Vehicle seat resin cover, seat adjustment mechanism control knob and vehicle seat

Abstract

To prevent occurrence of noise and wear powders due to contact between a vehicle seat resin cover and a seat adjustment mechanism control knob.SOLUTION: In a vehicle seat 10, a design surface of a left side part of a seat cushion 12 is formed by a hinge cover 20 having a resin cover body 22. On the cover body 22, a contact rib 26 is formed. A lifter knob 30 having a resin knob body 32 is attached to a lifter lever 34 of a lifter mechanism provided on the seat cushion 12. A tip of the contact rib 26 and a part of the knob body 32 facing the contact rib 26 are provided with rubber-like portions 40, 42 configured from a rubber-like material.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat, and more particularly to a resin cover and an operation knob of a seat adjustment mechanism.

Background Art

[0002] In the vehicle seat disclosed in Patent Document 1 below, the frame of the seat cushion is covered from the outside in the seat width direction by a resin seat cushion frame cover (resin cover). On the outside in the seat width direction of this resin cover, a resin operation knob attached to the operation lever of the seat height adjustment mechanism (lifter mechanism) is arranged.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above configuration, the operation knob and the resin cover may come into contact with each other due to vibrations during vehicle travel, generating abnormal noises. In addition, when the operation knob comes into contact with the resin cover during operation, the resin cover may be scraped, resulting in scrapings.

[0005] In consideration of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to obtain a resin cover for a vehicle seat, an operation knob of a seat adjustment mechanism, and a vehicle seat that can prevent or suppress the generation of abnormal noises and scrapings due to contact between the resin cover of the vehicle seat and the operation knob of the seat adjustment mechanism.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The resin cover of the vehicle seat according to the first aspect forms the design surface of the vehicle seat, and includes a resin cover body having an abutting rib formed at a position facing an operation knob attached to an operation lever of a seat adjustment mechanism provided on the vehicle seat, and a rubber-like portion formed of a rubber-like material and provided at the tip of the abutting rib.

[0007] In the resin cover of the vehicle seat according to the first aspect, the resin cover body that forms the design surface of the vehicle seat has an abutting rib formed at a position facing an operation knob attached to an operation lever of a seat adjustment mechanism provided on the vehicle seat. A rubber-like portion formed of a rubber-like material is provided at the tip of this abutting rib. Thereby, it is possible to prevent or suppress the generation of abnormal noise and shaving dust due to the contact between the present resin cover and the operation knob.

[0008] The resin cover of the vehicle seat according to the second aspect is, in the first aspect, the rubber-like portion is provided at the tip of the abutting rib by two-color molding with the cover body.

[0009] In the resin cover of the vehicle seat according to the second aspect, since it is configured as described above, the manufacturing becomes easy.

[0010] The operation knob of the seat adjustment device according to the third aspect is attached to an operation lever of a seat adjustment mechanism provided on the vehicle seat, and includes a resin knob body facing an abutting rib formed on a resin cover that forms the design surface of the vehicle seat, and a rubber-like portion formed of a rubber-like material and provided at a position facing the abutting rib on the knob body.

[0011] In the operation knob of the seat adjustment device according to the third aspect, the resin knob body attached to the operation lever of the seat adjustment mechanism provided on the vehicle seat faces the contact rib formed on the resin cover that forms the design surface of the vehicle seat. At the location on this knob body that faces the contact rib, a rubber-like portion made of a rubber-like material is provided. Thereby, it is possible to prevent or suppress the generation of abnormal noises and shaving dust due to the contact between this operation knob and the resin cover.

[0012] In the operation knob of the seat adjustment device according to the fourth aspect, in the third aspect, the rubber-like portion is provided at this location by two-color molding with the knob body.

[0013] In the operation knob of the seat adjustment device according to the fourth aspect, since it is configured as described above, the manufacturing becomes easy.

