Abstract:
A carrier structure for an armrest for pivotal articulation to a mount in a vehicle includes two carrier arms carrying a support body, wherein the carrier arms are connected at one end to a cross member. The cross member has pins for pivotable support in the mount. The cross member is produced by tube forming, bending and punching of a steel sheet corresponding substantially to the planar projection of the cross member, wherein the pins are formed on the cross member as tube parts.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is the U.S. National Stage of International Application No. PCT/EP20131000859, filed Mar. 21, 2013, which designated the United States and has been published as International Publication No. WO 2013/156102 and which claims the priority of German Patent Application, Serial No. 10 2012 007 845.5, filed Apr. 19, 2012, pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d). 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a carrier structure for an armrest for pivotable articulation to a mount of a vehicle. 
     When swingable center armrests of a vehicle, in particular of a motor vehicle, are involved, the support body, which serves as a padding for placement of the forearms of a vehicle occupant, is carried by carrier arms of a carrier structure which is swingably hinged to a mount of the vehicle. 
     Such a carrier structure  23  for a center armrest  20  articulated to a mount  30  of a rear-seat bench of a motor vehicle is shown in  FIG. 9  in a view from below onto the center armrest  20 . This carrier structure  23  includes a cross member  24  which consists of a rectangular frame of two solid round bars  24   a  and  24   b  which extend in parallel relation to a pivot axis A and have ends which are connected by bars  27   a  and  27   b  and transition into two carrier arms  23   a  and  23   b . The carrier arms  23   a  and  23   b  are connected in the central region thereof by a transverse strut  22 . These carrier arms  23   a  and  23   b  carry the substructure  21   b  of a support body  21   a  of the armrest  20 . 
     The bars  27   a  and  27   b  carry each a pivot bearing  25   a  and  25   b  to provide a pivotable support of the carrier structure  23  in the mount  30 . Furthermore, the round bar  24   b  is guided beyond the bars  27   a  and  27   b  for the formation of a stop pin  26   a  and  26   b . These stop pins  26   a  and  26   b  interact jointly with a crash pendulum (not illustrated) and a catch hook support  28  for blocking an uncontrolled pivoting of the armrest  20 . 
     The carrier arms  23   a  and  23   b  are made of a tubular profile, while the round bars  24   a  and  24   b  of the cross member  24  are made of solid material and connected by welding with the cross member  24 . Such a carrier structure  23  of steel has the required stability to absorb all encountered forces and moments. However, a disadvantage is the high weight and the associated manufacturing costs of such a carrier structure  23 . 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Object of the invention is therefore to provide a carrier structure for a pivotable armrest, in particular a center armrest for a vehicle, that allows a stable connection of the carrier structure of the armrest to the console of the vehicle while having low weight and low manufacturing costs. 
     This object is attained by a carrier structure for an armrest for pivotable articulation to a mount in a vehicle, including two carrier arms carrying a support body, wherein the carrier arms are connected at one end to a cross member, and the cross member has pins for pivotable support in the mount, wherein the cross member is produced by tube forming, bending and punching from a steel sheet corresponding substantially to the planar projection of the cross member, wherein the pins are formed on the cross member as tube parts. 
     Such a carrier structure for an armrest for pivotable articulation to a mount of a vehicle includes two carrier arms carrying a support body, with the carrier arms being connected at one end to a cross member and the cross member having pins for pivotable support in the mount, and is characterized according the invention in that the cross member is produced by tube forming, bending and punching of a steel sheet corresponding substantially to the planar projection of the cross member, with the pins being formed as tube parts onto the cross member. 
     This carrier structure according to the invention enables a substantial weight reduction compared to the known carrier structure according to  FIG. 9 , without accepting drawbacks in terms of the strength and stiffness of the carrier structure. A further advantage is that the production of this carrier structure by tube forming, bending and punching is also more cost-effective in comparison to a production of a cross member of solid material. The tubes required for the pivotable support can also be formed with an internal thread so that the components necessary for the pivotable support can be threadably attached. 
