Vehicle seat, and vehicle seat manufacturing method
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2023134668
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2023-06-29
- Filing Date
- 2023-08-22
- Publication Date
- 2025-01-20
AI Technical Summary
Existing vehicle seats face challenges in holding linear members such as cables while minimizing the burden on them when the support member moves due to occupant load.
A vehicle seat design with a support member that includes a plate-shaped main body and a holding structure with first and second holding parts, allowing the cable to move in one direction while restricting movement in another, thereby reducing the load applied to the cable.
The design effectively holds the cable while minimizing the load applied to it, ensuring smooth movement and reducing stress concentrations.
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Figure 2025009633000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat and a method for manufacturing a vehicle seat. [Background technology]
[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle seat. The vehicle wire seat cushion includes a frame and a support member that is supported by the frame and elastically supports the weight of an occupant. The support member includes a plate-shaped main body that extends substantially parallel to the frame, and an inclined portion that extends outward from a side edge of the main body. The inclined portion is formed with a cylindrical portion, and the cylindrical portion is formed with an attachment hole through which a clip for attaching other members, such as a wire harness, a cable, or other linear member, to the support member is inserted.
[0003] Patent document 2 discloses a cable fixing element in a spring mat for a vehicle seat. The fixing element comprises a holding area and an arm for elastically loading the cable and pressing the cable against the holding area to fix it. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-124976 A [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 2015-503490 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0005] A support member (also called a pressure-receiving member) provided in a vehicle seat moves when subjected to the weight of a seated occupant. Therefore, there is a need for a vehicle seat that can hold a linear member such as a cable on the support member while reducing the load that may be placed on the linear member when the support member moves.
[0006] In view of the above background, an objective of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat and a method for manufacturing a vehicle seat that includes a support member that supports the load from an occupant and an electrical component to which a linear member is connected, and that is capable of holding the linear member on the support member while reducing the load applied to the linear member such as a cable when the support member moves. [Means for solving the problem]
[0007] In order to solve the above problem, one aspect of the present invention is a vehicle seat (1), comprising a frame (8), a support member (17) supported by the frame and supporting an occupant, a pad member (9A) supported on an outer side of the support member, and a wire harness (27) to be connected to electrical equipment (24), wherein the support member has a plate-shaped main body portion (18) and a retaining structure (50) for retaining the wire harness on the main body portion, wherein the retaining structure includes a first retaining portion (51) that connects the wire harness to the main body portion so as to be movable in a first direction and restricts movement of the wire harness in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a second retaining portion (52) that connects the wire harness to the main body portion so as to be movable in the second direction and restricts movement in the first direction, and the retaining structure is integrally formed with the main body portion.
[0008] According to this aspect, the wire harness is held by the joining member at the first holding portion so as to be movable in a first direction, and is held by the joining member at the second holding portion so as to be movable in a second direction. This allows the wire harness to move, so that the load that may be applied to the wire harness when the support member moves can be reduced. Thus, it is possible to provide a vehicle seat that allows the wire harness to be held by the support member while reducing the load that may be applied to the wire harness.
[0009] In the above aspect, preferably, the first retaining portion has a pair of first bases (53) each protruding from the rear surface of the main body portion and aligned in the second direction, the second retaining portion has a pair of second bases (55) each protruding from the rear surface of the main body portion and aligned in the first direction, and the wire harness passes between the first bases and between the second bases.
[0010] According to this aspect, the first holding portion can restrict the movement of the wire harness in the second direction while permitting the movement of the wire harness in the first direction, and the second holding portion can restrict the movement of the wire harness in the first direction while permitting the movement of the wire harness in the second direction.
[0011] In the above aspect, preferably, at least one of the first base portions and at least one of the second base portions are bonded to each other.
[0012] According to this embodiment, the movement of the wire harness can be more strongly restricted than in a case where the first base portion and the second base portion are not joined together.
[0013] In the above aspect, the first base portion and the second base portion are preferably disposed apart from each other.
[0014] According to this aspect, the wire harness is more easily deformed between the first retaining portion and the second retaining portion than when the first base portion and the second base portion are connected, thereby preventing stress from concentrating on the wire harness in the portion between the first retaining portion and the second retaining portion.
[0015] In the above aspect, preferably, the first base portion is in the form of a plate having a surface perpendicular to the second direction, and the second base portion is in the form of a plate having a surface perpendicular to the first direction.
[0016] According to this aspect, the first holding portion can effectively restrict movement of the wire harness in the first direction, and the second holding portion can effectively restrict movement of the wire harness in the second direction.
[0017] In the above aspect, the first base portion is preferably provided at a position spaced apart from the second base portion in the first direction and the second direction.
[0018] According to this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the stress that may be applied to the wire harness between the first holding portion and the second holding portion.
[0019] In the above aspect, preferably, a restricting piece (54, 56) is provided at the tip of the first base portion and the tip of the second base portion to restrict the wire harness from being separated from the main body portion.
[0020] According to this aspect, movement of the wire harness in a direction away from the main body can be restricted.
[0021] In the above aspect, preferably, the first base portion is plate-shaped having a surface perpendicular to the second direction, and two or more of the regulating pieces are provided on at least one of the first base portions, and the regulating piece provided on one of the first base portions and the regulating piece provided on the other of the first base portions are staggered along the first direction.
[0022] According to this embodiment, the wire harness can be easily inserted between the two first base portions, improving the efficiency of assembling the wire harness to the support member.
[0023] In the above aspect, preferably, the second base portion is plate-shaped having a surface perpendicular to the first direction, and two or more of the regulating pieces are provided on at least one of the second base portions, and the regulating piece provided on one of the second base portions and the regulating piece provided on the other of the second base portions are staggered along the second direction.
[0024] According to this embodiment, the wire harness can be easily inserted between the two second base portions, improving the efficiency of assembling the support member for the wire harness.
[0025] In the above aspect, preferably, opposing surfaces of the first base are provided with protrusions (70) protruding in opposing directions, at least one of the first base is provided with a plurality of the protrusions, the protrusions are staggered along the first direction, and the amount of protrusion of each of the protrusions increases in a direction away from the support member.
[0026] According to this aspect, the protruding portion protrudes more away from the support member, so that when the vibration generator is pulled and the wire harness is pressed against the support member, the movement of the wire harness in the second direction is less likely to be restricted, and the load that may be applied to the wire harness can be reduced.
[0027] In order to solve the above problem, one aspect of the present invention is a manufacturing method for a vehicle seat (1), comprising the steps of installing a pad member (9A) on an upper side of a support member (17) supported by a frame (8) and arranging electrical equipment (24) on the pad member (9A), the electrical equipment being connected by a wire harness (27), the support member having a plate-shaped main body (18) extending along the frame and a retaining structure (50) provided on a rear side of the main body and fixing the wire harness to the main body, the retaining structure including a first retaining portion (51) that allows the wire harness to move in a first direction and restricts movement in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a second retaining portion (52) that allows the wire harness to move in the second direction and restricts movement in the first direction, and the step of arranging the electrical equipment includes a step of retaining the wire harness in the first retaining portion and the second retaining portion.
[0028] According to this aspect, the wire harness is held by the joining member at the first holding portion so as to be movable in a first direction, and is held by the joining member at the second holding portion so as to be movable in a second direction. This allows the wire harness to move, so that it is possible to reduce the load that may be applied to the wire harness when the support member moves. Thus, it is possible to provide a manufacturing method for a vehicle seat that allows the wire harness to be held by the support member while reducing the load that may be applied to the wire harness. Effect of the Invention
[0029] One aspect of the present invention is a vehicle seat comprising a frame, a support member supported by the frame and supporting an occupant, a pad member supported on the front side of the support member, and a wire harness to be connected to electrical equipment, the support member having a plate-shaped main body portion and a retaining structure for retaining the wire harness in the main body portion, the retaining structure including a first retaining portion that connects the wire harness to the main body portion so as to be movable in a first direction and restricts movement in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a second retaining portion that connects the wire harness to the main body portion so as to be movable in the second direction and restricts movement in the first direction, the retaining structure being integrally formed with the main body portion.