[0014] The vehicle seat according to the fifth aspect has a seat cushion on which an occupant sits, a seat back that supports the back of the occupant, and a resin cover body. The resin cover forms the design surface of the seat cushion or the seat back, and has contact ribs formed on the cover body. It also has a resin knob body attached to the operation lever of the seat adjustment mechanism provided on the seat cushion or the seat back. The knob body faces the contact rib, and is provided with a rubber-like portion composed of a rubber-like material and provided at least on one of the tip of the contact rib and the location on the knob body that faces the contact rib.

[0015] In the vehicle seat according to the fifth aspect, the back of the occupant sitting on the seat cushion is supported by the seat back. The design surface of the seat cushion or the seat back is formed by a resin cover having a resin cover body. A contact rib is formed on the cover body. An operation knob having a resin knob body is attached to the operation lever of the seat adjustment mechanism provided on the seat cushion or the seat back. The knob body faces the above-mentioned contact rib. A rubber-like portion made of a rubber-like material is provided on at least one of the tip of the contact rib and the portion of the knob body facing the contact rib. Thereby, it is possible to prevent or suppress the generation of abnormal noise and shaving powder due to the contact between the resin cover and the operation knob.

Effect of the Invention

[0016] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent or suppress the generation of abnormal noise and shaving powder due to the contact between the resin cover of the vehicle seat and the operation knob of the seat adjustment mechanism.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, a vehicle seat 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. In each figure, some reference numerals may be omitted for ease of viewing the drawings. Further, the arrows FR, UP, and OUT appropriately shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 indicate the front, upper, and outer sides in the width direction of the vehicle seat 10, respectively. Hereinafter, when simply describing using the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions, it shall indicate the front-rear direction, left-right direction (width direction), and up-down direction of the vehicle seat 10.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle seat 10 according to the present embodiment includes a seat cushion 12 on which an occupant sits and a seat back 14 that supports the occupant's back. This vehicle seat 10 is, for example, the driver's seat of a so-called left-hand drive vehicle and is arranged on the left side at the front of the vehicle cabin. The front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions of this vehicle seat 10 coincide with the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions of the vehicle.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a hinge cover 20 is provided on the left side portion of the seat cushion 12. This hinge cover 20 corresponds to the "resin cover" in the present invention. This hinge cover 20 is also referred to as an outer cover, side finisher, etc., and forms the design surface of the left side portion of the seat cushion 12. This hinge cover 20 has a resin cover body 22.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cover body 22 is composed of a main cover 22A and a sub-cover 22B attached to the main cover 22A. The main cover 22A and the sub-cover 22B are manufactured, for example, by injection molding. The main cover 22A is formed in a long shape with the longitudinal direction in the front-rear direction. The length dimension of the main cover 22A in the front-rear direction is set to be slightly shorter than the length dimension of the seat cushion 12 in the front-rear direction. Although not shown, a reclining lever for operating the reclining mechanism of the vehicle seat 10 is provided at the rear portion of the main cover 22A.

[0022] An opening 24 is formed in the middle part of the main cover 22A in the front-rear direction. A sub-cover 22B is fitted into this opening 24. The sub-cover 22B is fixed to the main cover 22A by means such as claw fitting. The main cover 22A widens stepwise to the left side at the rear side of the sub-cover 22B. A lever insertion port 24A is formed in this stepped part. This lever insertion port 24A is constituted by a part of the above-mentioned opening 24 and opens toward the front side.

[0023] On the front side and the lower side of the sub-cover 22B, two front and rear abutting ribs 26 protruding to the left side are formed on the main cover 22A. An abutting rib 26 protruding to the left side is formed on the sub-cover 22B above the rear abutting rib 26 of the main cover 22A. These abutting ribs 26 are formed in a long shape with a longitudinal direction substantially in the vertical direction.

