Driver's seat heater and automobile driver's seat

Abstract

To achieve both securement of occupant's comfort and power saving.SOLUTION: A driver's seat heater 30 is installed at a seat cushion 12 of an automobile driver's seat 10 that includes a main section 12M for supporting buttocks and thighs of an occupant, and left and right side bolster sections 12L, 12R that are provided at seat left-right direction both sides of the main section 12M and that jut out in a seat upward direction further than the main section 12M. The driver's seat heater 30 includes a main heater 32M installed at the main section 12M, and a side heater 32R installed only at the side bolster section 12R on a right side, of the left and right side bolster sections 12L, 12R.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a driver's seat for an automobile, and more particularly to a driver's seat heater disposed in a seat cushion of the driver's seat. [Background technology]

[0002] The following Patent Document 1 discloses a planar heating element (seat heater) disposed on a seat cushion of a vehicle seat. The seat cushion has a seating surface portion (main portion) disposed in the center in the left-right direction, and left and right protruding portions (left and right side bolster portions) disposed on the left and right outer sides of the seating surface portion and supporting the sides of the occupant. The seat heater has a first heater disposed on the main portion, and left and right second heaters disposed on the left and right side bolster portions. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2021-185084 A [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2022-56310 [Patent Document 3] JP 2016-199166 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned prior art, the seat heater is provided in the main part of the seat cushion and in the left and right side bolster parts, which increases the length of the wiring for the seat heater and increases power consumption. Therefore, there is room for improvement in terms of fuel saving (electricity saving in electric vehicles).

[0005] In consideration of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a driver's seat heater and an automobile driver's seat that can ensure passenger comfort while also saving power. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The first aspect of the driver's seat heater is a driver's seat heater that is disposed in a seat cushion of an automobile driver's seat having a main portion that supports the buttocks and thighs of an occupant, and left and right side bolster portions that are provided on both left and right sides of the main portion and protrude above the seat from the main portion, and has a main heater disposed in the main portion, and a side heater that is disposed only in the right-side of the left and right side bolster portions.

[0007] The driver's seat heater of the first aspect is disposed in a seat cushion of a driver's seat for an automobile. This seat cushion has a main part that supports the buttocks and thighs of an occupant, and left and right side bolster parts that are provided on both sides of the main part in the left and right direction of the seat and protrude upward from the main part. The driver's seat heater disposed in this seat cushion has a main heater disposed in the main part, and a side heater disposed only in the right side bolster part of the left and right side bolster parts. Since an occupant sitting in the driver's seat for an automobile tends to have a larger straddle angle of the right leg that operates the accelerator pedal than the straddle angle of the left leg, the side heater can satisfactorily warm the thigh part of the right leg, thereby ensuring the comfort of the occupant. Moreover, since a side heater is not disposed in the left side bolster part, power saving can be achieved.

[0008] The second aspect of the driver's seat heater is the same as the first aspect, except that the main heater and the side heater are constructed with separate heater wires, and the side heater is turned off when the automobile in which the automobile driver's seat is installed is capable of autonomous driving and is running in autonomous driving mode.

[0009] In the second embodiment of the driver's seat heater, the side heater, which is formed by a heater wire separate from the main heater, is turned off when the vehicle is running in the autonomous driving mode, that is, when the occupant seated in the driver's seat does not need to operate the accelerator pedal with his / her right foot, thereby achieving further power saving.

[0010] A third aspect of the driver's seat heater is the same as the first or second aspect, in which the main heater has a left side heater arranged in the left part of the main part and a right side heater arranged in the right part of the main part, and the right side heater is arranged closer to the outside in the left-right direction of the seat than the left side heater.

[0011] In the third aspect of the driver's seat heater, the right heater disposed on the right side of the main part of the seat cushion is disposed closer to the outside in the left-right direction of the seat than the left heater disposed on the left side of the main part, so that the right thigh of the occupant sitting in the driver's seat of an automobile, which tends to have a larger leg-opening angle than the left leg, can be well warmed by the right heater.

[0012] The fourth aspect of the driver's seat for an automobile includes a cushion pad constituting a cushioning material of a seat cushion, a cushion skin covering the cushion pad, and a driver's seat heater of any one of the first to third aspects arranged between the cushion pad and the cushion skin.

