Vehicular seat

Abstract

To provide a vehicular seat in which a blower can be fixed to a seat back frame with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: A vehicular seat comprises: a seat back frame F1 constituting the skeleton of a seat back; a blower 20 disposed in the seat back; a bracket 40 to which the blower 20 is fixed; and a cover member 50 provided at a rear side of the seat back frame F1. The bracket 40 is fixed to the cover member 50 by sandwiching the seat back frame F1 with the cover member 50.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat having an air conditioning function using a blower. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a vehicle seat with an air conditioning function is known in which a blower is provided in the seat back and the blower circulates air on the surface of the seat back (Patent Document 1). In the vehicle seat of Patent Document 1, the blower is fixed to a bridge frame that is connected to the left and right side frames of the seat back frame. A duct connected to an air passage in the seat back pad is fitted into the blower's air outlet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-233860 A Summary of the Invention

[0004] Incidentally, when fixing the blower directly to a part of the seat back frame such as a bridge frame with bolts, it is necessary to prepare a separate part just for fixing, such as welding a nut to the seat back frame. This means that when manufacturing both air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned seats, it is necessary to use a dedicated seat back frame for the air-conditioned seats, or to use the same seat back frame for both specifications, and to provide unnecessary welding nuts for the non-air-conditioned seats.

[0005] In view of the above background, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat that allows a blower to be fixed to a seat back frame with a simple structure.

[0006] Another object of the present invention is to reduce the weight of a vehicle seat and to improve the degree of freedom in design.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to suppress air leakage between the duct and the blower.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to facilitate the assembly of the cover member and bracket and to protect the duct connected to the blower.

[0009] Another object of the present invention is to fix and protect the harness of a blower with a simple structure.

[0010] Another object of the present invention is to easily assemble the blower in the correct position even if there is a manufacturing error in the dimensions of the blower.

[0011] The present invention, which solves the above problem, is a vehicle seat comprising a seat back frame that forms the skeleton of the seat back, a blower disposed within the seat back, a bracket to which the blower is fixed, and a cover member provided on the rear side of the seat back frame. In this seat, the bracket is characterized in that the bracket sandwiches the seat back frame between the bracket and the cover member and is fixed to the cover member.

[0012] According to this configuration, the bracket to which the blower is fixed is fixed to the cover member by sandwiching the seat back frame between the bracket and the cover member provided on the rear side of the seat back frame, so that no welding nuts or the like are required just for fixing the blower, and the blower can be fixed to the seat back frame with a simple configuration. Therefore, when manufacturing seats with and without air conditioning, it is easy to share the seat back frame.

[0013] In the vehicle seat described above, the seatback frame has a pair of side frames arranged at a distance from each other on the left and right, an upper frame connecting the upper ends of the pair of side frames, a lower frame connecting the lower ends of the pair of side frames, and a bridging frame connecting the pair of side frames at an intermediate position between the upper frame and the lower frame, and the bracket can be configured to sandwich the bridging frame between itself and the cover member and be fixed to the cover member.

[0014] In the vehicle seat described above, the bracket may be made of resin.

[0015] By making the bracket out of resin, it is possible to reduce the weight, and since the shape can be made freely, the degree of freedom in design is improved.

[0016] The vehicle seat described above may include a duct connected to the intake or exhaust port of the blower, the duct having a first opening at one end connected to the blower, a second opening at the other end, and a flange provided around the first opening, the blower having a flat portion around the intake or exhaust port, the flange being disposed between the flat portion and the bracket, and the blower being fixed to the bracket so as to be sandwiched between the flat portion and the bracket.

[0017] According to this configuration, the flange is sandwiched between the bracket and the flat surface of the blower, thereby making it possible to prevent air from leaking between the duct and the blower.

[0018] In the vehicle seat described above, the cover member may be formed in a cup shape that opens forward. In this configuration, the cover member preferably has, at an upper portion thereof, a first claw portion that extends downward and is engageable with the front side of the seatback frame.

[0019] According to this configuration, by engaging the first claw portion with the front side of the upper portion of the seatback frame, the cover member can be temporarily assembled to the seatback frame, and the bracket can be easily fixed to the cover member.

[0020] It is preferable that the cover member has a second claw portion that is disposed rearwardly and spaced apart from the first claw portion and extends downwardly to receive the seat back frame between the first claw portion and the second claw portion.

[0021] According to this configuration, the cover member can be provisionally assembled to the seat back frame so that the seat back is placed between the first and second claw portions, which makes it easier to fix the bracket to the cover member.

[0022] In the vehicle seat described above, it is preferable that the cover member has a rib that protrudes forward and abuts against the seat back frame from the rear side.

[0023] With this configuration, the ribs increase the rigidity of the cover member to effectively protect the duct, and when the cover member is provisionally assembled to the seat back frame, the ribs abut against the seat back frame from the rear, allowing the cover member to be positioned in the front-rear direction, making it easy to assemble the cover member.

[0024] In the vehicle seat described above, it is preferable that the cover member is provided with an engagement portion to which a harness of the blower is fixed.

[0025] According to this configuration, the harness of the blower can be easily fixed to the cover member, and the harness can be protected by the cover member.