[0030] According to this aspect, the wire harness is held by the joining member at the first holding portion so as to be movable in a first direction, and is held by the joining member at the second holding portion so as to be movable in a second direction. This allows the wire harness to move, so that the load that may be applied to the wire harness when the support member moves can be reduced. Thus, it is possible to provide a vehicle seat that allows the wire harness to be held by the support member while reducing the load that may be applied to the wire harness.
[0031] In the above aspect, preferably, the first retaining portion has a pair of first base portions each protruding from a rear surface of the main body portion and aligned in the second direction, the second retaining portion has a pair of second base portions each protruding from a rear surface of the main body portion and aligned in the first direction, and the wire harness passes between the first base portions and between the second base portions.
[0032] According to this aspect, the first holding portion can restrict the movement of the wire harness in the second direction while permitting the movement of the wire harness in the first direction, and the second holding portion can restrict the movement of the wire harness in the first direction while permitting the movement of the wire harness in the second direction.
[0033] In the above aspect, preferably, at least one of the first base portions and at least one of the second base portions are bonded to each other.
[0034] According to this embodiment, the movement of the wire harness can be more strongly restricted than in a case where the first base portion and the second base portion are not joined together.
[0035] In the above aspect, the first base portion and the second base portion are preferably disposed apart from each other.
[0036] According to this aspect, the wire harness is more easily deformed between the first retaining portion and the second retaining portion than when the first base portion and the second base portion are connected, thereby preventing stress from concentrating on the wire harness in the portion between the first retaining portion and the second retaining portion.
[0037] In the above aspect, preferably, the first base portion is in the form of a plate having a surface perpendicular to the second direction, and the second base portion is in the form of a plate having a surface perpendicular to the first direction.
[0038] According to this aspect, the first holding portion can effectively restrict movement of the wire harness in the first direction, and the second holding portion can effectively restrict movement of the wire harness in the second direction.
[0039] In the above aspect, the first base portion is preferably provided at a position spaced apart from the second base portion in the first direction and the second direction.
[0040] According to this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the stress that may be applied to the wire harness between the first holding portion and the second holding portion.
[0041] In the above aspect, preferably, a restricting piece is provided at a protruding end of the first base portion and a protruding end of the second base portion to restrict the wire harness from being separated from the main body portion.
[0042] According to this aspect, movement of the wire harness in a direction away from the main body can be restricted.
[0043] In the above aspect, preferably, the first base portion is plate-shaped having a surface perpendicular to the second direction, and two or more of the regulating pieces are provided on at least one of the first base portions, and the regulating piece provided on one of the first base portions and the regulating piece provided on the other of the first base portions are staggered along the first direction.
[0044] According to this embodiment, the wire harness can be easily inserted between the two first base portions, improving the efficiency of assembling the wire harness to the support member.
[0045] In the above aspect, preferably, the second base portion is plate-shaped having a surface perpendicular to the first direction, and two or more of the regulating pieces are provided on at least one of the second base portions, and the regulating piece provided on one of the second base portions and the regulating piece provided on the other of the second base portions are staggered along the second direction.
[0046] According to this embodiment, the wire harness can be easily inserted between the two second base portions, improving the efficiency of assembling the support member for the wire harness.
[0047] In the above aspect, preferably, opposing surfaces of the first base are provided with protrusions protruding in opposing directions, at least one of the first bases is provided with a plurality of the protrusions, the protrusions are arranged in a staggered pattern along the first direction, and the amount of protrusion of each of the protrusions increases in a direction away from the support member.
[0048] According to this aspect, the protruding portion protrudes more away from the support member, so that when the vibration generator is pulled and the wire harness is pressed against the support member, the movement of the wire harness in the second direction is less likely to be restricted, and the load that may be applied to the wire harness can be reduced.
[0049] One aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a vehicle seat, comprising the steps of installing a pad member on an upper side of a support member supported by a frame, and arranging electrical equipment on the pad member, wherein the electrical equipment is connected by a wire harness, the support member having a plate-shaped main body extending along the frame, and a retaining structure provided on the underside of the main body and fixing the wire harness to the main body, wherein the retaining structure includes a first retaining portion that allows the wire harness to move in a first direction and restricts movement in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a second retaining portion that allows the wire harness to move in the second direction and restricts movement in the first direction, and the step of arranging the electrical equipment includes a step of retaining the wire harness in the first retaining portion and the second retaining portion.
[0050] According to this aspect, the wire harness is held by the joining member at the first holding portion so as to be movable in a first direction, and is held by the joining member at the second holding portion so as to be movable in a second direction. This allows the wire harness to move, so that it is possible to reduce the load that may be applied to the wire harness when the support member moves. Thus, it is possible to provide a manufacturing method for a vehicle seat that allows the wire harness to be held by the support member while reducing the load that may be applied to the wire harness. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0051] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a seat according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a seat cushion frame according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 3] FIG. 3A is a top view of a seat pad; FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the seat cushion taken along line IIIB-IIIB of FIG. 3A; FIG. 3C is a side view of an engagement member; and FIG. 3D is a top view showing a modified example of the engagement member. [Figure 4] Bottom view of the seat cushion frame, electrical components and wire harness [Diagram 5] 5A is a bottom view of a first holding part according to the first embodiment, (B) a cross-sectional view taken along line VB-VB in FIG. 5A, (C) a cross-sectional view taken along line VC-VC in FIG. 5A, and (D) a bottom view of a second holding part. [Figure 6] Modification of the holding structure according to the first embodiment [Figure 7] 7A is a bottom view of a first holding part according to a second embodiment, FIG. 7B is a bottom view of a second holding part, and FIG. 7C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIIC-VIIC of FIG. 7A. [Figure 8] 8A is a bottom view of a first holding part according to a third embodiment, FIG. 8B is a bottom view of a second holding part, and FIG. 8C is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIIIC-VIIIC of FIG. 8A. [Figure 9] 9A is a bottom view of a first holding part according to a fourth embodiment, FIG. 9B is a bottom view of a second holding part, and FIG. 9C is a cross-sectional view taken along line IXC-IXC of FIG. 9A. [Figure 10] 10A is a bottom view of a first holding part according to a fifth embodiment, FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view taken along line XB-XB of FIG. 10A, FIG. 10C is a bottom view of a second holding part, and FIG. 10D is a perspective view of the first holding part. [Figure 11] 13 is a cross-sectional view of a seat cushion according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a bottom view of a seat cushion frame, electrical equipment, and a wire harness for explaining a modified example of the retaining structure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0052] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment in which a vehicle seat according to the present invention is applied to a driver's seat or a passenger's seat of an automobile will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0053] <<First embodiment>> As shown in Fig. 1, a vehicle seat 1 has a seat cushion 2, a seat back 3, and a headrest 4. The seat cushion 2 may be supported by a pair of left and right slide rails 6 fixed to a floor 5 of a vehicle compartment so as to be slidable back and forth.
[0054] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the seat cushion 2 has a seat cushion frame 8 that forms the skeleton of the seat cushion 2, a seat pad 9 supported by the seat cushion frame 8, and a cover material 10 that covers at least a portion of the seat pad 9.
[0055] 2, the seat cushion frame 8 has left and right side members 12 extending in the front-rear direction, a front member 13 extending in the left and right direction and joined to front portions of the left and right side members 12, and a rear member 14 extending in the left and right direction and joined to rear portions of the left and right side members 12. In this embodiment, the seat cushion frame 8 further has a front edge member 15 that connects upper edges of the front ends of the pair of left and right side members 12. The front edge member 15 is made of a bent sheet metal member, and its upper surface has a shape that generally follows the front portion of the seat surface.
