Vehicle seat

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle seat (10) for a vehicle, having a seat cushion part (11), a seat back part (12) mounted on the seat cushion part (11) and a headrest part (13) mounted on the seat back part (12), the seat back part (12) being divided into a lower seat back element (14) and an upper seat back element (15) with respect to a vertical axis of the vehicle, the lower seat back element (14) being fixed to the seat cushion part (11) and the upper seat back element (15) being fixed to the headrest part (13). The seat cushion part and the lower seat back element together form a frame structure (11, 14) which supports the upper seat back element (15) and the headrest part (13) in the form of a replaceable module, the upper seat back element (15) being connected at one end to the lower seat back element (14) and being connectable at the other end to the headrest part (13).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a vehicle seat, in particular a motor vehicle seat, comprising a seat cushion portion, a seat surface portion, a seat back portion mounted on the seat cushion portion, and a headrest portion mounted on the seat back portion. Background Art

[0002] Conventional vehicle seats consist of a frame-like basic structure (also referred to herein as a frame structure), which is covered with an upholstery layer, which in turn is covered with a fabric or leather cover. The fabric or leather cover alone, i.e. without the upholstery layer, or together with the upholstery layer if the fabric or leather cover and the upholstery layer form a structural unit, is also referred to herein as a seat cover.

[0003] Covering the frame structure with seat covers is a labor-intensive step that must be performed manually. People who work in the manufacture of vehicle seats may develop osteoarthritis in their fingers after years of hard work.

[0004] Furthermore, changes to seat covering material properties (e.g., material type, thickness, etc.) often require retesting safety functions, such as airbag deployment testing, to ensure that the altered fabric or leather cover and / or modified upholstery do not affect airbag deployment. This type of testing is costly and time-consuming. On the other hand, the appearance of vehicle seats plays an important role in achieving high customer satisfaction.

[0005] In order to simplify seat assembly, EP 3 696 014 A1 discloses a vehicle seat with a modular seat structure, which has a seat bottom module, which is connected to a seat back module and a prefabricated cushion module, a headrest module and a functional module during the assembly process, as well as to at least one airbag module on the seat back side.

[0006] DE 199 62 637 A1 discloses a vehicle seat with a modular seat structure having a frame on which a module for selectively receiving components including a side airbag module, a lumbar support, etc. is arranged. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Against this background, the object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat, in particular a motor vehicle seat, which can be manufactured more easily and with less effort and time. Furthermore, changes to the vehicle seat's appearance do not necessarily lead to a retesting of the safety function.

[0008] This object is achieved by a vehicle seat having the features of claim 1. Furthermore, particularly advantageous embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.

[0009] It should be noted that the features listed individually in the claims can be combined with each other in any technically reasonable way (including across category boundaries, such as between methods and devices) and indicate other embodiments of the invention. The description, in particular in conjunction with the drawings, additionally describes the features of the invention and describes the invention in detail.

[0010] Furthermore, it should be pointed out that the conjunction "and / or" used herein to connect two features is always to be interpreted as meaning that in a first embodiment of the subject matter according to the invention only the first feature may be present, while in a second embodiment only the second feature may be present, and in a third embodiment both the first and the second feature may be present.

[0011] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat, particularly a motor vehicle seat, for placement or installation in a vehicle, comprising a seat cushion portion, a backrest portion mounted on the seat cushion portion, and a headrest portion (e.g., a headrest) mounted on the backrest portion. The backrest portion is structurally divided, relative to the vertical axis of the vehicle, into a lower backrest element and an upper backrest element, the lower backrest element being fixed to the seat cushion portion. The seat cushion portion and the lower backrest element together form a frame structure (also referred to herein as a base module) of the vehicle seat, which supports the upper backrest element and the headrest portion in the form of interchangeable modules. The upper backrest element is connected or connectable to the lower backrest element at one end and to the headrest portion at the other end. In other words, the upper backrest element forms a modular connection between the headrest portion and the lower backrest element. This allows a large portion of the vehicle seat, namely, the entire frame structure, which accounts for approximately 80-90% of the structural volume, to be standardized and remain unchanged even when the vehicle seat's appearance is modified. The appearance of the vehicle seat can be easily modified by replacing the upper backrest element and / or the headrest portion to create different vehicle seat variants.

[0012] Surprisingly, it has been shown that a customer's perception of a vehicle seat is primarily determined by the upper portion of the vehicle seat, i.e., the portion of the vehicle seat that is initially visible through the window of the vehicle in which the seat is installed. The modular structure of the vehicle seat proposed according to the present invention allows for changes in appearance, even though the majority of the seat (i.e., the frame structure consisting of the seat cushion portion and the lower backrest element) can remain unchanged. Furthermore, the modularity of the proposed vehicle seat facilitates assembly, as multiple small and therefore lightweight components (i.e., modules such as the seat cushion portion, the lower and upper backrest elements, and the headrest portion) are easier to handle manually than a few, larger, and heavier components. Furthermore, the individual (small) modules can be covered more easily and with less effort with a seat cover (i.e., a fabric or leather cover, optionally together with an upholstery layer).

