Packing structure of vehicular seat

Abstract

To provide a packing structure of a vehicular seat that enables the seat to be packed and unpacked with good workability, is lightweight and is advantageous in reducing material costs and transportation costs.SOLUTION: A packing structure of a vehicular seat includes a fixing base for fixing a plurality of vehicular seats onto a loading surface of a general-purpose transportation member. The fixing base comprises at least two vertical members extended in a first direction and arranged in parallel on the loading surface and at least two lateral members extended in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and arranged in parallel on the loading surface, which is formed in a lattice shape in which the vertical members and the lateral members are alternately combined with each other at intersection parts. The vertical members are respectively formed in a square / cylindrical shape from blanks made of corrugated boards fluted in a direction crossing the first direction, in which at least an upper wall and side walls at both sides extending in the first direction are constituted of double walls, where an upper surface of the upper wall includes a loading surface on which a seat rail of the vehicular seat is loaded.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a packaging structure for transporting a vehicle seat. [Background technology]

[0002] When vehicle seats are transported in transport containers (intermodal containers) to a distant destination (e.g. overseas), a packaging structure is adopted in which multiple seats are fixed to a returnable rack via a special mounting frame and then loaded into the transport container in that state to prevent the cargo from collapsing due to vibrations or shocks during transport.

[0003] The mounting frame is made of steel and is large and heavy in itself, so it is delivered to the packaging site in several pieces and assembled before the seats are packaged. Each seat is bolted to the mounting frame using the bolt holes for mounting to the vehicle body. Since there are two bolt holes, one at the front and one at the back, on the left and right slide rails of the seat, for example, after fixing the seat using the front bolt hole, it is necessary to slide the seat forward to access the rear bolt hole that is hidden by the seat. This sliding operation and bolt tightening work must be repeated for each seat, and at the destination, the unpacking work must be done in the reverse order, which was very time-consuming.

[0004] Moreover, because returnable racks are versatile, it is preferable to use them to transport other items rather than sending them empty. In that case, it is desirable to collect the mounting frames as well, but due to time constraints and transportation costs, they are often not actually collected and end up as one-way (disposable) packaging materials.

[0005] In Patent Document 1, a packaging structure is adopted in which half of the sheets are stored in an upside-down position in order to improve the spatial storage capacity inside the packaging box. However, as mentioned above, various factors other than storage efficiency are related to the transportation cost, and it is self-evident that problems remain, such as the ease of packing and unpacking, the manufacturing costs of the dedicated mounting frame, and the collection costs. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3863863 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its object is to provide a packaging structure for a vehicle seat that is easy to pack and unpack, lightweight, and advantageous in reducing material costs and transportation costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the inventors conducted intensive research and discovered that even lightweight cardboard can be turned into a packaging material with the strength and durability required to align and fix vehicle seats by ingeniously designing the structure, which led to the invention.

[0009] That is, the present invention provides a packaging structure for vehicle seats, the packaging structure including a fixing base for fixing a plurality of vehicle seats onto a loading surface of a general-purpose transport member, the fixing base comprising: At least two longitudinal members extending in a first direction and arranged in parallel on the loading surface; at least two lateral members extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction on the loading surface and arranged in parallel; The vertical members and the horizontal members are combined at intersections to form a lattice shape, Each of the vertical members is formed in a rectangular tube shape extending in the first direction from a corrugated board blank having a flute direction intersecting the first direction, and at least a top wall and both side walls extending in the first direction are configured as double walls, The upper surface of the upper wall includes a support surface on which a seat rail of the vehicle seat is placed. The present invention relates to a packaging structure for a vehicle seat. Effect of the Invention

[0010] As described above, in the packaging structure for a vehicle seat according to the present invention, the fixing base for fixing the vehicle seat onto the loading surface of a general-purpose transport member is composed of a lattice-like assembly combining square tubular vertical members and horizontal members formed from cardboard blanks, which is lightweight and advantageous in reducing material costs and transportation costs. In addition, since the upper wall and both side walls of the vertical member are composed of double walls, it is lightweight yet can easily ensure load-bearing strength. In addition, the seat can be fixed using the structure of the fixing base itself, eliminating the need for sliding operation of the seat rails, which has the advantage of improving the workability of packaging and unpacking. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a packaging structure for a vehicle seat. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which a fixing base is placed on a pallet. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a vertical member and a blank thereof; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a vertical member and a blank thereof; [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a first cross member and a blank thereof; [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a second cross member and a blank thereof; [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an end member and a blank thereof; [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a fixing base according to the embodiment. [Figure 9]FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the assembly of the fixing base. [Figure 10] 13 is a plan view of a main portion showing a fitting portion of a fixing base. FIG. [Figure 11] 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. [Figure 12] 11 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 10 taken along line B-B. [Figure 13] 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along CC in FIG. [Figure 14] 13 is a side view showing a state in which the seat is fixed to the fixing base. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0013] Fig. 1 shows a state in which a vehicle seat 9 is fixed and arranged on a pallet 8 of a returnable rack using a fixing base (fixing base assembly) according to the present invention. A stackable returnable rack is formed by erecting removable outer frames 81, 82 on the four sides of the pallet 8. In Fig. 1, the outer frame 81 on the first side (long side) on the near side has been removed.

