Electric couch in which highly-functional on-vehicle electric seat was reused, and manufacturing method for the same

Abstract

To reduce a serious waste and loss in terms of resource and economy due to the fact that a large amount of expensive and highly functional electric on-vehicle seat in which a luxury surface layer material such as a leather has been used are scraped in an automotive scrapping process without considering a reuse thereof in a disassembly work.SOLUTION: In a disassembly work by an automotive disassembly company, a high-quality, luxurious, and highly-functional on-vehicle electric seat is detached and removed from a compartment of a vehicle body by loosening a bolt and nut which has been fixed on a floor part of a chassis in a procedure reverse to an assembly process. A wire harness connected to a power source is detached by removing at a connector part. By maintaining a power source of 12 V DC from the household 100 V AC using an AC-DC converter and supplying the power to the detached on-vehicle seat, the seat can be reused as an electric couch which can be used indoors such as a house by using the function of the on-vehicle electric seat as it is.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric sofa that is repurposed by selectively purchasing high-end electric car seats that are electrically driven and provide a high level of comfort, and that use genuine leather or high-quality fabrics as the outer layer, from among the cars that are being scrapped, or by acquiring unused high-end electric car seats that come onto the market, and modifying them for use indoors, such as at home, to realize recycling. [Background technology]

[0002] In addition to the driver's seat, the living space in a car consists of what is called a passenger seat in Japan, and a back seat located behind the passenger seat. Except for two-seaters classified as sports cars, the back seat may be arranged in three rows depending on the size and model of the car, and the type of seating may include independent captain seats for one person, or a long bench seat where two or three people can sit side by side.

[0003] When scrapping a car, if the original shape and quality of the car components are still preserved during the work of the car dismantler, they are classified as components, such as plastic bumpers, steel doors, engines, tires, window glass, shock absorbers, mufflers, etc., and are repaired and sold as spare parts to meet demand. However, if the original quality is no longer preserved due to significant deformation or damage, they are separated by material, such as the steel material of the body and chassis, the engine itself, aluminum alloys such as the cooling radiator and oil coolers installed in some cars, and copper wires contained in wire harnesses and small motors, and are reused as scrap materials.

[0004] There are a few cases where the seats are reused in vehicles of the same manufacturer and model in which they were originally equipped, but the demand for such seats is very limited.

[0005] Also, when considering a certain model of a certain manufacturer, there are usually several grades, and naturally the price differs between lower grade and top grade cars, the reason for this may be the difference in displacement in internal combustion engine-driven cars or whether the car is motor-driven, but even if there is not much difference in basic performance such as appearance, drive system, control system, etc., the price can differ by tens to hundreds of millions of yen, and sometimes even more than double. These large price differences are mainly due to differences in safety features, whether the seats are electric or manual, and if electric, the degree of operation function, and mainly due to differences in the functions and materials of the components generally called interior, such as the seat surface material and the lining material of the living space.

[0006] However, because of the pursuit of high quality and comfort through the use of electrified, highly functional and luxurious surface materials, seats have become expensive, and even if they retain their original quality, in most cases they are not recycled, but are pressed together with the body and chassis and treated as scrap material, or even if the seats are removed, they are often shredded.

[0007] These things are a huge waste and loss in terms of resources and the economy, and are also a negative point in the social situation where we want to reduce industrial waste.

[0008] As mentioned above, in a situation where a considerable number of high-quality in-vehicle seats are disposed of while still retaining their quality, when compared to chairs and sofas sold as household furniture, the high-quality electric seats of automobiles are fully capable of being used indoors, including in the home, in terms of functionality and quality, and in some cases even have functions that exceed those of chairs and sofas as household furniture. Therefore, by removing high-quality electric seats from automobiles that are disposed of as scrapped vehicles and reusing them as household chairs and sofas, it is possible to reduce resource waste through reuse, contribute to society by reducing the amount of industrial waste even if only slightly, and also provide high-quality, high-performance chairs and sofas at a lower price to the market. However, when a seat installed in an automobile is used indoors, including in the home, it is necessary to adjust the height from the floor to the seat and take measures to prevent damage to the part that comes into contact with the floor.