[0026] In the vehicle seat described above, the bracket may have a first boss, a second boss, and a third boss that engage with the blower and to which a fastening member for fixing the blower is fastened. In this case, the blower may have a circular first engagement hole that fits with the first boss to determine the position of the blower, an oval second engagement hole that engages with the second boss to determine the position in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and a third engagement hole that engages with the third boss with play in the up, down, left, and right directions.

[0027] With this configuration, the position of the blower relative to the bracket can be determined by fitting the first boss into the first engagement hole, and the attitude of the blower relative to the bracket can be determined by engaging the second boss into the second engagement hole. Also, because the second engagement hole is oval and the third engagement hole engages with the third boss with some play in the up, down, left and right directions, the blower can be easily assembled in the correct position even if there is a manufacturing error in the position of each boss on the blower.

[0028] In conventional vehicle seats, when attempting to fix a duct to an intake or exhaust port provided on a flat surface, it was necessary to provide a separate claw portion or the like for fixing the duct, since it was not possible to fix the duct by fitting it in as is. Also, simply engaging the duct with the claw portion made it difficult to prevent air from leaking between the duct and the blower.

[0029] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above background, and has an object to fix a duct to an intake or exhaust port on a flat surface of a blower while suppressing air leakage with a simple configuration.

[0030] The present invention, which solves the above-mentioned problems, is a vehicle seat including a seat back frame constituting a framework of a seat back, a blower arranged in the seat back, a bracket to which the blower is fixed, and a duct connected to an inlet or outlet of the blower. In this vehicle seat, the duct has a first opening on one end connected to the blower, a second opening on the other end, and a flange provided around the first opening, the blower has a flat surface around the inlet or outlet, the flange is arranged between the flat surface and the bracket, and the blower is fixed to the bracket so as to be sandwiched between the flat surface and the bracket.

[0031] With this configuration, the flange can be clamped between the bracket and the flat surface of the blower, allowing the flange to be tightly attached to the flat surface, preventing air from leaking between the duct and the blower, while allowing the duct to be easily fixed to the intake or exhaust port on the flat surface of the blower without the need for any special configuration on the blower.

[0032] In the vehicle seat described above, it is preferable that the duct has flexibility or elasticity. When the duct has flexibility or elasticity, the degree of adhesion between the flange and the flat surface portion is improved, and air leakage between the duct and the blower can be further suppressed.

[0033] In the vehicle seat described above, it is preferable that the duct has a tubular portion on an edge of the first opening that fits inside the air inlet or air outlet.

[0034] With this configuration, the tube portion fits inside the intake or exhaust port, and air leakage between the duct and the blower can be further prevented.

[0035] In the vehicle seat described above, it is preferable that the tubular portion is spaced a predetermined distance from the blade member of the blower.

[0036] With this configuration, interference between the tube portion and the blade members of the blower can be prevented.

[0037] In the vehicle seat described above, it is desirable for the duct to have a first portion connected to the blower and located on one side of the bracket, a second portion extending from the first portion and located on the other side of the bracket, and a third portion extending from the second portion and located on the one side of the bracket.

[0038] With this configuration, when the duct is temporarily assembled to the bracket, the duct can be prevented from coming off the bracket, making it easy to assemble the duct and the bracket to the seat back frame.

[0039] In the vehicle seat described above, it is preferable that the first opening and the second opening are open in the same direction. In this case, the first opening and the second opening may be arranged to be shifted vertically from each other. With this configuration, air can be efficiently circulated in a narrow seat back with a compact configuration. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0040] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle seat. [Diagram 2] 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which an upper layer pad is removed from a seat back pad of the vehicle seat shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2A is an exploded perspective view of the air conditioner, and FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the rear side of the blower. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating a connection state of the blower, the duct, and the pad. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a front view of the air conditioner attached to the seat frame. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the bracket and the duct temporarily assembled. [Figure 9] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the blower, the duct, and the bracket, corresponding to the YY cross section in FIG. 6. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a blower, a cover member, and a harness. [Figure 11] 13 is a view showing a state in which the cover member is temporarily assembled to the seat frame, as viewed from diagonally below and in front. FIG. [Figure 12] 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of the vehicle seat corresponding to the cross section XX in FIG. 6. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a seat back according to a modified example. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a bracket according to a modified example. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a cover member according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0041] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. In the following description, front, rear, left, right, up and down are based on a passenger sitting in a vehicle seat S. As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle seat S, which is an example of a vehicle seat, is a seat equipped with an air conditioning function and is installed in a vehicle, and includes a seat back S1 and a seat cushion S2.

