Sensor arrangement on the seat

Abstract

To provide a structure for arranging a sensor to a seat which can properly detect an occupant being seated on a seat and enables improvement of seating feeling of the occupant.SOLUTION: In a structure of arranging a sensor 1 to a seat 10 including a cushion pad 12, the sensor 1 is a push switch and an attachment part 21 of the sensor 1 is provided at the opposite side 12B of the side of the cushion pad 12 which contacts with an occupant seated on the seat 10. The sensor 1 is slid in a direction orthogonal to a push direction of the sensor 1 to be attached to the attachment part 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a seat sensor arrangement structure and a vehicle seat. [Background technology]

[0002] In some cases, a sensor such as a pressure sensor that detects whether or not an occupant is seated in the seat is disposed in the seat (see Patent Document 1). Such sensors can be used, for example, to detect whether an occupant is seated in a seat in technologies such as a seat belt reminder, which issues a warning if an occupant is seated in the seat but has not fastened their seat belt. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-100941 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Conventionally, when such a sensor is arranged in a seat, it is sometimes arranged between a cushion pad and the surface of the seat cushion of the seat, as described in Patent Document 1, for example. However, if the sensor is placed between the cushion pad and the seat cover, i.e., just below the seat cover, a passenger sitting in the seat may feel something touching their buttocks or thighs through the seat cover, which may result in a poor seating feeling.

[0005] Furthermore, when the sensor is placed just below the seat cover, there is a problem in that the placement of the sensor is likely to be restricted by factors such as the position of the suspension groove. On the other hand, when a sensor is disposed in a seat, it goes without saying that the sensor is required to be able to accurately detect when an occupant is seated in the seat.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a sensor arrangement structure for a seat and a vehicle seat that can accurately detect when an occupant is seated in the seat and improve the occupant's seating feeling. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the invention described in claim 1 provides a sensor arrangement structure for a seat equipped with a cushion pad, comprising: the sensor is a push switch, The seat cushion in the seat includes a seat cushion frame serving as a framework, and the cushion pad provided on the seat cushion frame, The seat cushion frame includes a pan frame formed in a plate shape and supporting the cushion pad, The mounting portion of the sensor is provided on the pan frame and is disposed on a side of the cushion pad supported by the pan frame opposite to a side that contacts an occupant seated on the seat, The mounting portion is characterized in that the sensor can be mounted by sliding the sensor in a direction perpendicular to a push direction of the sensor.

[0008] The invention described in claim 2 is the arrangement structure of the sensor on the seat described in claim 1, The mounting portion is characterized by having a first regulating portion that engages with a first regulated portion of the sensor attached to the mounting portion and regulates movement of the sensor in a direction from the mounting portion toward the cushion pad.

[0009] The invention described in claim 3 is characterized in that, in the sensor arrangement structure on the seat described in claim 2, the first regulating portion of the mounting portion protrudes in a direction toward the sensor mounted on the mounting portion, and when the sensor is mounted on the mounting portion, the first regulating portion is positioned above the convex portion which is the first regulated portion of the sensor and engages with the first regulated portion.

[0010] The invention described in claim 4 is characterized in that, in the sensor arrangement structure on a seat described in any one of claims 1 to 3, the mounting portion is provided with a second regulating portion that engages with a second regulated portion of the sensor attached to the mounting portion to regulate movement of the sensor in the sliding direction.

[0011] The invention described in claim 5 is characterized in that, in the sensor arrangement structure on the seat described in claim 4, the second regulating portion of the mounting part is an edge portion of a recess, hole or cutout portion provided in the mounting part, and when the sensor is attached to the mounting part, the second regulating portion engages with a claw portion which is the second regulated portion of the sensor, and the second regulating portion and the second regulated portion engage with each other when the sensor is attached to the mounting part.

[0012] The invention described in claim 6 is a structure for arranging a sensor on a sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The mounting portion is a first restricting portion that engages with a first restricted portion of the sensor attached to the attachment portion and restricts movement of the sensor from the attachment portion toward the cushion pad; a second restricting portion that engages with a second restricted portion of the sensor attached to the attachment portion to restrict movement of the sensor in a sliding direction; Equipped with The second restricting portion is characterized in that it is provided on the rear side of the first restricting portion in a direction in which the sensor travels when the sensor is slid and attached to the attachment portion.

[0013] The invention described in claim 7 is characterized in that, in the sensor arrangement structure on a seat described in any one of claims 1 to 6, the mounting portion is provided with a first positioning portion that engages with a first positioned portion of the sensor attached to the mounting portion and positions the sensor in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of the sensor and the direction toward the cushion pad.

[0014] The invention described in claim 8 is characterized in that, in the sensor arrangement structure on the seat described in claim 7, the first positioning portion of the mounting part is a recess, hole or notch provided in the mounting part, and when the sensor is attached to the mounting part, a convex portion which is the first positioned portion of the sensor fits into the first positioning portion, thereby engaging the first positioning portion and the first positioned portion.

