Vehicular seat and vehicle

Abstract

To provide a vehicular seat that is configured so that an inclination of a seating surface of a seat cushion and a height of a side support part can be easily and properly changed, and a vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicular seat 1 comprises: a seat cushion 4 having side support parts 92; a seating surface angle changing device 11 that changes a seating surface angle θ by displacing the seat cushion 4 toward a forward ascending direction and a forward descending direction; a side support device 38 that changes heights of upward protrusions of the side support parts 92; and a control device 16. The control device 16 controls the side support device 38 on the basis of the seating surface angle θ so that the heights of upward protrusions of the side support parts 92 are changed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat in which the inclination of the seating surface of a seat cushion and the height of a side support portion can be changed, and a vehicle having the vehicle seat.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a vehicle seat in which the inclination of the seating surface of a seat cushion can be changed between a forward-down state in which the front portion of the seating surface of the seat cushion is lower than the rear portion and a forward-up state in which the front portion of the seating surface is higher than the rear portion. Patent Document 2 describes a vehicle seat having a side support whose height can be adjusted.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When a user is sitting on a vehicle seat, it is assumed that the user is driving, taking a break, performing work other than driving, etc. Between these situations, the appropriate inclination of the seating surface and the appropriate height of the side support portion are different from each other. However, adjusting both the inclination of the seating surface and the height of the side support portion has been complicated and inconvenient for the user.

[0005] In view of the above background, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat and a vehicle in which the inclination of the seating surface of a seat cushion and the height of a side support portion can be easily and appropriately arranged.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, an aspect of the present invention has a seat cushion (4) having a central portion (91) that supports the user's buttocks from below and side support portions (92) that protrude upward from the left and right sides, and is a vehicle seat (1) provided on the floor (3) of a vehicle (V), and a seat surface angle changing device (11) for changing a seat surface angle (θ), which is an angle formed by the floor surface (R) of the vehicle and the seating surface (S) of the seat cushion, in the forward upward direction and the forward downward direction from a normal position, a side support device (38) for changing a protruding height of the side support portion upward, and a control device (16) configured to control the side support device based on the seat surface angle.

[0007] According to this aspect, since the protruding height of the side support portion is set according to the seat surface angle, the user can easily arrange the protruding height of the side support portion at an appropriate height.

[0008] In the above aspect, when the seat cushion (4) changes the seat surface angle (θ) by more than a predetermined value in the forward upward direction and / or the forward downward direction from the normal position, the control device (16) may control the side support device (38) so that the protruding height of the side support portion (92) becomes lower.

[0009] According to this aspect, when there is a seat surface angle within a range where it is assumed that the user is not driving, by lowering the side support portion, the comfort of the user can be improved without sacrificing safety.

[0010] In the above aspect, when the seat cushion (4) is returned to the normal position, the control device (16) may control the side support device (38) so that the protruding height of the side support portion (92) is restored to the original height.

[0011] According to this aspect, when the seat surface angle is returned within a range where it is assumed that the user is driving, by raising the side support portion, safety is not impaired.

[0012] The vehicle (V) having the vehicle seat (1) of the above aspect has a vehicle state monitoring device (15) that detects whether the vehicle is in a running state or a stopped state and outputs the detection result to the control device (16). When the control device determines that the vehicle is running based on the detection result of the vehicle state monitoring device, the protruding height of the side support portion (92) may be maintained higher than a predetermined height regardless of the seat surface angle (θ).

[0013] According to this aspect, in the running state, since the protruding height of the side support portion is maintained higher than the predetermined height, safety is not impaired.

[0014] In the above aspect, when the control device (16) determines that the vehicle (V) is stopped based on the detection result of the vehicle state monitoring device (15), the control device allows the change of the protruding height of the side support portion (92).

[0015] According to this aspect, in the stopped state where the protruding height of the side support portion does not affect safety, the convenience of the user is improved by allowing the change of the protruding height.

[0016] In the vehicle (V) having the vehicle seat (1) of the above aspect, when the vehicle seat is a driver's seat and has a vehicle state monitoring device (15) that detects whether the vehicle is in a running state or a stopped state and outputs the detection result to the control device (16), when the control device determines that the vehicle is running based on the detection result of the vehicle state monitoring device, if the seat cushion (4) is in the normal position, its position is held, and if the seat cushion is displaced in the forward rising direction and / or the forward lowering direction by more than a predetermined value from the normal position, the seat cushion may be displaced toward the normal position.

[0017] According to this aspect, in the driver's seat during running, since the seat cushion is arranged in the normal position, safety is not impaired.

[0018] A vehicle (V) having the vehicle seat (1) according to the above aspect includes a vehicle state monitoring device (15) that detects whether the vehicle is in a running state or a stopped state and outputs a detection result to the control device (16). When the control device determines that the vehicle has stopped based on the detection result of the vehicle state monitoring device, it may allow the change of the seat surface angle.

