Packing structure of vehicular seat
A lightweight cardboard packaging structure for vehicle seats addresses the inefficiencies of steel frames by enabling easy assembly and secure fixation, reducing costs and improving workability, while maintaining durability and recyclability.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2023105796
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-06-28
- Publication Date
- 2025-01-17
AI Technical Summary
Existing vehicle seat packaging structures are cumbersome, time-consuming to pack and unpack, costly, and inefficient in terms of material and transportation costs, particularly due to the use of heavy steel frames and complex assembly processes.
A packaging structure using lightweight cardboard components, including vertical and horizontal members formed from corrugated cardboard blanks, with tether flaps and complementary fitting portions, allowing easy assembly and secure fixation of vehicle seats without the need for bolt tightening or sliding operations.
The cardboard-based structure reduces material and transportation costs, enhances packing and unpacking efficiency, and allows for easy recycling, while providing sufficient strength and durability for secure seat fixation during transport.
Smart Images

Figure 2025005579000001_ABST
Abstract
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 secure vehicle seats by devising a structure that is appropriate, which led to the invention.
[0009] That is, the present invention provides a packaging structure for a vehicle seat having a pair of spaced apart seat rails, the packaging structure including a fixing base for fixing the vehicle seat on a loading surface of a transport member, the fixing base including a pair of vertical members extending in a first direction on the loading surface and arranged in parallel, and a plurality of horizontal 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 being formed in a lattice shape by being interlocked with each other at their intersections, the pair of vertical members and the plurality of horizontal members being each formed from a corrugated board blank, the pair of vertical members being formed in a rectangular tubular shape, the upper surfaces of the pair of vertical members extending in the first direction include a loading surface on which the pair of seat rails of the vehicle seat are placed, and the plurality of horizontal members being each formed in a rectangular tubular shape extending in the second direction from a corrugated board blank having a flute direction in a direction intersecting with the second direction. the second horizontal member is connected to a tether flap that is inserted into an insertion opening from behind a gap between a seat cushion and a seat back of the vehicle seat to anchor a rear part of the vehicle seat, a base end of the tether flap that is connected to the second horizontal member extends in a second direction and is connected to the second horizontal member between the pair of vertical members, the tether flap extends from the base end in an extension direction that is a direction intersecting the second direction, and a cutout portion is arranged on at least one edge of the base end of the tether flap in the width direction that is the second direction, such that a dimension of the tether flap in the width direction is reduced. 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 the transport member is formed from a cardboard blank, which is lightweight and advantageous in terms of reducing material costs and transportation costs. It also has the advantage that the seat can be fixed using the structure of the fixing base itself, 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 7A] FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view of the second horizontal member. [Figure 7B] FIG. 4 is an enlarged rear view of the second horizontal member. [Figure 7C] FIG. 4 is a side view of the second cross member. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an end member and a blank thereof; [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a fixing base according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the assembly of the fixing base. [Figure 11] 11 is a perspective view showing a process of loading sheets onto a fixing base. FIG. [Figure 12] 11 is a perspective view showing a process of loading sheets onto a fixing base. FIG. [Figure 13] 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 having a pair of spaced apart seat rails 94 is fixed onto 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] The pallet 8 is made of steel, and an opening for inserting the forks of a forklift is provided at the bottom of the first side (long side). A flange 86 is provided along the top of the first side of the pallet 8, and a stand 83 is provided on the flange 86 at approximately the center and both ends in the longitudinal direction (second direction W) of the flange 86, forming a predetermined interval between the upper edge of the flange 86 of the first side and the lower edge of the first outer frame 81. The stand 83 is also a stand that prevents the fixing base 11 from moving in the long side direction (second direction) on the loading surface of the pallet 8 by abutting at least one of a plurality of clamped parts 68 protruding from the front end and the rear end of the fixing base 11 described later against the stand 83. In this embodiment, the stand 83 is provided on the flange 86 of the pallet, but the stand 83 may be provided on the first outer frame 81.
[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 84 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 upper part 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 first 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 one cardboard blank, and the fixing means for the seats are also integrally formed, so that when fixing the seats, there is no need 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 first embodiment of the present invention will be described below.
[0019] (First embodiment) As shown in Figures 2 and 8, the fixing base 11 of the first 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 intersections.
[0020] Basically, each pair of vertical members 12, 13 is disposed corresponding to a pair of 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 pair of 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. In the seat 9 of this embodiment, the pair of spaced apart seat rails 94 is such that the height of one seat rail 94 (the right seat rail 94 in the seat 9 at the left end of FIG. 1) is higher than the height of the other seat rail 94 (the left seat rail 94 in the seat 9 at the left end of FIG. 1). Here, the fact that the height of one seat rail 94 is higher than the height of the other seat rail 94 means that the position of the ground contact surface of one seat rail 94 with respect to the vehicle floor is higher than the position of the ground contact surface of the other seat rail 94. Therefore, the position of the ground contact surface of one seat rail 94 with respect to the bottom surface of a seat cushion 91 (see FIG. 1) described later is lower than the position of the ground contact surface of the other seat rail 94.
[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 a pair of left and right seat rails 94 of the vehicle seat 9 are placed. In the illustrated first embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which one fixing base 11 is used to load four vehicle seats 9 in two rows x two seats, but in order to accommodate seats with different heights of left and right seat rails, for example, seats in which the seat rails on the center side of the vehicle are attached to the floor tunnel of the vehicle body and the seat rails near the left and right doors are 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. In this embodiment, each of the vertical members 12, 13 is a pair of vertical members 12, 13 corresponding to a pair of left and right seat rails 94, and the pair of vertical members 12, 13 have different heights of the upper surfaces corresponding to the height of the pair of seat rails 94. The vertical member 12 arranged near the center of the horizontal members 14, 15 in the width direction (W) corresponds to one seat rail 94, and the vertical members 13 arranged on both sides of the horizontal members 14, 15 in the width direction (W) correspond to the other seat rail 94. Therefore, the height of the vertical member 12 arranged near the center is higher than the height of the vertical members 13 arranged on both sides. Here, the vertical member 12 being higher than the vertical members 13 arranged on both sides means that the position of the upper surface of the first vertical member 12 is higher than the position of the upper surface of the second vertical member 13. The vertical member 12 of this embodiment is the first vertical member in the present invention, and the vertical member 13 is the second vertical member in the present invention.
[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. 14. Furthermore, an enlarged lead-in edge is formed at the lead-in end of each of the fitting grooves 24, 25, 34, 35.
[0030] Furthermore, 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 14 and 15, the rail rear end regulating portions 27, 37 rise continuously from the side walls 22, 32 (and the inner walls 28, 38) without any bent portions at the time of forming the vertical members 12, 13.