[0009] Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a sofa sold for home use; although it has the shape of a chaise longue, structurally it is made up of independent chairs arranged side by side. Between the chairs there is a table for storing small items, equipped with cup holders etc. This part is movable; when the whole is pulled up towards the backrest, the seat connecting the two chairs appears, and what was the underside of the table for storing small items connects with the backrest of the other chair to form an integrated backrest. There are also types where the backrest can be reclined and the footrest can be raised or lowered, either electrically or manually.

[0010] In recent years, many of these high-priced chairs and sofas have been motorized, using motors to adjust the reclining mechanism of the backrest, the angle of the leg rest, and other functions. Some products incorporate massage functions or heaters in the leg rest or backrest. Surface materials include high-quality genuine leather, artificial leather, and fabric.

[0011] Office chairs come in a variety of types, including those for use in offices and those for using a computer at home, and structurally they have a seat and backrest, with some also having armrests. Generally, there are many variations, such as those with a support for adjusting the height under the seat, and four to six legs branching out radially below that, or those with legs made of steel or aluminum square pipes, or wooden legs. Many are designed with wheels on the underside of the legs to allow for free movement.

[0012] On the other hand, when we look at the recent automobile seats installed in normal passenger cars and compact passenger cars, we can see that compared to past seats, further improvements have been made to the shape based on more ergonomics, and the surface material is designed to be comfortable for long-term use while ensuring resistance to abrasion. The surface material can be selected from genuine leather, artificial leather, and fabric materials, and further comfort and high quality are pursued. In addition, in terms of mechanism, there are many high-end seats with compact and highly functional electric functions that correspond to the innovative evolution of DC motors and control electronic elements. The control items are not limited to the adjustment of the front and rear position of the seat, height, backrest angle, and waist fit, but also the position and angle of the headrest can be adjusted, and multiple setting conditions can be stored. Furthermore, in the back seats, there are some seats in the type of independent captain seats for one person in vehicles classified as minivans that have specifications that include an independent armrest and an electrically adjustable footrest. Figure 2 shows an example of the seat type and arrangement of a certain vehicle classified as a minivan. In the rear seats, which are connected on the left and right sides, the center section of the backrest in many models has a split structure and is equipped with an electric footrest, so that it can be pulled down toward the seat and used as an armrest or a platform for placing small items.

[0013] In addition, some seats are equipped with seat heaters or cooling functions in the areas where the buttocks and lower back come into contact, and some also have vibration massage functions. Each of these functions is powered by a 12V DC power supply in passenger cars.

[0014] As the demands of the global situation change, automobiles are now driven by internal combustion engines that use hydrogen, a new technology, in addition to the traditional gasoline, diesel, and natural gas, and by electric power, including secondary batteries or hydrogen fuel cells. However, regardless of the driving force or driving force transmission method, a living space is necessary to carry people, and seats are naturally provided. This is not expected to change for passenger cars, even in the future, when the era of autonomous driving arrives.

[0015] In the past, there have been documents, such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1, that have examined the development of recycling technology for reusing the front seats taken from end-of-life vehicles by removing the mounting brackets from the bottom of the front seats and installing measures to prevent them from tipping backwards, in order to turn them into chairs for home and nursing care.

