VEHICLE SEAT DEVICE

Abstract

Vehicle seat device, comprising: a seat (10) configured to allow a backrest (11) thereof to be folded, a partition wall (20) which is arranged vertically on a vehicle floor (1) behind the seat (10) and is connected to the vehicle floor (1) via a moving unit (22) to be moved in an anterior-posterior manner and to divide an interior space in a vehicle into a front passenger compartment in which the seat (10) is provided and a rear luggage compartment, a fitting holding device (14) which is configured to pivotally connect a seat surface part (12) of the seat (10) to the vehicle floor (1), a roller (15) mounted on the seat (10) to enable the seat (10) to be rolled along the vehicle floor (1) and the partition wall (20), a holding unit configured to selectively hold the seat surface part (12) of the seat (10) on the vehicle floor (1) or the partition wall (20), wherein the movement unit (22) is a rail unit, the rail unit comprising: a pair of lower rails (23) mounted on the vehicle floor (1) and extending in an anterior-posterior direction of the vehicle to be parallel to each other, and a pair of upper rails (24) mounted on a guide portion (21) of the partition wall (20) in an anterior-posterior direction and slidably connected in a respective manner to the pair of lower rails (23).

Description

BACKGROUND(a) Technical FieldThe present invention / disclosure relates to a vehicle seating device (e.g., an automobile seating device). More particularly, it relates to a vehicle seat device capable of enlarging the luggage compartment (e.g., trunk room) in a vehicle (e.g., motor vehicle).(b) Prior ArtA vehicle (e.g., motor vehicle) is equipped with seats therein (e.g., in its interior). Each of the seats of a vehicle is configured of: a seat bottom part configured to support the lower body of a passenger (e.g., vehicle occupant); and a backrest configured to support the upper body of the passenger.Further, a typical vehicle seat is provided at the upper end of the seat back thereof with a headrest (or neck rest) configured to support the user's head and neck.Moreover, the vehicle seat is provided with: an armrest on which a user arm rests (or can rest), a cup holder configured to hold a beverage container such as a can, a bottle, a cup, or the like, an inclination adjustment device configured to adjust an inclination angle of the backrest in an anterior-posterior direction (e.g., front-posterior direction), a position adjustment device configured to adjust the position of the seat in the anterior-posterior direction, and the like.With recent diversified vehicle uses, demand has been increasing for a vehicle structure (e.g., a vehicle body) capable of enabling the interior structure (or the interior structure) of the vehicle to be changed depending on the situation (e.g., can be adjusted depending on the situation).In particular, a typical vehicle may require additional space (e.g., space) to load therein a large amount of luggage necessary for outdoor activities such as camping, picnics, or the like, in addition to the base trunk.For this purpose, a structure (e.g., a structure) is used in which, when a backrest 3 of a rear seat 2 is folded, the space above the backrest 3 of the folded rear seat 2 is suitable for being used as a luggage loading space, as illustrated in FIG. 1.In the structure shown in FIG. 1, the seat back 3 of the rear seat 2 is configured to be folded forward (e.g., forward), and the lower part of the seat surface part 4 is fixed to a vehicle floor 1.As illustrated in the drawing (e.g., in FIGS. 1 and 2 ), by configuring the rear seat 2 to be foldable (e.g., foldable) and fixedly connected to the vehicle floor 1, it is possible to provide a space for accommodating luggage therein behind the rear seat 2.Further, when there is insufficient luggage compartment in such a vehicle, the seat back 3 may be folded (e.g., folded) and the luggage may be loaded onto the folded seat back to ensure (or provide) additional luggage compartment.However, in the conventional folding seat (e.g., folding vehicle seat), when luggage is loaded on the folded (e.g., folded) seat back 3, the weight of the luggage exerts a load on the seat as illustrated in FIG. 2. Here, if the cargo load is frequently repeated or the cargo is heavy, the seat may be deformed or damaged.In particular, when heavy luggage is loaded repeatedly, cushioning properties and elasticity of the seat back 3 and the seat bottom 4 may be deteriorated successively. In this case, because the shapes of the seat back 3 and the seat bottom 4 may change, the ride quality (e.g., the seating comfort during travel) experienced by the passenger may change.Further, when the seat is pushed by the luggage, the impression of a buckle or similar impression may be impressed (e.g., depressed) on the seat (e.g., cushion) of the seat back, the seat bottom part seat, or a side cushion, and the shape of the seat or cushion may be deformed.Moreover, leather or the like, which is the exterior material (e.g., covering material) of the seat, may be deformed in appearance or damaged.From US 8 303 014 B2 a vehicle seat device is known comprising: a seat configured to allow a backrest thereof to be folded; a partition wall vertically disposed on a vehicle floor behind the seat and connected to the vehicle floor via a moving unit to be moved in an anterior-posterior manner and divide an interior space in a vehicle into a front passenger space in which the seat is provided and a rear luggage loading space; a bracket holder configured to articulate a seating surface part of the seat to the vehicle floor; and a caster mounted to the seat to allow the seat to be rolled along the vehicle floor and the partition wall. DE 601 13 345 T2 discloses a vehicle seat device with a displaceable partition wall. Further vehicle seat devices are known from KR 10 2007 0 064 466 A, U.S. Pat. No. 6,036,252 A and AU 2009 230 744 A1.