[0019] According to this aspect, in a stopped state where changing the seat surface angle has no impact on safety, the convenience of the user is improved by allowing the change of the seat surface angle.

[0020] A vehicle (V) having the vehicle seat (1) according to the above aspect includes a shift lever (94) and a shift lever sensor (32) that detects the position of the shift lever and outputs a detection result to the control device (16). When the shift lever is placed in Drive, the control device maintains the protruding height of the side support portion (92) at a state higher than a predetermined height, and when the shift lever is placed in Parking or Neutral, the protruding height of the side support portion may be set to a state lower than the predetermined height.

[0021] According to this aspect, since the protruding height of the side support portion is changed according to the position of the shift lever, safety is not impaired and the convenience of the user is improved.

[0022] In the above aspect, the vehicle seat (1) is a non-driving seat other than the driver's seat. When the seat cushion (4) is displaced from the normal position by more than a predetermined value in the forward-upward direction and / or the forward-downward direction, the control device (16) may lower the protruding height of the side support portion (92) regardless of whether the vehicle is running.

[0023] According to this aspect, since the protruding height of the side support portion of the non-driving seat does not affect the driving of the vehicle, the convenience of the user is improved by allowing the change of the protruding height.

[0024] A vehicle (V) having the vehicle seat (1) according to the above aspect, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous driving vehicle, and when the seat cushion (4) is displaced from the normal position by more than a predetermined value in the forward rising direction and / or the forward lowering direction, the control device (16) may lower the protruding height of the side support portion (92) regardless of whether the vehicle is running or not.

[0025] According to this aspect, since the protruding height of the side support portion of the autonomous driving vehicle does not affect the driving of the vehicle, by allowing the change of the protruding height, the convenience of the user is improved.

Effect of the Invention

[0026] A certain aspect of the present invention has a seat cushion (4) having a central portion (91) that supports the user's buttocks from below and side support portions (92) that protrude upward from the left and right sides, and is a vehicle seat (1) provided on the floor (3) of a vehicle (V), and a seat surface angle changing device (11) for changing a seat surface angle (θ), which is an angle formed by the floor surface (R) of the vehicle and the seating surface (S) of the seat cushion, in the forward rising direction and the forward lowering direction from the normal position, a side support device (38) for changing the protruding height of the side support portion upward, and a control device (16) configured to control the side support device based on the seat surface angle.

[0027] According to this aspect, since the protruding height of the side support portion is set according to the seat surface angle, the user can easily arrange the protruding height of the side support portion at an appropriate height.

[0028] In the above aspect, when the seat cushion (4) changes the seat surface angle (θ) from the normal position by more than a predetermined value in the forward rising direction and / or the forward lowering direction, the control device (16) may control the side support device (38) so that the protruding height of the side support portion (92) becomes lower.

[0029] According to this aspect, when there is a seat surface angle within a range where the user is assumed not to be driving, by lowering the side support portion, the comfort of the user can be improved without sacrificing safety.

[0030] In the above aspect, when the seat cushion (4) is returned to the normal position, the control device (16) may control the side support device (38) so that the protruding height of the side support portion (92) is restored to the original height.

[0031] According to this aspect, when the seat surface angle is returned within a range where the user is assumed to be driving, by raising the side support portion, safety is not impaired.

[0032] The vehicle (V) having the vehicle seat (1) of the above aspect includes a vehicle state monitoring device (15) that detects whether the vehicle is in a running state or a stopped state and outputs the detection result to the control device (16). When the control device determines based on the detection result of the vehicle state monitoring device that the vehicle is running, the protruding height of the side support portion (92) may be maintained at a state higher than a predetermined height regardless of the seat surface angle (θ).

[0033] According to this aspect, in the running state, since the protruding height of the side support portion is maintained at a state higher than a predetermined height, safety is not impaired.

[0034] In the above aspect, when the control device (16) determines based on the detection result of the vehicle state monitoring device (15) that the vehicle (V) is stopped, the control device allows the change of the protruding height of the side support portion (92).

[0035] According to this aspect, in the stopped state where the protruding height of the side support portion does not affect safety, by allowing the change of the protruding height, the convenience of the user is improved.

[0036] In a vehicle (V) having the vehicle seat (1) according to the above aspect, the vehicle seat is a driver's seat, and the vehicle has a vehicle state monitoring device (15) that detects whether the vehicle is in a running state or a stopped state and outputs the detection result to the control device (16). When the control device determines based on the detection result of the vehicle state monitoring device that the vehicle is running, if the seat cushion (4) is in the normal position, it maintains that position, and if the seat cushion is displaced in the forward-upward direction and / or the forward-downward direction by more than a predetermined value from the normal position, the seat cushion may be displaced toward the normal position.

[0037] According to this aspect, in the driver's seat during driving, since the seat cushion is arranged in the normal position, safety is not impaired.