[0024] On the left side (outer side in the seat width direction) of the plurality of the above-mentioned abutting ribs 26, a lifter knob 30 for operating a lifter mechanism (not shown) of the vehicle seat 10 is arranged. The lifter knob 30 has a knob body 32 made of resin. The knob body 32 is manufactured by, for example, injection molding and has a long shape with a longitudinal direction in the front-rear direction. This knob body 32 is attached to a lifter lever 34 (see FIG. 4) provided in the lifter mechanism. The lifter mechanism corresponds to the "seat adjustment mechanism" in the present invention, the lifter lever 34 corresponds to the "operation lever" in the present invention, and the lifter knob 30 corresponds to the "operation knob" in the present invention.

[0025] The lifter lever 34 is, for example, manufactured by press-forming a sheet metal, and has a long plate shape with the longitudinal direction being the front-rear direction and the thickness direction being the left-right direction. The middle portion of the lifter lever 34 in the front-rear direction is inserted into a lever insertion port 24A formed in the hinge cover 20. The rear portion side (the portion on the rear side of the seat) of the lifter lever 34 is disposed inside the hinge cover 20. Inside the hinge cover 20, a lifter mechanism is disposed, and a connecting portion 34A provided at the rear end portion of the lifter lever 34 is connected to the lifter mechanism by means such as bolt fastening. The lifter mechanism is fixed to the frame 16 (see FIG. 2) of the seat cushion 12.

[0026] The above-described lifter mechanism constitutes a main body portion of a lifter device including a plurality of lifter links (not shown) that connect the seat slide rail 18 attached to the floor portion of the vehicle body and the above-described frame 16. In this lifter device, when an occupant seated on the vehicle seat 10 operates the lifter knob 30 up and down to rotate the lifter lever 34 up and down, an output shaft (not shown) provided in the lifter mechanism rotates. A pinion fixed to this output shaft meshes with a sector gear provided on one of the plurality of lifter links, and the plurality of lifter links rotate by the rotation of the output shaft. Thereby, the seat cushion 12 is configured to move up and down.

[0027] The front portion side (the portion on the front side of the seat) of the lifter lever 34 is disposed outside the hinge cover 20 and is fitted inside the knob main body 32 of the lifter knob 30. The knob main body 32 is set to have a larger dimension in the up-down direction than in the left-right direction, and the dimension in the up-down direction becomes smaller toward the front side. At the rear end portion of the knob main body 32, an insertion port 36 of the lifter lever 34 is formed. The front portion side of the lifter lever 34 is inserted into the inside of the knob main body 32 through this insertion port 36.

[0028] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, on the front side of the knob body 32, a locking claw 38 that can be elastically deformed is provided. This locking claw 38 is formed on the wall portion on the right side (inner side in the seat width direction) of the knob body 32. On the front side of the lifter lever 34 inserted inside the knob body 32, a locking hole (not shown) into which the above-mentioned locking claw 38 is inserted is formed. By this insertion, the knob body 32 is locked to the lifter lever 34.

[0029] The right surface (inner surface in the seat width direction) 32A of the knob body 32 is formed in a planar shape and faces the plurality of contact ribs 26 of the hinge cover 20 described above with a slight gap from the left side (outer side in the seat width direction). As shown in FIG. 2, rubber-like portions 40 and 42 are integrally provided at the tip portions (ends on the outer side in the seat width direction) of the plurality of contact ribs 26 and on the right surface 32A of the knob body 32, respectively.

[0030] The rubber-like portions 40 and 42 are made of a rubber-like material (here, a thermoplastic elastomer) and are provided in a thin-walled manner at the tip portions of the respective contact ribs 26 and on the right surface 32A of the knob body 32. The rubber-like portion 40 is provided at the tip portion of each contact rib 26 by two-color molding with the main cover 22A and the sub-cover 22B, and the rubber-like portion 42 is provided on the right surface 32A of the knob body 32 by two-color molding with the knob body 32.

[0031] In the vehicle seat 10 having the above configuration, the back of the occupant sitting on the seat cushion 12 is supported by the seat back 14. The design surface on the left side of the seat cushion 12 is formed by the hinge cover 20 having a resin cover body 22. A plurality of contact ribs 26 are formed on the cover body 22. A lifter knob 30 having a resin knob body 32 is attached to the lifter lever 34 of the lifter mechanism provided on the seat cushion 12. The knob body 32 faces the plurality of contact ribs 26.

