, the vehicle armrest device according to the present invention changes the position or shape of the armrest based on the physique information, and arranges the armrest at a position suitable for the physique of the occupant so that the occupant with a physique difference Even when using the vehicle armrest device, it is possible to provide an easy-to-use vehicle armrest device.

For example, the control unit includes a determination unit that determines the physique of the occupant based on the physique information detected by the sensor, and when the determination unit determines that the physique of the occupant is smaller than a reference, It is preferable that the change mechanism is controlled so that the armrest is arranged on the front side and / or the center side of the seat in the seat width direction from the standard position.
In this way, when the determination unit determines that the occupant's physique is smaller than the reference, the control unit is configured to change the armrest so that the armrest is disposed on the front side of the standard position and / or on the center side of the seat in the seat width direction. By controlling the above, it is possible to provide a vehicle armrest device suitable for use by any occupant having a physique.

For example, the sensor detects the physique information according to a movement amount of a seat, and the physique information is positional information of the upper rail among slide rails composed of an upper rail and a lower rail that slide the seat. Is preferable.
In this way, the control unit controls the change mechanism according to the occupant's physique determined based on the position information of the upper rail. Operation becomes unnecessary and usability improves.

For example, the control unit has a determination unit that determines the physique of the occupant based on the physique information detected by the sensor, and the determination unit determines that the upper rail is ahead of the reference position In addition, it is preferable to control the changing mechanism so that the armrest is disposed on the front side and / or the center side of the seat in the seat width direction from the standard position.
In this way, when there is a high probability that a small occupant is seated on the seat with the upper rail in front, the armrest is disposed on the front side of the standard position and / or on the center side of the seat in the seat width direction. This eliminates the need for special operations and improves usability.

For example, the sensor is a seat weight sensor that detects a load of the occupant, and the control unit includes a determination unit that determines the physique of the occupant based on the physique information detected by the sensor, and the control When the determination unit determines that the load detected by the sensor is equal to or less than a reference value, the armrest is disposed on the front side of the standard position and / or the center side of the seat in the seat width direction. As such, the change mechanism may be controlled.
In this way, the seat in the front side of the standard position and / or in the seat width direction in a situation where there is a high probability that a small occupant is seated on the seat where the load detected by the seat weight sensor is below the reference value. By arranging it at the center side, no special operation is required and the usability is improved.

Moreover, it is preferable that the said control part stops the change of the position or shape of the said armrest, when the distance of the said armrest and the other thing in the said vehicle becomes below a reference value.
In this way, when the distance between the armrest and the other one in the vehicle is close enough to be below the reference value, the change in the position or shape of the armrest is stopped, so that Interference with things can be suppressed.

Further, the control unit stops the change in the position or shape of the front side of the armrest and / or the center side of the seat in the seat width direction by the change mechanism when it contacts the seat back of the vehicle seat. You may make it control to.
Thus, by providing a restriction index that the armrest abuts on the seat back and stopping the change of the position or shape of the armrest, it is possible to prevent the change of the position or shape of the armrest from being excessive. Can do.

  According to the vehicle armrest device of the present invention, it is possible to provide an easy-to-use vehicle armrest device even when an occupant having a physical difference uses the armrest.

  Further, the control unit controls the change mechanism according to the determination of the occupant's physique, so that no special operation is required, and usability is improved.

  For example, since the seat back-and-forth movement and the change of the position or shape of the armrest are interlocked according to the determination of the determination unit based on the position information of the upper rail, no special operation is required and the usability is improved.

  In particular, when the determination unit determines that there is a high probability that a small occupant is seated on the seat from the position of the upper rail, the armrest is arranged on the front side of the standard position and / or the center side of the seat in the seat width direction. By doing so, no special operation is required, and usability is improved.

  Further, when the determination unit determines that there is a high probability that a small occupant is seated on the seat from the load detected by the seat weight sensor, the armrest is positioned forward of the standard position and / or in the seat width direction. By arranging it at the center side, no special operation is required and the usability is improved.

  In addition, when the distance between the armrest and the others in the vehicle is so close that the distance is less than or equal to the reference value, the change in the position or shape of the armrest is stopped so that Interference can be suppressed.

  Furthermore, it is possible to prevent an excessive change in the position or shape of the armrest with a simple configuration in which a restriction index that the armrest contacts the seat back is provided and the change in the position or shape of the armrest is stopped. .

It is a figure which shows the whole structure of the armrest apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention in the state attached to the door trim base material. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state which the height of an armrest is changing. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state which the position of the seat width direction of an armrest is changing. It is a block diagram of the control part which controls an armrest. It is a schematic diagram which shows the slide position detection sensor attached to the upper rail through the fixed plate. It is a perspective view which shows the seat weight sensor attached to the upper rail. It is a schematic diagram which shows a seatbelt sensor and a camera. It is an AA cross-section arrow line view of Drawing 1 showing an armrest device at the time of a state where an air bag contracted. It is an AA cross section arrow view of FIG. 1 which shows the armrest apparatus at the time of the state which the air bag expand | swelled. It is a BB cross-sectional arrow view of Drawing 9C showing an armrest device concerning the 1st modification provided with a guide groove and a free ball bearing. It is a figure which shows the state before operation | movement of the armrest which concerns on a 1st modification. It is a figure which shows the state which the armrest operated to the center side of the sheet | seat in the sheet | seat width direction. It is a figure which shows the state which the armrest operated to the front side rather than the center side and standard position of the sheet | seat in a seat width direction. It is a figure which shows the armrest apparatus which concerns on a 2nd modification provided with a some air bag. It is CC sectional view arrow view of FIG. 10A, and is a figure which shows the structure of an armrest apparatus provided with a some air bag. It is a block diagram which shows typically the change mechanism which concerns on a 2nd modification. It is a block diagram around the control part which controls the armrest in the armrest apparatus concerning a 2nd embodiment. FIG. 14D is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD of FIG. 14C showing an armrest device including a spur gear and a rack portion, a guide groove and a free ball bearing. It is a figure which shows the state before operation | movement of an armrest. It is a figure which shows the state which the armrest operated to the center side of the sheet | seat in the sheet | seat width direction. It is a figure which shows the state which the armrest operated to the front side rather than the center side and standard position of the sheet | seat in a seat width direction. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the armrest apparatus provided with the pantograph which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the site | part corresponded to the AA cross section of FIG. 1 which shows an armrest apparatus provided with the pantograph which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is an arrow line view of the site | part corresponded to the AA cross section of FIG. 1 of the armrest apparatus which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the operation | movement direction of an armrest apparatus. It is a block diagram of the control part which controls the armrest which concerns on a 3rd modification. It is a schematic diagram which shows a proximity sensor.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The members and arrangements described below do not limit the present invention and can be variously modified within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

<< First Embodiment >>
(Regarding the overall configuration and function of the armrest device according to the first embodiment)
First, the overall configuration and function of the armrest device 2 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
Here, FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an entire configuration of the armrest device 2 according to the first embodiment of the present invention in a state where the armrest device 2 is attached to the door trim base material 1a, and FIG. 2A shows a change in the height of the armrest 2a. FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the position of the armrest 2a in the seat width direction is changing.