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION / DISCLOSUREThe object of the present invention / disclosure is to solve the above-described problems associated with the prior art in which the luggage weight is applied to a seat (e.g. motor vehicle seat) when the luggage is loaded onto the seat (e.g. folded seat). Another object of the present invention / disclosure is to provide a vehicle seating device (e.g., motor vehicle seating device) capable of securing (e.g., providing) an expanded (e.g., enlarged) cargo space (e.g., luggage cargo space) in a vehicle (e.g., motor vehicle) in which luggage is loaded, and preventing the weight of the loaded luggage from being applied to a seat.These objects are achieved by a vehicle seat device according to claim 1.The present invention / disclosure provides a vehicle seat device including a seat configured to allow a seat back (e.g., seat back; hereinafter, referred to as "seat back") thereof to be folded (e.g., folded), a partition wall vertically disposed on (e.g., vehicle floor) behind the seat and connected to the vehicle floor via a moving unit to be moved in an anterior-posterior manner (e.g., to be moved forward and rearward), and the interior space in the vehicle into a front passenger space (e.g., a front space for passengers) in which the seat is provided, A rear luggage compartment (e.g., a rear compartment for the luggage) is divided (e.g., divided), a bracket holder (e.g., a bracket holder, a pivot holder; hereinafter referred to as a "bracket holder") configured to hinge (e.g., a seat base; hereinafter referred to as a "seat base") of the seat to the vehicle floor, a caster mounted on the seat to allow the seat to roll along the vehicle floor and the bulkhead, and a holder configured to:, to selectively support (or support) the seat surface part of the seat on the vehicle floor or the bulkhead, the moving unit being a rail unit, the rail unit comprising: a pair of lower rails mounted on (or on) the vehicle floor and extending in the anterior-posterior direction of the vehicle to be parallel to each other; and a pair of upper rails mounted on the guide portion of the bulkhead in an anterior-posterior direction and slidably (e.g., slidably) connected to the pair of lower rails, respectively.In a preferred embodiment, the partition wall may be provided on the front surface (e.g., on a front surface) of the lower end thereof with a guide portion protruding therefrom to guide the movement of the caster between an upper surface of the vehicle floor and a front surface (e.g., the front surface) of the partition wall.In another preferred embodiment, the pulley may be rolled along an upper surface of the guide portion.In still another preferred embodiment, the caster may include a pair of casters disposed (e.g., in a corresponding manner) on the right side and the left side of the lower surface of the seat bottom part, and the guide portion may include a pair of guide portions provided on the front surface of the lower end of the partition wall to allow the pair of casters to be rolled on (or on) the pair of guide portions in a corresponding manner.In still another preferred embodiment, the partition wall may be a plate-shaped wall disposed to extend in a lateral direction through the interior of the vehicle, and the pair of guide portions may be configured such that each of them (e.g., each guide portion) has a plate shape (e.g., is plate-shaped) and extends in an anterior-posterior direction (e.g., front-rear direction) of the vehicle.The bracket support device may be configured to articulate (e.g., pivotally) a front end of the seat bottom part to the vehicle floor, and the guide portion may have an upper surface having a curved surface from which a height toward the rear gradually increases such that the curved surface has a shape corresponding to a path (e.g., trajectory, e.g., orbit) along which the caster is moved while the seat from which the seat back is folded (e.g., folded) is rotated (e.g., pivoted) around the bracket support device, thereby pushing and erecting a rear end of the seat bottom part upward.The bulkhead may include a support unit configured to support the upper rails slidably (e.g., slidably) along the lower rails at a predetermined location (e.g., at a predetermined position) on (e.g., on) the lower rails, thereby supporting the location of the bulkhead in an anterior-posterior direction.In yet another preferred embodiment, the holding unit may be