Vehicular seat

Abstract

To provide a vehicular seat that is configured so that output of a seat heater is changed in accordance with a seating surface angle to reduce electricity consumption.SOLUTION: A vehicular seat 1, which has a seat cushion 4 that supports the hip of a user from below and is provided on a floor 3 of a vehicle, comprises a seating surface angle changing device 11 for changing a seat surface angle θ that is an angle formed by a floor surface of the vehicle and a seating surface S of the seat cushion, from an angle at a normal position to an angle in a forward ascending direction and in a forward descending direction, a seat heater provided on the seat cushion, and a control device that controls operation of the seat heater. The control device changes output of the seat heater in accordance with the seating surface angle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat, and more particularly to a vehicle seat provided with a seat cushion that can be inclined upward or downward in the front.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle seat in which the seat surface angle of a seat cushion can be changed in order to conform to the physique of a user. The seat cushion is supported by the floor via front and rear links. When each link rotates, the seat cushion tilts and the seat surface angle changes.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] There is a demand for providing a seat heater on the seat surface of a seat cushion whose seat surface angle can be changed. In this case, when the seat surface angle changes, the contact state between the user's thigh and the seat surface changes. For example, when the seat cushion tilts downward in the front, the seat surface at the front of the seat cushion and the thigh may separate. Also, when the seat cushion tilts upward in the front, the seat surface and the thigh may come into closer contact. Therefore, if the output of the seat heater is determined regardless of the seat surface angle, there is a risk that the heating of the thigh may become excessive or that a portion that does not contribute to the heating of the thigh may be heated. As a result, there is a risk of unnecessary power consumption.

[0005] In view of the above background, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat capable of reducing power consumption.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention is a vehicle seat (1) provided on a floor (3) of a vehicle and having a seat cushion (4) that supports a user's buttocks from below, and a seat surface angle (θ), which is an angle formed by the floor surface of the vehicle and the seating surface (S) of the seat cushion, is changed in the forward upward direction and the forward downward direction from a normal position by a seat surface angle changing device (11), a seat heater (39) provided on the seat cushion, and a control device (16) that controls the operation of the seat heater, and the control device changes the output of the seat heater according to the seat surface angle.

[0007] According to this aspect, the output of the seat heater is adjusted according to the seat surface angle. Thereby, a vehicle seat capable of reducing power consumption can be provided.

[0008] Further, in the above aspect, when the seat surface angle is in a forward upward state exceeding a predetermined angle, the output of the seat heater may be reduced as compared with the case where the seat surface angle is within the predetermined angle.

[0009] According to this aspect, when the seat surface angle is in a forward upward state, the output of the seat heater can be reduced to reduce power consumption. When the seat surface angle changes in the forward upward direction from the normal position, the user's thighs come into closer contact with the seat cushion. Therefore, even if the output of the seat heater is reduced, unnecessary power consumption can be suppressed without impairing the warmth.

[0010] Further, in the above aspect, when the seat surface angle is in a forward downward state exceeding a predetermined angle, the output of the seat heater may be stopped.

[0011] According to this aspect, when the seat surface angle is in a forward-downward state, the output of the seat heater can be stopped to reduce power consumption. When the seat surface angle changes from the normal position in the forward-downward direction, the contact area between the seat cushion and the user's thigh decreases. Therefore, the output of the seat heater can be stopped to suppress the power consumption of the part that does not contribute to heating the thigh.

[0012] Also, in the above aspect, the seat heater includes a separately controllable front portion (39A) and rear portion (39B). When the seat surface angle is in a forward-upward state exceeding a predetermined angle, the output of the front portion of the seat heater may be reduced compared to the rear portion.

[0013] According to this aspect, when the seat surface angle is in a forward-upward state, the output of the seat heater can be reduced to reduce power consumption. When the seat surface angle changes from the normal position in the forward-upward direction, the user's thigh, especially the front side, adheres more closely to the seat cushion. Therefore, even if the output of the seat heater is reduced, unnecessary power consumption can be suppressed without sacrificing warmth.