  In addition, the arrow direction of T in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B is an upper side among the up-down directions. The arrow direction F of FIG. 2A is the front side in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the arrow direction W of FIG. 2B is the center side of the seat in the seat width direction. In addition, the vehicle front-rear direction is the vehicle traveling and retreating direction, and the seat width direction is a direction that is substantially coincident with the vehicle width direction and is perpendicular to the vehicle front-rear direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, a door trim 1 as an interior material for a vehicle is a member that interiors an automobile door, and includes a door trim base 1 a and an armrest device 2.
The door trim base 1a is formed of a hard synthetic resin such as polypropylene (PP).
The armrest device 2 will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 3, but the armrest 2 a, the change mechanism 7 that changes the position of the armrest 2 a, the physique information detection sensor 4, and the control unit C that controls the change mechanism 7. And. The armrest 2a is disposed on the door trim base 1a, protrudes toward the passenger compartment, and has a shape that is long in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.

  2A and 2B, the characteristic function of the armrest device 2 is to change the position or shape of the armrest 2a according to the occupant's physique in order to reduce fatigue by making it easier for the occupant to place the arm. It is to do. Here, the occupant means an occupant of the vehicle and refers to a person seated on the vehicle seat S in the vicinity of the armrest 2a.

(Regarding the configuration of the armrest device according to the first embodiment)
The configuration of the armrest device 2 for realizing the above function will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the control unit C that controls the armrest 2a.

  The armrest device 2 has a function of changing the armrest 2a to an appropriate position or shape according to the occupant's physique, but detects information related to the occupant's physique (hereinafter referred to as physique information) for realizing this function. A physique information detection sensor 4 is provided. Although details will be described later, the physique information detection sensor 4 includes at least one of a slide position detection sensor 4a, a seat weight sensor 4b, a seat belt sensor 4c, or a camera 4d.

The CPU 3a as the determination unit determines the occupant's physique based on the occupant's physique information detected from the physique information detection sensor 4 and stored in the RAM 3c, and follows the program stored in the ROM 3b via the drive circuit 30 The compressor 7a is controlled.
Although the details will be described later as changing the position or shape of the armrest 2a under the control of the CPU 3a, compressed air generated by the compressor 7a is used.
With the above configuration, the position or shape of the armrest 2a is automatically changed according to the physique information of the occupant.

Furthermore, the armrest device 2 operates the manual switch 5b by disabling the automatic change of the position or shape of the armrest 2a and the manual switch 5b that can adjust the supply of compressed air from the compressor 7a to the armrest 2a. And a changeover switch 5a for switching to a possible state.
If the occupant manually changes the position or shape of the armrest 2a that has been automatically changed, or invalidates the automatic change, the occupant should press the changeover switch 5a that switches to the manual switch 5b. Good. By doing in this way, the position or shape of the armrest 2a can be adjusted according to personal preference.
Furthermore, the armrest device 2 includes a proximity sensor 6 (described later) that transmits a control signal to the CPU 3a when approaching the seat back S2 by a predetermined distance.

(Detection of occupant's physique information by armrest device)
Next, the slide position detection sensor 4a, the seat weight sensor 4b, the seat belt sensor 4c, or the camera 4d as the physique information detection sensor 4 for detecting the physique information of the occupant by the armrest device 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. This will be described in detail.
Here, FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the slide position detection sensor 4a attached to the upper rail 8b via the fixing plate 9, and FIG. 5 is a cushion frame S1a including the seat weight sensor 4b attached to the upper rail 8b. FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing the seat belt sensor 4c and the camera 4d.

(Acquisition of physique information by slide position detection sensor)
The slide position detection sensor 4a shown in FIG. 4 is a sensor that detects the slide position of the sheet S. The slide position detection sensor 4 a in this embodiment is a known linear encoder, and is fixed to the fixed plate 9.
Specifically, the fixed plate 9 is attached to the upper part of the upper rail 8b located above the lower rail 8a, and extends to the side of the lower rail 8a. The two slide position detection sensors 4a are disposed between the side surface of the lower rail 8a and the fixed plate 9, and are fixed to the side surface of the fixed plate 9 on the side of the lower rail 8a up and down. In addition, the slide rail 8 is comprised by the lower rail 8a and the upper rail 8b.

  Information for specifying the slide position in the front-rear direction of the sheet S as physique information is acquired by the slide position detection sensor 4a having the above-described configuration. Then, from the slide position information acquired in this way and stored in the RAM 3c, the CPU 3a specifies the position of the sheet S based on the program stored in the ROM 3b.

If the CPU 3a determines that the seat S (upper rail 8b) is ahead of a predetermined reference position, for example, and determines that the occupant is smaller than the predetermined reference physique, Control is performed so that the armrest 2a moves / deforms forward of the standard position, inside the seat in the seat width direction, or below, or in a plurality of these directions. The standard position according to the present embodiment is an arbitrary position in the middle portion of the movement limit of the armrest 2a in the front-rear direction.
On the other hand, if the CPU 3a determines that the occupant is larger than the predetermined reference physique, for example, by specifying that the seat S is rearward, the armrest 2a is rearward of the standard position, the seat width Controls to move / deform to the outside of the sheet in the direction or upward or in these multiple directions.
The details of the movement / deformation method of the armrest 2a will be described later.

(Acquisition of physique information by seat weight sensor)
The seat weight sensor 4b shown in FIG. 5 is a sensor that includes a strain gauge and detects a passenger's load as an electrical signal. The seat weight sensor 4b is arranged at four positions on the front, rear, left and right between the lower surface of the side frame S1b on both sides of the seat constituting the cushion frame S1a and the upper surface of the upper rail 8b.
The seat weight sensor 4b having the above configuration acquires information related to the occupant's load as physique information.

