Vehicle seat

Abstract

To provide a vehicle seat that is able to achieve both improvement in operability of a reclining operation and a reduction in the size of the whole vehicle-seat.SOLUTION: A vehicle seat 1 includes: a link mechanism 60 pivotally supported by a seat cushion 2 (cushion frame 20), a seat back 3 (back frame 30), and a leg rest 4 (leg frame 40); and a hinge pin 38 that can be engaged with and disengaged from the link mechanism 60. In a state where the vehicle seat 1 is between a seated position and a relaxed position, the hinge pin 38 is engaged with the link mechanism 60. As a result, the seat back 3 and the leg rest 4 can be tilted in conjunction with sliding movement of the seat cushion 2 with respect to a vehicle body Bd. Therefore, the vehicle seat 1 can achieve both improvement in the operability of a reclining operation and a reduction in the size of the entire vehicle-seat 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat, and more particularly to a vehicle seat that can achieve both improved operability in reclining operation and a reduction in the overall size of the vehicle seat. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art A vehicle seat that can be reclined by linking a back seat (seat back) and an ottoman (leg rest) is known (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-003632 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned conventional technology, the seat back and leg rest of the vehicle seat are interlocked, but the seat cushion is not interlocked. Therefore, in order to recline the entire seat, in addition to the operation of interlocking the seat back and leg rest to recline, an operation of separately reclining the seat cushion is required. Therefore, the reclining operation when reclining the entire vehicle seat is likely to be complicated. Also, when an electric reclining mechanism is provided and the positions of each part of the vehicle seat (seat cushion, seat back, and leg rest) are registered to reclin the entire vehicle seat, the operability of the reclining operation can be improved, but it is necessary to provide a reclining mechanism for each part, and the entire vehicle seat is likely to become large. In other words, there is a problem that it is not possible to improve the operability of the reclining operation and reduce the size of the entire vehicle seat at the same time.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a vehicle seat that can achieve both improved operability of the reclining operation and a compact overall vehicle seat. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve this object, the vehicle seat of the present invention comprises a seat cushion that is slidably arranged on the floor surface of the vehicle body, a seat back that is rotatably supported on the rear end side of the seat cushion and configured to be tiltable relative to the seat cushion, and a leg rest that is rotatably supported on the front end side of the seat cushion and configured to be tiltable relative to the seat cushion, and is provided with a linking means that links the sliding movement of the seat cushion, the tilting of the seat back, and the tilting of the leg rest, and the linking means is configured to tilt the seat back in a rearward tilting direction and tilt the leg rest in a direction that protrudes forward in conjunction with the forward sliding movement of the seat cushion, and to tilt the seat back in an upright direction and tilt the leg rest in a backward direction in conjunction with the rearward sliding movement of the seat cushion. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the vehicle seat of claim 1, the interlocking means is configured to tilt the seat back in a rearward tilting direction and tilt the leg rest in a forward projecting direction in conjunction with the forward sliding movement of the seat cushion, and to tilt the seat back in an upright direction and tilt the leg rest in a backward direction in conjunction with the rearward sliding movement of the seat cushion, so that the posture of the entire vehicle seat including the seat back and leg rest can be changed simply by sliding the seat cushion, thereby improving the operability of the reclining operation.

[0008] In addition, because the interlocking means allows the position of both the seat back and the leg rest to be changed in conjunction with the sliding movement of the seat cushion, it is not necessary to provide separate reclining mechanisms for changing the positions of the seat cushion, the seat back, and the leg rest, and the overall vehicle seat can be made more compact. As a result, it is possible to achieve both improved operability of the reclining operation and a more compact overall vehicle seat.

[0009] According to the vehicle seat of claim 2, in addition to the effect of the vehicle seat of claim 1, the plane on which the seat cushion slides is inclined downward from the front to the rear, so that when returning the seat cushion from the front to the rear, even if an extra force is required to raise the seat back in addition to the force to slide the seat cushion, the seat cushion can be easily slid by the weight of the seated person (can be easily returned). Therefore, the operability of the reclining operation can be improved.

[0010] According to the vehicle seat of claim 3, in addition to the effect of the vehicle seat of claim 2, since the downward inclination angle is 4° or less, even if the plane on which the seat cushion slides is inclined downward from the front to the rear, the inclination angle can be made gentler to facilitate the sliding movement of the seat cushion when changing from the rear to the front, and to facilitate the sliding movement when returning from the front to the rear. This improves the operability of the reclining operation.

[0011] According to the vehicle seat of claim 4, in addition to the effect of the vehicle seat of claim 1, the interlocking means includes a striker disposed on the vehicle body and a guide means disposed on the seat back for guiding the tilting of the seat back relative to the striker, so that the seat back can be supported by the striker while allowing the seat back to tilt in the upright direction and in the backward direction in conjunction with the sliding movement of the seat cushion, thereby improving the rigidity of the vehicle seat.

[0012] In addition, the vehicle seat is configured such that the interlocking means interlocks with the forward sliding movement of the seat cushion to tilt the seat back in a rearward tilting direction and tilt the leg rest in a forward projecting direction, so that when a seat occupant performs a reclining operation while leaning his / her back against the seat back, the guide means guides the seat back in a rearward tilting direction relative to the striker, and the portion of the seat back that is pivotally supported by the seat cushion moves forward. This makes it easier for the seat occupant's own weight (the weight of the seat occupant leaning against the seat back) to slide the seat cushion forward. As a result, the operability of the reclining operation can be improved.

[0013] According to the vehicle seat of claim 5, in addition to the effect of the vehicle seat of claim 4, the inner surface of the cover is connected to the end face of the first upright portion and the end face of the second upright portion, and therefore the load received by the first and second sliding portions from the striker can be distributed to the cover, thereby improving the strength of the guide means (cover, reinforcing member).

[0014] According to the vehicle seat of claim 6, in addition to the effect of the vehicle seat of claim 5, the locking mechanism can be switched between a locked state in which the claw disconnects the first path from the second path and an unlocked state in which the claw connects the first path to the second path by rotating the claw, so that the striker can be removed from the cover by rotating the claw. In this state, if the seat back is tilted forward, the operation of removing the striker (and the operation during the fall-down operation) can be completed on the seat back side. Therefore, the operability during the fall-down operation can be improved.

[0015] According to the vehicle seat of claim 7, in addition to the effect of the vehicle seat of claim 6, the interlocking means includes an engaging portion disposed on the seat back and a connecting member pivotally supported on each of the seat cushion, the seat back, and the leg rest, and the connecting member is disposed on the side where the seat back is tilted backward with respect to the engaging portion, so that the engaging portion and the connecting member can be engaged with each other by sliding the seat cushion to tilt the seat back backward or upright, thereby enabling the interlocking. Also, since the connecting member is not disposed on the side where the seat back is tilted backward with respect to the engaging portion, the engaging portion and the connecting member can be separated from each other by independently tilting only the seat back in the upright direction, thereby releasing the interlocking. As a result, the structure for engaging and releasing the engagement between the engaging portion and the connecting member can be simplified. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the parts can be reduced, and the number of steps for assembling the parts can be reduced. As a result, the manufacturing cost of the vehicle seat can be reduced.

