VEHICLE INTERIOR STRUCTURE

• US 20100289301A1
• Filed: 10/17/2008
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Hiroshige, Atsushi, Tsuemoto, Toshihiro, Nakaguro, Takanobu
• Granted Patent: US 8,162,099 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/214
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/00 Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0815 Acoustic or thermal insulation of passenger compartments wall or roof liners integrating the insulating function B60R13/02; insulating floor mats or carpets B60N3/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0028 Ceiling, e.g. roof rails
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2013/0287 integrating other functions or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/28 using reflection, e.g. parabolic reflectors

Abstract

A vehicle interior structure that may realize a more amenable vehicle interior space by making communication between occupants sitting on a pair of vehicle seats easier. The vehicle interior structure includes: a pair of vehicle seats; and a sound-reflecting communication unit for conveying a sound produced from occupants sitting, respectively, on the pair of vehicle seats to the other occupant, while reflecting and converging the sound. The sound-reflecting communication unit forms a concave shape along a virtual ellipse, focuses of which are respectively at positions of heads of the occupants.

Claims

1. A vehicle interior structure comprising:

a pair of vehicle seats;

a sound-reflecting communication unit for conveying a sound produced from occupants sitting, respectively, on the pair of vehicle seats to the other occupant, while reflecting and converging the sound; and

a switching unit for switching between a first mode, in which a sound produced from one of the occupants is conveyed to the other of the occupants while being reflected and converged by the sound-reflecting communication unit and a sound produced from the other of the occupants is conveyed to the one of the occupants while being reflected and converged by the sound-reflecting communication unit, and a second mode, in which communicability of sounds between the occupants is lower than in the first mode.

2. The vehicle interior structure according to claim 1, wherein the sound-reflecting communication unit is structured to be capable of forming a concave shape along a virtual ellipse, whose focuses are at positions of the heads of the occupants, respectively.

4. The vehicle interior structure according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit is a screen unit that is capable of attaining an exposed state, in which the sound-reflecting communication unit is exposed to the pair of vehicle seats, and a covered state, in which the sound-reflecting communication unit is hidden from the pair of vehicle seats.

5. The vehicle interior structure according to claim 4, wherein the screen unit includes a winding-type cover member that is windable onto a winding member, and the screen unit is set to the exposed state by the winding-type cover member being wound onto the winding member and set to the covered state by the winding-type cover member being deployed from the winding member.

6. The vehicle interior structure according to claim 4, wherein the screen unit includes a sliding-type cover member that is slidable between a stowed position and a deployed position of the vehicle interior, and the screen unit is set to the exposed state by the sliding-type cover member being slid to the stowed position and set to the covered state by the sliding-type cover member being slid to the deployed position.

7. The vehicle interior structure according to claim 4, wherein the screen unit is a plurally divided structure.

8. The vehicle interior structure according to claim 1, wherein the sound-reflecting communication unit is fixedly provided at a vehicle member provided in the vehicle.

9. The vehicle interior structure according to claim 1, wherein the sound-reflecting communication unit is plurally provided in the vehicle.

10. The vehicle interior structure according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit is an alterable body at which the sound-reflecting communication unit is integrally provided and that is capable of attaining a first attitude, with which a sound produced from the occupants is conveyed while being reflected and converged toward the other occupant by the sound-reflecting communication unit, and a second attitude, with which communicability of sounds between the occupants is lower than with the first attitude.

11. The vehicle interior structure according to claim 10, wherein the alterable body includes a sliding body, which is provided with a sliding position thereof in the vehicle being alterable, and the alterable body is switched between the first attitude and the second attitude by the sliding position of the sliding body being altered.

12. The vehicle interior structure according to claim 10, wherein the alterable body includes a displacing body, which is provided with a reflecting surface that constitutes the sound-reflecting communication unit and is provided with a direction of the reflecting surface in the vehicle being alterable, and the alterable body is switched between the first attitude and the second attitude by the displacing body altering the direction of the reflecting surface.

13. The vehicle interior structure according to claim 10, wherein the alterable body includes a deforming body, which is provided with a shape of at least a portion thereof in the vehicle being deformable, and the alterable body is switched between the first attitude and the second attitude by the deforming body altering the shape of the at least a portion.

14. The vehicle interior structure according to claim 10, wherein the alterable body includes a turning body, which is provided with a turn angle thereof in the vehicle being alterable, and the alterable body is switched between the first attitude and the second attitude by the turning body altering the turn angle.

15. The vehicle interior structure according to claim 14, wherein the alterable body is a structure that includes a plurality of the turning body.

16. The vehicle interior structure according to claim 14, wherein the turning body comprises:

a reflecting surface that constitutes the sound-reflecting communication unit; and

an absorbing surface capable of absorbing a sound produced from the occupants.

17. The vehicle interior structure according to claim 1, wherein the sound-reflecting communication unit is provided at a ceiling region in the vehicle.

21. The vehicle interior structure according to claim 1, further comprising:

an occupant state detection unit that detects a state of the occupants;

a switching driving unit that drives the switching unit for switching between the first mode and the second mode; and

a switching control unit that controls the switching driving unit on the basis of a detection result from the occupant state detection unit.

3. (canceled)

18. A vehicle interior structure comprising:

a pair of vehicle seats;

a sound-reflecting communication unit for conveying a sound produced from occupants sitting, respectively, on the pair of vehicle seats toward the other occupant, while reflecting and converging the sound; and

a vehicle member provided in the vehicle,

the vehicle member including;

a reflecting surface that constitutes the sound-reflecting communication unit and is deformable to a first deformation state, in which a sound produced from one of the occupants can be conveyed to the other of the occupants while being reflected and converged by the sound-reflecting communication unit and a sound produced from the other of the occupants can be conveyed to the one of the occupants while being reflected and converged by the sound-reflecting communication unit, and a second deformation state, in which communicability of sounds between the occupants is lower than in the first deformation state;

an absorbing surface capable of absorbing a sound produced from the occupants;

a deforming unit for deforming the reflecting surface from the second deformation state to the first deformation state; and

a switching unit for switching between a first mode, in which the reflecting surface faces the heads of the occupants, and a second mode, in which the absorbing surface faces the heads of the occupants.

19. The vehicle interior structure according to claim 18, wherein

the reflecting surface and the absorbing surface are provided at an endless belt,

the deforming unit is a mating unit for causing a rear face of the reflecting surface of the endless belt to mate with a rear face of the absorbing surface and causing the reflecting surface to deform from the second deformation state to the first deformation state, and

the switching unit is a turning unit for causing the endless belt to turn so as to switch between the first mode and the second mode.

20. The vehicle interior structure according to claim 18, wherein

the reflecting surface and the absorbing surface are provided at one face and another face of the vehicle member,

the deforming unit is a mating unit for causing a rear face of the reflecting surface of the vehicle member to mate with a rear face of the absorbing surface and causing the reflecting surface to deform from the second deformation state to the first deformation state, and

the switching unit is a turning support unit that supports the vehicle member to be turnable in the vehicle so as to switch between the first mode and the second mode.

22. (canceled)

23. A vehicle interior structure comprising:

a pair of vehicle seats;

a sound-reflecting communication unit for conveying a sound produced from occupants sitting, respectively, on the pair of vehicle seats toward the other occupant, while reflecting and converging the sound;

an alteration unit for altering at least one of a position and a shape of the sound-reflecting communication unit;

an occupant state detection unit that detects a state of the occupants;

an alteration driving unit for driving the alteration unit; and

an alteration control unit that controls the alteration driving unit on the basis of a detection result from the occupant state detection unit.