[0031] That is, the rail rear end regulating portion 27, 37 is an upwardly extending side wall portion of each side wall 22, 32 (and inner side wall 28, 38). In particular, such an extending side wall portion (27, 37) is provided in the longitudinal center portion of the vertical member 12, 13 where the fitting groove 25, 35 with the second horizontal member 15 corresponding to the front row seat and the fitting groove 24, 34 with the first horizontal member 14 corresponding to the rear row seat are formed close to each other, which is advantageous in 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. As will be described later, a predetermined gap L is provided between the second horizontal member 15 corresponding to the front row seat and the first horizontal member 14 corresponding to the rear row seat (see FIG. 13). This is provided in consideration of the workability when inserting the tether flap 58 described later into the gap portion 90 between the rear part of the seat cushion 91 and the lower part of the seat back 92. In addition, the second cross member 15 is configured such that, when the tether flap 58 is inserted into the gap 90, an insertion opening 90E provided on the rear side of the gap 90, through which the tip 58T of the tether flap 58 is inserted, and the base end 58B of the tether flap 58 are positioned at the same position in the first direction.
[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. 13, 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 mating 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 14, 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) FIG. 6 shows the second horizontal member 15 and its blank 15'. Also, FIGS. 7A to 7C show a part of the second horizontal member 15 in an enlarged manner. FIG. 7A is an enlarged front view of the second horizontal member 15 seen from the front side in the first direction, and the right side of the second horizontal member 15 shown in FIG. 7A is the central part side of the second horizontal member 15. FIG. 7B is an enlarged rear view of the second horizontal member 15 shown in FIG. 7A seen from the rear side in the first direction, and the left side of the second horizontal member shown in FIG. 7B is the central part side of the second horizontal member 15. FIG. 7C is a side view of the second horizontal member 15 seen from the left in FIG. 7A, and the right side is the front side, and the left side is the rear side in FIG. 7C. In FIG. 7A, for ease of understanding, the state in which the vertical members 12 and 13 are combined with the second horizontal member 15 is shown, and the two-dot chain line shown on the right side indicates the vertical member 12, and the two-dot chain line shown on the left side indicates the vertical member 13. For ease of understanding, Fig. 7B also shows a state in which the second horizontal member 15 is combined with the vertical members 12 and 13, with the two-dot chain line shown on the left side indicating the vertical member 12 and the two-dot chain line shown on the right side indicating the vertical member 13. The left-right direction in Figs. 7A and 7B is the width direction (W) or the second direction.
[0042] The second cross member 15 is also formed into a square tube shape extending in the longitudinal direction L by folding a single cardboard blank 15', with the flute direction FL being the direction that intersects the longitudinal direction L, along fold lines (rules, scores) parallel to the longitudinal direction L, and like the first cross member 14, has two cross-sectional shape portions with different heights between the central portion and both side portions in the width direction (W) separated by step portions 510.
[0043] 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.
[0044] The upper wall 51 and the inner rear side wall 55 are divided into three parts, a central part in the width direction (W) and both side parts thereof, by a dividing line (notch) corresponding to the step part 510, and the upper wall 51 is further divided into seven parts by fitting grooves 56, 57 (openings) constituting a fitting part, but the other sides of the divided upper wall 51 are connected by the inner rear side wall 55, and the fitting grooves 56, 57 are defined by openings rather than notches. The fitting groove 56 is a fitting groove into which the vertical member 13 fits, and the fitting groove 57 is a fitting groove into which the vertical member 12, which is higher than the vertical member 13, fits.
[0045] The upper wall 51 has a first upper wall 51H and a first upper wall 51L having different heights in the second direction between a fitting groove 57 into which the vertical member 12 fits and a fitting groove 56 into which the vertical member 13 fits. The first upper wall 51H is located on the fitting groove 57 side, and the first upper wall 51L is located on the fitting groove 56 side. The first upper wall 51H and the second upper wall 51L are set so that the position of the first upper wall 51H is higher than the position of the second upper wall 51L so as to correspond to the heights of the vertical members 12 and 13.
[0046] 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. A pair of locking pieces 541 extending from the rear wall 54 on both sides of the width direction W of the tether flap 58 are engaged with a pair of 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.
[0047] The front wall 52 has a central portion higher in the width direction (W) than both side portions so as to correspond to the first upper wall 51H and the second upper wall 51L which are different in height. The upper edge of the front wall 52 at the central portion is connected to the front edge of the first upper wall 51H, and the upper edges of the front walls 52 at both side portions are connected to the front edge of the second upper wall 51L. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 7A, the front wall 52 has a stepped shape in which the upper edge connected to the front edge of the first upper wall 51H is higher than the upper edge connected to the front edge of the second upper wall 51L.
[0048] The inner rear sidewall 55 has a stepped shape similar to the front sidewall 52. The inner rear sidewall 55 has a center portion in the width direction (W) that is higher than both side portions so as to correspond to the first upper wall 51H and the second upper wall 51L that have different heights. As shown in the blank 15' in Fig. 6, the inner rear sidewall 55 has a first inner rear sidewall 55H in the center portion and a second inner rear sidewall 55L in both side portions, and the upper edge of the first inner rear sidewall 55H is connected to the rear edge of the first upper wall 51H, and the upper edge of the second inner rear sidewall 55L is connected to the rear edge of the second upper wall 51L.
[0049] That is, the second horizontal member 15 has a stepped shape having low-rise portions 15L on both sides and a high-rise portion 15H in the center that is higher than the low-rise portions 15L on both sides. The low-rise portions 15L on both sides include a second upper wall 51L, and a front wall 52 and a second inner rear wall 55L on both sides that are connected to the second upper wall 51L. The high-rise portion 15H in the center includes a first upper wall 51H, and a front wall 52 and a first inner rear wall 55H on the center that are connected to the first upper wall 51H. The low-rise portion 15L is located on the side of the fitting groove 56 into which the vertical member 13 fits, and the high-rise portion 15H is located on the side of the fitting groove 57 into which the vertical member 12 fits.
[0050] The rear side wall 54 also has a stepped shape similar to the front side wall 52. However, as described below, the upper edge of the rear side wall 54 is connected to the base end 58B of the tether flap 58, and the rear side wall 54 and the tether flap 58 are integrally formed, so that the boundary between the rear side wall 54 and the tether flap 58 is unclear from the outside, but the rear side wall 54 that is superimposed on the inner rear side wall 55 from the outside of the inner rear side wall 55 has a shape that follows the shape of the inner rear side wall 55. Therefore, the height of the central part of the rear side wall 54 in the width direction (W) is higher than the heights of both side parts so as to correspond to the first upper wall 51H and the second upper wall 51L that have different heights. The rear wall 54 has a first rear wall 54H in the center and second rear walls 54L on both sides, with the upper edge of the first rear wall 54H overlapping the rear edge of the first upper wall 51H and the upper edge of the second rear wall 54L overlapping the rear edge of the second upper wall 51L. The two-dot chain lines shown in Figures 6 and 7B indicate the boundaries between the rear wall 54 and the tether flap 58.
[0051] 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 first upper wall 51H is located higher than the upper wall 21 of the vertical member 12, and the second upper wall 51L is located higher than the upper wall 31 of the vertical member 13, 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 portions of the respective fitting portions (56, 57). In addition, rail rear end regulating portions 59 that extend upwardly above the upper walls 21, 31 of the vertical members 12, 13 are defined at the intermediate portions of each pair of fitting grooves 56, 57 in the rear side wall 54 and the inner rear side wall 55.