[0016] Furthermore, when the locking mechanism is in an unlocked state and the seat back is tilted between the first position and the position overlapping the seat cushion, no members for restricting the movement of the seat back and the engagement portion are disposed on the trajectory along which the seat back and the engagement portion move. Therefore, the vehicle seat can be folded down simply by releasing the lock of the locking mechanism and tilting the seat back from the first position toward the position overlapping the seat cushion.

[0017] Furthermore, by tilting the seat back from the first position toward the position where it overlaps with the seat cushion, the engaging portion and the connecting member are separated from each other, and the interlocking can be released, so that the operation for releasing the interlocking during the fall-down operation is not required. Therefore, the operation during the fall-down operation can be simplified. As a result, the operability can be improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2]FIG. [Diagram 3] 3 is a top view of the seat frame as viewed in the direction of arrow III in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 4(a) is a side view of the seat frame as viewed in the direction of the arrow IVa in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4(b) is a view of the back frame as viewed in the direction of the arrow IVb in FIG. 4(a). [Diagram 5] 4(a) is a cross-sectional view of the back frame taken along line Va-Va in FIG. 4(a), and FIG. 4(b) is a cross-sectional view of the back frame taken along line Vb-Vb in FIG. 4(a). [Figure 6] 6(a) is a cross-sectional view of the back frame taken along line VIa-VIa in FIG. 5(a), and (b) is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the lock mechanism and the load input to the striker. [Figure 7] FIG. 2(a) is a perspective view of a first reinforcing member, and (b) is a perspective view of a second reinforcing member. [Figure 8] 1A is a schematic diagram of a seat frame in a seated position, FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram of the seat frame in a working position, and FIG. 1C is a schematic diagram of the seat frame in a relaxed position. [Figure 9] (a) is a side view of the cover in the seated position, (b) is a side view of the cover in the work position, and (c) is a side view of the cover in the relaxed position. [Figure 10] FIG. 4A is a side view of the seat frame in an unlocked state, and FIG. 4B is a side view of the seat frame in a folded-down state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle seat 1 in one embodiment of the present invention. Arrows FB, UD, and LR in the drawing indicate the front-rear direction, the up-down direction, and the left-right direction of the vehicle seat 1, respectively (the same applies to Figs. 2 to 10).

[0020] As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle seat 1 is a seat used in automobiles, railroad cars, and aircraft, and includes a seat cushion 2 that supports the buttocks of a seated person when seated, a seat back 3 that supports the back of the seated person, a leg rest 4 that supports the legs of the seated person, and a head rest 5 that supports the head of the seated person. In this embodiment, the vehicle seat 1 is a seat that is disposed on the left side (arrow L direction side) of the rear seats of the automobile, and is disposed so that the front of the vehicle seat 1 (arrow F direction) coincides with the front of the automobile. The vehicle seat 1 may be a seat in the third row or later of the automobile, or may be disposed on the right side (arrow R direction side) or in the center.

[0021] The reclining operation of the vehicle seat 1 can be performed in several ways: the operator (seater) operates the seat back 3, which changes the position of the seat cushion 2 and leg rest 4 in conjunction with the tilting of the seat back 3; or the operator operates the leg rest 4, which changes the position of the seat cushion 2 and seat back 3 in conjunction with the tilting of the leg rest 4. For ease of explanation, as an example, a method will be described in which the operator operates the seat cushion 2, which changes the position of the seat back 3 and leg rest 4 in conjunction with the sliding movement of the seat cushion 2.

[0022] The vehicle seat 1 is equipped with interlocking means (in this embodiment, a cover 32, a first reinforcing member 35, a second reinforcing member 36, a locking mechanism 39, a hinge pin 38, a link mechanism 60 and a striker 70 (see Figures 2 and 9)) that interlocks with the seat cushion 2 to slide relative to the floor surface Bd1 (see Figure 4(a)) of the vehicle body Bd, thereby tilting the seat back 3 in an upright direction and in a backward direction, and at the same time tilting the leg rest 4 in a direction that extends forward (in the direction of arrow F) and in a backward direction.

[0023] In the vehicle seat 1 of the present invention, the posture of the seat back 3 and the leg rest 4 can be changed by sliding the seat cushion 2 relative to the vehicle body Bd, so that the vehicle seat 1 as a whole can be made smaller than a vehicle seat provided with a reclining mechanism that changes the posture of each of the seat cushion 2, the seat back 3, and the leg rest 4. Therefore, the vehicle seat 1 can be adopted even in vehicles such as minicars and SUVs that have a relatively narrow interior space and only limited usable space.

[0024] In addition, the reclining operation of the entire vehicle seat 1 can be completed by simply sliding the seat cushion 2, without having to change the position of each of the seat cushion 2, the seat back 3, and the leg rest 4. Therefore, the vehicle seat 1 can improve the operability of the reclining operation.

[0025] Next, the seat frame 10, which is the framework of the vehicle seat 1, will be described with reference to Fig. 2, Fig. 3, and Fig. 4(a). Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the seat frame 10, Fig. 3 is a top view of the seat frame 10 as viewed from the direction of arrow III in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4(a) is a side view of the seat frame 10 as viewed from the direction of arrow IVa in Fig. 2. Note that in Figs. 2, 3, and 4(a), the frame of the headrest 5 in Fig. 1 and a plate-like plate disposed behind (in the direction B) the pipe 31 of the back frame 30 are omitted (similar to Figs. 5 and 10).

[0026] As shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4(a), the seat frame 10 comprises a steel cushion frame 20 which forms the framework of the seat cushion 2, a steel back frame 30 which is rotatably supported on the rear side (in the direction of arrow B) of the cushion frame 20 and which forms the framework of the seat back 3, a steel leg frame 40 which is rotatably supported on the front side (in the direction of arrow F) of the cushion frame 20 and which forms the framework of the leg rest 4, and a steel head frame (not shown) which forms the framework of the head rest 5.

[0027] The cushion frame 20 includes side frames 21, which are plate-like members arranged opposite to each other in the left-right direction (arrow LR direction) and extending in the front-rear direction (arrow FB direction), and a plurality of pipes 22 (three in this embodiment) connecting the two oppositely arranged side frames 21 in the opposing direction. The lower surface 23 of the side frame 21 is formed in a flat shape.

[0028] The lower surface 23 of the side frame 21 is supported by a seat slide 50 so that the entire cushion frame 20 can slide relative to a floor surface Bd1 of the vehicle body Bd.

[0029] In the vehicle seat 1, the back frame 30 and the link mechanism 60 are rotatably supported relative to the side frame 21 (cushion frame 20) by a first shaft 24 inserted through the rear end side of the side frame 21, and the leg frame 40 is rotatably supported relative to the side frame 21 by a second shaft 25 inserted through the front end side of the side frame 21. The axial directions of the first shaft 24 and the second shaft 25 extend in the left-right direction (the directions of the arrows LR) and are parallel to each other.

[0030] The back frame 30 comprises a cylindrical pipe 31 extending to form the sides of an approximately rectangular shape, a steel side frame 37 arranged on the lower end side of the pipe 31, and a cover 32 connected between the ends 31a, 31b of the pipe 31 and having a hollow interior.

