Vehicle seat
The vehicle seat's optimized hip and neck angles improve comfort consistency across different sitting postures by ensuring uniform support, addressing the issue of posture-dependent discomfort.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024007318
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-01-22
- Publication Date
- 2025-08-01
AI Technical Summary
Vehicle seats often provide different levels of comfort based on the seated person's posture, leading to discomfort when transitioning between postures.
A vehicle seat design with specific angles for the hip and neck support surfaces, including a hip angle of 93° to 101° and a neck angle of 17.4° to 24.2°, optimizing comfort across various sitting postures.
The designed seat reduces the variability in comfort experienced by individuals regardless of their posture, enhancing overall sitting comfort.
Smart Images
Figure 2025112823000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle seat mounted on a vehicle.
Background Art
[0002] Patent Document 1 describes that the seating pressure distribution when a seated person feels comfortable changes depending on the difference in the posture of the seated person sitting on the vehicle seat (for example, a standard posture, a hunched posture, and a swayback posture).
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] There has been a problem that a vehicle seat that allows seating for a seated person in a first posture (for example, a standard posture) may become a vehicle seat that does not allow seating for a seated person in a second posture different from the first posture (for example, a hunched posture or a swayback posture).
[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to reduce the difference in sitting comfort depending on the posture of the seated person.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle seat (1) mounted on a vehicle, comprising a seat cushion (3) and a seat back (5). The seat cushion (3) includes, in order from the rear side along the front-rear direction of the vehicle, a hip support seat surface (11) that supports the hip of a seated person sitting on the vehicle seat (1) from below, and a thigh support seat surface (12) that supports the thigh of the seated person from below.
[0007] The seat back (5) includes a lumbar support surface (31) that supports the lumbar region of the seated person and a chest support surface (32) that supports the chest of the seated person in order from the lower side along the vertical direction of the vehicle. The seat cushion (3) and the seat back (5) are arranged such that the hip angle (θ1), which is the angle formed by the hip support seating surface (11) and the lumbar support surface (31), is 93° to 101°.
[0008] The seat back is formed such that the neck angle (θ2), which is the angle formed by the lumbar support surface (31) and the chest support surface (32), is 17.4° to 24.2°. In the vehicle seat (1) of the present disclosure configured as described above, regardless of the posture of the seated person, there are more seated persons who feel that they can be seated, so it is possible to reduce the difference in sitting comfort due to the posture of the seated person.
[0009] In one aspect of the present disclosure, the hip angle (θ1) may be 97° and the neck angle (θ2) may be 20.8°. In the vehicle seat (1) of the present disclosure configured as described above, it is possible to further reduce the difference in sitting comfort due to the posture of the seated person.
[0010] Note that the reference numerals in each of the above parentheses are an example showing the correspondence with the specific configuration and the like described in the embodiments described later, and the present disclosure is not limited to the specific configuration and the like indicated by the reference numerals in the above parentheses.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0011]
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. [1. First Embodiment] [1-1. Configuration of Vehicle Seat] The vehicle seat 1 of the present embodiment is mounted on a vehicle and includes a seat cushion 3 and a seat back 5 as shown in FIG. 1. The seat cushion 3 is a part for supporting the buttocks of the seated person. The seat back 5 is a part for supporting the back of the seated person.
[0013] The vehicle seat 1 of the present embodiment is used as a seat of a passenger car. In the following description and in each drawing, the directions are those in a state where the vehicle seat 1 is assembled to a vehicle (that is, a passenger car). In the present embodiment, the seat width direction coincides with the left-right direction of the vehicle, and the front of the seat coincides with the front of the vehicle.
[0014] The seat cushion 3 includes, in order from the rear side along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, a hip support seat surface 11 that mainly supports the buttocks of the seated person from below, and a thigh support seat surface 12 that mainly supports the thighs of the seated person from below.
