Abstract:
A vehicle seat includes a backrest with a forearm support carried thereon at the rear side thereof, the aim being to improve the level of comfort for the user of the seat in a position of facing rearwardly.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a vehicle seat and more particularly a vehicle seat having a backrest capable of affording enhanced operator comfort. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Drivers of vehicles frequently find it necessary to turn to face towards the rear, to carry out suitable manoeuvres involving the rear of the vehicle in which the operator is sitting. This is the case for example more particularly with the drivers of tractors or fork-lift trucks who turn towards the rear to carry out operating manoeuvres with their vehicle. A similar consideration can also apply in regard to truck drivers. 
     In that respect attention may be directed to DE 298 04 359 U1 disclosing a vehicle seat in which the two side edges are each formed with a respective recess configuration. That affords a free space for the elbows of the arms of the occupant of the seat so that it is possible for that person to face rearwardly of the vehicle. 
     Attention may be also be directed to DE 30 46 049 A1 disclosing a seat having a backrest wherein the backrest or at least the upper portion of the backrest is pivotable about a vertical axis. That arrangement is intended to ensure that the seat can be adapted to the position of the seat occupant, which the respective operating demands of any given situation involve. 
     Mention may also be made of FR 1 415 648 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,031,883 disclosing chairs having backrests which each have a respective recess configuration at each of their two side edges. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the invention is to provide a vehicle seat permitting a further improvement in operator comfort when facing rearwardly. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a vehicle seat so designed as to permit the seat occupant to be in a more stable and secure position on the seat when facing rearwardly thereon. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat affording better anatomically and ergonomically adapted support for the seat occupant when facing rearwardly to operate the vehicle. 
     In accordance with the principles of the present invention the foregoing and other objects are attained by a vehicle seat comprising a backrest, wherein provided at the rear side of the backrest is a forearm support on which the seat occupant can rest the forearm when facing rearwardly of the seat. 
     As will be seen from the description hereinafter of a preferred embodiment of the vehicle seat in accordance with the invention, that seat affords the advantage that, when the seat occupant is in a seating position of having turned to face rearwardly, the seat occupant can rest the forearm of the arm which is not required for steering the vehicle on the forearm support at the rear of the backrest. That therefore provides for optimum support and contributes to substantially reducing fatigue of the free arm which is not required for steering purposes. The vehicle seat according to the invention can therefore afford optimum user comfort in that posture. 
     It will be appreciated that the structure of the invention can be used to optimum effect in relation to vehicle seats with a relatively short backrest as that affords greater ease of movement for the occupant. 
     Particularly in the case of vehicle seats which have a relatively wide or high backrest, in accordance with a preferred feature of the invention at least one side edge of the backrest has a recess which serves to receive the upper arm or the shoulder region adjacent thereto of the seat occupant when that person faces rearwardly away from the usual direction of the vehicle. In that situation, the forearm support at the rear side of the backrest is associated with the recess in the side edge of the backrest. 
     In the case of a vehicle seat of the configuration just referred to, in accordance with the invention, the backrest may have a recess only at one of its two side edges, with the forearm support being associated with that recess. In the case of a vehicle referred to as a left-hand drive vehicle the recess, as viewed in the direction of forward travel of the vehicle, is usually disposed at the right-hand side edge of the backrest of the vehicle seat. Conversely in the case of a right-hand drive vehicle the recess will usually be disposed at the left-hand side edge of the backrest. It will be appreciated however that the invention is not limited to those two alternatives. 
     In a preferred feature of the vehicle seat according to the invention the forearm support can extend from the respective side edge of the backrest to a central region of the rear side of the backrest. In that configuration, it has proven desirable for the forearm support to extend inclinedly upwardly from the respective side edge to the central region of the rear side of the backrest. That can provide for optimum adaptation to the anatomical factors of the respective occupant of the seat. 
     In accordance with a further preferred feature of the invention the forearm support is formed with a convexly curved forearm support surface, from the respective side edge of the backrest to the central region of the rear side thereof. 
     In a further preferred feature of the invention the backrest may have a backrest carrier which is stable in respect of shape and which affords a substantial surface area and on which the forearm support is disposed, the backrest carrier being provided at the front side with a backrest cushion portion. With such a configuration of the vehicle seat the forearm support may have a support body which is stable in respect of shape and which is covered with support upholstery. The support body of the forearm support in that case can be an independent member which is suitably secured to the backrest carrier of the backrest. It is likewise possible for the support body of the forearm support to be an integral component of the backrest carrier of the backrest. That eliminates assembly expenditure as is required when securing an independent and thus separate support body of the forearm support to the backrest carrier. 
     So that the vehicle seat according to the invention can be readily used in relation to right-hand drive and also left-hand drive vehicles, the backrest carrier may be of such a configuration as to afford two side edge contours which involve mirror-image symmetry, with or without one or more recesses. That can simplify manufacture of the backrest carriers for vehicle seats according to the invention and the stockkeeping thereof. If the vehicle seat according to the invention has a recess as indicated above, then that recess at one side of the backrest can be formed by a backrest cushion portion having side edge contours which do not involve mirror-image symmetry. 
