Vehicle seats

Abstract

The objective is to provide a vehicle seat that can prevent the cover material from being stretched when adjusting the side support portion of the seat back, and also prevent wrinkles from forming in the cover material. [Solution] The vehicle seat 10 comprises a back pad 28 having a main portion 32 and a pair of left and right side support portions 34, a cover member 30 that covers the back pad 28, and a back frame 18 having a pair of left and right side frames 20. The vehicle seat 10 also comprises a pair of left and right holding portions 42 that are supported by the pair of left and right side frames 20 and displace in the front-rear direction, thereby displacing the range of the side support portion 34 from the front to the rear in the front-rear direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 below discloses a vehicle seat that achieves favorable support for a driver regardless of the inclination angle of a seatback. The vehicle seat described in this document includes a reclining seatback, an actuator capable of changing the orientation of the seatback left and right, and a control device that controls the actuator. Further, the control device is configured to turn the orientation of the seatback toward the turning direction by controlling the actuator while the vehicle is turning. Furthermore, the control device is configured to change the operation amount of the actuator in accordance with the inclination angle of the seatback.

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the configuration described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 does not take into consideration suppression of stretching of the cover member constituting the surface portion of the seatback and suppression of wrinkling of the cover member that occur in association with adjustment of the side support portion of the seatback.

[0005] In view of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to obtain a vehicle seat that can suppress stretching of the cover member and can also suppress occurrence of wrinkles in the cover member when adjusting the side support portion of the seatback.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] The first embodiment of the vehicle seat comprises a back pad that constitutes a part of the seat back that supports the back of a seated occupant from the rear, having a main part that constitutes the central part in the seat width direction and a pair of left and right side support parts that constitute both sides in the seat width direction; a cover member that constitutes the surface part of the seat back and covers the back pad; a back frame that constitutes the skeleton of the seat back, having a pair of left and right side frames arranged along the pair of left and right side support parts; and a pair of left and right holding parts that are respectively supported by the pair of left and right side frames and displace in the front-rear direction to displace the range of the side support parts from the front to the rear in the front-rear direction.

[0007] In the first embodiment of the vehicle seat, a back pad having a main section and a pair of left and right side support sections is covered by a cover member. A pair of left and right retaining sections are supported on the left and right side frames of the back frame. The amount by which the left and right retaining sections protrude forward relative to the main section can be adjusted by displacing the left and right retaining sections in the front-rear direction. Here, the retaining sections are designed to displace the range from the front to the rear of the side support sections in the front-rear direction. In this configuration, compared to a configuration in which the retaining sections displace only the front of the side support sections in the front-rear direction, it is possible to suppress partial stretching and partial loosening (wrinkling) of the area of ​​the cover member that covers the side support sections.

[0008] The second embodiment of the vehicle seat is such that, in the vehicle seat of the first embodiment, the left and right pair of retaining parts can be displaced independently.

[0009] In the second embodiment of the vehicle seat, the left and right pair of support parts can be displaced independently. In this configuration, the amount of forward protrusion of the left and right pair of side support parts relative to the main part can be adjusted independently according to the vehicle's driving conditions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The vehicle seat according to the present invention has the excellent effect of being able to suppress the stretching of the cover member when adjusting the side support portion of the seat back, and also suppress the occurrence of wrinkles in the cover member. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a side view showing a vehicle seat. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the seat back frame and the pair of side support adjustment devices, seen from the rear at an angle. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view showing the seatback cut along the front-to-back and left-to-right directions. [Figure 4] This is a side view of the left-side support adjustment mechanism, seen from the left side. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view showing the side support adjustment device cut along the line 5-5 shown in Figure 4. [Figure 6] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-section of the side support adjustment device cut along the line 6-6 shown. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view corresponding to Figure 3, showing a state in which the side support portion protrudes from the main portion compared to the state shown in Figure 3. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] A vehicle seat 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 7. In the figures, arrow FR indicates the front side of the vehicle seat 10, arrow UP indicates the upper side of the seat, arrow RH indicates the right side in the seat width direction, and arrow LH indicates the left side in the seat width direction. Furthermore, in the following description, unless otherwise specified, when the front / rear, up / down, and left / right directions are indicated, they refer to the front / rear direction of the seat, the up / down direction of the seat, and the left / right direction in the seat width direction.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle seat 10 includes a seat cushion 12 that supports the seated occupant's buttocks from below, a seat back 14 that supports the seated occupant's back from behind, and a headrest 16 that supports the seated occupant's head from behind.