[0014] Pallet 8 is made of steel, and has an opening at the bottom of the first side (long side) for inserting the forks of a forklift. A protruding edge 86 is provided along the top of the first side of pallet 8, and engagement portions 83 that engage with the lower edge of first outer frame 81 are provided approximately at the center and both ends in the longitudinal direction (second direction W) on this protruding edge 86.

[0015] Engagement portions 84 that engage with the lower edge of the second outer frame 82 are provided at the upper portion of the second side (short side) of the pallet 8, approximately at the center and both ends in the longitudinal direction (first direction FR). These engagement portions 84 are structured so that when the first outer frame 81 is removed, the space corresponding to its thickness is utilized to slide the lower edge of the second outer frame 82 laterally (in the first direction FR) to engage with it.

[0016] When the first outer frame 81 is positioned in a predetermined position using the engagement portions 83 with the lower edge of the second outer frame 82 engaged by these engagement portions 84, the first outer frame 81 prevents the second outer frame 82 from moving laterally, making it impossible to remove from the pallet 8, and when the first outer frame 81 is connected to the second outer frame 82 by the locking mechanism 85 on the top of the second outer frame 82, the first outer frame 81 also becomes impossible to remove.

[0017] The pallet 8 (returnable rack) with the above configuration is a general-purpose transport equipment (RTI) and does not have a fixed structure for specific items on the loading surface. Therefore, in the past, vehicle seats were fixed with bolts using a steel mounting frame, but as mentioned above, since space is required to slide the seats back and forth, six seats (three sets) were fixed horizontally in three rows of two seats each in Figure 1.

[0018] In contrast, in the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, two fixing bases 11 made of cardboard are used to fix eight vehicle seats 9 (four sets) in two rows of four seats each. The cardboard sheets used for each member (blank) constituting the fixing base 11 are cardboard made of paper (double-sided cardboard) with liners attached to both sides of a corrugated core. As described later, each member is made by bending a single cardboard blank, and the fixing means for the seats are also integrally formed. Therefore, when fixing the seats, it is not necessary to slide the seats back and forth, and the seats can be arranged close to each other in the front and rear. The fixing base 11 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

[0019] As shown in Figures 2 and 8, the fixing base 11 of the embodiment has a basic lattice-like structure in which four (two sets) vertical members 12, 13 extending in a first direction (FR) and arranged in parallel on the loading surface of the pallet 8, and four (two sets) horizontal members 14, 15 extending in a second direction (W) perpendicular to the first direction (FR) and arranged in parallel on the loading surface are interlocked at their respective intersections.

[0020] Basically, each pair of vertical members 12, 13 is disposed corresponding to the left and right seat rails 94 of each seat 9, and serves as a structural element supporting the weight of the seat 9. Meanwhile, each pair of horizontal members 14, 15 has a function of defining the distance between the vertical members 12, 13, and of holding the vertical members 12, 13, each having a vertically long rectangular cross section, in an upright position, and furthermore, the first horizontal member 14 disposed near the front end of the seat 9 provides the front end regulating portion 49 (lateral regulating portion 461, 471) of the left and right seat rails 94, and the second horizontal member 15 disposed below the rear of the seat 9 provides the rear end regulating portion 59 (lateral regulating portion 561, 571) of the left and right seat rails 94 and the tether flap 58 that anchors the rear of the seat 9.

[0021] As described below, the vertical members 12, 13 and the horizontal members 14, 15 are each formed into a hollow rectangular tube by bending a single cardboard blank, and therefore the fitting portions at each intersection are basically composed of a pair of fitting grooves 24, 25, 34, 35 corresponding to the left and right side walls 22, 32 and the front and rear side walls 42, 44, 52, 54, respectively.

[0022] The folded portion of the cardboard cannot maintain the folded angle against external forces by itself, but by fitting the vertical members 12, 13 and the horizontal members 14, 15 together, the cross-sectional shapes of each are finally fixed and deformation into a parallelogram due to vertical or lateral loads is prevented. Each pair of fitting grooves 24, 25, 34, 35 is not formed in only one of the vertical members 12, 13 or the horizontal members 14, 15, but is formed in each so that they share the cross section and complement each other's cross-sectional shapes, forming complementary fitting portions.

[0023] The upper surfaces (21, 31) of the vertical members 12, 13 provide a placement surface on which the seat rails 94 of the vehicle seat 9 are placed. In the illustrated embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which four vehicle seats 9 are placed on one fixing base 11, with two seats in two rows, but in order to accommodate seats with different heights of left and right seat rails, for example, seats with seat rails on the center side of the vehicle attached to the floor tunnel of the vehicle body and seat rails near the left and right doors attached to the vehicle floor, the vertical member 12 near the center in the width direction (W) is higher than the vertical members 13 on both sides, and correspondingly, the heights of the upper surfaces of each of the horizontal members 14, 15 near the center and both sides in the width direction (W) are different, and the horizontal members 14, 15 have a higher surface near the center. In other words, a pair of left and right seats 9 can be fixed in the same layout as when they are attached to the vehicle body.

[0024] The bottom surfaces (43, 53) of the horizontal members 14, 15 are arranged on the same plane as the bottom surfaces (23, 33) of the vertical members 12, 13, so that a part of the load of the sheet 9 carried by the vertical members 12, 13 on their upper surfaces (21, 31) is distributed to the horizontal members 14, 15 via the fitting portions (24, 25, 34, 35). The specific configurations of the vertical members 12, 13 and the horizontal members 14, 15 will be described below in order.