[0031] The pipe 31 has an outer peripheral surface of one end 31a connected to the lower end of the cover 32 (see FIG. 5(b)), and includes a left side portion 31c extending downward (in the direction of arrow D) from the connected portion, a bottom portion 31d extending rightward (in the direction of arrow R) from the lower end of the left side portion 31c, a right side portion 31e extending upward (in the direction of arrow U) from the right end of the bottom portion 31d, and an upper portion 31f extending leftward (in the direction of arrow L) from the upper end of the right side portion 31e. The upper portion 31f includes the other end portion 31b penetrating the cover 32 in the lateral direction (left-right direction (in the direction of arrow LR)). The end portion 31b is a portion of the upper portion 31f located inside the cover 32 and a portion protruding leftward from the outer surface of the cover 32.

[0032] In this embodiment, the vehicle seat 1 defines a seating position where the seat cushion 2 (cushion frame 20) is located at the rearmost position (arrow B direction), and the seat back 3 (back frame 30) is most upright and the leg rest 4 (leg frame 40) is most retreated in the movable range associated with the interlocking (see FIG. 8(a)). The seat cushion 2 is located at the frontmost position (arrow F direction), and the seat back 3 is most tilted back and the leg rest 4 is most extended forward in the movable range associated with the interlocking (see FIG. 8(c)). The intermediate position between the seating position and the relaxing position is defined as a working position (see FIG. 8(b)). In addition, the operation of folding down the seat back 3 so that the headrest 5 side of the seat back 3 overlaps with the front (arrow F) side part of the seat cushion 2 is defined as a fall-down operation (see FIG. 10(a) and FIG. 10(b)).

[0033] The side frames 37 are plate-like members arranged opposite each other and spaced apart in the left-right direction (arrow LR direction), and their inner faces (faces facing the center of the seat frame 10) are disposed on the lower end sides of the left side part 31c and the right side part 31e of the pipe 31. The side frames 37 are rotatably supported by the first shaft 24 so that their outer faces (faces opposite to the faces facing the center of the seat frame 10) face the inner faces of the side frames 21. The side frames 37 are rotatably supported by the side frames 21, so that the seat back 3 (back frame 30) can be tilted in the upright direction and in the backward direction relative to the seat cushion 2 (cushion frame 20). The center of gravity of the back frame 30 and the seat back 3 is located rearward (arrow B direction) of the first shaft 24 when the vehicle seat 1 is between the seating position and the relaxing position.

[0034] A cylindrical hinge pin 38 protrudes outward from the outer surface of the side frame 37. When the vehicle seat 1 is located between the seated position and the relaxed position, the hinge pin 38 is located rearward (in the direction of arrow B) from the first shaft 24 and abuts against an upper (in the direction of arrow U) surface of an outer periphery 61a of a link bracket 61 described below. Furthermore, the hinge pin 38 is separated from the upper surface of the outer periphery 61a during a fall-down operation (when the seat back 3 is tilted forward from the seated position).

[0035] The cover 32 comprises a first cover 32a in which elongated holes 33a, 34a and slits 33b, 34b through which the striker 70 is inserted are formed, and a second cover 32b which is joined to the first cover 32a to form a space inside (see Figures 4(b), 5(a) and 6(a)).

[0036] The leg frame 40 comprises side frames 41 arranged opposite each other and spaced apart in the left-right direction (direction of arrows LR), and a number of pipes 42 (three in this embodiment) connecting the two opposite side frames 41 in opposing directions.

[0037] The side frame 41 is a plate-like member extending in the longitudinal direction, and one end side is rotatably supported by the second shaft 25 of the cushion frame 20. One end of a link bar 62 (described later) that rotatably supports the side frame 41 by a third shaft 64 is connected to the other end side of the side frame 41 relative to the position where the side frame 41 is supported by the second shaft 25.

[0038] The seat slide 50 is disposed on a base portion that protrudes upward (in the direction of the arrow U) from a floor surface Bd1 of the vehicle body Bd. The seat slide 50 supports the seat cushion 2 (cushion frame 20) so as to be slidable relative to the floor surface Bd1 of the vehicle body Bd.

[0039] The seat slide 50 includes a slide rail 51 fixed to a base portion of the floor surface Bd1 and extending in the longitudinal direction, a slide portion 52 supported by the slide rail 51 so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction on the slide rail 51, and a slide lock operation portion (not shown) that enables restriction and release of the sliding movement of the slide portion 52. The lower surface 23 of the side frame 21 is fixed to an upper surface 52a of the slide portion 52.

[0040] The slide portion 52 is provided with a lock claw (not shown) which is capable of entering and exiting a lock hole (not shown) formed in the slide rail 51. When the slide lock operating unit is not operated, the lock claw is inserted into the lock hole, restricting the sliding movement of the seat cushion 2 (cushion frame 20) relative to the vehicle body Bd, and when the slide lock operating unit is operated, the insertion of the lock claw into the lock hole is released, allowing the sliding movement of the seat cushion 2 (cushion frame 20) relative to the vehicle body Bd.

[0041] In this embodiment, there are three positions for slide locking: the seating position, the work position, and the relaxation position. The relative position of the slide part 52 to the slide rail 51 in each position is such that in the seating position, it is located at the rearmost position (in the direction of arrow B) (see FIG. 8(a)), in the relaxation position, it is located at the forwardmost position (in the direction of arrow F) (see FIG. 8(c)), and in the work position, it is located at an intermediate position between the seating position and the relaxation position (see FIG. 8(b)).

[0042] The slide plane 53 along which the seat cushion 2 (cushion frame 20) slides relative to the vehicle body Bd is inclined downward from the front (arrow F direction) side of the cushion frame 20 toward the rear (arrow B direction) side. The angle θ1 of the downward inclination is set to 4°. At this time, the angle θ1 is the angle between the slide plane 53 and the floor surface Bd1 of the vehicle body Bd excluding the base portion. The floor surface Bd1 of the vehicle body Bd is a plane whose surface excluding the base portion is perpendicular to the direction of gravity and parallel to the flat ground.

[0043] By setting the angle θ1 to 4°, when the seat cushion 2 is slid from the front (arrow F direction) to the rear (arrow B direction), the seated occupant's weight can be used to facilitate the rearward sliding movement. Conversely, when the seat cushion 2 is slid from the rear to the front, the force transmitted to the seat cushion 2 from the weight of the occupant applied to the seat back 3 as a starting point can be used to adequately slide the seat cushion 2 forward. This facilitates the sliding movement of the seat cushion 2, improving the operability of the reclining operation. In this embodiment, the angle θ1 is set to 4°, but it may be less than 4°.

[0044] The link mechanism 60 includes a link bracket 61, one end of which is rotatably supported on the side frame 21 by the first shaft 24, and a link bar 62, which is rotatably supported on the other end of the link bracket 61 via a link shaft 63 and extends from the rear (direction of arrow B) to the front (direction of arrow F) of the vehicle seat 1. The link bar 62 is rotatably supported on the side frame 41 by a third shaft 64 at the opposite end of the link shaft 63. The side frame 37, the side frame 21, and the link bracket 61 are supported on the first shaft 24 from the inside to the outside of the vehicle seat 1 in the order of the side frame 37, the side frame 21, and the link bracket 61.