[0016] In addition, there is a document that provides a solution to the problem of electric reclining sofas for home use, such as that disclosed in Patent Document 2, which causes the sofa to tip forward when the user tries to stand up or get up while the sofa is in a reclined position and shifts their weight forward. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0017] [Patent Document 1] JP 2001-258943 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2019-13277 A [Non-patent literature]

[0018] [Non-Patent Document 1] Nitori Net (Official) Furniture and interior goods online store Electric genuine leather reclining sofa (Glazze BK) https: / / www.nitori-net.jp / ec / cat / Sofa / RecliningSofa / 1 / Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0019] When automobiles are scrapped, even expensive, highly motorized seats that use high-quality surface materials such as genuine leather are rarely recycled, and most are treated as scrap materials. This can be said to result in a large waste and loss in resources and economy. The same applies to new products that are disposed of without being used in vehicles for some reason. In order to improve this situation, a specific issue that should be considered is to recycle high-quality vehicle seats that are generated during scrapping, which will also reduce wasteful consumption of resources and the amount of industrial waste. The present invention aims to provide a new application development for recycling, that is, to create an electric sofa for indoor use, including at home. [Means for solving the problem]

[0020] In order to resolve the current situation in which high-end electric car seats are easily discarded as scrap without any consideration of reuse, and ultimately to curb the wasteful consumption of resources and reduce the amount of industrial waste, this project will utilize the characteristics of these high-quality, highly functional electric seats as they are and create new uses for them, for use indoors at home and elsewhere, as a means of resolving the issue.

[0021] Specifically, first, during dismantling work at an automobile dismantling company, a high-quality, highly functional electric seat is removed from the living space of the vehicle by loosening the bolts and nuts that secure it to the chassis floor. The wire harness connected to the power source is unplugged at the connector and removed. An AC-DC converter is used to secure a 12V DC power source from the 100V AC power source in a household outlet, and this is supplied to the removed vehicle seat, allowing it to be recycled and reused as an electric sofa that can be used indoors, including at home. In addition, a lower platform is provided at the bottom of the vehicle seat, the main purpose of which is to adjust the height from the floor to the seat surface where it is installed, allowing for diversity in design shapes and placement forms. Effect of the Invention

[0022] According to the present invention, high-end electric seats are removed from automobiles scheduled for scrapping, which are currently generally disposed of, and repurposed for indoor use, which leads to the suppression of wasteful consumption of resources, the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, and the reduction of industrial waste, thereby contributing to society. Reusing and repurposing the seats for new uses instead of simply disposing of them has a positive impact on recycling and environmental protection, and also contributes to shortening manufacturing time, saving energy, and reducing costs in the manufacturing process of home chairs and sofas. Furthermore, it makes it possible to meet the demand for experiencing high-end electric seats that are luxurious, stylish, and ergonomically excellent at home, even for automobiles with specifications that are difficult to purchase due to their high price. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of an electric sofa sold as furniture. [Diagram 2] This is an example of the seat configuration and arrangement of a luxury electric car seat. [Diagram 3] 1 is a conceptual diagram of a vehicle seat described in the specification of the present invention and its name. [Figure 4] This is a diagram showing a seat and a wire harness removed from a car for the purpose of recycling the car electric seat into an electric sofa for indoor use. [Diagram 5] This is a conceptual diagram showing an overall image of how to repurpose a car seat into an electric sofa for indoor use. [Figure 6] It is a combination of the front seat and lower base removed from a car. [Figure 7] It is a combination of an independent rear seat and a lower base removed from a car. [Figure 8] This is a combination of a rear bench seat type seat and lower base removed from a car. [Figure 9] This is a table summarizing the contents of Figures 6, 7, and 8. [Figure 10]This is a diagram of vehicle seat A being recycled and repurposed as an indoor electric sofa, and then two of them being placed in parallel to create a chaise longue-type electric sofa. [Figure 11] This is a diagram of vehicle seat B being recycled and repurposed as an indoor electric sofa, with two of them lined up in parallel to create a chaise longue-type electric sofa. [Figure 12] This is a diagram showing how car seat A can be recycled and repurposed as an indoor electric sofa, and then deployed in parallel with two other seats, with an Int-Dai placed between them. [Figure 13] This is a diagram showing how car seat B can be recycled and repurposed as an indoor electric sofa, and then deployed in parallel with two of them, with an Int-Dai placed in between. [Figure 14] A diagram explaining the connecting fittings and connecting method used to connect the lower base. [Figure 15] This is a conceptual diagram showing the further development possibilities of the electric sofa form by connecting multiple lower bases and Int-Dai using the mf_ set of connecting fittings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] A luxury in-vehicle electric seat can be recycled and repurposed into an electric sofa for indoor use by carrying out the following steps, regardless of the car manufacturer, model, class, or seat arrangement or position. (1) When a luxury in-vehicle seat is to be disposed of as part of the vehicle scrapping process, the bolts and nuts that secure the seat to the vehicle floor are removed, the wire harness that connects to the power source is disconnected at the connector, and the electric seat is removed from the vehicle together with the control circuit and the operating switch. (2) The removed seat is cleaned, sanitized, or partially repaired. (3) Measures are taken to prevent damage to the floor material of the installation location, and legs or a base for fixing the in-vehicle seat are prepared, taking into account the height from the floor surface of the installation location to the seat surface. (4) The legs or base are manufactured to have a shape and size that matches the target seat, and to have sufficient strength to withstand loads, so that the in-vehicle seat can be fixed to the original vehicle floor in the same way as it was fixed to the original vehicle floor. (5) Prepare an AC-DC converter to convert 100V AC obtained from a household outlet into 12V DC as a power source for operating the electric seat. (6) The capacity of the AC-DC converter is determined based on the allowable current value of the thermal fuse specified for the target vehicle seat when it was installed in the vehicle. (7) Prepare a DC fuse box behind the 12V DC output terminal of the AC-DC converter and connect it to the output terminal. (8) Connect the left and right lower bases as necessary. (9) Fix the vehicle seat to the legs or the top surface of the lower base, and wire the wire harness to the fuse box directly connected to the converter. (10) Insert a thermal fuse specified for the vehicle seat in the fuse box, and connect the connector for the wire harness to the connector for the fuse box. (11) Connect a 100V AC power connector to the input side of the AC-DC converter, and connect it to a household outlet via a power cord and power plug.

