Vehicular seat

Abstract

To provide a vehicular seat which suppresses the sinking of a chest part and reduces a load applied on a neck part, regardless of a physique of an occupant upon a rear surface collision.SOLUTION: A vehicular seat S is a vehicular seat S equipped with a seat back S2. The seat back S2 has a seat back frame 1, and a cushion pad 2 placed on the seat back frame 1. The cushion pad 2 is supported by an installation member 17 attached to the seat back frame 1. The cushion pad 2 is formed with an easy-to-bend part 22 for lowering reaction force applied on a chest part of an occupant when a backward moving load is applied on the occupant, and the easy-to-bend part 22 is configured to easily bend as compared with a periphery of the easy-to-bend part 22, and is equipped with a chest part supporting member 3 for suppressing the sinking of a chest part of the occupant at a position opposite to the easy-to-bend part 22. A lower end of the chest part supporting member 3 is provided above an upper end of the installation member 17.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat, and more particularly to a vehicle seat capable of protecting the neck of an occupant in the event of an impact such as a collision. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art There is a vehicle seat equipped with an active headrest for protecting the neck of an occupant from impact and suppressing whiplash during a rear-end collision in a vehicle (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-67247 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] During a rear-end collision, when a rearward moving load acts on an occupant, if the occupant's head is held in position by the headrest and the occupant's chest sinks into the seatback, a phase difference (misalignment in the front-to-back direction) occurs between the neck and chest, which can result in whiplash. Smaller occupants are more likely to sink into the seatback than larger occupants, and are therefore more likely to suffer whiplash.

[0005] In the past, attempts have been made to adequately support the head of an occupant in order to prevent the occurrence of whiplash injury, but in this invention, attention has been focused on the fact that it is desirable to adequately restrain both the head and chest of an occupant during a rear-end collision, and on the fact that in order to reduce the burden on the neck, it is important to prevent the chest from sinking while supporting the head.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a vehicle seat that suppresses sinking of the chest and reduces the strain on the neck during a rear-end collision, regardless of the occupant's physique. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The above problem is solved by the vehicle seat of the present invention, which provides a vehicle seat having a seat back, the seat back having a seat back frame and a cushion pad placed on the seat back frame, the cushion pad being supported by a support member attached to the seat back frame, the cushion pad being formed with a reaction force reduction portion for reducing the reaction force acting on the occupant's chest when a backward moving load acts on the occupant, the reaction force reduction portion being configured to be more flexible than the surrounding area of ​​the reaction force reduction portion, and a sinking suppression member for suppressing sinking of the occupant's chest is provided at a position opposite the reaction force reduction portion, and the lower end of the sinking suppression member is provided above the upper end of the support member.

[0008] In the vehicle seat of the present invention configured as described above, when a backward moving load acts on the occupant in a rear collision, etc., the sinking suppression member provided at an appropriate position suppresses sinking of the occupant's chest, thereby making it possible to reduce the burden on the neck. In addition, since the reaction force reduction portion is provided in the cushion pad, even if the sinking suppression member is provided, it is possible to reduce the reaction force generated in the occupant's chest, especially in the chest of a small sized occupant.

[0009] Furthermore, in the above configuration, the seat back may have a skin covering the cushion pad, and a skin attachment member for attaching the skin to the cushion pad, the skin attachment member extending in the width direction of the vehicle seat, and a lower end of the sinking suppression member may be provided above the skin attachment member. In the above configuration, the sinking prevention member is positioned at an appropriate height position on the seat back, making it possible to appropriately prevent the occupant's chest from sinking when a backward movement load acts on the occupant, such as during a rear-end collision.

[0010] In addition, in the above configuration, the seatback frame may include a pair of side frames arranged at a distance in the width direction of the vehicle seat, and an upper frame connecting the upper ends of the side frames, and the sinking prevention member may have its end in the width direction of the vehicle seat attached to the side frames. In the above configuration, since both ends of the sinking prevention member are attached to the seat back frame, when the occupant's chest sinks, it is possible to absorb the backward movement load, making it possible to reliably prevent the occupant's chest from sinking.

[0011] In addition, in the above configuration, the seat back may have a side support member for supporting the chest of an occupant from the side, and the side support member may be disposed between the side frame and the cushion pad in the width direction of the vehicle seat. In the above configuration, when a backward movement load acts on a large occupant, the backward movement load can be distributed by preventing the occupant's chest from sinking from the side, making it possible to suppress the chest sinking even for large occupants.