[0045] The link bracket 61 is a plate-like steel member formed in a C-shape. The link bracket 61 is pivotally supported by the side frame 21 via the first shaft 24 so that the inner surface of one end of the link bracket 61 faces the outer surface of the side frame 21. When viewed from above, the link bracket 61 is curved from the outer surface of the side frame 21 to the inner surface of the side frame 21 from one end to the other end, and the other end of the link bracket 61 is located inside the side frame 21. Since the link bar 62 is pivotally supported by the other end of the link bracket 61, the link bar 62 can be disposed inside the side frame 21 and the seat slide 50 disposed below the side frame 21. As a result, the link bar 62 is prevented from protruding outward from the seat slide 50, and the size of the vehicle seat 1 in the left-right direction (arrow LR direction) can be reduced. Therefore, the vehicle seat 1 can be made compact.

[0046] When the vehicle seat 1 is between the seated position and the relaxed position, the upper (arrow U direction) surface of the outer periphery 61a on the side where the hinge pin 38 of the link bracket 61 is arranged is straight when viewed from the side (see Figure 4(a)).

[0047] The link bar 62 is a member that transmits a force to the leg frame 40 (side frame 41) when the link bracket 61 is rotated around the axis O1 of the first shaft 24. The other end of the link bar 62 is supported by the link bracket 61 via the link shaft 63, and one end of the link bar 62 is supported by the side frame 41 via the third shaft 64. Since the link bracket 61 is rotatably supported by the cushion frame 20 via the first shaft 24, when a load is input (pressed) to the outer periphery 61a from the hinge pin 38, the link bracket 61 receives a force in a direction perpendicular to the surface on the upper side (arrow U direction) of the outer periphery 61a, and is rotated in a clockwise direction in a side view (see FIG. 4(a)). Since the link bar 62 is supported by the link bracket 61, the link bracket 61 transmits the load input to the link bracket 61 in a direction in which the link bar 62 pushes the side frame 41.

[0048] The striker 70 will be described with reference to Fig. 4(b). Fig. 4(b) is an arrow view of the back frame 30 as seen from the direction of the arrow IVb in Fig. 4(a). In Fig. 4(b), the first reinforcing member 35, the second reinforcing member 36, the locking mechanism 39, and the pipe 31 arranged in the cover 32 are omitted.

[0049] 4(b), the striker 70 is a steel member formed by bending a cylindrical rod into a substantially U-shape and fixed to the vehicle body Bd, and includes an insertion portion 71 extending from a wall portion Bd2 of the vehicle body Bd toward the cover 32, a connection portion 72 continuing with the insertion portion 71 and extending rearward (in the direction of arrow B) from one end of the insertion portion 71, and a non-insertion portion 73 continuing with the other end of the connection portion 72 and extending from the other end toward the wall portion Bd2 of the vehicle body Bd. The insertion portion 71 and the non-insertion portion 73 are parallel to each other and are connected therebetween by the connection portion 72.

[0050] When the vehicle seat 1 is between the seated position and the relaxed position, the striker 70 passes through the path formed between the first portion 35b1 and the sliding portion 36b, and at the same time passes through the long hole 33a (see Figs. 9(a) to 9(c)). At this time, the tip side of the insertion portion 71 inserted into the long hole 33a of the side portion 33 is positioned inside the cover 32. The portion of the connecting portion 72 on the insertion portion 71 side is positioned inside the cover 32, and the portion on the non-insertion portion 73 side protrudes outward from the cover 32 from the long hole 34a of the standing portion 34 on the rear side (arrow B direction). The non-insertion portion 73 is positioned outside the cover 32.

[0051] In the vehicle seat 1, the seat back 3 is rotatably supported on the seat cushion 2, and a striker 70 is inserted between the first portion 35b1 and the slide portion 36b arranged in the long holes 33a, 34a of the cover 32 of the seat back 3 (back frame 30). Therefore, by supporting the seat back 3 at two points, the portion where the seat back 3 is supported on the seat cushion 2 and the portion where the striker 70 is inserted into the seat back 3, it is possible to improve the rigidity of the entire vehicle seat 1 while allowing the seat back 3 to tilt in an upright direction and in a backward direction.

[0052] The first cover 32a and the second cover 32b will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5(a) is a cross-sectional view of the back frame 30 taken along line Va-Va in Fig. 4(a), and Fig. 5(b) is a cross-sectional view of the back frame 30 taken along line Vb-Vb in Fig. 4(a). Fig. 5(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane parallel to the floor surface Bd1 of the vehicle body Bd, and Fig. 5(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane perpendicular to the direction in which the left side portion 31c of the pipe 31 extends. In Fig. 5(b), the lock mechanism 39 is omitted.

[0053] As shown in Fig. 5(a) and Fig. 5(b), the first cover 32a and the second cover 32b are formed in a C-shape in cross section. The first cover 32a includes a side portion 33 forming an outer surface on the left side (arrow L direction side) of the first cover 32a in the seating position, and an erected portion 34 erected on the right side (arrow R direction side) from both ends in the front-rear direction (arrow FB direction) of the side portion 33. The inner surface of the first cover 32a is composed of an inner surface 32a1 formed by the erected portion 34 located on the front (arrow F direction) side of the erected portion 34, an inner surface 32a2 formed by the side portion 33, and an inner surface 32a3 formed by the erected portion 34 located on the rear (arrow B direction) side of the erected portion 34.

[0054] The first cover 32a and the second cover 32b have their respective ends, each of which is roughly C-shaped, joined between the outer surface of one end of the first cover 32a and the inner surface of one end of the second cover 32b, and joined between the inner surface of the other end of the first cover 32a and the outer surface of the other end of the second cover 32b.

[0055] In the inner space formed by the first cover 32a and the second cover 32b, a first reinforcing member 35, a second reinforcing member 36, and a locking mechanism 39 are disposed (see FIG. 6(a)). Since the cover 32 is composed of multiple members, the first cover 32a and the second cover 32b, it is easier to assemble the first reinforcing member 35, the second reinforcing member 36, and the locking mechanism 39 in the inner space than in a cover that is a single cylindrical member.

[0056] Since the ends of the first cover 32a and the second cover 32b are joined in a staggered manner, even if the dimensional accuracy of either the first cover 32a or the second cover 32b is low, the position of the other cover can be adjusted to make it easy to assemble them to each other.

[0057] The first cover 32a and the second cover 32b sandwich the outer circumferential surface of one end 31a of the pipe 31 between the inner surfaces of their lower ends (see FIG. 5(b)). Therefore, the load received by the first cover 32a and the second cover 32b can be dispersed to the one end 31a. As a result, the strength of the first cover 32a and the second cover 32b can be improved.

[0058] The long hole 33a has a shape that extends in the up-down direction (arrow UD direction). A first reinforcing member 35 is disposed on an inner surface 33a1 on the front (arrow F direction) side and the inner surface on the upper (arrow U direction) side that extend in the up-down direction of the long hole 33a, and a second reinforcing member 36 is disposed on an inner surface 33a2 on the rear (arrow B direction) side that extends in the up-down direction of the long hole 33a. A space between a first portion 35b1 (described later) of the first reinforcing member 35 and a sliding portion 36b (described later) of the second reinforcing member 36 forms a path through which the striker 70 passes when the vehicle seat 1 is between the seated position and the relaxed position (see FIG. 9).