[0013] Easier assembly naturally means easier disassembly. This in turn means that vehicle seat variants can be easily implemented, damaged elements can be easily replaced, and the vehicle seat can be easily disassembled into its component parts for recycling at the end of its service life. The modular construction offers a high degree of flexibility at no additional cost.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the upper backrest element occupies up to one third of the entire backrest portion, based on the total length of the backrest portion. The length of the backrest portion essentially corresponds to the direction of extension of the spine of a person sitting in the vehicle seat. The upper backrest element is therefore essentially confined to the shoulder area of a person sitting in the vehicle seat.

[0015] In another preferred embodiment, the supporting frame structure (i.e. the seat cushion part and the lower backrest element), the upper backrest element and the headrest part are each covered with a separate upholstery layer. This makes manual installation of the upholstery easier because the modules can be upholstered individually.

[0016] In a further embodiment, the cushion and the fabric or leather cover covering the cushion towards the seat surface can be designed as a structural unit.

[0017] In another embodiment, the cushion also can be provided independently with this fabric or leather cover.In this case, each cushion is respectively covered by independent fabric or leather cover after being installed in supporting frame structure (i.e. seat cushion part and lower seat back element), upper seat back element and headrest part.

[0018] In any case, in the present invention, the modular structure of the vehicle seat is also transferred in a corresponding manner to the upholstery or seat covering.

[0019] A further advantageous embodiment provides that the upholstery layer covers only a portion of the outer side of the frame structure, the frame structure providing a fixing structure in the uncovered outer portion, which fixing structure is designed to receive the airbag module. In other words, when the airbag module is arranged or received in the fixing structure, the airbag module is mounted on the frame structure in an exposed manner, i.e. uncovered. A change in the seat covering, i.e. the cushioning or the fabric or leather covering of the cushioning, does not necessarily require a new airbag deployment test, because the airbag is exposed and not part of the cushioning or seat covering. There is no need to retest the airbag every time the cushioning of a separate modular element, i.e. the upper seatback element or the headrest part, is changed.

[0020] According to further embodiments, the vehicle seat comprises at least one of the following functional modules: pneumatics, air conditioning, sound system, massage system or kinematics.

[0021] At least one functional module can be fixed in a module fixing structure provided by the frame structure. This enables direct fixing on the supporting frame structure.

[0022] Alternatively, the at least one functional module can be arranged within the cushioning layer. For example, a function module such as an air conditioning unit, a pneumatic function module for adjusting seat comfort (e.g., lumbar support), a massage system, or the like can be provided in the cushioning, thereby further increasing the modularity and flexibility of the vehicle seat without having to modify the basic module, i.e., the supporting frame structure of the vehicle seat.

[0023] In another alternative embodiment, the at least one functional module is arranged in a layer structure which is provided below the cushioning layer, for example between the cushioning layer and a supporting frame structure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Further features and advantages of the present invention are apparent from the following description of an embodiment of the invention, which is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are to be understood as non-limiting. The drawings schematically show:

[0025] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A perspective view of the various cushioning layers of a vehicle seat;

[0027] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A perspective view of a vehicle seat in the assembled state.

[0028] List of reference numerals:

[0029] 10 Vehicle seats

[0030] 11 Seat cushion

[0031] 12 Seat back

[0032] 13 Headrest

[0033] 14 Lower seat back element

[0034] 15 Upper seat back element

[0035] 16 Fixed structure

[0036] 17 Airbag Module

[0037] 18 cushion layer

[0038] 19 cushion layer

[0039] 20 cushion layer

[0040] 21 cushion layer

[0041] L Length direction DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] Functionally identical components are always provided with the same reference numerals in the various figures and are therefore generally described only once.

[0043] Figure 1 The present invention shows an exploded perspective view of a portion of a vehicle seat 10, in particular a motor vehicle seat, according to an embodiment of the present invention. As can be seen, the vehicle seat 10 comprises a seat cushion portion 11, a backrest portion 12 mounted on the seat cushion portion 11, and a headrest portion 13 mounted on the backrest portion 12, wherein the backrest portion 12 is structurally divided into a lower backrest element 14 and an upper backrest element 15. Figure 1 1 and 2. It can also be seen that the lower backrest element 14 is fastened to the seat cushion part 11, and that the lower backrest element 14 and the seat cushion part 11 together form a frame structure 11, 14 that supports the upper backrest element 15 and the headrest part 13. The upper backrest element 15 can be connected at one end to the lower backrest element 14 and at the other end to the headrest part 13. Both the upper backrest element 15 and the headrest part 13 are designed in the form of replaceable modules.