[0042] The seat back S1 has a pad P1 and an upper layer pad P2 fitted into the pad P1. The pad P1 is made of urethane foam or the like, and has a recess 100 (see FIG. 2) recessed rearward into which the upper pad P2 is fitted. The upper layer pad P2 is composed of a first pad portion P21 and a second pad portion P22 each made of urethane foam or the like, and the first pad portion P21 and the second pad portion P22 have ventilation holes H1 for drawing in air at appropriate positions on their surfaces. When the upper layer pad P2 is fitted into the recess 100, it is flush with the pad P1. Furthermore, in the outer periphery of the recess 100, in the portions corresponding to the upper end and both left and right ends of the first pad portion P21, an inverted U-shaped hanging groove 120 for hanging a skin material (not shown) is formed as a deep groove deeper than the recess 100. Also, from the upper end of the hanging groove 120, a pair of left and right stitching portion arrangement grooves 122 into which stitching portions (not shown) of the skin material (not shown) are inserted and arranged are provided so as to extend obliquely outward in the left and right direction. The stitching portion arrangement grooves 122 are formed as grooves shallower than the hanging groove 120. Similarly, the seat cushion S2 has a pad P3 and an upper layer pad P4 fitted into the pad P3, and has ventilation holes H1 at appropriate positions of the upper layer pad P4. The upper layer pad P4 is also flush with the pad P3 when fitted into the pad P3. In FIG. 1, the covering material is omitted, and the vehicle seat S is configured by covering the pad P1 and upper layer pad P2 of the seat back S1, and the pad P3 and upper layer pad P4 of the seat cushion S2 with breathable covering material.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 2, when the upper layer pad P2 is removed, an air passage H2 is formed on the surface of the pad P1, through which air sucked in from each ventilation hole H1 flows to a duct 30, which will be described later. In detail, the recess 100 includes a first recess 102 provided at a position corresponding to the first pad portion P21 and a second recess 103 provided at a position corresponding to the second pad portion P22, and the first recess 102 and the second recess 103 are connected to each other. The first recess 102 extends vertically from the center to the bottom of the pad P1. Inside the first recess 102, a ladder-shaped groove 110 is formed extending vertically and horizontally, and four protrusions 104 are formed by this ladder-shaped groove 110. Note that the grooves 110 between the protrusions 104 are shallower than the grooves in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the first recess 102 is formed with a vertical groove 112 that extends from the upper end of the groove 110 to the upper end of the first recess 102. The first recess 102 has a height that supports the first pad portion P21 from behind.

[0044] The second recess 103 extends left and right above the first recess 102. The second recess 103 has a through hole 106 in the lower right portion thereof, which is connected to a second opening 34 of the duct 30 (described later), and the through hole 106 penetrates the pad P1 from front to rear (see FIG. 6). A T-shaped groove 114 is formed inside the second recess 103, which extends to the lower end of the second recess 103. The second recess 103 also has a horizontal groove 116 extending left and right from the through hole 106 to the vertical groove of the T-shaped groove 114. The second recess 103 has a height that supports the second pad portion P22 from behind.

[0045] The ladder-shaped groove 110 and the vertical groove 112 of the first recess 102 and the T-shaped groove 114 and the horizontal groove 116 of the second recess 103 form the air passage H2 when the first pad portion P21 and the second pad portion P22 are fixed. The first pad portion P21 and the second pad portion P22 are fixed to the pad P1 by being attached to the first recess 102 and the second recess 103 with an adhesive. The ventilation holes H1 of the first pad portion P21 and the second pad portion P22 are provided on the ventilation path H2, and the air sucked in from each ventilation hole H1 flows to the second opening 34 of the duct 30 through the ventilation path H2.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 3, a seat frame F is built into the vehicle seat S. The seat frame F includes a seat back frame F1 that constitutes the framework of the seat back S1, and a cushion frame F2 that constitutes the framework of the seat cushion S2. In the following, the configuration of the seat back S1 will be described, and a description of the seat cushion S2 will be omitted.

[0047] The seatback frame F1 is made of press-formed sheet metal, and includes as its components a pair of sheet metal frames 12 arranged at a distance from each other on the left and right, and a pipe frame 13 formed by bending a pipe material into a U-shape and connected to the upper ends of each of the pair of sheet metal frames 12. The pipe frame 13 extends straight up from the sheet metal frame 12 and has a pair of left and right upper side frames 13A that are slightly inclined inwardly to the left and right. The left and right sheet metal frames 12 and the upper side frames 13A are a pair of side frames 11 that are spaced apart to the left and right. The pipe frame 13 also has an upper frame 13B that connects the upper ends of the pair of upper side frames 13A, i.e., the upper ends of the side frames 11, to each other. In addition, the seat back frame F1 has a lower frame 14 that connects the lower ends of the side frames 11 together.

[0048] An air conditioner AC is disposed within the seat back S1, and realizes an air conditioning function for the vehicle seat S by drawing in air near the surface of the seat back S1 through an air vent H1 in the seat back S1.

[0049] 4, the seat back frame F1 is provided with a bridging frame 15 for fixing an air conditioner AC. The bridging frame 15 connects a pair of side frames 11 to each other at a middle position between the upper frame 13B and the lower frame 14. The bridge frame 15 is provided with a plurality of round holes 15A aligned on the left and right, and square hook holes 15B formed on both the left and right sides of the plurality of round holes 15A. Two of the round holes 15A are used to insert tapping bolts 91 for fixing a bracket 40, which will be described later. The hook holes 15B are formed so that hooks 56 of a cover member 50, which will be described later, can engage with them.