[0014] Also, in the above aspect, the seat heater includes a separately controllable front portion and rear portion. When the seat surface angle is in a forward-upward state exceeding a predetermined angle, the output of the front portion of the seat heater may be stopped.

[0015] According to this aspect, when the seat surface angle is in a forward-upward state, the output of the seat heater can be stopped to reduce power consumption. When the seat surface angle changes from the normal position in the forward-upward direction, the user's thigh, especially the front side, adheres more closely to the seat cushion. Therefore, even if the output of the seat heater is stopped, unnecessary power consumption can be suppressed without sacrificing warmth.

[0016] Also, in the above aspect, the seat heater includes a separately controllable front portion and rear portion. When the seat surface angle is in a forward-downward state exceeding a predetermined angle, the output of the front portion of the seat heater may be reduced compared to the rear portion.

[0017] According to this aspect, when the seat surface angle is in a downward-forward state, the output of the seat heater can be reduced, and power consumption can be decreased. When the seat surface angle changes from the normal position in the downward-forward direction, the contact area between the seat cushion and the user's thigh, particularly the front side, decreases. Therefore, the output of the seat heater can be reduced, and power consumption of the portion that does not contribute to heating the thigh can be suppressed.

[0018] Further, in the above aspect, the seat heater includes a separately controllable front portion and rear portion, and when the seat surface angle is in a downward-forward state exceeding a predetermined angle, the output of the front portion of the seat heater may be stopped.

[0019] According to this aspect, when the seat surface angle is in a downward-forward state, the output of the seat heater can be stopped, and power consumption can be decreased. When the seat surface angle changes from the normal position in the downward-forward direction, the contact area between the seat cushion and the user's thigh, particularly the front side, decreases. Therefore, the output of the seat heater can be stopped, and power consumption of the portion that does not contribute to heating the thigh can be suppressed.

[0020] Further, in the above aspect, a suspension groove extending in the left-right direction is provided at an intermediate position in the front-rear direction of the seat cushion, and notches (202) and / or openings (203) are provided in a portion of the seat heater corresponding to the suspension groove, and the front portion and the rear portion may be separated from each other at a portion corresponding to the notches and / or openings.

[0021] According to this aspect, since the portion of the seat heater corresponding to the suspension groove is not a portion effective for heating the user, by using the portion to partition the front portion and the rear portion, an efficient arrangement of the heating wires becomes possible.

[0022] Further, in the above aspect, the seat heater preferably has two circuits (201A, 201B) provided such that they can be individually driven for each of the front portion and the rear portion.

[0023] According to this aspect, it is possible to surely execute individually changing the output of the seat heater at the front portion and the rear portion, and reducing power consumption. The contact state between the user and the front portion of the seat cushion varies greatly depending on the seat surface angle. On the other hand, the change in the contact state between the user and the rear portion of the seat cushion due to the seat surface angle is less than that of the front portion. Therefore, by making the front portion and the rear portion of the seat cushion individually operable, it is possible to change the output of the seat heater according to the contact state between the user and the seat cushion, and suppress power consumption.

[0024] Further, in the above aspect, the seat heater may be configured to generate an output selected by a selection switch, and the front portion of the seat heater may generate an output that is a value obtained by multiplying the selected output by a predetermined coefficient smaller than 1.

[0025] According to this aspect, the configuration for adjusting the output of the front portion of the seat heater can be simplified.

Effect of the Invention

[0026] In order to solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention is a vehicle seat (1) provided on a floor (3) of a vehicle, having a seat cushion (4) that supports a user's buttocks from below, and a seat surface angle (θ) that is an angle formed by the floor surface of the vehicle and the seating surface (S) of the seat cushion is changed in the forward upward direction and the forward downward direction from the normal position. A seat surface angle changing device (11) for changing, a seat heater (39) provided on the seat cushion, and a control device (16) for controlling the operation of the seat heater, wherein the control device changes the output of the seat heater according to the seat surface angle.

[0027] According to this aspect, the output of the seat heater is adjusted according to the seat surface angle. Thereby, it is possible to provide a vehicle seat capable of reducing power consumption.

