Vehicle seat

Abstract

To provide a vehicle seat having high usability.SOLUTION: A vehicle seat 1 comprises: a seat cushion 2 located in front of a rear wheel house 11 of a vehicle, for supporting buttocks and thighs of an occupant; a seat back 3 for supporting a back of the occupant; a reclining mechanism part for tilting the seat back 3 relative to the seat cushion 2; a raising / lowering mechanism part which can raise / lower the seat cushion 2 in a vertical direction relative to a vehicle floor surface, and which, when seat arrangement is being changed by the reclining mechanism part toward a backward brought-down state where the seat back 3 is brought down backward, raises the seat cushion 2 in the vertical direction in conjunction with tilting of the seat back 3 into the backward brought-down state so that the seat back 3 is located above the rear wheel house 11 so as to avoid interference with the rear wheel house 11; and a sensor 6 functioning as a human detection sensor for detecting a user 8 in a vehicle rear space 7.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat for a rear seat of a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] In a vehicle seat for the rear seat of a vehicle, it is known that the seat back of the rear seat can be tilted backward to be as nearly horizontal as possible (hereinafter, simply referred to as a flat state) (see, for example, Patent Document 1). By changing the seat arrangement to such a flat state, it becomes possible to use the interior of the vehicle more spaciously. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 2-76533 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in Patent Document 1, when attempting to fold back the rear seat backs, a part of the seat back (the side backs in Figures 1 and 2 of Patent Document 1) interferes with the rear wheel house of the vehicle (the tire house in Figures 1 and 2 of Patent Document 1). For this reason, in Patent Document 1, only this part and the remaining part of the seat back that can be separated (the center back in Figures 1 and 2 of Patent Document 1) can be put into a flat state. In other words, in Patent Document 1, the entire seat back cannot be put into a completely flat state, and the interior of the vehicle cannot be used to the maximum extent.

[0005] Thus, further ingenuity is required to improve the usability of vehicle seats for the rear seats of a vehicle.

[0006] In consideration of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to realize a vehicle seat that is highly usable, and in particular, has the objective of providing a vehicle seat that can make full use of the rear space of the vehicle after the seat arrangement is transformed into a completely flat state, and further has the objective of providing a vehicle seat that can detect a user using the rear space of the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a vehicle seat, comprising: A vehicle seat for a rear seat of a vehicle, a seat cushion located in front of a rear wheel house of the vehicle and supporting the buttocks and thighs of an occupant; A seat back that supports the back of the occupant; a reclining mechanism that tilts the seat back relative to the seat cushion; a lifting mechanism capable of lifting and lowering the seat cushion along a vertical direction relative to a vehicle floor surface, the lifting mechanism lifting the seat cushion along the vertical direction in conjunction with the tilting of the seat back to the backward-tilted state so that the seat back is positioned above the rear wheel house avoiding interference with the rear wheel house when the seat arrangement is changed by the reclining mechanism to the backward-tilted state in which the seat back is tilted backward; a sensor installed on at least one of the seating surfaces of the seat cushion and the seat back; The sensor includes: It functions as a human detection sensor capable of detecting an occupant in the rear space of the vehicle after the seat back is transformed into the seat arrangement in the rearward tilted state.

[0008] The invention described in claim 2 is the vehicle seat described in claim 1, The vehicle seat is arranged in a plurality of rows independent of each other along the vehicle width direction, and each of the plurality of lifting mechanisms lifts and lowers the seat cushion to be lifted and lowered independently of each other.

[0009] The invention described in claim 3 is the vehicle seat described in claim 1 or 2, The sensor functions as a biosensor capable of acquiring biometric information of the seated occupant when the reclining mechanism transforms the seat back into a seat arrangement in which the seat back is inverted relative to the vehicle floor surface.

[0010] The invention described in claim 4 is the vehicle seat described in claim 1 or 2, The user is characterized by being a child.

[0011] The invention described in claim 5 is the vehicle seat described in claim 1 or 2, The vehicle further includes a detection information transmission unit that transmits detection information of the detected user to the inside of the vehicle and / or to the outside of the vehicle. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the invention described in claim 1, the seat cushion has a lifting mechanism that can lift and lower the seat cushion vertically relative to the vehicle floor surface, and when the seat back is tilted backward by the reclining mechanism to change the seat arrangement, the lifting mechanism can be used to adjust the height of the seat cushion to a position where the seat back does not interfere with the rear wheel. As a result, the height of the seat cushion seating surface and the seat back seating surface can be made the same, and there is almost no difference in height. This allows the seat arrangement to be changed to a completely flat state (full flat state), making it possible to use the rear space of the vehicle as widely as possible after the change.