[0052] (Tether flap for seat anchoring) Although the details will be described later, the tether flap 58 has a function of anchoring the rear of the vehicle seat 9 to the second horizontal member 15. The tether flap 58 has a tip 58T and a base end 58B extending in the second direction. The tether flap 58 extends from the base end 58B to the tip 58T in a direction intersecting the second direction (hereinafter, may be referred to as the extending direction), and the base end 58B is connected to the rear wall 54 of the second horizontal member 15 in the second direction between the fitting grooves 56, 57 in which the pair of vertical members 12, 13 are fitted. The tip 58T is inserted into a gap 90 from an insertion opening 90E formed behind a gap 90 between a rear part of a seat cushion 91 and a lower part of a seat back 92 described later. The tether flap 58 has a base portion 581 that is continuous with the rear side wall 54 via a base end 58B, an intermediate portion 582, and a tip portion 583, and the tip portion 583 has four portions divided by fold lines (creases, 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. Note that the second horizontal member 15 is formed of a single corrugated board blank 15' whose flute direction FL is a direction intersecting with the longitudinal direction L (width direction), and therefore the extending direction of the tether flap 58 coincides with the flute direction of the corrugated board blank 15'.
[0053] The tether flap 58 has a function of anchoring the rear of the vehicle seat 9 to the second horizontal member 15, so a tensile force is applied in the extension direction of the tether flap 58, but since the extension direction of the tether flap 58 is the flute direction of the cardboard blank 15', it can handle the tensile force applied in the extension direction. In addition, it is possible to suppress and prevent breakage due to a force applied in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction (second direction), such as left-right rocking with respect to the vehicle seat 9 and a left-right force during the operation of inserting the tether flap 58 into the gap 90.
[0054] The base end 58B includes a first base end 58B1 connected to the upper edge of the first rear sidewall 54H and a second base end 58B2 connected to the upper edge of the second rear sidewall 54L, and the tether flap 58 is formed integrally with the rear sidewall 54. The rear sidewall 54 is shaped to conform to the shape of the inner rear sidewall 55, and the upper edge of the first rear sidewall 54H overlaps with the rear edge of the first upper wall 51H, and the upper edge of the second rear sidewall 54L overlaps with the rear edge of the second upper wall 51L. Therefore, the upper edge of the first rear sidewall 54H, which is the first base end 58B1 of the tether flap 58, abuts against the rear corner of the high rise portion 15H, which is the corner formed by the first upper wall 51H and the first inner rear sidewall 55H. In addition, the upper edge of the second rear wall 54L, which is the second base end 58B2 of the tether flap 58, abuts against the rear corner of the low-rise portion 15L, which is the corner formed by the first upper wall 51L and the second inner rear wall 55L. Therefore, when the tether flap 58 is folded and the tip 58T of the tether flap 58 is inserted into the gap 90, the first base end 58B1 abuts against the corner formed by the first upper wall 51H and the first inner rear wall 55H, so that the tether flap 58 is easily folded. Moreover, even if the flute direction of the tether flap 58 faces the extension direction and the tether flap 58 is difficult to fold as in this embodiment, it is possible to easily fold the tether flap 58 starting from the corner formed by the first upper wall 51H and the first inner rear wall 55H. In addition, a fold line is formed on the first base end 58B1 and the base 581 on the extension line of the first base end 58B1. This allows the tether flap 58 to be folded more easily along the folding line.
[0055] In this embodiment, the first base end 58B1 and the second base end 58B2 of the tether flap 58 are connected to the upper edge of the first rear wall 54H and the upper edge of the second rear wall 54L, respectively, and the tether flap 58 is formed integrally with the rear wall 54. However, the tether flap 58 does not necessarily have to be formed integrally with the rear wall 54. For example, the tether flap 58 and the rear wall 54 may be separate bodies, and the base end 58B of the tether flap 58 may be bonded to the rear wall 54 by an adhesive or the like below the upper edge of the second rear wall 54L between the pair of vertical members 12 and 13. In that case, the tether flap 58 abuts against a corner portion formed by the first upper wall 51H and the first inner rear wall 55H, and also abuts against a corner portion formed by the first upper wall 51L and the first inner rear wall 55L. Even in this case, when the tether flap 58 is folded and the tip 58T of the tether flap 58 is inserted into the gap 90, the tether flap 58 abuts against the corner portion formed by the first upper wall 51H and the first inner rear wall 55H, so that the tether flap 58 can be easily folded. It is desirable to form a fold line at the portion of the tether flap 58 that abuts against the corner portion formed by the first upper wall 51H and the first inner rear wall 55H. This is because the tether flap 58 can be folded even more easily via the fold line.
[0056] 6, 7A, and 7B, on the base end 58B side of the tether flap 58, cutout portions 58C and 58E formed to reduce the dimension of the tether flap 58 in the width direction, which is the second direction, are arranged on both ends of the tether flap 58 in the width direction. The cutout portion 58C is formed on the edge of the tether flap 58 on the first upper wall 51H side, and the cutout portion 58E is formed on the edge of the tether flap 58 on the second upper wall 51L side. The cutout portion 58C is arranged closer to the tip 58T of the tether flap 58 than the cutout portion 58E in the extension direction of the tether flap 58.
[0057] The cutout portion 58C is inclined from the edge of the tether flap 58 on the first upper wall 51H side so that the dimension of the tether flap 58 in the width direction becomes smaller, and is connected to the upper edge of the first rear side wall 54H. The connection portion between the edge of the tether flap 58 on the first upper wall 51H side and the cutout portion 58C is the tip end portion 58CT, and the connection portion between the cutout portion 58C and the upper edge of the first rear side wall 54H is the base end portion 58CB. The cutout portion 58C has the largest cutout amount at the base end portion 58CB. The cutout portion 58E is similar to the cutout portion 58C, and the cutout portion 58E is inclined from the edge of the tether flap 58 on the second upper wall 51L side so that the dimension of the tether flap 58 in the width direction becomes smaller, and is connected to the upper edge of the second rear side wall 54L. The connection between the edge of the tether flap 58 on the second upper wall 51L side and the cutout portion 58E is the tip end portion 58ET, and the connection between the cutout portion 58E and the upper edge of the second subsequent wall 54L is the base end portion 58EB. The cutout amount of the cutout portion 58E is the largest at the base end portion 58EB. The cutout portion 58C is the first cutout portion in the present invention, and the cutout portion 58E is the second cutout portion in the present invention.
[0058] The base end 58CB of the cutout 58C and the tip end 58ET of the cutout 58E are at the same position in the extension direction of the tether flap 58. Therefore, the cutout 58C and the cutout 58E are continuous with no gap in the extension direction of the tether wrap 58. In this embodiment, the cutout 58C is formed so as to be inclined from the edge of the tether flap 58 on the first upper wall 51H side so that the dimension of the tether flap 58 in the width direction becomes smaller and to be connected to the upper edge of the first rear side wall 54H, but it may have another shape as long as it has a shape formed so that the dimension of the tether flap 58 in the width direction becomes smaller. The same applies to the cutout 58E.