a snap-in unit, the snap-in unit including: an operating device configured to be operated by a user to allow the user to lock (e.g., snap-in; hereinafter, referred to as "lock") and unlock (e.g., release; Hereinafter, referred to as "releasing"), a claw mounted on the seat bottom part to be rotated (e.g., pivoted) in association with the operation of the operating device, and strikers mounted in a corresponding manner at a predetermined location (e.g., at a predetermined position) on (or on) the vehicle floor and a predetermined location on the dash panel, one of which (e.g., a striker) is fitted and connected to an insertion groove of the claw and (e.g., another one of the strikers) is disengaged from the claw.In another preferred embodiment, the bracket support device may be configured to articulate (e.g., pivotally) a front end of the seat bottom portion to the vehicle floor, and the caster is a pair of casters disposed respectively at a right side and a left side of a lower surface of the rear end of the seat bottom portion.Other aspects and preferred embodiments of the present invention / disclosure are described below.It is understood that the term "vehicle" or "vehicular" or other similar term as used herein includes motor vehicles in general such as passenger automobiles (e.g., passenger automobiles), including sport utility vehicles (e.g., "sport utility" vehicles (SUVs)), buses, trucks, and various commercial vehicles, watercraft including a variety of boats and ships, aircraft, and the like, and includes hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles, and other alternative fuel vehicles (e.g., fuels derived from resources other than petroleum). As referred to herein, a "hybrid vehicle" is a vehicle having two or more sources of power, for example, a vehicle that is propelled by both gasoline and electricity.The above and other features of the invention / disclosure are discussed below.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe above and other features of the present invention / disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to certain exemplary embodiments thereof and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which are provided hereinbelow by way of illustration only and are therefore not limitative of the present invention / disclosure, and wherein: FIG. 1 is a view illustrating the operation (e.g., deployment) of a conventional vehicle seat (e.g., motor vehicle seat) in which a seat back is folded (or folded) to load luggage thereon, FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a problem with the conventional vehicle seat, FIG. 3 is a side view of a vehicle seating device (e.g., motor vehicle seating device) according to an embodiment of the present invention / disclosure, FIG. 4 is a view illustrating an operation of a seat of the vehicle seat (or the vehicle seat device) according to an embodiment of the present invention / disclosure to secure (or provide) a luggage compartment, FIG. 5 is a view showing the structure (e.g., structure) of the lower surface of the seat of the vehicle seat device according to the embodiment of the present invention / disclosure, FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a lower structure (e.g., a lower structure) of a dash panel to which the seat of the vehicle seat device according to the present invention / disclosure that has been folded (e.g., folded) and erected is connected; and FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the structure (e.g., structure) of a rail of the vehicle seat device according to the embodiment of the present invention / disclosure for a sliding movement (e.g., sliding movement) of the dash panel.In the figures, reference numerals refer to the same or equivalent parts of the present invention / disclosure throughout the several figures of the drawing.DETAILED DESCRIPTIONThe present invention / disclosure relates to a vehicle seat device that is constructed such that a seat back is capable of being folded (e.g., folded).In particular, the vehicle seat device according to the embodiment of the present invention / disclosure may be applied to a rear seat of a vehicle capable of using the space (e.g., the space) in the vehicle behind the rear seat back as a luggage loading space (e.g., trunk).The vehicle seat device according to the embodiment of the present invention / disclosure is useful for vehicles each of which is divided (e.g., divided) into a passenger compartment and a luggage compartment, for example, trucks or high-occupancy vehicles (e.g., vehicles designed for many riders), such as minibuses and SUVs, each of which is provided with a rear seat capable of folding (e.g., folding) the backrest thereof.FIG. 3 is a side view of the vehicle seat device according to an embodiment of the present invention / disclosure. FIG. 4 is a view illustrating the operation of a seat of the vehicle seat device according to an embodiment of the present invention / disclosure to secure (or provide) the luggage compartment.FIG. 5 is a view illustrating the structure (e.g., configuration) of the lower surface of the seat of the vehicle seat device according to the embodiment of the present invention / disclosure.In