[0028] Further, in the above aspect, when the seat surface angle is in a forward-rising state exceeding a predetermined angle, the output of the seat heater may be decreased compared to the case where the seat surface angle is within the predetermined angle.

[0029] According to this aspect, when the seat surface angle is in a forward-rising state, the output of the seat heater can be decreased to reduce power consumption. When the seat surface angle changes from the normal position in the forward-rising direction, the user's thighs come into closer contact with the seat cushion. Therefore, even if the output of the seat heater is decreased, unnecessary power consumption can be suppressed without sacrificing warmth.

[0030] Further, in the above aspect, when the seat surface angle is in a forward-dropping state exceeding a predetermined angle, the output of the seat heater may be stopped.

[0031] According to this aspect, when the seat surface angle is in a forward-dropping state, the output of the seat heater can be stopped to reduce power consumption. When the seat surface angle changes from the normal position in the forward-dropping direction, the contact area between the seat cushion and the user's thighs decreases. Therefore, the output of the seat heater can be stopped to suppress power consumption in the part that does not contribute to warming the thighs.

[0032] Further, in the above aspect, the seat heater includes a separately controllable front portion (39A) and rear portion (39B), and when the seat surface angle is in a forward-rising state exceeding a predetermined angle, the output of the front portion of the seat heater may be decreased compared to the rear portion.

[0033] According to this aspect, when the seat surface angle is in a forward-rising state, the output of the seat heater can be decreased to reduce power consumption. When the seat surface angle changes from the normal position in the forward-rising direction, the user's thighs, especially the front side, come into closer contact with the seat cushion. Therefore, even if the output of the seat heater is decreased, unnecessary power consumption can be suppressed without sacrificing warmth.

[0034] Further, in the above aspect, the seat heater includes a separately controllable front portion and rear portion, and when the seat surface angle is in a front-up state exceeding a predetermined angle, the output of the front portion of the seat heater may be stopped.

[0035] According to this aspect, when the seat surface angle is in the front-up state, the output of the seat heater can be stopped to reduce power consumption. When the seat surface angle changes from the normal position in the front-up direction, the user's thigh, especially the front side, adheres more closely to the seat cushion. Therefore, even if the output of the seat heater is stopped, unnecessary power consumption can be suppressed without sacrificing warmth.

[0036] Further, in the above aspect, the seat heater includes a separately controllable front portion and rear portion, and when the seat surface angle is in a front-down state exceeding a predetermined angle, the output of the front portion of the seat heater may be reduced compared to the rear portion.

[0037] According to this aspect, when the seat surface angle is in the front-down state, the output of the seat heater can be reduced to reduce power consumption. When the seat surface angle changes from the normal position in the front-down direction, the contact area between the seat cushion and the user's thigh, especially the front side, decreases. Therefore, the output of the seat heater can be reduced to suppress power consumption in the portion that does not contribute to warming the thigh.

[0038] Further, in the above aspect, the seat heater includes a separately controllable front portion and rear portion, and when the seat surface angle is in a front-down state exceeding a predetermined angle, the output of the front portion of the seat heater may be stopped.

[0039] According to this aspect, when the seat surface angle is in the front-down state, the output of the seat heater can be stopped to reduce power consumption. When the seat surface angle changes from the normal position in the front-down direction, the contact area between the seat cushion and the user's thigh, especially the front side, decreases. Therefore, the output of the seat heater can be stopped to suppress power consumption in the portion that does not contribute to warming the thigh.

[0040] Further, in the above aspect, a suspension groove extending in the left - right direction is provided at an intermediate position in the front - rear direction of the seat cushion, and a notch (202) and / or an opening (203) are provided in a portion of the seat heater corresponding to the suspension groove, and the front - side portion and the rear - side portion are partitioned from each other at a portion corresponding to the notch and / or the opening.

[0041] According to this aspect, since the portion of the seat heater corresponding to the suspension groove is not an effective portion for heating the user, by using the same portion to partition the front - side portion and the rear - side portion, an efficient arrangement of the heating wires becomes possible.