[0059] In the present embodiment, cutouts 58C, 58E are arranged on both ends of the tether flap 58 in the width direction, which is the second direction, on the base end 58B side of the tether flap 58 so as to reduce the dimension of the tether flap 58 in the width direction, but this is not limited to this. It may also be an aspect in which a cutout is arranged on either one of both ends of the tether flap 58 in the width direction, which is the second direction, on the base end 58B side of the tether flap 58 so as to reduce the dimension of the tether flap 58 in the width direction.
[0060] As shown in FIG. 7B, the base end 58CB of the cutout 58C is connected to the upper edge of the first rear wall 54H. Also, the base end 58EB of the cutout 58E is connected to the upper edge of the second rear wall 54L. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7C, when the second horizontal member 15 is formed in a rectangular tube shape, the base end 58CB overlaps with the first upper wall 51H in the height direction and abuts against the rear corner of the high-rise part 15H, which is the corner formed by the first upper wall 51H and the first inner rear wall 55H. Similarly, when the second horizontal member 15 is formed in a rectangular tube shape, the base end 58EB overlaps with the second upper wall 51L in the height direction and abuts against the rear corner of the low-rise part 15L, which is the corner formed by the first upper wall 51L and the second inner rear wall 55L. Incidentally, since Figure 7C is a side view of the second cross member 15 in Figure 7A viewed from the left side, cutout portion 58C, tip end face 58CT of cutout portion 58C, and base end face 58CB do not actually appear in the figure. However, cutout portion 58C, tip end face 58CT, and base end face 58CB are shown to make it easier to understand the positional relationship in the extension direction between cutout portion 58C and cutout portion 58E and the high-rise portion 15H and low-rise portion 15L of the second cross member 15.
[0061] As described above, the second horizontal member 15 has a pair of lock pieces 541 extending from the upper edge of the rear side wall 54, one of the pair of lock pieces 541 being disposed on one of both sides in the width direction, which is the second direction, of the tether flap 58, and the other of the pair of lock pieces 541 being disposed on the other of both sides in the width direction of the tether flap 58. More specifically, one of the pair of lock pieces 541 extends from the upper edge of the first rear side wall 54H, and the other of the pair of lock pieces 541 extends from the upper edge of the second rear side wall 54L and is disposed on both sides of the tether flap 58 so as to sandwich the tether flap 58. The pair of holes 511 are disposed to correspond to the pair of lock pieces 541. One of the pair of holes 511 is formed in the first upper wall 51H adjacent to the rear edge of the first upper wall 51H in correspondence with one of the lock pieces 541. The other of the pair of holes 511 is formed in the second upper wall 51L adjacent to the rear edge of the second upper wall 51L in correspondence with the other lock piece 541. Each of the pair of lock pieces 541 is folded back and engaged with the corresponding one of the pair of holes 511. By folding back each of the pair of lock pieces 541 and engaging with each of the pair of holes 511, the first rear side wall 54H to which the first base end 58B1 of the tether flap 58 is connected overlaps the first inner rear side wall 55H without separating, and similarly, the second rear side wall 54L to which the second base end 58B2 of the tether flap 58 is connected overlaps the second inner rear side wall 55L without separating. As a result, one side of the width direction at the base end 58B of the tether flap 58 has a three-layer structure made up of the first rear side wall 54H, the first inner rear side wall 55H, and the locking piece 541, and the other side of the width direction at the base end 58B of the tether flap 58 also has a three-layer structure made up of the second rear side wall 54L, the second inner rear side wall 55L, and the locking piece 541, thereby improving the rigidity of the portion of the rear side wall 54 to which the base end 58B of the tether flap 58 is connected.
[0062] As described later, 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 into the gap 90 from an insertion opening 90E formed at the rear of the gap 90 between the rear of the seat cushion 91 and the lower part of the seat back 92. At the front side 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 having the function of anchoring the rear of the vehicle seat 9 to the second horizontal member 15.
[0063] (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.
[0064] 8 shows the end member 16 and its blank 16'. As shown in the figure, the end member 16 has a multi-layer structure with four layers, an upper surface 62, a lower surface 63, an upper inner core 64, and a lower inner core 65, formed by folding and stacking a single corrugated board blank 16' with a flute direction FL in a direction intersecting with the longitudinal direction L (second direction) along fold lines (creases) extending parallel to the longitudinal direction L, and a tip surface 61 extending in the stacking direction is continuous between the tips of the upper surface 62 and the lower surface 63 that constitute the clamped portion 68 via a folded portion.
[0065] 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.
[0066] The end member 16 has fitting grooves 66, 67 formed on the edge opposite to the protruding direction of the clamped parts 68 including the three tip parts 61, which correspond to the fitting grooves 26, 36 at the front and rear ends of the vertical members 12, 13 and are fitted into them from the front and rear. The three clamped parts 68 include one middle clamped part 68C arranged in the center in the width direction (W) which is the second direction, and two side clamped parts 68E arranged on both sides of the middle clamped part 68C. The width dimension in the second direction of the side clamped part 68E is set to be larger than the width dimension in the second direction of the middle clamped part 68C.
[0067] (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.
[0068] First, as shown in FIG. 10, 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.
[0069] 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.
[0070] 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.
[0071] As shown in Fig. 9, 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.
[0072] In this embodiment, the fixing base 11, which has been assembled, has two pairs of vertical members 12, 13 corresponding to a pair of seat rails 94, two pairs of horizontal members each composed of a first horizontal member 14 and a second horizontal member 15, and end members 16 that are combined with the front and rear ends of the two pairs of vertical members 12, 13. The two pairs of vertical members 12, 13 are arranged side by side in the second direction and combined with two pairs of first horizontal members 14 and second horizontal members 15 that are arranged side by side in the first direction. Of the two pairs of vertical members 12, 13, two vertical members 12 are arranged on the center side of the first horizontal member 14 and the second horizontal member 15, and two vertical members 13 are arranged on both sides of the first horizontal member 14 and the second horizontal member 15. One end member 16 is combined with the front ends of the two pairs of vertical members 12, 13, and one end member 16 is combined with the rear ends of the two pairs of vertical members 12, 13.
[0073] The intermediate sandwiched portion 68C is provided on the end member 16 so as to be disposed between one pair of vertical members 12, 13 and the other pair of vertical members 12, 13 in the two pairs of vertical members 12, 13. That is, the intermediate sandwiched portion 68C is provided on the end member 16 so as to be disposed between the two vertical members 12 disposed on the central side in the second direction. More specifically, the intermediate sandwiched portion 68C is provided on the end member 16 so that the center of the intermediate sandwiched portion 68C in the second direction coincides with the center between the two vertical members 12 disposed on the central side in the second direction. Therefore, in a state where the vehicle seat 9 is placed, the intermediate sandwiched portion 68C is set to be disposed between the vehicle seats placed side by side in the second direction.