[0015] The invention described in claim 9 is the arrangement structure of the sensor on the seat described in claim 7 or claim 8, the mounting portion includes a second positioning portion that engages with a second positioned portion of the sensor mounted to the mounting portion to perform positioning in a direction perpendicular to a sliding direction of the sensor and a direction toward the cushion pad, The second positioning portion is characterized in that it is provided on the rear side of the first positioning portion in a direction in which the sensor travels when the sensor is slid and attached to the attachment portion.

[0016] The invention described in claim 10 is A vehicle seat including the seat sensor arrangement structure according to any one of claims 1 to 9, The seat cushion seat has a seat frame on which an attachment member is provided with the attachment portion and on which the cushion pad is arranged, and a cover arranged on the cushion pad. Effect of the Invention

[0017] According to the invention as recited in claims 1 and 10, it is possible to accurately detect by the sensor that an occupant is seated in the seat, and it is possible to improve the seating feeling of the occupant. Furthermore, if the sensor is a push switch, it may be difficult to tell whether the sensor is attached to the mounting part, or the sensor cover may be pushed back by a built-in coil spring, making it difficult to attach the sensor to the mounting part. However, in the present invention, the sensor is attached to the mounting part by sliding it in a direction perpendicular to the push direction of the sensor, making it possible to easily and accurately attach the sensor to the mounting part without causing such problems.

[0018] According to the invention described in claim 2, the first regulated portion of the sensor attached to the mounting portion engages with the first regulating portion of the mounting portion, thereby restricting movement of the sensor in the direction from the mounting portion toward the cushion pad, and it becomes possible to reliably prevent the sensor from slipping out of the mounting portion toward the cushion pad.

[0019] According to the invention described in claim 3, the first regulating portion of the mounting portion protruding in a direction toward the sensor mounted on the mounting portion is located above the convex portion which is the first regulated portion of the sensor and engages with the first regulated portion, thereby reliably regulating movement of the sensor in a direction from the mounting portion toward the cushion pad and making it possible to reliably prevent the sensor from slipping out of the mounting portion toward the cushion pad, and also making it possible to achieve this with a simple configuration.

[0020] According to the invention described in claim 4, the second regulated portion of the sensor attached to the mounting portion engages with the second regulating portion of the mounting portion, thereby regulating the movement of the sensor in the sliding direction and making it possible to reliably prevent the sensor from coming off the mounting portion in the sliding direction.

[0021] According to the invention described in claim 5, the second regulating portion of the mounting portion, which is the edge portion of the recess, hole, or cutout portion provided in the mounting portion, engages with the claw portion, which is the second regulated portion of the sensor, thereby reliably regulating the movement of the sensor in the sliding direction and accurately preventing the sensor from coming off the mounting portion in the sliding direction, and this can be achieved with a simple configuration.

[0022] According to the invention described in claim 6, since the second restricting portion of the mounting portion is provided further back in the traveling direction of the sensor than the first restricting portion, by simply sliding the sensor relative to the mounting portion, the first restricting portion of the mounting portion engages with the first restricted portion of the sensor, and then the second restricting portion of the mounting portion engages with the second restricted portion of the sensor. Therefore, the sensor can be attached to the mounting portion with extremely good workability.

[0023] According to the invention described in claim 7, the first positioned portion of the sensor attached to the mounting part engages with the first positioning portion of the mounting part, thereby restricting movement of the sensor in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of the sensor and the direction from the mounting part toward the cushion pad, making it possible to accurately position the sensor 1 in the said direction.

[0024] According to the invention described in claim 8, the first positioning portion of the mounting part, which is a recess, hole, or notch provided in the mounting part, engages with the convex portion, which is the first positioned portion of the sensor, thereby reliably restricting movement of the sensor in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of the sensor and the direction from the mounting part toward the cushion pad, making it possible to accurately position the sensor 1 in the above-mentioned direction and to achieve this with a simple configuration.

[0025] According to the invention of claim 9, since the second positioning portion of the mounting portion is provided further back in the traveling direction of the sensor than the first positioning portion, simply by sliding the sensor relative to the mounting portion, the first positioning portion of the mounting portion engages with the first positioned portion of the sensor, and the second positioning portion of the mounting portion engages with the second positioned portion of the sensor. This makes the work of mounting the sensor to the mounting portion extremely easy. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a structure of a cushion pad of a seat cushion. [Diagram 3] 4 is a perspective view showing sensors and the like arranged on a seat cushion frame and a pan frame. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing the configuration of the sensor, and FIG. 2B is an enlarged view of the attachment portion of the connector part to the sensor. [Diagram 5] 4 is a plan view showing recesses and mounting portions provided on the pan frame. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a mounting portion to which a sensor is attached. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line YY in FIG. 6. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which a sensor is disposed on the underside of a cushion pad. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a modified example of the sensor. [Figure 11] 11A is an enlarged view showing a modified example of the second positioning portion of the mounting portion, and FIG. 11B is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line YY of FIG. 6 when the sensor of FIG. 10 is mounted on the mounting portion. [Figure 12] 11 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which a sensor is disposed directly below a hollow portion formed in a cushion pad. FIG. [Figure 13]13 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which a recess is provided in a portion of the underside of the cushion pad above the sensor. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below are subject to various technically preferable limitations for carrying out the present invention, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples.