[0059] A slit 33b is formed at the lower end of the long hole 33a, which is connected to the long hole 33a and extends from the connected portion toward the erected portion 34 on the rear (arrow B direction) side of the cover 32 (first cover 32a) and opens into the erected portion 34. The width L3 (see FIG. 6(a)) of the slit 33b is set to be larger than the opposing distance L2 between a first portion 35b1 of the first reinforcing member 35 and a slide portion 36b of the second reinforcing member 36, which will be described later. The opposing distance L2 is set to be larger than the outer diameter L1 (see FIG. 4(b)) of the striker 70.

[0060] Since the opposing distance L2 is set to be larger than the outer diameter L1 of the striker 70, when the striker 70 passes between the first portion 35b1 and the sliding portion 36b, the striker 70 can come into contact with only one of the first portion 35b1 and the sliding portion 36b. This makes it easier for the striker 70 to slide between the first portion 35b1 and the sliding portion 36b.

[0061] Furthermore, the width L3 is set to be larger than the opposing distance L2 and sufficiently larger than the outer diameter L1 of the striker 70, so that when the vehicle seat 1 is in either position between the seated position and the relaxed position, the striker 70 can be easily inserted into the long hole 33a through the opening of the slit 33b.

[0062] The standing portion 34 on the rear side (arrow B direction) is formed with a long hole 34a that extends in the vertical direction (arrow UD direction) and forms a path through which the striker 70 passes when the seat back 3 is between the seating position and the relaxing position. The long hole 34a is connected to the long hole 34a at its lower end, and the slit 34b is formed so as to extend from the connecting portion toward the side portion 33 of the cover 32 (first cover 32a) and open on the side portion 33 to be connected to the slit 33b. The width L4 of the long hole 34a is set to be larger than the opposing distance L2 between the first portion 35b1 and the sliding portion 36b. The width L5 of the slit 34b is set to be approximately the same as the width L3 of the slit 33b.

[0063] Since the width L4 of the elongated hole 34a is set to be larger than the facing distance L2, the striker 70 is less likely to come into contact with the inner surface of the elongated hole 34a when passing between the first portion 35b1 and the sliding portion 36b. This makes it possible to reduce the risk of damage to the first cover 32a caused by the striker 70 coming into contact with the inner surface of the elongated hole 34a.

[0064] Furthermore, width L5 is set to be approximately the same as width L3 and sufficiently larger than outer diameter L1 of striker 70, so that when the vehicle seat 1 is in either position between the seated position and the relaxed position, striker 70 can be easily inserted into the long hole 34a through the opening of slit 34b.

[0065] The lock mechanism 39 will be described with reference to Fig. 5 and Fig. 6(a). Fig. 6(a) is a cross-sectional view of the back frame 30 taken along line VIa-VIa in Fig. 5(a). The back frame 30 includes a lock mechanism 39 disposed on the first cover 32a. The lock mechanism 39 is configured to be switchable between a locked state in which the striker 70 forms part of the surface along which the striker 70 slides and an unlocked state in which the striker does not form part of the surface when the vehicle seat 1 is between the seated position and the relaxed position.

[0066] The locking mechanism 39 includes a hook-shaped claw 39a, an axis portion 39b that rotatably supports the claw 39a relative to the first cover 32a, and a lock operating portion (not shown) that is operated by the seat occupant to switch between a locked state and an unlocked state.

[0067] The claw 39a has an abutment surface 39a1, which is the surface against which the striker 70 abuts when the vehicle seat 1 is between the seated position and the relaxed position, disposed at the communicating portion between the slot 33a and the slit 33b. At this time, the abutment surface 39a1 is located on a substantial extension of the surface of the sliding portion 36b against which the striker 70 slides. The abutment surface 39a1 forms a substantially triangular tip together with a rear surface 39a2, which is the surface opposite to the abutment surface 39a1.

[0068] When the vehicle seat 1 is between the seated position and the relaxed position, the contact surface 39a1 is located on a substantial extension of the surface of the slide portion 36b on which the striker 70 slides, so that the sliding between the slide portion 36b of the striker 70 and the contact surface 39a1 can be improved (there is little chance of it getting caught). This improves the operability when tilting the seat back 3 in the upright direction and in the backward direction.

[0069] The shaft portion 39b passes through a shaft hole 35g of the first reinforcing member 35 and penetrates the first cover 32a, and is rotatable relative to the first reinforcing member 35 and the first cover 32a.

[0070] A spring 39b1 is provided on the shaft 39b to bias the tip of the claw 39a in a rotational direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 6(a)) toward the lock restriction portion 36g. When the tip of the claw 39a comes into contact with the lock restriction portion 36g of the second reinforcing member 36, further rotation of the claw 39a is restricted.

[0071] When the lock mechanism 39 is in the locked state, the claw 39a blocks the communicating portion between the elongated hole 33a and the slit 33b (see FIG. 9), so that the striker 70 is prevented from passing through the slit 33b and being removed from the cover 32.

[0072] When the locking mechanism 39 is in an unlocked state, the claw 39a opens the communicating portion between the long hole 33a and the slit 33b (see FIG. 10(a)), so that the striker 70 can pass through the slits 33b, 34b and be removed from the cover 32. Therefore, the fall-down operation can be performed simply by tilting the seat back 3 while operating the lock operating portion to unlock the locking mechanism 39. This improves operability during the fall-down operation.

[0073] 6(b), the relationship between the contact surface 39a1 of the locking mechanism 39 and the load W input from the striker 70 to the locking mechanism 39 will be described. FIG. 6(b) is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the locking mechanism 39 and the load W input to the striker 70.

[0074] The axis O1 represents the axis of the shaft (first shaft 24) about which the seat back 3 is supported by the seat cushion 2 and rotates, the axis O2 represents the axis about which the claw 39a rotates relative to the first cover 32a, and the abutment point P1 represents the point of contact where the striker 70 abuts against the abutment surface 39a1 of the claw 39a of the lock mechanism 39 in the seating position of the vehicle seat 1. The imaginary circle C1 is a virtual circle centered on the axis O1 and passing through the abutment point P1, and the imaginary circle C2 is a virtual circle centered on the axis O2 and passing through the abutment point P1. The arrow Ro represents the direction in which the claw 39a is rotated in the unlocking direction at the abutment point P1.

[0075] In the lock mechanism 39, when the vehicle seat 1 is in the seating position, the striker 70 is fixed to the wall Bd2 of the vehicle body Bd. When a load is applied in a direction to tilt the seat back 3 (back frame 30) forward, a load W is input to the striker 70 in a direction opposite to the direction to tilt the seat back 3 forward and toward the tangent direction of the imaginary circle C1. Since the striker 70 and the contact surface 39a1 contact each other at the contact point P1, the load W is resolved into a component force that is directed from the contact point P1 in the normal direction of the contact surface 39a1 and a component force that is directed in a parallel direction. When viewed in the axial direction of the axis O1, the angle between the surface of the contact surface 39a1 above the contact point P1 (the side in the direction of the arrow U) and the direction in which the load W is input is greater than 45° and less than 135°. In this case, the load W has a normal component and a parallel component, of which the normal component is larger. In this embodiment, the locking mechanism 39 has an angle θ2 of approximately 90° between the arrow Ro, which is the direction in which the claw 39a rotates in the unlocking direction, and the component force W1. In this embodiment, θ2 is approximately 90°, but the angle θ2 may also be an obtuse angle (90°<θ2<180°).