[0074] One of the two side sandwiched portions 68E is provided on the end member 16 so as to be disposed between one set of a pair of vertical members 12, 13 in the second direction, and the other of the two side sandwiched portions 68E is disposed between the other set of a pair of vertical members 12, 13 in the second direction. That is, at each of the front end side and the rear end side, one side sandwiched portion 68E is disposed with respect to the pair of vertical members 12, 13, and is disposed so as to overlap the position of the placed vehicle seat 9 when the vehicle seat 9 is placed. More specifically, one of the two side sandwiched portions 68E is provided on the end member 16 so that the center in the second direction of one of the two side sandwiched portions 68E is positioned eccentrically toward the end of the first horizontal member 14 and the second horizontal member 15 from the center of the pair of vertical members 12, 13 of one set in the second direction. The other side sandwiched portion 68E is provided on the end member 16 so that the center in the second direction of the other of the two side sandwiched portions 68E is also positioned eccentrically toward the end of the first horizontal member 14 and the second horizontal member 15 in the second direction from the center of the pair of vertical members 12, 13 of the other set in the second direction. That is, the center of one side sandwiched portion 68E in the second direction is eccentrically disposed away from the middle sandwiched portion 68C with respect to the center of one set of a pair of vertical members 12, 13 in the second direction. Also, the center of the other side sandwiched portion 68E in the second direction is eccentrically disposed away from the middle sandwiched portion 68C with respect to the center of the other set of a pair of vertical members 12, 13 in the second direction.
[0075] Therefore, each of the middle clamped portion 68C and the two side clamped portions 68E is set to be disposed between the combined vertical members 12, 13, and each clamping portion 68 and each vertical member 12, 13 are disposed alternately. With this configuration, it is possible to efficiently suppress the movement such as vibration of each vertical member 12, 13 during transportation of the transport member.
[0076] (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.
[0077] In this state, one intermediate clamped portion 68C and two side clamped portions 68C of the end member 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 FIG. 11 (FIG. 1). The side clamped portions 68E are provided on the end member 16 so that the two side clamped portions 68E are disposed adjacent to the stand portion 83 provided on the protruding edge 86. By disposing the two side clamped portions 68C adjacent to the stand portion 83, when the fixing base 11 attempts to move in the second direction on the loading surface of the pallet 8, the side clamped portions 68C come into contact with the stand portion 83, thereby preventing the fixing base 11 from moving in the second direction.
[0078] 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.
[0079] 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.
[0080] In this state, cable ties are inserted into the through grooves 241, 341 (see Figs. 3 and 4) of the vertical members 12, 13, and the front ends of the seat rails 94 are fixed to the vertical members 12, 13 as shown in Fig. 12. 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.
[0081] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 12, the tip 58T of the tether flap 58 is inserted into the gap 90 through an insertion opening 90E formed at the rear of 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 FIG. 11, the tip 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.
[0082] This operation makes it impossible for the tip portion 583 of the tether flap 58 to come out of the gap 90 , and the rear portion of the seat 9 is anchored to the second horizontal member 15 by the tether flap 58 .
[0083] FIG. 13 is a side view (second direction) of the fixing base 11 to which the vehicle seat 9 is fixed, fixed on the placement surface of the pallet 8, with the left side of FIG. 13 showing the front and the right side showing the rear. As shown in FIG. 13, the second horizontal member 15 is set so that, in a state in which the tether flap 58 is inserted into the gap 90, the insertion opening 90E provided on the rear side of the gap 90 and into which the tip 58T of the tether flap 58 is inserted, and the base end 58B of the tether flap 58 are positioned at the same position in the first direction. That is, in a state in which the tether flap 58 is inserted into the gap 90, the position of the base end 58B of the tether flap 58 matches the position of the insertion opening 90E in the first direction. Therefore, the extension direction of the tether flap 58 from the base end 58B of the tether flap 58 to the insertion opening 90E of the tether flap 58 is vertical. By arranging the tether flap 58 so that it extends vertically from the base end 58B to the insertion opening 90E, the length of the tether flap 58 from the base end 58B to the insertion opening 90E can be fixed at the shortest length, and even if the tether flap 58 is pulled strongly forward or backward, the load on the tether flap 58 can be reduced and the tether flap 58 from the base end 58B to the insertion opening 90E will not loosen.
[0084] 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."
[0085] The above process is repeated to fix eight vehicle seats 9 (four seats x two rows, four sets) to the fixing base 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.
[0086] Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 1, the lower edge portion of the second outer frame 82 is engaged with the engaging portion 84 on the second side (short side) of the pallet 8, and then the lower edge portion of the first outer frame 81 is engaged with an engaging portion not shown and placed on the stand portion 83 to arrange it in a predetermined position, and with each clamped portion 68 of the end member 16 clamped between the lower edge portion of the first outer frame 81 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.
[0087] Through the above operation, the clamped portion 68 is ultimately 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-to-back direction FR on the pallet 8, and the movement of each fixing base 11 in the lateral direction W is restricted by the stand portion 83 provided on the protruding edge 86 and the side clamped portions 68C protruding from the front and rear ends of the fixing base 11, thereby forming a packaging structure 100 in which eight sheets 9 fixed to two fixing bases 11 are fixedly loaded in predetermined positions within the returnable rack formed by the pallet 8 and the first outer frame 81 and second outer frame 82.
[0088] The above-mentioned 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 in addition, the end member 16 on which the clamped portion 68 is formed is configured to be fitted from the front and rear ends 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 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.
[0089] (Main components and effects) The fixing base 11 (211) of the vehicle seat according to the present invention has the following features and effects.
[0090] (1) In the basic form, a set of vertical members 12, 13 (212) and one or two sets of horizontal members 14, 15 (214, 215) are formed into a lattice shape by being interlocked with each other at their intersections, and each vertical member and each horizontal member is formed from a single cardboard blank. Since the blank is folded along pre-machined lines to form the vertical members and horizontal members, and the fixing base can be formed simply by interlocking them with each other, material costs and manufacturing costs can be significantly reduced compared to conventional steel fixing materials.
[0091] Furthermore, the sheet can be fixed by utilizing the structure of the fixing base itself, and can be fixed to a general-purpose transport material (returnable rack) by utilizing the material of the cardboard, so there is no need to tighten the bolts or repeatedly slide the sheet for that purpose, which not only significantly improves workability during packaging, but also has the advantage of significantly improving workability when unpacking at the destination.
[0092] In addition, it is significantly lighter than steel fixing materials, and transportation costs, especially those for marine transportation, are significantly reduced. Moreover, when used as a one-way (disposable) packaging material, it has the advantage of being recyclable as paper resources.
[0093] Furthermore, while being lightweight, it is strong and durable enough for practical use, and compared to steel fixing materials, it has moderate cushioning properties, which has the advantage that external forces and vibrations acting on the seat during transportation are mitigated via the fixing materials.