[0012] In the above configuration, the sinking suppression member may be integrated with the side support member. In the above configuration, the integrated sinking prevention member and side support member make it possible to prevent the occupant's chest from sinking from the rear (back) and the sides (sides), thereby making it possible to appropriately distribute the backward movement load and improving workability by eliminating the need to attach separate side support members.

[0013] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the upper frame includes a pillar support portion for guiding a headrest pillar, and the pillar support portion and the sinking suppression member are integrated together. In the above configuration, the subsidence prevention member is integrated with the pillar support portion and is stably attached to the seat back frame, so that when the occupant's chest sinks, the backward movement load can be firmly received.

[0014] In addition, in the above configuration, the reaction force reduction portion may be provided inward in a width direction of the vehicle seat than a hanging portion formed in the cushion pad so as to extend along the up-down direction of the vehicle seat. In the above configuration, the reaction force reduction portion is positioned near the center in the seat width direction, so that when the occupant's chest sinks, the backward movement load can be received near the center in the seat width direction.

[0015] In the above configuration, the sinking suppression member may extend longer than the length of the reaction force reduction portion in the vertical direction of the vehicle seat. In the above configuration, a sinking prevention member is positioned in the vertical direction of the seat on the back surface of the area where the reaction force is reduced, thereby making it possible to reduce the reaction force acting on the occupant's chest and appropriately prevent the occupant's chest from sinking.

[0016] In the above configuration, it is preferable that a recess is disposed at a position rearward of the reaction force reduction portion in the cushion pad. In the above-described configuration, the reaction force reducing portion can be formed by a simple method of core-punching the cushion pad.

[0017] In the above configuration, it is preferable that a material having at least one of density and hardness different from that of a material constituting the cushion pad is disposed at a position behind the reaction force reducing portion of the cushion pad. In the above configuration, a reaction force reduction portion is formed by making a part of the material of the cushion pad different in density or hardness from the urethane base material (urethane foam) that constitutes the cushion pad, and by selecting an appropriate material, it is possible to set the desired reaction force reduction characteristics. Effect of the Invention

[0018] According to the seat frame of the present invention, when a backward moving load acts on an occupant in a rear collision, etc., the sinking suppression member provided at an appropriate position suppresses sinking of the occupant's chest, thereby making it possible to reduce the burden on the neck. In addition, because the cushion pad is provided with a reaction force reduction portion, it is possible to reduce the reaction force acting on the occupant's chest, especially on the chest of an occupant with a small build, even if a sinking suppression member is provided. Furthermore, according to the seat frame of the present invention, the sinking prevention member is positioned at an appropriate height position on the seat back, making it possible to appropriately prevent the occupant's chest from sinking when a backward movement load acts on the occupant, such as during a rear-end collision. Furthermore, according to the seat frame of the present invention, both ends of the sinking prevention member are attached to the seat back frame, so that when the occupant's chest sinks, it is possible to absorb the backward movement load, thereby making it possible to reliably prevent the occupant's chest from sinking. In addition, with the seat frame of the present invention, when a backward movement load acts on a large occupant, the backward movement load can be distributed by preventing the occupant's chest from sinking from the side, making it possible to suppress the chest sinking even of a large occupant. Furthermore, with the seat frame of the present invention, the integrated sinking prevention member and side support member make it possible to prevent the occupant's chest from sinking from the rear (back) and sides (sides), thereby making it possible to appropriately distribute the backward movement load and improving workability by eliminating the need to attach separate side support members. Furthermore, according to the seat frame of the present invention, the subsidence suppression member is integrated with the pillar support portion and is stably attached to the seat back frame, so that when the occupant's chest sinks, the backward movement load can be firmly received. Furthermore, according to the seat frame of the present invention, the reaction force reduction portion is positioned near the center in the width direction of the seat, so that when the occupant's chest sinks, the backward movement load can be received near the center in the width direction of the seat. Furthermore, according to the seat frame of the present invention, a sinking prevention member is positioned in the vertical direction of the seat on the back surface of the area in which the reaction force is reduced, thereby making it possible to reduce the reaction force acting on the occupant's chest and appropriately prevent the occupant's chest from sinking. Furthermore, according to the seat frame of the present invention, it is possible to form the reaction force reducing portion by the simple method of core-punching the cushion pad. Furthermore, according to the seat frame of the present invention, a reaction force reduction portion is formed by making a portion of the cushion pad out of a material having a density or hardness different from that of the urethane base material (urethane foam) that constitutes the cushion pad, and by selecting an appropriate material, it is possible to set the desired reaction force reduction characteristics. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is an external view of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is a perspective view of a seat back frame of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] 1 is a perspective explanatory view showing a relationship between a seat frame and a seat cushion of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, illustrating the structure of a seat back according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 3, illustrating the structure of a seat back according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, illustrating the structure of a seat back according to a modified embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a seat back frame according to a modified example of the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 3, illustrating a structure of a seat back according to a modified embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] A seat frame according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, the present embodiment) will be described below with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 8. As a vehicle seat according to the present embodiment, a vehicle seat mounted in a vehicle will be described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to a vehicle seat, and may be a seat mounted in a vehicle other than a vehicle.

