Emergency hookup structure

Abstract

Emergency hooking structure (ST3) for preventing a seat cushion (3) attached to a floor (FP) from being detached from the surface of the floor (FP) when it bears a large load due to a vehicle collision, wherein the emergency hooking structure (ST3) comprises: a U-shaped wire (3F3a) which is arranged on the seat cushion (3) and bent into a U-shape; a bridge element (3F3b) that bridges both sides of the U-shaped wire (3F3a); and a fitting (32) which is arranged on the floor (FP) and includes a projection (32A1) which assumes a state in which a section of it extends through the space from one side of a space surrounded by the U-shaped wire (3F3a) and the bridge element (3F3b), wherein, even if the seat cushion (3) is pushed and moved in response to a frontal or rear-end collision of a vehicle, a rearwardly bent section of the U-shaped wire (3F3a) is hooked into the projection (32A1) of the fitting (32) when either the frontal or rear-end collision of the vehicle occurs, and the bridge element (3F3b) is designed to come into contact with a body of the fitting (32) to hook into the fitting (32) when the other occurs from the frontal and rear-end collision of the vehicle, thereby preventing the seat cushion (3) from being detached from the surface of the floor (FP).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an emergency hooking structure. More particularly, the present invention relates to an emergency hooking structure capable of preventing a seat cushion from being detached from a top surface of a floor when the seat cushion fixed to the floor receives an application of a large load in response to a vehicle collision and the like.

[0002] A hooking structure for hooking onto a floor side in an emergency is known, according to which a seat cushion does not detach from the upper surface of a floor in the event of a vehicle collision (see JP 2012-51439 A). Specifically, in the hooking structure, a hook disposed at a rear portion of the seat cushion is hooked onto a plate or fitting disposed on the floor from behind in an emergency.

[0003] However, in the prior art, since the above-mentioned hooking structure comprising a hook and a fitting responds only to a frontal collision of a vehicle, it is advantageous to have a structure capable of responding also to a rearward collision of a vehicle.

[0004] From DE 10 2006 023 153 A1 ("Locking element for a motor vehicle component...") an emergency hooking structure is known, wherein due to a displacement of a seat during a front or rear collision of the vehicle, a hooking element which is attached to the seat is displaced, hooking into a retaining element which is attached to the floor and preventing the seat from lifting off the floor.

[0005] The present invention was conceived to solve the above-mentioned problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide an emergency hooking structure capable of responding to both frontal and rearward collisions of a vehicle, while being easy to install.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an emergency hooking structure for preventing a seat cushion attached to a floor from being detached from the upper surface of the floor when receiving a large load due to a vehicle collision, the emergency hooking structure comprising: a U-shaped wire disposed on the seat cushion and bent into a U-shape; a bridge member bridging both sides of the U-shaped wire;and a bracket disposed on the floor and including a projection that assumes a state in which a portion thereof extends from one side of a space surrounded by the U-shaped wire and the bridge member through the space, wherein even when the seat cushion is pushed and moved in response to a frontal collision or a rearward collision of a vehicle, a rearwardly bent portion of the U-shaped wire is hooked into the projection of the bracket when either a frontal collision or a rearward collision of the vehicle occurs, and the bridge member is configured to come into contact with a body of the bracket for hooking into the bracket when the other of the frontal collision or the rearward collision of the vehicle occurs, thereby preventing the seat cushion from being detached from the upper surface of the floor.;

[0007] Therefore, the hooking action of the elements prevents the seat cushion from being detached from the ground surface, because the seat cushion is in a state where the protrusion of the fitting, which is located on the ground, extends through the space enclosed by the U-shaped wire and the bridge element, regardless of whether a frontal or rear-end collision of the vehicle occurs. Thus, the emergency hooking structure can be designed to respond to both frontal and rear-end collisions of a vehicle and can be easily installed.

[0008] According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided the emergency hooking structure according to the first aspect, wherein the bridge member is configured to come into contact with a recessed portion formed in the body of the fitting to hook into the recessed portion, and wherein the bridge member includes a hooking portion projecting in a hook shape, configured to hook into the recessed portion, and configured to prevent the bridge member from slipping from a position in contact with the recessed portion by the force of the collision of the seat cushion due to inertia.

[0009] Therefore, since the bridge member is designed to hook into the recessed portion, the bridge member can hook into the recessed portion, thereby preventing it from detaching upward from the recessed portion. Furthermore, since the bridge member includes the hooking portion to prevent the bridge member from slipping or sliding away from the position including the recessed portion, it is possible to hold the seat cushion so that it does not detach from the floor surface.

[0010] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the emergency hooking structure according to the first or second aspect, wherein the fitting comprises a fixed member configured to pivotally connect a seat back to the floor, and wherein the U-shaped wire is arranged to project toward the seat back in a state where the U-shaped wire is fixed to a frame embedded in a cushion of the seat cushion.

[0011] Therefore, by specifying a high-rigidity joint fitting for supporting the seat back, which is fixed to the floor, it is possible to design the fitting requiring high rigidity so that it reliably prevents the seat cushion from separating or detaching in an emergency without increasing the number of parts. Furthermore, by constructing the U-shaped wire arranged on the seat cushion and fixed to the frame embedded in the seat cushion cushion, it is possible to design the U-shaped wire to have high rigidity. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an emergency hooking structure of a vehicle seat according to a first embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a seat cushion is fixed to a floor; Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of the seat cushion; Fig. 4A is a cross section and Fig. Figure 4B is a longitudinal section showing the condition before the component in area IV of Fig. 2 is mounted; Fig. 5A is a cross section and Fig. Figure 5B is a longitudinal section showing the state after the component in area IV of Fig. 2 is mounted; Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of area VI of Fig. 2; Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which the component in the area VI is hooked to the front when subjected to a rear collision of a vehicle; Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing a state in which the component in the area VI is hooked to the rear when subjected to a frontal collision of a vehicle; Fig. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of area IX of Fig. 2; Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which the component in the area IX is hooked to the rear when subjected to a rear collision of a vehicle; and Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which the component in the area IX is hooked in the front when subjected to a frontal collision of a vehicle.