[0050] The air conditioner AC comprises a blower 20, a duct 30 connected to the blower 20, a bracket 40 to which the blower 20 is fixed, and a cover member 50 provided on the rear side of the seatback frame F1 to protect the air conditioner AC, particularly the duct 30, from the rear. These members are combined as described below, and the bracket 40 is supported on the bridging frame 15 by a tapping bolt 91, and the blower 20 is fixed to the bracket 40 by a tapping bolt 92 as an example of a fastening member.

[0051] 5(a), the blower 20 is a sirocco fan, and includes a housing 21, a blade member 22 arranged inside the housing 21, and a motor 26 (see FIG. 9) that rotates the blade member 22. Note that the blower 20 is not limited to a sirocco fan, and other types of fans such as a propeller fan or a turbo fan may be used, and the blower 20 may be capable of switching between blowing and suction by reversing the direction of rotation. As is well known, the housing 21 is formed so that the air passage on the outside of the wing member 22 gradually widens, and has an air outlet 21B that opens to the right side at the lower right part where the air passage is widest. The housing 21 can be made of a resin such as PBT (polybutylene terephthalate).

[0052] Also, the housing 21 has a circular intake port 21A at the center of the rear side, as shown in FIG. 5(b). The housing 21 has a flat surface portion 21Z facing the rear side around the intake port 21A. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5(a), three mounting portions 23A, 23B, and 23C are formed on the outer periphery of the housing 21, protruding outward. The mounting portion 23A protrudes to the upper left of the housing 21, the mounting portion 23B protrudes to the substantially right of the housing 21, and the mounting portion 23C protrudes to the lower left of the housing 21. The mounting portion 23A has a circular first engagement hole 24A, the mounting portion 23B has a second engagement hole 24B that is elongated in the left-right direction, and the mounting portion 23C has a circular third engagement hole 24C that is larger than the first engagement hole 24A.

[0053] 6, the duct 30 is a member that connects the blower 20 and the air passage H2 in the pad P1. The air passage H2 is connected to the ventilation hole H1. Returning to FIG. 5(a), the duct 30 includes a left-right extending portion 31 located behind the bracket 40 and extending left-right, and a top-bottom extending portion 32 extending downward from the right end of the left-right extending portion 31.

[0054] The duct 30 has a circular first opening 33 that opens forward at the left end (one end side of the duct 30) of the left-right extension portion 31, and a flange 35 that extends up, down, left and right around the first opening 33. The flange 35 is disposed at approximately the same position as the front surface of the left-right extension portion 31 in the front-rear direction. In addition, a protrusion portion 33A is provided on the edge of the first opening 33. The protrusion portion 33A is formed so as to fit inside the intake port 21A of the blower 20. In addition, the protrusion portion 33A is spaced a predetermined distance radially inward from the blade member 22 of the blower 20. Therefore, interference between the protrusion portion 33A and the blade member 22 of the blower 20 can be prevented.

[0055] The duct 30 has a lower end (the other end side of the duct 30) of the vertical extension part 32 bent forward (see FIG. 6), and has a square second opening 34 that opens forward at the bent end. The duct 30 also has a flange 36 that extends up, down, left and right around the second opening 34. Furthermore, a cylindrical part 34A that protrudes forward is provided on the edge of the second opening 34. The duct 30 is made of an elastic material such as rubber, or a flexible material such as a polyvinyl chloride sheet. For example, the duct 30 can be manufactured by blow molding an olefin-based elastomer (TPO). However, the material of the duct 30 is not limited to this, and any material can be used regardless of whether it has elasticity or not, such as a resin such as polyethylene, or a composite material such as a fiber-reinforced resin. The protruding part 33A can be provided by leaving the uncut part (burr) remaining near the first opening 33 when the first opening 33 is formed by cutting a part of the molded body after blow molding.

[0056] The first opening 33 and the second opening 34 open in the same direction, in this case, both facing forward. The first opening 33 and the second opening 34 are arranged offset from each other vertically and horizontally. This allows the duct 30 to be arranged compactly within the narrow seat back S1, allowing air to flow efficiently.

[0057] The bracket 40 is manufactured by injection molding of resin such as polypropylene, and includes a main body 41 extending left and right, an upper support part 42 arranged above the main body 41, a first connection part 43A connecting the main body 41 and the upper support part 42 at the left end of the upper support part 42, and a second connection part 43B connecting the main body 41 and the upper support part 42 at the right end of the upper support part 42. A through hole 44 is formed between the main body 41, the upper support part 42, the first connection part 43A, and the second connection part 43B.

[0058] The front surface of the upper support portion 42, the front surface of the first connection portion 43A, and a predetermined range of the front surface of the main body portion 41, including a portion corresponding to the flange 35 of the duct 30, are flush with each other. The second connection portion 43B is located in front of these flush portions.

[0059] Bracket 40 is provided with a first boss 45A, a second boss 45B, and a third boss 45C for mounting blower 20, which protrude forward from the front surface. Each of bosses 45A, 45B, and 45C has a cylindrical shape, and a hole for engaging with tapping bolt 92 is formed in the front end surface (reference numerals omitted). Each of bosses 45A, 45B, and 45C has the same shape, and is disposed at a position corresponding to first engagement hole 24A, second engagement hole 24B, and third engagement hole 24C, respectively.