[0021] The embodiment described below is merely an example for facilitating understanding of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention. In other words, the shapes, dimensions, arrangements, and other aspects of the components described below may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and the present invention naturally includes equivalents thereof.

[0022] In this specification, the terms indicating directions are defined as shown in FIG. 1. Specifically, in the following description, the "front-rear direction" means the front-rear direction as seen by a person sitting in the vehicle seat, and is the direction that coincides with the vehicle's traveling direction. The "seat width direction" means the width direction of the vehicle seat, and coincides with the left-right direction as seen by a person sitting in the vehicle seat. Additionally, the "up-down direction" means the height direction of the vehicle seat, and coincides with the up-down direction as seen by the vehicle seat from the front.

[0023] [1. Configuration of the vehicle seat S] The vehicle seat S according to this embodiment has the appearance shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of the vehicle seat S. In Fig. 1, a part of the vehicle seat S (specifically, a part of the seat back S2) is shown with a trim cover removed for convenience of illustration.

[0024] The vehicle seat S has as its main components a seat cushion S1 serving as a seating portion that supports the buttocks of a seated person, a seat back S2 serving as a backrest that supports the back of the seated person, and a headrest S3 disposed on the upper portion of the seat back S2 and supporting the head of the seated person. The seat cushion S1 is configured by placing a cushion pad on a seat cushion frame (not shown) and further covering the cushion pad with a trim cover. The seat back S2 is configured by placing a cushion pad 2 on a seat back frame 1 serving as a skeleton shown in FIG. 2 and covering it with a trim cover T. The headrest S3 is formed by placing a pad material (not shown) on a core material (not shown) and covering it with a trim cover.

[0025] The cushion pads of the seat cushion S1 and the seat back S2 are urethane base materials formed by foam molding using urethane foaming material. The trim cover T of the seat back S2 is provided with a first hanging part Ta (right hanging part) provided on the right side of the seat back and extending in the vertical direction, a second hanging part Tb (left hanging part) provided on the left side of the seat back and extending in the vertical direction, a third hanging part Tc (upper hanging part) provided on the upper side of the seat cushion and extending in the seat width direction, and a fourth hanging part Td (lower hanging part) provided on the lower side of the seat cushion and extending in the seat width direction. In addition, as described later, thin-walled parts formed to be thinner than the surroundings are provided at positions corresponding to the hanging parts of the cushion pad 2.

[0026] [2. Seat back frame] The configuration of the seatback frame 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. The seatback frame 1 is configured in a frame shape by a pair of side frames 10 arranged spaced apart on the left and right and extending in the vertical direction, an upper frame 11 connecting the upper ends of the side frames 10, and a lower frame 12 connecting the lower ends of the side frames 10.

[0027] A pillar support portion 13 is provided on the upper frame 11, and a headrest frame (not shown) is provided on the pillar support portion 13. A cushion pad is provided on the outside of the headrest frame to form a headrest S3.

[0028] The side frame 10 is formed by pressing a metal plate and is a generally curved plate body that is wider at the bottom than at the top. As shown in FIG. 2, the side frame 10 has a generally flat side plate 14, a front edge portion 15 formed by folding the front end of the side plate 14 inwardly into a U-shape, and a rear edge portion 16 formed by bending the rear end of the side plate 14 inwardly into an L-shape. The side frame 10 is provided with a locking portion 18 having locking holes to which both ends of a pair of installation members 17, which are S-springs and serve as support members for supporting the cushion pad 2 from the rear, are locked. The installation members are an upper installation member 17a at the top and a lower installation member 17b at the bottom in the vertical direction.