[0012] Embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. <Erste Ausführungsform>

[0013] First, an emergency hooking structure ST3 according to the first embodiment of the invention is shown with reference to Fig. 1 to 11. As described in the Fig. 1 and Fig. As shown in Fig. 2, the emergency hooking structure ST3 according to the present embodiment is arranged between a seat cushion 3 of a rear seat 1 of a vehicle and a floor panel or a floor panel FP, and serves to prevent the seat cushion from being detached from an upper surface of the floor panel FP when the seat cushion receives an application of a large load due to a collision of the vehicle and the like. The rear seat 1, which has a large width and is configured as a seat for 3 people, includes a seatback (not shown) serving as a backrest of an occupant, and a seat cushion 3 serving as a seating portion. Although the seat cushion 3 is configured as a continuous seat cushion with a large width for 3 people, the seatback, which is not shown, is divided at a ratio of 6:4 in the transverse direction.

[0014] Each part of the seat back (not shown), which is divided at a ratio of 6:4 as mentioned above, is connected at its lower end, on an inwardly facing inner side thereof, to a respective movable member 31 of a hinge bracket 30 disposed on the floor panel FP, and is in a state of being pivotally supported so as to be rotated backward and forward about a rotation axis 33 of the hinge bracket 30 with respect to the floor panel FP. Further, each part of the seat back, which is divided and not shown, is connected at its lower end, on an outer side thereof, to a respective hinge structure (not shown), and is in a state of being pivotally supported so as to be rotated backward and forward about the rotation axis 33 of the hinge bracket 30 and the same axis with respect to the floor panel FP.In each part of the divided seat back, not shown, in a normal state, each engaging portion disposed in a shoulder portion of the vehicle outer side thereof is engaged with a respective engaging portion provided in each side wall portion of a vehicle body so as to be prevented from rotating, thereby achieving a state in which the angle of the seat back is fixed and held in a normal position (not shown).

[0015] Here, the above-described hinge fitting 30 includes an L-shaped plate as a fixing member 32 fixed to a floor plate FP, and a movable member 31 pivotally supported by a rotary shaft 33 in a rotatable state on the upright plate portion of the fixing member 32. The fixing member 32 is in a state where its floor plate-side portion, which is bent to form an L-shape, is fixed to the floor plate FP by means of a bolt and is thereby firmly connected thereto, and its upright plate portion has a surface facing the seat width direction and is thereby in a stable state against the bending load applied in the longitudinal direction.The movable element 31 comprises two sections arranged on either side of the fastening element 32 and pivotally mounted on the fixed element 32 so that each can rotate freely and independently about a rotating shaft 33.

[0016] By this configuration, in which press-fit wires 3F1b protruding from the bottom surface of the floor panel FP at two positions, a right and a left position, of a front portion of the floor panel FP are pressed into insertion members 10 arranged at two positions, a right and a left position, in the floor panel FP so as to engage with each other, the seat cushion 3 is firmly connected and fixed to the floor panel FP. Thus, the seat cushion 3 is fixed to the floor panel FP by the press-fit coupling structure ST1 arranged at the two positions, the right and the left, of the floor panel FP through such a simple press-fitting operation.

[0017] However, since such a simple press-in type emergency hooking structure ST1, which simplifies the assembly process, cannot withstand a large load generated at the time of a vehicle collision, there is a risk of the seat cushion 3 detaching from the floor panel FP. Therefore, in order to withstand such a large load, an emergency hooking structure ST2 is additionally arranged between the seat cushion 3 and the floor panel FP at each of the right and left positions of the front portion. The emergency hooking structure ST2, while hooked, prevents the seat cushion from detaching even when the seat cushion 3 is pushed and moved in the longitudinal direction in response to the application of the large load generated by the vehicle collision. The emergency hooking structure ST2 is arranged adjacent to the press-in coupling structure ST1 in a transverse direction.

[0018] Furthermore, an emergency hooking structure ST3 is arranged between the rear center portion of the seat cushion 3 and the floor panel FP (the above-described fixed member 32 of the hinge bracket 30). This hooking structure prevents the seat cushion 3 from coming off when the seat cushion 3 is pushed and moved in the longitudinal direction in response to the application of the large load generated by the vehicle collision. The emergency hooking structure ST3 corresponds to the "emergency hooking structure" of the invention, and the fixed member 32 of the hinge bracket corresponds to the "bracket" of the invention.

[0019] When the above-described press-fit coupling structure ST1 is connected by press-fitting, the emergency hooking structures ST2, ST3 are each positioned in the longitudinal direction just so as to oppose a corresponding one of the hooked members, so that they are each hooked in an emergency, thereby serving to prevent the pull-off movement of the seat cushion 3 in an emergency. Specifically, in a normal state in which the above-described press-fit coupling structure ST1 has been connected by the press-fitting process, in each of the emergency hooking structures ST2, ST3, the corresponding hooking members to be hooked in an emergency are opposed to each other at a distance in the longitudinal direction.In this state, when the seat cushion 3 is pushed and moved in the longitudinal direction in response to the action of the large load generated by the vehicle collision, the corresponding hooking elements of the emergency hooking structures are pushed toward each other and hooked into each other.