When the CPU 3a determines that the information on the load obtained by the seat weight sensor 4b is equal to or less than a predetermined reference value based on the program stored in the ROM 3b and is a small occupant, the armrest 2a Is controlled to move / deform in front of the standard position, inward of the sheet in the sheet width direction, or below or in a plurality of directions.
On the other hand, if the CPU 3a determines that the information relating to the load obtained by the seat weight sensor 4b is larger than a predetermined reference value and is a large occupant, the armrest 2a is located behind the standard position, the seat Control is performed so that the sheet moves / deforms outside or above the sheet in the width direction or in a plurality of directions.

(Acquisition of physique information by seat belt sensor)
The seat belt sensor 4c shown in FIG. 6 detects the pull-out amount of the seat belt 40. The seat belt sensor 4c in the present embodiment is a known rotary encoder, and is incorporated in a reel shaft (not shown) in a seat belt winding device (not shown). Since the seat belt 40 is stretched from the occupant's chest to the waist, the amount of the seat belt 40 is different depending on the physique of the occupant. From this, it is possible to use the seat belt sensor 4c that can detect the amount of withdrawal of the seat belt 40 as a detector that identifies the physique of the occupant.

  In consideration of the position / shape of the armrest 2a most suitable for use by the occupant, it is the physique information about the size of the height that is greatly involved. The detector from which this physique information is most directly obtained is the camera 4d, and the next detector obtained directly is the slide position detection sensor 4a. Therefore, it is preferable to use these as detectors and change the armrest 2a to a position or shape suitable for the occupant's physique based on information obtained from these detectors.

On the other hand, the physique information obtained from the seat weight sensor 4b is directly information on the size of the seated person's weight, and the seat belt sensor 4c often involves the size of the chest and abdominal circumference of the seated person. The reliability of the height determination that is likely to be involved in the position 2a is low.
However, for example, when the slide position detection sensor 4a or the camera 4d is not provided in the vehicle, but the seat weight sensor 4b and the seat belt sensor 4c are provided on the seat as existing equipment, the seat weight sensor 4b or The cost can be reduced by using the seat belt sensor 4c.

(Specific configuration of armrest)
First, before describing the change mechanism 7 for changing the position of a part of the armrest 2a based on the physique information, a specific configuration of the armrest 2a will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 7A, and 7B. To do.
Here, FIG. 7A shows the armrest device 2 when the air bag 7c is contracted, and is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1, and FIG. 7B shows the armrest device 2 when the air bag 7c is inflated. FIG. 2 is an AA cross-sectional arrow view of FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 7A and 7B, the armrest 2a of the armrest device 2 is disposed on the lower support portion 2c, the lower support portion 2c, on the front side portion 2b on the front side, and on the rear side. It is mainly composed of a certain rear side part 2d and a movable part 2e movable with respect to the rear side part 2d.

  Specifically, the lower support portion 2c is integrally formed with the door trim base 1a, protrudes inward of the vehicle, and extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. The lower support portion 2c supports the movable portion 2e disposed on the upper surface of the lower support portion 2c so as to be slidable from below.

  The front side portion 2b is fixed to the door trim base 1a at a position where the lower surface thereof coincides with the upper surface of the lower support portion 2c, and a switch (not shown) for opening and closing a power window (not shown) is provided on the upper surface. Has been.

  The rear side portion 2d is a plate-like member that protrudes horizontally from the door trim base 1a to the inside of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction and extends in the front-rear direction. The rear side portion 2d is disposed at a position where the upper surface of the rear side portion 2d is flush with the upper surface of the front side portion 2b.

  The movable portion 2e is formed in a U-shaped cross section and extends in the vehicle front-rear direction. The movable part 2e is a position where the horizontally extending lower part of the movable part 2e slides on the upper surface of the lower support part 2c, and the upper part of the movable part 2e horizontally extending slides on the upper surface of the rear side part 2d. It is arranged.

There is a gap between the front side portion 2b, the rear side portion 2d, and the movable portion 2e, and a pull pocket 2f for gripping the door trim 1 is formed in the gap.
Further, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the rear side portion 2d has an inner end portion of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction and a portion of the movable portion 2e opposite to the end portion, which will be described next. One tension spring 20f related to the operation 7 is fixed.

(About the armrest device changing mechanism)
Next, the changing mechanism 7 of the armrest device 2 will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B.
The change mechanism 7 includes a compressor 7a for generating compressed air, a three-way valve type valve 7b for adjusting the amount of air sent from the compressor 7a to the air bag 7c, and compressed air generated by the compressor 7a via the valve 7b. The air bag 7c expands and contracts by flowing in and out. The change mechanism 7 is controlled by the operation control of the compressor 7a and the valve 7b by the control unit C.

A specific operation of the armrest 2a by the changing mechanism 7 will be described next.
For example, when the engine is started, the control unit C transmits a control signal to the compressor 7a, operates the compressor 7a, and generates a predetermined amount (pressure) of compressed air. Next, the control unit C acquires the physique information of the seated person by the physique information detection sensor 4.

  When the control unit C is in the state shown in FIG. 7A (in other words, the state in which the movable part 2e does not protrude from the door trim base material 1a), the seated person is small by the information acquired by the physique information detection sensor 4. When it is determined that the vehicle is an occupant, the movable portion 2e is moved to the inside of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction. That is, when the occupant is small, the distance between the occupant and the armrest 2a is increased. Therefore, the occupant uses the armrest 2a by projecting the armrest 2a (movable part 2e) to the inside of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction. Easy to do.

Specifically, the control unit C sends a control signal for communicating the compressor 7a and the air bag 7c to the valve 7b in the closed state to open the valve 7b, and sends compressed air into the air bag 7c.
When the compressed air is introduced to increase the internal pressure and the air bag 7c is inflated, the air bag 7c comes into contact with the outer surface of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction of the movable portion 2e, and the movable portion 2e is moved to the vehicle in the vehicle width direction. Will be pushed inside. The movable portion 2e to which the pushing load is applied slides on the upper surface of the lower support portion 2c and the upper surface of the front side portion 2b and moves to the inside of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction shown in FIG. 7B. .

  On the other hand, when the control unit C is in the state shown in FIG. 7B (in other words, the state in which the movable part 2e protrudes from the door trim 1), the seated person is large based on the information acquired by the physique information detection sensor 4. When it is determined that the vehicle is an occupant, the movable portion 2e is moved to the outside of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction.

  In detail, the control part C transmits the control signal which connects the air bag 7c and external air to the valve | bulb 7b, and discharges compressed air from the inside of the air bag 7c. If it does so, the pressing force to the movable part 2e from the air bag 7c by which compressed air was discharged | emitted and the internal pressure was lowered will become weak. When this pressing force is smaller than the restoring force of the tension spring 20f in an elastically deformed state, the movable portion 2e is retracted to the outside of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction. As a result, the movable portion 2e slides on the upper surface of the lower support portion 2c and the upper surface of the front side portion 2b and moves to the outside of the vehicle in the width direction of the vehicle, and is movable from the door trim 1 shown in FIG. 7A. It will return to the state which the part 2e does not protrude.