[0025] (Vertical member) Figures 3 and 4 show each vertical member 12, 13 and its respective blank 12', 13', and as is clear from the figures, the vertical members 12, 13 are basically of the same structure, differing only in height, so corresponding elements are given corresponding symbols.

[0026] The vertical members 12, 13 are formed into a rectangular tube shape extending in the longitudinal direction L by folding a single cardboard blank 12', 13', whose flute direction FL intersects with the longitudinal direction L, along fold lines (creases, scores) parallel to the longitudinal direction L.

[0027] In the illustrated example, the blanks 12', 13' have side walls 22, 32 (outer walls), top walls 21, 31 (outer upper walls), and opposite side walls 22, 32 (outer walls) continuing from the bottom wall 23, 33 located in the center of the width direction (FL) on the proximal side in the figure, and inner walls 28, 38, inner upper walls 29, 39, and opposite inner walls 28, 38 continuing from the distal side in the figure.The outer walls 22, 32 and outer upper walls 21, 31 are folded so as to overlap with the outer surfaces of the respective inner walls 28, 38 and inner upper walls 29, 39 around the bottom wall 23, 33, so that the side walls 22, 32 and the top walls 21, 31 on both sides are formed into a square tube shape composed of double walls, except for the bottom wall 23, 33.

[0028] Each blank 12', 13' is punched out of a cardboard sheet. At this time, the fitting grooves 24, 25, 34, 35 constituting the respective fitting parts, the fitting grooves 26, 36 for fitting the front and rear end members 16 described later, the division lines (notches) for forming the rail rear end regulating parts 27, 37, and the through grooves 241, 341 for fixing the front end of the seat rail with a cable tie or the like are formed, and fold lines (creases, scores) are also processed.

[0029] In each of the fitting portions, the bottom walls 23, 33 are removed to form openings or notches. The width of each of the fitting grooves 24, 25, 34, 35 corresponds to the thickness of two cardboard sheets so that the groove can be fitted into the side wall of the corresponding fitting portion and clamped, as shown in Fig. 12. Furthermore, an enlarged lead-in edge is formed at the lead-in end of each of the fitting grooves 24, 25, 34, 35.

[0030] Further, the rail rear end regulating portions 27, 37 are not provided with fold lines (rules) that define the bottom walls 23, 33. Therefore, as shown in Figures 12 and 13, when the vertical members 12, 13 are formed, the rail rear end regulating portions 27, 37 rise continuously from the side walls 22, 32 (and the inner walls 28, 38) in a double inner and outer configuration without any bent portions.

[0031] That is, the rail rear end regulating portions 27, 37 are side wall portions extending upward from the respective side walls 22, 32 (and the inner side walls 28, 38). In particular, by providing such extended side wall portions (27, 37) in the longitudinal center portions of the vertical members 12, 13 where the fitting grooves 25 of the second horizontal member 15 corresponding to the front row seats and the fitting grooves 24 of the first horizontal member 14 corresponding to the rear row seats are formed close to each other, there is an advantage that the second horizontal member 15 on the front side and the first horizontal member 14 on the rear side can be arranged close to each other while suppressing a decrease in strength of the side walls 22, 32 in this portion.

[0032] In addition, the through grooves 241, 341 are formed as folded pieces on one side of the inner walls 28, 38 by the notches on both sides of the groove and the lines at the base, and after the vertical members 12, 13 are constructed, the bottom surfaces of the through grooves 241, 341 are formed by folding the pieces inwardly of the through grooves 241, 341.

[0033] Since the upper surface of the upper walls 21, 31 of each vertical member 12, 13 becomes a support surface for the seat rail 94 of the vehicle seat 9, the width of the upper walls 21, 31 is set corresponding to the width of the seat rail 94. In the example shown in Fig. 11, the width of the upper wall 31 (21) is approximately the same as the width of the seat rail 94 (lower rail 96 of the slide rail), but can be set within a range of, for example, about 80 to 150% of the width of the seat rail 94.

[0034] The height of the side walls 22, 32 of each vertical member 12, 13 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the height be set to more than twice the width of the upper wall 31 so that when the fitting grooves 34, 35 of the lower vertical member 13 are formed to about 50% of the height of the side wall 32, as shown in Figure 12, a side wall 32 of about the same width as the upper wall 31 remains in the remaining portion.

[0035] (1st horizontal member) 5 shows the first horizontal member 14 and its blank 14'. The first horizontal member 14 is also formed into a square tube shape extending in the longitudinal direction L by folding a single corrugated cardboard blank 14', with the flute direction FL being the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction L, along fold lines (creases, scores) parallel to the longitudinal direction L. However, it has two cross-sectional shape parts with different heights, separated by step parts 410, near the center and on both sides in the width direction (W).

[0036] In the illustrated example, the blank 14' has a front wall 42 and a top wall 41 (outer top wall) that are continuous with the bottom wall 43 located in the center in the width direction (FL) on the near side of the figure, and a rear wall 44 and an inner top wall 45 that are continuous with the bottom wall 43 on the distal side of the figure, but the top wall 41 and the inner top wall 45 are each divided into three parts near the center and both sides in the width direction (W) by dividing lines (notches) corresponding to the step portion 410, and are further divided into seven parts each by mating grooves 46, 47 (cutout portions) that form the mating portion.