[0020] Therefore, by combining the press-fit coupling structure ST1, which serves to simplify the connection process, and the emergency hooking structures ST2, ST3, which are positioned during the connection process and are thus designed to be hooked in an emergency, it is possible to produce a structure in which the seat cushion 3 attached to the floor plate FP can withstand a large load while simultaneously simplifying the assembly process. The following describes in more detail the construction of the press-fit coupling structure ST1 and the emergency hooking structures ST2, ST3 together with the seat cushion 3.

[0021] As it is in Fig. 3, the above-described seat cushion 3 includes a metal wire frame 3F shaped into a rectangular frame, constituting a skeleton of the cushion pad 3P, and embedded in the urethane foam cushion pad 3P to form a cushioning structure. Incidentally, the surface of the above-mentioned cushion pad 3P is covered with a stretched upholstery fabric (not shown). However, in this embodiment, a drawing and description of the upholstery fabric are omitted in order to better understand the structure of the above-mentioned cushion pad 3P and the wire frame 3F embedded therein. Here, the cushion pad 3P corresponds to the "cushion" of the invention, and the wire frame 3F corresponds to the "frame" of the invention.

[0022] As it is in the Fig. 1 and Fig. As shown in Fig. 2, the wire frame 3F includes a front wire 3F1 forming a framework of the front portion of the cushion pad 3P, side wires 3F2 forming a framework on both outer sides of the cushion pad 3P, and a rear wire 3F3 forming a framework of a rear portion of the cushion pad 3P, which are connected to each other into a body, thereby forming a rectangular frame extending along the outer peripheral edge of the cushion pad 3P. The above-described wire frame 3F is placed in a mold during foam molding of the cushion pad 3P, so that it is molded by and firmly bonded to the cushion pad 3P foam molded in the same mold.Furthermore, the above-described wire frame 3F is fixedly connected to a shaping wire 3F1c extending in the seat width direction and shaped to protrude forward between the left and right ends of the above-described front wire 3F1, which is bridged thereby. The shaping wire 3F1c, by its shape protruding forward from the front wire 3F1, supports a portion formed at portions on the right and left sides of the front portion of the cushion pad 3P that bulges or curves forward from its interior. Thereby, the shaping wire 3F1c serves as a shaping member for preventing the shapes of the two side portions from collapsing due to a tensile force of the above-described cushion pad (not shown).

[0023] Further, at positions at the right and left ends of the above-mentioned front wire 3F1, there are fixedly disposed a fixing wire 3F1a which is bent toward the seat rear side into a U-shape and thereby fixed at both ends thereof to the front wire 3F1, and the U-shaped press-in wire 3F1b and the hooking wire 3F1d which are arranged side by side in the lateral direction and are bridged between respective front and rear frame portions of the respective surrounding frame portions of the fixing wire 3F1a and the front wire 3F1.

[0024] Each of the press-fit wires 3F1b is bent downward in a U-shape and inserted from above into one of the insertion members 10, each made of resin and installed in an insertion hole 21 of a bracket 20, arranged at the left position and the right position on the front side of the floor panel FP. Thus, the press-fit wires 3F1b are fixed and held in a state in which they are prevented from separating from the insertion member 10. The structure in which the press-fit wires 3F1b are inserted into the insertion member 10 on the floor panel FP and are thereby prevented from separating from the insertion member 10 corresponds to the press-fit coupling structure ST1 described above. By the press-fit coupling structure ST1, it is possible to easily attach the seat cushion 3 to the floor panel FP. The specific configuration of the press-fit coupling structure ST1 is described below with reference to FIG. Fig. 4 (4A and 4B) and 5 (5A and 5B) are described in detail.

[0025] Furthermore, the U-shaped hooking wires 3F1d, each arranged at a small distance from each of the above-described press-in wires 3F1b, each protrude downward less than the U-shaped hooking wires 3F1b, and are each inserted from above into a hooking hole 22 formed at a small distance from an insertion hole 21 of each of the brackets 20 mounted at the two positions, the left position and the right position, on the above-described bottom plate. Thus, in a normal state, the hooking wire 3F1d is maintained in a state where it is not engaged with the hooking hole 22 of the bracket 20 in the longitudinal direction. However, in an emergency situation of a vehicle collision, the hooking wire 3F1d is hooked into one of hooking claws 22B formed on a front and a rear side in each of the hooking holes 22, and therefore serves to prevent the detachment of the seat cushion 3 (see the Fig. 6 to 8). The structure in which these hooking wires 3F1d are hooked into the hooking claw 22B of the hooking opening 22 of the respective clamps 20 corresponds to the emergency hooking structure ST2 described above. Furthermore, the structure of the emergency hooking structure ST2 is described in detail below with reference to Fig. 6 to 8 described.

[0026] Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the U-shaped wire 3F3a, which is bent to extend toward the seat rear in a U-shape and thereby fixed at both ends to the rear wire 3F3, is fixedly fixed to an intermediate portion of the rear wire 3F3. Further, a jumper wire 3F3b, which is bent into an L-shape, is fixedly connected in the seat width direction between left and right frame portions of the U-shaped wire 3F3. The U-shaped wire 3F3a is configured so that a U-shaped portion thereof extends below a bent portion 32A1 bent downward from a distal end of a punch-bend portion 32A formed by punching and bending out the fixed member 32 of the hinge bracket 30 mounted on the central portion of the floor panel FP.Thus, the U-shaped wire 3F3a is held in the state where its upward detachment is suppressed by the punch-bending portion 32A of the fixing member 32 of the hinge bracket 30 hooked to an upper portion thereof.