[0028] 1 is a vehicle seat provided in a vehicle such as an automobile, in which a vehicle occupant sits. In the following, the seat 10 will be described as being mainly a passenger seat, but the seat 10 is not limited to this, and may be a seat other than a passenger seat, such as a rear seat in a two-row seat, or a second or third row seat in a three-row seat.

[0029] 1, the seat 10 includes a seat cushion 11 that supports the buttocks and thighs of an occupant, a seat back 14 whose lower end is supported by the seat cushion 11 to serve as a backrest, and a headrest 16 that is provided on the seat back 14 to support the head of the occupant. In addition to these, the seat 10 may include auxiliary supports such as a neck rest, arm rest, foot rest, and ottoman.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 2, the seat cushion 11 is mainly composed of a seat cushion frame 17 (see FIG. 3 described later) which serves as a skeleton, a cushion pad 12 provided on the seat cushion frame 17, and a skin 13 (not shown in FIG. 2; see FIG. 1) which covers the seat cushion frame 17 and the cushion pad 12 and forms the surface of the seat.

[0031] In this embodiment, the seat cushion 11 has an air passage 50 for air (hot air or cold air) between the cushion pad 12 and the cover 13, but in the present invention, the air passage 50 etc. do not necessarily have to be provided. 2, in this embodiment, the cushion pad 12 is provided with an air passage recess 50A that forms a part of the air passage 50. Also, a recess (not shown) that forms the remaining part of the air passage 50 is provided in the cover member 12A at a position corresponding to the air passage recess 50A, and the air passage 50 is formed by fitting the cover member 12A into a predetermined part of the cushion pad 12.

[0032] Moreover, a plurality of punched holes are formed in the cover member 12A, and these punched holes serve as the air outlets 50C of the air passage 50. The cushion pad 12 including the cover member 12A is covered with a breathable skin 13 at least in the portion corresponding to the air outlets 50C. Air sent from a blower (not shown) is sent through the through-hole 50B into the air passage 50, and the air that has circulated through the air passage 50 is blown out from the air outlet 50C of the air passage 50 towards the occupant.

[0033] Although not shown, a cushion pad is also provided on the seat back 14 (see Figure 1) of the seat 10. The seat back 14 is mainly composed of a seat cushion frame 17 (not shown in Figure 3 described later) which forms the skeleton, a cushion pad provided on the occupant side of the seat cushion frame 17, and a skin 15 (see Figure 1) which covers the seat cushion frame 17 and the cushion pad to form the surface of the seat.

[0034] In this embodiment, a seat cushion frame 17 is provided below the cushion pad 12 of the seat cushion 11, as shown in FIG. The seat cushion frame 17 is mainly composed of a pair of left and right side frames 17A, connecting members 17B that connect the front and rear ends of each side frame 17A (the connecting member 17B on the front end side is positioned below the pan frame 18), and a pan frame 18 that is installed between each side frame 17A and each connecting member 17B.

[0035] The pan frame 18 is formed in a plate shape. The pan frame 18 may be made of iron or resin, and there is no particular limitation on the material. The pan frame 18 is provided with an attachment portion 21 for attaching the sensor 1, which will be described later. 3, in this embodiment, wires 19 made of iron or the like are arranged on the pan frame 18 so as to extend in the front-rear direction of the seat 10. It is also possible to configure the pan frame 18 so as to have a plurality of wires 19 arranged thereon.

[0036] Next, a description will be given of the configuration of the sensor 1. Fig. 4(A) is a perspective view showing the configuration of the sensor 1, and Fig. 4(B) is an enlarged view of the portion where the connector part 2 is attached to the sensor 1. As shown in FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B), the sensor 1 is configured as a push switch having contacts, a coil spring, and the like (not shown) built into a cover 1A and a case 1B.

[0037] The cover 1A of the sensor 1 can be pressed in a direction toward the case 1B (the vertical direction in the figure). The direction in which the cover 1A of the sensor 1 is pressed against the case 1B (the vertical direction in the figure) is hereinafter referred to as the push direction of the sensor 1. As described below, when the cover 1A is pressed down by the cushion pad 12 of the seat cushion 11 or the cushion pad of the seat back 14, the sensor 1 detects the pressure and detects that an occupant is seated in the seat 10.

[0038] The sensor 1 is also provided with a connector section 2 to which a harness or the like (not shown) is connected that electrically connects the sensor 1 to an external device (not shown, such as a power supply device or a processing device for signals from the sensor 1). In this embodiment, the sensor 1 is attached to the attachment portion 21 and disposed within the seat 10, as described below. The sensor 1 is provided with a first regulated portion 3, a second regulated portion 4, a first positioned portion 5 (see FIG. 4(B)), and a second positioned portion 6 that are respectively engageable with a first regulating portion 22, a second regulating portion 26, a first positioning portion 27, and a second positioning portion 29 of the attachment portion 21, which will be described below. The first regulated portion 3 and the like of the sensor 1 will be explained together with the explanation of the first regulating portion 22 and the like of the attachment portion 21. Although FIGS. 4A and 4B show a case where the sensor 1 is a circular sensor, the sensor 1 may be rectangular or the like, and the shape of the sensor 1 is not particularly limited.