[0056] A support member 17 extending in the front-rear direction is suspended between the front member 13 and the rear member 14. The support member 17 includes a plate-shaped support member body 18 (main body portion) extending substantially horizontally along the seat cushion frame 8 (specifically, the left and right side members 12), a front attachment portion 19 extending forward from a front edge of the support member body 18 and engaging with the front member 13, and a rear attachment portion 20 extending rearward from a rear edge of the support member body 18 and engaging with the rear member 14. The support member 17 may be formed of, for example, a resin with a metal wire insert-molded therein. A pad member 9A is placed on the upper surface of the support member 17, and a skin material 10 is placed on the upper surface of the pad member 9A. When an occupant sits on the seat, the support member 17 bends under the load of the occupant and elastically supports the occupant.
[0057] The seat pad 9 includes a pad member 9A for providing cushioning to the seat cushion 2. The pad member 9A is made of a flexible material such as a foamed resin material (e.g., urethane foam). The pad member 9A may be formed, for example, by foaming and curing a foamed resin material in a cavity (space) defined by an upper mold and a lower mold. The cover material 10 is a cloth member and is arranged so as to cover at least a portion of the pad member 9A.
[0058] As shown in Figures 2 and 3(A), a pad member recess 22 recessed downward is formed on each of the left and right side portions of the pad member 9A. As shown in Figure 3(B), the pad member recess 22 is recessed from the front surface of the pad member 9A toward the back surface. The pad member recess 22 is defined by a bottom wall 22B that defines the boundary on the back surface side (the side opposite to the opening direction) and a standing wall 22S (also called a peripheral wall) that stands from the bottom wall 22B toward the opening direction. A vibration generator 24 is provided inside each pad member recess 22.
[0059] The vibration generator 24 is one of the electrical components mounted on a vehicle, and is an electric / electronic device for generating vibrations. The vibration generator 24 is used, for example, to notify a seated occupant by generating vibrations. In this embodiment, the vibration generator 24 includes a device body 25 and a movable part 26 supported displaceably relative to the device body 25, and is configured by a device that generates vibrations by reciprocating the movable part 26 in a predetermined direction relative to the device body 25, such as a voice coil motor. However, the configuration of the vibration generator 24 is not limited to this embodiment, and may be configured by an eccentric motor or the like. A wire harness 27 for supplying power and signals is connected to the vibration generator 24.
[0060] In this embodiment, the vibration generator 24 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The vibration generator 24 is configured to generate strong vibrations on one of its faces. The wire harness 27 is a bendable, wire-like linear member, and includes one or more electric wires 27A for supplying power to the vibration generator 24 and transmitting signals. In this embodiment, the wire harness 27 has two electric wires 27A and a sheath 27B made of a resin insulator. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the wire harness 27 may be in any embodiment as long as it is a member that extends in a linear shape.
[0061] In the present invention, since the vibration generator 24 is configured to have a rectangular parallelepiped shape, the pad member recess 22 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that matches the vibration generator 24. In this embodiment, the vibration generator 24 is disposed in the pad member recess 22 so that the surface that generates strong vibration faces upward (i.e., so that the movable part 26 reciprocates in the front-to-back direction). As a result, the vibration generator 24 mainly generates vibrations in the front-to-back direction of the seat cushion 2 (i.e., approximately in the up-down direction).
[0062] As shown in Fig. 3(A) and Fig. 3(B), the seat pad 9 includes, in addition to a pad member 9A, an engagement member 30 for connecting the vibration generator 24 to the pad member 9A. The engagement member 30 engages with the vibration generator 24 to support the vibration generator 24 on the pad member 9A, and the vibration generator 24 is connected to the pad member 9A via the engagement member 30. As shown in Fig. 3(A), the pad member recesses 22 are provided symmetrically on the seat cushion 2, and the engagement members 30 are provided inside the left and right pad member recesses 22, respectively, and arranged symmetrically on the left and right. The engagement member 30 includes an engagement member main body 31 and at least one locking claw 32 provided on the engagement member main body 31.
[0063] As shown in FIG. 3(A), the engaging member body 31 is in the form of a frame having a shape that matches the vibration generator 24. In this embodiment, the engaging member body 31 is in the form of a square frame having four corners 33. In detail, the engaging member body 31 is in the form of a rectangular frame, and includes a pair of vertical portions 34 having surfaces facing each other, and a pair of horizontal portions 35 having surfaces facing each other. The vertical portions 34 are in the form of a plate extending along the longitudinal direction of the engaging member body 31. The horizontal portions 35 are in the form of a plate extending along the lateral direction of the engaging member body 31. The vertical portions 34 and the horizontal portions 35 are connected to each other via the corners 33.
[0064] The locking claws 32 are provided on each of the opposing surfaces of the vertical portion 34 and the opposing surfaces of the horizontal portion 35. The pair of locking claws 32 provided on the vertical portion 34 protrude in opposing directions, and the pair of locking claws 32 provided on the horizontal portion 35 protrude in opposing directions. It is preferable that each of the locking claws 32 is configured to be elastically deformable with respect to the engaging member main body 31.
[0065] The engaging member 30 is configured to have higher rigidity than the pad member 9A. The engaging member 30 may be made of a resin material such as polyethylene. The engaging member 30 may be made of a material that is made harder by reducing the foaming ratio compared to the pad member 9A. Since the engaging member 30 is configured to have higher rigidity than the pad member 9A, the engaging member 30 is less likely to deform than the pad member 9A due to the load applied when an occupant sits on the vehicle seat 1.
[0066] The engaging member 30 is fixed to the pad member 9A at the opening side of the pad member recess 22 rather than the bottom wall 22B of the pad member recess 22. The engaging member 30 may be disposed inside or outside the standing wall 22S. However, from the viewpoint of the ease of assembly of the vibration generator 24, it is preferable that at least a part of the engaging member 30 is exposed inside the pad member recess 22. For example, the engaging member 30 may be fixed to the standing wall 22S at the outer surface of the engaging member main body 31. The engaging member 30 may be insert molded into the pad member 9A, and the engaging member 30 may be fixed to the wall surface that defines the pad member recess 22 of the pad member 9A. That is, when the foamed resin material is foamed and cured in the cavity to form the pad member 9A, the engaging member 30 is disposed so that at least a part of the engaging member 30 (in this embodiment, the outer surface of the engaging member main body 31) is exposed in the cavity, and the foamed resin material is foamed and cured to form the pad member 9A. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the engaging member 30 may be, for example, adhered by an adhesive or the like to a wall surface that defines the pad member recess 22 on the outer surface of the engaging member main body 31 .
[0067] 3(B), when the vibration generator 24 is inserted into the inside of the engagement member main body 31, the locking claws 32 resiliently engage with the side surface of the electrical component, and the vibration generator 24 is locked to the engagement member 30. As a result, the vibration generator 24 is supported by the pad member 9A via the engagement member 30.
[0068] In this embodiment, the vibration generator 24 has, on each of its left and right side surfaces, a locked portion 37 that engages with the locking claw 32. The locked portion 37 is configured as a locking recess 37A that is recessed inward on the side surface of the vibration generator 24. The tip of the locking claw 32 projects into the locked portion 37 of the vibration generator 24, so that the vibration generator 24 is more strongly coupled to the engaging member 30 than if the locked portion 37 were not provided.
[0069] When the vibration generator 24 is inserted into the engaging member body 31, the locking claws 32 resiliently engage with the side surface of the vibration generator 24, and the vibration generator 24 is assembled to the engaging member 30. In order to facilitate assembly of the vibration generator 24 to the engaging member 30, the engaging member body 31 is preferably provided with an easily deformable portion 39 for facilitating deformation of the engaging member body 31 during assembly.
[0070] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3(A), the easily deformable portion 39 is configured by a notch 40 provided in one corner 33 of the engagement member main body 31. The notch 40 has a slit shape formed in the corner 33 and separates the vertical portion 34 and the horizontal portion 35. This gives the engagement member main body 31 a substantially C-shape. In this embodiment, the pair of left and right engagement members 30 are each disposed inside the pad member recess 22 so that the notch 40 is located on the outer side of the seat in the left-right direction, and are joined to the pad member 9A.