[0014] As shown in Figure 2, the back frame 18 that constitutes the skeleton of the seat back 14 includes a pair of left and right side frames 20 that are spaced apart in the left-right direction and extend in the vertical direction. The pair of left and right side frames 20 are each formed by, for example, pressing or otherwise working on a steel plate. As shown in Figure 3, the side frame 20 includes a base wall portion 20A that extends vertically with the seat width direction as the thickness direction. The side frame 20 also includes a front wall portion 20B that extends inward in the seat width direction (towards the center in the seat width direction) from the front end of the base wall portion 20A. The inner end of the front wall portion 20B in the seat width direction is bent towards the rear. The side frame 20 also includes a rear wall portion 20C that extends inward in the seat width direction from the rear end of the base wall portion 20A. The inner end of the rear wall portion 20C in the seat width direction is bent towards the front. Furthermore, the dimension of the rear wall portion 20C in the sheet width direction is set to be larger than the dimension of the front wall portion 20B in the sheet width direction.

[0015] As shown in Figure 2, the back frame 18 includes an upper frame 22 that spans between the upper ends of a pair of left and right side frames 20. The upper frame 22 is formed, for example, by press-forming a cylindrical steel pipe, resulting in a U-shape with the lower end open when viewed from the rear. Both ends of the upper frame 22 in the left-right direction are joined to the upper ends of the pair of left and right side frames 20, respectively. The back frame 18 also includes a first panel frame 24 that spans between the lower ends of the pair of left and right side frames 20. The first panel frame 24 is formed, for example, by press-forming a steel plate. Both ends of the first panel frame 24 in the left-right direction are joined to the lower ends of the pair of left and right side frames 20, respectively. The back frame 18 also includes a second panel frame 26 that spans between the lower ends of the upper frame 22. The second panel frame 26 is formed, for example, by press-forming a steel plate. The left and right ends of this second panel frame 26 are joined to the left and right lower ends of the upper frame 22, respectively.

[0016] As shown in Figure 3, the seat back 14 includes a back pad 28 attached to the back frame 18 and a cover member 30 that covers the back pad 28.

[0017] The back pad 28 is formed using urethane foam or the like, as an example. This back pad 28 includes a main portion 32 that constitutes a central portion in the seat width direction, and a pair of left and right side support portions 34 that constitute both side portions in the seat width direction. The side support portion 34 includes a front portion 34A of the side support portion 34 that extends forward as it goes from an outer end of the main portion 32 in the seat width direction toward the outside in the seat width direction. The side support portion 34 also includes a side portion 34B of the side support portion 34 that extends rearward from an outer end of the front portion 34A of the side support portion 34 in the seat width direction. Further, the side support portion 34 includes a rear portion 34C of the side support portion 34 that extends inward in the seat width direction from a rear end of the side portion 34B of the side support portion 34. The side frame 20 is disposed along the front portion 34A of the side support portion 34, the side portion 34B of the side support portion 34, and the rear portion 34C of the side support portion 34 in a space surrounded by the front portion 34A of the side support portion 34, the side portion 34B of the side support portion 34, and the rear portion 34C of the side support portion 34.

[0018] The cover member 30 is formed using cloth, leather, or the like, as an example. This cover member 30 includes a main portion covering section 36 that covers a front face of the main portion 32. The cover member 30 also includes a side support portion covering section 38 that covers the front portion 34A of the side support portion 34, the side portion 34B of the side support portion 34, and the rear portion 34C of the side support portion 34 from the front side, the outer side in the seat width direction, and the rear side, respectively. A boundary portion between the main portion covering section 36 and the side support portion covering section 38 is locked to a locking member (not illustrated) provided at a boundary portion between the main portion 32 and the side support portion 34. Further, an end portion of the side support portion covering section 38 on a side opposite to the main portion covering section 36 is locked to an end portion on an inner side in the seat width direction of a rear wall section 20C of the side frame 20.

[0019] As illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, a side support portion adjustment device 42 that adjusts an amount of forward projection of the side support portion 34 relative to the main portion 32 is fixed to each of the pair of left and right side frames 20.