By acquiring the physique information of the seated person as described above, the position of the movable portion 2e of the armrest 2a can be automatically changed to a position that matches the seated person's physique (specifically, the arm). . In particular, the changing mechanism 7 includes a pressure sensor (not shown) attached to the inner surface of the air bag 7c, and detects the degree of expansion of the air bag 7c from the pressure signal transmitted from the pressure sensor to the control unit C. You may do it.
In addition, when the position of the automatically adjusted movable part 2e does not match, it is preferable that the position can be corrected.
For example, as shown in FIG. 7B, the position of the movable portion 2e protruding from the door trim 1 to the inside of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction is a small seated person, for example, who is thin but has a large physique. In some cases, the seated person may not be in the proper position to put his arm. In this case, a signal for moving the movable part 2e to the outside of the vehicle in the width direction of the vehicle may be transmitted directly to the control part C by operating a switch (not shown) by the operation of the seated person. .

The movable portion 2e is arranged so as to cover the rear side portion 2d outside the vehicle in the vehicle width direction relative to the movable portion 2e, and the step between the two is located outside the vehicle in the vehicle width direction. It exists in the vicinity of the door trim base material 1a.
For this reason, since the occupant puts his arm on the movable portion 2e that protrudes away from the door trim base material 1a, it is difficult to touch the step between the movable portion 2e and the rear side 2d, and the uncomfortable feeling caused by touching the step. It is possible to prevent a passenger from feeling pleasant.

<First Modification>
Next, an armrest device 20 according to a first modification will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9A to 9C.
Here, FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B of FIG. 9C showing the armrest device 20 including the guide groove 20c and the free ball bearing 20b, and FIG. 9A is a diagram showing a state before the operation of the armrest 20a. FIG. 9C is a diagram illustrating a state in which the armrest 20a is operated toward the center side of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction, and FIG. 9C is a diagram illustrating a state in which the armrest 20a is operated toward the center side of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction and forward of the standard position. It is.
In the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, the description of the overlapping components and their functions is omitted, and the characteristics of the different components and their functions are clarified.

  The armrest device 20 includes an armrest 20a, a change mechanism 70 that changes the position of the armrest 20a, the physique information detection sensor 4 described above, and a control unit C that controls the change mechanism 70. The armrest 20a is disposed on the door trim base 1a, has a shape that protrudes toward the passenger compartment side and extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.

  The armrest 20a is disposed on the lower support portion 2c and the lower support portion 2c, and is movable with respect to the front side portion 2b on the front side, the rear side portion 20d on the rear side, and the rear side portion 2d. The movable part 20e is mainly composed of.

  Here, the difference between the armrest device 20 and the armrest device 2 according to the first embodiment is that the rear side portion 20d and the movable portion 20e are partially different in shape, which will be described next. .

The rear side portion 20d is a plate-like member that protrudes horizontally from the door trim base 1a, and a guide groove 20c that guides the movement of the movable portion 20e described later is formed on the upper surface thereof. .
Two guide grooves 20c are formed so as to extend linearly from the outside to the inside of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction, bend in an arc shape toward the front of the vehicle, and extend linearly to the front of the vehicle. Has been. The two guide grooves 20c have a similar shape and are offset at a predetermined interval, and the larger guide groove 20c is disposed on the vehicle interior side.
Specifically, the extending direction of the two guide grooves 20c to the front of the vehicle is from the direction perpendicular to the pressing direction from the air bag 7c to the movable portion 20e to the inside of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction from the front to the front. Tilted. As described above, the guide groove 20c is inclined with respect to the pressing direction from the air bag 7c, and thus the vehicle of the movable portion 20e that operates along the guide groove 20c by adjusting the pressing force of the air bag 7c. The amount of movement in the width direction can be adjusted.

The movable portion 20e is formed in a U-shaped cross section and extends in the vehicle front-rear direction. The movable part 20e has a position in which the lower part extending horizontally in the movable part 20e slides on the upper surface of the lower support part 2c, and the upper part extending horizontally in the movable part 20e slides on the upper surface of the rear part 20d. It is arranged.
In particular, two free ball bearings (ball transfer) 20b are fixed to the lower surface of the upper portion of the movable portion 20e that extends horizontally. The two free ball bearings 20b are fixed to the movable portion 20e at an interval substantially the same as the interval between the two guide grooves 20c in the direction in which the ball is positioned on the lower side.
Further, one tension spring 20f related to the operation of the changing mechanism 70 to be described next is provided at the inner end portion of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction of the rear side portion 20d and the portion of the movable portion 20e facing the end portion. Is fixed.

  As described above, the guide groove 20c is formed in the rear side portion 20d, and the free ball bearing 20b is fixed to the movable portion 20e, thereby allowing the free ball bearing 20b to roll in the guide groove 20c. it can. Thus, the movable part 20e can be operated in a desired moving direction.

(About the change mechanism according to the first modification)
The change mechanism 70 of the armrest device 20 is different from the change mechanism 7 according to the above embodiment in that a guide groove 20c is formed in the rear side portion 20d, and a free ball bearing 20b that rolls along the guide groove 20c in the movable portion 20e. Is that it is formed.
With the change mechanism 70 having such a configuration, for example, when the control unit C determines that the seated person is small, the movable unit 20e is moved along the guide groove 20c in the vehicle width direction and inside the vehicle. It can be moved to the front side.

  Specifically, the control unit C operates the compressor 7a, adjusts the opening degree of the valve 7b, and causes the compressor 7a to communicate with the air bag 7c, thereby inflating the air bag 7c. The inflated air bag 7c presses the movable portion 20e, so that the pressed movable portion 20e, along with the free ball bearing 20b that moves along the guide groove 20c, is inside the vehicle in the vehicle width direction shown in FIG. 9C. And it will move to the front side of the vehicle.

  The movable portion 20e is guided by the guide groove 20c so as to first move inward of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction and then move in the vehicle front direction. Therefore, the movable portion 20e moves without closing the pull pocket 2f and without covering a switch (not shown) provided on the upper surface of the front side portion 2b.