[0071] However, the cutout portion 40 is not limited to one that separates the vertical portion 34 and the horizontal portion 35, but may be a portion where the engaging member main body 31 is cut out to the extent that the vertical portion 34 and the horizontal portion 35 are not separated, and the easily deformable portion 39 may be provided in the vertical portion 34 or the horizontal portion 35 instead of the cutout portion 40, and may be constituted by a thin-walled portion that is thinner than the other portions.
[0072] 3(C), the locking claws 32 are provided at approximately the center of the inner circumferential surfaces of the vertical portion 34 and the horizontal portion 35. However, this is not limited to the embodiment, and the locking claws 32 provided on the vertical portion 34 and the horizontal portion 35 connected to the corner portion 33 in which the notch 40 is formed may be provided at a position biased toward the notch 40.
[0073] 3(A), the notch 40 is provided at one of the corners 33, but as shown in FIG. 3(D), the notch 40 may be provided at a position adjacent to the locking claw 32 of the vertical portion 34 or the horizontal portion 35. By providing the locking claw 32 at a position adjacent to the notch 40 in this way, the portion where the locking claw 32 is provided is more likely to deform than when the locking claw 32 is provided at a position away from the notch 40. This makes it easier to insert the vibration generator 24 into the engagement member main body 31, and easier to assemble the vibration generator 24 to the engagement member 30.
[0074] As shown in Fig. 3(B), the seat pad 9 includes a covering member 42 (also called a buffer material or slab) provided on the upper surface (front surface side) of the vibration generator 24. The covering member 42 reduces the foreign body sensation that may be given to a seated person due to the vibration generator 24 being provided on the pad member 9A, and serves as a buffer material that reduces vibrations generated by the vibration generator 24 so that the vibrations are not too strong. The covering member 42 is preferably made of a material that is more flexible than the pad member 9A. Alternatively, the covering member 42 may be made of a material that is less flexible than the pad member 9A.
[0075] The covering member 42 is disposed inside the pad member recess 22 and above (on the front side) the vibration generator 24. In this embodiment, an expansion portion 22A having an opening portion larger than the other portions of the pad member recess 22 is provided at the upper end of the pad member recess 22, and the covering member 42 is accommodated in the expansion portion 22A. The engaging member 30 is fixed to a wall surface that defines the pad member recess 22 below (on the back side) the expansion portion 22A. As a result, the vibration generator 24 is fixed to the upper portion of the pad member recess 22 via the engaging member 30, and its upper surface (on the front side) is covered by the covering member 42.
[0076] The surface of the covering member 42 is flush with the surface of the peripheral portion of the pad member recess 22 of the pad member 9A. This makes it possible to prevent a step from occurring between the surface of the peripheral portion of the pad member recess 22 of the pad member 9A and the surface of the covering member 42. This makes it possible to reduce the foreign body sensation that a seated occupant may feel in the peripheral portion of the pad member recess 22 of the pad member 9A. The skin material 10 is arranged so as to cover the surface of the pad member 9A and the surface of the covering member 42.
[0077] The pad member 9A is provided with a through hole 44 that extends downward (to the back surface) from the bottom surface of the pad member recess 22 and reaches the lower surface (back surface) of the pad member 9A. The through hole 44 is a hole that penetrates from the bottom surface of the pad member recess 22 to the back surface of the pad member 9A, and defines a passage therein for passing the wire harness 27. The wire harness 27 passes through the through hole 44 from the vibration generator 24 to the back surface of the pad member 9A.
[0078] 4, the vibration generators 24 overlap the seat outer edge portions of the support members 17 in a top view. The support members 17 have recesses 17A formed in the seat outer edge portions, which are recessed inwardly of the seat. The wire harness 27 passes through the through holes 44 and extends downward, passes through the recesses 17A, extends inwardly of the seat, and reaches the rear surface (lower surface) of the support members 17.
[0079] A retaining structure 50 for retaining the wire harness 27 on the support member 17 is provided on the back surface (lower surface) of the support member 17. The retaining structures 50 are each integrally molded with the support member body 18. The retaining structures 50 serve to prevent the wire harness 27 from being separated from the support member 17 and to connect the wire harness 27 to the support member 17 while allowing the wire harness 27 mobility in its extending direction. The wire harness 27 is connected to the back surface of the support member 17 by the retaining structure 50 and is held by the support member 17. It is preferable that the support member 17 is provided with a retaining structure 50 for each wire harness 27.
[0080] As shown in Fig. 4, each of the holding structures 50 includes a first holding portion 51 and a second holding portion 52. Both the first holding portion 51 and the second holding portion 52 are integrally molded with the support member main body 18. However, Fig. 4 only shows the positions and an outline of the structure of the first holding portion 51 and the second holding portion 52, and Figs. 5(A) to (D) show the details of the structure of the first holding portion 51 and the second holding portion 52.
[0081] 5(A) and 5(B), the first holding portion 51 has a pair of first base portions 53 aligned in the left-right direction. As shown in Fig. 5(B), the first base portions 53 each protrude downward from the rear surface of the support member 17. In this embodiment, the first base portions 53 each have a plate shape having a surface facing in the left-right direction.
[0082] The wire harness 27 passes between the two first base portions 53. As a result, the first holding portion 51 holds the wire harness 27 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction while restricting movement of the wire harness 27 in the left-right direction. That is, the wire harness 27 is coupled to the support member main body 18 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction while its movement in the left-right direction is restricted by the first holding portion 51.
[0083] As shown in FIG. 5(B), at least one of the ends (lower ends) of the pair of left and right first base portions 53 is provided with a first restricting piece 54 extending toward the other first base portion 53. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5(A), the front-rear width of the base end of the first restricting piece 54 is equal to the front-rear width of the end of the first base portion 53, and the first restricting piece 54 protrudes from the entire end of the first base portion 53 toward the other end of the first base portion 53. As shown in FIG. 5(B) and FIG. 5(C), the first restricting piece 54 restricts the movement of the wire harness 27 in a direction away from the support member main body 18 (i.e., downward, toward the back side). In this embodiment, the first restricting piece 54 is provided at the end of the first base portion 53 located on the outer side of the seat.
[0084] As shown in FIG. 5(B), it is preferable that the distance between the extending end of the first restricting piece 54 and the protruding end of the other first base portion 53 is configured to be slightly smaller than the diameter of the wire harness 27.
[0085] 5(D), the second holding portion 52 has a pair of second base portions 55 aligned in the front-rear direction. The second base portions 55 each protrude downward from the rear surface of the support member 17. In this embodiment, the second base portions 55 each have a plate shape having a surface that faces approximately in the front-rear direction.
[0086] The wire harness 27 passes between the two second base portions 55. As a result, the second holding portion 52 holds the wire harness 27 so as to be movable in the left-right direction while restricting movement of the wire harness 27 in the front-rear direction. That is, the wire harness 27 is coupled to the support member main body 18 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction while its movement in the left-right direction is restricted by the second holding portion 52.
[0087] At least one of the ends (lower ends) of the second base portion 55 is provided with a second restricting piece 56 extending toward the other end. The second restricting piece 56 restricts the movement of the wire harness 27 in a direction away from the support member main body 18 (i.e., downward, toward the back side). In this embodiment, the second restricting pieces 56 are provided at the ends of the second base portion 55 located at the rear.
[0088] In this embodiment, the support member 17 is manufactured by combining an upper mold and a lower mold. Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to facilitate demolding, a demolding hole (mold removal hole 58) is provided at a position that vertically aligns with the first restricting piece 54 of the support member 17 and at a position that vertically aligns with the second restricting piece 56, as shown in Figures 5(B) and 5(D).
[0089] As shown in Fig. 5(A), it is preferable that the die-cut hole 58 is configured to be larger than the first restricting piece 54 (or the second restricting piece 56) in top view. This causes the end P of the first restricting piece 54 and the edge Q of the die-cut hole 58 to be horizontally shifted from each other as shown in Fig. 5(C). By configuring the die-cut hole 58 to be larger than the first restricting piece 54 (or the second restricting piece 56) in top view in this way, the manufacture of the support member 17 becomes easier and the support member 17 becomes easier to deform.
