Motor vehicle seat, has support device with supporting part for supporting arm of driver between elbow and shoulder for providing comfortable driving position to upper limbs and for positioning hand of driver on flywheel of vehicle

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Motor vehicle seat

The invention relates to a seat for a motor vehicle and more particularly to a seat provided with a support device.

In the field of interior fittings for motor vehicles, the supply of support devices for the upper limb is plethora of. These systems make it possible to support the upper limbs during long journeys so as not to stiffen them. For information, the upper limbs consist of the hand connected by the wrist to the forearm, itself connected by the elbow to the arm, the latter being connected to the trunk by the shoulder.

The support devices offered are mainly of the armrest type, that is to say which serve as a support for the elbow or for the forearm. If indeed, these systems allow the upper limbs to rest, they do so to the detriment of safety. Indeed, the driver is then obliged to bend his upper limb and can then reach the steering wheel of the motor vehicle only in its lower part, which is far from the well-known recommended positioning of the hands on the steering wheel at “10:10”.

The object of the present invention is to overcome all or part of the drawbacks mentioned above by providing a support device making it possible to rest the upper limb while keeping a safe placement of the hands on the steering wheel.

To this end, the invention relates to a seat for a motor vehicle comprising at least one support device for part of one of the upper limbs of the driver of said vehicle, characterized in that said part of one of the upper limbs is located between the elbow and the shoulder to guarantee said one of the upper limbs a comfortable driving position while having a safe position on the steering wheel of said motor vehicle.

In accordance with other advantageous characteristics of the invention:

said at least one support device comprises a support part of said one of the upper limbs and an articulation system connecting said support part to said seat;

-said articulation system comprises a movement compensation device capable of allowing said support piece to be substantially always in contact with said one of the upper limbs. This makes it possible not to interfere with avoidance or shifting movements;

- Said compensation device comprises means for adjusting the stroke of said support piece;

- Said articulation system comprises locking means making it possible to maintain said support piece in an inactive position;

- Said articulation system is substantially in line with the shoulder of said driver in order to support most of the weight of said one of the upper limbs;

- Said articulation system comprises height adjustment means making it possible to adapt to the vertical side of the driver's shoulder;

- Said at least one support device is pivotally mounted substantially laterally on the backrest of said seat;

Other features and advantages will emerge clearly from the description which is given below, by way of indication and in no way limiting, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 is a schematic side view of the positioning of the support device;

- Figure 2 is a schematic vertical section along AA of Figure 1;

- Figure 3 is a schematic vertical section along BB of Figure 2.

Dan s example illustrated in Figure 1, one can see a seat 1 on which is partially shown a driver 2 who holds a steering wheel 3 controlling the steering system of the motor vehicle.

The driver 2 is shown schematically by his trunk 4, his lower limbs 5 and his upper limbs 6. The latter include the hand 7 which holds the steering wheel 3, the forearm 8 and the arm 9.

The seat 1 comprises a seat 10 and a back 11. As illustrated in the example in FIG. 1, the back 11 comprises a support device 12 of one of the upper limbs 9 of the driver 2 and more precisely of his arm 9. The support device 12 is mounted on the side of the backrest 11 of the seat 1 (in the example illustrated on the left side of the backrest 11).

The support device 12 mainly comprises a support part 13 serving to rest the arm 9 and an articulation system 14. The latter allows the support part 13 to be able to print a stroke symbolized by the interval between the part 13 in its active position shown in solid lines and its inactive position in dotted lines.

The articulation system 14 is mounted on the side of the backrest 11 so that it is substantially in line with the shoulder of the driver 2, in other words so that the imaginary line, traced between the shoulder of the driver 2 and the articulation system 14, ie substantially vertical. This allows the support piece 13 to withstand a minimum of effort but above all not to subject the articulation system 14 to a lever arm. This therefore makes it possible to reduce the forces which it must withstand relative to a support device of the armrest type by essentially making them pass directly to said articulation system.

Preferably, the articulation system 14 also comprises height adjustment means 15 which essentially comprise a rail 16 in which slides a finger 17 belonging to said articulation system. This makes it possible, depending on the morphology of the driver 2, to adjust the plumb of his shoulder with respect to the articulation system 14, that is to say up or down the support device 12 depending on the size of the trunk 4 of the driver 2 . As explained above, this makes it possible to limit the non-direct forces subjected to the articulation system 14.

In the schematic examples illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the articulation system 14 is shown according respectively to section AA of FIG. 1 and section BB of FIG. 2.

The articulation system 14 comprises a compensation device 18 which allows the support part 13 of the support device 12 to be substantially always in contact with the arm 9 of the driver 2. It mainly comprises a frame 19, a axis 20 integral with finger 17 and elastic means 21.

The frame 19 is used as a supporting structure for all the components of the support device 12 already explained and those explained below. It is a substantially cylindrical part, closed at one end, in the middle of which the axis 20 is mounted so that said cylinder completely covers said axis.