[0037] The first cross member 14 has a front wall 42 and a rear wall 44 folded at right angles in front of and behind the bottom wall 43 of the blank 14', and further has an upper wall 41 (outer upper wall) folded rearward from the front wall 42 superimposed on an inner upper wall 45 folded forward from the rear wall 44, and the locking piece 411 of the front wall 42 engages with the slit 451 of the inner upper wall 45, so that the upper wall 41 is formed as a double wall and into a square tube shape having a step portion 410.

[0038] The bottom wall 43 of the first horizontal member 14 is disposed on the same plane as the bottom walls 23, 33 of the vertical members 12, 13, but the upper wall 41 is located higher than the upper wall 21 of the vertical member 12 on the high side and higher than the upper wall 31 of the vertical member 13 on the low side, and lateral direction restricting portions 461, 471 that restrict the lateral position of the front end portions of the seat rails 94 of the vehicle seat 9 are defined at the upper edges of the respective fitting portions (46, 47). In addition, rail front end restricting portions 49 that extend upwardly beyond the upper walls 21, 31 of the vertical members 12, 13 are defined at the intermediate portions of each pair of fitting grooves 46, 47 in the front wall 42.

[0039] In addition, in the front wall 42 of the first horizontal member 14, three openings 42 are formed for inserting the clamped portions 68 of the end members 16 described later in the first horizontal member 14 located at the forefront. Although such openings 420 are not necessary in the first horizontal members 14 other than the forefront one, all the first horizontal members 14 are formed in the same shape in order to reduce costs by standardizing parts.

[0040] As described above, the horizontal members 14, 15 have the function of determining the distance between the vertical members 12, 13 and of holding the vertical members 12, 13, which have a vertically long rectangular cross section, in an upright position, and are not required to directly support the weight of the sheet 9. Therefore, strength against compressive forces from both sides and stability on the pallet loading surface are more important than strength against compressive forces from above. Therefore, the horizontal members 14, 15 are designed to have a larger rectangular tubular cross section than the vertical members 12, 13, thereby ensuring compressive strength and stability.

[0041] (2nd horizontal member) 6 shows the second horizontal member 15 and its blank 15'. The second horizontal member 15 is also formed into a square tube shape extending in the longitudinal direction L by folding a single corrugated cardboard blank 15', with the flute direction FL being the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction L, along fold lines (creases, scores) parallel to the longitudinal direction L, and like the first horizontal member 14, has two cross-sectional shape parts with different heights between the center part and both side parts in the width direction (W) via step parts 510.

[0042] In the illustrated example, the blank 15' has a front wall 52, an upper wall 51, and an inner rear wall 55 connected to the front side of the bottom wall 53 located in the center of the width direction (FL) in the figure, and a rear wall 54 and a tether flap 58 connected to the distal side of the bottom wall 53 in the figure.

[0043] The top wall 51 and the inner rear side wall 55 are divided into three parts, a central part in the width direction (W) and parts on both sides thereof, by a dividing line (notch) corresponding to the step portion 510, and the top wall 51 is further divided into seven parts by mating grooves 56, 57 (openings) that constitute the mating portion, but the other side of the divided top wall 51 is connected to the inner rear side wall 55, and the mating grooves 56, 57 are defined by openings rather than cutouts.

[0044] The second cross member 15 has a front wall 52 and a rear wall 54 folded at right angles in front of and behind the bottom wall 53 of the blank 15', an upper wall 51 folded rearward from the upper edge of the front wall 52, and an inner rear wall 55 folded downward from the rear edge of the upper wall 51 is overlapped on the inside of the rear wall 54. Lock pieces 541 extending from the rear wall 54 on both sides of the width direction W of the tether flap 58 are inserted into holes 511 in the upper wall 51, so that the rear wall 54, which is the starting point of the tether flap 58, is formed into a double wall and has a rectangular tube shape having a step portion 510.

[0045] As with the first horizontal member 14, the bottom wall 53 of the second horizontal member 15 is disposed on the same plane as the bottom walls 23, 33 of the vertical members 12, 13, but the upper wall 51 is located higher than the upper wall 21 of the vertical member 12 on the high side and higher than the upper wall 31 of the vertical member 13 on the low side, and edges 561, 571 that regulate the lateral position of the rear end of the seat rail 94 of the vehicle seat 9 are defined at the upper part of each fitting part (56, 57). In addition, rail rear end regulating parts 59 that extend upwardly above the upper walls 21, 31 of the vertical members 12, 13 are defined at the middle parts of each pair of fitting grooves 56, 57 in the rear side wall 54 and the inner rear side wall 55.

[0046] (Tether flap for fixing the seat) The tether flap 58 has a base 581, an intermediate portion 582, and a tip portion 583 that are continuous with the rear wall 54 via fold lines, and the tip portion 583 has four portions divided by fold lines (rules, scores), namely, a first portion 586, a second portion 587, a third portion 588, and a fourth portion 589, and a lock piece 584 is formed on both sides of the first portion 586 by a pair of dividing lines (notches), and a notch 585 is formed in the fourth portion 589.