[0038] The vehicle (V) having the vehicle seat (1) according to the above aspect has a vehicle state monitoring device (15) that detects whether the vehicle is in a running state or a stopped state and outputs the detection result to the control device (16). When the control device determines based on the detection result of the vehicle state monitoring device that the vehicle is stopped, it may allow the change of the seat surface angle.

[0039] According to this aspect, in a stopped state where changing the seat surface angle has no effect on safety, allowing the change of the seat surface angle improves the convenience for the user.

[0040] The vehicle (V) having the vehicle seat (1) according to the above aspect has a shift lever (94) and a shift lever sensor (32) that detects the position of the shift lever and outputs the detection result to the control device (16). When the shift lever is placed in drive, the control device maintains the protruding height of the side support portion (92) at a state higher than a predetermined height, and when the shift lever is placed in parking or neutral, the control device may make the protruding height of the side support portion lower than the predetermined height.

[0041] According to this aspect, since the protruding height of the side support portion is changed by the arrangement of the shift lever, safety is not impaired and the convenience for the user is improved.

[0042] In the above aspect, the vehicle seat (1) is a non-driving seat other than the driver's seat. When the seat cushion (4) is displaced from the normal position by more than a predetermined value in the forward rising direction and / or the forward lowering direction, the control device (16) may lower the protruding height of the side support portion (92) regardless of whether the vehicle is running or not.

[0043] According to this aspect, since the protruding height of the side support portion of the non-driving seat does not affect the driving of the vehicle, the convenience for the user is improved by allowing the change in the protruding height.

[0044] A vehicle (V) having the vehicle seat (1) of the above aspect, the vehicle being an autonomous driving vehicle. When the seat cushion (4) is displaced from the normal position by more than a predetermined value in the forward rising direction and / or the forward lowering direction, the control device (16) may lower the protruding height of the side support portion (92) regardless of whether the vehicle is running or not.

[0045] According to this aspect, since the protruding height of the side support portion of the autonomous driving vehicle does not affect the driving of the vehicle, the convenience for the user is improved by allowing the change in the protruding height.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0046]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0047] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, the vehicle seat 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 shows a deformable aspect of the vehicle seat 1, FIG. 2 shows the configuration of a vehicle V including the vehicle seat 1, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a system 2 related to the vehicle seat 1. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the "front-rear direction", "left-right direction", and "up-down direction" mean the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction of the vehicle V. Also, a direction based on the vehicle seat 1, such as the "seat front-rear direction", means the direction as seen from a user seated on the vehicle seat 1.

[0048] <<First Embodiment>> As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vehicle seat 1 is installed on the floor 3 in the passenger compartment of the vehicle V. The vehicle seat 1 includes a seat cushion 4, a seat back 5 supported at the rear of the seat cushion 4, and a headrest 6 connected to the upper part of the seat back 5. The seat cushion 4 supports the user's buttocks from below, the seat back 5 supports the user's back from the rear in the seat front-rear direction, and the headrest 6 supports the user's head from the rear in the seat front-rear direction. The seat cushion 4 and the seat back 5 each include a frame, a pad supported by the frame, and a skin material covering the surface of the pad on the user side (not shown).

[0049] On the floor 3, a rotating device 8 is supported via a sliding device 7. The rotating device 8 rotatably supports a support member 9 with respect to the sliding device 7 about a vertical axis Z passing through substantially the center in the front-rear direction of the seat and the width direction of the seat. At the front end of the support member 9 or in the vicinity thereof, the front end of the seat cushion 4 is tiltably connected about a tilting axis Y1 in the width direction of the seat. A seat surface angle changing actuator 10 that can be expanded and contracted in its extending direction is pivotally connected at one end to a position below and / or behind the seat with respect to the tilting axis Y1 of the support member 9 and at the other end to a position behind the seat of the seat cushion 4 about an axis in the width direction of the seat. As the seat surface angle changing actuator 10, an electric cylinder, an air cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder having a motor may be used.

[0050] An angle that varies about the tilting axis Y1 formed by a reference plane R (floor surface) orthogonal to the vertical direction and the seating surface S of the seat cushion 4 is defined as a seat surface angle θ (thigh angle). The support member 9 and the seat surface angle changing actuator 10 constitute a main part of a seat surface angle changing device 11 that changes the seat surface angle θ. Since the seating surface S deforms during actual seating, strictly speaking, it is set with reference to the seat frame. When viewed from the side of the seat, the three points of the tilting axis Y1 and the two pivotable connection points to the support member 9 and the seat cushion 4 of the seat surface angle changing actuator 10 are not arranged on the same straight line, that is, they are arranged to form the vertices of a triangle. Therefore, when the seat surface angle changing actuator 10 expands and contracts, the seat surface angle θ is changed. The seat surface angle changing device 11 can tilt the seat cushion 4 about the tilting axis Y1 between a state where the front end of the seating surface S is tilted downward with respect to the reference plane R (a state where the seat surface angle θ is negative, see Fig. 1(A)) and a state where the front end of the seating surface S is tilted upward with respect to the reference plane R (a state where the seat surface angle θ is positive, see Fig. 1(C)).