[0027] In a normal state, the above-described U-shaped wire 3F3a is in a state in which the above-mentioned U-shaped rearwardly bent portion (rear end) and the bent portion 32A1 are separated from each other in the longitudinal direction, and at the same time, the jumper wire 3F3b is spaced apart in the longitudinal direction from the fixed member 32 of the hinge bracket 30. In an emergency situation of a vehicle collision, the U-shaped wire 3F3a enables the U-shaped rearwardly bent portion (rear end) to be hooked into the bent portion 32A1 or the jumper wire 3F3b to be hooked into the fixed member 32, and thus serves to prevent the detachment of the seat cushion 3 (see the Fig. 9 to 11). The structure in which the U-shaped wire 3F3a or the jumper wire 3F3b is hooked into the fixed element 32 of the hinge fitting 30 on the floor plate FP corresponds to the above-mentioned emergency hooking structure ST3. Here, the U-shaped wire corresponds to the "U-shaped wire" of the invention, the jumper wire 3F3b corresponds to the jumper wire of the invention, and the bent portion 32A1 corresponds to the "protrusion" of the invention. Incidentally, the detailed structure of the emergency hooking structure ST3 is described below with reference to Fig. 9 to 11 are described in detail.

[0028] Here, as shown in Fig. 3, the edge portion of the rear side of the above-mentioned cushion pad 3P is divided into two side portions, a right side portion and a left side portion, with buckle holes 3P1 penetrating it in the height direction so that buckles of a seat belt device (not shown) can be passed through from below. Therefore, in the rear wire 3F3 extending along the rear portion of the cushion pad 3P, two portions thereof, each passing close to one of the buckle holes 3P1, are bent in a crank shape toward the seat front to prevent exposure of the rear wire 3F3 at the buckle holes 3P1 at the two positions. As described above, the above-mentioned cushion pad 3P includes the wire frame 3F embedded therein, so that the wire frame 3F is not exposed.However, in a portion inside the U-shape of the U-shaped wire 3F3a additionally formed in the above-mentioned rear wire 3F3, there is formed a bending portion through-hole 3P3 into which the bent portion 32A1 of the punch-bend portion 32A formed in the fixed member 32 of the hinge bracket 30 is inserted, as shown in FIGS. Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, can protrude from above.

[0029] The above-mentioned bending section through-hole 3P3 is formed between the U-shaped wire 3F3a and the jumper wire 3F3b, which are fixed to the rear wire 3F3, so that the U-shaped wire 3F3a and the jumper wire 3F3b are not exposed. Thus, the U-shaped wire 3F3a and the jumper wire 3F3b are covered by the cushion pad 3P as described above. Therefore, the U-shaped wire 3F3a and the jumper wire 3F3b are normally protected so that they do not generate extraneous noise that they would generate if they were in direct contact with the metal bent section 32A1 protruding through the bending section through-hole 3P3 during bumpy driving of the vehicle.Furthermore, each lead-in wire attached to the front wire 3F1, as described above, is also covered externally by a molded portion partially protruding downward from the bottom portion of the cushion pad 3P. Therefore, each lead-in wire attached to the front wire 3F1 is protected so that no extraneous noise is generated during bumpy vehicle travel when it is in direct contact with the metal clamp 20 through which it is passed.

[0030] Each of the press-fit wires 3F1b attached to the above-mentioned front wire 3F1 is exposed to protrude downward from the bottom surface of the cushion pad 3P. Since the press-fit wire 3F1b is inserted into and connected to the resin-formed insertion member 10 in a holding state, no extraneous noise associated with metal-to-metal contact occurs, as described above.

[0031] Below is the structure of the press-fit coupling structure ST1 described above with reference to the Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. As described above, each of the press-fitting coupling structures ST1 is configured such that each of the U-shaped press-fitting wires 3F1b, which are fixed to the front wire 3F1 of the seat cushion 3, is pressed into the respective insertion member 10 from above. Each of the insertion members 10 is formed of resin and installed in the insertion hole 21 of the respective bracket 20 fixed on the bottom plate FP. Thus, each of the insertion members 10 is elastically hooked into the respective press-fitting wire 3F1b, so that in a holding state, each of the press-fitting wires 3F1b is fixed to one of the insertion members 10. Specifically, each of the above-described insertion members 10 is inserted from above into the insertion hole 21 of the respective bracket 20, which is arranged upright in a pedestal shape on the bottom plate FP, and is fixed in the insertion hole 21.

[0032] Each of the insertion members 10 includes a fixing member 11 of a laterally long, cylindrical shape having a bottom and fixedly fitted into the insertion hole 21 of the respective brackets 20, and a movable member 12 disposed in the fixed member 11 and pressed to the bottom of the fixing member 11 by the press-fit wire 3F1b when pressed into the movable member 12 from above. The fixing member 11 includes a head portion having a larger diameter than a diameter of the insertion hole 21 and a downwardly extending cylindrical portion inserted into the insertion hole 21 from above. Thus, a stabilizer 11C formed in an umbrella shape at the lower peripheral edge of the head portion is mounted in a position to engage with an upper surface of the bracket 20.