On the other hand, when the movable unit 20e is moved from the state shown in FIG. 9C to the rear side of the vehicle and the outside of the vehicle in the width direction of the vehicle, the control unit C removes the compressor 7a, the air bag 7c, and the outside air. A control signal to be communicated is transmitted to the valve 7b, and the compressed air is discharged from the inside of the air bag 7c. Similar to the above-described embodiment, the movable portion 20e moves to the rear side of the vehicle by the restoring force of the elastically deformed tension spring 20f, and then retracts to the outside of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction.
And in a modification, the movable part 20e slides on the upper surface of the lower side support part 2c and the upper surface of the front side part 2b along the guide groove 20c, and moves to the outer side of the vehicle in the width direction of the vehicle. Thus, the movable portion 20e shown in FIG. 9A returns to the state where it does not protrude.
In this manner, the position of the armrest 20a changes as the movable portion 20e moves in the vehicle width direction.

By associating such control for deforming the armrest 20a with the physique information, the convenience of the armrest 20a can be enhanced for passengers of different physiques.
That is, when the occupant is small, the seat S is often put out to the front of the vehicle for the operation of the steering wheel, and the position of the armrest 20a is often behind the actual position of the arm. Further, since the distance between the occupant and the armrest 20a is increased, it is preferable that the armrest 20a protrudes inward of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction.

In the armrest devices 2 and 20 according to the present embodiment, when the information indicating that the occupant is small is detected by the physique information detection sensor 4, the control unit C and the opening direction of the valve 7b as described above and By controlling the pressure of the compressor 7a and sending compressed air to the air bag 7c to inflate the air bag 7c, the armrest 20a can be moved to the inner side of the vehicle and the front side of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction.
Furthermore, by adjusting the pressure in the air bag 7c by controlling the valve 7b in the flow path connected to the compressor 7a and the air bag 7c according to the difference in the physique of each occupant, the inner side of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction The amount of protrusion to can be adjusted.
In addition, a sensor (not shown) for detecting the angle of a door mirror or a room mirror of a vehicle (not shown) is provided, and the control unit C identifies the position in the front-rear direction of the vehicle from the signal obtained from the sensor, and the physique of the occupant is determined. It may be specified.

<Second Modification>
Next, an armrest device 21 according to a second modification will be described with reference to FIGS. 10A, 10B, and 11.
FIG. 10A is a diagram showing an armrest device 21 according to a second modified example including a plurality of air bags, and FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 10A, and an armrest including a plurality of air bags. The figure which shows the structure of the apparatus 21, FIG. 11: is a block diagram which shows typically the change mechanism 71 which concerns on a 2nd modification.

  The armrest device 21 includes an armrest 21a, a change mechanism 71 that changes the position of the armrest 21a, the physique information detection sensor 4 described above, and a control unit C that controls the change mechanism 71. Here, the difference between the armrest device 21 and the armrest device 2 according to the first embodiment is that the configuration of the rear side portion 21b is different and that the movable portion 2e is not provided, which will be described next. To do.

The rear side portion 21b is a deformable portion of the armrest 21a, and is composed of an air bag group 21c and a skin material 21h that covers the air bag group 21c, is on the lower support portion 2c, and is behind the front side portion 2b. It is arranged.
Specifically, the air bag group 21c includes an outer air bag 21d near the door trim base 1a, an inner air bag 21e inside the vehicle in the vehicle width direction of the outer air bag 21d, and an inner air bag 21e. The lower air bag 21f on the side and the rear air bag 21g disposed behind them are configured.

(About the change mechanism according to the second modification)
The changing mechanism 71 of the armrest device 21 includes a compressor 7a that generates compressed air, a valve group 71b that adjusts the amount of air sent from the compressor 7a to the air bag group 21c, and a compressed air generated by the compressor 7a that is a valve group 71b. The air bag group 21c expands and contracts by flowing in and out through the air bag.
Here, as shown in FIG. 11, the valve group 71b is disposed in a flow path connecting from the compressor 7a to the air bag group 21c, and includes three-way valve type valves 71d, 71e, 71f, and 71g. Is. Specifically, the valve group is provided in a flow path connected to the outer air bag 21d, the valve 71e is provided in a flow path connected to the inner air bag 21e, and the valve 71f is connected to the lower air bag 21f. The valve 71g is disposed in the flow path, and the valve 71g is disposed in the flow path connected to the rear air bag 21g.
The change mechanism 71 is controlled by operation control of the compressor 7a and the valve group 71b by the control unit C.

The specific operation of the armrest 21a by the changing mechanism 71 will be described next with respect to cases where a small passenger and a large passenger are seated.
(A) When a small occupant is seated When the information obtained by the physique information detection sensor 4 is information indicating that the small occupant is seated on the seat S, the control unit C is shown in FIG. The rear side portion 21b of the change mechanism 71 is deformed so as to protrude inward of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction.
Specifically, the control unit C maintains the state when the air bag group 21c is in an inflated state, and deforms the inflated state when the air bag group 21c is in a contracted state.
That is, when the air bag group 21c is in the contracted state, the control unit C transmits a control signal to the valve group 71b in the closed state to change the opening direction of the valve group 71b, and the compressor 7a and the air bag group 21c. Is in a communicating state, and compressed air is sent into the air bag group 21c. Compressed air is introduced, the internal pressure increases, the air bag group 21c expands, and the rear side portion 21b of the armrest 21a protrudes toward the center of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction. When the compressed air sealed in the air bag group 21c reaches a predetermined pressure, the control unit C controls the valve group 71b to be closed and maintained.
Further, when the air bag group 21c is in an inflated state, the control unit C does not transmit a control signal to the valve group 71b and maintains that state.

In this way, the armrest 21a changes from the door trim base material 1a to a shape with a large amount of protrusion, and becomes a shape suitable for an occupant with a small body width to put his arm.
For example, when the information that the occupant is short is obtained by the camera 4d, the control unit C causes the outer air bag 21d and the inner air bag 21e disposed on the upper side of the air bag group 21c to contract. It is preferable to transmit a control signal to the valve group 71b. By doing in this way, the armrest 21a becomes low in height, and becomes a shape suitable for a short occupant to put his arm.

(B) When a large occupant is seated When the information obtained by the physique information detection sensor 4 is information indicating that a large occupant is seated on the seat S, the control unit C is shown in FIG. The rear side portion 21b is deformed so as to be positioned outside the vehicle in the vehicle width direction.
Specifically, when the air bag group 21c is in an inflated state, the control unit C deforms to a contracted state, and maintains the state when the air bag group 21c is in a contracted state.
That is, when the air bag group 21c is in an inflated state, the control unit C transmits a control signal to the valve group 71b, changes the opening direction of the valve group 71b, and communicates the air bag group 21c with the outside air. Reduce the compressed air sealed in the bag group 21c. When the compressed air sealed in the air bag group 21c reaches a predetermined pressure, the control unit C controls the valve group 71b to be closed and maintained.
Moreover, the control part C of the change mechanism 71 maintains the state, without transmitting a control signal to the valve group 71b, when the air bag group 21c is in the contracted state.