[0060] In addition, the bracket 40 is provided with ribs (reference numbers omitted) that connect the outer circumferential surfaces of the bosses 45A, 45B, 45C to the front surface of the bracket 40. The front surface of each rib faces forward, and the front-rear position of each of the bosses 45A, 45B, 45C is aligned, and the mounting portions 23A, 23B, 23C of the blower 20 abut against the ribs, making it possible to determine the front-rear position of the blower 20.

[0061] The bracket 40 has a first fixing hole 46A penetrating from front to rear in a portion to the right of the center of the main body 41, a second fixing hole 46B penetrating from front to rear in a portion to the left of the center of the main body 41, and a third fixing hole 46C penetrating from front to rear in a right end of the upper support portion 42. The first fixing hole 46A, the second fixing hole 46B, and the third fixing hole 46C are portions through which a tapping bolt 91 is inserted to fix the bracket 40 to the cover member 50. The first fixing hole 46A is a circular hole that fits with a boss 54A (see FIG. 10) described later to determine the position of the bracket 40 at the position of the first fixing hole 46A. The second fixing hole 46B is an oval shape that is long in the left-right direction, and by engaging with a boss 54B (see FIG. 10) described later, the position in the up-down direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the oval can be determined, and the attitude of the bracket 40 relative to the seat back frame F1 can be determined. The third fixing hole 46C has a circular shape that is slightly larger than the first fixing hole 46A, and is adapted to engage with a boss 54C (see FIG. 10) described below with some play in the vertical and horizontal directions.

[0062] In addition, the bracket 40 has extension portions 47 extending rearward from the upper end of the main body portion 41 and the upper end of the upper support portion 42, and each extension portion 47 has a harness fixing hole 47A for fixing the harness of the blower 20 and harnesses of other electrical components.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 7, the first engagement hole 24A is formed so as to fit with the outer periphery of the first boss 45A to determine the front, rear, left and right positions of the blower 20 in the first engagement hole 24A of the blower 20. The second engagement hole 24B is formed so as to engage with the second boss 45B to determine the position in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the second engagement hole 24B, i.e., the up and down direction, and to determine the attitude of the blower 20. The third engagement hole 24C is one size larger than the first engagement hole 24A, so that it engages with the third boss 45C with some play in the up, down, left and right directions. Therefore, even if there is a manufacturing error in the positions of the bosses 45A, 45B, and 45C of the blower 20, the blower 20 can be easily assembled in the correct position.

[0064] When the duct 30 shown in FIG. 5 is assembled to the bracket 40, the lower end of the vertical extension 32, that is, the end on the second opening 34 side, is passed through the through hole 44 of the bracket 40 from front to rear, and then the flange 35 is pulled until it approaches the periphery of the through hole 44, and the vertical extension 32 is wrapped around the front side of the right part of the bracket 40 as shown in FIG. 8. In this state, as shown in the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 9, the flange 35 is located on the front side (one side) of the part surrounding the through hole 44 of the bracket 40, the left and right extension 31 extends from the flange 35 and is located on the rear side (other side) of the second connection part 43B of the bracket 40, and the vertical extension 32 extends from the left and right extension 31 and is located on the front side (one side) of the bracket 40. That is, the flange 35 is an example of the first part, the left and right extension 31 is an example of the second part, and the vertical extension 32 is an example of the third part.

[0065] In this way, the flange 35 is located on the front side of the bracket 40, the left and right extension portions 31 are located on the rear side of the bracket 40, and the top and bottom extension portions 32 are located on the front side of the bracket 40, so that the duct 30 is prevented from coming off the bracket 40 when temporarily assembled to the bracket 40, making it easy to assemble the duct 30 and the bracket 40 to the seat back frame F1.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 10, the cover member 50 has a main body 51, a hook portion 52 provided at the upper end portion at the center of the left and right sides of the main body 51, ribs 53A, 53B, bosses 54A, 54B, 54C, an engagement portion 55 for fixing the harness, and a hook 56.

[0067] The main body 51 is formed in a cup shape that is open forward, with the left and right edges and the upper edge extending forward.

[0068] The hooking claw portion 52 is composed of a first claw portion 52A extending downward from the upper end of the main body portion 51 and a second claw portion 52B arranged rearwardly and spaced apart from the first claw portion 52A and extending downward from the upper end of the main body portion 51. The first claw portion 52A is arranged so as to be engageable with the front side of the upper frame 13B of the seat back frame F1. The second claw portion 52B is spaced apart from the first claw portion 52A by a distance corresponding to the thickness of the upper frame 13B so that the seat back frame F1 can be received between the first claw portion 52A and the second claw portion 52B. Therefore, the cover member 50 can be hooked on the upper frame 13B by inserting the upper frame 13B between the first claw portion 52A and the second claw portion 52B (see Figs. 6 and 11).