[0029] Moreover, above the seat back frame 1, a chest support member 3, which will be described in detail below, is provided.

[0030] [3. Seat back configuration] Hereinafter, each component of the seat back S2 of the vehicle seat S according to this embodiment will be described. Specifically, a sinking suppression member (chest support member 3) for suppressing sinking of the occupant's chest when a backward moving load acts on the occupant in a rear collision, a reaction force reducing portion (flexible portion 22) for reducing the reaction force acting on the occupant's chest, and a side support member (side pad 4) for supporting the occupant's chest from the sides will be described with reference to Figs. 2 to 5.

[0031] (3.1. Chest support member) As shown in Fig. 2, the seat back S2 of the vehicle seat S according to this embodiment includes a chest support member 3, which is a sinking suppression member for suppressing sinking of the chest of an occupant when a backward moving load acts on the occupant during a rear-end collision, etc. The chest support member 3 is a plate member formed of resin or the like, and has a generally rectangular shape in a front view with ribs on its surface. The left and right ends (right end 3a and left end 3b) of the chest support member 3 in the seat width direction are attached to the left and right side frames 10 of the seat back frame 1. Specifically, the right end 3a of the chest support member 3 is attached to the right side frame 10, and the left end 3b is attached to the left side frame 10.

[0032] The thorax support member 3 is disposed so that its lower end 3d is located above the upper end of the upper installation member 17, i.e., the upper installation member 17a, which is disposed above. With the thorax support member 3 disposed in such a position on the seat back frame 1, it is possible to prevent the occupant's chest from sinking at an appropriate position. In addition, the upper end 3c of the thorax support member 3 is disposed at a position that does not interfere with other members such as the pillar support portion 13.

[0033] In addition, since the thorax support member 3 is provided so as to be located only above the upper end of the upper installation member 17a, it is possible to appropriately suppress the sinking of the occupant's chest. Furthermore, it is possible to arrange the thorax support member 3 without interfering with other members provided on the seat back S2.

[0034] (3.2. Reaction force reduction section) As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the seat back S2 of the vehicle seat S according to this embodiment is provided with a flexible portion 22, which is a reaction force reducing portion for reducing the reaction force acting on the occupant's chest when a backward moving load acts on the occupant in a rear collision, etc. Figure 3 is an explanatory perspective view showing a state in which a part of the seat back S2 is cut away, and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 1. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a recess 21 is provided by core cutting at a position facing the chest support member 3 of the cushion pad 2 constituting the seat back S2, and the flexible portion 22 is formed on the front side of the recess 21 in the seat front-rear direction.

[0035] Flexible portion 22 is configured to be more flexible than the surroundings of flexible portion 22 by providing recess 21 at the rear in the front-rear direction of the seat, and it becomes possible to reduce the reaction force acting on the occupant's chest when the occupant's chest sinks when a backward moving load acts on the occupant in a rear collision, etc. If chest support member 3 is provided, it is expected that the reaction force acting on the occupant's chest will increase when the occupant's chest sinks in a rear collision, but by providing flexible portion 22, it becomes possible to suppress the reaction force acting on the occupant's chest.

[0036] In particular, small-sized occupants experience large acceleration during a rear-end collision, resulting in a large reaction force in the chest; however, since the flexible portion 22 is provided to reduce the reaction force, it is possible to appropriately reduce the reaction force in the chest.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 4, the cushion pad 2 is provided with thin portions 23, 24 at positions corresponding to the hanging portions formed to extend along the up-down direction of the seat back S2. Specifically, the thin portion 23 is provided at a position corresponding to the first hanging portion Ta of the cushion pad 2, and the thin portion 24 is provided at a position corresponding to the second hanging portion Tb. The recess 21 and the flexible portion 22 are provided on the inside in the seat width direction from the right thin portion 23 and the left thin portion 24. That is, the recess 21 and the flexible portion 22 are provided on the inside in the seat width direction from the first hanging portion Ta and the second hanging portion Tb. In other words, the flexible portion 22 is disposed near the center of the seat back S2 in the seat width direction. Therefore, when the occupant's chest sinks, the center of the seat back S2 is easily sunk, so that the backward movement load can be received near the center in the seat width direction.