[0013] In addition, when the seat back is transformed into the above-mentioned rearward seat arrangement, the presence or absence of an occupant using the rear space of the vehicle after transformation can be detected by a sensor installed on the seat cushion and / or the seating surface of the seat back, making it easy to know whether or not an occupant is using the rear space of the vehicle.

[0014] According to the invention described in claim 2, the heights of adjacent rear seats can be changed relatively, making it easier to adjust the height of the seat cushions so that, for example, the eye levels of a parent and child lying down are at the same height.

[0015] According to the invention described in claim 3, when the seat back is in the inverted state, it can function as a biosensor that acquires bioinformation. This makes it possible to acquire bioinformation such as the heart rate of a passenger seated in the back seat while the vehicle is moving, and the sensor can switch its function depending on the state of the seat back (reclined state or inverted state).

[0016] According to the invention described in claim 4, children are detected as users. This makes it easier for parents or guardians to recognize the presence of children playing or lying down in the rear space of the vehicle based on the detection information.

[0017] According to the invention described in claim 5, it is possible to transmit detection information related to the presence or absence of a user using the rear space of the vehicle from the detection information transmitting unit to the inside or outside of the vehicle as an electric signal, thereby notifying, for example, a guardian seated in the driver's seat inside the vehicle or a guardian outside the vehicle of the state of the rear space of the vehicle. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the configuration of the vehicle seat in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating the effects of the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment, and that appropriate design changes, improvements, etc. may be made based on the ordinary knowledge of a person skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0020] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic front view of a configuration of a vehicle seat 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic side view of the configuration of the vehicle seat 1 in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the effect of this embodiment. Note that in Figs. 1-3, in order to simplify the explanation, some components are omitted from the illustration.

[0021] The vehicle seat 1 is a vehicle seat for use in the rear seat of a vehicle, and mainly comprises a seat cushion 2, a seat back 3, a reclining mechanism 4, a lifting mechanism 5, and a sensor 6.

[0022] The seat cushion 2 is located in front of the rear wheel house 11 of the vehicle, and is a part of the vehicle seat 1 that supports the buttocks and thighs of an occupant. The seat cushion 2 has a cushion main body 21 made of a cushioning material that absorbs shock when an occupant sits on it, and a cushion frame 22 made of a rigid material that supports the cushion main body 21 from the inside. On the other hand, the seat back 3 has a seat back main body 31, like the seat cushion 2, made of a cushioning material that absorbs shock, and a seat back frame 32 made of a rigid material that supports the seat back main body 31 from the inside.

[0023] The seat back 3 is a part of the vehicle seat 1 that supports the back of an occupant. The seat back 3 is connected to the rear end of the seat cushion 2 via a reclining mechanism 4, which will be described later.

[0024] The reclining mechanism 4 is a part of the vehicle seat 1 that tilts the seat back 3 relative to the seat cushion 2. The reclining mechanism 4 also plays a role in connecting the seat back 3 to the rear end of the seat cushion 2.

[0025] The lifting mechanism 5 is a part of the vehicle seat 1 that can raise and lower the seat cushion 2 in the vertical direction (the up-down direction in Figs. 1 and 2) relative to the vehicle floor surface 14. When the reclining mechanism 4 changes the seat arrangement toward a reclined state in which the seat back 3 is reclined backward, the lifting mechanism 5 lifts the seat cushion 2 in the vertical direction in conjunction with the tilting of the seat back 3 toward the reclined state so that the seat back 3 is positioned above the rear wheel house 11 while avoiding interference with the rear wheel house 11. More specifically, in Fig. 2, the lifting mechanism 5 lifts the seat cushion 2 together with the seat back 3 connected to the rear end of the seat cushion 2 in the direction B in the figure in conjunction with the seat back 3 rotating in the direction A in the figure and approaching the reclined state.

[0026] In this specification, the term "backward tilted state" means that the seat back 3 is in a state close to being nearly horizontal with respect to the vertical direction. In addition, in this specification, the term "linked to the tilting to the backward tilted state" means that the seat back 3 is linked to the tilting of the seat back 3 after the seat back 3 has tilted and approached the backward tilted state to a predetermined level, in other words, after the seat back 3 has rotated to a predetermined angle with respect to the seat cushion 2. In other words, the seat cushion 2 does not start to rise only when the upward facing seat back 3 shown by the solid line in FIG. 2 is slightly tilted backward. In fact, the lifting mechanism unit 5 can lift the seat cushion 2 in the direction B while maintaining the upward posture of the seat back 3 shown by the solid line in FIG. 2 (i.e., without tilting the seat back 3).