[0042] Further, in the above aspect, it is preferable that the seat heater has two circuits (201A, 201B) that are individually drivable in each of the front - side portion and the rear - side portion.

[0043] According to this aspect, it is possible to surely change the output of the seat heater individually in the front - side portion and the rear - side portion and reduce power consumption. The contact state between the user and the front - side portion of the seat cushion varies greatly depending on the seat surface angle. On the other hand, the change in the contact state between the user and the rear - side portion of the seat cushion due to the seat surface angle is less than that of the front - side portion. Therefore, by making the front - side portion and the rear - side portion of the seat cushion individually operable, it is possible to change the output of the seat heater according to the contact state between the user and the seat cushion and suppress power consumption.

[0044] Further, in the above aspect, the seat heater is configured to be able to generate an output selected by a selection switch, and the front - side portion of the seat heater is preferably configured to generate an output having a value obtained by multiplying the selected output by a predetermined coefficient less than 1.

[0045] According to this aspect, the configuration for adjusting the output of the front - side portion of the seat heater can be simplified.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0046]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0047] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, the vehicle seat 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 shows a deformed state of the vehicle seat 1, FIG. 2 shows the configuration of a vehicle V equipped with 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 around 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 its vicinity, the front end of the seat cushion 4 is tiltably connected around a tilting axis Y1 in the width direction of the seat. A seat surface angle changing actuator 10 that can expand and contract in its extending direction is 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 so as to be rotatable around 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] The angle that varies around 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 the seat surface angle θ (thigh angle). The support member 9 and the seat surface angle changing actuator 10 constitute the 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 sitting, 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, the support member 9 of the seat surface angle changing actuator 10, and the two rotatable connection points to the seat cushion 4 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 around 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 more in-vehicle cameras 18 that image the inside 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 in 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. A seat belt reminder (SBR) system that issues an alarm when the user is sitting on the vehicle seat 1 but not wearing the seat belt is adopted, and a seating determination using the seating sensor 20 is performed to determine whether an alarm is necessary, etc.

[0057] The biological sensor 21 may be a heart rate sensor, a respiration sensor, a pressure sensor, or an electroencephalogram sensor. The heart rate sensor is provided on the front surface of the seat back 5, and preferably, is disposed at a position corresponding to the user's heart. The heart rate sensor is a sensor that detects the user's heart rate. The heart rate sensor may be based on any of a touch type, an optical type, and 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 respiratory movement. The respiration sensor may be based on a type that provides two sheet-like electrodes along the front surface of the seat back 5 and detects the variation in the capacitance between the electrodes due to the movement of the human chest. 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 from the user to them, 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 change 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, road markings drawn on the road, etc. 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, rear glass, or 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 an input operation 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) etc., 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 device to be controlled 17 so that signals can be transmitted and received by a signal line or wirelessly. The control device 16 and the device to be controlled 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 device to be controlled 17.

[0065] The device to be controlled 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 detection 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 also calculate the seat surface angle θ from the control history of the seat surface angle change actuator 10.

[0067] The user can change the seat surface angle θ by operating the input / output device 14. 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 around 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 cushion 4 and the lower end of the seat back 5.

[0069] Fig. 4 is a top view of the seat cushion 4, in which the contour of the seat heater 39 is shown by a dashed line. A plurality of hanging grooves extending in the left-right direction are formed at an intermediate position in the front-rear direction on the upper surface of the seat cushion 4.

[0070] The seat heater 39 is disposed between the upper surface of a pad (not shown) and a skin material (not shown). The seat heater 39 has a sheet-like base material 200 and heater wires 201 provided on the base material 200. The base material 200 is formed of a stretchable sheet-like member such as a non-woven fabric or a woven fabric. The heater wires 201 are bonded to the surface of the base material 200 by adhesion or the like.