[0069] The rib 53A is formed so as to protrude forward from the lower part of the front surface (inner surface) of the main body portion 51, and is disposed so as to abut against the bridging frame 15 of the seat back frame F1 from the rear side (see FIG. 6). The ribs 53B are formed so as to protrude forward from both left and right end portions on the front surface of the main body portion 51, and as shown in FIG. 11, are disposed so as to abut against the upper side frames 13A of the seat back frame F1.

[0070] 10, the bosses 54A, 54B, 54C have a cylindrical shape protruding from the inner surface of the main body 51. The bosses 54A, 54B, 54C have holes (reference numbers omitted) in their front end surfaces into which tapping bolts 91 are inserted to fix the bracket 40 to the seat back frame F1. The bosses 54A, 54B, 54C all have the same shape and are disposed at positions corresponding to the first fixing hole 46A, the second fixing hole 46B, and the third fixing hole 46C of the bracket 40, respectively.

[0071] The cover member 50 is provided with ribs (reference numbers omitted) that connect the outer circumferential surfaces of the bosses 54A, 54B, 54C to the front surface of the main body portion 51, and the bosses 54A and 54B are also connected to the rib 53A.

[0072] Four engaging portions 55 are arranged spaced apart from each other on the left and right at approximately the center in the vertical direction on the front surface of the main body 51. Each engaging portion 55 is composed of a pair of claw portions that protrude forward and are arranged spaced apart from each other on the top and bottom, and a space is formed between the pair of claw portions from front to back.

[0073] The hook 56 is formed to protrude forward from the front surface of the main body 51, is flexible in the left and right directions, and has claw portions (reference numerals omitted) protruding inwardly to the left and right.

[0074] The cover member 50 can be manufactured, for example, by injection molding a resin such as polypropylene.

[0075] The harness connecting the blower 20 to a control device (not shown) includes a first cable 81 extending from the blower 20 and a second cable 82 connected to the first cable 81. The first cable 81 has a connector 81A at an end. The second cable 82 has a connector 82A at an end for connecting to the connector 81A, and four stop members 82B are fixed at the middle position at a pitch corresponding to the pitch of the engagement portion 55. The first cable 81 is drawn out to the right side from the blower 20, and the connector 81A is connected to the connector 82A. The second cable 82 extends to the right side from the end on the connector 81A side, and then turns around in a U-shape and is drawn to the left side, and each stop member 82B is engaged with the engagement portion 55 (not shown). The left end of the second cable 82 is drawn downward and connected to a control device (not shown).

[0076] When assembling the bracket 40 to the seat back frame F1, first, the cover member 50 is hung on the upper frame 13B so that the upper frame 13B is inserted between the first claw portion 52A and the second claw portion 52B of the cover member 50. Then, the cover member 50 is pushed forward, and the hook 56 is inserted into the hook hole 15B and engaged as shown in FIG. 11. At this time, the rib 53B abuts against the upper side frame 13A, and as shown in FIG. 12, the rib 53A abuts against the bridging frame 15, and the position of the cover member 50 is determined and the cover member 50 is provisionally assembled to the seat back frame F1. Then, the bosses 54A and 54B are inserted into the two round holes 15A of the bridging frame 15. Furthermore, the tapping bolt 91 is passed through the second fixing hole 46B and one of the round holes 15A of the bridging frame 15, and the tapping bolt 91 is screwed into the hole of the boss 54B to fix the bracket 40 to the bridging frame 15. That is, the bracket 40 is fixed to the cover member 50 with the bridging frame 15 sandwiched between the bracket 40 and the cover member 50, and thus the bracket 40 is indirectly fixed to the bridging frame 15 (seat back frame F1).

[0077] The periphery of the first fixing hole 46A and the boss 54A are fixed in the same manner as the periphery of the second fixing hole 46B and the boss 54B shown in Fig. 12. In addition, the periphery of the third fixing hole 46C is fixed to the cover member 50 by passing a tapping bolt 91 through the third fixing hole 46C and screwing the tapping bolt 91 into the hole of the boss 54C.

[0078] Next, when assembling the blower 20 to the bracket 40, first, the flat surface portion 21Z of the blower 20 is brought into close contact with the flange 35 as shown in Fig. 9. Then, with the flange 35 sandwiched between the blower 20 and the bracket 40, the tapping bolts 92 are passed through the first engagement holes 24A, the second engagement holes 24B, and the third engagement holes 24C of the mounting portions 23A, 23B, and 23C, respectively, and the tapping bolts 92 are screwed into the holes of the first boss 45A, the second boss 45B, and the third boss 45C. As a result, the flange 35 of the duct 30 is disposed between the flat surface portion 21Z and the bracket 40, and the blower 20 is fixed to the bracket 40, whereby the flange 35 of the duct 30 is sandwiched between the flat surface portion 21Z and the bracket 40.

[0079] According to the vehicle seat S configured as above, the following effects can be obtained. The bracket 40 for fixing the blower 20 sandwiches the bridging frame 15 of the seatback frame F1 between itself and the cover member 50 provided on the rear side of the seatback frame F1, and is fixed to the cover member 50, so there is no need to provide nuts or the like on the bridging frame 15 just for fixing the blower 20. This makes it possible to fix the blower 20 to the seatback frame F1 with a simple structure. This makes it easy to share the seatback frame F1 when manufacturing seats with and without air conditioning.