[0039] Next, the configuration of the mounting portion 21 of the sensor 1 will be described in detail. In the following, a case will be described in which the mounting portion 21 of the sensor 1 is provided on the pan frame 18 as shown in Fig. 3. That is, a case will be described in which the mounting member on which the mounting portion 21 is provided is the pan frame 18, and the mounting portion 21 of the sensor 1 is provided on the side of the cushion pad 12 of the seat cushion 11 opposite to the side that comes into contact with an occupant seated on the seat (i.e., the lower side of the cushion pad 12).

[0040] Therefore, in the following, it is assumed that the mounting portion 21 of the sensor 1 is provided on the underside of the cushion pad 12 of the seat cushion 11; however, it is also possible to provide the mounting portion 21 of the sensor 1 on the opposite side of the cushion pad of the seat back 14 (see FIG. 1) from the side that contacts the occupant seated in the seat (i.e., the back side of the cushion pad of the seat back 14). In this case, the push direction of the sensor 1 is approximately the front-rear direction.

[0041] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, a recess 20 is provided on the upper surface of the pan frame 18. The recess 20 is provided with two mounting portions 21 to which the sensor 1 can be attached, and in this embodiment, the sensor 1 can be attached to either of the mounting portions 21.

[0042] In the following, a case will be described in which the mounting portion 21 is provided at two locations within the recess 20 as described above, but the mounting portion 21 may be provided at only one location, or at three or more locations. Further, in the following, a case where only one sensor 1 is disposed as described above will be described, but a plurality of sensors may be disposed.

[0043] FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the recess 20 and the mounting portion 21 provided in the pan frame 18, and FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the mounting portion 21 to which the sensor 1 is attached. The mounting portion 21 is configured so that the sensor 1 can be mounted by sliding it in a direction (in this case, the left-right direction) perpendicular to the push direction of the sensor 1 (in this case, the up-down direction). This will be described in detail below. Note that hereinafter, the direction in which the sensor 1 is slid (in this case, the left-right direction) may be referred to as the sliding direction of the sensor 1.

[0044] The recess 20 is provided so as to straddle the left and right sides of the wire 19 arranged in the center of the pan frame 18, and is formed so as to be lower than the upper surface of the pan frame 18. The left and right portions of the wire 19 in the recess 20 are further recessed downward to form mounting portions 21 for the sensor 1. The reference numeral 18A shown in FIG. 5 etc. will be explained later.

[0045] 4(A), the sensor 1 is formed with a convex portion 3 as a first restricted portion 3. Further, at the front and rear portions of the mounting portion 21, first restricting portions 22 are provided that engage with the first restricted portion 3 (convex portion 3) of the sensor 1 when the sensor 1 is mounted on the mounting portion 21. The first regulated portion 3 (convex portion 3) of the sensor 1 engages with the first regulating portion 22 of the mounting portion 21, thereby regulating movement of the sensor 1 in the direction from the mounting portion 22 toward the cushion pad 12 (i.e., upward in this case).

[0046] Specifically, when the sensor 1 is attached to the mounting portion 21, it is attached to the mounting portion 21 by sliding it from the left and right directions (i.e., from the left direction when attaching to the left mounting portion 21, and from the right direction when attaching to the right mounting portion 21). The first regulating portion 22 of the mounting portion 21 is arranged to protrude in a direction toward the sensor 1 attached to the mounting portion 21, and the left and right ends of the first regulating portion 22 (i.e., at least the left end of the left first regulating portion 22 and the right end of the right first regulating portion 22) are open in the left and right directions to prevent it from colliding with the first regulated portion 3 (convex portion 3) of the sensor 1 as it slides.

[0047] Then, when the sensor 1 is attached to the mounting portion 21, as shown in FIG. 7, the first regulating portion 22 of the mounting portion 21 is positioned above the convex portion 3, which is the first regulated portion 3 of the sensor 1, and engages with the first regulated portion 3 (convex portion 3). In this manner, in this embodiment, the first regulated portion 3 (convex portion 3) of the sensor 1 attached to the mounting portion 21 engages with the first regulating portion 22 of the mounting portion 21, thereby regulating the movement of the sensor 1 in the direction from the mounting portion 21 toward the cushion pad 12 (i.e., upward in this case), and prevents the sensor 1 from slipping out from the mounting portion 21 toward the cushion pad 12.

[0048] 4(A), the sensor 1 is formed with a second regulated portion 4 consisting of a hook-shaped claw portion 4. A hole 23 is provided in the bottom surface of the attachment portion 21 near the wire 19. In this embodiment, two slits 24 are formed in parallel from the hole 23 in the left-right direction toward the center of the mounting portion 21, and the hole 23 and the two slits 24 form a tongue-shaped portion 25 on the bottom surface of the mounting portion 21.