[0038] (3.3. Side Support Members) As shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the seat back S2 of the vehicle seat S according to this embodiment has side pads 4 which are side support members for supporting the occupant's chest from the sides when a backward moving load acts on the occupant during a rear-end collision, etc. The side pads 4 are formed from resin or the like, and one is provided on each of the left and right sides in the seat width direction. Specifically, the side pads 4 are disposed between the side frames 10 and the cushion pad 2 in the seat width direction. In more detail, the side pads 4 are disposed between the side plates 14 of the side frames 10 and the cushion pad 2 in the seat width direction.

[0039] The seat back S2 of this embodiment has a flexible portion 22, which can reduce the reaction force acting on the occupant's chest during a rear-end collision, but in the case of a large occupant, there is a possibility that the chest will sink significantly during a rear-end collision. The seat back S2 of this embodiment is provided with side pads 4, which can prevent the chest of a large occupant from sinking from the left and right sides in the seat width direction during a rear-end collision, thereby dispersing the backward movement load. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the chest from sinking even for a large occupant.

[0040] 5, which is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 3, the length (L) of chest support member 3 in the vertical direction of the seat extends longer than the length of flexible portion 22, i.e., the length (l) of recess 21 provided in cushion pad 2 in the vertical direction of the seat (L>l in FIG. 5). With this configuration, chest support member 3 is disposed in the vertical direction of the seat on the back surface of flexible portion 22, which is an area for reducing the reaction force, and this makes it possible to reduce the reaction force acting on the occupant's chest during a rear-end collision and appropriately suppress sinking of the occupant's chest.

[0041] 5, an insert wire 26, which is a skin attachment member for attaching a skin covering the cushion pad 2 to the cushion pad 2, is embedded in the cushion pad 2 of the seat back S2 and extends in the seat width direction. The lower end of the thorax support member 3 is provided above the insert wire 26. The position of the insert wire 26 corresponds to the height position of the third suspending portion Tc (upper suspending portion) which is a suspending portion near the thorax extending in the seat width direction, in other words, the height position at which the thin-walled portion 25 corresponding to the third suspending portion Tc is provided. Since the thorax support member 3 is disposed at an appropriate height position in the seat back S2, it becomes possible to appropriately suppress sinking of the occupant's chest when a backward movement load acts on the occupant during a rear-end collision, for example.

[0042] [4. Effect of preventing chest sinking during a rear impact (when a backward moving load is applied)] In the vehicle seat S of this embodiment, when a backward moving load acts on the occupant, such as during a rear-end collision, both the occupant's head and chest are appropriately restrained, preventing the occupant's neck and chest from shifting in the fore-and-aft direction of the seat, thereby reducing the burden on the occupant's neck and making it possible to prevent the occurrence of whiplash.

[0043] 1 and 2, a headrest S3 is disposed at a position corresponding to the head of the occupant, and a thorax support member 3 is disposed at a position on the seat back S2 corresponding to the chest of the occupant. Therefore, when a backward movement load acts on the occupant during a rear-end collision, the head of the occupant is prevented from being displaced rearward by the headrest S3, and the chest of the occupant is prevented from being displaced rearward by the thorax support member 3.

[0044] At this time, there is a possibility that a large reaction force will be applied to the occupant due to the presence of the thorax support member 3. In this embodiment, since the cushion pad 2 of the seat back S2 is provided with the flexible portion 22, it is possible to suppress the reaction force applied to the occupant's chest. In particular, for small-sized occupants (lightweight occupants), the acceleration generated during a rear-end collision is large, so there is a possibility that a large reaction force will be applied, but since the flexible portion 22 is provided, it is possible to suppress the reaction force applied to the chest.

[0045] In addition, since the seat back S2 is provided with side pads 4 in the seat width direction, it is possible to prevent the chest of a large occupant from sinking from the left and right sides in the seat width direction during a rear-end collision, thereby dispersing the backward movement load. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the chest from sinking even for a large occupant.

[0046] As described above, the vehicle seat S of this embodiment suppresses the sinking of the occupant's chest when a backward moving load acts on the occupant during a rear-end collision, and also appropriately suppresses the reaction force generated on the chest. Therefore, by restraining the occupant's head and chest during a rear-end collision, the displacement of the occupant's neck and chest in the front-rear direction of the seat is suppressed. This reduces the burden on the occupant's neck and makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of whiplash. In addition, the vehicle seat S of this embodiment can appropriately suppress the sinking of the chest in both cases of a small-sized occupant and a large-sized occupant.

