Seat cushion

Abstract

To provide a seat cushion capable of more suitably preventing occurrence of decubitus in a seated person without impairing the air-conditioning performance of the seat.SOLUTION: A seat cushion 1 includes: a cushion pad 10 that elastically supports a seated person; a recess 13 formed in a surface 12 of a top plate 11 of the cushion pad 10 that supports the seated person; a pressure-relief mat 30 of non-ventilating type arranged within the recess 13 and configured to support the seated person more softly than the cushion pad 10; a ventilation groove 32 extending along a surface 31 of the pressure-relief mat 30; and a ventilation hole 40 that penetrates through the pressure-relief mat 30 and the cushion pad 10 so that a portion of the ventilation groove 32 opens to a back surface of the cushion pad 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a seat cushion, and more particularly to a seat cushion having a cushion pad and a soft member that is softer than the cushion pad and is provided on a pad top surface of the cushion pad. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a seat cushion having an air vent penetrating the cushion pad in the thickness direction and an air blower provided on the back surface of the pad. These enable the seat cushion to perform seat air conditioning. The cushion pad has a recess formed in the top panel, and the air vent is provided so as to open from the bottom surface of the recess. The seat cushion also has an auxiliary pad provided in the recess of the cushion pad. The auxiliary pad thereby covers the air vent from above the seat. Therefore, the auxiliary pad prevents the opening of the air vent from coming into contact with the seat occupant, improving sitting comfort. The auxiliary pad is also breathable. Therefore, air can pass through the auxiliary pad and the air vent and circulate inside the pad. In this way, the auxiliary pad is less likely to impair the seat's air conditioning performance. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-237444 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In seat cushions equipped with the above-described seat air conditioning function, there has been a demand for a more appropriate way to prevent bedsores that can occur when a seated person sits for long periods of time. To address this, a configuration has been considered in which a soft member softer than a cushion pad, such as a gel mat, is provided instead of the auxiliary pad. However, such soft members generally lack breathability, and there is a concern that covering the air vents with the soft member may impair the seat's air conditioning performance. Therefore, we provide a seat cushion that can more appropriately prevent bedsores for a seated person without impairing the seat's air conditioning performance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the seat cushion of the present invention takes the following measures.

[0006] A first aspect of the present invention is a seat cushion having a cushion pad that elastically supports a seated occupant, the seat cushion including: a recess formed in the surface of a top plate portion of the cushion pad that supports the seated occupant; a non-breathable soft member that is disposed in the recess and supports the seated occupant more softly than the cushion pad; a ventilation groove formed to extend along the surface of the soft member; and an air vent formed through the soft member and the cushion pad so that a portion of the ventilation groove opens to a back surface of the cushion pad.

[0007] According to the above configuration, the soft member provided on the top panel provides softer support for the seated occupant. This more appropriately prevents bedsores for the seated occupant. Furthermore, the ventilation grooves and air vents allow air to flow through the soft member and cushion pad. This allows the seat's air conditioning performance to be maintained appropriately. In this way, the seat's air conditioning performance can be maintained without compromising it.

[0008] The second aspect of the present invention is a seat cushion according to the first aspect, in which the ventilation grooves are arranged to extend in the front-to-rear direction directly below the left and right ischial tuberosities of the seated occupant, and the raised upper edges of the ventilation grooves support the seated occupant from both sides in the seat width direction. This configuration allows the high support pressure from the ischial tuberosities to be released into the ventilation grooves, thereby alleviating the pressure. Furthermore, the support portions can prevent the seated occupant from wobbling in the seat width direction.

[0009] The third aspect of the present invention is the seat cushion according to the second aspect, wherein the ventilation grooves are configured as a pair of left and right support portions disposed directly below the thighs of the seated occupant so that the support portions support the thighs of the seated occupant. According to the above configuration, the support portions of each ventilation groove can support the thighs of the seated occupant from both sides in the seat width direction, thereby further suppressing wobbling of the seated occupant in the seat width direction.