[0076] Since the angle θ2 between the component force W1 and the direction in which the locking mechanism 39 is rotated (arrow Ro) is set to approximately 90°, even if a load W is input from the striker 70 to the contact surface 39a1 in the rotation direction of the axis O1 of the first shaft 24, the component force W1 is unlikely to act in the direction of the arrow Ro. This makes it difficult to rotate the claw 39a in the unlocking direction. As a result, it is possible to make it difficult to unlock the locking mechanism 39 against a load input from the rear (arrow B direction) to the front (arrow F direction) of the seat back 3 in the seating position.

[0077] The first reinforcing member 35 and the second reinforcing member 36 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7(a) is a perspective view of the first reinforcing member 35, and Fig. 7(b) is a perspective view of the second reinforcing member 36.

[0078] As shown in Fig. 7(a), the first reinforcing member 35 is a steel member and includes a flat plate-like base 35a and a slide portion 35b suspended from the base 35a. That is, the base 35a is suspended from the slide portion 35b. The base 35a is formed with a shaft hole 35g in which a shaft portion 39b of the locking mechanism 39 is rotatably supported. An end face 35c of the base 35a on the side opposite to the side on which the slide portion 35b is suspended is shaped to correspond to the inner surface 32a1 of the first cover 32a and abuts against the inner surface 32a1 (see Fig. 6(a)).

[0079] The sliding portion 35b includes a first portion 35b1 extending parallel to the direction in which the striker 70 slides when the vehicle seat 1 is between the seated position and the relaxed position, a second portion 35b2 curving from one end of the first portion 35b1 and extending in a direction perpendicular to the first portion 35b1, a first contact portion 35d extending from the other end of the first portion 35b1 along the outer edge of the base portion 35a, and a second contact portion 35e extending from the second portion 35b2 along the outer edge of the base portion 35a. The first contact portion 35d and the second contact portion 35e are in contact with the inner surface 32a2.

[0080] The length by which the first contact portion 35d and the second contact portion 35e extend vertically from the base portion 35a is shorter than the length by which the first portion 35b1 and the second portion 35b2 extend vertically from the base portion 35a.

[0081] The first portion 35b1 has a shape corresponding to the inner surface 33a1 on the front side (arrow F direction) of the long hole 33a, and the second portion 35b2 has a shape corresponding to the inner surface on the upper side (arrow U direction) of the long hole 33a. The first portion 35b1 abuts against the inner surface 33a1 (see Fig. 5(a), Fig. 6(a) and Fig. 9). The first portion 35b1 is a portion against which the striker 70 slides when the seat back 3 is tilted in the upright direction when the vehicle seat 1 is between the seated position and the relaxed position. The first portion 35b1 is also a portion against which the striker 70 slides when the seat back 3 is tilted in the backward direction when the vehicle seat 1 is between the seated position and the relaxed position and the seat occupant is leaning against the seat back 3. Further, depending on the direction of the load applied to the seat back 3, either the first portion 35b1 or the sliding portion 36b can become a sliding portion relative to the striker 70.

[0082] Since the end face 35c of the first reinforcing member 35 abuts against the inner face 32a1, when the seat back 3 is tilted in the upright direction, the load input from the striker 70 to the first part 35b1 is transmitted in this order to the first part 35b1, the end face 35c of the base part 35a, and the inner face 32a1 of the first cover 32a, thereby dispersing the load. As a result, the strength of the first reinforcing member 35 and the first cover 32a can be improved.

[0083] Since the first portion 35b1 of the first reinforcing member 35 abuts against the inner surface 33a1, when the seat back 3 is tilted in the upright direction, the load input from the striker 70 to the first portion 35b1 is transmitted from the first portion 35b1 to the inner surface 33a1 of the long hole 33a, thereby dispersing the load. As a result, the strength of the first reinforcing member 35 can be improved.

[0084] 7(b), the second reinforcing member 36 is a steel member and includes a flat plate-like base portion 36a and a sliding portion 36b suspended from the base portion 36a. That is, the base portion 36a is suspended from the sliding portion 36b.

[0085] The base 36a has a pipe hole 36h through which the end 31b of the upper part 31f of the pipe 31 is inserted and joined to the upper part 31f. Thus, the load input to the second reinforcing member 36 can be distributed by transmitting the load to the pipe 31. As a result, the strength of the second reinforcing member 36 can be improved.

[0086] A lock restricting portion 36g is vertically attached to the base 36a on the side opposite to the side on which the slide portion 36b is vertically attached. The lock restricting portion 36g is a portion against which the tip of the claw 39a of the locking mechanism 39 abuts, restricting the rotation of the claw 39a due to the bias of the spring 39b1. A recess 36e is formed in the center of the base 36a, recessed in the direction in which the slide portion 36b is vertically attached. The recess 36e is a portion that prevents the base 36a from bending due to a load received in the direction from the slide portion 36b toward the base 36a.

[0087] The slide portion 36b extends parallel to the direction in which the striker 70 slides when the vehicle seat 1 is between the seated position and the relaxed position. An end face 36c of the base 36a opposite to the side on which the slide portion 36b is vertically attached is shaped to correspond to the inner face 32a3 of the first cover 32a, and abuts against the inner face 32a3 (see FIG. 6(a)).

[0088] The slide portion 36b has a shape corresponding to the inner surface 33a2 on the rear side (direction of arrow B) of the long hole 33a, and abuts against the inner surface 33a2 (see Figs. 5(a), 6(a) and 9). The slide portion 36b is a portion against which the striker 70 slides when the seat back 3 is tilted backward with the vehicle seat 1 between the seated position and the relaxed position.

[0089] Since the end face 36c of the second reinforcing member 36 abuts against the inner face 32a3, when the seat back 3 is tilted backward, the load input from the striker 70 to the slide portion 36b is transmitted in this order to the slide portion 36b, the end face 36c of the base portion 36a, and the inner face 32a3 of the first cover 32a, thereby dispersing the load. As a result, the strength of the second reinforcing member 36 and the first cover 32a can be improved.

[0090] Since the slide portion 36b of the second reinforcing member 36 abuts against the inner surface 33a2, when the seat back 3 is tilted backward, the load input from the striker 70 to the slide portion 36b is transmitted from the slide portion 36b to the inner surface 33a2 of the long hole 33a, thereby dispersing the load. As a result, the strength of the second reinforcing member 36 can be improved.

[0091] The first reinforcing member 35 and the second reinforcing member 36 are welded to each other at welded portions 35f, 36f (see Figs. 5(b) and 6(a)). Therefore, a load input to one side of the first reinforcing member 35 or the second reinforcing member 36 can be transmitted to the other side of the first reinforcing member 35 or the second reinforcing member 36, thereby dispersing the load. As a result, the strength of the first reinforcing member 35 and the second reinforcing member 36 can be improved.