[0032] The tip portions of the plurality of abutting ribs 26 and the right surface 32A of the knob body 32 (i.e., the portion facing the plurality of abutting ribs 26) are provided with rubber-like portions 40, 42 made of a rubber-like material. Thereby, even when the hinge cover 20 and the lifter knob 30 come into contact with each other due to vibrations during vehicle travel, the generation of abnormal noises can be prevented or effectively suppressed. Also, even when the lifter knob 30 comes into contact with the hinge cover 20 during operation, it is possible to prevent or effectively suppress the hinge cover 20 from being scraped and the generation of scrapings.

[0033] In addition, in the present embodiment, the rubber-like portion 40 is provided at the tip portions of the plurality of abutting ribs 26 by two-color molding with the main cover 22A and the sub-cover 22B, and the rubber-like portion 42 is provided on the right surface 32A of the knob body 32 by two-color molding with the knob body 32. Thereby, the production of the hinge cover 20 and the lifter knob 30 provided with the rubber-like portions 40, 42 becomes easy.

[0034] Note that in the above embodiment, the materials of the rubber-like portions 40, 42 are made of thermoplastic elastomers, but the present invention is not limited to this. The materials of the rubber-like portions may be rubber or a material having elasticity like rubber.

[0035] Also, in the above embodiment, the rubber-like portions 40, 42 are provided on the cover body 22 and the knob body 32 by two-color molding, but the present invention is not limited to this. The rubber-like portions 40, 42 may be formed separately from the cover body 22 and the knob body 32 and attached to the cover body 22 and the knob body 32 by means such as adhesion.

[0036] Also, in the above embodiment, the rubber-like portions 40, 42 are provided on both the tip portions of the respective abutting ribs 26 of the cover body 22 and the knob body 32, but the present invention is not limited to this. The rubber-like portions 40, 42 may be provided only on either one of them.

[0037] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the lifter mechanism is the "seat adjustment mechanism" in the present invention has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The "seat adjustment mechanism" in the present invention may be a reclining mechanism, a tilt mechanism, a lumbar support mechanism, or the like.

[0038] In addition, the present invention can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the gist thereof. Of course, the scope of rights of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0039] 10 Vehicle seat 12 Seat cushion 14 Seat back 20 Hinge cover (resin cover) 22 Cover body 26 Contact rib 30 Lifter knob (operation knob) 32 Knob body 32A Right surface (portion facing the contact rib) 34 Lifter lever (operation lever) 40, 42 Rubber-like portions

Claims

1. A resin cover body that forms a design surface of a vehicle seat and has a contact rib formed at a position facing an operation knob attached to an operation lever of a seat adjustment mechanism provided on the vehicle seat, A rubber-like portion provided at a tip of the contact rib and composed of a rubber-like material, A resin cover for a vehicle seat including the above.

2. The resin cover for a vehicle seat according to Claim 1, wherein the rubber-like portion is provided at the tip of the contact rib by two-color molding with the cover body.

3. A resin knob body attached to an operation lever of a seat adjustment mechanism provided on a vehicle seat and facing a contact rib formed on a resin cover that forms a design surface of the vehicle seat, A rubber-like portion provided at a position facing the contact rib on the knob body and composed of a rubber-like material, An operation knob of a seat adjustment mechanism including the above.

4. The operation knob of the seat adjustment device according to Claim 3, wherein the rubber-like portion is provided at the position by two-color molding with the knob body.

5. A seat cushion on which an occupant sits, A seat back that supports the occupant's back, A resin cover body that has a resin cover that forms a design surface of the seat cushion or the seat back and has a contact rib formed on the cover body, An operation knob that has a resin knob body, is attached to an operation lever of a seat adjustment mechanism provided on the seat cushion or the seat back, and the knob body faces the contact rib, A rubber-like portion provided at at least one of a tip of the contact rib and a position on the knob body facing the contact rib and composed of a rubber-like material, A vehicle seat including the above.

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