[0049] In other words, a tongue-shaped portion 25 is formed on the bottom surface of the attachment portion 21, extending from the center of the bottom surface in a direction toward the wire 19 (left-right direction). In this embodiment, the tongue-shaped portion 25 of the attachment portion 21 is integrally formed with the pan frame 18. Therefore, the tongue-shaped portion 25 is made of the same material (iron, resin, etc.) as the pan frame 18 and has rigidity, but can swing up and down when a force is applied.

[0050] The tip 26 of the tongue-shaped portion 25, i.e., the edge portion 26 of the hole 23, serves as the second regulating portion 26 of the mounting portion 21, and when the sensor 1 is attached to the mounting portion 21, the tongue-shaped portion 25 of the mounting portion 21 is pressed down by the claw portion 4, which is the second regulated portion 4 of the sensor 1, and swings downward. When the sensor 1 is attached to the attachment portion 21, the tongue portion 25 of the attachment portion 21 springs up, and the claw portion 4 of the sensor 1 and the tip portion 26 of the tongue portion 25 of the attachment portion 21 engage with each other.

[0051] In this way, as shown in Figure 8, the claw portion 4, which is the second regulated portion 4 of the sensor 1, engages with the second regulating portion 26 of the mounting portion 21 (the tip portion 26 of the tongue-shaped portion 25, i.e., the edge portion 26 of the hole 23). In this embodiment, the second regulated portion 4 (claw portion 4) of the sensor 1 engages with the second regulating portion 26 of the mounting portion 21 in this manner, thereby regulating the movement of the sensor 1 in the sliding direction (left-right direction), and preventing the sensor 1 from slipping out of the mounting portion 21 in the sliding direction.

[0052] As described above, in this embodiment, the mounting portion 21 is provided with a first regulating portion 22 that engages with the first regulated portion 3 (convex portion 3) of the sensor 1 mounted to the mounting portion 21 to regulate movement of the sensor 1 from the mounting portion 21 toward the cushion pad (in this case, the up-and-down direction), and a second regulating portion 26 that engages with the second regulated portion 4 (claw portion 4) of the sensor 1 mounted to the mounting portion 21 to regulate movement of the sensor 1 in the sliding direction (in this case, the left-right direction). As shown in Figure 5 etc., the second regulating portion 26 is provided further back in the direction of movement of the sensor when sliding the sensor 1 to attach it to the mounting portion 21 than the first regulating portion 22 (i.e., further to the right in the left mounting portion 21, and further to the left in the right mounting portion 21).

[0053] As described above, the second restricting portion 26 of the attachment portion 21 may be any portion that can engage with the second restricted portion 4 (claw portion 4) of the sensor 1. Therefore, the second restricting portion 26 does not necessarily have to be the edge portion of the hole 23, and may be, for example, the edge portion of a recess (a groove with a bottom) or a notch. Furthermore, instead of forming a tongue-shaped portion 25 capable of swinging up and down on the mounting portion 21 as described above, it is also possible to configure it so that, for example, the claw portion 4 of the second regulated portion 4 of the sensor 1 can move in and out while being biased downward.

[0054] 4(B), a first positioned portion 5 is formed on the underside of the sensor 1. In this embodiment, at the attachment portion of the connector portion 2 to the case 1B of the sensor 1, a part of the lower end portion of the connector portion 2 is formed to protrude in the direction toward the circular center of the case 1B, and this protruding convex portion 5 is the first positioned portion 5. As shown in FIG. 5, the bottom surface of the mounting portion 21 is cut out to form a cutout portion 27, which serves as a first positioning portion 27. As shown in FIG.

[0055] Then, when the sensor 1 is attached to the mounting portion 21, as shown in Figure 8, the convex portion 5, which is the first positioned portion 5 of the sensor 1, fits into the cutout portion 27, which is the first positioning portion 27 of the mounting portion 21, thereby engaging the first positioning portion 27 and the first positioned portion 5. In this manner, the first positioned portion 5 of the sensor 1 attached to the mounting portion 21 engages with the first positioning portion 27 of the mounting portion 21, thereby restricting the movement of the mounting portion 21 in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction (left-right direction) of the sensor 1 and the direction toward the cushion pad 12 (up-down direction), i.e., in this case, the front-rear direction of the sensor 1, thereby enabling the sensor 1 to be positioned in the front-rear direction.

[0056] As described above, the first positioning portion 27 of the attachment portion 21 may be any portion that can engage with the first positioned portion 5 (protrusion 5) of the sensor 1. Therefore, the first positioning portion 27 does not necessarily have to be a notch 27, and may be, for example, a recess (such as a bottomed groove) or a hole.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 4(A), the sensor 1 has a convex portion 6, which is a second positioned portion 6, formed above the second regulated portion 4 (claw portion 4). As shown in FIG. 5, an end of a rib 28 that is provided on the mounting portion 21 so as to straddle the wire 19 is cut out to form a notch portion 29, and this notch portion 29 serves as a second positioning portion 29.