[0015] The seat back 5 includes, in order from the lower side along the vertical direction of the vehicle, a lumbar support surface 31 that mainly supports the lumbar region of the seated person, and a chest support surface 32 that mainly supports the chest of the seated person. As shown in FIG. 2, the hip angle θ1 of the vehicle seat 1 is the angle formed by the hip support seat surface 11 and the lumbar support surface 31. The neck angle θ2 of the vehicle seat 1 is the angle formed by the lumbar support surface 31 and the chest support surface 32.
[0016] In the vehicle seat 1 of the present embodiment, the height difference between the heel point P1 and the hip point P2 (hereinafter, the heel-hip height difference DH) is 200 mm to 360 mm. The heel point P1 is the position where the heel of the seated person contacts the floor of the vehicle. The hip point P2 is the outermost part of the thigh bone of the seated person.
[0017] [1-2. Seated posture sensory test] The applicant of the present application conducted a sensory test in which 350 employees belonging to the applicant of the present application were used as subjects, and each subject sat on each of the first vehicle seat, the second vehicle seat, the third vehicle seat, the fourth vehicle seat, the fifth vehicle seat, the sixth vehicle seat, the seventh vehicle seat, the eighth vehicle seat, and the ninth vehicle seat with different sitting postures, and selected the most comfortable vehicle seat. The 350 employees include employees from Japan, the United States of America, Europe, and Thailand.
[0018] The first vehicle seat has a hip angle θ1 set at 89° and a neck angle θ2 set at 27.6°. The first vehicle seat corresponds to a hunched sitting posture.
[0019] The second vehicle seat has a hip angle θ1 set at 105° and a neck angle θ2 set at 14.0°. The second vehicle seat corresponds to a kyphotic sitting posture.
[0020] The third vehicle seat has a hip angle θ1 set at 89° and a neck angle θ2 set at 14.0°. The third vehicle seat corresponds to a forward-leaning sitting posture. The fourth vehicle seat has a hip angle θ1 set at 105° and a neck angle θ2 set at 27.6°. The fourth vehicle seat corresponds to a reclined sitting posture.
[0021] The fifth vehicle seat has a hip angle θ1 set at 97° and a neck angle θ2 set at 20.8°. The fifth vehicle seat corresponds to a central sitting posture for all of hunched, kyphotic, forward-leaning, and reclined postures.
[0022] The sixth vehicle seat has a hip angle θ1 set at 93° and a neck angle θ2 set at 24.2°. The seat for the seventh vehicle has a hip angle θ1 set at 101° and a neck angle θ2 set at 17.4°.
[0023] The seat for the eighth vehicle has a hip angle θ1 set at 93° and a neck angle θ2 set at 17.4°. The seat for the ninth vehicle has a hip angle θ1 set at 101° and a neck angle θ2 set at 24.2°.
[0024] As shown in the bubble chart C1 of FIG. 3, the subjects who answered that the seat for the first vehicle was the most comfortable accounted for 7% of all the subjects. The subjects who answered that the seat for the second vehicle was the most comfortable accounted for 8% of all the subjects.
[0025] The subjects who answered that the seat for the third vehicle was the most comfortable accounted for 6% of all the subjects. The subjects who answered that the seat for the fourth vehicle was the most comfortable accounted for 12% of all the subjects.
[0026] The subjects who answered that the seat for the fifth vehicle was the most comfortable accounted for 23% of all the subjects. The subjects who answered that the seat for the sixth vehicle was the most comfortable accounted for 10% of all the subjects.
[0027] The subjects who answered that the seat for the seventh vehicle was the most comfortable accounted for 13% of all the subjects. The subjects who answered that the seat for the eighth vehicle was the most comfortable accounted for 7% of all the subjects.
[0028] The subjects who answered that the seat for the ninth vehicle was the most comfortable accounted for 13% of all the subjects. The graph G1 in FIG. 3 is a graph obtained by converting the distribution of the bubble chart C1 into the distribution of the hip angle θ1.
[0029] For each of the first vehicle seat and the third vehicle seat with a hip angle θ1 of 89°, the percentages of subjects who answered that the sitting comfort was the best were 7% and 6%, respectively. Therefore, the average when the hip angle θ1 is 89° is (7 + 6) / 2 = 6.5%.