In this way, the armrest 21a changes from the door trim base material 1a to a shape with a small amount of protrusion, and becomes a shape suitable for an occupant with a large body width to put his arm.
For example, when the information that the occupant is short is obtained by the camera 4d, the control unit C inflates the outer air bag 21d and the inner air bag 21e arranged on the upper side in the air bag group 21c. This is preferable. By doing in this way, the armrest 21a becomes high in height and becomes a shape suitable for a tall occupant to put his arm.
Furthermore, the number of air bag groups 21c and valve groups 71b may be increased to increase the degree of freedom of deformation of the armrest 21a.

<< Second Embodiment >>
In the armrest devices 2, 20, and 21 according to the first embodiment, the amount of protrusion of the armrests 2a, 20a, and 21a from the door trim base material 1a by inflating or contracting the air bag 7c or the air bag group 21c. Had to be adjusted. However, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment.
The armrest device 24 according to the second embodiment as another embodiment has a configuration in which the armrest 24a is moved in the vehicle width direction by the spur gear 24b and the rack portion 1d. This configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 12, 13, and 14A to 14C.

  FIG. 12 is a block diagram around the control unit C that controls the armrest 24a in the armrest device 24 according to the second embodiment. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 14C showing an armrest device 24 including a spur gear 24b and a rack portion 1d, a guide groove 1e, and a free ball bearing 24e. Furthermore, FIG. 14A is a diagram illustrating a state before the armrest 24a is operated, FIG. 14B is a diagram illustrating a state in which the armrest 24a is operated toward the center of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction, and FIG. 14C is a diagram illustrating the armrest 24a being a vehicle. It is a figure which shows the state which act | operated to the front side rather than the center side and standard position of the vehicle in the width direction.

  The armrest device 24 includes an armrest 24a, a change mechanism 73 that changes the position of the armrest 24a, the physique information detection sensor 4 described above, and a control unit C that controls the change mechanism 73.

  The armrest 24a is disposed on the lower support portion 2c, the rear side portion 24d that is a part of the door trim base material 1a and extends inside the vehicle in the vehicle width direction, and the lower support portion 2c. And a movable portion 24g extending in the vehicle front-rear direction.

  On the lower surface of the upper portion of the movable portion 24g, a motor M, which is a stepping motor provided inside the vehicle in the vehicle width direction, and a free ball bearing 24e provided outside the vehicle in the vehicle width direction are arranged in the vehicle width direction. It is arranged and fixed side by side. A spur gear 24b having an output shaft of the motor M as an axis is fixed to the motor M. A control unit C that controls the driving of the motor M is disposed on the upper surface of the lower portion of the movable unit 24g.

The rear side portion 24d extends to the inside of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction up to a position facing the free ball bearing 24e fixed to the movable portion 24g and the spur gear 24b.
On the upper surface of the rear side portion 24d, a guide groove 1c for accommodating and guiding the spur gear 24b is formed at a position facing the spur gear 24b, and a guide groove 1e for sliding and guiding the free ball bearing 24e is formed. It is formed at a position facing the free ball bearing 24e.

The guide groove 1c and the guide groove 1e extend linearly from the outside to the inside of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction, extend in a circular arc shape toward the front of the vehicle at the extended point, and the extension It is formed so as to extend straight ahead of the vehicle. The guide groove 1c and the guide groove 1e have a similar shape and are offset at a predetermined interval, and the guide groove 1c is disposed on the inner side of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction or on the rear side of the vehicle in the vehicle front-rear direction. Yes. A rack portion 1d that meshes with the spur gear 24b is formed on the inner edge surface of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction of the guide groove 1c.
The changing mechanism 73 is mainly configured by the rack portion 1d, the spur gear 24b that meshes with the rack portion 1d, the motor M that rotates the spur gear 24b, and the control unit C that controls the motor M.

(About the operation of the change mechanism)
The operation of the changing mechanism 73 configured as described above will be described.
In the state shown in FIG. 14A in which the movable portion 24g is located outside the vehicle in the vehicle width direction, the control portion C transmits a control signal to the motor M, so that the spur gear 24b supported by the motor M is normal. When rolled (rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 14A), the spur gear 24b rolls inside the vehicle in the vehicle width direction while meshing with the rack portion 1d. Then, the movable portion 24g to which the motor M that supports the spur gear 24b is fixed moves to the inside of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction as the spur gear 24b rolls as shown in FIG. 14B.
Furthermore, as the spur gear 24b rotates in the forward direction, as shown in FIG. 14C, the movable portion 24g is positioned inside the vehicle in the vehicle width direction along the rack portion 1d formed by bending a part of the spur gear 24b in an arc shape. It moves and moves to the front side in the vehicle front-rear direction.

On the other hand, in the state shown in FIG. 14C in which the movable portion 24g is located on the front side in the vehicle front-rear direction and on the inner side of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction, the control portion C transmits a control signal to the motor M, thereby When the spur gear 24b is rotated in the reverse direction (rotates in the clockwise direction in FIG. 14C), the spur gear 24b rolls rearward in the vehicle front-rear direction while meshing with the rack portion 1d. Then, as shown in FIG. 14B, the movable portion 24g to which the motor M that pivotally supports the spur gear 24b moves rearward in the vehicle front-rear direction as the spur gear 24b rolls.
Further, as the spur gear 24b rotates in the reverse direction, as shown in FIG. 14A, the movable portion 24g moves to the rear side in the vehicle front-rear direction along the rack portion 1d formed by bending a part of the spur gear 24b. It will move to the outside of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction.

Therefore, the control part C can adjust the movement amount of the armrest 24a (movable part 24g) by adjusting the rotation amount of the motor M according to the detected physique of the occupant.
Specifically, by detecting the physique information by the physique information detection sensor 4, the control unit C determines that a small occupant is seated, and the position of the armrest 24a shown in FIG. When the control unit C determines that the vehicle is outside the vehicle in the width direction, the control unit C rotates the motor M forward by a predetermined angle to move the armrest 24a from the position shown in FIG. 14A to the position shown in FIG. 14B. The (movable part 24g) can be moved to the inside of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction. Further, when the control unit C determines that the position of the armrest 24a is behind the seated person's arm of the seat S in the vehicle front-rear direction, the control unit C rotates the motor M forward at a larger rotation angle. Thus, the armrest 24a can be moved forward to the position shown in FIG. 14C.