order to overcome the problems with the conventional seat structure (e.g., the conventional seat structure) in which the luggage load (e.g., the luggage weight force) is applied to the seat when the luggage is loaded on the seat, the present invention / disclosure is intended to provide a vehicle seat device configured not only to ensure (or provide) an increased cargo space in the interior (e.g., interior) of a vehicle in which luggage is loaded, but also to prevent the luggage load from being applied to the seat.To this end, the vehicle seat device according to the embodiment of the present invention / disclosure is mainly characterized in that after the seat 10 is folded (e.g., folded) and erected, a portion of the space occupied by the seat is ensured (provided) as a luggage compartment, unlike by ensuring (providing) a luggage compartment above (e.g., on) the folded seat.The set "the seat 10 is folded" (or "the seat 10 is folded") means that the seat back 11 is rotated (e.g., pivoted) forward to be folded on the seat bottom part 12, and the set "the seat 10 is erected" means that the rear portion of the seat 10 on which the seat back 11 is folded is raised and the seat 10 is therefore erected (e.g., the seat bottom part is positioned vertically) (see the right side of FIG. 4 ).The construction (or design) of the embodiment of the present invention / disclosure will now be described in detail. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the vehicle seat device according to the embodiment of the present invention / disclosure includes the seat 10 whose seat back 11 is foldable (e.g., foldable), and a partition wall 20 mounted on (e.g., on) a vehicle floor 1 behind the seat 10 in an erected state to slide in an anterior-posterior manner (or to be forwardly-rearwardly slidable) and isolate (or separate) the front passenger compartment (e.g., a front compartment for passengers) from the rear luggage compartment (e.g., the rear compartment for luggage).Furthermore, the vehicle seat device according to the embodiment of the present invention / disclosure may further include: a bracket holder (e.g., pivot holder) 14 configured to articulate (e.g., pivotally) the front end of the seat bottom part 12 to the vehicle floor 1; and a holding unit configured to selectively lock (e.g., lock) the seat bottom part 12 to the vehicle floor 1 or the bulkhead 20.FIG. 3 illustrates the state of the seat in a passenger conveyance mode, which is the state of the seat that allows a passenger to get in the vehicle and sit on the seat. As illustrated in the drawing, the seat 10 may include the seat back 11 configured to hold the upper body of the passenger, the seat bottom 12 configured to hold the lower body of the passenger, and a headrest (or neck rest) 13 configured to hold the head and neck portions of the passenger.Here, the seat bottom part 12 is lockable (e.g., latchable; hereinafter, referred to as "lockable") to the vehicle floor 1, and the seat back 11 is foldable (e.g., foldable) forward toward the seat bottom part 12.In the vehicle seat device according to the embodiment of the present invention / disclosure, the structure (e.g., structure) configured to fold (e.g., fold) the seat back 11 is not different from that of a conventional vehicle seat known in the art. Since the structure configured to fold the seat back is a known technology known to those skilled in the art, a description thereof will be omitted.In the vehicle seat device according to the embodiment of the present invention / disclosure, the bracket holder 14 is a component that rotatably (e.g., swingably) connects the front end of the seat bottom part 12 to the vehicle floor 1 and holds (e.g., supports) the front end of the seat bottom part 12 with respect to the vehicle floor 1 (e.g., relative to) in the state of being connected to both the front end of the seat bottom part 12 and the vehicle floor 1.Although not specifically illustrated in the drawings, the bracket holder 14 may further include: a fixing member fixed to (e.g., on) the vehicle floor 1; and a rotating member (e.g., pivoting member) mounted to the front end of the seat surface part 12 in a fixed manner and hinged (e.g., pivotally) to the fixing member.In the embodiment of the present invention / disclosure, the bracket holder 14 may have any structure (e.g., any structure) or configuration without particular limitations, as long as the bracket holder 14 is capable of connecting the front end of the seat surface part 12 to the vehicle floor 1 such that the front end of the seat surface part 12 is rotatable (e.g., pivotable) about the bracket axis (e.g., the pivot axis) (or the bracket point, e.g., the pivot point) and supports the front end of the seat surface part.In the embodiment of the present invention / disclosure, the bracket holder 14 may be configured of a pair of bracket holders mounted on the right side and left side of the lower surface of the front end of the seat surface part 12 as illustrated in FIG. 5.A caster 15 may be mounted on the lower surface of the rear end of the seat bottom part 12 to support the seat 10 with respect to (or relative to) the vehicle floor 1 in association with the bracket holder 