[0013] In the fourth aspect of the driver's seat for an automobile, a driver's seat heater is disposed between a cushion pad constituting a cushion material of the seat cushion and a cushion skin covering the cushion pad. This driver's seat heater is any one of the first to third aspects, and therefore the above-mentioned effects can be obtained. Effect of the Invention

[0014] As described above, the driver's seat heater and the automobile driver's seat according to the present invention can ensure the comfort of the occupants while saving power. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing an automobile driver's seat according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is a plan view showing a state in which a cushion cover is not shown in a seat cushion of a driver's seat for an automobile according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 2 for explaining the leg opening angle of the occupant. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Hereinafter, an automobile driver's seat 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3. In each drawing, some reference numerals may be omitted in order to make the drawings easier to see. Arrows FR and LH shown as appropriate in each drawing indicate the front and left of the automobile driver's seat, respectively. Hereinafter, when the directions of front, rear, left, right, top and bottom are used in the description, they indicate the directions relative to the automobile driver's seat 10.

[0017] 1, an automobile driver's seat 10 according to this embodiment includes a seat cushion 12 on which an automobile occupant sits, a seat back 14 that supports the back of the occupant, and a headrest 16 that supports the head of the occupant. The automobile has, for example, a level 2 or level 3 autonomous driving function, and is switchable between an autonomous driving mode and a manual driving mode.

[0018] The seat cushion 12 includes a cushion frame (not shown) which is a frame, a cushion pad 18 which is a cushion material supported by the cushion frame, a cushion skin 20 which is a skin material covered on the cushion pad 18, and a driver's seat heater 30 which is disposed between the cushion pad 18 and the cushion skin 20. The cushion frame is made of, for example, metal. The cushion pad 18 is made of, for example, a foam such as urethane foam. The cushion skin 20 is made by sewing together a plurality of skin pieces made of, for example, a cloth material, leather, synthetic leather, or the like.

[0019] The seat cushion 12 has a main portion 12M that supports the buttocks and thighs of an occupant from below, and left and right side bolster portions 12L, 12R that are provided on both left and right sides of the main portion 12M and protrude upward from the main portion 12M. The main portion 12M forms the center portion of the seat cushion 12 in the left and right direction, and the left and right side bolster portions 12L, 12R form the left and right side portions of the seat cushion 12.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 2, the driver's seat heater 30 has a heater body 32 and a sheet-like base material 34 that supports the heater body 32. The heater body 32 is, for example, a heater wire (hot wire) such as a nichrome wire bent into a corrugated shape, but Figs. 1 to 3 show the heater body 32 in a schematic manner. The base material 34 is, for example, a nonwoven fabric. The heater body 32 may be in the form of a line, sheet, or film that can generate heat when electricity is applied. The base material 34 is not limited to a nonwoven fabric, and may be in the form of a flexible sheet or film.

[0021] The heater main body 32 has a main heater 32M disposed in the main portion 12M of the seat cushion 12, and a side heater 32R disposed only in the right side bolster portion 12R of the left and right side bolster portions 12L, 12R. The driver's seat heater 30 does not have a side heater disposed in the left side bolster portion 12L. Furthermore, no heaters other than the driver's seat heater 30 are disposed in the seat cushion 12.

[0022] The main heater 32M and the side heater 32R are composed of separate (separate) heater wires. The main heater 32M has a left heater 32ML disposed on the left side of the main section 12M, and a right heater 32MR disposed on the right side of the main section. The right heater 32MR is disposed slightly outboard in the left-right direction than the left heater 32ML.

[0023] The base material 34 has a main base material 34M disposed in the main portion 12M of the seat cushion 12, and a side base material 34R disposed in the right side bolster portion 12R. The main heater 32M, i.e., the left heater 32ML and the right heater 32MR, are attached to the main base material 34, and the side heater 32R is attached to the side base material 34R.

[0024] Both ends of each heater wire constituting the main heater 32M and the side heater 32R are disposed, for example, at the rear end of the seat cushion 12 and are electrically connected to a temperature adjustment device (not shown). This temperature adjustment device is electrically connected to a control device (not shown) mounted on the driver's seat 10 for an automobile and a temperature sensor (not shown) disposed on the seat cushion 12. When a signal is input from the control device, the temperature adjustment device controls the supply of electricity to the main heater 32M and the side heater 32R so that the temperature becomes a predetermined temperature corresponding to the signal input from the control device. In this embodiment, the temperature adjustment device is configured to supply electricity to the main heater 32M and the side heater 32R to raise the temperature of the main heater 32M and the side heater 32R when the temperature acquired by the temperature sensor is equal to or lower than the temperature corresponding to the signal input from the control device, and to stop supplying electricity to the main heater 32M and the side heater 32R when the temperature acquired by the temperature sensor exceeds the temperature corresponding to the signal.