[0025] The above content will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the alphabetical symbols shown in the drawings do not indicate individual parts, but rather indicate component parts. These symbols are abbreviated versions of the names of the objects they indicate, written in alphabetical order in a mixture of English and Japanese.

[0026] In the reference numbers given to the series of drawings, A, B, and C respectively indicate seats A, B, and C, (R) indicates the right seat, (L) indicates the left seat, and (R / L) indicates the right or left seat. Also, the letters S and W at the end indicate the switch or wire harness attached to the seat, respectively.

[0027] Seats installed in automobiles, whether front or rear, are fixed to the floor of the vehicle body by fastening bolts and nuts, and some parts of the rear seats are fitted in order to connect and fix them to the chassis. In either case, the seats are manufactured separately from the vehicle body and placed in the living space of the automobile and fixed in place, so it is possible to separate them in the reverse order of the assembly process and take out seats A, B, and C shown in Figure 3 in an independent form. Note that electric seats are equipped with power input lines, wiring to the motor for operation drive, and switches with electronic components and circuits for operation control, so the wiring of each wire harness shown by the arrows in Figure 4 is separated at the connector part of the connection terminal and taken out together with the seat body. In Figure 4, A(R / L)W indicates the wire harness of seat A, B(R / L)W indicates the wire harness from an independent type seat such as seat B in the rear seat, and C(R)W and C(L)W indicate the wire harness from seat C, which is a bench type in the rear seat. These wire harnesses are connected to a 12V DC power supply in the vehicle and are the conductors used to operate the attitude control motor, heater function, vibration function, and other functions in the seats through linked control elements by operating a switch. The ends of the wire harnesses have connectors for easy connection to conductors from the power supply.

[0028] The vehicle seat removed together with the operating switch and wire harness will be moved to another location, cleaned, sanitized, and partially repaired in some cases, and then modified as follows, in order to repurpose it for use indoors, such as at home. Note that the modification method described below is an example of work that accompanies repurposing, and does not specify the structure, materials used, size, assembly method, etc.