[0047] [5. Modifications] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and modifications of the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0048] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the chest support member 3 and the side pads 4 were separate, but as shown in Fig. 6, the chest support member 3X and the left and right side pads 4X may be integrated. By integrating the chest support member 3X and the side pads 4X, it is possible to prevent the occupant's chest from sinking from the rear (back) and sides (sides), making it possible to appropriately distribute the backward movement load. In addition, there is no need to attach separate side pads to the seat back frame 1, improving workability.

[0049] In the above embodiment, the thorax support member 3 is provided as a separate member from the pillar support portion 13, but as shown in Fig. 7, the thorax support member 3Y and the pillar support portion 13 may be integrated together. By integrating the thorax support member 3Y and the pillar support portion 13, the thorax support member 3Y is stably attached to the seat back frame 1, so that when the occupant's chest sinks, the backward movement load can be firmly received.

[0050] In the above embodiment, the thorax support member 3 is provided as a separate member from the seatback frame 1, but the thorax support member may be integrated with the seatback frame 1. Specifically, the thorax support member may be integrated with the upper frame 11, or the thorax support member may be integrated with the left and right side frames 10. By integrating the thorax support member with the upper frame 11, the thorax support member is stably positioned, so that when the occupant's chest sinks, the backward movement load can be firmly received from behind.

[0051] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the insert wire 26 is provided at a height position below the recess 21 provided in the cushion pad 2, but as shown in FIG. 8, the insert wire 26 may be provided at a position overlapping the recess 21 provided in the cushion pad 2X in the seat vertical direction. In this case, the protruding portion 27 protrudes rearward in the recess 21. Therefore, the length (d1) of the recess 21 in the seat front-rear direction is longer than the length (d2) of the recess 21 in the seat front-rear direction at the portion where the protruding portion 27 is provided (d1>d2). In addition, the length (d3) of the recess 21 in the seat front-rear direction at a position below the protruding portion 27 of the recess 21 is also longer than the length (d2) of the recess 21 in the seat front-rear direction at the portion where the protruding portion 27 is provided (d3>d2).

[0052] In the above embodiment, the cushion pad 2 constituting the seat back S2 is cored to form the recess 21 and provide the flexible portion 22 as the reaction force reduction portion, but the method of providing the reaction force reduction portion is not limited to coreing the cushion pad. For example, it is possible to provide a region that is more flexible than the surrounding area by arranging a material having a lower density or a lower hardness than the material constituting the cushion pad, for example, the urethane base material (urethane foam), at a rear position where the reaction force reduction portion is formed in the cushion pad. When the flexible region is formed by such a method, it is possible to set a desired reaction force reduction characteristic by selecting an appropriate material.

[0053] In the above embodiment, the side pads 4 are provided separately from the seatback frame 1, but the side pads and the seatback frame 1 may be integrated together. Specifically, the side pads may be integrated with the upper frame 11, or the side pads may be integrated with the left and right side frames 10. By integrating the side pads with the upper frame 11, the side pads are stably positioned, so that when the occupant's chest sinks, the rearward movement load can be firmly received from the sides.

[0054] Also, the side pads can be made harder than the surrounding area by injecting or permeating a hardening resin into the area of ​​the cushion pad 2 of the seat back S2 that corresponds to the chest of the occupant. By replacing the side pads in this way, there is no need to prepare separate side pads, and workability is improved.

[0055] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which one side pad 4 is provided on each side in the seat width direction, but the number of side pads is not limited to this, and multiple side pads can be provided on each side in the seat width direction. In this case, multiple side pads can also be stacked.

[0056] In the above embodiment, the chest support member 3 and the side pads 4 are formed from resin, but the material for forming the chest support member 3 and the side pads 4 is not limited to resin. Although the use of resin is preferable from the viewpoint of weight reduction, metal, for example, may be used instead of resin. When metal is used as the material for forming the chest support member 3 and the side pads 4, it is possible to ensure the necessary rigidity even if the chest support member 3 and the side pads 4 are made thin.

[0057] Furthermore, it is also possible to use a material that exhibits dilatancy, that is, a material that is normally soft and becomes hard when an impact is received, as the material for thorax support member 3 and side pad 4. When a material that exhibits dilatancy is used, it becomes hard when an impact is received, such as in a rear collision, and it becomes possible to effectively suppress sinking of the occupant's chest, without causing discomfort to the occupant who is normally seated in a soft seat.