14.Consequently, the seat bottom part 12 can be supported by the vehicle floor 1 (e.g., the vehicle floor 1) by the bracket holder 14 at the front end of the seat bottom part 12 and the caster 15 at the rear end of the seat bottom part 12. The bracket holder 14 serves to rotatably (e.g., pivotally) support the front end of the seat surface part 12 while maintaining the position of the seat surface part 12 in an anterior-posterior direction, and the caster serves to allow the rear end of the seat surface part 12 to slide (or slide / slide) along the vehicle floor 1 or the bulkhead 20 described later while supporting the rear end of the seat surface part 12 with respect to (e.g., relative to) the vehicle floor 1.In the embodiment of the present invention / disclosure, the caster 15 may be configured of a pair of casters mounted (e.g., in association) on the right side and the left side of the lower surface of the rear end of the seat bottom part 12 as illustrated in FIG. 5.The holding unit is intended to lock the seat bottom part 12 to (e.g. on) the vehicle floor 1 or the bulkhead 20, and may be embodied (e.g. embodied) as a snap-in unit in which a claw 17 engages a striker (e.g. a snap-in striker) 18 or 19 mounted at a predetermined location (e.g. at a predetermined position) on the vehicle floor 1 or the bulkhead 20 and therefore locked thereto.The latch unit 16 may include, in addition to the operating device (not shown) operated to perform the locking and the releasing: the claw 17 mounted on the seat surface part 12 to be rotated (e.g., pivoted) in association with the operation of the operating device, and the strikers 18 and 19 mounted on the vehicle floor 1 and the dash panel 20 in a corresponding manner and fitted into and connected to an insertion groove 17 ain the claw 17 to hold the claw 17.Here, the locked state (e.g., locked state; hereinafter, "locked state") of the lock unit 16 is a connected (e.g., coupled) and held state (e.g., storage state) in which the striker 18 or 90 is fitted into the insertion groove 17 ain the claw 17 such that the striker 18 or 19 cannot be separated from the claw 17.Meanwhile, the unlocked state (e.g., the disengaged state; hereinafter, "released state") of the latch unit 16 is an uncoupled (e.g., uncoupled) state in which the striker 18 or 19 is capable of being taken out of the insertion groove 17 ain the claw 17, and the claw 17 is capable of being separated from the striker 18 or 19.In addition to the above-mentioned components, the latch unit 16 may further include a ratchet (not shown) configured to be rotated (e.g., pivoted) in association with the rotation of the pawl 17, an elastic member (not shown) configured to elastically rotate (e.g., pivot) the pawl 17 or the ratchet, and the like.In the embodiment of the present invention / disclosure, because the functions of the latch unit 16 configured to hold the seat 10 by means of connecting the claw 17 to the striker 18 or 19, including the function of holding the seat bottom part 12 to the vehicle floor 1, are known to those skilled in the art, further description thereof will be omitted.In the embodiment of the present invention / disclosure, the holding unit may be embodied (e.g., embodied) as any of a variety of connection units, in addition to the above-mentioned latch unit 16, as long as the unit (e.g., the holding unit) is capable of selectively connecting and holding (e.g., storing) the seat 10 to the vehicle floor 1 or the dash panel 20.FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the lower structure of the bulkhead 20 to which the seat of the vehicle seat device according to an embodiment of the present invention / disclosure, which is in the folded (e.g., folded) and erected state, is connected. FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating the construction of a rail of the vehicle seat device according to the embodiment of the present invention / disclosure, which allows the partition wall to slide (slide).The partition wall 20 serving to partition (e.g., partition) the interior space in the vehicle into a passenger compartment in which the seat 10 is provided and a luggage compartment behind the passenger compartment may be vertically mounted on (e.g., on) the vehicle floor 1.The dash panel 20 may be made of a plate having a predetermined thickness, and the lower end of the dash panel 20 may be connected to the vehicle floor 1 via a moving unit 22.In the embodiment of the present invention / disclosure, the dash panel 20 may be embodied (e.g., embodied) as a panel member that is vertically erected in (e.g., along) an in-vehicle lateral direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle in the interior space in the vehicle.Here, the dash panel 20 may be disposed to extend in a transverse direction through the interior space in the vehicle, whereby the interior space in the vehicle is divided (e.g., divided) into a front space and a rear space by the dash panel 20.The lower end of the partition wall 20 may be integrally provided with a pair of guide portions 21 to allow the pair of rollers 15 of the seat to move (e.g., roll) along the upper surface of the pair of guide portions 21, and the pair of guide