[0051] In the illustrated example, the tilting axis Y1 is arranged at the front end of the seat cushion 4, but the tilting axis Y1 may be arranged at any position from the front end to the rear end of the seat cushion 4, and the seat surface angle changing device 11 may have a configuration that allows the seat cushion 4 to tilt with respect to the reference plane R.

[0052] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the system 2 includes an in-vehicle monitoring device 12 that acquires information inside the vehicle cabin, an out-of-vehicle monitoring device 13 that acquires information outside the vehicle cabin, an input / output device 14 that receives and provides information to the user, a vehicle state monitoring device 15 that acquires information regarding the state of the vehicle V, a control device 16 that receives information from the in-vehicle monitoring device 12, the out-of-vehicle monitoring device 13, the input / output device 14, and the vehicle state monitoring device 15 and transmits the information to the input / output device 14, and a plurality of controlled devices 17 controlled by the control device 16.

[0053] The in-vehicle monitoring device 12 includes one or a plurality of in-vehicle cameras 18 that image the interior of the vehicle cabin, a plurality of object sensors 19 provided on the vehicle seat 1, a seating sensor 20 provided on the seat cushion 4, a biological sensor 21, and a seat surface angle sensor 22.

[0054] The in-vehicle camera 18 is disposed at a position where it can image the user and the periphery of the vehicle seat 1. The in-vehicle camera 18 may be constituted by a CMOS image sensor. The in-vehicle camera 18 is preferably constituted by a compound eye camera including a plurality of imaging elements and capable of distance imaging based on triangulation such as stereo measurement or the light section method.

[0055] The object sensor 19 is a sensor that detects an object inside the vehicle, and may be a proximity sensor, a lidar, an ultrasonic sensor, or the like. Alternatively, the object sensor 19 may be constituted by a ToF (Time of Flight) sensor module that includes a light source and a detector and performs distance measurement by acquiring the time until the light emitted from the light source reaches the detector. The object sensor 19 may be disposed, for example, along the outer peripheral surface of the seat cushion 4, or may be provided at an appropriate position on the headrest 6. Further, the object sensors 19 may be arranged side by side in the front-rear direction on the door panel or the floor 3.

[0056] The seating sensor 20 may be a membrane switch or an electrostatic sensor provided on the seat cushion 4. The seating sensor 20 detects the pressure applied to the seat cushion 4, and the control device 16 that has received the detection result determines whether the user is sitting on the vehicle seat 1. The vehicle seat 1 is equipped with a seat belt reminder (SBR) system that issues an alarm when the user is sitting but not wearing the seat belt. To determine whether an alarm is necessary, etc., a seating determination using the seating sensor 20 is performed.

[0057] The biological sensor 21 may be a heartbeat sensor, a respiration sensor, a pressure sensor, or an electroencephalogram sensor. The heartbeat sensor is provided on the front surface of the seat back 5, preferably at a position corresponding to the user's heart. The heartbeat sensor is a sensor that detects the user's heart rate. The heartbeat sensor may be based on any of a touch type, an optical type, or an electrocardiogram type. The respiration sensor is a sensor that detects the user's respiration rate and the depth of respiration. The respiration sensor may be, for example, a type that detects the pressure applied from the user at a position corresponding to the user's lungs on the front surface of the seat back 5 and reads the pressure change caused by the user's breathing movement. The respiration sensor may also be based on a method in which two sheet-like electrodes are provided along the front surface of the seat back 5 and the change in capacitance between the electrodes due to the movement of the person's chest is detected. The pressure sensor is a sensor used to detect the user's posture based on the pressure applied to the seat cushion 4 and the seat back 5. The pressure sensor is provided in a planar shape on the surfaces of the seat cushion 4 and the seat back 5 facing the user, measures the in-plane distribution (pressure distribution) of the pressure applied to them from the user, and detects the user's posture. The electroencephalogram sensor includes a magnetic sensor provided at a position facing the user's head in the headrest 6. The magnetic sensor detects the magnetic signal associated with the activity of the user's brain cells. The electroencephalogram sensor calculates the user's electroencephalogram based on the magnetic signal. As the electroencephalogram sensor, a magnetic sensor provided at a position facing the user's head in the headrest 6 may be used, and the control device 16 may calculate the user's electroencephalogram based on the magnetic signal.

[0058] The seat surface angle sensor 22 is provided between the support member 9 and the frame of the seat cushion 4, or in the seat surface angle changing actuator 10, and detects the seat surface angle θ (see FIG. 1) or information for calculating the seat surface angle θ.

[0059] The outside vehicle monitoring device 13 includes one or more outside vehicle photographing cameras 23, a plurality of radars 24 and / or lidars 25 (LiDARs).