[0029] Figure 5 is a conceptual diagram showing the overall picture when an in-vehicle electric seat removed from a vehicle is recycled and repurposed for use indoors, such as at home. The upper part of the figure shows the electric seats removed from the vehicle, namely Seat A, Seat B, and Seat C, and the lower part of the figure shows the K (Kyaku leg) and the base called the lower base that are installed under the in-vehicle seats. Each electric seat is fixed to K and the various bases with bolts and nuts. ADC shows the AC-DC converter 1, the fuse box represented by Fu-Box connected to the DC output side, and the connector terminal of the conductor that connects the wire harness to the fuse box. The structure is such that the wire harness W for each seat removed together with the seat is led to the ADC part and connected. The ADC is supplied with 100V AC power from an indoor outlet through the electrical cords represented by 2, 3, and 4. 2 is the connection plug with the converter, 3 is the power cord, and 4 is the power plug that connects to a 100V AC outlet in the home. The connector terminal indicated by C attached to the tip of the wire harness W for each seat is structured to be connected to the DC output side of the Fu-Box.

[0030] For the front seat A (R / L), the independent rear seat B (R / L), and the couch-type rear seat C removed from the vehicle, prepare the legs or lower bases shown in Figures 6, 7, and 8, respectively, with indoor use in mind, such as at home.

[0031] Figure 6 shows variations in the combination of the lower base for seat A, Figure 7 shows the lower base for seat B, and Figure 8 shows the lower base for seat C. K (Kyaku leg) shown in Figure 6 is a chair leg that can be purchased as a chair repair part on the Internet market. LD (R / L) and HD (R / L) shown in Figures 6, 7, and 8 are lower bases to be installed under the removed vehicle seat, and are manufactured separately. LD stands for Low Dai, and HD stands for High Dai. It is a box type with measures taken to prevent damage to the floor material of the installation location on the bottom surface. PD in Figure 7 is a base, but it is not a box-shaped one with a space inside, but a solid plate. However, like other box-shaped lower bases, measures are taken to prevent damage to the indoor floor surface on which it is installed on the bottom surface.

[0032] The gist of this invention is to realize the recycling and repurposing of high-end electric car seats for use indoors, including at home, and the specifications, design, and manufacturing method of materials, structures, shapes, etc. shown in the drawings are shown as examples and are not limiting. Also, the size is based on the seat removed from the car, and the product is manufactured according to those sizes.

[0033] Regardless of the type of vehicle seat, when recycling it for indoor use, such as at home, it is necessary to secure a 12V DC power source, and an AC-DC converter that can extract 12V DC from 100V AC for household use is required.

[0034] AC-DC converters are commercially available with 100V AC input from household power sources and 12V DC output. Some have multiple output terminals, but if you use one with two output terminals, it can be used for two-seater rear-seat couches, separate front and rear seats that are used as one seat, or two seats side by side. If you are using three or more seats, you will need multiple converters. Some of the specifications for electric seats in recent cars require the use of a 30A fuse, so it is desirable to have an AC-DC converter with a capacity of 350W or more. Electric seats are not used constantly, but there is a possibility that two seats may be operated at the same time, so it is fine to have a converter with a capacity of about 600W to allow for some extra capacity.

[0035] In addition, in vehicle electric seats, although the operating switch is located relatively close to the operating motor, such as near the seat armrest or on the side of the seat, the electrical circuit of the wiring passes through a thermal fuse located near the feet of the driver or passenger seat and then connects to the input terminal on the operating side. Therefore, in order to ensure safety, rather than directly connecting the 12V DC output terminal of the AC-DC converter to the connector of the vehicle seat's wire harness, a thermal fuse of the capacity specified for the vehicle in which the seat is installed is placed between the converter output and the electric seat, and the electrical circuit is connected to the conductor connector after passing through the fuse.