[0010] A fourth aspect of the present invention is the seat cushion according to the first or second aspect, wherein the air vent opens from the bottom surface of the ventilation groove. With this configuration, the air vent is less likely to be blocked by a seated occupant from above the seat. This makes it less likely that the flow of air through the ventilation groove and the air vent is obstructed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a seat cushion according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the cushion cover is removed. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the cushion pad and the mat. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. In the following description, when directions such as front, back, up, down, left, and right are indicated, they refer to the directions shown in the drawings. Furthermore, when the term "seat width direction" is used, it refers to the left and right direction of the seat cushion 1, which will be described later.

[0013] First Embodiment First, a seat cushion 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the seat cushion 1 forms a seating portion of an automobile seat. The seat cushion 1 elastically supports a seated occupant from below. The seat cushion 1 includes a cushion frame (not shown) that forms the framework, a cushion pad 10 attached to the cushion frame from above, and a cushion cover 20 that covers the cushion pad 10 from above. The seat cushion 1 also includes a pressure-relieving mat 30 placed on a top plate 11 of the cushion pad 10. The pressure-relieving mat 30 is made of gel. Therefore, the pressure-relieving mat 30 is softer and has a smaller elastic force than the cushion pad 10. This allows the pressure-relieving mat 30 to more softly support the body pressure of the seated occupant. This helps prevent bedsores from developing in the seated occupant due to prolonged sitting. Here, the pressure-relieving mat 30 corresponds to the "soft member" of the present invention.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 , the seat cushion 1 has two concave ventilation grooves 32 extending along the surface 31 of the pressure-relieving mat 30 and ventilation holes 40 penetrating in the thickness direction from the bottom surface 32a of each ventilation groove 32 to the back surface of the pad. The ventilation grooves 32 and the ventilation holes 40 enhance the breathability of the cushion pad 10. A blower (not shown) connected to the ventilation holes 40 is provided on the back side of the cushion pad 10. The blower draws in air through the ventilation holes 40 and exhausts it below the seat. This causes air above the seat to be drawn into the ventilation grooves 32 from above, thereby ventilating the interior of the pad. In this way, the blower can perform seat air conditioning, which actively ventilates the interior of the pad. This seat air conditioning efficiently releases heat trapped inside the pad, improving the comfort of the seat cushion 1.

[0015] The pressure relief mat 30 is made of gel and is not breathable. However, the above-mentioned air vents 40 allow air to flow through the pressure relief mat 30 and the cushion pad 10. Furthermore, the openings of the ventilation grooves 32 along the surface 31 of the pressure relief mat 30 are wider than the ventilation holes 40, making it easier to draw air from a wider range in the in-plane direction. This allows the seat cushion 1 to perform seat air conditioning more efficiently. In this way, the seat cushion 1 can appropriately achieve both soft support for the seated occupant by the pressure relief mat 30 and efficient seat air conditioning by the air vents 40 and ventilation grooves 32.

[0016] <Cushion Pad 10> Each component of the seat cushion 1 described above will be described in detail below. As shown in FIG. 2, the top panel 11 of the cushion pad 10 has a main top panel 11a that forms the center portion in the seat width direction, and a pair of left and right side top panel sections 11b that form both side portions of the top panel 11 in the seat width direction. The main top panel 11a has a relatively flat surface shape with its surface facing upward. The main top panel 11a elastically supports the seated occupant from below. Each side top panel 11b has a shape that protrudes upward in an arched shape beyond the main top panel 11a. Each side top panel 11b elastically supports the seated occupant from both outer sides in the seat width direction.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 3, the cushion pad 10 has a recess 13 formed in its main top plate 11a. The above-mentioned pressure-relieving mat 30 is placed in this recess 13. The recess 13 opens in a rectangular shape from the front and central areas of the main top plate 11a. The recess 13 has a rectangular bottom surface 13a and side surfaces 13b that rise like upright walls from the periphery of the bottom surface 13a. As a result, the recess 13 is formed to have a rectangular parallelepiped recess.