[0058] The shape of the chest support member 3 is not limited to a flat one, and may have a curved shape that curves in the left-right direction (seat width direction). Specifically, the right end 3a and the left end 3b of the chest support member 3 may be curved so as to be located forward of the central part of the chest support member 3. The chest support member 3 may also have a curved shape that curves in the front-rear direction. Specifically, the upper end 3c and the lower end 3d of the chest support member 3 may be curved so as to be located rearward of the central part of the chest support member 3. Furthermore, it is also possible to thicken the left and right side parts (the right end 3a and the left end 3b) of the chest support member 3, or to thicken the central part.

[0059] The seat back according to the present embodiment has been described above as an example of a seat back of a vehicle seat mounted in a vehicle. The seat back according to the present embodiment is not limited to the seat back of a vehicle seat, and there is no particular limitation on the use as long as it is a seat back of a seat where an impact may be applied to a seated person, particularly a seat back of a seat where the chest of the seated person may sink when an impact occurs. For example, the seat back of the present invention may be a seat mounted on a vehicle such as an airplane or a ship other than a ground-running vehicle having wheels such as an automobile or a train. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] S Vehicle seats (vehicle seats) S1 Seat Cushion S2 seat back S3 Headrest T trim cover Ta First hanging part (right hanging part) Tb Second hanging part (left hanging part) Tc Third hanging part (upper hanging part) Td Fourth hanging part (lower hanging part) 1 Seat back frame 10 Side frame 11 Upper frame 12 Lower Frame 13 Pillar support 14 Side Panel 15 Leading edge 16 Trailing edge 17 Construction members 17a Upper installation member (support member) 17b Lower installation member (support member) 18 Locking part 2,2X Cushion Pad 21 Recess 22 Flexible parts (reaction force reduction parts) 23 Thin section 24 Thin section 25 Thin section 26 Insert wire (skin attachment part) 27 Protrusion 3, 3X, 3Y Chest support member (sinking prevention member) 3a Right end 3b Left end 3c Upper end 3d bottom edge 4 Side pads (side support members)

Claims

1. A vehicle seat having a seat back, The seat back is A seat back frame, A cushion pad is placed on the seat back frame, The cushion pad is supported by a support member attached to the seat back frame, The cushion pad is formed with a reaction force reducing portion for reducing a reaction force acting on the chest of the occupant when a rearward moving load acts on the occupant, The reaction force reduction portion is configured to be more flexible than a periphery of the reaction force reduction portion, a sinking suppression member for suppressing sinking of the occupant's chest at a position opposite to the reaction force reduction portion, A vehicle seat, characterized in that a lower end of the sinking suppression member is provided higher than an upper end of the support member.

2. The seat back includes a skin covering the cushion pad, a cover attachment member for attaching the cover to the cushion pad, the cover attachment member extending in a width direction of the vehicle seat; 2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein a lower end of the sinking suppression member is provided above the upholstery attachment member.

3. The seat back frame includes a pair of side frames spaced apart from each other in a width direction of the vehicle seat; an upper frame connecting upper ends of the side frames; 3. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the sinking suppression members have widthwise ends attached to the side frames.

4. The seat back has side support members for supporting a chest of an occupant from the sides, 4. The vehicle seat according to claim 3, wherein the side support member is disposed between the side frame and the cushion pad in the width direction of the vehicle seat.

5. 5. The vehicle seat according to claim 4, wherein the sinking suppression member is integrated with the side support member.

6. The upper frame includes a pillar support portion for guiding a headrest pillar, 6. The vehicle seat according to claim 3, wherein the pillar support portion and the sinking suppression member are integrated together.

7. The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the reaction force reduction portion is provided inward in the width direction of the vehicle seat from a hanging portion formed in the cushion pad so as to extend along the up-down direction of the vehicle seat.

8. 8. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the sinking suppression member extends longer than the reaction force reduction portion in the vertical direction of the vehicle seat.

9. 9. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein a recess is disposed at a position rearward of the reaction force reducing portion in the cushion pad.

10. The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that a material having at least one of a density or hardness different from that of a material constituting the cushion pad is disposed at a position rearward of the reaction force reduction portion in the cushion pad.

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