[0080] Furthermore, by constructing the bracket 40 from resin, it is possible to reduce the weight, and since the shape can be freely made, the degree of freedom in designing the bracket 40 is improved.

[0081] Furthermore, since the flange 35 is sandwiched between the bracket 40 and the flat surface portion 21Z of the blower 20, the flange 35 can be brought into close contact with the flat surface portion 21Z, and air leakage between the duct 30 and the blower 20 can be suppressed. Therefore, the duct 30 can be easily fixed to the intake port 21A of the blower 20 without providing a special configuration to the blower 20. Furthermore, since the duct 30 has elasticity, the degree of close contact between the flange 35 and the flat surface portion 21Z is improved, and air leakage from between the duct 30 and the blower 20 can be further suppressed.

[0082] Furthermore, since the protruding portion 33A of the duct 30 is inwardly disposed within the intake port 21A, leakage of air between the duct 30 and the blower 20 can be further prevented.

[0083] Furthermore, by engaging the first claw portion 52A with the upper frame 13B of the seatback frame F1, the cover member 50 can be temporarily assembled to the seatback frame F1. In particular, since the cover member 50 can be temporarily assembled to the seatback frame F1 so that the seatback frame F1 is sandwiched between the first claw portion 52A and the second claw portion 52B, it is easy to fix the bracket 40 to the cover member 50.

[0084] Furthermore, the ribs 53A and 53B increase the rigidity of the cover member 50 to effectively protect the duct 30, and when the cover member 50 is temporarily assembled to the seat back frame F1, the ribs 53A and 53B abut against the seat back frame F1 from the rear side, so that the cover member 50 can be positioned in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the assembly of the cover member 50 is easy.

[0085] Furthermore, the engaging portion 55 of the cover member 50 allows the second cable 82 of the blower 20 to be easily fixed to the cover member 50, and the second cable 82 can be protected by the cover member 50. This makes it possible to prevent problems such as breakage or short circuit of the second cable 82, and also improves the ease of assembly of the second cable 82.

[0086] Furthermore, the position of the blower 20 relative to the bracket 40 can be determined by the engagement of the first boss 45A with the first engagement hole 24A, and the attitude of the blower 20 relative to the bracket 40 can be determined by the engagement of the second boss 45B with the second engagement hole 24B. Furthermore, since the second engagement hole 24B is oval and the third engagement hole 24C engages with the third boss 45C with some play in the up, down, left and right directions, the blower 20 can be easily assembled in the correct position even if there is a manufacturing error in the positions of the bosses 45A, 45B, 45C of the blower 20.

[0087] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. The specific configuration can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0088] For example, the hook claw 52 is located at the top end of the cover member 50, but even if it is located slightly below the top end, it can be stably hooked onto the upper frame 13B as long as it is located above the center of gravity of the cover member 50. Also, the second hook 52B does not have to be provided, but by arranging the second hook 52B at a distance corresponding to the upper frame 13B from the first hook 52A, the position of the cover member 50 can be roughly determined by simply hooking the hook claw 52 onto the upper frame 13B.

[0089] In the above embodiment, the pipe frame 13 bent into a U-shape is used at the upper end of the seat back frame F1, but a seat back frame made of press-formed sheet metal may also be used. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, the seatback frame 130 includes a pair of left and right side frames 132 whose upper portions are curved inward in the left-right direction, an upper frame 134 connected to the upper ends of each of the pair of side frames 132, and a lower frame 140 connected to the lower ends of each of the pair of side frames 132.

[0090] The upper frame 134 is composed of an upper member 135 and a lower member 136, each of which is press-formed. The upper member 135 is connected to the upper ends of the pair of left and right side frames 132 by spot welding. The lower member 136 is located below the upper member 135, and is connected to the side surfaces of the pair of left and right side frames 132 and the upper member 135 by spot welding. In addition, an opening 138 for engaging the engaging claw portions 52 of the cover member 50 is provided between the upper member 135 and the lower member 136.

[0091] The lower frame 140 is made up of a main member 142 and an auxiliary member 144, each of which is formed by press molding, and is connected to the lower ends of a pair of left and right side frames 132 by spot welding.

[0092] In the seat back frame 130 configured in this manner, the bridging frame 15 is provided between the upper frame 134 and the lower frame 140 . Then, in the same manner as in the above embodiment, when the blower 20, the duct 30 and the bracket 40 are assembled, the cover member 50 is fixed to the bridging frame 15 with the hooking claws 52 hooked onto the lower member 136 through the opening 138, and the bracket 40 is fixed to the cover member 50 with the bridging frame 15 sandwiched between the cover member 50 and the bracket 40. Furthermore, the blower 20 and the duct 30 are fixed to the bracket 40, and the second opening 34 of the duct 30 is connected to the through hole 106 formed in the second recess 103 of the pad P1.