The elastic means 21 comprise a spring of the helical type which is mounted around the axis 20. It can also be seen that a first end 21a of the elastic means 21 is integral with the support piece 13 and that the second 21b is integral frame 19.

Opposite the closed end of the frame 19, the finger 17 is fixed which, as explained above, slides along the rail 16 to allow the height adjustment of the support device 12 relative to the backrest 11 of the seat 1.

The bearing part 13 is mounted by means of a bearing 22 and 23 between the axis 20 and said part and said part and the frame 19 respectively. It comprises a first finger 24 and a second finger 25 which are substantially non-collinear.

The articulation system 14 also comprises means for adjusting the stroke 26 of the support part 13. They mainly comprise a set of teeth 27 and a ring 28. The teeth 27 is mounted on the internal surface of the frame 19 as illustrated in FIGS. figures 2 and 3.

The crown 28 is mounted around the elastic means 21 and the axis 20. It is movable relative to the frame 19 and to the support part 13 thanks to the bearings 29 located between the support part 13 and the crown 28. The latter has a recess 30 and a slot 31.

The light 31 has a curved path as illustrated in Figure 3 within which slides the finger 24 of the support piece 13. The recess 30 is used to mount a lug 32 mounted on a spring 33. The lug 32 is substantially U-shaped with a first 34 of its ends capable of being pushed and of which the second end 35 is capable of coming into contact with the teeth 27 included on the inside diameter of the frame 19.

The articulation system 14 also comprises means 40 for locking the support piece 13 in an inactive position (in dotted lines in the example of FIG. 1). These locking means 40 comprise the finger 25 included on the support piece 13 and a bistable assembly 36. Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the finger 25 comprises a head 37 capable of coming into contact with the hooks 38 of the bistable assembly 36 by rotation of the support piece 13.

The operation of the support device 12 is explained below. In general, the driver 2, who enters the motor vehicle (not shown), finds the support device 12 in its inactive position, that is to say preferably in the position of FIG. 1 where the part d support 13 is in dotted lines.

The driver 2 can, when seated, using the height adjustment means 15, adjust the articulation system 14 substantially in line with his shoulder. This is made possible by manually moving the support piece 13 so as to slide the finger 17 of the articulation system 14 along the rail 16 mounted on the backrest 11. This height adjustment allows the driver 2 to find a position. more comfortable for the upper limb 6.

When the driver 2 wants to relieve one of his upper limbs 6, he pushes on the support piece 13 (in its inactive position) with his arm 9 or his elbow. This movement induces the rotation of the support piece 13 relative to the axis 20 and, consequently, also that of the finger 25 which comprises the head 37. The latter then pushes on the hooks 38 of the bistable assembly 36 this which results in its liberalization by opening said brackets. The support piece 13 is thus released from the locking means 40.

Instantly, the elastic means 21, which are by construction in a compressed state, tend to move the support piece 13 in a clockwise direction, in the example of FIGS. 1 and 3, with respect to the axis 20. This movement of the support piece 13 is limited by the finger 24 - light 31 assembly. Thus in the example of FIG. 3, the finger 24, integral with the support piece 13, is pushed by the elastic means 21 and goes up along the light 31.

This movement is stopped, either when the support piece 13 comes into contact with the underside of the arm 9 of the driver 2, or when the finger 24 reaches the stop 39 of the light 31. The latter situation is useful for the comfort of the driver. 2. In fact, he may want to turn around in his motor vehicle and consequently leave without stop of the arm 9, the support piece 13. Depending on the morphology of the driver 2, it may be of interest, using the means for adjusting the stroke 26 of the support piece 13, to be able to decide up to what angle the latter can go up in relation to its inactive position.

The driver 2 can adjust the stroke of the finger 24 in the slot 31 by keeping the end 34 of the lug 32 projecting from the frame pushed while turning it. He can thus rotate the crown 28 and, by the same, make the end 35 of the lug 32 scroll in front of the teeth 27. The driver 2 can thus choose visually (since the finger 24 is against the stop 39) the maximum angle of the support piece 13 that he wishes. He then only has to release the end 34 to make the end 35 correspond to an element of the teeth 27 in order to lock the crown 28 in rotation.

One of the advantages of the invention is that it makes it possible to relieve the upper limbs 6 while having the hands 7 correctly, that is to say substantially at "10:10", placed on the steering wheel 3 without however preventing the movements necessary for driving the motor vehicle. Indeed, the compensation device 18 allows the support piece 13 to be continuously substantially parallel to the arm 9 and therefore to follow it in the event of movements aimed at turning the steering wheel 3 or at changing speeds.

When the driver 2 no longer wants to benefit from the support device 12, it is then sufficient for him to push the support piece 13 until the head 37 of the finger 25 meets the hooks 38 of the bistable assembly 36 which will result in imprisoning the head 37 and therefore locking the support device 12 in its inactive position.

Of course, the present invention is not limited to the example illustrated but is susceptible of various variants and modifications which will appear to those skilled in the art. In particular, a support device 12 can be placed on each side of the driver 2 or of a passenger.