[0033] The movable member 12 is fitted into the cylinder of the fastening member 11 so as to be displaceable in the vertical direction along the cylindrical shape of the fastening member 11, and has a laterally long, cylindrical shape with a bottom. The movable member 12 includes an oval receiving hole 12A in which the above-mentioned press-fit wire 3F1b is received from above, engaging claws 12B projecting into the receiving hole 12A from wall portions opposite each other in the transverse direction of the receiving hole 12A, and return-preventing claws 12C projecting outwardly at an upper edge portion of the wall portions opposite each other in the transverse direction of the movable member 12. As shown in Fig. 4A, each of the engaging claws 12B is connected to the movable member 12 only at an upper edge portion thereof through U-shaped slots formed in each of the wall portions of the movable member 12, and the engaging claws 12B are designed such that their entire portion is bendable inwardly and outwardly with respect to its upper edge portion, which serves as a support or bearing point. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 4B, in a free state, the distal ends are held in a state where they protrude into the receiving hole 12A, thereby being arranged closer to each other.

[0034] As shown in the Fig. 5A and Fig. 5B, the engaging claws 12B are each deformed so that, when the press-fit wire 3F1b is pressed into the receiving hole 12A of the movable member 12, their distal ends are spread outward by the press-fit wire 3F1b. Furthermore, when the lower surface of the press-fit wire 3F1b is pressed against the bottom portion 12D of the movable member 12, the engaging claws 12B are returned to their initial state in the receiving hole 12A by their recovery deformation in which the distal ends move toward each other again.

[0035] As it is in Fig. 4B, in an initial stage before the press-fit wire 3F1b is pressed into the movable member 12, each of the return prevention claws 12C has a shape in which an inclined surface protrudes outwardly therefrom, is seated on an inner, upwardly facing peripheral surface of the fastening member 11, being arranged above the stabilizer 11C of the fastening member 11 (being arranged above the insertion hole 21 of the bracket 20). As shown in Fig. 5B, the press-fit wire 3F1b, after being pushed to a position where its lower end rests on the bottom portion 12D of the movable member 12, is further pushed to a position where the bottom portion 12D of the movable member 12 abuts against the bottom portion 11B of the fastening member 11, whereby the return-preventing claws 12C elastically move toward each other toward the center of the fastening member 11. In the state where the upper edge portion thereof has penetrated into the insertion hole 21 of the bracket 20, the claws of the upper edge portion are pushed outward by their elasticity through a hole formed in the wall portion of the fastening member 11. Thereby, the claws are hooked from below into the inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole 21 of the bracket 20, thus assuming an engagement state that prevents upward removal.

[0036] When the movable portion 12 is pushed until its bottom 12D reaches the bottom 11B of the fastener 11 by its pushing-in action and thus the return preventing claws 12C are hooked into the insertion hole 21 of the bracket 20 and thereby assume an engaged state, the two engaging claws 12B are pushed into a narrow region 11A in which the inner diameter of the cylinder of the fastener 11 is narrower, and thus assume a locked state in which outward bending deformation is not possible.In such a state, in the movable member, even if a force is applied in a direction in which the press-in wire 3F1 is pulled upward, the upper edge portion of each of the return prevention claws 12C is hooked into the insertion hole 21 of the bracket 20 and thus prevented from disengaging therefrom, and at the same time, each of the engaging claws 12B is located in the narrow region 12A of the fastening member 11, so that it is difficult to expand it. Thereby, the movable member 12 can be maintained in a state in which the press-in wire 3F1b is arranged between the distal ends of the engaging claws 12B and the bottom portion 12D.

[0037] The following is the structure of each of the emergency hooking structures ST2, which are arranged next to and adjacent to one of the above-mentioned press-in coupling structures ST1, with reference to the Fig. 6 to 8. As described in Fig. As shown in Fig. 6, the hooking wire 3F1d attached to the front wire 3F1 of the seat cushion 3 is inserted into and passes through the hooking hole 22 of the bracket 20 attached to the bottom plate FP from above. Therefore, the emergency hooking structure ST2 is in a state where, normally, the hooking wire 3F1 is not engaged with the hooking claws 22B formed in each of the hooking holes 22; however, in an emergency situation, it is engaged with the front or rear hooking claws 22B formed in each of the hooking holes 22, thereby preventing the seat cushion 3 from detaching.

[0038] Here, each of the hooking holes 22 is formed as a through-hole in the upper surface portion of the bracket 20. Each of the hooking holes 22 includes a rectangular through-hole 22A through which the hooking wire 3Fd1 passes from above, and hooking claws 22B projecting into the interior of the through-hole 22A in a claw-like manner at central positions of a front and rear inner peripheral surface of the through-hole 22A, respectively. Each of the hooking claws 22B is formed in a hook shape for receiving the U-shaped backward bent portion (the lower end portion) of the hooking wire 3F1d from the front and rear thereof, thereby preventing the hooking wire 3F1d from detaching from the bottom thereof.

[0039] In each of the hooking openings 22, as shown in Fig. 6, normally, when the seat cushion 3 is mounted on the floor plate FP, none of the hooking claws 22B formed on the front and rear surfaces thereof engages with the respective hooking wire 3F1d of the seat cushion 3. Although each of the hooking claws 22B is arranged at a position higher than that of each of the hooking wires 3F1d, both are separated from each other in the longitudinal direction. Thus, since in the emergency hooking structure ST2, both are separated from each other in a non-contact state, as shown in FIGS. Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, when the seat cushion 3 is mounted on the floor plate FP, by the process of properly positioning the left and right side press-fit coupling structures ST1 to be connected thereto, the emergency hooking structure ST2 is positioned so that each of the left and right side hooking wires 3F1d is passed through the hooking holes 22. Thereby, the emergency hooking structures ST2 can be effectively operated in an emergency situation easily and without requiring any specific positioning work.