[0060] The outside vehicle photographing camera 23 images the surroundings of the vehicle V, including objects existing around the vehicle V (for example, surrounding vehicles and pedestrians), guardrails, curbs, walls, median strips, the shape of the road, and road markings drawn on the road. The outside vehicle photographing camera 23 may be, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD or a CMOS. The outside vehicle photographing camera 23 is provided, for example, on the ceiling inside the vehicle compartment and images the outside of the vehicle compartment through the front glass, the rear glass, or the side glass. The outside vehicle photographing camera 23 may be, for example, a stereo camera.

[0061] The radar 24 emits radio waves such as millimeter waves around the vehicle V and detects the position (distance and direction) of an object by capturing the reflected wave. The lidar 25 irradiates light such as infrared rays around the vehicle V and detects the position (distance and direction) of an object by capturing the reflected light. The radar 24 and / or the lidar 25 are attached outside the vehicle compartment of the vehicle V. The radar 24 and / or the lidar 25 include, for example, those that irradiate radio waves / light forward of the vehicle V, those that irradiate radio waves / light rearward of the vehicle V, and those that irradiate radio waves / light laterally of the vehicle V. The outside vehicle monitoring device 13 may include a sonar.

[0062] The input / output device 14 receives input operations by the user and notifies the user of various information by display or sound. The input / output device 14 may include, for example, a touch panel 26 that performs both input and output. Further, in addition to or instead of the touch panel 26, the input / output device 14 may include an input device (for example, buttons, switches, and / or a microphone 27 that receives the user's voice input) and an output device (for example, a display and / or a speaker 28 that notifies sound). A mobile terminal such as a smartphone may be communicable with the control device 16 wirelessly or by wire and used as the input / output device 14.

[0063] The vehicle state monitoring device 15 includes a vehicle speed sensor 29, a brake sensor 30, a steering angle sensor 31, a shift lever sensor 32, and a door sensor 33. The vehicle speed sensor 29 detects the vehicle speed of the vehicle V. The brake sensor 30 includes a brake pedal sensor that detects the depression amount of the brake pedal and a parking brake sensor that detects the operation amount of the parking brake lever. The steering angle sensor 31 detects the steering angle of the steering wheel. The shift lever sensor 32 detects where the shift lever is placed, such as in parking (P), reverse (R), neutral (N), drive (D), etc. The door sensor 33 detects the open / closed state of the door of the vehicle V.

[0064] The control device 16 is a so-called Electronic Control Unit, which controls the vehicle seat 1 based on the information acquired by the in-vehicle monitoring device 12, the out-vehicle monitoring device 13, and the vehicle state monitoring device 15, as well as the information input by the user to the input / output device 14. The control device 16 is composed of a computer including a processor 34 constituted by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or the like, and a storage device 35 including a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and an SSD (Solid State Drive) and / or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The control device 16 is connected to the in-vehicle monitoring device 12, the out-vehicle monitoring device 13, the input / output device 14, the vehicle state monitoring device 15, and the controlled device 17 so that signals can be transmitted and received by a signal line or wirelessly. The control device 16 and the controlled device 17 are connected to a power source (not shown) mounted on the vehicle V and receive power supply from the power source. The control device 16 can acquire information regarding the vehicle seat 1, such as the state of the seat surface angle θ (see FIG. 1), based on the information acquired by the in-vehicle monitoring device 12 and the control history for the controlled device 17.

[0065] The controlled device 17 controlled by the control device 16 includes, in addition to the above-described slide device 7, rotation device 8, and seat surface angle changing device 11, a reclining device 36 that tilts the seat back 5, an airbag device 37 that protects the user during a collision of the vehicle V, a side support device 38 that changes the height of both side portions of the seat cushion 4, a seat heater 39 that warms the seat cushion 4, and a vibration device 40 that vibrates the seat cushion 4 to prompt the user's attention.

[0066] The control device 16 can calculate the seat surface angle θ from the detected value of the seat surface angle sensor 22. The seat surface angle sensor 22 may be, for example, an angle potentiometer provided between the support member 9 and the seat cushion 4. Further, the seat surface angle sensor 22 may be a stroke sensor that detects the length of the seat surface angle change actuator 10, and the control device 16 may calculate the seat surface angle θ based on the length of the seat surface angle change actuator 10. The control device 16 may calculate the seat surface angle θ from the control history of the seat surface angle change actuator 10.

[0067] The user can operate the input / output device 14 to change the seat surface angle θ. The input / output device 14 outputs an operation signal corresponding to the user's operation to the control device 16. The control device 16 controls the seat surface angle change actuator 10 based on the operation signal to change the seat surface angle θ to an angle within the changeable range. The changeable range is the range of angles at which the seat surface angle θ can be changed, and is defined by the minimum angle (see FIG. 1(A)) and the maximum angle (see FIG. 1(C)). The changeable range is set by the control device 16.