[0090] 4, the first retaining portion 51 and the second retaining portion 52 are provided at positions spaced apart from each other. The second retaining portion 52 may be provided at positions spaced apart from the first retaining portion 51 in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the second retaining portion 52 is provided at a position on the inner side of the seat (more specifically, on the inner side of the seat in the left-right direction) and shifted rearward from the first retaining portion 51.
[0091] In detail, each of the first bases 53 is located on the outer side of the seat than the outer ends of the second bases 55, and is provided at a position close to the recess 17A in the left-right direction relative to each of the second bases 55. Also, each of the first bases 53 is located forward of the front end of the second bases 55, and is provided at a position close to the recess 17A in the front-rear direction relative to each of the second bases 55. In this embodiment, the first holding portion 51 is provided inward of the seat than the inner end of the recess 17A.
[0092] The wire harness 27 extends from the through hole 44 towards the recess 17A, passes through the seat inner end of the recess 17A, and extends inwardly of the seat. Thereafter, the wire harness 27 passes between the first bases 53, bends rearward, then bends further inwardly of the seat, passes between the second bases 55, and extends further inwardly of the seat. The wire harness 27 is connected to a control device (not shown) that controls the driving of the vibration generator 24. The control device may be fixed to a lower part of the seat cushion 2, or may be fixed to a vehicle body on which the vehicle seat 1 is mounted.
[0093] Next, a method for manufacturing the vehicle seat 1 configured as above will be described.
[0094] An operator who manufactures the vehicle seat 1 first places the engaging member 30 in the cavity and insert-moldes it into the pad member 9A. As a result, the pad member recess 22 for accommodating the vibration generator 24 is formed in the pad member 9A, and at the same time, the engaging member 30 is fixed to the pad member 9A.
[0095] Thereafter, the worker installs the pad member 9A to which the engaging member 30 is fixed on the upper side (front side) of the support member 17 supported by the seat cushion frame 8. Next, the worker passes the wire harness 27 through the through hole 44, inserts the vibration generator 24 into the pad member recess 22, and engages the vibration generator 24 with the engaging member 30. As a result, the vibration generator 24 is disposed in the pad member recess 22 of the pad member 9A, and is coupled to the pad member 9A via the engaging member 30. Furthermore, the worker pulls out the wire harness 27 from the lower side of the through hole 44, and fixes the wire harness 27 to the first holding portion 51 and the second holding portion 52, respectively. Thereafter, when the vehicle seat 1 is assembled to the vehicle body, the worker performing the assembly operation connects the wire harness 27 to the control device.
[0096] Next, the effects of the vehicle seat 1 thus configured and the method for manufacturing the vehicle seat 1 will be described.
[0097] As a result, the wire harness 27 extends in the front-rear direction (first direction) at the first holding portion 51, and is held by the engaging member 30 so as to be movable in the extending direction. Also, the wire harness 27 extends in the left-right direction (second direction) at the second holding portion 52, and is held by the engaging member 30 so as to be movable in the extending direction. Therefore, the wire harness 27 is coupled to the support member 17 so as to be movable in the extending direction.
[0098] When a seated person sits in the vehicle seat 1, the vibration generator 24 moves due to the load from the seated person. Since the wire harness 27 is movable in its extension direction, the wire harness 27 can move in its extension direction so that the wire harness 27 is pulled out in response to the movement of the vibration generator 24. This makes it possible to provide a vehicle seat 1 and a method for manufacturing a vehicle seat 1 that can hold the wire harness 27 on the support member 17 while reducing the load that may be applied to the wire harness 27.
[0099] The first holding portion 51 includes a pair of first base portions 53 aligned on the left and right, and the wire harness 27 is disposed between the first base portions 53. Thus, with a simple configuration, the wire harness 27 can be extended in the front-rear direction and held by the first holding portion 51 so as to be movable in the extending direction.
[0100] The second holding portion 52 includes a pair of second base portions 55 arranged in the front-rear direction, and the wire harness 27 is disposed between the second base portions 55. Thus, with a simple configuration, the wire harness 27 can be extended in the left-right direction and held by the second holding portion 52 so as to be movable in the extending direction.
[0101] The first base 53 is plate-shaped with a surface facing the front-rear direction. Therefore, a contact area between the first base 53 and the wire harness 27 in the front-rear direction can be secured, and the first holding portion 51 can effectively restrict the movement of the wire harness 27 in the front-rear direction. Similarly, the second base 55 is plate-shaped with a surface facing the left-right direction. Therefore, a contact area between the second base 55 and the wire harness 27 in the left-right direction can be secured, and the second holding portion 52 can effectively restrict the movement of the wire harness 27 in the left-right direction.
[0102] In Fig. 4, the first holding portion 51 and the second holding portion 52 are provided at positions spaced apart from each other, but as shown in a modified example in Fig. 6, the first holding portion 51 and the second holding portion 52 may be provided at positions connected to each other. However, when the first holding portion 51 and the second holding portion 52 are provided at positions spaced apart from each other, the wire harness 27 can be curved more gently to be connected to the support member 17, compared to when the first holding portion 51 and the second holding portion 52 are connected to each other. This makes it possible to prevent stress from concentrating on the wire harness 27 in the portion between the first holding portion 51 and the second holding portion 52.
[0103] The second retaining portion 52 is provided at a position offset in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction (i.e., at a position spaced apart in each direction) with respect to the first retaining portion 51. Therefore, between the first retaining portion 51 and the second retaining portion 52, stress that may be applied to the wire harness 27 can be effectively reduced.
[0104] As shown in Fig. 5(B), a first restricting piece 54 is provided at the tip of the first base portion 53 on the seat outer side (seat outer side in the left-right direction). This makes it possible to prevent the wire harness 27 from moving downward in the first holding portion 51 and separating from the support member 17. Similarly, a second restricting piece 56 is also provided at the tip of the second base portion 55 on the rear side. This makes it possible to prevent the wire harness 27 from moving downward in the second holding portion 52 and separating from the support member 17.
[0105] <<Second embodiment>> The vehicle seat 1 according to the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment only in the retaining structure 50, and other configurations are similar to those of the first embodiment. Therefore, explanations of the configurations other than the retaining structure 50 will be omitted.
[0106] The retaining structure 50 according to the second embodiment includes a first retaining portion 51 and a second retaining portion 52, similar to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 7(A), the first retaining portion 51 couples the wire harness 27 to the support member main body 18 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction while restricting movement of the wire harness 27 in the left-right direction. As shown in Fig. 7(B), the second retaining portion 52 couples the wire harness 27 to the support member main body 18 so as to be movable in the left-right direction while restricting movement of the wire harness 27 in the front-rear direction. The first retaining portion 51 and the second retaining portion 52 are provided at substantially the same positions on the support member main body 18 as in the first embodiment.
[0107] As in the first embodiment, the first holding portion 51 includes a pair of left and right first base portions 53, and the second holding portion 52 includes a pair of front and rear second base portions 55. However, in the second embodiment, a first restricting piece 54 is provided on each of the two first base portions 53, and a second restricting piece 56 is provided on each of the two second base portions 55.
[0108] The first regulating pieces 54 are connected at their base ends to one of the first base parts 53 and extend horizontally toward the other first base part 53. As shown in FIG. 7(C), the extending ends of the first regulating pieces 54 are tapered compared to their base ends. This allows each of the first regulating pieces 54 to have a claw-like shape. The first regulating pieces 54 provided on one of the first base parts 53 and the first regulating pieces 54 provided on the other first base part 53 extend in directions facing each other in a horizontal view, and the distance between the two extending ends is set to be smaller than the diameter of the wire harness 27 in a horizontal view.
[0109] The second regulating piece 56 is connected at its base end to one of the second base parts 55 and extends horizontally toward the other of the second base parts 55. The second regulating piece 56 is tapered and has a claw shape. The second regulating piece 56 provided on one of the second base parts 55 and the second regulating piece 56 provided on the other of the second base parts 55 extend in directions opposing each other in a horizontal view, and the distance between the two extending ends is set to be smaller than the diameter of the wire harness 27 in a horizontal view.