[0020] Figures 3 to 6 show a side support portion adjusting device 42 fixed to the left side frame 20. The side support portion adjusting device 42 fixed to the left side frame 20 and the side support portion adjusting device 42 fixed to the right side frame 20 have a configuration symmetrical in the seat width direction. Therefore, hereinafter, the configuration of the side support portion adjusting device 42 fixed to the left side frame 20 will be described, and the description of the configuration of the side support portion adjusting device 42 fixed to the right side frame 20 may be omitted.

[0021] The side support portion adjusting device 42 comprises: a holding portion 42 that displaces a range from a front portion 34A to a rear portion 34C of the side support portion 34 in the front-rear direction by being displaced in the front-rear direction; an upper support portion 44 that slidably supports the holding portion 42 in the front-rear direction; and an actuator 46 that supports the holding portion 42 and displaces the holding portion 42 in the front-rear direction.

[0022] The holding portion 42 is formed, for example, by bending or welding a round bar-shaped steel material. This holding portion 42 comprises an upper shaft portion 42A extending in the front-rear direction and a lower shaft portion 42B extending in the front-rear direction below the upper shaft portion 42A. The upper shaft portion 42A and the lower shaft portion 42B extend parallel to each other. The holding portion 42 also comprises a front shaft portion 42C connecting the front end of the upper shaft portion 42A and the front end of the lower shaft portion 42B in the vertical direction, and a rear shaft portion 42D connecting the rear end of the upper shaft portion 42A and the rear end of the lower shaft portion 42B in the vertical direction. The holding portion 42, having the upper shaft portion 42A, the lower shaft portion 42B, the front shaft portion 42C, and the rear shaft portion 42D, is formed in a rectangular frame shape when viewed from the side of the sheet. As shown in Figure 3, the upper shaft portion 42A and the lower shaft portion 42B of the holding portion 42 are arranged along the inner surface in the seat width direction of the side portion 34B of the side support portion 34. The front shaft portion 42C of the holding portion 42 is arranged in close proximity to or in close contact with the front portion 34A and the side portion 34B of the side support portion 34 at the boundary portion between them. The rear shaft portion 42D of the holding portion 42 is arranged in close proximity to or in close contact with the rear portion 34C and the side portion 34B of the side support portion 34 at the boundary portion between them. As shown in Figure 6, screw threads 42E are formed on the outer circumference of the lower shaft portion 42B along the front-rear direction. The screw threads 42E may be formed over the entire lower shaft portion 42B or on only a portion of the lower shaft portion 42B. The range in which the screw threads 42E are formed on the lower shaft portion 42B can be appropriately set considering the amount of displacement of the holding portion 42 in the front-rear direction, etc.

[0023] As shown in Figures 3 to 6, the upper support portion 44 comprises a frame fixing portion 44A fixed to the base wall portion 20A of the side frame 20 from the outside in the sheet width direction, and an upper support portion body 44B provided integrally with the frame fixing portion 44A. The upper shaft portion 42A of the holding portion 42 is inserted through the upper support portion body 44B, and is supported by the upper support portion body 44B so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction.

[0024] The actuator 46 includes a frame fixing portion 46A fixed to the base wall portion 20A of the side frame 20 from the outside in the seat width direction, and an actuator body 46B provided integrally with the frame fixing portion 46A. The actuator body 46B includes a screw member 46C that is cylindrical and supported so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction as an axial direction, and a motor (not shown) that rotates the screw member 46C. The inner circumference of the screw member 46C has a screw portion (not shown) that engages with the screw threads 42E of the lower shaft portion 42B inserted through the screw member 46C. As the screw member 46C rotates, the lower shaft portion 42B is moved in the front-rear direction, causing the holding portion 42 to be displaced in the front-rear direction.