[0068] The reclining device 36 is a device that tilts the seat back 5 with respect to the seat cushion 4 about a tilting axis Y2 (see FIG. 1) extending in the seat width direction. The tilting axis Y2 extends to the rear end in the front-rear direction of the seat of the seat cushion 4 and the lower end of the seat back 5.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 4, the seat cushion 4 has a central portion 91 that supports the user's buttocks from below and side support portions 92 that project upward from the left and right sides. The side support portions 92 can be displaced vertically by a side support device 38. The side support device 38 has, for example, a motor, a pinion rotated by the motor, and a rack attached to the side support portion 92 and engaged with the pinion to be displaced vertically by the rotation of the pinion (not shown). When the side support portion 92 is displaced vertically, the protruding height of the side support portion 92 from the upper surface of the seat cushion 4 changes.

[0070] Note that the change in the protruding height of the side support portion 92 may be performed by other mechanisms. For example, as shown in FIG. 5(A), the side support device 38 may include a bag body 93a disposed within the side support portion 92, a pipe 93b connected to the bag body 93a, and a pump 93c for injecting and discharging air into and from the bag body 93a via the pipe 93b. In this case, the skin material of the side support portion 92 is stretchable, and the protruding height of the side support portion 92 increases as air is injected into and the bag body 93a expands, and the protruding height of the side support portion 92 decreases as air is discharged from the bag body 93a. Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 5(B), the side support device 38 may be configured to tilt the side support portion 92 about an axis in the front-rear direction of the seat.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 4(A), the control device 16 controls the side support device 38 based on a vehicle state monitoring device 15 having a shift lever sensor 32 that detects the position of the shift lever 94 and a vehicle speed sensor 29, and a seat surface angle θ detected by the seat surface angle sensor 22. Instead of the detection result of the seat surface angle sensor 22, the control device 16 may acquire the seat surface angle θ based on the control history of the seat surface angle changing device 11 (see FIG. 3).

[0072] The protruding height of the side support portion 92 from the upper surface of the seat cushion 4 is changeable between a maximum value (FIG. 4(A)) and a minimum value (FIG. 4(C)) at which the upper end of the side support portion 92 is at the same height as the upper surface of the substantially central portion 91. FIG. 4(B) shows the protruding height that is normally maintained during the running of the vehicle V when the vehicle seat 1 is a driver's seat. In the present embodiment, according to the preference of the user, the user can use an input / output device 14 such as a touch panel 26 or a microphone 27 to set the side support portion 92 within the range between the normal height shown in FIG. 4(B) and the maximum height shown in FIG. 4(A). However, during the stop of the vehicle V, the changeable range of the protruding height of the side support portion 92 is not restricted. Further, when the vehicle seat 1 is a seat other than the driver's seat (non-driver's seat), the change in the protruding height of the side support portion 92 is not restricted regardless of whether the vehicle V is running or not.

[0073] Refer to FIGS. 1, 3, and 4. The seat surface angle θ of the seat cushion 4 of the vehicle seat 1 is usually set to the normal angle θ0 suitable for driving. In this state, the protruding height of the side support portion 92 is set to the normal height or a height greater than the normal height selected by the user. Also, the seat surface angle θ of the seat cushion 4 can be adjusted to a state of rising forward or falling forward from the normal position by the user inputting a desired state using the input / output device 14.

[0074] When the user wants to make the seat cushion 4 rise forward from the normal position, it is assumed that the user wants to relax. In such a case, it is better for the side support portion 92 not to restrain the user's buttocks from the left and right. Therefore, when the seat surface angle θ exceeds a predetermined value above the normal angle θ0 which is the angle when the seat cushion 4 is disposed at the normal position, the control device 16 controls the side support device 38 to lower the protruding height of the side support portion 92 from the upper surface of the seat cushion 4.

[0075] When the user wants to make the seat cushion 4 fall forward from the normal position, it is assumed that the user is performing an operation other than driving, for example, operating a touch panel 26 or a personal computer brought into the vehicle interior. In such a case, it is better for the side support portion 92 not to restrain the user's buttocks from the left and right. Therefore, when the seat surface angle θ is less than a predetermined value below the normal angle θ0 which is the angle when the seat cushion 4 is disposed at the normal position, the control device 16 controls the side support device 38 to lower the protruding height of the side support portion 92 from the upper surface of the seat cushion 4.

[0076] When the user inputs a target value of the seat surface angle θ using an input / output device 14 such as the touch panel 26 or the microphone 27, the control device 16 calculates the protruding height of the side support portion 92 corresponding to the seat surface angle θ, and controls the seat surface angle changing device 11 and the side support device 38 to displace the seat cushion 4 and the side support portion 92 so that the target value and the calculated value are realized. However, when the displacement thereof is restricted, the control device 16 displaces the seat cushion 4 and the side support portion 92 up to the allowable limit, and notifies the user using the input / output device 14 such as the touch panel 26 and / or the speaker 28 that further displacement is restricted.