[0071] The seat heater 39 is provided with notches 202 extending in the left - right direction at the left and right edge portions approximately at the middle position in the front - rear direction. An opening 203 is provided in the region between the inner ends of both notches 202. These notches 202 and the opening 203 are provided to form a suspension portion by allowing a suspension member (not shown) for suspending the skin material to pass through a wire (not shown) embedded in the pad. The seat heater 39 is divided into a front portion 39A and a rear portion 39B with a straight line C extending in the left - right direction corresponding to these notches 202 and the opening 203 as a boundary.

[0072] FIG. 5 shows a developed view of the seat heater 39. The heater wire 201 has a front - side heater wire 201A located within the front portion 39A and a rear - side heater wire 201B located within the rear portion 39B. The front - side heater wire 201A and the rear - side heater wire 201B extend in a meandering manner within the front portion 39A and the rear portion 39B, respectively. The terminals of the rear - side heater wire 201B are connected to a first terminal 211 and a second terminal 212 provided at the rear edge portion of the seat heater 39. One of the terminals of the front - side heater wire 201A is connected to a third terminal 213 provided at the rear edge portion of the seat heater 39 by passing straight through the boundary portion between the front portion 39A and the rear portion 39B and the rear portion 39B. The other is connected to the second terminal 212 by passing through the boundary portion between the front portion 39A and the rear portion 39B as well.

[0073] These terminals are connected to the control device 16 via a harness. The heater wire 201 is a heating wire that generates heat when energized, and its output (heat output) changes according to the amount of energization. The seat heater 39 is one of the controlled devices 17 and is energization - controlled by the control device 16. In particular, the front portion 39A and the rear portion 39B of the seat heater 39 can be energized individually.

[0074] Let the seat surface angle θ in the normal position be the initial angle θ0. The normal position is a state where the seat cushion 4 is slightly raised forward as shown in FIG. 1(B). The normal position is the initial setting at the time of shipment or is set by the user.

[0075] The output of the seat heater 39 is changed by the control device 16 based on the output information of the selection switch and the seat surface angle θ. The selection switch can adjust the output of the seat heater 39 in two levels of strong and weak, and the change of the selection switch can be performed automatically or manually by the user. When the user manually changes the selection switch, it may be performed via the input / output device 14 such as the touch panel 26. The output information of the strong and weak of the selection switch is held by the control device 16. In this embodiment, the output of the seat heater 39 is assumed to be adjustable in two levels, but it may be adjustable in three or more levels or continuously.

[0076] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart (seat heater output change process) shown in FIG. 6. The control device 16 repeatedly executes the seat heater output change process shown in FIG. 6 for each predetermined control cycle.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 6, first, the seat surface angle sensor 22 detects the seat surface angle θ A (step ST1).

[0078] In the next step ST2, the control device 16 determines whether the initial angle θ0 - the seat surface angle θ A > the angle threshold D1. When the seat surface angle θ A has a larger angle difference than the angle threshold D1 with respect to the initial angle θ0 and is in a forward-down state, this determination result is Yes, and the process proceeds to step ST3. In step ST3, the output of the front portion 39A of the seat heater 39 is stopped, and this routine ends. When the seat cushion 4 is in a forward-down state to a certain extent, the user's thigh, especially the front portion, is separated from the seat cushion 4. Therefore, the front portion 39A becomes a portion that does not contribute to heating the user's thigh. In such a case, the control device 16 stops the energization of the front portion 39A to suppress power consumption. In another embodiment, in such a case, the same effect can be achieved by reducing the energization amount of the front portion 39A below the normal value.

[0079] In step ST2, the initial angle θ0 - the seat surface angle θ A>If it is not the angle threshold D1, this determination result is No, and the process proceeds to step ST4. In step ST4, the control device 16 determines whether the seat surface angle θ A - the initial angle θ0> is greater than the angle threshold D2. When the seat surface angle θ A has a front-up state with an angle difference greater than the angle threshold D2 with respect to the initial angle θ0, this determination result is Yes, and the process proceeds to step ST5, where the output of the front portion 39A of the seat heater 39 is decreased, and this routine ends. When the seat surface angle θ A is in a front-up state to a certain extent, the user's thigh is pressed relatively strongly against the seat cushion 4. Therefore, if the energization amount of the front portion 39A is the same as the normal value, there is a risk that the user's thigh will be overheated and the comfort of the user will be impaired. In such a case, by reducing the energization amount of the front portion 39A, power consumption can be suppressed and the comfort of the user can be improved. In this case, the control device 16 may set the energization amount to an amount obtained by multiplying the energization amount based on the output information by a predetermined coefficient (less than 1) regardless of whether the output information is strong or weak. In another embodiment, in such a case, the same effect can be achieved by stopping the energization of the front portion 39A.