[0030] For each of the sixth vehicle seat and the eighth vehicle seat with a hip angle θ1 of 93°, the percentages of subjects who answered that the sitting comfort was the best were 10% and 7%, respectively. Therefore, the average when the hip angle θ1 is 93° is (10 + 7) / 2 = 8.5%.
[0031] For the fifth vehicle seat with a hip angle θ1 of 97°, the percentage of subjects who answered that the sitting comfort was the best was 23%. Therefore, the average when the hip angle θ1 is 97° is 23%.
[0032] For each of the seventh vehicle seat and the ninth vehicle seat with a hip angle θ1 of 101°, the percentages of subjects who answered that the sitting comfort was the best were 13% and 13%, respectively. Therefore, the average when the hip angle θ1 is 101° is (13 + 13) / 2 = 13%.
[0033] For each of the second vehicle seat and the fourth vehicle seat with a hip angle θ1 of 105°, the percentages of subjects who answered that the sitting comfort was the best were 8% and 12%, respectively. Therefore, the average when the hip angle θ1 is 101° is (8 + 12) / 2 = 10%.
[0034] The total of the above five averages is (6.5 + 8.5 + 23 + 13 + 10) = 61%. Therefore, by multiplying each of the above five averages by (100 / 61) and calculating the percentages when the hip angles are 89°, 93°, 97°, 101°, and 105°, the graph G1 is obtained.
[0035] As shown in graph G1, when the hip angle θ1 changes from 89° to 93°, the increase rate of the percentage of subjects who answered that the sitting comfort is the best is small. Also, when the hip angle θ1 changes from 93° to 97°, the increase rate of the percentage of subjects who answered that the sitting comfort is the best is large.
[0036] Also, when the hip angle θ1 changes from 105° to 101°, the increase rate of the percentage of subjects who answered that the sitting comfort is the best is small. Also, when the hip angle θ1 changes from 101° to 97°, the increase rate of the percentage of subjects who answered that the sitting comfort is the best is large.
[0037] Therefore, when the hip angle θ1 is 93° - 101°, it is considered that the effect of reducing the difference in sitting comfort due to the posture of the seated person is large. The graph G2 in Figure 3 is a graph obtained by converting the distribution of the bubble chart C1 into the distribution of the neck angle θ2.
[0038] For the second vehicle seat and the third vehicle seat where the neck angle θ2 is 14.0°, the percentages of subjects who answered that the sitting comfort is the best are 8% and 6% respectively. Therefore, the average when the neck angle θ2 is 14.0° is (8 + 6) / 2 = 7%.
[0039] For the seventh vehicle seat and the eighth vehicle seat where the neck angle θ2 is 17.4°, the percentages of subjects who answered that the sitting comfort is the best are 13% and 7% respectively. Therefore, the average when the neck angle θ2 is 17.4° is (13 + 7) / 2 = 10%.
[0040] For the fifth vehicle seat where the neck angle θ2 is 20.8°, the percentage of subjects who answered that the sitting comfort is the best is 23%. Therefore, the average when the neck angle θ2 is 20.8° is 23%.
[0041] For each of the sixth vehicle seat and the ninth vehicle seat with a neck angle θ2 of 24.2°, the percentages of subjects who replied that the sitting comfort was the best were 10% and 13% respectively. Therefore, the average when the neck angle θ2 is 24.2° is (10 + 13) / 2 = 11.5%.
[0042] For each of the first vehicle seat and the fourth vehicle seat with a neck angle θ2 of 27.6°, the percentages of subjects who replied that the sitting comfort was the best were 7% and 12% respectively. Therefore, the average when the neck angle θ2 is 24.2° is (7 + 12) / 2 = 9.5%.
[0043] The total of the above five averages is (7 + 10 + 23 + 11.5 + 9.5) = 61%. Therefore, by multiplying each of the above five averages by (100 / 61) to calculate the percentages when the neck angle θ2 is 14.0°, 17.4°, 20.8°, 24.2°, 27.6°, the graph G2 is obtained.