[0040] In the emergency hooking structure ST2, for example, as it is in Fig. As shown in Fig. 7, when the rear-end collision of the vehicle or the like occurs, whereby the seat cushion 3 is applied with force to the vehicle side by the action of a large load, the seat cushion 3 is displaced rearward by the force. As a result, each of the hooking wires 3F1d of the left and right sides abuts against the inner peripheral surface of the rear side of the hooking hole 22 of the bracket 20, since the shaped portion of the cushion pad 3P covering the hooking wire 3F1d is pulled, thereby being hooked into the hooking claw 22B of the same side (a state in which the hooking claw 22B has been received). This prevents the seat cushion 3 from moving up and down. Consequently, since the seat cushion 3 is not strongly thrown backward as shown in Fig. 2, the press-fit coupling structures ST1, which are fixed to the floor plate FP at two locations on the front side of the seat cushion 3, are prevented from being forcibly released from the coupled state due to the application of excessive load. Alternatively, even if the coupled state of each of the press-fit coupling structures ST1 is forcibly released, the hooking action of the emergency hooking structure ST2 prevents the seat cushion 3 from being released from the upper surface of the floor plate FP.

[0041] Furthermore, in the emergency hooking structure ST2, as shown in Fig. 8, in the case where a frontal collision of the vehicle or the like occurs, whereby the seat cushion 3 is pressed toward the front of the vehicle with force due to the action of a large load, the seat cushion 3 is displaced forward by the force. Consequently, when the molded portion of the cushion pad 3P covering the hooking wire 3F1d is pulled, each of the hooking wires 3F1d on the left and right sides collides with the inner peripheral surface of the front side of the hooking hole 22 of the bracket 20, thereby being hooked into the hooking claw 22B of the same side (a state in which the hooking claw 22B has been received). This prevents the seat cushion 3 from moving toward the front and the top thereof. Consequently, since the seat cushion 3 is not shaken strongly in the forward direction, as shown in Fig. 2, prevents the press-fit coupling structures ST1, which are coupled to the floor panel FP at two locations on the front side of the seat cushion 3, from being forcibly released from their coupled state due to the application of excessive load. Alternatively, even if the coupled state of each of the press-fit coupling structures ST1 is forcibly released, the hooking action of the emergency hooking structure ST2 prevents the seat cushion 3 from being detached or separated from the upper surface of the floor panel FP.

[0042] The following is a description of the structure of the above-mentioned hooking structure ST3 arranged between the floor plate FP and the rear central portion of the above-mentioned seat cushion 3 with reference to Fig. 9 to 11. As described in Fig. 9, when the U-shaped wire 3F3a fixed to the rear wire 3F3 of the seat cushion 3 and extending toward the seat back is hooked into the bent portion 32A1 of the punch-bend portion 32A formed on the fixed member 32 of the hinge bracket 30 fixed on the floor plate FP by pushing the bent portion 32A1 upward in the U-shaped portion so that the bent portion passes through the U-shaped portion from below, it is not normally engaged with the fixed member 32.However, in an emergency situation, the U-shaped wire 3F3a or the jumper wire 3F3b bridging the U-shaped wire 3F3a is hooked into the bent portion 32A1 or the recessed portion 32B formed at the front edge portion of the fastening member 32, thereby placing the emergency hooking structure ST3 in a state where the seat cushion 3 is prevented from detaching. Here, the recessed portion 32B corresponds to the "recessed portion" of the invention.

[0043] Here, as it is in the Fig. 1 and Fig. As shown in Figure 2, both ends of the U-shape of the U-shaped wire 3F3a are hooked and fixed to the rear wire 3F3, but one side 3F3a1 of the U-shape on the right side of the drawing extends further toward the seat front than the designated point with the rear wire 3F3, and is also hooked to the front wire 3F1 for fixing thereto. Thus, the side 3F3a1 of the U-shaped wire 3F3a on the right side of the drawing is fixed to both the rear wire 3F3 and the front wire 3F1, being integrally and firmly connected thereto.Further, even in the wire frame 3F, one side 3F3a1 is set on the right side of the U-shaped wire 3F3a in the drawing and is arranged between the rear wire 3F3 and the front wire 3F1, whereby a wire connecting the rear wire 3F3 to the front wire 3F1 is added in the middle portion of a side-long rectangular frame shape thereof and is in a state where both of them are in a state where they are reinforced so as not to be separated from each other in the longitudinal direction.

[0044] As it is in Fig. As shown in Figure 9, the jumper wire 3F3b, which is bent into an L shape, bridges the left and right frame portions on the left and right sides of the U-shaped wire 3F3a, which has the same thickness as the jumper wire. The jumper wire 3F3b has an extension portion 3F3b1 extending rightward from one side 3F3a1 of the U-shape shown in the drawing, and the bent portion 3F3b2, which is bent toward the seat back, is formed in the extended end portion of the extension portion 3F3b1. The extension portion 3F3b1 of the jumper wire 3F3b is spaced from the front side of the recessed portion 32B formed on the front side of the edge portion of the fastening member 32 when the bent portion 32A1 formed at the distal end of the punch-bend portion 32A of the fastening member 32 extends through the U-shape of the above-mentioned U-shaped wire 3F3a.

[0045] The bent portion 32A1 of the fastening member 32, which extends through the above-mentioned U-shaped wire 3F3a, receives the rearward bent portion (the rear end portion) of the U-shaped wire 3F3a from its rear side due to the hook-like shape, so that it serves as a hooking portion capable of preventing the wire 3F3a from separating upward. Furthermore, the recessed portion formed at the front edge portion of the fastening member 32, due to the recessed shape, receives the extension portion 3F3b1 of the jumper wire 3F3b that bridges both frames of the U-shaped wire 3F3a, thus serving as a hooking portion capable of preventing the extension portion 3F3b1 from separating upwardly thereof.