portions 21 may be configured to protrude from the front surface of the lower end of the partition wall 20.As shown in FIG. 6, the pair of guide portions 21 may be mounted on the front surface of the lower end of the dash panel 20 so as to be parallel to each other, and each of the pair of guide portions 21 may be embodied (e.g., configured) as a plate that is arranged so as to be perpendicular to the dash panel 20, that is, so as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.When the partition wall 20 is pushed (e.g., pushed forward) on (e.g., on) the vehicle floor 1 in the state in which the seat back 11 of the seat 10 is folded (e.g., folded), the rollers 15 of the rear end of the seat bottom part 12 are rolled along the upper surfaces of the pair of guide portions 21.To this end, the upper surface of each of the pair of guide portions 21 may be configured to have a shape corresponding to the path (e.g., trajectory) along which a corresponding one of the rollers 15 of the rear end of the seat surface part 12 moves (e.g., rolls) while the seat 10 is rotated (or pivoted) and erected around the bracket holders 14 (or the bracket holder 14).In other words, the upper surface of each of the pair of guide portions 21 may be configured to have an arc-shaped curved surface, specifically, an oblique curved surface from which the height increases rearward.The pair of guide portions 21 serve to guide the rollers, which are moved on the upper surface of the vehicle floor 1 in a rolling manner, to the front surface of the bulkhead 20 when the seat 10 is folded and then erected. The rollers 15 are moved to the front surface of the bulkhead 20 while rolling the vehicle floor 1 along the guide portions 21 on the upper surface.Meanwhile, when the upright seat 10 is rotated (pivoted) in the opposite direction around the bracket holders 14 (e.g., around the bracket holder 14), the rollers 15 of the seat 10 are rolled along the upper surface of the guide portions 21 on the front surface of the bulkhead 20 and then moved toward the upper surface of the vehicle floor 1. Then, the rollers 15 advance the seat 10 along the upper surface of the vehicle floor 1.The lower end of the bulkhead 20 is connected to the vehicle floor 1 to slide (to be slidable) in an anterior-posterior manner. In other words, the lower surfaces of the pair of guide portions 21 are connected to the vehicle floor 1 via the moving unit 22 to slide in an anterior-posterior manner.In the embodiment of the present invention / disclosure, the moving unit 22 may be a rail unit connected to the vehicle floor 1 to slide (slide) in an anterior-posterior manner. The rail unit may be configured of: a lower rail 23 mounted on (e.g., on) the vehicle floor 1; and an upper rail 24 mounted on the dash panel 20.In the moving unit 22, that is, the rail unit, the upper rail 24 is slidably (e.g., slidably) connected to the lower rail 23.The upper rail 24 may be configured of: a pair of rails that are mounted on the pair of parallel guide portions 21 of the bulkhead 20 and extend in the anterior-posterior direction of the vehicle.Similarly, the lower rail 23 may be configured of a pair of rails that are disposed on the right side and the left side of the vehicle floor 1 and extend in the anterior-posterior direction of the vehicle to be parallel to each other.Accordingly, when the upper rail 24 slides (slides) along the lower rail 23 in the state where the upper rail 24 of the dash panel 20 is connected to the lower rail 23 of the vehicle floor 1, the dash panel 20 is moved in the anterior-posterior direction of the vehicle.The rail unit configured from the combination of the upper rail and the lower rail may also be used for a seat rail (e.g., a rail unit of the seat) that allows the seat to slide (be slidable) in an anterior-posterior manner on (e.g., on) a vehicle floor of a general vehicle. The rail assembly constructed of the upper rail 24 and the lower rail 23 connected to the upper rail 24 may be used for the embodiment of the present invention / disclosure for anterior-posterior movement of the bulkhead 20.As a result, the bulkhead 20 can slide (or slide / slide) along the lower rail 23 of the vehicle floor 1 in the vehicle interior in an anterior-posterior manner. Similar to a retainer configured to retain a seat that has been slid (e.g., slid) along seat rails in an anterior-posterior manner, the retainer may also be configured to retain the bulkhead 20 that has been slid along the rail unit in an anterior-posterior manner.In the embodiment of the present invention / disclosure, the rail unit for the sliding movement (e.g., sliding movement) of the bulkhead 20 may be embodied (e.g., embodied) as a sliding unit (e.g., sliding unit) that is operated by the same operating principles as a seat rail that allows the seat 10 to slide (or be slidable) along the vehicle floor 1 in an anterior-posterior manner and to hold the seat at a given (e.g., predetermined) location (e.g., a given / predetermined position).Further, in the case where a seat (e.g., vehicle seat) on a vehicle floor is moved via seat rails in a slidable manner and then held at a location (e.g., at a position) in the anterior-posterior direction