[0047] The base portion 581 has a base end side continuous with the rear side wall 54, which is tapered to reduce its width in order to form the above-mentioned lock pieces 541. In other words, the base portion 581 extending from between the lock pieces 541 is widened, thereby ensuring a desired width for the tether flap 58.

[0048] As described below, the tether flap 58 is positioned by placing the left and right seat rails 94 of the vehicle seat 9 on the upper surfaces of the vertical members 12, 13, and then inserted from the rear into the gap 90 between the rear of the seat cushion 91 and the lower part of the seat back 92. At the front of the seat back 92, the tip portion 583 is bent to overlap the first portion 586 with the fourth portion 589, and the lock piece 584 is bent and engaged with the cutout portion 585, so that the first portion 586 (fourth portion 589), the second portion 587 and the third portion 588 form a triangular tubular sleeve (enlarged cross-sectional portion; 583), thereby fixing the rear of the vehicle seat 9 to the second horizontal member 15.

[0049] (End member for fixing the base) The fixing base 11 having the basic structure as described above is provided with end members 16 at the front and rear ends in the first direction (L) for providing clamped portions 68 for fixing the fixing base 11 to the pallet 8. The end members 16 are standardized at the front and rear ends of the fixing base 11 for the purpose of reducing costs through standardization of parts.

[0050] 7 shows an end member 16 and its blank 16'. As shown in the figure, the end member 16 is formed by folding and stacking a single corrugated board blank 16' with a flute direction FL intersecting the longitudinal direction L (second direction) along fold lines (creases) extending parallel to the longitudinal direction L, forming a four-layered portion, an upper surface 62, a lower surface 63, an upper inner core 64, and a lower inner core 65, and is continuous with a tip surface 61 extending in the stacking direction between the tips of the upper surface 62 and the lower surface 63 that constitute a clamped portion 68 via a folded portion.

[0051] The back surface of the blank 16' in the illustrated example, on which fold lines (creases) are formed, is shown on the upper surface side in the drawing, and with a three-part tip surface 61 as the center, an upper surface 62 and an upper inner core 64 are continuous with one side via the fold lines, and a lower surface 63 and a lower inner core 65 are continuous with the other side via fold lines. As a result, the end member 16 is configured, for example, by forming a first portion in which the upper inner core 64 is folded over (on the back surface) on the upper surface 62, and a second portion in which the lower inner core 65 is folded over (on the back surface) on the lower surface 63, and folding the two portions over so that the lower surface of the upper inner core 64 contacts the upper surface of the lower inner core 65, and by bending and locking a lock piece 69 extending from the upper surface 62 into the notches 60 in the upper inner core 64, lower inner core 65, and lower surface 63.

[0052] The end member 16 has mating grooves 66, 67 formed on the edge opposite the protruding direction of the clamped portion 68 including the three tip portions 61, which correspond to the mating grooves 26, 36 at the front and rear ends of the vertical members 12, 13, respectively, and are mated with them from the front and rear.

[0053] (Assembly of the fixing base) As described above, when assembling the fixing base 11 from the vertical members 12, 13, horizontal members 14, 15, and end member 16, which are constructed by bending the cardboard blanks 12', 13', 14', 15', 16', the following steps are taken, for example. In this example, the first horizontal member 14 at the forefront is not assembled in advance, but is assembled last by fitting it to the vertical members 12, 13, as described later.

[0054] First, as shown in FIG. 9, the mating grooves 24, 25 of the two central vertical members 12 and the mating grooves 34, 35 of the two side vertical members 13 are fitted from above into the mating grooves 56, 46, 56 and 57, 47, 57 of the three horizontal members 15, 14, 15, excluding the front first horizontal member 14.

[0055] Next, the fitting grooves 66, 67 of the front and rear end members 16, 16 are fitted from the front and rear into the fitting grooves 26, 36 at the front and rear ends of the vertical members 12, 13, respectively, to assemble the front and rear end members 16, 16 to the vertical members 12, 13.

[0056] Finally, the rear side wall 44 and the inner upper wall 45 are folded relative to the bottom wall 43 of the frontmost first horizontal member 14 in an unassembled state to obtain a semi-assembled state, and the fitting grooves 46, 47 are fitted from below into the fitting grooves 24, 34 of the front ends of the vertical members 12, 13, the clamped portion 68 of the end member 16 at the front end is inserted through the opening 420 of the first horizontal member 14, the front side wall 42 and the upper wall 41 of the first horizontal member 14 are folded so as to roll up the end member 16, and the lock piece 411 of the upper wall 41 is engaged with the slit 451 of the inner upper wall 45, completing the assembly of the first horizontal member 14 and its attachment to the vertical members 12, 13. This completes the assembly of the fixing base 11.

[0057] As shown in Fig. 8, when the assembled fixing base 11 is folded forward with each tether flap 58, it becomes flat, and is lightweight and not bulky even in the assembled state, which has the advantage of allowing for low-cost storage and transportation. Therefore, it may be delivered to the packaging location for the vehicle seat 9 in a pre-assembled state. In addition, since it can be easily assembled without requiring special equipment or tools, it may be delivered to the packaging location in a blank state and assembled at the packaging location.