[0058] Then, when the sensor 1 is attached to the mounting portion 21, as shown in Figure 8, the convex portion 6, which is the second positioned portion 6 of the sensor 1, fits into the cutout portion 29, which is the second positioning portion 29 of the mounting portion 21, thereby engaging the second positioning portion 29 with the second positioned portion 6. In this manner, the second positioned portion 6 of the sensor 1 attached to the mounting portion 21 engages with the second positioning portion 29 of the mounting portion 21, thereby restricting the forward / backward movement of the sensor 1, as in the case of the first positioned portion 5 and first positioning portion 27 described above, and enabling the sensor 1 to be positioned in the forward / backward direction.

[0059] In this embodiment, the second positioning portion 29 is provided on the rear side of the first positioning portion 27 in the direction of movement of the sensor 1 when the sensor 1 is slid and attached to the attachment portion 21. In this case, the second positioning portion 29 of the mounting portion 21 only needs to be capable of engaging with the second positioned portion 6 (convex portion 6) of the sensor 1, so the second positioning portion 29 does not necessarily have to be a notch 29 and may be, for example, a recess (a groove with a bottom, etc.) or a hole.

[0060] As this embodiment is configured as described above, when the sensor 1 is slid and attached to the mounting portion 21, as shown in FIG. 7, the first regulating portion 22 of the mounting portion 21 is positioned above the first regulated portion 3 (convex portion 3) of the sensor 1 and engages with it, thereby regulating the upward movement of the sensor 1. Then, by pushing the sensor 1 further in the sliding direction, as shown in Figure 8, the second regulated portion 4 (claw portion 4) of the sensor 1 engages with the second regulating portion 26 of the mounting portion 21, restricting movement of the sensor 1 in the sliding direction (left-right direction), and the first positioned portion 5 and second positioned portion 6 of the sensor 1 engage with the first positioning portion 27 and second positioning portion 29 of the mounting portion 21, respectively, restricting movement of the sensor 1 in the front-rear direction.

[0061] In this embodiment, the sensor 1 is thus attached in a state in which it is accurately positioned within the attachment portion 21 and then disposed within the seat 10. Since the sensor 1 can be accurately positioned and attached as described above simply by sliding the sensor 1 onto the attachment part 21, the sensor 1 can be easily attached to the attachment part 21. Moreover, by removing the second regulated portion 4 (claw portion 4) of the sensor 1 from the second regulating portion 26 of the attachment part 21, the sensor 1 can also be easily removed from the attachment part 21. In Figure 6, the sensor 1 is shown attached to the left mounting portion 21 of the two mounting portions 21 provided in the recess 20, but it is also possible to attach the sensor 1 to the right mounting portion 21, or to attach the sensor 1 to both mounting portions 21.

[0062] On the other hand, in this embodiment, the sensor 1 is located on the underside 12B of the cushion pad 12 of the seat cushion 11, as shown in FIG. 9, in a position where the underside 12B of the cushion pad 12 presses against and depresses the push switch serving as the sensor 1 when an occupant is seated in the seat 10. When the sensor 1 is pressed by the cushion pad 12 of the seat cushion 11, it detects the pressure and detects that an occupant is seated in the seat 10. The reference characters α, 18A, etc. shown in FIG. 9 etc. will be explained later.

[0063] As described above, in this embodiment, the sensor 1 (push switch) is arranged on the underside 12B of the cushion pad 12, so that the sensor 1 does not come into contact with the buttocks or thighs of an occupant seated in the seat 10 via the cover 13 of the seat 10. As in the conventional case described above, if the sensor is placed between the cushion pad 12 and the cover 13 of the seat cushion 11 (i.e., just below the cover 13), the occupant sitting on the seat 10 may feel something touching their buttocks or thighs through the cover 13 of the seat 10, which may result in a poor seating feeling. However, in this embodiment, such a sensation does not occur, making it possible to improve the seating feeling for the occupant.

[0064] In this embodiment, the sensor 1 is disposed at a position on the lower surface 12B side of the cushion pad 12 of the seat cushion 11 as shown in Fig. 9, so that when an occupant sits on the seat 10, the sensor 1 is accurately pressed by the lower surface 12B of the cushion pad 12. Therefore, it becomes possible for the sensor 1 to accurately detect that an occupant has sat on the seat 10.

[0065] As described above, according to the arrangement structure of the sensor 1 on the seat 10 and the vehicle seat 10 of this embodiment, the sensor 1 can accurately detect when an occupant is seated in the seat 10, and the seating feeling of the occupant can be improved.

[0066] Furthermore, in the case where sensor 1 is a push switch as in the present invention, if sensor 1 is configured to be attached to mounting portion 21, for example, by pushing cover 1A of sensor 1 (see Figure 4(A)) from above, cover 1A will move relative to case 1B, which may make it difficult to tell whether case 1B of sensor 1 is attached to mounting portion 21 or not. Furthermore, in this case, cover 1A of sensor 1 is pushed back by a coil spring built into case 1B, which may result in poor workability when mounting sensor 1 to mounting portion 21.