[0025] The above-mentioned control device is electrically connected to an automatic driving control device that controls automatic driving of the automobile, and is configured to always stop the supply of electricity to the side heater 32R by the temperature adjustment device (i.e., always turn off the side heater 32R) when the automobile is running in automatic driving mode. This control device allows the supply of electricity to the side heater 32R by the temperature adjustment device when the automobile is running in manual driving mode. As a result, the side heater 32R is turned on according to the detection result of the temperature sensor.

[0026] Next, the operation and effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0027] In the automotive driver's seat 10 configured as described above, a driver's seat heater 30 is provided in the seat cushion 12. The seat cushion 12 has a main portion 12M that supports the buttocks and thighs of an occupant, and left and right side bolster portions 12L, 12R that are provided on both sides of the main portion 12M in the left-right direction of the seat and protrude upward from the main portion 12M. The driver's seat heater 30 has a main heater 32M provided in the main portion 12M, and a side heater 32R that is provided only in the right side bolster portion 12R of the left and right side bolster portions 12L, 12R.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 3, the occupant P seated in the driver's seat 10 of the automobile tends to have a larger leg opening angle θ1 of the right leg RF when operating the accelerator pedal than the leg opening angle θ2 of the left leg LF. Therefore, by disposing the side heater 32R on the right side bolster portion 12R where the thigh RT of the right leg RF is expected to come into contact, the thigh RT of the right leg RF can be well heated, and the comfort of the occupant P can be ensured. Moreover, since the side heater is not disposed on the left side bolster portion 12L where the thigh LT of the left leg LF is less likely to come into contact with the side heater 32R except for large occupants, the wiring length of the heater wire can be shortened, and unnecessary power consumption can be suppressed. This allows power saving and cost reduction. In FIG. 3, CL is the center line of the seat cushion 12 in the left-right direction.

[0029] In addition, in the driver's seat heater 30, the side heater 32R, which is configured with a heater wire separate from the main heater 32M, is turned off when the vehicle is running in the automatic driving mode, that is, when the occupant P seated in the driver's seat 10 of the vehicle does not need to operate the accelerator pedal with the right leg RF. This allows further power saving.

[0030] In addition, in the driver's seat heater 30, the main heater 32M has a left heater 32ML disposed on the left side of the main part 12M, and a right heater 32MR disposed on the right side of the main part 12M. The right heater 32MR is disposed closer to the outside in the left-right direction than the left heater 32ML. This allows the thigh RT of the right leg RF, which tends to have a larger leg-opening angle than the left leg LF, of the occupant P seated in the driver's seat 10 of the automobile to be well warmed by the right heater 32MR.

[0031] In the above embodiment, the right heater 32MR of the main heater 32M is configured to be positioned more outward in the left-right direction than the left heater 32ML, but this is not limited to the above, and the right heater 32MR and the left heater 32ML may be configured to be symmetrically arranged.

[0032] In the above embodiment, the main heater 32M and the side heater 32R are configured with separate heater wires, but this is not limiting, and the main heater 32M and the side heater 32R may be configured with a single heater wire.

[0033] In addition, the present invention can be implemented in various modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 10. Automotive driver's seat 12 Seat cushion 12M Main section 12L, 12R side bolster section 18 Cushion pad 20 Cushion Cover 30 Driver's seat heater 32M Main heater 32ML Left heater 32MR Right heater 32R Side heater

Claims

1. A seat heater for a driver's seat, which is disposed in a seat cushion of a driver's seat for an automobile, the seat cushion having a main portion supporting buttocks and thighs of an occupant, and left and right side bolster portions provided on both left and right sides of the main portion in the seat direction and protruding upward from the main portion, a main heater disposed in the main section; a side heater disposed only in the right side bolster portion of the left and right side bolster portions; A driver's seat heater having a seat heater.

2. The main heater and the side heater are formed of separate heater wires, 2. The driver's seat heater according to claim 1, wherein the side heater is turned off when the vehicle in which the driver's seat is installed is capable of automatic driving and the vehicle is running in an automatic driving mode.

3. The main heater is a left heater disposed on a left portion of the main portion; a right heater disposed on a right side portion of the main portion; having 3. The driver's seat heater according to claim 1, wherein the right heater is disposed closer to the outside in the left-right direction of the seat than the left heater.

4. A cushion pad constituting a cushioning material of the seat cushion; A cushion skin covering the cushion pad; 3. The driver's seat heater according to claim 1 or 2, which is disposed between the cushion pad and the cushion cover; A driver's seat for an automobile comprising:

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