[0110] In this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, in order to facilitate demolding, demolding holes 58 are provided in the support member 17. The demolding holes 58 are provided at positions aligned with the first restricting piece 54 of the first base portion 53 in the up-down direction, and at positions aligned with the second restricting piece 56 in the up-down direction.
[0111] The plate thickness of the first base portion 53 and the second base portion 55 may be configured to be thinner than that of the first embodiment. As a result, the first base portion 53 may be configured to be flexible and deformable in the left-right direction, and the second base portion 55 may be configured to be flexible and deformable in the front-rear direction.
[0112] Next, the effects of the vehicle seat 1 thus configured will be described.
[0113] As in the first embodiment, the wire harness 27 extends in the front-rear direction at the first holding portion 51 and is held by the engaging member 30 so as to be movable in the extending direction. The wire harness 27 extends in the second direction at the second holding portion 52 and is held by the engaging member 30 so as to be movable in the extending direction. Thus, the wire harness 27 is coupled to the support member 17 so as to be movable in the extending direction.
[0114] When a seated person sits in the vehicle seat 1, the vibration generator 24 moves due to the load from the seated person. Since the wire harness 27 is movable in its extension direction, the wire harness 27 can move in its extension direction so that the wire harness 27 is pulled out in response to the movement of the vibration generator 24. This makes it possible to provide a vehicle seat 1 that can hold the wire harness 27 on the support member 17 while reducing the load that may be applied to the wire harness 27.
[0115] In the second embodiment, when the wire harness 27 is inserted from below until it is positioned above the first restricting piece 54 and the second restricting piece 56, the wire harness 27 is held by the support member 17. In this manner, the wire harness 27 can be assembled to the support member 17 by inserting the wire harness 27 upward, and therefore assembly of the wire harness 27 is easy.
[0116] <<Third embodiment>> The vehicle seat 1 according to the third embodiment is different from the first embodiment only in the retaining structure 50, and other configurations are similar to those of the first embodiment. Therefore, explanations of the configurations other than the retaining structure 50 will be omitted.
[0117] The retaining structure 50 according to the third embodiment includes a first retaining portion 51 and a second retaining portion 52, similar to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 8(A), the first retaining portion 51 couples the wire harness 27 to the support member main body 18 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction while restricting movement of the wire harness 27 in the left-right direction. As shown in Fig. 8(B), the second retaining portion 52 couples the wire harness 27 to the support member main body 18 so as to be movable in the left-right direction while restricting movement of the wire harness 27 in the front-rear direction. The first retaining portion 51 and the second retaining portion 52 are provided at substantially the same positions on the support member main body 18 as in the first embodiment.
[0118] 8(A), similarly to the first embodiment, the first holding portion 51 has a pair of left and right first base portions 53, and the second holding portion 52 has a pair of front and rear second base portions 55. However, in the holding structure 50 according to the third embodiment, a first restricting piece 54 is provided at each end of the pair of left and right first base portions 53, extending toward the opposing other first base portion 53. However, two or more first restricting pieces 54 are provided at the end of one of the left and right first base portions 53.
[0119] The first restricting piece 54 provided on one first base portion 53 and the first restricting piece 54 provided on the other first base portion 53 are provided at positions that do not overlap when viewed in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the first restricting piece 54 provided on one first base portion 53 and the first restricting piece 54 provided on the other first base portion 53 are arranged in a staggered configuration along the front-rear direction.
[0120] As shown in FIG. 8B, second restricting pieces 56 are provided at the tips of the pair of front and rear second bases 55. The second restricting pieces 56 extend toward the other second base 55 that faces them. As with the first restricting piece 54, the second restricting piece 56 provided on one second base 55 and the second restricting piece 56 provided on the other second base 55 are provided at positions that do not overlap when viewed in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the second restricting piece 56 provided on one second base 55 and the second restricting piece 56 provided on the other second base 55 are arranged in a staggered arrangement along the left-right direction.
[0121] 8(C), in the present embodiment, the extending ends of the first restricting piece 54 and the second restricting piece 56 are each formed into a tapered claw shape, similar to the second embodiment, so that the first restricting piece 54 and the second restricting piece 56 each serve as a restricting claw that restricts the downward movement of the wire harness 27.
[0122] The distance between the tip of the first restricting piece 54 provided on one of the left and right first base parts 53 and the tip of the first restricting piece 54 provided on the other first base part 53 is set to be smaller than the diameter of the wire harness 27 when viewed in the front-rear direction. Similarly, the distance between the tip of the second restricting piece 56 provided on one of the front and rear second base parts 55 and the tip of the second restricting piece 56 provided on the other second base part 55 is set to be smaller than the diameter of the wire harness 27 when viewed in the left-right direction.
[0123] Next, the effects of the vehicle seat 1 configured in this manner will be described.
[0124] As in the first embodiment, the wire harness 27 extends in the front-rear direction at the first holding portion 51 and is held by the engaging member 30 so as to be movable in the extending direction. The wire harness 27 extends in the second direction at the second holding portion 52 and is held by the engaging member 30 so as to be movable in the extending direction. Thus, the wire harness 27 is coupled to the support member 17 so as to be movable in the extending direction.
[0125] When a seated person sits in the vehicle seat 1, the vibration generator 24 moves due to the load from the seated person. Since the wire harness 27 is movable in its extension direction, the wire harness 27 can move in its extension direction so that the wire harness 27 is pulled out in response to the movement of the vibration generator 24. This makes it possible to provide a vehicle seat 1 that can hold the wire harness 27 on the support member 17 while reducing the load that may be applied to the wire harness 27.
[0126] In the present embodiment, the first restricting pieces 54 and the second restricting pieces 56 are configured to be arranged in a staggered manner, so that the worker can easily insert the wire harness 27 between the two first bases 53 or between the two second bases 55, and the workability of assembling the wire harness 27 to the support member 17 is improved.
[0127] <<Fourth embodiment>> The vehicle seat 1 according to the fourth embodiment is different from the first embodiment only in the retaining structure 50, and other configurations are similar to those of the first embodiment. Therefore, explanations of the configurations other than the retaining structure 50 will be omitted.
[0128] Similar to the first embodiment, the holding structure 50 according to the fourth embodiment includes a first holding portion 51 and a second holding portion 52. The first holding portion 51 and the second holding portion 52 are provided at approximately the same positions on the support member main body 18 as in the first embodiment.
[0129] Each of the first holding portion 51 and the second holding portion 52 includes a main portion 60 that holds the wire harness 27 and a sub-portion 61 that prevents the wire harness 27 from coming off the main portion 60 .
[0130] As shown in Fig. 9(A), the main portion 60 of the first retaining portion 51 (hereinafter, first main portion 60A) is provided on the seat outer side of the sub-portion 61 (hereinafter, first sub-portion 61A) of the first retaining portion 51. As shown in Fig. 9(B), the main portion 60 of the second retaining portion 52 (hereinafter, second main portion 60B) is provided behind the sub-portion 61 of the second retaining portion 52 (hereinafter, second sub-portion 61B).
[0131] As shown in Fig. 9(C), the main portion 60 has a surface facing the horizontal direction, and includes a plate-like plate portion 62 that protrudes downward, and a claw portion 63 provided at the tip of the plate portion 62. The claw portion 63 includes an extension portion 64 that extends horizontally, and a locking portion 65 that protrudes upward from the extension end of the extension portion 64. As a result, the claw portion 63 is formed so as to be rolled upward at the extension end. The plate portion 62 and the claw portion 63 form a receiving recess 66 that is recessed downward and receives the wire harness 27.
[0132] In this embodiment, the distance between the plate-like portion 62 and the locking portion 65 is configured to match the diameter of the wire harness 27 or to be slightly smaller than the diameter of the wire harness 27. As a result, the wire harness 27 is received in the receiving recess 66 in a state where it is sandwiched between the plate-like portion 62 and the locking portion 65.