[0067] However, according to the arrangement structure of the sensor 1 on the seat 10 and the vehicle seat 10 according to the present embodiment, the sensor 1 is attached to the attachment portion 21 by sliding it in the left-right direction, as described above. Therefore, the sensor 1 can be easily and accurately attached to the attachment portion 21 without causing the above-mentioned problems.

[0068] In the above embodiment, the second positioned portion 6 of the sensor 1 is described as being provided as a convex portion 6 formed on the upper side of the second regulated portion 4 (claw portion 4) as shown in Figure 4 (A). However, it is also possible to form a convex portion 7 on the tip (i.e., the end face in the sliding direction) of the second regulated portion 4 (claw portion 4) as shown in Figure 10, for example, and configure it as the second positioned portion 7. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 11(A), a recess 30 is formed in the lower portion of the rib 28 of the mounting portion 21, and this recess 30 serves as the second positioning portion 30.

[0069] When configured in this manner, when the sensor 1 is attached to the mounting portion 21, as shown in Figure 11 (B), the claw portion 4, which is the second regulated portion 4 of the sensor 1, engages with the second regulating portion 26 of the mounting portion 21, and the convex portion 7, which is the second positioned portion 7 of the sensor 1, fits into the concave portion 30, which is the second positioning portion 30 of the mounting portion 21, thereby engaging the second positioning portion 30 and the second positioned portion 7. Therefore, even with this configuration, the second positioned portion 7 of the sensor 1 attached to the mounting portion 21 and the second positioning portion 30 of the mounting portion 21 are securely engaged, the movement of the sensor 1 in the fore-and-aft direction is restricted, and the sensor 1 can be reliably positioned in the fore-and-aft direction.

[0070] Incidentally, if a hollow portion such as the air passage 50 (see FIG. 2) for air (hot air or cold air) described above is provided in the cushion pad 12 above the sensor 1 as shown in, for example, FIG. 12, when an occupant sits on the seat 10, the portion of the cushion pad 12 above the hollow portion will bend downward and absorb the load, making it difficult for the load to be transmitted to the portion below the hollow portion. Therefore, it may become difficult for the load to be transmitted to the sensor 1, making it difficult for the sensor 1 to detect that an occupant has sat on the seat 10. Therefore, it is desirable to provide the sensor 1 at a position other than the position immediately below the hollow portion such as the air passage 50 formed in the cushion pad 12.

[0071] Furthermore, in order to ensure that the load of an occupant seated on the seat 10 is transmitted to the sensor 1 via the cushion pad 12 more reliably (i.e., to ensure that the cushion pad 12 presses against the cover 1A (see FIG. 4(A)) of the sensor 1 more reliably), for example, it is possible to configure a portion α (see FIG. 9) of the underside 12B of the cushion pad 12 above the sensor 1 to be harder than other portions of the cushion pad 12. In addition, although not shown in the drawings, it is also possible to provide a convex portion that protrudes toward the sensor 1 below on the portion α.

[0072] On the other hand, it is also possible to configure the seat 10 so that when a bag or other luggage is placed on the seat 10, it is not erroneously detected as an occupant being seated thereon. Since baggage, such as a bag, is usually lighter in weight than an occupant, the cushion pad 12 is deflected less when a baggage, such as a bag, is placed on the seat 10 than when an occupant sits on the seat 10.

[0073] Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 13, it is possible to configure the cushion pad 12 above the sensor 1 so as to provide a recess 12C in a portion α of the lower surface 12B. With this configuration, when a bag or other luggage is placed on the seat 10, the cushion pad 12 is only slightly bent, and the cushion pad 12 does not come into contact with the sensor 1, or the pressure pressing down on the cover 1A of the sensor 1 is weak. Therefore, with the above configuration, the sensor 1 does not perform a detection operation, and it is possible to prevent erroneous detection that an occupant is seated.

[0074] Furthermore, with the above-described configuration, when an occupant sits on the seat 10, the cushion pad 12 bends significantly, and the upper surface β of the recess 12C comes into contact with the sensor 1 and presses down the cover 1A of the sensor 1. Therefore, when an occupant sits on the seat 10, it becomes possible for the sensor to accurately detect this. Even when configured as described above, it is possible to configure the seat 10 so as to reliably detect when an occupant sits on it by, for example, hardening the upper surface β of the recess 12C or providing a protrusion that protrudes downward (i.e., toward the sensor 1) on the upper surface β of the recess 12C.

[0075] In the seat 10 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, an air passage 50 is provided in the cushion pad 12 of the seat cushion 11, and as shown in FIG. 9, air sent through a duct 51 from a blower (not shown) provided on the underside of the pan frame 18 is sent into the air passage 50 through the through hole 50B. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 9, etc., the pan frame 18 is provided with an opening 18A which is a through hole for passing the duct 51, etc. therethrough.

[0076] Also, since the blower is usually provided on either the left or right side of the seat 10, the position where the duct 51 penetrates the pan frame 18 also becomes more to the left or right of the center depending on the position of the blower. Therefore, in the seat 10 of this embodiment, in order to be able to handle either of these cases, openings 18A through which the duct 51 can pass are provided in a total of two locations, one on each the left and right sides of the pan frame 18, as shown in Figures 3 and 5. Further openings 18A may be provided.