[0027] Here, the lifting mechanism 5 is connected to the cushion frame 22 in the seat cushion 2, and the seat cushion 2 is lifted by pushing up the cushion frame 22 in the direction B in the figure using a gear mechanism (not shown) that transmits the rotational driving force of a motor or the like. As such a gear mechanism, a conventional seat height adjustment device mechanism such as those described in JP-A-2006-182039 and JP-A-2001-138780 can be used. In this case, as the above-mentioned interlocking mechanism, for example, a mechanism is considered in which, when the seat back 3 rotates beyond the above-mentioned predetermined angle, a switch of the rotational driving source such as the motor is turned on and the rotational driving force is transmitted to the gear mechanism.

[0028] In this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 5 uses such a gear mechanism, but the present invention may use a lifting mechanism using another lifting mechanism. For example, a lifting mechanism using hydraulic pressure, air pressure, or the like may be used.

[0029] In FIG. 3, the vehicle seat 1 in the seat arrangement before the seat back 3 is tilted backward, in other words, in the seat arrangement in which the seat back 3 is in an "inverted state" with respect to the vehicle floor surface 14 (or in the "normal seat arrangement"), is shown by a dotted line. Also, the vehicle seat 1 in the seat arrangement in the backward state is shown by a solid line vertically above the position of the vehicle seat 1 shown by the dotted line and above the rear wheel house 11. As the seat back 3 approaches the backward state, the seat cushion 2 rises, so that the seat back 3 can be linearly connected to the seat cushion 2 in the horizontal direction without a step while avoiding interference with the rear wheel house 11 as shown in FIG. 3. In this case, unlike Patent Document 1, the entire seat back 3 is in a completely flat state. As a result, it is possible to use the vehicle rear space 7 in the vehicle to the maximum extent so that the occupant can lie on his / her stomach in the vehicle as shown in FIG. 3, and a highly usable vehicle seat is realized.

[0030] Here, it is preferable that a plurality of vehicle seats 1 are arranged side by side independently of one another along the vehicle width direction, and that each of the plurality of lifting mechanism units 5 lifts and lowers the seat cushion 2 to be lifted and lowered independently of one another.

[0031] In this preferred embodiment, in a normal seat arrangement, the height of adjacent rear seats can be changed relatively to match the eye level of people of different builds (for example, a parent and child). Also, when placing a child seat (junior seat) on the rear seat, the height of the child seat can be directly adjusted to a desired position without having to use a separate cushion or the like to raise the child seat height.

[0032] The vehicle seat 1 of this embodiment further includes two sensors 6 installed on the seating surfaces 2a, 3a of the seat cushion 2 and the seat back 3. In the vehicle seat 1 of this embodiment, the sensor 6 is provided on each of the seating surfaces 2a, 3a of the seat cushion 2 and the seat back 3, but this is not limited to this, and the sensor 6 may be provided on either the seat cushion 2 or the seat back 3. The sensors 6 are electrically connected to each other to transmit the detected information as an electric signal. In addition, as described above, the vehicle seat 1 of this embodiment is arranged in a plurality of rows along the vehicle width direction. Therefore, it is preferable to provide the sensor 6 on each vehicle seat 1. By increasing the number of sensors 6 in the vehicle, the detection performance for detecting the presence of the user 8 is improved, and the occurrence of detection errors and the like can be suppressed.

[0033] The sensor 6 of the vehicle seat 1 of this embodiment functions as a human detection sensor after the seat back 3 is transformed into a seat arrangement in a backward tilted state, and functions as a biosensor for acquiring bioinformation of the seated occupant when the seat back 3 is transformed into a seat arrangement in an inverted state.

[0034] A human detection sensor detects, for example, human motion (movement) and heat, and infrared sensors have been known for some time. An infrared human detection sensor can detect infrared rays caused by heat (body temperature) emitted from the human body, and can recognize the presence of a person based on the amount of infrared radiation or changes in the amount of radiation.

[0035] The sensor 6, which functions as a human detection sensor, for example, when it detects the presence of a user 8, such as a child playing in the rear space 7 of the vehicle after the deformation, converts this into an electrical signal and transmits it to the outside of the vehicle seat 1 via a transmission means such as a detection information transmission unit 10 (details will be described later).

[0036] The human detection sensor can detect anything other than humans that can emit infrared rays, and can also detect the movements of small animals such as dogs and cats. Therefore, in this specification, these small animals can be included in the "user." In other words, the human detection sensor may detect the presence of a dog or the like in the rear space 7 of the vehicle.