[0058] (Installation of the fixing base on the pallet and loading of the sheets) At the packaging location of the vehicle seat 9, first, as shown in Fig. 2, the two fixing bases 11 are placed side by side on the loading surface of the pallet 8. The length of each of the vertical members 12, 13 of each fixing base 11 is dimensioned so that it fits the length of the second side (short side) of the loading surface of the pallet 8, and the length of each of the horizontal members 14, 15 is 1 / 2 the length of the first side (long side) of the loading surface of the pallet 8, that is, the total length of each of the horizontal members 14, 15 of the two fixing bases 11 fits the length of the first side (long side) of the loading surface. Therefore, when the two fixing bases 11 are placed side by side on the loading surface of the pallet 8, the movement of each fixing base 11 in the front-rear direction FR (first direction) and the lateral direction W (second direction) is restricted.

[0059] In this state, the clamped portions 68 of the end members 16 protruding from the front and rear ends of the vertical members 12, 13 of each fixing base 11 extend onto the protruding edge 86 of the first side (long side) of the pallet 8, as shown in Figure 1.

[0060] Next, the tether flaps 58 of each fixing base 11 are folded backward and removed from the seat placement space. Then, the seats 9 are lifted up using a hanger (not shown) or the like, and the seats 9 are loaded on the front placement surface, which is the furthest away, of the eight seat placement surfaces in two rows, front to back, in that order, followed by the rear placement surface, and so on, followed by the front and rear placement surfaces on the proximal side.

[0061] That is, the posture of the seat 9 is aligned with the direction of the support surface of the fixing base 11, the front ends of the left and right seat rails 94 are regulated by the front end regulating portion 49, and inserted between the edges constituting the lateral regulating portions 461, 471 (upper parts of the mating portions 46, 47), so that the left and right seat rails 94 are positioned and placed at a predetermined position between the front end regulating portions 49 (lateral regulating portions 461, 471) and the rear end regulating portions 59 (27, 37, lateral regulating portions 561, 571) on the support surface of the vertical members 12, 13.

[0062] In this state, the cable ties 241b, 341b are inserted into the through grooves 241, 341 (see FIGS. 3, 4) of the vertical members 12, 13 to fix the front ends of the seat rails 94 to the vertical members 12, 13. At this time, in order to protect the front ends of the seat rails 94 of each seat 9, a cushion sheet or the like may be interposed between the front ends and the fitting portions 46, 47.

[0063] Furthermore, the tether flap 58 is inserted from the rear into the gap 90 between the rear of the seat cushion 91 and the lower part of the seat back 92, and at the front side of the seat back 92, as shown in Figure 1 or Figure 14, the tip portion 583 of the tether flap 58 is bent to form a triangular tubular sleeve (enlarged cross-sectional portion), and the lock piece 584 is engaged with the cutout portion 585.

[0064] By this operation, the tip portion 583 of the tether flap 58 cannot be removed from the gap 90 , and the rear portion of the seat 9 is fixed to the second horizontal member 15 by the tether flap 58 .

[0065] Since the fore-aft and lateral positions of the front and rear ends of the left and right seat rails 94 are restricted, the seat 9 is tethered to the second cross member 15 by the tether flap 58, and is fixed onto the fixing base 11 by preventing it from moving upward, i.e., "floating."

[0066] The above process is repeated to fix eight vehicle seats 9 (four seats x two rows, four sets) to the two fixing bases 11, and then a resin sheet is placed over the entire eight seats 9. Although not shown in the drawings, each seat 9 is covered in advance with a bag-shaped resin sheet.

[0067] Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 1, the lower edge of the second outer frame 82 is engaged with the engagement portion 84 on the second side (short side) of the pallet 8, and then the lower edge of the first outer frame 81 is engaged with the engagement portion 83 to position it in a predetermined position, and with each clamped portion 68 of the end member 16 clamped between the lower edge adjacent to the engagement portion 83 and the protruding edge 86 of the pallet 8, the first outer frame 81 is connected to the second outer frame 82 by the upper locking mechanism 85, and the pallet 8 is integrated with the first outer frame 81 and the second outer frame 82 to form a returnable rack.

[0068] Through the above operation, the clamped portion 68 is finally clamped between the protruding edge 86 of the pallet 8 and the lower edge of the first outer frame 81, thereby restricting the upward movement of each fixing base 11 and restricting its movement in the front-rear direction FR and the lateral direction W on the pallet 8. Furthermore, the first outer frame 81 and the second outer frame 82 of the pallet 8 restrict the movement of each fixing base 11 in the front-rear direction FR and the lateral direction W, forming a packaging structure 100 in which the eight sheets 9 fixed to the two fixing bases 11 are fixedly loaded at predetermined positions within the returnable rack formed by the pallet 8 and the first outer frame 81 and the second outer frame 82.

[0069] The packaging structure 100 has the advantage that the fixing of each fixing base 11 to the pallet 8 is completed by the normal work of constructing a returnable rack on the pallet 8, and also that the end member 16 on which the clamped portion 68 is formed is fitted to the front end and rear end of each of the vertical members 12, 13 from the front and rear directions, thereby preventing the end member 16 from coming off due to an external force (inertia force) that tends to move the fixing base 11 upward. Another advantage is that the removal of each fixing base 11 from the pallet 8 is completed by the normal work of disassembling the returnable rack.

[0070] (Main components and effects) The packaging structure for a vehicle seat according to the present invention has the following features and effects.