     According to an advantageous configuration of the invention, the cross member is cuboid in shape with side panels that form an outer surface area and opposing base panels, with an end of the carrier arms and at least a tube part being respectively formed on the base panels. Such a cuboid cross member, which for example, can be designed in a flat shape, is able to realize the strength and stiffness required for a swingable armrest. 
     According to an advantageous refinement of the invention, the cross member is formed with base panels which, in the planar projection, have free edges which form a gap with the adjacent edges of the side panels for formfittingly receiving the carrier arms. Thus, both the carrier arms with the cross member and the cross member in its shape as cuboid are at the same time completed to increase stiffness, as both base panels of the cross member are connected via the carrier arms with the remaining side panels of the casing of the cross member. Preferably, dimensioning and shape of the gap conforms to the contour of the carrier arms, in particular at their end portions, in order to establish a formfitting connection between the involved components. 
     According to a further configuration of the invention, two opposite side panels of the cross member have each in the center region along a longitudinal centerline a recess, thereby realizing a weight reduction without reducing the stiffness of the cross member. 
     It is particularly advantageous when, according to a refinement of the invention, the cross member has a side panel which extends in parallel relation to the plane spanned by the longitudinal members and is formed, at least partially, with an inwardly directed bulge. This increases the stiffness and strength of the cross member. It is hereby preferred to configure the side panel provided for the bulge with marginal webs adjacent to the base panels in such a way that the area between the marginal webs is formed as a bulge. This makes it possible to provide additional space for further components of the armrest, without reducing the stiffness and strength of the carrier structure. 
     According to a further configuration of the invention, a further tube part is formed on each of the end faces of the base panels of the cross member as receiving mandrel for limiting an uncontrolled pivotal movement of the carrier structure in relation to the vehicle-side mount. A crash pendulum for example interacts with this additional tube part. 
     According to a refinement, the carrier arms to be connected with the cross member can be manufactured from a flattened tube in order to enable a connection with the cross member by a welded joint. 
     As an alternative, the carrier arms can be formed according to another configuration of the invention as a double sheet metal part with two parallel sheet metal parts, which are connected at the free end of the carrier arm and connected on the cross-member side to the cross member by a welded joint. As a result, the total weight of the carrier structure can be further reduced with such carrier arms. 
     An exemplary embodiment of the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is shown in: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  a perspective illustration of a carrier structure for an armrest according to the invention, 
         FIG. 2  a perspective illustration of a cross member of the carrier structure of  FIG. 1  in a first view, 
         FIG. 3  a perspective illustration of a cross member of the support structure of  FIG. 1  in a second view, 
         FIG. 4  a perspective illustration of a cross member of the carrier structure of  FIG. 1  in a third view, 
         FIG. 5  a principal sketch of a planar projection of the cross member according to  FIG. 2 , 
         FIG. 6  a view of a base panel of the cross, member according to  FIG. 2 , 
         FIG. 7  a sectional view of the cross member taken along section I-I in  FIG. 4 , 
         FIG. 8  a detailed perspective illustration of a cross member according to the invention with a carrier arm made from a double sheeted metal part, and 
         FIG. 9  a perspective illustration of an armrest with a carrier structure according to the prior art. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The carrier structure  1  of the invention according to  FIG. 1  for receiving an armrest body (not shown) for formation of a swingable armrest of a vehicle includes a cross member  4 , to which two carrier arms  3   a  and  3   b  are welded that are connected in addition in midsection via a transverse strut  2 . The cross member  4  is articulated to a mount (not shown) of the vehicle via two pivot bearings  12   a  and  12   b  for swinging about a pivot axis A. Two further receiving mandrels  13   a  and  13   b  are also formed on the cross member  4 , with the receiving mandrel  13   b  interacting with a crash pendulum  14  in order to prevent the armrests from swinging open uncontrollably in the presence of high accelerations of the vehicle. Such crash pendulums are known to the artisan and therefore will not be explained hereinafter in more detail. 