[0094] (2) Each of the vertical members 12, 13 (212) is formed into a rectangular tubular shape extending in the first direction (L) from a cardboard blank 12', 13' whose flute direction (FL) is a direction intersecting the first direction (L), and the upper surface (21, 221) of each of the vertical members extending in the first direction includes a support surface on which the seat rail 94 of the vehicle seat 9 is placed.
[0095] With this configuration, the up-down direction of both side walls 22 (222) of each vertical member 12, 13 (212) is the flute direction of the cardboard, and the crossing direction of the upper wall continuing to the upper ends of both side walls via the bent parts (the direction connecting the upper ends of both side walls) is the flute direction of the cardboard, so that the compressive strength against the load of the sheet 9 is maximized. Also, the contact surface (support surface) with the sheet rail 94 is maximized, and the load of the sheet 9 can be distributed and stably supported.
[0096] (3) Each of the horizontal members 14, 15 (214, 215) is formed into a rectangular tube shape extending in the second direction from a cardboard blank 14', 15' whose flute direction (FL) is a direction intersecting the second direction, and the bottom surface of each of the horizontal members extending in the second direction is arranged on the same plane as the bottom surfaces of each of the vertical members and together form the bottom surface of the fixing base that comes into surface contact with the loading surface.
[0097] This structure ensures compressive strength in the longitudinal direction of each horizontal member, i.e., in the lateral direction of the fixing base 11 (211), and ensures dimensional stability of the spacing between the vertical members against external forces and vibrations, which is advantageous in ensuring the rigidity of the fixing base. In addition, the load of the sheet is distributed to the bottom surfaces of the fixing base vertical members and horizontal members, improving adhesion to the placement surface.
[0098] (4) The cross member includes a first cross member 14, 214 having a rail front end regulating portion (49, 249) that regulates the position of the front end of the seat rail of the vehicle seat placed on the upper surface of each vertical member, and a second cross member 15, 215 having a tether flap 58, 258 that is inserted into the gap 90 between the seat cushion 91 and the seat back 92 of the vehicle seat 9 to tether the rear of the vehicle seat 9.
[0099] With this configuration, the seat can be easily fixed by the structure of the fixing base itself. In particular, the seat is positioned on the support surface of the vertical member by regulating the position of the front end of the seat rail with the rail front end regulating portion, and the seat is tethered with the tether flap to regulate the upward and backward movement of the seat, so that the seat can be fixed onto the fixing base by only these steps.
[0100] (5) Each of the vertical members and each of the horizontal members are assembled by engaging complementary mating portions with each other at the intersections, and the mating portions of the horizontal members (14, 15, 215) include openings for receiving the vertical members and grooves (46, 47, 56, 57) extending from the openings to the side walls (42, 44, 52, 54) to engage with the side walls (22, 32) of the vertical members.
[0101] With this configuration, the side walls of the vertical members are clamped by the grooves that constitute the fitting portions of each horizontal member, and with the side walls of the horizontal members clamped by the grooves that constitute the fitting portions of each vertical member, the vertical members and horizontal members are fitted together, the rectangular cylindrical cross-sectional shapes of each vertical member and each horizontal member are fixed, and the cutout portions in each fitting portion are respectively distributed and made as small as possible, thereby forming a fixing base with good dimensional stability.
[0102] (6) 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 part 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 part of the side wall that fits into the side wall (52, 54) of the second horizontal member (15), and each of the vertical members (12, 13) is fitted into the second horizontal member (15) from above.
[0103] With this configuration, the second horizontal member is fitted to the underside of each vertical member on which the vehicle seat is placed, thereby utilizing the load of the seat itself to restrain the upward movement of the second horizontal member, and the seat can be securely tethered by the tether flap integrated with the second horizontal member.
[0104] (7) The openings (56, 57) of the second horizontal member (15) define rail rear end regulation portions (59, 561, 571) that regulate the position of the rear end portions of the seat rails.
[0105] With this configuration, the rail rear end regulating portion can be formed by utilizing the fitting structure, and there is no need to provide a separate notch or cut-out, making it possible to form a fixing base with a simple structure and a strong structure.
[0106] (8) The opening and the groove that define the fitting portion (46, 47) of the first horizontal member (14) are formed from the top wall (41) of the first horizontal member to the upper part of the side wall (42, 44), and the corresponding fitting portion (24, 34) of the vertical member (12, 13) includes an opening formed in the bottom wall (23) of the vertical member and a groove formed from the opening in the lower part of the side wall that fits into the side wall (42, 44) of the first horizontal member, and each of the vertical members (12, 13) is fitted into the first horizontal member (14) from above, and the opening of the first horizontal member (14) defines the rail front end regulating portion (49, 461, 471).
[0107] With this configuration, the first horizontal member is fitted to the underside of each vertical member on which the vehicle seat is placed, thereby utilizing the load of the seat itself to restrain the upward movement of the first horizontal member, thereby reliably regulating the front end of the seat rail. In addition, the fitting structure can be used to form a rail front end regulating portion, eliminating the need to provide additional notches or cut-outs, and allowing the construction of a simple and sturdy fixing base.
[0108] (9) The intermediate clamped portion 68C is arranged between one pair of vertical members 12, 13 and the other pair of vertical members 12, 13 in the two pairs of vertical members 12, 13, and the side clamped portion 68E is arranged eccentrically away from the intermediate clamped portion 68C with respect to the center in the second direction between the pair of vertical members 12, 13 of the one set.
[0109] With this configuration, vertical movement in the second direction of the fixing base 11 at the center and at both sides can be efficiently suppressed.
[0110] (10) The width dimension in the second direction of the side held portions 68E is set to be larger than the width dimension in the second direction of the middle held portion 68C.
[0111] When transporting the transport member, the vertical movement on both sides of the fixing base 11 in the second direction may be greater than the vertical movement in the central portion, but this configuration makes it possible to efficiently suppress the vertical movement on both sides of the fixing base 11 in the second direction.
[0112] (11) At the base end side of the tether flap 58, a cutout portion is arranged on at least one edge of the tether flap in the width direction, which is the second direction, so as to reduce the width dimension of the tether flap.
[0113] This configuration makes it easier for the tether flap 58 to bend and twist, making it easier to insert the tether flap 58 into the gap 90 between the rear of the seat cushion 91 and the lower part of the seat back 92.
[0114] (12) The tether flap 58 includes a first cutout portion 58C located at one widthwise edge of the tether flap 58 and a second cutout portion 58E located at the other widthwise edge, and the first cutout portion 58C and the second cutout portion 58E are located at different positions in the extension direction of the tether flap 58.
[0115] With this configuration, the ease with which the tether flap 58 bends and twists can be varied in the direction in which the tether flap 58 extends, making it even easier to insert the tether flap 58 into the gap 90 between the rear of the seat cushion 91 and the lower part of the seat back 92.
[0116] (13) In the extension direction of the tether flap 58, the first cutout portion 58C is positioned closer to the tip of the tether flap 58 than the second cutout portion 58E, and the base end portion 58CB of the first cutout portion 58C in the extension direction is set at the same position in the extension direction as the tip end portion 58ET of the second cutout portion 58E in the extension direction.