[0037] Furthermore, the human detection sensor is not limited to the infrared type as described above, and may be any conventionally known sensor that detects the presence of the user 8. For example, a contact detection sensor that detects a change in electrical resistance caused by the user 8 directly contacting the seating surface 2a of the seat cushion 2, or a pressure detection sensor that detects the load applied to the seating surface 2a, may be used. Since the contact detection sensor and pressure detection sensor require direct contact with a part of the user 8's arm, leg, etc., for detection, they can reliably detect the user 8 when the user is lying down on the seat cushion 2 and the seat back 3.

[0038] However, if the user 8 moves out of the installation position of the sensor 6 installed on the seating surface 2a or the like, it is difficult to detect the presence of the user 8. For this reason, it is preferable to use a non-contact infrared human detection sensor. Alternatively, a combination of an infrared human detection sensor and a plurality of sensors such as a contact detection sensor and a pressure detection sensor may be used. This can improve the detection performance of the user 8.

[0039] On the other hand, biosensors have been well known for a long time, and it is assumed that they can be used in the form of, for example, a contact-type biosensor that measures the amount of electricity flowing between a pair of electrodes, the amount of electrical resistance, or the amount of change therein, or a non-contact-type biosensor that can detect light that is reflected by blood vessels and exits the skin by irradiating light, electromagnetic waves, or the like from an LED irradiation unit toward the skin. Other details of the configuration and function of the biosensor that functions as a biosensor and acquires bioinformation will not be described here.

[0040] As described above, the vehicle seat 1 of this embodiment is provided with the sensor 6 having two functions. Therefore, it is possible to arbitrarily switch between making the sensor 6 function as a human detection sensor and making it function as a biosensor. Such function switching can be performed manually, for example. That is, the occupant or user 8 can select the information to be acquired or detected by switching a function switching operation switch (not shown) provided on the vehicle seat 1.

[0041] On the other hand, the function of the sensor 6 can be automatically switched according to the seat arrangement of the seat back 3. That is, when the seat back 3 is in the "inverted state" (normal seat arrangement), the sensor 6 can function as a biosensor that acquires bioinformation such as blood flow and heart rate of the occupant when seated in the back seat, and when the seat back 3 is tilted backward by the reclining mechanism 4 and transformed into a completely flat seat arrangement of the "reclined backward state", the sensor 6 can function as a human detection sensor that detects the presence of the user 8. Such switching of functions by the sensor 6 can be performed automatically by detecting the transformed state of the seat arrangement of the seat back 3 with a well-known position sensor or the like.

[0042] Furthermore, as described above, the vehicle seat 1 is equipped with a detection information transmission unit 10 that can transmit detection information 9 regarding the presence or absence of a user 8 using the rear space 7 of the vehicle detected by the sensor 6 to the inside or outside of the vehicle.

[0043] The detection information transmission unit 10 has a function of transmitting detection information 9 as an electric signal to a predetermined destination outside the vehicle seat 1 when the sensor 6 detects the presence or absence of a user 8. The detection information transmission unit 10 may be, for example, built into the seat cushion 2 or the seat back 3 in which the sensor 6 is installed, or may be electrically connected to the sensor 6 and installed outside the seat cushion 2 or the seat back 3.

[0044] Furthermore, a destination of the detection information 9 transmitted from the detection information transmission unit 10 can be, for example, a vehicle information device terminal 12 that is installed on a console panel in front of the driver's seat of the vehicle and usually functions as a car navigation system, and the contents of the detection information 9 can be displayed on a terminal screen 12a of the vehicle information device terminal 12. In this case, the detection information transmission unit 10 and the vehicle information device terminal 12 are connected by wire in order to transmit the detection information 9.

[0045] The detection information may also be transmitted from the detection information transmitting unit 10 to a mobile information terminal 13 such as a smartphone through a wireless communication line 15, and the contents of the detection information 9 may be displayed on a terminal screen 13a of the mobile information terminal 13. In this case, a telecommunication line such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or the Internet may be used as the wireless communication line 15. In particular, it is preferable to use Wi-Fi, which is mainly used for transmitting and receiving information over short distances.

[0046] By providing the vehicle seat 1 with the detection information transmission unit 10, for example, when a guardian is taking a rest in the driver's seat or passenger seat at the front of the vehicle and a child is playing or lying down in the vehicle rear space 7 in a completely flat state, the presence of the child (user 8) can be monitored on the terminal screen 12a of the vehicle information device terminal 12 installed in front of the driver's seat. Therefore, even if the child opens the rear door of the vehicle and gets out of the vehicle by himself, the situation can be recognized quickly, and the child can be prevented from getting into a dangerous situation in advance. That is, the vehicle seat 1 of this embodiment has a "monitoring function" for watching over the child in the vehicle rear space 7. In this case, if a change in the situation occurs, such as when the presence of the user 8 in the vehicle rear space 7 is no longer detected, the vehicle information device terminal 12 can notify the guardian with an alarm or the like.