by locking between an upper rail and a lower rail, the partition wall 20 may be slidably (e.g., slidably) moved on the vehicle floor 1 (e.g., along the vehicle floor 1) in an anterior-posterior manner and then held at the location in the anterior-posterior direction by locking between the upper rail 24 and the lower rail 23.Because the construction of the conventional retainer configured to retain a seat (e.g., vehicle seat) at a location (e.g., a position) at the anterior-posterior location (e.g., in the anterior-posterior direction) is already well known to those skilled in the art, detailed illustration and description of the retainer according to the embodiment of the present invention / disclosure will be omitted.For example, in the case where lock holes (e.g., lock holes; hereinafter, "lock holes") are formed in the lower rail 23 mounted on the vehicle floor 1 at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction, in which the position of the upper rail 24 in the anterior-posterior direction is adjustable, and in which the holding unit configured to lock the upper rail 24 with a selected one of the lock holes is provided, it is possible for a user to arbitrarily adjust the location (e.g., the position) of the dash panel 20 on the vehicle floor 1 in the anterior-posterior direction.Of course, the partition wall 20 may be held at any one of only two locations (e.g., positions), i.e., at the foremost position and the rearmost position, by the holding unit instead of being held at any one of a plurality of locations (e.g., positions) provided at regular intervals in any manner.Heretofore, the construction of the vehicle seat apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention / disclosure has been described.The operation of the vehicle seat device according to the embodiment of the present invention / disclosure will now be described with reference to FIG. 4.First, the seat back 11 is folded forward (e.g., folded forward) to overlap the seat bottom part 12, and the locking of the holding unit, i.e., the locking unit 16, is released / released to allow the seat bottom part 12 to be raised from the vehicle floor 1.The space behind the partition wall 20 serves as a luggage bay. In order to enlarge the luggage compartment, after the backrest 11 has been folded (e.g., folded) and the locked state of the latch unit 16 has been released / released, the partition wall 20 is moved forward.Specifically, after the locked state of the latch unit 16 is released to allow the bulkhead 20 to slide (slide) in an anterior-posterior manner along the lower rail 23 of the vehicle floor 1, the bulkhead 20 is pushed and advanced. At this time, the rollers 15 of the folded (e.g., folded) seat 10 are moved along the upper surfaces of the guide portions 21 of the partition wall 20.When the partition wall 20 is advanced such that the rollers 15 of the folded (e.g., folded) seat 10 are moved along the upper surfaces of the guide portions 21 of the partition wall 20, the rear end of the folded seat 10 is pushed upward. At this time, the seat 10 is rotated (e.g., pivoted) around the bracket holders 14 at the front end of the seat bottom part 12.Then, as the partition wall 20 is moved forward, the rollers 15 of the seat 10 are moved along (e.g., the) guide portions 21 toward the front surface of the partition wall 20. When the rollers 15 of the seat 10 are moved upward along the front surface of the partition wall 20, the seat 10 is further erected.In other words, the folded (e.g., the folded) seat 10 is rotated (e.g., pivoted) around the bracket holders 14 and positioned in the erected state in which the rear end of the seat bottom part 12 is positioned at the highest level (e.g., is the highest portion of the seat bottom part 12) and the front end of the seat bottom part 12 is positioned at the lowest level (e.g., is the lowest portion of the seat bottom part 12).Then, when the partition wall 20 is moved forward to the foremost position where the partition wall 20 can no longer be moved forward, the position of the partition wall 20 is held by the locking of the holding unit. Then, the claws 17 of the latch unit 16 mounted on the lower portion of the seat 10 are engaged with and locked to the strikers 19 (or the striker 19) of the bulkhead 20, thereby holding the seat 10 on the bulkhead 20 in the erected state.As a result, when the bulkhead 20 is advanced and the folded (e.g., folded) seat 10 is erected (e.g., positioned upright) and held on the bulkhead 20, an increased cargo bay behind the bulkhead 20 is secured (e.g., provided).As is clear from the above description, according to the embodiment of the present invention / disclosure, because the partition wall configured to isolate (or separate) the passenger compartment from the luggage compartment and the seat that has been folded (e.g., folded) and erected is held on the partition wall that has been moved forward is provided, it is possible to enlarge the luggage compartment behind the seat and the partition wall, if necessary. As a result, since there is no need to load luggage on the folded seat as in a conventional seat, it is possible to effectively prevent the seat from deformation and damage.