     In a further preferred feature of the invention it is also possible for the backrest to be provided at both of its side edges with a respective recess, with the forearm support extending at the rear side of the backrest between the two side edges thereof. Such a vehicle seat can be put to optimum use in relation to right-hand drive and left-hand drive vehicles without involving further modifications to the seat structure. 
     Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description hereinafter of a preferred embodiment of a vehicle seat according to the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a backrest of a vehicle seat according to the invention, viewing inclinedly downwardly and from the rear towards the backrest of the seat, 
     FIG. 2 is a view of the FIG. 1 backrest viewing in the direction of the arrow II in FIG. 1, from above the backrest, 
     FIG. 3 is a view of the backrest viewing in the direction of the arrow III in FIG. 1, as a front view, 
     FIG. 4 is a view of the backrest carrier which is stable in respect of shape of the backrest shown in FIGS. 1 through 3 in combination with the forearm support viewing from the rear of the seat, and 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the backrest carrier with the forearm support as shown in FIG. 4 viewing from above and from the rear of the seat. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Before entering on a description of the illustrated embodiment of the invention it will be noted that the same features of the vehicle seat according to the invention are identified in each of FIGS. 1 through 5 by the same reference numerals. 
     Referring firstly to FIG. 1, shown therein is a perspective view of a backrest indicated generally at  10  of a vehicle seat. The backrest  10  has a backrest carrier or support structure  12  which is stable in respect of shape to act as a frame to afford structural rigidity to the backrest, the backrest carrier involving for example a stamped sheet metal component. As can be particularly clearly seen from FIG. 4 the backrest carrier  12  has two side edge contours  14  which are of mirror-image relationship with a central vertical line of symmetry indicated at  16  in FIG.  4 . Each of the two side edges  14  of the backrest carrier  12  is provided in the upper part thereof with a respective recess as indicated at  18  in FIG.  4 . This part of the configuration of the backrest of the seat can also be clearly seen from FIG.  5 . 
     Referring still to FIG. 4, disposed at the rear side  20  of the backrest carrier  12  is a forearm support  22 . Looking now also at FIGS. 3 and 4 the forearm support  22  comprises a support body  24  which is secured to the backrest carrier  12  by means of screws indicated at  26 . The support body  24  is covered with upholstery  28 . The forearm support  22  of that configuration is mounted to the backrest carrier  12  of the backrest  10  at the rear side  20  thereof in such a way that it extends from the respective side edge  14  inclinedly upwardly to a central region of the rear side  20  of the backrest carrier  12 , with the upwardly facing surface of the forearm support  22  being of an upwardly convexly curved configuration. 
     The backrest carrier  12  is combined at its front side with a backrest cushion portion as indicated at  30  in FIGS. 1 through 3. The backrest cushion portion  30  is of such a configuration as to have two side edge contours indicated at  32  and  34  in FIG. 3, which are not of a mirror-image configuration in relation to the central vertical line of symmetry  16 , as can be clearly seen from FIG.  3 . In other words, only the side edge contour  32  is of such a configuration as to afford a recess  36  in the upholstery of the backrest. The side edge recess  36  in the backrest cushion portion  30  is adapted in respect of shape to the corresponding recess  18  of the backrest carrier  12  of the backrest  10 , while the other side edge contour  34  of the backrest cushion portion  30  extends without a recess therein and consequently covers over the associated recess  18  in the backrest carrier  12 . It will be noted that the backrest carrier  12  which is stable in respect of shape to afford the required supporting effect for the backrest to retain the shape thereof is of a substantial surface area for suitably supporting the cushion portion  30 . 
     It can be clearly seen from this view that, as noted above, the forearm support  22  extends from the side edge  32  with the recess  36 , to the central region of the rear side  20  of the backrest, in a slightly upwardly inclined configuration, of an upwardly convexly curved shape. 
     The backrest  10  is of such a dimension in respect of height that the top edge  38  of the backrest is under the shoulder or armpit of the corresponding arm when the occupant of the seat faces rearwardly from the usual forwardly oriented direction of travel of the vehicle in which the seat is fitted. The corresponding forearm is then supported on the forearm support  22  so that this can avoid fatigue on the part of the operator, even after working for a prolonged period of time in a rearwardly facing posture. That has a positive effect not only in terms of operator comfort but also operating reliability and safety. 
     It will be appreciated that the vehicle seat according to the invention is not restricted to the illustrated embodiment with a lateral recess  36  at the side of the backrest  10 , in other words, the backrest  10  may also be without such a lateral recess  36 . The aspect of primary significance here is the forearm support  22  disposed at the rear side  20  of the backrest  10 . 
     It will be further appreciated that, the invention not being limited to the illustrated embodiment, it is also possible for the vehicle seat to be the subject of modifications and alterations without thereby departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.