[0036] Figure 9 shows a list of the combinations of the in-vehicle electric seats, K, and various lower platforms shown individually in Figures 6, 7, and 8, as well as the ADC that supplies power to them and the input power cords from the household power source. Note that (L)W and (R)W indicate the wire harnesses from each in-vehicle seat on the right or left side.

[0037] Up to this point, we have shown how to repurpose Seat A, Seat B, and Seat C for indoor use, by type. From Figure 10 onwards, we will describe the application of the individually repurposed electric sofas.

[0038] Figures 10 and 11 show applications where two electric sofas of the same type are connected side by side in parallel. Figure 10 shows a form in which an electric sofa made by recycling a vehicle seat A for indoor use is connected, and Figure 11 shows a form in which an electric sofa made by recycling a vehicle seat B for indoor use is connected. The mf_set connection method will be described later.

[0039] As for the form in Figure 10, this type is a box-shaped, low-type lower stand LD with legs 5 added to the underside of the stand, which brings about further variations. Various shapes and sizes of legs 5 can be used.

[0040] While Figures 10 and 11 show adjacent electric sofas of the same type connected by a lower base, Figures 12 and 13 show a further application development in which the seats are connected via an intermediate base indicated as Int-Dai between the seats. By using a base on the top of Int-Dai to place small items or drinking cups, or by providing space inside Int-Dai to store small items, it is possible to not only make the structure more similar to a sofa sold as furniture, but also to pursue further diversity of uses by changing the size and shape of Int-Dai.

[0041] Figure 14 is a diagram explaining how to connect the lower bases of adjacent electric sofas shown in Figures 10 to 13, or the lower base of an electric sofa and an Int-Dai. This diagram shows the state before the left and right lower bases are connected to each other, and the male connecting fitting m and the female connecting fitting f are fixed to the lower bases at the opposite positions when the lower bases are placed face to face. The combination of a pair of m and f is expressed as mf_set. The application of mf_set makes it easy to connect and separate the lower bases to each other or the lower base and Int-Dai. Note that m and f are also parts that can be purchased on the Internet market.

[0042] Figure 15 is a conceptual diagram showing that the use of the mf_set of connecting fittings allows for greater freedom in the variations in the methods of combining multiple lower bases and Int-Dai, leading to further development in the form of a chaise lounge. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1 AC-DC converter 2 Power cord converter and connection plug 3 Power cord 4. Power plug for household AC outlet 5 Lower base legs

Claims

1. This electric sofa is made by removing electric seats that are designed to be highly comfortable and have genuine leather or high-quality surface materials from standard passenger cars and compact passenger cars that are being scrapped, removing the bolts and nuts that secure the seats to the floor of the living space in the vehicle body, and separating the seats from the chassis, and then regenerating and repurposing these vehicle seats using an AC-DC converter.

2. This electric sofa is made by regenerating and repurposing a high-performance, high-quality new electric seat manufactured for in-vehicle use using an AC-DC converter.

3. 3. The electric sofa according to claim 1, further comprising a lower base provided at the bottom of the vehicle-mounted electric seat, the lower base being adapted to adjust the height from the installation surface to the seat surface and to prevent damage to the installation surface.

4. 4. The electric sofa according to claim 3, which is used in the form of a chaise longue and allows two or more electric sofas to be connected together by using connecting fittings.

5. 5. The electric sofa according to claim 4, wherein an intermediate platform is provided between the seats for connection.

6. This method for producing an electric sofa involves removing electric seats that are designed to provide a high level of comfort and have genuine leather or other high-quality surface materials from standard passenger cars and compact passenger cars that are being scrapped, removing the seats from the chassis by removing the bolts and nuts that secure them to the floor of the living space in the vehicle body, and regenerating and repurposing these vehicle seats using an AC-DC converter.

7. A method for producing an electric sofa by recycling a high-performance, high-quality new electric seat manufactured for in-vehicle use using an AC-DC converter.

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