[0077] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing one aspect of the processing of the control device 16 after the start of operation. With reference to FIGS. 3 to 6, one aspect of the control of the protruding height of the side support portion 92 when the vehicle seat 1 is a driver's seat will be described. The control device 16 determines whether or not the vehicle V is traveling based on the detection result of the vehicle speed sensor 29 (ST1).

[0078] If the vehicle V is traveling (Yes in ST1), the control device 16 maintains the protruding height of the side support portion 92 at a predetermined height or more (ST2). For this reason, even if the user inputs a change in the seat surface angle θ using the input / output device 14, the protruding height of the side support portion 92 is maintained at a predetermined height or more.

[0079] If the vehicle V is stopped (No in ST1), the control device 16 does not restrict the change in the protruding height of the side support portion 92. When the control device 16 receives the target value of the seat surface angle θ input by the user from the input / output device 14 (Yes in ST3), the control device 16 displaces the seat cushion 4 so that the seat surface angle θ matches the target value, and displaces the side support portion 92 so as to have a protruding height corresponding to the target value of the seat surface angle θ (ST4). When the user does not input a change in the seat surface angle θ until the restart of operation (No in ST3), the control device 16 ends the process.

[0080] After changing the protruding height of the side support portion 92 (ST4), the control device 16 determines whether or not the running of the vehicle V has resumed based on the detection result of the vehicle speed sensor 29 (ST5). Until the running of the vehicle V resumes (No in ST5), the changed protruding height of the side support portion 92 is maintained. When the running of the vehicle V resumes (Yes in ST5), the control device 16 returns the seat surface angle θ and the protruding height of the side airbag 68 to the state before the change (ST6).

[0081] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the processing of another aspect. With reference to FIGS. 3 to 5 and FIG. 7, another aspect of the control of the protruding height of the side support portion 92 when the vehicle seat 1 is the driver's seat will be described.

[0082] Before the vehicle V starts running, the control device 16 receives an input of the seat surface angle θ from the user via the input / output device 14 (ST11). When the control device 16 receives the input value (Yes in ST11), it calculates the value of the protruding height of the side support portion 92 corresponding to the input seat surface angle θ, and controls the side support device 38 to displace the side support portion 92 so that the protruding height of the side support portion 92 matches the calculated value (ST12). However, when the calculated value is smaller than the predetermined height to be maintained during running, the control device 16 displaces the side support portion 92 so that the protruding height of the side support portion 92 matches the predetermined height. Thereafter, the vehicle V starts running.

[0083] The control device 16 determines whether the vehicle V has started running based on the detection results of the vehicle speed sensor 29 or the shift lever sensor 32 (ST13). When the vehicle speed sensor 29 detects a speed greater than 0, or when the shift lever sensor 32 detects that the shift lever 94 has moved from the parking (P) or neutral (N) position to the drive (D), second gear (2), low gear (L), or reverse (R) position, the control device 16 determines that the vehicle V has started running. Until the start of running (No in ST13), the control device 16 accepts the input of the seat surface angle θ from the user (ST11). If there is no input from the user before the start of running (No in ST11, Yes in ST13), the control device 16 controls the side support device 38 to displace the side support portion 92 so that the protruding height of the side support portion 92 becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined height to be maintained during running.

[0084] The control device 16 determines whether the running of the vehicle V has ended based on the detection results of the shift lever sensor 32 (ST15). When the shift lever sensor 32 detects that the shift lever 94 has moved from the drive (D), second gear (2), low gear (L), or reverse (R) position to the parking (P) or neutral (N) position, the control device 16 determines that the vehicle V has ended running. During the running of the vehicle V (No in ST15), the protruding height of the side support portion 92 set in ST12 or ST14 is maintained. When the running of the vehicle V ends (Yes in ST15), the control device 16 controls the side support device 38 to displace the side support portion 92 so that the protruding height becomes lower, for example, so that the protruding height becomes the minimum value (ST16).

[0085] In addition, when the vehicle V is an autonomous driving vehicle, regardless of whether the vehicle V is running or not, even if the passenger seat 1 is the driver's seat, it is not necessary to restrict the change in the protruding height of the side support portion 92.

[0086] The operation and effects of the above-described embodiment will be described. Since the protruding height of the side support portion 92 is set according to the seat surface angle θ, the user can arrange the protruding height of the side support portion 92 at an appropriate height only by inputting the seat surface angle θ.

[0087] When the user moves the seat cushion 4 forward and upward or forward and downward from the normal position, it is assumed that the user wants to perform work other than driving or wants to relax. In this case, the restraint of the buttocks by the side support portion 92 is unnecessary and impairs the comfort of the user. Therefore, when the control device 16 changes the seat surface angle θ beyond a predetermined value in the forward and upward direction and / or the forward and downward direction from the normal position, the comfort of the user is improved by reducing the protruding height of the side support portion 92. Further, when the vehicle V resumes running, the seat cushion 4 is returned to the normal position and the protruding height of the side support portion 92 is restored, so that safety is not impaired.