[0044] As shown in the graph G2, when the neck angle θ2 changes from 14.0° to 17.4°, the increase rate of the percentage of subjects who replied that the sitting comfort was the best is small. Also, when the neck angle θ2 changes from 17.4° to 20.8°, the increase rate of the percentage of subjects who replied that the sitting comfort was the best is large.
[0045] Also, when the neck angle θ2 changes from 27.6° to 24.2°, the increase rate of the percentage of subjects who replied that the sitting comfort was the best is small. Also, when the neck angle θ2 changes from 24.2° to 20.8°, the increase rate of the percentage of subjects who replied that the sitting comfort was the best is large.
[0046] Therefore, when the neck angle θ2 is 17.4° - 24.2°, it is considered that the effect of reducing the difference in sitting comfort due to the posture of the seated person is large. The applicant of the present application conducted a sensory test in which 350 employees belonging to the applicant of the present application were used as subjects, and each subject was asked to answer whether they could tolerate sitting on each of the above-mentioned vehicle seats for the first vehicle, the second vehicle, the third vehicle, the fourth vehicle, and the fifth vehicle, which have different sitting postures from each other.
[0047] As shown in FIG. 4, for the vehicle seat for the first vehicle, 48% of all the subjects answered "acceptable". For the vehicle seat for the second vehicle, 61% of all the subjects answered "acceptable".
[0048] For the vehicle seat for the third vehicle, 41% of all the subjects answered "acceptable". For the vehicle seat for the fourth vehicle, 58% of all the subjects answered "acceptable". For the vehicle seat for the fifth vehicle, 85% of all the subjects answered "acceptable".
[0049] Note that the area of the circle formed by the broken line in FIG. 4 indicates 100%. And the circle formed by the solid line in FIG. 4 indicates the ratio to 100% according to the area of the circle. Therefore, when the hip angle θ1 is 97° and the neck angle θ2 is 20.8°, it is considered that the effect of reducing the difference in sitting comfort due to the posture of the seated person is large.
[0050] [1-3. Effect] According to the embodiments described in detail above, the following effects can be obtained. (1a) The vehicle seat 1 is formed such that the hip angle θ1 is 93° to 101° and the neck angle θ2 is 17.4° to 24.2°, so that the difference in sitting comfort due to the posture of the seated person can be reduced.
[0051] (1b) The vehicle seat 1 is formed such that the hip angle θ1 is 97° and the neck angle θ2 is 20.8°, so that the difference in sitting comfort due to the posture of the seated person can be further reduced.
[0052] [2. Other Embodiments] As described above, one embodiment of the present disclosure has been described. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment and can be implemented with various modifications.
[0053] (2a) A plurality of functions of one component in the above embodiment may be realized by a plurality of components, or one function of one component may be realized by a plurality of components. Further, a plurality of functions of a plurality of components may be realized by one component, or one function realized by a plurality of components may be realized by one component. Also, a part of the configuration of the above embodiment may be omitted. Further, at least a part of the configuration of the above embodiment may be added to or replaced with the configuration of another of the above embodiments.
Description of Reference Numerals
[0054] 1... Vehicle seat, 3... Seat cushion, 5... Seat back, 11... Hip support seating surface, 12... Thigh support seating surface, 31... Lumbar support surface, 32... Chest support surface
Claims
1. A vehicle seat mounted on a vehicle, comprising: a seat cushion; and a seat back The seat cushion includes, in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, a hip support seat surface that supports the buttocks of a seated person sitting on the vehicle seat from below and a thigh support seat surface that supports the thighs of the seated person from below, in this order from the rear side. The seat back includes, in the vertical direction of the vehicle, a lumbar support surface that supports the lumbar region of the seated person and a chest support surface that supports the chest of the seated person, in this order from the lower side. The seat cushion and the seat back are arranged such that a hip angle, which is the angle formed by the hip support seat surface and the lumbar support surface, is 93° to 101°. The seat back is formed such that a neck angle, which is the angle formed by the lumbar support surface and the chest support surface, is 17.4° to 24.2°.
2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the hip angle is 97°, and the neck angle is 20.8°.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Posture adjustment device, posture adjustment system, and posture adjustment method
JP2020199919A