[0117] With this configuration, cutout portions 58C and 58E are continuous in the extension direction of the tether wrap 58, making it even easier to insert the tether flap 58 into the gap 90 between the rear of the seat cushion 91 and the lower part of the seat back 92.
[0118] (14) The second horizontal member 15 includes a high section 15H having a first upper wall 51H and a low section 15L having a second upper wall 51L between one vertical member 12 and the other vertical member 13 of the pair of vertical members 12, 13. In the second direction, the position of the first upper wall 51H is higher than the position of the second upper wall 51L. The side walls of the second horizontal member 15 include a first inner rear sidewall 55H bent downward from the rear edge of the first upper wall 51H of the high-rise portion 15H and a second inner rear sidewall 55L bent downward from the rear edge of the second upper wall 51L of the low-rise portion 15L, a first rear sidewall 54H bent upward from the rear edge of the bottom wall of the second horizontal member 15 to be overlapped from the outside on the first inner rear sidewall 55H, and a second rear sidewall 54L bent upward from the rear edge of the bottom wall of the second horizontal member 15 to be overlapped from the outside on the second inner rear sidewall 55L. The upper edge of the first rear sidewall 54H is at the same height as the upper edge of the first inner rear sidewall 55H, and the upper edge of the second rear sidewall 54L is at the same height as the upper edge of the second inner rear sidewall 55L. The base end 58B of the tether flap 58 is connected to the upper edge of the first rear side wall 54H and the upper edge of the second rear side wall 54L, the high-rise portion 15H is disposed on the side of the first cutout portion 58C of the tether flap 58, and the low-rise portion 15L is disposed on the side of the second cutout portion 58E. The high-rise portion 15H is set so that the first upper wall 51H overlaps the base end end portion 58CB of the first cutout portion 58C.
[0119] With this configuration, the high-rise portion 15H can reduce the amount of twisting of the tether flap 58 on the first cutout portion 58C side. In other words, the first inner rear side wall 55H of the high-rise portion 15H suppresses movement and twisting of the area of the tether flap 58 on the first cutout portion 58C side. On the other hand, the area of the tether flap 58 on the second cutout portion 58E side is easily movable back and forth because there is no high-rise portion 15H, and the amount of twisting and movement of the area of the tether flap 58 on the second cutout portion 58E side can be increased starting from the second cutout portion 58E. The tether flap 58 allows a small amount of twisting and bending at the first cutout portion 58C, and can generate an amount of twisting and bending with a certain degree of freedom at the second cutout portion 58E starting from the first cutout portion 58C. By providing different amounts of twisting and bending between first cutout portion 58C and second cutout portion 58E, it is possible to provide a degree of freedom for the region around second cutout portion 58E.
[0120] (15) The fixing base 11 has at least one pair of vertical members 12, 13 and at least two pairs of horizontal members 14, 15, each pair of the horizontal members 14, 15 being composed of one first horizontal member 14 and one second horizontal member 15, and the second set of horizontal members 14, 15 being arranged rearward of the first set of horizontal members 14, 15, thereby enabling at least two vehicle seats 9 to be fixed in a front-to-rear position, and the base end 58B of the tether flap 58 is connected to the rear side wall 54 which is bent upward from the rear edge of the bottom wall of the second horizontal member 15, and a predetermined gap L is provided between the first set of second horizontal members 15 and the second set of first horizontal members 14 in the first direction.
[0121] This configuration ensures a working space for pulling the tether flap 58 rearward and then inserting the tether flap 58 into the gap 90 between the rear of the seat cushion 91 and the lower part of the seat back 92, and allows the tether flap 58 to be twisted or bent with a certain degree of freedom. The root of the second cutout 58E provided in the tether flap 58 is less affected by the first cross member 14 of the second set as the second cross member 15 of the first set is separated from the first cross member 14 of the second set, allowing the tether flap 58 to be twisted or bent with a certain degree of freedom.
[0122] (Other Preferred Embodiments) The packaging structure for a vehicle seat according to the present invention further includes the following preferred embodiments.
[0123] The opening and groove that define the fitting portion of the first cross member are formed from the bottom wall of the first cross member to the lower part of the side wall, and the corresponding fitting portion of the vertical member includes an opening formed in the top wall of the vertical member and a groove formed from the opening to the upper part of the side wall and fitting into the side wall of the first cross member, the first cross member is fitted into each vertical member from above, and the opening that defines the rail front end regulating portion is formed in the side wall of the first cross member above and away from the groove.
[0124] the groove defining the fitting portion of the first horizontal member includes a first portion extending upward from the opening and a second portion extending in the second direction from an upper end of the first portion, and a protrusion is formed on a lower side of the second portion, and the fitting portion of the corresponding vertical member includes a second opening formed in a lower portion of the side wall; When the first horizontal member, which is fitted from above onto each of the vertical members, is displaced in the second direction, the protrusion engages with the second opening, preventing upward movement of the first horizontal member relative to each of the vertical members.
[0125] The fixing base further includes a key member that is engaged in a gap generated on the opposite side of the first portion of the groove to the second portion due to the displacement of the first cross member to prevent reverse displacement of the first cross member.
[0126] The fixing base includes an end member that is fitted onto the end of each vertical member from the first direction, extends in the second direction along the end of each vertical member, and has a clamped portion protruding in the first direction, and the front end member is formed from a corrugated board blank whose flute direction is a direction intersecting the second direction and has a multi-layer structure folded over via a bent portion extending in the second direction, and the end member includes a locking piece that protrudes in the opposite direction from the clamped portion and engages with a hole in the side wall of the first horizontal member to prevent reverse displacement of the first horizontal member.
[0127] In the above embodiment, the second horizontal member 15 has a stepped shape with low-rise parts 15L on both sides and a high-rise part 15H in the center that is higher than the low-rise parts 15L on both sides, but is not necessarily limited to this. The second horizontal member 15 may have a shape in which the low-rise parts 15L on both sides and the high-rise part 15H in the center are the same height and do not have a stepped shape.
[0128] In the embodiment described above, the tether flap 58 is formed integrally and continuously with the rear wall 54 on the rear side of the second horizontal member 15, but this is not necessarily limited to this. The tether flap 58 may be formed integrally and continuously with the front wall 52 on the front side of the second horizontal member 15. Also, the tether flap 58 may be connected to the front wall 52 as a separate body.
[0129] In the above embodiment, the multiple clamped portions 68C, 68E protruding in the first direction from the front and rear ends of the fixing base 11 are provided on the end member 16 attached to the front and rear ends of the pair of vertical members 12, 13, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. The fixing base may be in another form as long as it is a fixing base made of cardboard for fixing onto the mounting surface of the pallet 8 constituting the loading surface of the transport member.
[0130] In the above embodiment, the side sandwiched portion 68E is disposed eccentrically away from the middle sandwiched portion 68C with respect to the center in the second direction between the pair of vertical members 12, 13, but this is not necessarily limited to this. The side sandwiched portion 68E may be disposed at any position between the pair of vertical members 12, 13.