[0092] Next, the interlocking operation of the vehicle seat 1 (seat frame 10) will be described with reference to Figs. 8 and 9. Fig. 8(a) is a schematic diagram of the seat frame 10 in the seating position, Fig. 8(b) is a schematic diagram of the seat frame 10 in the work position, and Fig. 8(c) is a schematic diagram of the seat frame 10 in the relax position. Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of the seat frame 10 viewed from the same direction (arrow IVa in Fig. 2) as Fig. 4(a). Fig. 9(a) is a side view of the cover 32 in the seating position, Fig. 9(b) is a side view of the cover 32 in the work position, and Fig. 9(c) is a side view of the cover 32 in the relax position. Fig. 9 is a diagram for explaining the cover 32 part in the seating position, the work position, and the relax position in Fig. 8.

[0093] For ease of explanation, FIG. 9 illustrates the manner in which the vehicle seat 1 moves from the seated position to the relaxed position (i.e., the manner in which the striker 70 slides against the claw 39a and the sliding portion 36b); however, when moving from the relaxed position to the seated position, the striker 70 slides against the first portion 35b1.

[0094] First, a procedure for moving the vehicle seat 1 from the seating position to the relaxing position will be described. Note that since the movement from the seating position to the working position and the movement from the relaxing position to the working position are similar to the movement from the seating position to the relaxing position and the movement from the relaxing position to the seating position, the movement from the seating position to the relaxing position and the movement from the relaxing position to the seating position will be described, and a description of the movement to the working position, which is an intermediate position, will be omitted.

[0095] 8 and 9, in the seated position, the seated person releases the slide lock and slides the cushion frame 20 (seat cushion 2) forward (in the direction of arrow F). Since a striker 70 is inserted through the back frame 30 (seat back 3), the seat back 3 moves while the slide portion 36b and the claw 39a of the second reinforcing member 36 are in contact with the striker 70. The force received by the slide portion 36b and the claw 39a from the striker 70 causes the seat back 3 to tilt backward around the axis O1 of the first shaft 24.

[0096] At this time, if the seat occupant leans back to push the seat back 3 backward (in the direction of arrow B), the seat back 3 is supported by the striker 70, so the portion of the seat back 3 that is pivotally supported by the first shaft 24 is pushed forward. This makes it easier for the seat cushion 2 to slide forward. As a result, the operability of the reclining operation can be improved.

[0097] When the vehicle seat 1 is between the seated position and the relaxed position, the center of gravity of the seat back 3 is located rearward (in the direction of arrow B) of the axis O1 of the first shaft 24, and the upper (in the direction of arrow U) surface of the outer periphery 61a of the link bracket 61 is located below the hinge pin 38 (in the direction of arrow D), so that the weight of the back frame 30 causes the hinge pin 38 to abut against the upper (in the direction of arrow U) surface of the outer periphery 61a of the link bracket 61.

[0098] When the seat back 3 is tilted backward, the hinge pin 38 pushes the upper (arrow U direction) surface of the outer periphery 61a of the link bracket 61 downward (arrow D direction). The link bracket 61 pushed by the hinge pin 38 rotates in a pushing direction (clockwise in Fig. 8(a) to Fig. 8(c)) about the axis O1 of the first shaft 24. The link bar 62 pushed by the link bracket 61 is pushed in a direction pushing the leg frame 40 (side frame 41) forward (arrow F direction) while the angle is adjusted by the link shaft 63. The hinge pin 38, link bracket 61, link bar 62, and link shaft 63 are arranged in pairs in the left-right direction (arrow LR direction) and have the same configuration and operate in the same manner.

[0099] The side frame 41 and link bar 62 of the leg frame 40 are supported by a third shaft 64, and one end of the side frame 41 and the cushion frame 20 (seat cushion 2) are supported by a second shaft 25, so that the leg rest 4 is rotated around the second shaft 25 (clockwise in Figure 8) relative to the seat cushion 2 and tilted in the direction protruding forward (in the direction of arrow F).

[0100] Next, a procedure for moving the vehicle seat 1 from the relaxation position to the seating position will be described. As shown in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9, in the relaxation position, the seated person operates the slide lock operating part of the seat slide 50 while standing up from a posture in which the back is leaned against the back frame 30 (seat back 3), and releases the slide lock. At this time, the seated person changes his / her posture and shifts his / her weight, causing the seat cushion 2 to slide backward (in the direction of arrow B). Since the striker 70 is inserted in the seat back 3, the seat back 3 is moved while the first portion 35b1 of the first reinforcing member 35 is abutted against the striker 70. The force received by the striker 70 from the first portion 35b1 causes the seat back 3 to tilt in the upright direction about the axis O1 of the first shaft 24.

[0101] When the seat back 3 is tilted in the upright direction, the hinge pin 38 is moved in a direction away from the upper (arrow U direction) surface of the outer periphery 61a of the link bracket 61. The engagement with the hinge pin 38 that pushes the upper (arrow U direction) surface of the link bracket 61 downward (arrow D direction) is released, and the force of the link bar 62 pushing the leg frame 40 (side frame 41) is released. At this time, the leg frame 40 is tilted backward by its own weight. The leg frame 40 tilted backward pushes the link bar 62 rearward (arrow B direction), so the link bracket 61 rotates around the axis O1 of the first shaft 24 in a direction returning the link bar 62 (counterclockwise in Fig. 8(a) to Fig. 8(c)) and abuts against the hinge pin 38.

[0102] Next, the folding-down operation of the vehicle seat 1 (seat frame 10) will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10(a) is a side view of the seat frame 10 in an unlocked state, and Fig. 10(b) is a side view of the seat frame 10 in a folded-down state.

[0103] First, the operation of folding down the back frame 30 (seat back 3) from the seated position will be described. As shown in Fig. 10(a), when the vehicle seat 1 is in the seated position, the striker 70 is located at a portion where the long holes 33a, 34a communicate with the slits 33b, 34b. When the lock operation portion of the lock mechanism 39 is operated, the claw 39a rotates in a direction away from the communication portion where the long holes 33a communicate with the slits 33b, and the communication portion (see Fig. 9(a)) that was blocked by the claw 39a is opened. Since the communication portion is opened, the striker 70 is made removable from the cover 32.

[0104] At this time, the slits 33b, 34b are set at an angle such that the inside of the slits 33b, 34b of the cover 32 (first cover 32a) does not interfere with the seat back 3 even if the seat back 3 is rotated in a forward tilting direction about the axis O1. Therefore, the seat back 3 can be rotated in a forward tilting direction from the seating position about the axis O1.

[0105] As shown in Fig. 10(b), the vehicle seat 1 is brought into a folded-down state by tilting the seat back 3 forward from the state shown in Fig. 10(a). During the folding-down operation of the vehicle seat 1, the hinge pin 38 is disposed at a position separated from the upper (arrow U direction) surface of the link bracket 61, and no other members are disposed on the trajectory along which the seat back 3 and hinge pin 38 are tilted forward from the seating position, so that the engagement between the hinge pin 38 and the link bracket 61 is released, and the seat back 3 can be tilted further forward from the seating position.