[0025] As shown in Figures 1 to 6, in the vehicle seat 10 of this embodiment described above, when the motor of the side support adjustment device 42 fixed to the left side frame 20 is activated, the screw member 46C rotates to one side, causing the retaining portion 42 to be displaced forward, as shown in Figure 7. As a result, the area from the front portion 34A to the rear portion 34C of the side support portion 34 is displaced forward, increasing the amount of forward protrusion of the left side support portion 34 relative to the main portion 32. Also, when the motor of the side support adjustment device 42 fixed to the left side frame 20 is activated, the screw member 46C rotates to the other side, causing the retaining portion 42 to be displaced rearward, as shown in Figures 7 and 6. As a result, the area from the front portion 34A to the rear portion 34C of the side support portion 34 is displaced rearward, decreasing the amount of forward protrusion of the left side support portion 34 relative to the main portion 32. As described above, in the vehicle seat 10 of this embodiment, the amount of forward protrusion of the left side support portion 34 relative to the main portion 32 can be adjusted by operating the side support portion adjustment device 42 fixed to the left side frame 20. Also, the amount of forward protrusion of the right side support portion 34 relative to the main portion 32 can be adjusted by operating the side support portion adjustment device 42 (see Figure 2) fixed to the right side frame 20. Here, the holding portion 42 is configured to displace the range of the side support portion 34 from the front portion 34A to the rear portion 34C in the front-rear direction. In this configuration, the range of the side support portion 34 from the front portion 34A to the rear portion 34C is displaced in the front-rear direction together with the side support portion covering portion 38 of the cover member 30. Therefore, in the configuration of this embodiment, compared to a configuration in which the holding portion 42 displaces only the front portion 34A of the side support portion 34 in the front-rear direction, it is possible to suppress the partial stretching of the side support portion covering portion 38 of the cover member 30 and the partial loosening of the side support portion covering portion 38 (the occurrence of wrinkles in the side support portion covering portion 38).Furthermore, in this embodiment, compared to a configuration in which the holding portion 42 displaces only the front portion 34A of the side support portion 34 in the front-rear direction, it is possible to suppress partial stretching and partial compression of the side support portion 34. Moreover, in this embodiment, the side support portion 34 does not come into contact with the side frame 20 throughout the entire range of displacement of the holding portion 42. As a result, it is possible to suppress shortening of the lifespan of the cover member 30 and back pad 28 due to repeated operation of the side support portion adjustment device 42.

[0026] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by independently operating the side support adjustment device 42 fixed to the left side frame 20 and the side support adjustment device 42 fixed to the right side frame 20, the amount of forward protrusion of the pair of left and right side support sections 34 relative to the main section 32 can be independently adjusted according to the vehicle's driving conditions.

[0027] For example, if unexpected lateral G-forces (acceleration in the left-right direction) occur during autonomous driving, there is a concern that occupants seated in the vehicle seat 10 may feel fear or fatigue. Therefore, by selectively activating the side support adjustment device 42 fixed to the left side frame 20 and the side support adjustment device 42 fixed to the right side frame 20 based on information from the navigation function during autonomous driving, it is possible to provide occupants with feedback on the vehicle's behavior while offering a sense of security through optimal support from both sides. As an example, by recognizing the vehicle's direction of travel from navigation information, etc., when the vehicle approaches a right curve, the side support adjustment device 42 fixed to the left side frame 20 is activated to increase the amount of forward protrusion of the left side support 34 relative to the main part 32. This allows occupants to know that the vehicle is approaching a right curve, and when the vehicle is passing through the right curve, the occupants can be firmly supported by the left side support 34.

[0028] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above, and it is of course possible to implement it in various other ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, although the above embodiment described the case in which the present invention is applied to a vehicle seat, the present invention is also applicable to seats for vehicles other than vehicles (for example, aircraft and ships). [Explanation of Symbols]

[0029] 10 Vehicle seats 14 Seatback 18 Backframe 20 Side Frames 28 Backpad 30 Cover component 32 Main section 34 Side support section 34A Front of the side support section 34C Rear of the side support section 42. Holding section (side support section adjustment device)

Claims

1. A back pad comprising a main section that forms part of the seatback supporting the back of the seated occupant from the rear, and a pair of left and right side support sections that form both sides in the seat width direction, A cover member that constitutes the surface portion of the seat back and covers the back pad, A back frame having a pair of left and right side frames arranged along the left and right side support portions, which constitutes the skeleton of the seat back, A pair of left and right holding parts, each supported by the left and right side frames, are displaced in the front-to-back direction, thereby displacing the range from the front to the rear of the side support part in the front-to-back direction. A vehicle seat equipped with [a specific feature / feature].

2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the left and right pair of holding parts can be displaced independently.

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