  Further, by detecting the physique information by the physique information detection sensor 4, the control unit C determines that a large occupant is seated, and the position of the armrest 24a shown in FIG. When the control unit C determines that the control unit C has reversed the motor M by a predetermined angle, the control unit C can move the armrest 24a backward from the position shown in FIG. 14C to the position shown in FIG. 14B. Further, when the control unit C determines that the position of the armrest 24a is inside the vehicle in the vehicle width direction with respect to the arm of the seat S, the control unit C moves the motor M at a larger rotation angle. By reversing, the armrest 24a can be moved to the outside of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction as shown in FIG. 14A.

<< Third Embodiment >>
As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the armrest device 25 according to the third embodiment is characterized by including a pair of pantographs PG provided on both sides in the vehicle front-rear direction that are provided to be vertically extendable.
15 is an exploded perspective view showing the armrest device 25 including the pantograph PG, and FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of a portion corresponding to the AA cross section of FIG. 1 showing the armrest device 25 including the pantograph PG.

  Specifically, the armrest device 25 mainly includes an armrest 25a and a changing mechanism 74 that changes the position of the armrest 25a.

  The armrest 25a includes a rear side portion 26d extending inward of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction, and the changing mechanism 74 includes a lower plate 25b, a main body 25c having a spur gear 25d, an upper plate 25e, and an upper plate 25e. And a pantograph PG between the main body 25c.

The rear side portion 26d is a plate-like member that protrudes horizontally inside the vehicle in the vehicle width direction and extends in the front-rear direction, like the other rear side portion 2d and the like. Is formed with one guide groove 26e similar to the guide groove 1c shown in FIGS. 14A to 14C. The guide groove 26e is for guiding the operation direction of the armrest 25a.
A rack portion 26f similar to the rack portion 1d is formed in the guide groove 26e on the outer edge surface of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction.

  The main body 25c is formed in a T-shaped cross section, and includes a spur gear 25d that is rotatably attached to a part of the lower outer periphery of the main body 25c and meshes with the rack portion 26f. The main body 25c includes a motor M for extending and contracting the pantograph PG inside a part of the lower side of the main body 25c.

  As shown in FIG. 16, the lower plate 25b is attached to the lower surface of the main body 25c with screws 25f after passing the lower side of the main body 25c through the guide groove 26e of the rear side portion 26d. Since the lower plate 25b is attached to the main body 25c as described above, the vertical position of the main body 25c is stabilized even in the driving state of the vehicle.

The pantograph PG extends obliquely with respect to the protruding direction of the armrest 25a so that the protruding amount from the upper surface of the rear side portion 26d of the armrest 25a is adjusted, and the two members intersect at the center portion to form an X character. It is configured to be connected to form.
The lower ends of the pair of pantographs PG are rotatably attached to the main body 25c, and the upper ends of the pantographs PG slidably support the lower surface of the upper plate 25e.
The pantograph PG expands and contracts vertically when the motor M is rotationally driven by the control of the control unit C.

  The up-and-down expansion / contraction operation of the pantograph PG is realized by, for example, fixing a gear (not shown) to the lower end of the pantograph PG and connecting the motor M so as to rotate the gear. Further, a wire (not shown) may be attached along the pantograph PG, and the motor M may take up or pull out the wire so that the expansion / contraction operation of the pantograph PG may be realized.

  A space between the armrest 25a fixed to the upper portion of the upper plate 25e and the rear side portion 26d is surrounded by an elastic cloth 26. By being surrounded by the stretchable cloth 26 in this way, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering between the armrest 25a and the rear side portion 26d and preventing the foreign matter from interfering with the expansion and contraction operation of the pantograph PG.

  Although the armrest 25a according to the present embodiment has been described as extending and contracting in the vertical direction by the pantograph PG and moving along the rack portion 26f in the vehicle width direction, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, a configuration including a pantograph that expands and contracts in the vehicle width direction may be employed.

In addition, depending on the shape of the guide grooves 20c, 1c, 1e, and 26e in the above embodiment, the order in which the armrests 2a, 20a, 24a, and 25a are moved in the horizontal plane is controlled by the control unit C according to the physique of the seated person. It is constant. For example, when it is determined that the control unit C is a small seated person, after moving from the retracted state of the door trim base material 1a to the inside of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction, the vehicle moves forward from the standard position. It becomes.
However, regarding the movement control of the armrest according to the present invention, the movement order is not limited, and the order can be changed by arbitrarily changing the shape of the guide groove. That is, in the case of a small seated person, it moves to the front side or the lower side of the standard position of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction, and in the case of a large seated person, it may move to the opposite side.

<< Fourth Embodiment >>
In the armrest device 24 according to the second embodiment and the armrest device 25 according to the third embodiment, the armrests 24a and 25a are arranged in the vehicle width direction by engaging the spur gears 24b and 25d with the rack portions 1d and 26f. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration.

  For example, the armrest device 27 according to the fourth embodiment has a configuration in which the armrest 27 a can be moved in the vehicle width direction by the motor M. This configuration will be specifically described below with reference to FIGS. 17A and 17B. FIG. 17A is an arrow view of a portion corresponding to the AA cross section of FIG. 1 of the armrest device 27 according to the fourth modification, and FIG. 17B is a perspective view showing the operation direction of the armrest device 27.

  The armrest device 27 includes an armrest 27a, a change mechanism 75 that changes the shape of the armrest 27a, the physique information detection sensor 4 described above, and a control unit C that controls the change mechanism 75.

The change mechanism 75 includes a support rod 27c having one end fixed to the output shaft of the motor M, a ball 27b fixed to the other end of the support rod 27c, a skin material 27d covering the ball 27b, the support rod 27c, and the motor M. It is mainly composed of
Two support rods 27c and balls 27b are provided in the vehicle front-rear direction so that the position of the upper surface of the armrest device 27 can be changed.
The skin material 27d is made of a flexible material such as synthetic fiber or leather, and its ends are fixed to the door trim base material 1a and the lower support portion 2c.

The control unit C operates the motor M to operate the support rod 27c in the vertical direction and the front-rear direction.
According to the armrest device 27 according to the above configuration, since the support rod 27c is rotated around the output shaft of the motor M, the shape of the armrest 27a is changed while suppressing the fluctuation of the tension applied to the skin material 27d. It is possible. That is, the occurrence of slack in the skin material 27d can be suppressed.
In addition, as what changes the shape of the armrest 25a, it is not limited to a ball-shaped thing, For example, the rod-shaped, cylindrical shape, or plate-shaped thing extended in the vehicle front-back direction may be sufficient.