[0071] (1) In a basic aspect, a fixing base (11) for fixing a plurality of vehicle seats (9) on a loading surface of a general-purpose transport member (8) comprises a plurality of vertical members (12, 13) extending in a first direction (FR) on the loading surface and arranged in parallel, and a plurality of horizontal members (14, 15) extending in a second direction (W) perpendicular to the first direction and arranged in parallel, which are combined at intersections (46, 47, 56, 57) to form a lattice shape, and each of the vertical members (12, 13) is formed in a rectangular tubular shape from a corrugated board blank (12', 13') whose flute direction (FL) is a direction intersecting the first direction, and at least an upper wall (21, 31) and both side walls (22, 32) extending in the first direction are constructed as double walls.

[0072] In this way, the fixing base (11) has vertical members (12, 13) on which the seat rails (94) of the vehicle seat are placed, which are formed into a rectangular tube shape from corrugated board blanks (12', 13'), and the top wall and both side walls are formed of double walls, and in particular, both side walls are formed of double walls of corrugated board with the flute direction being the up-down direction which is the main load direction, so that it is lightweight yet has sufficient load-bearing strength and durability for practical use, which is advantageous for reducing transportation costs, and the fixing base can be formed simply by folding the blank along the pre-processed creases into a rectangular tube and combining it with the horizontal members, which can significantly reduce material costs and manufacturing costs compared to conventional steel fixing materials. In addition, it has an advantage of having appropriate cushioning properties, which reduces external forces and vibrations acting on the seat through the fixing materials during transportation.

[0073] (2) In a preferred embodiment, each of the vertical members (12, 13) is A bottom wall (23, 33) extending in the first direction; an outer wall (22, 32), an outer upper wall (21, 31), and an outer wall (22, 32) opposite to the outer wall, which are connected in sequence to one side of the bottom wall via a bent portion extending in the first direction; an inner wall (28, 38), an inner upper wall (29, 39), and an inner wall (28, 38) opposite the inner wall, which are connected in sequence to the other side of the bottom wall (23, 33) via a bent portion extending in the first direction, The outer upper wall (21, 31) is overlapped on the outer surface side of the inner upper wall (29, 39), and each of the outer walls (22, 32) is overlapped on the outer surface side of each of the inner walls (28, 38), so that the upper wall and the side walls on both sides thereof form a double wall.

[0074] In this way, each vertical member is made from a single cardboard blank into a substantially symmetrical double-walled rectangular tube with the bottom wall (23, 33) at the center and the inner and outer walls and the inner and outer upper walls continuing in sequence via the bent parts on both sides of the bottom wall, thereby forming a fixing base with good balance against load and excellent stability. Moreover, each vertical member is integrated by folding the outer wall and the outer upper wall so as to wrap them around the outer periphery of the inner wall and the inner upper wall without using adhesives or the like, and assembly and disassembly are easy.

[0075] (3) In an even more preferred embodiment, each of the horizontal members (14, 15) is formed in a rectangular tubular shape extending in the second direction (W) from a cardboard blank (14', 15') whose flute direction (FL) is a direction intersecting the second direction (W), and each of the vertical members (12, 13) is fitted into a complementary mating portion (24, 34, 25, 35, 46, 47, 56, 57) at the intersection, and the mating portion (46, 47, 56, 57) of the horizontal member includes an opening for receiving the vertical member (12, 13) and a groove extending from the opening to the side wall to fit into the side wall of the vertical member.

[0076] In this manner, each horizontal member is formed into a rectangular tube shape together with each vertical member, and is configured to be fitted together at the intersections, so that the inner and outer walls of each vertical member (12, 13) are integrated while being sandwiched in the grooves of the fitting portions of each horizontal member (14, 15), thereby forming a strong and stable fixing base.

[0077] (4) In a further preferred embodiment, the cross members (14, 15) include a first cross member (14) having a rail front end regulating portion 49 (461, 471) that regulates the lateral position of the front end portion of the seat rail of the vehicle seat placed on the upper surface of each vertical member, and a second cross member (15) that is integral with a tether flap (58) that is inserted into a gap portion (90) between the seat cushion and seat back of the vehicle seat (9) and tethers the rear of the vehicle seat.

[0078] In this way, the cardboard fixing base is equipped with a rail position regulating portion and tether flap for fixing the vehicle seat integrally, so that the seat can be fixed using the structure of the fixing base itself, and the cardboard material can be used to fix it to a general-purpose transport material (returnable rack). This eliminates the need for bolt tightening work and the repeated sliding of the seat for this purpose, which has the advantage of significantly improving workability during packaging and also significantly improving workability when unpacking at the destination.

[0079] (Other Preferred Embodiments) The packaging structure for a vehicle seat according to the present invention further includes the following preferred embodiments.

[0080] (5) The opening and the groove that define the fitting portion (56, 57) of the second horizontal member (15) are formed from the top wall (51) of the second horizontal member to the upper portion of the side wall (52, 54), and the corresponding fitting portion (25, 35) of the vertical member (12, 13) includes an opening formed in the bottom wall (23, 33) of the vertical member and a groove formed from the opening in the lower portion of the side wall (22, 32) that fits into the side wall (52, 54) of the second horizontal member, and each of the vertical members (12, 13) is fitted into the second horizontal member (15) from above, and the inner and outer walls (22, 28, 32, 38) that constitute the side walls of each of the vertical members (12, 13) are clamped by the grooves (56, 57) of the second horizontal member (15).