[0133] The plate-shaped portion 62 of the first main portion 60A is plate-shaped with a surface facing the left-right direction. The extension portion 64 of the first main portion 60A extends toward the inside of the seat (specifically, toward the inside of the seat in the left-right direction). The locking portion 65 of the first main portion 60A is located on the inside of the seat compared to the plate-shaped portion 62 of the first main portion 60A. The locking portion 65 of the first main portion 60A is plate-shaped with a surface facing the left-right direction, similar to the plate-shaped portion 62 of the first main portion 60A. As a result, the wire harness 27 is held by the first holding portion 51 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction and immovable in the left-right direction. In this way, the plate-shaped portion 62 and the locking portion 65 of the first main portion 60A each restrict the movement of the wire harness 27 in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction (left-right direction), and therefore have the same function as the first base portion 53 of the first embodiment.
[0134] The plate-like portion 62 of the second main portion 60B is plate-like with a surface facing the front-rear direction. The locking portion 65 of the second main portion 60B is also plate-like with a surface facing the front-rear direction. This allows the wire harness 27 to be held by the second holding portion 52 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction but not in the left-right direction. In this way, the plate-like portion 62 and the locking portion 65 of the second main portion 60B each restrict movement of the wire harness 27 in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction (left-right direction), and therefore function similarly to the first base portion 53 of the first embodiment.
[0135] The first sub-portion 61A extends forward and backward inside the seat of the locking portion 65 of the first main portion 60A. In this embodiment, the first sub-portion 61A forms a protrusion bulging downward inside the seat of the locking portion 65 of the first main portion 60A. A step portion 67 is formed at the boundary between the first sub-portion 61A and the support member main body 18. The amount of protrusion of the first sub-portion 61A is greater than the vertical distance between the locking portion 65 of the first main portion 60A and the support member main body 18, and the first sub-portion 61A seals the gap between the locking portion 65 of the first main portion 60A and the support member main body 18. This prevents the wire harness 27 from coming off the first main portion 60A.
[0136] The second sub-part 61B extends laterally behind the locking part 65 of the second main part 60B. In this embodiment, the second sub-part 61B forms a protrusion bulging downward behind the locking part 65 of the second main part 60B. A step part 67 is formed at the boundary between the second sub-part 61B and the support member main body 18. The amount of protrusion of the second sub-part 61B is greater than the vertical distance between the locking part 65 of the second main part 60B and the support member main body 18, and the second sub-part 61B seals the gap between the locking part 65 of the second main part 60B and the support member main body 18. This prevents the wire harness 27 from coming off the second main part 60B.
[0137] Next, the effects of the vehicle seat 1 configured in this manner will be described.
[0138] As in the first embodiment, the wire harness 27 extends in the front-rear direction at the first holding portion 51 and is held by the engaging member 30 so as to be movable in the extending direction. The wire harness 27 extends in the second direction at the second holding portion 52 and is held by the engaging member 30 so as to be movable in the extending direction. Thus, the wire harness 27 is coupled to the support member 17 so as to be movable in the extending direction.
[0139] When a seated person sits in the vehicle seat 1, the vibration generator 24 moves due to the load from the seated person. Since the wire harness 27 is movable in its extension direction, the wire harness 27 can move in its extension direction so that the wire harness 27 is pulled out in response to the movement of the vibration generator 24. This makes it possible to provide a vehicle seat 1 that can hold the wire harness 27 on the support member 17 while reducing the load that may be applied to the wire harness 27.
[0140] <<Fifth embodiment>> The vehicle seat 1 according to the fifth embodiment is different from the first embodiment only in the retaining structure 50, and other configurations are similar to those of the first embodiment. Therefore, explanations of the configurations other than the retaining structure 50 will be omitted.
[0141] The holding structure 50 according to the fifth embodiment includes a first holding portion 51 (see FIGS. 10A and 10B) and a second holding portion 52 (see FIG. 10C), similar to the first embodiment. The first holding portion 51 and the second holding portion 52 are provided at approximately the same positions on the support member main body 18 as in the first embodiment.
[0142] 10(A) and 10(B), the first holding portion 51 includes a pair of first base portions 53 having surfaces facing in the left-right direction, and protrusions 70 (hereinafter, first protrusions 70A) provided on opposing surfaces of the first base portions 53. The first base portions 53 are plate-shaped with opposing surfaces. The first protrusions 70A protrude from the opposing surfaces of one first base portion 53 toward the other first base portion 53.
[0143] In this embodiment, two first protrusions 70A are provided on one first base portion 53, and one first protrusion 70A is provided on the other first base portion 53. The first protrusion 70A provided on one first base portion 53 and the first protrusion 70A provided on the other first base portion 53 are staggered in the front-rear direction. As shown in Fig. 10(B) and Fig. 10(D), the protrusion amount of each of the first protrusions 70A is configured to increase in a direction away from the support member main body 18.
[0144] As shown in FIG. 10(C), the second holding portion 52 includes a pair of second bases 55 having surfaces facing the left and right directions, and second protrusions 70B provided on the opposing surfaces of the second bases 55. The second bases 55 are plate-shaped with opposing surfaces. The second protrusions 70B protrude from the opposing surfaces of one second base 55 toward the other second base 55. The second protrusions 70B have the same shape as the first protrusions 70A, and the second protrusions 70B provided on one second base 55 in the second holding portion 52 and the second protrusions 70B provided on the other second base 55 are arranged in a staggered arrangement. The protrusion amounts of the second protrusions 70B are also configured to increase in the direction away from the support member main body 18, similar to the first protrusions 70A.
[0145] Next, the effects of the vehicle seat 1 configured in this manner will be described.
[0146] As in the first embodiment, the wire harness 27 extends in the front-rear direction at the first holding portion 51 and is held by the engaging member 30 so as to be movable in the extending direction. The wire harness 27 extends in the second direction at the second holding portion 52 and is held by the engaging member 30 so as to be movable in the extending direction. Thus, the wire harness 27 is coupled to the support member 17 so as to be movable in the extending direction.
[0147] When a seated person sits in the vehicle seat 1, the vibration generator 24 moves due to the load from the seated person. Since the wire harness 27 is movable in its extension direction, the wire harness 27 can move in its extension direction so that the wire harness 27 is pulled out in response to the movement of the vibration generator 24. This makes it possible to provide a vehicle seat 1 that can hold the wire harness 27 on the support member 17 while reducing the load that may be applied to the wire harness 27.
[0148] As shown in Fig. 10(B) and Fig. 10(C), the protruding amount of the protrusions 70 (first protruding portion 70A and second protruding portion 70B) increases with increasing distance from the support member 17 (main body). Therefore, when the vibration generator 24 is pulled and the wire harness 27 is pressed against the support member 17, the first holding portion 51 is less likely to restrict the left-right movement of the wire harness 27, and the second holding portion 52 is less likely to restrict the front-rear movement of the wire harness 27. Therefore, even when the vibration generator 24 is pulled and the wire harness 27 is pressed against the support member 17, the load that may be applied to the wire harness 27 can be reduced compared to when the protruding amount of the protrusions 70 is constant.
[0149] <<Sixth embodiment>> The vehicle seat 1 according to the sixth embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the manner in which the engagement member 30 and the vibration generator 24 are engaged, but other configurations are similar to those of the first embodiment. Therefore, explanations of configurations other than the engagement member 30 and the vibration generator 24 will be omitted.
[0150] 11, similarly to the first embodiment, the engaging member 30 according to the fifth embodiment is housed in the pad member recess 22 of the pad member 9A and fixed to a wall surface defining the pad member recess 22. Similar to the first embodiment, the engaging member 30 includes an engaging member main body 31 having a rectangular frame shape with a cutout portion 40, and a locking claw 32 provided on the engaging member main body 31.
[0151] 11, the locking claw 32 is provided on the edge of the front side of the engagement member main body 31. The locking claw 32 abuts on the edge of the front side of the side of the vibration generator 24, pressing the vibration generator 24 against the bottom surface of the pad member recess 22. As in the first embodiment, the vibration generator 24 is fixed to the wall surface that defines the pad member recess 22, and therefore the vibration generator 24 is locked to the pad member 9A between the locking claw 32 and the bottom surface of the pad member recess 22.