Claims

A vehicle seat device, comprising: a seat (10) configured to allow a backrest (11) thereof to be folded; a bulkhead (20) vertically disposed on a vehicle floor (1) behind the seat (10) and connected to the vehicle floor (1) via a moving unit (22) to be moved in an anterior-posterior manner and divide an interior space in a vehicle into a front passenger space in which the seat (10) is provided and a rear luggage loading space; a bracket holder (14) configured to articulate a seat surface part (12) of the seat (10) to the vehicle floor (1); a caster (15) mounted to the seat (10) to allow the seat (10) to be rolled along the vehicle floor (1) and the bulkhead (20), a holding unit configured to selectively hold the seat surface part (12) of the seat (10) to the vehicle floor (1) or the bulkhead (20), wherein the moving unit (22) is a rail unit, the rail unit including: a pair of lower rails (23) mounted on the vehicle floor (1) and extending in an anterior-posterior direction of the vehicle to be parallel to each other; and a pair of upper rails (24) mounted on a guide portion (21) of the bulkhead (20) in an anterior-posterior direction and slidably connected to the pair of lower rails (23) in a corresponding manner, respectively.The vehicle seat device according to claim 1, wherein the partition wall (20) is provided, at a front surface of the lower end thereof, with a guide portion (21) protruding therefrom for guiding the movement of the caster (15) between an upper surface of the vehicle floor (1) and a front surface of the partition wall (20).The vehicle seat device according to claim 2, wherein the pulley (15) is rolled along an upper surface of the guide portion (21).The vehicle seat device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the caster (15) includes a pair of casters (15) disposed on a right side and on a left side of a lower surface of the seat bottom member (12), and the guide portion (21) includes a pair of guide portions (21) provided on the front surface of the lower end of the bulkhead (20) to allow the pair of casters (15) to roll on the pair of guide portions (21) in a corresponding manner, respectively.The vehicle seat device according to claim 4, wherein the partition wall (20) is a plate-shaped wall that is disposed to extend in a lateral direction through the interior space in the vehicle, and each of the pair of guide portions (21) is configured to have a plate shape and extend in an anterior-posterior direction of the vehicle.The vehicle seat device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the bracket holder (14) is configured to connect a front end of the seat bottom (12) to the vehicle floor (1), and wherein the guide portion (21) has an upper surface having a curved surface from which a height gradually increases rearward such that the curved surface has a shape corresponding to a trajectory along which the caster (15) is moved while the seat (10) in which the seat back (11) is folded is rotated around the bracket holder (14), thereby pressing and erecting a rear end of the seat bottom (12).The vehicle seat device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the bulkhead (20) includes a holding unit configured to hold the upper rails (24) slidably moved along the lower rails (23) at a predetermined position on the lower rails (23), and thus hold a position of the bulkhead (20) in an anterior-posterior direction.The vehicle seat device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the holding unit is a latch unit (16), the latch unit (16) comprising: an operation device configured to be operated by a user to allow the user to lock and release; a claw (17) mounted on the seat surface part (12) to be rotated in association with the operation of the operation device; and strikers (18, 19) mounted in a respective manner at a predetermined position on the vehicle floor (1) and at a predetermined position on the bulkhead (20), and one of which is fitted into and connected to an insertion groove (17a) in the claw (17), and the other of which is released from the engagement with the claw (10).The vehicle seat device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the bracket holder (14) is configured to connect a front end of the seat bottom part (12) to the vehicle floor (1), and the caster (15) includes a pair of casters (15) disposed respectively at a right side and a left side of the lower surface of a rear end of the seat bottom part (12).

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