[0046] As described above, the above-mentioned emergency hooking structure ST3 is in a non-contact state in which components are spaced apart from each other. Therefore, as shown in the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, when the seat cushion 3 is mounted on the floor panel FP, since the above-mentioned U-shaped wire 3F3a is pushed upward to hook into the bent portion 32A1 of the fixing member 32, and then each of the press-fit coupling structures ST1 on the front side of the seat cushion 3 is accurately positioned to couple with each other, the extension portion 3F3b1 of the jumper wire 3F3b connected to the U-shaped wire 3F3a is disposed on the front side of the recessed portion 32B of the fixing member 32. Thereby, the emergency hooking structure ST3 can be easily brought into a state capable of functioning effectively in an emergency situation without any specific positioning operation.

[0047] In the emergency hooking structure ST3, for example, as shown in Fig. As shown in Fig. 10, when the rear-end collision of the vehicle and the like occurs and the seat cushion 3 is pressed with force toward the rear of the vehicle by the action of a large load, the seat cushion 3 is displaced rearward by the force. Consequently, the extension portion 3F3b1 of the jumper wire 3F3b, which bridges the above-mentioned U-shaped wire 3F3a, penetrates into the recessed portion 32B and is hooked therein when the shaped portion of the cushion pad 3P covering the extension portion is pulled. As a result, the seat cushion 3 is in a state where its upward and downward movement is prevented. Consequently, since the seat cushion 3 is not strongly thrown backward as shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 2, the press-fit coupling structures ST1, which are coupled to the floor panel FP at two locations on the front side of the seat cushion 3, are forcibly released from their coupled state due to the application of an excessive load. Alternatively, even if the coupled state of each of the press-fit coupling structures ST1 is forcibly released, the hooking action of the emergency hooking structure ST3 prevents the seat cushion 3 from being separated from the upper side of the floor panel FP.

[0048] This means that the emergency hook structure ST3 is, as shown in Fig. 2, is arranged in an area closer to the right in the transverse direction of the seat cushion 3. Therefore, when a rear-end collision of the vehicle occurs, due to its impact, the point where the jumper wire 3F3b impacts the recessed portion 32B of the fastening member 32 serves as a pivot point, so that the left portion, which has a greater weight in the weight ratio of the seat cushion 3, is prestressed to be pushed further rearward. Therefore, there is a possibility that the jumper wire 3F3b shifts to the left as viewed from the angle of the drawing and receives a load in the direction in which it lifts off. However, even if the emergency hooking structure ST3 receives an uneven load to the left and right as described above, the bent portion 3F3b2 located at the right end portion of the Fig. 10 is hooked into the right surface of the recessed portion 32B of the fixing member 32, whereby it is possible to stably maintain the hooked state of the jumper wire 3F3b and the recessed portion 32B.

[0049] Furthermore, in the emergency hooking structure ST3, as described in Fig. 11, when the frontal collision of the vehicle and the like occurs and the seat cushion 3 is pressed toward the front of the vehicle with force due to the action of a large load, the seat cushion 3 is displaced toward the front by the force. As a result, the rearward bent portion (the rear end portion) of the U-shaped wire 3F3b strikes the bent portion 32A1 of the fastening member 32 and is therefore hooked thereto when the shaped portion of the cushion pad 3P covering the rearward bent portion is pulled. As a result, the seat cushion 3 is in a state where it is prevented from moving forward and upward. Accordingly, as shown in Fig.2, the seat cushion 3 is not violently thrown forward, the press-fit coupling structures ST1 coupled to the floor panel FP at two locations on the front side of the seat cushion 3 are prevented from being forcibly released from their coupled state by the action of the excessive load. Alternatively, even if the coupled state of each of the press-fit coupling structures ST1 is forcibly released, the hooking action of the emergency hooking structure ST3 prevents the seat cushion 3 from being separated or detached from the upper surface of the floor panel FP.

[0050] Thus, the emergency hooking structure according to the present embodiment includes the U-shaped wire 3F3a arranged on the seat cushion 3 and bent into a U-shape, the jumper wire 3F3b (bridging member) bridging both sides of the U-shaped wire 3F3a, and the bracket (the fixed member 32 of the hinge bracket 30) arranged on the floor plate FP and including the bent portion 32A1 (protrusion) in a state where a portion thereof extends from above (one side) through the space surrounded by the U-shaped wire 3F3a and the jumper wire 3F3b. Even if the seat cushion 3 is pushed and moved forward in response to the frontal collision or the rearal collision of the vehicle, the rearward bent portion of the U-shaped wire 3F3a hooks into the bent portion 32A1 of the fixed member 32 when the frontal collision or the rearal collision occurs., and the jumper wire 3F3b comes into contact with the body of the fixed member 32 for hooking into the fitting when the other of the front collision and the rear collision of the vehicle occurs, thereby preventing the seat cushion from being detached from the top of the floor panel FP.

[0051] Thus, since the seat cushion 3 is placed in a state where the bent portion 32A1 of the fixed member 32 disposed on the floor panel FP extends through the space formed by the U-shaped wire 3F3a and the jumper wire 3F3b, even when either the frontal collision or the rearal collision of the vehicle occurs, the hooking action of the members prevents the seat cushion 3 from being detached from the upper surface of the floor panel FP. Thus, the emergency hooking structure ST can be achieved to respond to both the frontal and rearal collisions of the vehicle, and it is easily assembled.