<Third Modification>
Next, an armrest device 22 according to a third modification will be described with reference to FIGS. 18 and 19.
18 is a block diagram of the control unit C that controls the armrest 2a according to the third modification, and FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram showing the proximity sensor 6. As shown in FIG.
The armrest device 22 according to the third modification includes a linear actuator A as another changing mechanism 76 as shown in FIG.

  That is, the control unit C may move the armrest 2a in the front-rear direction, the up-down direction, or the vehicle width direction by the linear actuator A as the changing mechanism 76 based on the occupant's physique information.

  Further, the movement amount of the armrest 2a moved by the linear actuator A may be restricted by abutting against a seat back of a vehicle seat (not shown), for example. Specifically, the control unit C may stop the movement control of the linear actuator A based on a signal related to resistance caused by a reaction force applied by the armrest 2a coming into contact with the vehicle seat.

However, if the armrest 2a protrudes too much inside the vehicle in the vehicle width direction, it may be difficult to operate the reclining adjustment lever 10 on the side of the seat cushion S1 or a lever such as a seat surface height adjustment lever (not shown). Conceivable.
This problem can be electrically limited by providing the proximity sensor 6 at the inner end of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction of the armrest 2a as shown in FIG. Specifically, the control unit C receives a signal indicating that the armrest 2a has approached the seat back S2 up to a predetermined distance from the proximity sensor 6 (a signal indicating that the distance is equal to or less than a predetermined reference value), for example. When received, the control unit C can automatically stop the deformation or movement of the armrest 2a.

In addition, for example, in the armrest device 2 shown in FIG. 7, the amount of air in the air bag 7c is limited, and in the armrest device 21 shown in FIG. You just have to do it.
If it does in this way, it can restrict to modification so that reclining adjustment lever 10 and other levers may not be covered.

  Further, for example, in the armrest device 25 having the pantograph PG shown in FIG. 15 and the armrest device 27 having the support rod 27c shown in FIG. 17, a stopper (not shown) is provided at the operating position of the pantograph PG or the support rod 27c. The operation may be stopped when it comes into contact with the stopper.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although demonstrated as what moves or deform | transforms an armrest according to a passenger | crew's physique, you may move or deform | transform another member. For example, the table can be used for a variety of purposes, for example, by pulling it out from a door trim or the like to a position suitable for the physique of the occupant.

  In addition, since the armrest can be arranged according to the position of the occupant's arm, the impact due to the physique difference can be suppressed, and the impact point applied at the time of a side collision of the vehicle can be assumed more accurately. Ability can be increased.

  The armrest device according to the above embodiment is not limited to that provided on the door trim, and may be provided on a part of the seat. Moreover, it is not restricted to what is provided in the seat vicinity of a motor vehicle, It can use for working vehicles, such as a forklift, and other vehicles.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Door trim 1a Door trim base material 1c Guide groove 1d Rack part 1e Guide groove 2 Armrest apparatus (armrest apparatus for vehicles)
2a Armrest 2b Front side part 2c Lower side support part 2d Rear side part 2e Movable part 2f Pull pocket 3a CPU (determination part)
3b ROM
3c RAM
4 physique information detection sensor 4a slide position detection sensor 4b seat weight sensor 4c seat belt sensor 4d camera 5a changeover switch 5b manual switch 6 proximity sensor 7 change mechanism 7a compressor 7b valve 7c air bag 8 slide rail 8a lower rail 8b upper rail 9 fixing plate 10 Reclining adjustment lever 20 Armrest device (vehicle armrest device)
20a armrest 20b free ball bearing 20c guide groove 20d rear side part 20e movable part 20f tension spring 21 armrest device (armrest device for vehicle)
21a Armrest 21b Rear side portion 21c Air bag group 21d Outer air bag 21e Inner air bag 21f Lower air bag 21g Rear air bag 21h Skin material 22 Armrest device (vehicle armrest device)
24 Armrest device (vehicle armrest device)
24a Armrest 24b Spur gear 24d Rear side portion 24e Free ball bearing 24g Movable portion 25 Armrest device (vehicle armrest device)
25a Armrest 25b Lower plate 25c Main body 25d Spur gear 25e Upper plate 25f Screw 26 Stretch cloth 26d Rear side portion 26e Guide groove 26f Rack portion 27 Armrest device (vehicle armrest device)
27a Armrest 27b Ball 27c Support rod 27d Skin material 30 Drive circuit 40 Seat belt 70, 71, 73, 74, 75, 76 Change mechanism 71b Valve group 71d, 71e, 71f, 71g Valve A Linear actuator C Control unit M Motor PG Pantograph S Seat S1 Seat cushion S1a Cushion frame S1b Side frame S2 Seat back

Claims (7)

A vehicle armrest device provided inside a vehicle,
Armrests,
A change mechanism for changing the position or shape of the armrest;
A sensor for detecting physique information of the occupant when the occupant is seated;
And a control unit that controls the change mechanism based on the physique information detected from the sensor. The controller is
Based on the physique information detected by the sensor, has a determination unit that determines the physique of the occupant,
When the determination unit determines that the occupant's physique is smaller than a reference, the change mechanism is controlled so that the armrest is disposed on the front side of the standard position and / or on the center side of the seat in the seat width direction. The vehicle armrest device according to claim 1, wherein: The sensor detects the physique information according to the amount of movement of the sheet,
The vehicle armrest device according to claim 1, wherein the physique information is positional information of the upper rail among slide rails including an upper rail and a lower rail that slide the seat. The controller is
Based on the physique information detected by the sensor, has a determination unit that determines the physique of the occupant,
When the determination unit determines that the upper rail is in front of the reference position, the change mechanism is arranged such that the armrest is disposed on the front side and / or the center side of the seat in the seat width direction with respect to the standard position. The vehicle armrest device according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle armrest device is controlled. The sensor is a seat weight sensor that detects a load of the occupant,
The control unit includes a determination unit that determines the physique of the occupant based on the physique information detected by the sensor,
When the determination unit determines that the load detected by the sensor is equal to or less than a reference value, the control unit arranges the armrest on the front side of the standard position and / or on the center side of the seat in the seat width direction. The vehicle armrest device according to claim 1, wherein the change mechanism is controlled.   The said control part stops the change of the position or shape of the said armrest, when the distance of the said armrest and the others in the said vehicle becomes below a reference value. The armrest device for vehicles given in any 1 paragraph.   The control unit stops changing the position or shape of the front side of the armrest and / or the center side of the seat in the seat width direction by the changing mechanism when the armrest comes into contact with the seat back of the vehicle seat. The vehicle armrest device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the vehicle armrest device is controlled as follows.

Images