[0106] Next, the operation of returning the seat back 3 from the folded-down state to the seated position will be described. When the seat back 3 is tilted backward around the axis O1, the rear surface 39a2 of the claw 39a of the locking mechanism 39 comes into contact with the striker 70 just before the seated position. When the seat back 3 is further tilted backward from this state, the claw 39a moves away from the communication portion where the long hole 33a and the slit 33b communicate with each other, and the striker 70 is inserted into the long hole 33a. Thereafter, the claw 39a is biased by the spring 39b1, and returns to the locked state in which the communication portion where the long hole 33a and the slit 33b communicate with each other is blocked.

[0107] At this time, at the contact point where the rear surface 39a2 and the striker 70 contact each other, the angle between the direction in which the striker 70 moves relative to the seat back 3 toward the rear surface 39a2 of the lock mechanism 39 and the portion of the rear surface 39a2 below the contact point (in the direction of the arrow D) is set to an acute angle (greater than 0° and less than 90°). In this case, at the contact point, the load input from the striker 70 can be directed in the direction of the arrow R of the lock mechanism 39 (the direction in which the claw 39a rotates). Therefore, when returning the seat back 3 from the folded-down state to the seating position, it is not necessary to operate the lock operation part of the lock mechanism 39. Therefore, operability can be improved.

[0108] The present invention has been described above based on an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and it can be easily inferred that various improvements and modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0109] In this embodiment, the vehicle seat 1 is described as being capable of folding down, but it may be one that is not capable of folding down. In this case, the hinge pin 38 is inserted into a long hole provided in the link bracket 61 and supported slidably so that the engagement with the link bracket 61 is not released.

[0110] In this embodiment, the striker 70 is described as being U-shaped, but the striker 70 may be I-shaped.

[0111] In this embodiment, the striker 70 is removed by passing through the long holes 33a, 34a and the slits 33b, 34b. However, the striker 70 may be removed by retreating from the cover 32 in a direction toward the wall portion Bd2 of the vehicle body Bd (in the direction of arrow L in FIG. 4(b)).

[0112] In this embodiment, the mechanism for locking the slide of the vehicle seat 1 is provided on the seat cushion 2 side (seat slide 50), but the seat back 3 or leg rest 4 may also be provided with a locking mechanism for regulating the seating position, work position, and relaxation position.

[0113] In this embodiment, the vehicle seat 1 has only one position (the work position) that is slide-locked between the seating position and the relaxation position, but it may have multiple positions, or it may have two positions, the seating position and the relaxation position.

[0114] In this embodiment, the slide plane 53 along which the seat cushion 2 slides is described as being inclined downward from the front side (arrow F direction) of the cushion frame 20 toward the rear side (arrow B direction) thereof, but the slide plane 53 may be a plane perpendicular to the direction of gravity.

[0115] In this embodiment, the first reinforcing member 35 and the second reinforcing member 36 are provided, but either one or both of the first reinforcing member 35 and the second reinforcing member 36 may be omitted.

[0116] In this embodiment, the first reinforcing member 35 and the second reinforcing member 36 are separate members, but they may be a single member. [Explanation of symbols]

[0117] 1 Vehicle seats 2 Seat cushion 3 Seat back 4 Leg rest 32 Cover 32a1, 32a2, 32a3 Inner surface 33a, 34a Long hole (first path) 33b, 34b Slit (second path) 35 First reinforcing member 35a Base (1st vertical part) 35b1 Part 1 (first sliding part) 35c end face 36 Second reinforcing member 36a Base (2nd vertical part) 36b Slide portion (second sliding portion) 36c end face 38 Hinge pin (engagement part) 39 Locking mechanism 39a Claw (second sliding part) 53 Slide plane (plane) 60 Link mechanism (interlocking means) 61 Link bracket (connecting member) 62 Link bar (connecting member) 63 Link shaft (connecting member) 70 Striker (Interlocking Means) Bd Vehicle body (vehicle body) θ1 angle

Claims

1. A seat cushion slidably disposed on a floor surface of a vehicle body; A seat back is rotatably supported on a rear end side of the seat cushion and configured to be tiltable relative to the seat cushion; a leg rest rotatably supported on a front end side of the seat cushion and configured to be tiltable relative to the seat cushion, a linking means for linking the sliding movement of the seat cushion, the tilting of the seat back, and the tilting of the leg rest, The interlocking means is configured to tilt the seat back in a rearward direction and tilt the leg rest in a forward protruding direction in conjunction with the forward sliding movement of the seat cushion, and to tilt the seat back in an upright direction and tilt the leg rest in a backward direction in conjunction with the rearward sliding movement of the seat cushion.

2. 2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the plane along which the seat cushion slides is inclined downward from the front to the rear.

3. 3. The vehicle seat according to claim 2, wherein the angle of the downward inclination is 4 degrees or less.

4. 2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the interlocking means comprises a striker disposed on the vehicle body, and a guide means disposed on the seat back for guiding the tilting of the seat back relative to the striker.

5. The guide means includes a hollow cover, and a first reinforcing member and a second reinforcing member disposed on the cover, The first reinforcing member includes a first sliding portion that is slidable relative to the striker when the seat back is tilted, and a first vertical portion that is vertically provided from the first sliding portion toward an inner surface of the cover, the second reinforcing member includes a second sliding portion that is slidable relative to the striker when the seat back is tilted and that is disposed opposite to the first sliding portion, and a second vertical portion that is vertically provided from the second sliding portion toward an inner surface of the cover, The vehicle seat according to claim 4, characterized in that the inner surface of the cover is connected to the surface of the first sliding portion and the second sliding portion opposite the side along which the striker slides, and to the end surfaces of the first hanging portion and the second hanging portion.

6. The seat back is tilted between a first position and a second position by the interlocking mechanism, The guiding means is a first path formed between the first sliding portion and the second sliding portion, through which the striker passes when the seat back is tilted between the first position and the second position; a second path that is connected to the first path and through which the striker passes when the seat back is tilted forward from the first position; a lock mechanism having a pawl that is rotatably supported by the cover and forms at least a part of the second sliding portion, The vehicle seat according to claim 5, characterized in that the locking mechanism can be switched between a locked state in which the claw disconnects the first path from the second path, and an unlocked state in which the claw connects the first path to the second path, by rotating the claw.

7. The first position is located in a standing direction of the seat back further than the second position, The interlocking means is an engaging portion disposed on the seat back; and a connecting member pivotally supported on each of the seat cushion, the seat back, and the leg rest, When the seat back is positioned between the first position and the second position, the connecting member is disposed on a side of the engaging portion that tilts the seat back in a rearward tilting direction, and the connecting member is not disposed on a side of the engaging portion that tilts the seat back in an upright direction, The seat cushion and the leg rest are In a state in which the lock mechanism is in the unlocked state and the seat back is tilted between the first position and a position where the seat back overlaps the seat cushion, 7. The vehicle seat according to claim 6, wherein no member for restricting movement of the seat back and the engaging portion is disposed on a path along which the seat back and the engaging portion move.

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