[0047] Furthermore, the vehicle seat 1 of this embodiment can transmit the detection information 9 to a mobile information terminal 13 such as a smartphone owned by the guardian by the detection information transmission unit 10. Therefore, for example, when taking a break at a service area or the like, the guardian needs to temporarily leave the vehicle to go to the restroom or the like, and even if the guardian leaves the child inside the vehicle, the guardian can check the child in the rear space 7 of the vehicle from outside the vehicle. This allows the guardian to go to the restroom or the like without worry.

[0048] Furthermore, even if the child gets out of the vehicle by himself, the situation can be recognized immediately and the child can quickly return to the parking position of the vehicle. This makes it possible to prevent the child from getting into a dangerous situation in advance. Furthermore, it is possible to reduce the possibility of the child getting lost and the possibility of the child being involved in a crime such as kidnapping. In such a case, if a change in the situation occurs, such as the presence of the user 8 in the rear space 7 of the vehicle being no longer detected, the mobile information terminal 13 can also notify the guardian with an alarm or the like.

[0049] The sensor 6 functioning as a human detection sensor is not intended to target children as users 8, as in the above example. For example, it can also be used to prevent an elderly person with dementia who is resting in the rear space 7 of the vehicle from getting out of the vehicle and wandering around. Furthermore, it can be used to check whether an infant or child has been left behind in the rear space 7 of the vehicle on a hot summer day, thereby preventing accidents and the like from occurring.

[0050] Furthermore, as already explained, it is possible to detect non-human pets such as dogs and cats, and other small animals as "users." This makes it possible to immediately grasp the situation even if a dog escapes from the vehicle through a gap in the window or door while the dog is left to play in the rear space 7 of the vehicle after the seat arrangement is completely flat. This increases the possibility of quickly finding a small animal such as a dog that has escaped from the vehicle.

[0051] The above is a description of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the vehicle seat 1 for the rear seat of a vehicle has been described, but the "rear seat" here simply means the rear seat located behind the driver's seat. Therefore, in the case of a vehicle in which multiple seats are lined up in the traveling direction of the vehicle (for example, in the case of a long and narrow vehicle such as a bus), the present invention can naturally be applied to seats other than the rearmost seat. [Industrial Applicability]

[0053] The present invention is useful for realizing a vehicle seat as a rear seat with high usability. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1 Vehicle seat 2 Seat cushion 2a,3a Seating surface 3 Seat back 4 Reclining mechanism 5 Lifting mechanism 6 Sensors 7. Rear space of vehicle 8 User 9. Detection Information 10. Detection information transmission unit 11 Rear wheel house 12 Information device terminal 12a,13a Terminal screen 13. Mobile Information Terminals 14 Vehicle floor surface 15 Wireless communication lines 21 Cushion body 22 Cushion Frame 31 Seat back body 32 Seat back frame

Claims

1. A vehicle seat for a rear seat of a vehicle, a seat cushion located in front of a rear wheel house of the vehicle and supporting the buttocks and thighs of an occupant; A seat back that supports the back of the occupant; a reclining mechanism that tilts the seat back relative to the seat cushion; a lifting mechanism capable of lifting and lowering the seat cushion along a vertical direction relative to a vehicle floor surface, the lifting mechanism lifting the seat cushion along the vertical direction in conjunction with the tilting of the seat back to the backward-tilted state so that the seat back is positioned above the rear wheel house avoiding interference with the rear wheel house when the seat arrangement is changed by the reclining mechanism to the backward-tilted state in which the seat back is tilted backward; a sensor installed on at least one of the seating surfaces of the seat cushion and the seat back; The sensor includes: The vehicle seat functions as a human detection sensor that detects an occupant in the rear space of the vehicle after the seat back is transformed into the seat arrangement in the backward tilted state.

2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the vehicle seats are arranged side by side independently of one another along a vehicle width direction, and each of the plurality of lifting mechanisms lifts and lowers the seat cushion to be lifted and lowered independently of one another.

3. 3. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the sensor functions as a biosensor capable of acquiring biometric information of the seated occupant when the reclining mechanism transforms the seat back into a seat arrangement in which the seat back is inverted relative to the vehicle floor surface.

4. 3. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the occupant is a child.

5. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a detection information transmitting unit configured to transmit detection information of the detected occupant to the inside of the vehicle and / or to the outside of the vehicle.

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