[0077] 6 and other figures, in this embodiment, the openings 18A are provided on the left and right sides of the recess 20 of the pan frame 18, to which the mounting portion 21 is provided, so as to continue from the recess 20. In other words, the openings 18A are provided immediately beside the mounting portion 21. Therefore, when the sensor 1 is attached to the mounting portion 21, as shown in Figure 6, the connector portion 2 of the sensor 1 protrudes into the opening 18A, making it possible to easily route a harness or the like (not shown) connected to the connector portion 2 to the underside of the pan frame 18 through the opening 18A.

[0078] Furthermore, if there is a distance between the mounting portion 21 and the opening 18A, the harness etc. attached to the connector portion 2 of the sensor 1 attached to the mounting portion 21 will be sandwiched between the pan frame 18 and the cushion pad 12 up to the opening 18A. In this state, the harness etc. may rub against the pan frame 18 or the cushion pad 12, causing damage or breakage of the harness etc. However, as described above, if an opening 18A is provided continuous with the recess 20 of the pan frame 18 in which the mounting portion 21 is provided, the above-mentioned rubbing is less likely to occur, and damage or breakage of the harness, etc. is less likely to occur.

[0079] 3 and 9, the duct 51 is inserted into one of the openings 18A. Therefore, for example, if the sensor 1 is attached to the attachment part 21 on the side of the opening 18A through which the duct 51 is not inserted, the harness or the like connected to the connector part 2 of the sensor 1 can be passed through the opening 18A through which the duct 51 is not inserted. Therefore, with this configuration, the harness etc. and the duct 51 do not interfere with each other and do not rub against each other, so that the harness etc. are less likely to be damaged or broken. It is also possible to configure the harness etc. to be inserted into the opening 18A through which the duct 51 is inserted.

[0080] In addition, by configuring as described above, there is no need to provide a new opening 18A in the pan frame 18 for passing a harness or the like connected to the connector portion 2 of the sensor 1, and there is an advantage that it is possible to pass a harness or the like connected to the connector portion 2 of the sensor 1 by utilizing the openings 18A already formed in the pan frame 18, such as the opening 18A for inserting the duct 51.

[0081] It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1 Sensor 3 First regulated part 4 Second regulated part 5 First positioned part 6, 7 Second positioned part 10 seats, vehicle seats 12 Cushion pad 12B Underside of cushion pad (opposite side) 13, 15 epidermis 17 Seat frame 18 Pan frame (mounting material) 21 Mounting part 22 First Regulatory Department 26 Second Regulatory Department 27 First positioning part 29, 30 Second positioning part

Claims

1. In a structure for arranging sensors in a seat equipped with a cushion pad, The seat cushion in the seat is The seat cushion includes a seat cushion frame serving as a framework, and the cushion pad is provided on the seat cushion frame, the seat cushion frame has a plate-shaped member that is formed in a plate shape and supports the cushion pad, The seat cushion is provided with an air passage between the cushion pad and a surface layer, and a through-hole that communicates with the air passage and through which air sent through a duct of a blower passes, The plate-like member is provided with an opening through which the duct passes and an attachment portion for the sensor, The sensor mounting portion comprises: a cushion pad supported by the plate-like member, the cushion pad being positioned on the opposite side of the cushion pad from the side that contacts an occupant seated on the seat, and in a position that overlaps with the duct when viewed from the side of the seat.

2. A sensor arrangement structure for a seat as described in Claim 1, characterized in that the upper end of the duct is positioned above the underside of the cushion pad when viewed from the front of the seat.

3. A sensor arrangement structure for a seat as described in claim 1, characterized in that the upper end of the duct is positioned higher than the upper end of the sensor mounting portion when viewed from the front of the seat.

4. A sensor arrangement structure for a seat as described in claim 1, characterized in that the upper end of the duct is positioned higher than the upper end of the sensor when viewed from the front of the seat.

5. A sensor arrangement structure for a seat described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the mounting portion of the sensor is positioned in a position that avoids the end of the duct when viewed from the front of the seat.

6. A sensor arrangement structure for a seat as described in claim 1, characterized in that the duct is arranged in a position that avoids the end of the mounting portion of the sensor that is arranged near the duct when viewed from the front of the seat.

7. A sensor device including a plurality of mounting portions for the sensor and the sensor; A sensor arrangement structure for a seat as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, when viewed from the front of the seat, a wire is arranged so as to be located at the center of the plate-shaped member between the duct and the end of the mounting portion of the sensor among the multiple sensors that is arranged farthest from the duct in the seat width direction.

8. A sensor arrangement structure on a seat described in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the length of the sensor mounting portion in the lateral direction of the seat is set longer than the length of the duct in the lateral direction of the seat.

9. A sensor arrangement structure for a seat described in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the air passage has a portion that overlaps with the duct when viewed from above the seat.

10. A sensor arrangement structure for a seat described in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the length of the mounting portion of the sensor in the seat's fore-and-aft direction is set longer than the length of the duct in the seat's fore-and-aft direction.

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