[0081] (6) The opening of the second horizontal member defines a rail rear end restriction portion that restricts the lateral position of the rear end portion of the seat rail.

[0082] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the present invention.

[0083] For example, in the above embodiment, two sets of rectangular tubular vertical members and two sets of rectangular tubular horizontal members are combined with each other at their intersections to form a lattice-shaped fixing base assembly, but the horizontal members can also have a structure other than a rectangular tube, for example, made from a cardboard blank and have a U-channel shape (C-shaped cross section) including a double wall, or a multi-layer rib structure like end member 16.

[0084] In addition, in the above embodiment, two fixing bases capable of fixing four vehicle seats are arranged side by side on one pallet to load eight seats, but it is also possible to configure fixing bases capable of fixing two vehicle seats arranged front to back, and line up four such fixing bases side by side to load eight seats.

[0085] In addition, in the above embodiment, the direction parallel to the short side of the pallet 8 is defined as the first direction, but the direction parallel to the long side of the pallet 8 may be defined as the first direction, and the fixing base assembly may be formed by a plurality of vertical members extending in a direction parallel to the long side of the pallet 8 and a plurality of horizontal members extending in a direction parallel to the short side of the pallet 8. In that case, the end member (16) may be configured to be fitted into the end of each of the horizontal members (14, 15).

[0086] In the above embodiment, the front end of the seat rail 94 is fixed to the vertical members 12, 13 with a cable tie, and the rear of the seat 9 is fixed with a tether flap 58 integral with the second horizontal member 15. However, it is also possible to fix the rear end of the seat rail 94 to the vertical members 12, 13 with a cable tie without using a tether flap. Cable ties are inexpensive and easy to fasten, and because they are disposable fixing members, they can be easily opened by cutting them.

[0087] In the above embodiment, the end members 16 having the clamped portions 68 are fitted to the front and rear ends of each vertical member as the means for fixing the fixing base to the pallet, but instead of either or both of the end members, a clamped portion can be formed at the end of each vertical member by using a blank for each vertical member. Even if the fixing base is fixed to the pallet by means other than the clamped portions or by materials other than cardboard, such as packing bands, various effects can be expected from the cardboard fixing base, such as reduced weight and reduced manufacturing costs. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 11 Fixing base 12, 13 Vertical members 14 1st horizontal member 15 Second horizontal member 16 End member 24, 25, 26, 34, 35, 36 Fitting groove 46, 47, 56, 57 Fitting groove 49 Rail front end regulation part 58 Tether flap (fixing member) 27, 37, 59 Rail rear end regulation part 66, 67 Fitting groove 68 Clamped part

Claims

1. A packaging structure for vehicle seats, comprising a fixing base for fixing a plurality of vehicle seats onto a loading surface of a general-purpose transport member, the fixing base comprising: a plurality of longitudinal members extending in a first direction on the loading surface and arranged in parallel; a plurality of lateral members extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction on the loading surface and arranged in parallel; The vertical members and the horizontal members are combined at intersections to form a lattice shape, Each of the vertical members is formed in a rectangular tube shape extending in the first direction from a corrugated board blank having a flute direction intersecting the first direction, and at least a top wall and both side walls extending in the first direction are configured as double walls, The upper surface of the upper wall includes a support surface on which a seat rail of the vehicle seat is placed. Packaging structure for vehicle seats.

2. Each of the vertical members is A bottom wall extending in the first direction; an outer wall, an outer upper wall, and an outer wall opposite to the outer wall, which are connected in sequence via a bent portion extending in the first direction on one side of the bottom wall; an inner wall, an inner upper wall, and an inner wall opposite to the inner wall, which are successively connected to the other side of the bottom wall via a bent portion extending in the first direction, 2. The packaging structure for a vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the outer upper wall is overlapped on the outer surface side of the inner upper wall, and each of the outer walls is overlapped on the outer surface side of each of the inner walls, so that the upper wall and the side walls on both sides thereof are configured as double walls.

3. 3. The packaging structure for a vehicle seat according to claim 2, wherein each of the horizontal members is formed in a rectangular tubular shape extending in the second direction from a corrugated board blank having a flute direction that intersects with the second direction, and each of the vertical members is combined with a complementary mating portion at the intersection, and the mating portion of the horizontal member includes an opening that receives the vertical member and a groove that extends from the opening to the side wall to fit into the side wall of the vertical member.

4. 4. The packaging structure for a vehicle seat according to claim 3, wherein the horizontal members include a first horizontal member having a rail front end regulating portion that regulates the lateral position of the front end of the seat rail of the vehicle seat placed on the upper surface of each of the vertical members, and a second horizontal member integrally having a tether flap that is inserted into a gap between a seat cushion and a seat back of the vehicle seat to anchor a rear portion of the vehicle seat.

5. 5. A fixing packaging material made of cardboard blanks for forming the fixing base described in claim 4, comprising a set of blanks including a vertical member blank onto which the vertical member can be assembled, a first horizontal member blank onto which the first horizontal member can be assembled, and a second horizontal member blank onto which the second horizontal member can be assembled.

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