[0088] During the running of the vehicle V, the seat cushion 4 is held in the normal position and the protruding height of the side support portion 92 is maintained at a predetermined height or more, so that safety is not impaired. During the stop of the vehicle V, the convenience of the user is improved by allowing the change of the seat surface angle θ and the change of the protruding height of the side support portion 92.

[0089] When the shift lever 94 is placed in drive, it is assumed that the driving operation continues even if the vehicle V has stopped. Therefore, the safety is not impaired by maintaining the protruding height of the side support portion 92 at a predetermined height or more. When the shift lever 94 is placed in parking or neutral, it is assumed that the driving has ended. Therefore, the convenience of the user is improved by reducing the protruding height of the side support portion 92. Further, based on the detection result of the shift lever sensor 32 that detects the position of the shift lever 94 which is maintained in the drive state for a relatively long time, rather than the vehicle speed sensor 29 that detects the stop state of the vehicle V relatively frequently, the side support portion 92 operates. Therefore, the unnecessary operation of the side support device 38 is suppressed, and the user is prevented from being bothered by the operation sound or the like.

[0090] In the non-driving seat or the driving seat of the self-driving vehicle, since the protruding height of the side support portion 92 does not affect the driving of the vehicle V, regardless of whether the vehicle V is running or not, by allowing the change of the seat surface angle θ and the protruding height of the side support portion 92, the convenience of the user is improved.

[0091] The description of the specific embodiments ends here. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and modifications, and can be widely modified and implemented.

Explanation of reference numerals

[0092] 1: Vehicle seat 4: Seat cushion 11: Seat surface angle changing device 15: Vehicle state monitoring device 16: Control device 32: Shift lever sensor 91: Central portion 92: Side support portion 94: Shift lever R: Reference plane (floor surface) S: Seating surface θ: Seat surface angle

Claims

1. A vehicle seat having a seat cushion with a central portion that supports a user's buttocks from below and side support portions that protrude upward from the left and right side portions, the vehicle seat being provided on a floor of the vehicle, a seat angle changing device for changing a seat angle, which is an angle between a floor surface of the vehicle and a seating surface of the seat cushion, from a normal position in a front upward direction and a front downward direction; A side support device that changes the upward protruding height of the side support portion; A control device configured to control the side support device based on the seating surface angle.

2. 2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the control device controls the side support device so that a protruding height of the side support portion is lowered when the seat cushion changes the seat surface angle from the normal position in the front upward direction and / or the front downward direction by more than a predetermined value.

3. 3. The vehicle seat according to claim 2, wherein the control device controls the side support device such that a protruding height of the side support portion is restored to an original height when the seat cushion is returned to the normal position.

4. A vehicle having the vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 3, a vehicle state monitoring device that detects whether the vehicle is in a running state or a stopped state and outputs the detection result to the control device; When the control device determines that the vehicle is moving based on the detection result of the vehicle state monitoring device, the control device maintains the protruding height of the side support part higher than a predetermined height regardless of the seating surface angle.

5. The vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the control device, when determining that the vehicle is stopped based on a detection result of the vehicle state monitoring device, allows a change in the protruding height of the side support parts.

6. A vehicle having the vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the vehicle seat is a driver's seat, a vehicle state monitoring device that detects whether the vehicle is in a running state or a stopped state and outputs the detection result to the control device; When the control device determines that the vehicle is moving based on the detection results of the vehicle state monitoring device, if the seat cushion is in the normal position, it maintains that position, and if the seat cushion is displaced in the front upward direction and / or the front downward direction from the normal position by more than a predetermined value, it displaces the seat cushion toward the normal position.

7. A vehicle having the vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 3, a vehicle state monitoring device that detects whether the vehicle is in a running state or a stopped state and outputs the detection result to the control device; The control device, when determining that the vehicle is stopped based on a detection result of the vehicle state monitoring device, allows the seat angle to be changed.

8. A vehicle having the vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The shift lever and a shift lever sensor that detects the position of the shift lever and outputs the detection result to the control device; The control device maintains a protruding height of the side support parts higher than a predetermined height when the shift lever is placed in drive, and reduces the protruding height of the side support parts to a state lower than the predetermined height when the shift lever is placed in park or neutral.

9. The vehicle seat is a non-driver's seat other than a driver's seat, The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein when the seat cushion is displaced from the normal position in the front upward direction and / or the front downward direction by more than a predetermined value, the control device lowers a protruding height of the side support portion regardless of whether the vehicle is moving or not.

10. A vehicle having the vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, When the seat cushion is displaced from the normal position in the front upward direction and / or the front downward direction by more than a predetermined value, the control device lowers the protruding height of the side support portion regardless of whether the vehicle is moving or not.

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