[0052] Further, the jumper wire 3F3b is configured to come into contact with the recessed portion 32B formed in the body portion of the fixed member 32 to hook into the recessed portion 32B, and the jumper wire 3F3b includes the bent portion 3F3b2 (hooking portion) projecting in a hook shape, configured to hook into the recessed portion 32B, and configured to prevent the jumper wire 3F3b from slipping or slipping away from a position in contact with the recessed portion 32B due to the impact of the collision of the seat cushion 3 due to inertia. Thus, since the jumper wire 3F3b is designed to come into contact with the recessed portion 32B for hooking, the jumper wire 3F3b can be hooked into the recessed portion 32B, thereby preventing it from coming off upward from the recessed portion 32B.Further, it is possible that the bridging portion 3F3b includes the bent portion 3F3b2 to prevent the jumper wire from slipping or slipping off the position where it is in contact with the recessed portion 32B, to hold the seat cushion 3 so as not to be detached from the upper surface of the floor plate FP.

[0053] Furthermore, the fitting configured to hook onto the U-shaped wire 3F3a or the jumper wire 3F3b in an emergency includes the fixed member 32 of the hinge fitting 30 configured to pivotally connect a seatback (not shown) to the bottom plate FP, and the U-shaped wire 3F3a projects toward the seat rear in a state where the U-shaped wire 3F3a is fixed to the wire frame 3F embedded in the cushion of the seat cushion 3. According to such a configuration, by having the fixed member 32 of the hinge fitting 30 with high rigidity for supporting the seatback and fixed to the bottom plate FP, it is possible to design to securely prevent the separation or detachment of the seat cushion in an emergency without increasing the number of parts.Furthermore, by the configuration in which the U-shaped wire 3F3a arranged on the seat cushion 3 is fixed to the wire frame 3F embedded in the cushion pad 3P of the seat cushion 3, it is possible to form the U-shaped wire 3F3a to have high dimensional rigidity.

[0054] As described above, although the invention is described above based on the embodiment of the present invention, it can be implemented in various forms other than the above embodiment of the present invention. For example, the "vehicle seat" according to the present invention can also be a seat other than the rear seat of the vehicle, a seat applied to a vehicle other than the automobile, such as a railway vehicle, or a seat provided for various vehicles such as aircraft, ships, and the like.

[0055] Furthermore, it is not absolutely necessary for the fitting arranged on the floor and thereby serving to hook the U-shaped wire or the bridging element to include the fixed element of the hinge fitting for pivotally connecting the backrest to the floor, as shown in the embodiment, but it can also be arranged on the floor for this purpose. Furthermore, the fitting arranged on the floor for any purpose can be designed to serve as the above-mentioned fitting for combined use.

[0056] Furthermore, it is only necessary that the U-shaped wire and the bridging member be configured such that the rearwardly bent portion of the U-shaped wire is hooked into the protrusion of the fitting when either the frontal collision or the rearal collision of the vehicle occurs, and the bridging member abuts the body of the fitting to thereby hook when the other of the frontal collision and the rearal collision occurs, thereby preventing the seat cushion from being detached from the top of the floor. That is, either of the hooking types can be performed when the frontal collision or the rearal collision occurs.Furthermore, in the embodiment, the U-shaped wire has been described as being bent into a U-shape when viewed from the top, but the U-shaped wire may be formed into a U-shape in a lateral direction when viewed from the side (a shape representing the shape in the first embodiment is raised in the lateral direction). Furthermore, the bridging member that bridges both sides of the U-shaped wire is not limited to the wire-shaped member but may be a plate-shaped member.

Claims

[1] An emergency hooking structure (ST3) for preventing a seat cushion (3) attached to a floor (FP) from being detached from the surface of the floor (FP) when it receives a large load due to a vehicle collision, the emergency hooking structure (ST3) comprising: a U-shaped wire (3F3a) arranged on the seat cushion (3) and bent into a U-shape; a bridge element (3F3b) bridging both sides of the U-shaped wire (3F3a); and a fitting (32) arranged on the floor (FP) and comprising a projection (32A1) which assumes a state in which a portion thereof extends from one side of a space surrounded by the U-shaped wire (3F3a) and the bridge element (3F3b) through the space, wherein, even when the seat cushion (3) is pushed and moved in response to a frontal collision or a rearal collision of a vehicle, a rearwardly bent portion of the U-shaped wire (3F3a) is hooked into the projection (32A1) of the bracket (32) when either the frontal collision or the rearal collision of the vehicle occurs, and the bridge member (3F3b) is adapted to come into contact with a body of the bracket (32) for hooking into the bracket (32) when the other of the frontal collision and the rearal collision of the vehicle occurs, thereby preventing the seat cushion (3) from being detached from the surface of the floor (FP). [2] Emergency hooking structure (ST3) according to claim 1, wherein the bridge element (3F3b) is designed to come into contact with a recessed portion (32B) formed in the body of the fitting (32) for hooking into the recessed portion (32B), and wherein the bridge member (3F3b) comprises a hooking portion (3F3b2) projecting in a hook shape, adapted to hook into the recessed portion (32B), and adapted to prevent the bridge member (3F3b) from slipping from a position in contact with the recessed portion (32B) by the force of the collision of the seat cushion (3) due to inertia. [3] Emergency hooking structure (ST3) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fitting (32) comprises a fixed element (32) of a hinge fitting (30) designed to pivotally connect a seat back to the floor (FP), and wherein the U-shaped wire (3F3a) is arranged to project toward the seat back in a state in which the U-shaped wire (3F3a) is fixed to a frame (3F) embedded in a cushion (3P) of the seat cushion (3).

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