     The  FIGS. 2, 3 and 4  show the cross member  4  in different perspective views from which its cuboid shape becomes apparent. This cuboid cross member  4  is made from a flat steel plate, which is formed substantially as planar projection of its cuboid configuration, by tube forming, bending and punching. This planar projection is illustrated in principle in  FIG. 5 , which has side panels  5 ,  6 ,  7  and  8  to form the outer surface area of the cross member  4 , and two base panels  10  and  11 , which form the end faces of the cuboid configuration. The side panel  8  includes, according to  FIG. 5 , two sub-areas  8   a  and  8   b  having each a fishplate  9   a  and  9   b  that are angled perpendicular to the end face  8 , when the cross member has been completely produced, and flatly rest on one another so as to be connectable, e.g., by welding spots  15 . 
     Further, its flat shape becomes apparent from  FIGS. 2 to 4, 6 and 7 ; i.e. the width B is substantially greater than the height H of the cross member  4 . 
     The cross member  4  is produced as sheet metal forming part by several process steps from the planar projection according  FIG. 5  through punching, tube forming and bending. Accordingly, elongate recesses  5   c  and  7   c  are initially produced in the side panels  5  and  6  as cutouts. Furthermore, an inwardly directed bulge  7   d  is impressed in the side panel  7 , with the bulge extending about an axis in longitudinal direction in correspondence with the pivot axis A of the cross member  4 . This bulge  7   d  does hereby not extend over the entire length L of the cross member  4 , but a marginal web  7   e  remains at each of the edges  7   a  and  7   b  of the side panel  7 , as can be seen in  FIG. 3  and the sectional view of  FIG. 7 . 
     A pivot bearing  12   a  and  12   b  as well as a receiving mandrel  13   a  and  13   b  are produced in each of the base panels or end faces  10  and  11 , with a thread  16  being also cut into the pivot bearings  12   a  and  12   b.    
     The thus-prepared planar projection is brought by several bending steps into the shape according to  FIGS. 2 to 4, 6 and 7 , with the end faces  10  and  11  being processed such that their free edges  10   a ,  10   b  and  10   c  and  11   a ,  11   b  and  11   c  in the planar projection do not bear upon the edges  5   a  and  5   b  and  7   a  and  7   b  of the side panels  5  and  7 , respectively, i.e. also not upon the edges  8   c  and  8   d  of the sub-areas  8   a  and  8   b , but a respective gap  17   a  and  17   b  remains and extends along the free edges  10   a ,  10   b  and  10   c  and  11   a ,  11   b  and  11   c  of the end faces  10  and  11 , respectively. This gap  17   a ,  17   b  receives the end of the carrier arm  3   a  and  3   b , respectively, and is formfittingly connected through welding with the cross member  4 , i.e. with the side panels  5 ,  7  and  8  as well as with the end face  10  and  11 , respectively. The participating edges of these side panels  5 ,  7  and  8  as well as the end faces  10  and  11  are contoured according to the geometry of the end regions of the carrier arms  3   a  and  3   b . The thus-produced carrier structure  1  is shown in  FIG. 1 . The used carrier arms  3   a  and  3   b  represent flattened tubes. 
     The flattened tubes as carrier arms  3   a  and  3   b  used in the carrier structure  1  according to  FIG. 1  may also be replaced by a double sheet metal part, as shown in  FIG. 8 . This double sheet metal part is manufactured from a sheet metal strip  18  which is folded once at a bending site  18   a  forming the end of the carrier arm  3   b . The free ends  18   b  and  18   c  of this sheet metal strip  18  are inserted in gap  17   b  and welded with the edges  11   a ,  11   b  and  11   c  and the edges  5   b  and  7   b  of the side panels  5  and  7 . 
     Production costs can be reduced with this solution compared to the use of flattened tubes as the carrier arms  3   a  and  3   b  since the use of such flattened tubes is relatively expensive. Furthermore, a carrier structure  1  produced in this way has also reduced weight.