[0131] In the above embodiment, the width dimension in the second direction of the side held portion 68E is set to be larger than the width dimension in the second direction of the middle held portion 68C, but this is not necessarily limited to this. The width dimension in the second direction of the side held portion 68E may be the same as the width dimension in the second direction of the middle held portion 68C.
[0132] In the above embodiment, the two side clamped parts 68E are arranged close to the stand part 83 provided on the protruding edge 86, and when the fixing base 11 tries to move in the second direction on the loading surface of the pallet 8, the side clamped parts 68C come into contact with the stand part 83 to prevent the fixing base 11 from moving in the second direction, but this is not necessarily limited to this. The two side clamped parts 68E do not have to be arranged close to the stand part 83 provided on the protruding edge 86. This is because the clamped parts 68 are clamped between the protruding edge 86 of the pallet 8 and the lower edge part of the first outer frame 81, so that the movement of each fixing base 11 in the second direction can be restricted to some extent.
[0133] In the embodiment described above, the base end 58CB of the first cutout portion 58C in the extension direction of the tether flap 58 is at the same position in the extension direction as the tip end 58ET of the second cutout portion 58E in the extension direction of the tether flap 58, but this is not necessarily limited to this. The first cutout portion 58C and the second cutout portion 58E may be disposed at the same position in the extension direction. Also, the first cutout portion 58C and the second cutout portion 58E may be disposed at different positions in the extension direction.
[0134] In the above embodiment, the transport member is a versatile transport member (returnable rack) that has general-purpose uses, but is not necessarily limited to this. The transport member may be a non-versatile transport member.
[0135] 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.
[0136] For example, in each of the above embodiments, the end members 16, 216 having the clamped portions 68, 268 are provided at 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, the clamped portions can be formed at the ends of each vertical member by blanks of each vertical member. Also, even if the means for fixing the fixing base to the pallet is a means other than the clamped portions or a material other than cardboard, such as a packing band, various effects can be expected from the cardboard fixing base, such as reduced weight and reduced manufacturing costs. [Explanation of symbols]
[0137] 11, 211 Fixing base 12, 13, 212 Vertical members 14, 214 1st horizontal member 15, 215 2nd horizontal member 15H High-rise section 15L lower floor 16,216 End members 24, 25, 26, 34, 35, 36, 224, 225, 226 Fitting groove 46, 47, 56, 57, 246, 256 Fitting groove 49, 249 Rail front end regulation part 51H 1st upper wall 51L 2nd upper wall 54H 1st rear wall 54L 2nd rear wall 55H 1st inner rear wall 55L 2nd medial rear wall 58, 258 Tether flap 58T tip 58B Proximal end 58B1 1st proximal end 58B2 2nd proximal end 58C First cutout 58E Second cutout 58CT distal end 58CB Proximal end 58ET Tip end 58EB Proximal end 27, 37, 59, 227, 259 Rail rear end regulation part 66, 67, 266 Fitting groove 68, 268 Clamped part 68C Intermediate clamped part 68E Side clamped part 217 Key parts 83 Mounting section 90E Insertion port
Claims
1. A packaging structure for a vehicle seat having a pair of spaced apart seat rails, the packaging structure including a fixing base for fixing the vehicle seat onto a loading surface of a transport member, the fixing base comprising: A pair of vertical 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 formed in a lattice shape by being interlocked with each other at their intersections, the pair of vertical members and the plurality of horizontal members are each formed from a corrugated cardboard blank; The pair of vertical members are formed in a rectangular tubular shape, and upper surfaces of the pair of vertical members extending in the first direction include support surfaces on which the pair of seat rails of the vehicle seat are placed, The plurality of horizontal members are each formed into 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 include a first horizontal member disposed on the front side of the vehicle seat placed on the upper surfaces of the pair of vertical members, and a second horizontal member disposed on the rear side of the vehicle seat placed on the upper surfaces of the pair of vertical members, A tether flap is connected to the second horizontal member so as to be inserted into an insertion port from the rear of a gap between a seat cushion and a seat back of the vehicle seat and to anchor a rear portion of the vehicle seat, A base end of the tether flap connected to the second horizontal member extends in the second direction and is connected to the second horizontal member between the pair of vertical members; The tether flap extends from the base end in an extension direction that intersects with the second direction, A packaging structure for a vehicle seat, wherein a cutout portion is arranged on at least one edge of the tether flap in the width direction, which is the second direction, on the base end side of the tether flap, so as to reduce the dimension of the tether flap in the width direction.
2. the cutout portion includes a first cutout portion disposed at one end edge of the tether flap in the width direction and a second cutout portion disposed at the other end edge in the width direction, The packaging structure for a vehicle seat according to claim 1 , wherein the first cutout portion and the second cutout portion are disposed at different positions in the extension direction of the tether flap.
3. In the extension direction, the first cutout portion is disposed closer to a tip end of the tether flap than the second cutout portion, The packaging structure for a vehicle seat according to claim 2 , wherein a base end side end of the first cutout portion in the extending direction is at the same position in the extending direction as a tip end side end of the second cutout portion in the extending direction.
4. the second horizontal member includes a high-rise portion having a first upper wall and a low-rise portion having a second upper wall between one vertical member and the other vertical member of the pair of vertical members, and the position of the first upper wall is higher than the position of the second upper wall in the second direction; The side wall of the second cross member comprises: a first inner rear wall bent downward from a rear edge of the first upper wall of the high-rise portion and a second inner rear wall bent downward from a rear edge of the second upper wall of the low-rise portion; a first rear sidewall bent upward from a rear edge of a bottom wall of the second horizontal member and overlapped from an outer side with the first inner rear sidewall, and a second rear sidewall bent upward from a rear edge of the bottom wall of the second horizontal member and overlapped from an outer side with the second inner rear sidewall, an upper edge of the first rear side wall is at the same height as an upper edge of the first inner rear wall, and an upper edge of the second rear side wall is at the same height as an upper edge of the second inner rear wall, a proximal end of the tether flap is connected to an upper edge of the first rear wall and an upper edge of the second rear wall; the high-rise portion is disposed on the first cutout portion side of the tether flap, and the low-rise portion is disposed on the second cutout portion side, The packaging structure for a vehicle seat according to claim 3 , wherein the high-rise portion is configured such that the first upper wall overlaps the base end side end of the first cutout portion.
5. the fixing base includes at least one set of the pair of vertical members and at least two sets of horizontal members, each set of the horizontal members being composed of one of the first horizontal members and one of the second horizontal members, and a second set of horizontal members being disposed behind the first set of horizontal members, thereby enabling at least two vehicle seats to be fixed in a state of being placed in a front-to-rear arrangement; The base end of the tether flap is connected to a rear wall that is bent upward from a rear edge of the bottom wall of the second cross member, 2. The packaging structure for a vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein a predetermined gap is provided between the second horizontal member of the first set and the first horizontal member of the second set in the first direction.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
AUTOMOBILE SEAT PACKING METHOD AND PACKING STRUCTURE
JP3863863B2