[0152] The covering member 42 is housed in the expanding portion 22A and is disposed on the front side of the vibration generator 24. As a result, the covering member 42 is disposed so as to cover the vibration generator 24 from the front side, similar to the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the back surface of the covering member 42 abuts against the edge portion on the front side of the engaging member 30, and a gap is formed between the front surface of the vibration generator 24 and the back surface of the covering member 42. The front surface of the covering member 42 is the front surface of the pad member 9A and is flush with the peripheral portion of the pad member recess 22.
[0153] Next, the effects of the vehicle seat 1 configured in this manner will be described. The vibration generator 24 engages with the engagement member 30, which is fixed to the pad member 9A. The engagement member 30 is made of a harder material than the pad member 9A, and is therefore less likely to deform than the pad member 9A when a load from a seated occupant is applied. Therefore, the vibration generator 24 is less likely to move relative to the pad member 9A, compared to when the vibration generator 24 is fitted into and frictionally locked in a pad member recess 22 provided in the pad member 9A.
[0154] Although the specific embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified in a wide range of ways.
[0155] In the above embodiment, the first retaining portion 51 is located outward and forward of the seat relative to the second retaining portion 52, but the arrangement of the first retaining portion 51 and the second retaining portion 52 is not limited to this embodiment.
[0156] Fig. 12 shows a modified example of the arrangement of the first retaining portion 51 and the second retaining portion 52. As shown in Fig. 12, the second retaining portion 52 may be provided outward and rearward of the seat with respect to the first retaining portion 51. In this case, the required length of the wire harness 27 is increased, but since the first base portion 53 and the second base portion 55 are spaced apart from each other, the stress that may be applied to the wire harness 27 between the first retaining portion 51 and the second retaining portion 52 can be reduced.
[0157] 6, the first base portion 53 and the second base portion 55 may be joined to each other, and the first holding portion 51 and the second holding portion 52 may be connected to each other. As a result, the groove 80 between the first base portion 53 and the second base portion 55 is configured to be generally continuous.
[0158] In this way, even when the first base portion 53 and the second base portion 55 are connected and configured continuously, the wire harness 27 can be connected to the support member main body 18 in a state in which movement in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction is restricted. Furthermore, when at least one of the first base portions 53 and at least one of the second base portions 55 are connected, movement of the wire harness 27 can be more strongly restricted than when the first base portion 53 and the second base portion 55 are not connected. Furthermore, since the rigidity is increased by connecting the first holding portion 51 and the second holding portion 52, the first holding portion 51 and the second holding portion 52 are less likely to deform than when they are separated.
[0159] In the above embodiment, the vibration generator 24 is provided in the seat cushion 2, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the vibration generator 24 may be provided in the seat back 3. In the above embodiment, the vibration generator 24 is provided in the vehicle seat 1, but the electrical equipment may be other electrical / electronic equipment (e.g., a blower, a seat heater, etc.). In addition, in the above embodiment, the vibration generator 24, which is the electrical equipment, is completely accommodated inside the pad member recess 22, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the electrical equipment may be at least partially inserted into the pad member recess 22 and engaged with the engaging member 30 at a part of the electrical equipment. In addition, the shape of the engaging member 30 is not limited to a frame shape, and may be any shape that matches the shape of the electrical equipment. For example, the engaging member 30 may be hook-shaped to match the shape of the electrical equipment. Furthermore, as long as the engaging member 30 is fixed to the pad member 9A on the opening direction side of the bottom wall 22B (above the bottom wall 22B when provided on the seat cushion 2, and forward of the bottom wall 22B when provided on the seat back 3), the engaging member 30 may be positioned in any position.
[0160] In the above embodiment, the first holding portion 51 is configured to restrict the movement of the wire harness 27 in the left-right direction (first direction), and the second holding portion 52 is configured to restrict the movement of the wire harness 27 in the front-rear direction (second direction). However, the direction in which the movement of the wire harness 27 is restricted by the first holding portion 51 and the direction in which the movement of the wire harness 27 is restricted by the second holding portion 52 may be any direction as long as they are orthogonal to each other. In addition, in the above embodiment, the support member main body 18 extends along the seat cushion frame 8, but is not limited to this. For example, the support member main body 18 may be configured to be bent downward at approximately the center in the front-rear direction and extend in a direction slightly shifted from the extending direction of the seat cushion frame 8. [Explanation of symbols]
[0161] 1: Vehicle seats 8: Seat cushion frame 9A: Pad material 18: Support member body (main body part) 24: Vibration generator (electrical equipment) 27: Wire harness (linear components) 50: Retention structure 51: 1st holding part 52:Second holding part 53 :1st base 54: 1st regulation piece (regulation piece) 55:Second base 56:Second regulation piece (regulation piece) 70:Protrusion
Claims
1. A vehicle seat, comprising: A frame, A support member supported by the frame and supporting an occupant; A pad member supported on a front side of the support member; A wire harness to be connected to an electrical device, The support member is A plate-shaped main body; a holding structure for holding the wire harness in the main body, The holding structure includes a first holding portion that couples the wire harness to the main body portion so as to be movable in a first direction and restricts movement of the wire harness in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a second holding portion that couples the wire harness to the main body portion so as to be movable in the second direction and restricts movement of the wire harness in the first direction, The vehicle seat, wherein the retaining structure is integrally formed with the main body portion. Vehicle seat.
2. The first holding portion includes a pair of first base portions each protruding from a rear surface of the main body portion and aligned in the second direction, The second holding portion includes a pair of second base portions each protruding from a rear surface of the main body portion and aligned in the first direction, 2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the wire harness passes between the first base portions and between the second base portions.
3. 3. The vehicle seat according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the first base portions and at least one of the second base portions are joined to one another.
4. The vehicle seat according to claim 2 , wherein the first base portion and the second base portion are disposed apart from each other.
5. The first base portion is in the form of a plate having a surface perpendicular to the second direction, The vehicle seat according to claim 2 , wherein the second base portion is in the form of a plate having a surface perpendicular to the first direction.
6. The vehicle seat according to claim 5 , wherein the first base portion is provided at a position spaced apart from the second base portion in both the first direction and the second direction.
7. 3. The vehicle seat according to claim 2, wherein a restricting piece is provided at a protruding end of the first base portion and a protruding end of the second base portion to restrict the wire harness from moving away from the main body portion.
8. The first base portion is in the form of a plate having a surface perpendicular to the second direction, At least two of the restricting pieces are provided on at least one of the first base portions, The vehicle seat according to claim 7 , wherein the restricting piece provided on one of the first base portions and the restricting piece provided on the other of the first base portions are arranged in a staggered manner along the first direction.
9. The second base portion is in the form of a plate having a surface perpendicular to the first direction, At least one of the second base portions is provided with two or more of the restricting pieces, The vehicle seat according to claim 8 , wherein the restricting piece provided on one of the second base portions and the restricting piece provided on the other of the second base portions are arranged in a staggered manner along the second direction.
10. The first base portion has opposing surfaces provided with protruding portions protruding in opposing directions, At least one of the first base portions is provided with a plurality of the protrusions, The protrusions are staggered along the first direction, The vehicle seat according to claim 2 , wherein the protruding portions each have a protruding amount that increases in a direction away from the support member.
11. A method for manufacturing a vehicle seat, comprising the steps of: A step of placing a pad member on a front side of a support member supported by a frame; and placing an electrical component on the pad member. The electrical equipment is connected by a wire harness, The support member is A plate-shaped main body portion extending along the frame; A holding structure for holding the main body portion, The holding structure includes: a first holding portion that allows the wire harness to move in a first direction and restricts the wire harness from moving in a second direction intersecting the first direction; a second holding portion that allows the wire harness to move in the second direction and restricts the wire harness from moving in the first direction, The step of arranging the electrical equipment includes a step of holding the wire harness in the first holding portion and the second holding portion.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
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