[0044] Based on the total extension of the backrest section 12 in the longitudinal direction L, the upper backrest element 15 preferably occupies a maximum of one-third of the backrest section 12. The upper backrest element 15 is therefore essentially confined to the shoulder area of a person (not shown) sitting in the vehicle seat 10. In the present exemplary embodiment, the seat cushion section 11 and the lower backrest element 14 (i.e., the base module) account for approximately 85% of the structural volume of the entire vehicle seat 10. Other proportions are also conceivable, with the base module preferably accounting for between approximately 80% and 90% of the structural volume of the entire vehicle seat.

[0045] Figure 1 Also shown are fastening structures 16 provided by the frame structures 11 , 14 , here exemplarily provided on the lower seatback element 14 , in which an airbag module 17 can be fastened. It will be appreciated that such fastening structures can also be provided alternatively or additionally on the seat cushion part 11 .

[0046] Figure 2 Shown Figure 11 . A perspective view of the individual upholstery layers 18, 19, 20, and 21 of a vehicle seat 10 in FIG. Here, upholstery layer 18 is assigned to the seat cushion portion 11 of vehicle seat 10, upholstery layer 19 is assigned to the lower backrest element 14, upholstery layer 20 is assigned to the upper backrest element 15, and upholstery layer 21 is assigned to the headrest portion 13. Each of upholstery layers 18, 19, 20, 21 can be covered in the structural unit by a fabric or leather cover (not shown). Alternatively, the fabric or leather cover can be provided separately, i.e., as an independent component, and only applied to upholstery layers 18, 19, 20, and 21 after they have been installed.

[0047] Figure 3 Show Figure 1 1 . A perspective view of a vehicle seat 10 in the assembled state, wherein the supporting frame structure, ie the seat cushion part 11 and the lower backrest element 14 , the upper backrest element 15 and the headrest part 13 , are covered by corresponding upholstery layers 18 to 21 .

[0048] exist Figure 3 , it can be seen that the upholstery layers 18 and 19 assigned to the seat cushion part 11 and the lower backrest element 14 only cover a portion of the outer side of the resulting frame structure 11, 14. The airbag module 17 is fastened in the uncovered portion of the outer side—here, but not exclusively, in the uncovered portion of the lower backrest element 14.

[0049] The vehicle seat 10 can include functional modules (not shown) with the following functional areas: pneumatics, air conditioning, sound system, massage system, or kinematics. The functional modules can be directly fastened to the frame structures 11, 14 in a module fastening arrangement (also not shown) provided by the frame structures. Alternatively, the functional modules can be arranged in the corresponding upholstery layer 18, 19, 20, or 21, or in an additional layer structure (not shown), which can be arranged between the upholstery layer 18, 19, 20, or 21 and the frame structures 11, 14, or between the upholstery layer and the structural structure forming the upper seatback element 15 or the headrest portion 13.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat (10) for a vehicle, the vehicle seat comprising a seat cushion portion (11), a seat back portion (12) mounted on the seat cushion portion (11), and a headrest portion (13) mounted on the seat back portion (12), wherein: The seat back portion (12) is divided into a lower seat back element (14) and an upper seat back element (15) based on the vertical axis of the vehicle. The lower seat back element (14) is fixed to the seat cushion portion (11). The seat cushion portion and the lower seat back element together form a frame structure (11, 14). The frame structure supports the upper seat back element (15) and the headrest portion (13). The upper seat back element and the headrest portion are designed in the form of replaceable modules. The upper seat back element (15) can be connected to the lower seat back element (14) at one end and can be connected to the headrest portion (13) at the other end.

2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein Based on the total extension of the backrest part (12) in the longitudinal direction (L), the upper backrest element (15) reaches up to one third of the backrest part (12).

3. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The supporting frame structure (11, 14), the upper seat back element (15) and the headrest part (13) are each covered by a separate upholstery layer (18, 19, 20, 21).

4. The vehicle seat according to claim 3, characterized in that The cushioning layers (18, 19, 20, 21) are each covered by a fabric cover or a leather cover.

5. The vehicle seat according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that The cushioning layer (18, 19) covers only a portion of the outer side of the frame structure (11, 14), the frame structure (11, 14) providing a fixing structure (16) in the uncovered portion of the outer side for receiving an airbag module (17).

6. Vehicle seat according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The vehicle seat comprises at least one of the following functional modules: pneumatics, air conditioning, audio system, massage system or kinematics.

7. The vehicle seat according to claim 6, characterized in that The at least one functional module is fixed in a module fixing structure provided by the frame structure (11, 14).

8. The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 3 to 5 and claim 6, characterized in that The at least one functional module is arranged in the cushioning layer (18, 19, 20, 21).

9. The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 3 to 5 and claim 6, characterized in that The at least one functional module is arranged in a layer structure provided below the cushioning layer (18, 19, 20, 21).

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