[0080] In step ST4, when the seat surface angle θ A has a front-up state with an angle difference smaller than the angle threshold D2 with respect to the initial angle θ0, this determination result is No, the output of the front portion 39A of the seat heater 39 is not changed, and this routine ends.

[0081] Note that in this embodiment, the seat heater 39 is divided into a front portion 39A and a rear portion 39B with a straight line C extending in the left-right direction corresponding to the notch 202 and the opening 203 as a boundary, but it is not limited to this, and it may be divided at any position. Furthermore, it may be divided into three or more portions and each may be energized individually.

[0082] Also, in this embodiment, the front portion 39A and the rear portion 39B of the seat heater 39 are formed from a single continuous member, but they may be formed from a plurality of separate members.

[0083] In addition, in the present embodiment, the energization amount of the front portion 39A is changed. However, the seat heater 39 is not divided into the front portion 39A and the rear portion 39B. When the seat cushion 4 is in a forwardly rising state and / or a forwardly lowering state exceeding a predetermined angle, the energization amount of the entire seat heater 39 may be changed. The vehicle seat 1 may be installed in a vehicle other than an automobile.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0084] 1: Vehicle seat 3: Floor 4: Seat cushion 11: Seat surface angle changing device 16: Control device 39: Seat heater 39A: Front portion 39B: Rear portion 201A: Front heater wire 201B: Rear heater wire 202: Notch 203: Opening S: Sitting surface θ: Seat surface angle

Claims

1. A vehicle seat having a seat cushion that supports a user's buttocks from below and is 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 seat heater provided in the seat cushion; A control device for controlling the operation of the seat heater, The control device changes the output of the seat heater in accordance with the seat angle.

2. 2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein when the seat surface angle exceeds a predetermined angle and is in a raised front state, the output of the seat heater is reduced compared to when the seat surface angle is within the predetermined angle.

3. 2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein when the seat surface angle is in a forward downward position exceeding a predetermined angle, output of the seat heater is stopped.

4. 2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the seat heater includes a front portion and a rear portion that are separately controllable, and when the seat surface angle is in a front-up state exceeding a predetermined angle, the output of the front portion of the seat heater is reduced compared to the output of the rear portion.

5. 2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the seat heater includes a front portion and a rear portion that are separately controllable, and when the seat surface angle is in a front-up state exceeding a predetermined angle, the output of the front portion of the seat heater is stopped.

6. 2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the seat heater includes a front portion and a rear portion that are separately controllable, and when the seat surface angle is in a forward-sloping state exceeding a predetermined angle, the output of the front portion of the seat heater is reduced compared to the output of the rear portion.

7. 2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the seat heater includes a front portion and a rear portion that are separately controllable, and when the seat surface angle is in a forward-sloping state exceeding a predetermined angle, the output of the front portion of the seat heater is stopped.

8. 2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein a hanging groove extending in the left-right direction is provided at a midpoint in the front-to-rear direction of the seat cushion, a notch and / or an opening is provided in a portion of the seat heater corresponding to the hanging groove, and a front portion and a rear portion are separated from each other at the portion corresponding to the notch and / or opening.

9. 2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the seat heater has two circuits provided in the front and rear portions, respectively, so as to be independently drivable from each other.

10. 3. The vehicle seat according to claim 2, wherein the seat heater is configured to be capable of generating an output selected by a selection switch, and the output is realized by a front portion of the seat heater generating an output whose value is the selected output multiplied by a predetermined coefficient smaller than 1.

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