[0093] In order to reduce the weight of the bracket 40 in the above embodiment, an opening for removing weight can be added to the bracket 40. For example, as shown in FIG. 14, bracket 40 has two openings 48A side by side in the center of main body portion 41 (below through hole 44), and openings 48B on the right and left sides of main body portion 41 (above first fixing hole 46A and second fixing hole 46B). Then, to compensate for the decrease in rigidity of bracket 40 due to the formation of openings 48A, three reinforcing ribs 49A extending vertically are provided between and outside two openings 48A in the center of main body 41. Similarly, to compensate for the decrease in rigidity of bracket 40 due to the formation of openings 48B, reinforcing rib 49B extending horizontally adjacent to opening 48B is provided on the right side of main body 41, and reinforcing rib 49C extending vertically adjacent to opening 48B is provided on the left side of main body 41.

[0094] Similarly, in order to reduce the weight of the cover member 50 in the above embodiment, openings for removing weight can be added to the cover member 50. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, the cover member 50 has two openings 58A on either side of the boss 54C and two openings 58B on the outer side of the hook 56. Then, in order to compensate for the reduction in rigidity of the cover member 50 due to the formation of the openings 58A, the main body 51 is provided with four reinforcing ribs 59A extending vertically above and outside each of the openings 58A on both sides of the hook claw portion 52, and a pair of upper and lower reinforcing ribs 59B extending horizontally between the two openings 58A and the engagement portion 55. Similarly, in order to compensate for the reduction in rigidity of the cover member 50 due to the formation of the openings 58B, the main body 51 is provided with reinforcing ribs 59C extending horizontally below each of the openings 58B.

[0095] In the above embodiment, the air conditioner is installed in the seat back, but the air conditioner may be installed in the seat cushion. In this case, the blower and the bracket can be fixed to the seat frame in the same way as in the case of the seat back. The structure for fixing the duct to the bracket and the blower is also the same.

[0096] In the above embodiment, an air conditioner in which air is drawn in by a blower through a duct from the surface of the seat back has been described, but the present invention can also be applied to an air conditioner in which air is blown out from the surface of the seat back through a duct from a blower. In this case, the duct can be connected to the blower by providing a flat surface around the air outlet, pressing the flange of the duct against this flat surface, and sandwiching the flange between a bracket and a fan.

[0097] In the above embodiment, the bracket 40 is fixed to the cover member 50 by the tapping bolt 91, and the blower 20 is fixed to the bracket 40 by the tapping bolt 92, but a simple plug-in clip may be used instead of the tapping bolts 91, 92. Also, the bracket 40 may be fixed to the cover member 50 by welding a boss provided on one of the bracket 40 or the cover member 50 to the other.

[0098] In the above embodiment, the bracket 40 is fixed to the seat frame F, and then the blower 20 is fixed to the bracket 40. However, the blower 20 may be fixed to the bracket 40, and then the bracket 40 assembled with the blower 20 may be fixed to the seat frame F.

[0099] In the above embodiment, the bracket 40 is fixed to the bridging frame 15 of the seat back frame F1. However, the bracket 40 may be fixed to a portion other than the bridging frame 15.

[0100] In the above embodiment, a vehicle seat for an automobile has been exemplified as a vehicle seat, but the vehicle seat may be a seat for a railway car, an aircraft, a ship, or the like.

Claims

1. A seat back frame that constitutes the framework of the seat back; A blower disposed within the seat back; A bracket to which the blower is fixed; A cover member disposed on the rear side of the seat back frame; a duct connected to an intake port of the blower, the cover member has a portion facing the blower in a front-rear direction, The duct has a first opening located at one end and a second opening located at the other end, The first opening is connected to the suction port of the blower, The second opening is capable of drawing in air from a seated occupant side of the vehicle seat and is located below the first opening.

2. A vehicle seat as described in claim 1, characterized in that the bracket has a through hole formed in an area opposite the duct.

3. The seat back frame is A pair of side frames arranged at a distance from each other on the left and right; an upper frame connecting upper ends of the side frames to each other, 2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the bracket faces the upper frame in the up-down direction.

4. A vehicle seat as described in claim 1, characterized in that the first opening and the second opening open in the same direction.

5. A vehicle seat as described in claim 1, characterized in that a flange is formed around the second opening.

6. A vehicle seat as described in claim 1, characterized in that the end of the duct on the second opening side extends inward in the left-right direction toward the second opening.

7. The cover member is held by the seat back frame, A rib extending in a vertical direction is formed on a surface of the cover member facing the blower, 2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the rib is located between two fixing points for fixing the cover member to the seat back frame.

8. A vehicle seat as described in claim 1, characterized in that the cover member is formed in a cup shape opening forward.

9. The cover member has a right flange, a left flange, an upper flange and a lower flange, 9. The vehicle seat according to claim 8, wherein the lower flange has left and right ends that extend forward beyond a left and right central portion.

10. A seat back frame that constitutes the framework of a seat back; A blower disposed within the seat back; A bracket to which the blower is fixed; A cover member disposed on the rear side of the seat back frame; a duct connected to an intake port of the blower, the cover member has a portion facing the blower in a front-rear direction, The duct has a first opening located at one end and a second opening located at the other end, The first opening is connected to the suction port of the blower, The second opening is capable of drawing in air from a seat occupant side of the vehicle seat, A vehicle seat, comprising: a flange formed around the periphery of the second opening.

Images