[0018] <Relief Mat 30> As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the pressure-relieving mat 30 is a rectangular parallelepiped member that conforms to the shape of the recess 13. Therefore, when the pressure-relieving mat 30 is placed in the recess 13, it fits into the inner peripheral surface of the recess 13. As a result, the pressure-relieving mat 30 is supported in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions by the side surfaces 13b of the recess 13. Therefore, the pressure-relieving mat 30 is prevented from wobbling in the in-plane direction along the surface 12 of the tabletop 11. As a result, the pressure-relieving mat 30 can properly support a seated person without wobbling in the in-plane direction even when subjected to a seating load. The surface 31 of the pressure-relieving mat 30 placed in the recess 13 is flush with the surface 12 of the tabletop 11.

[0019] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the pressure relief mat 30 has a concave ventilation groove 32 extending in the front-rear direction along its surface 31. The ventilation grooves 32 are configured as a pair of left and right ventilation grooves 32 aligned in the seat width direction and extending parallel to each other. Each ventilation groove 32 extends straight in the front-rear direction. Each ventilation groove 32 is formed to extend across the entire front-rear direction of the pressure relief mat 30. Each ventilation groove 32 has a bottom surface 32a at the end of the recess and side surfaces 32b rising like upright walls from the left and right edges of the bottom surface 32a. By placing the pressure relief mat 30 in the recess 13, an air vent 40 is formed that penetrates from the bottom surface 32a of the ventilation groove 32 to the back surface of the pad. The air vent 40 has a cylindrical shape extending in the thickness direction of the pad. By opening each ventilation hole 40 from the bottom surface 32a of each ventilation groove 32, it is less likely to be blocked from above by a seat occupant. This allows for more efficient seat air conditioning.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 4, the pressure-relieving mat 30 is positioned so as to support most of the seated occupant's buttocks A and thighs B from below. This allows the pressure-relieving mat 30 to softly support the occupant's body pressure over a wide range and provide appropriate support. Furthermore, even when the occupant is seated, the ventilation grooves 32 facilitate air circulation from above the seat. For example, air can be drawn in through portions of the ventilation grooves 32 that are not covered by the occupant, or through gaps between the occupant and the ventilation grooves 32 that may arise when the occupant moves their thighs B, even in the seated area. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, a cushion cover 20 is positioned between the occupant and the pressure-relieving mat 30. Because the cushion cover 20 is breathable, air can also be drawn into the ventilation grooves 32 through the interior of the cover.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 5, each ventilation groove 32 is positioned directly below the left and right ischial tuberosities C of the seated occupant. Therefore, each ventilation groove 32 can release the support pressure from each ischial tuberosity C. This can alleviate the high support pressure from the ischial tuberosities C. Furthermore, each ventilation groove 32 supports the buttocks A of the seated occupant from both sides in the seat width direction with the raised upper edge portion of its side surface 32b (support portion 32c). Therefore, each support portion 32c can suppress wobbling of the seated occupant in the seat width direction and maintain the seated occupant's posture.

[0022] 6, each ventilation groove 32 is also provided so as to be positioned directly below the left and right thighs B of the seated occupant. Each support portion 32c supports the thighs B from both sides in the seat width direction. This further reduces wobbling of the seated occupant in the seat width direction, and allows the seated occupant's posture to be more appropriately maintained.

[0023] To summarize the above, the seat cushion according to the first embodiment has the following configuration: In the following, the reference numerals in parentheses correspond to the respective components shown in the above embodiment.

[0024] That is, the seat cushion (1) has a cushion pad (10) that elastically supports a seated occupant, a recess (13) formed in a surface (12) of a top plate portion (11) of the cushion pad (10) that supports the seated occupant, a non-breathable soft member (30) that is placed in the recess (13) and supports the seated occupant more softly than the cushion pad (10), a ventilation groove (32) formed to extend along a surface (31) of the soft member (30), and an air vent (40) formed to penetrate the soft member (30) and the cushion pad (10) so that a part of the ventilation groove (32) opens to the back surface of the cushion pad (10).

[0025] According to the above configuration, the soft member (30) provided on the top panel (11) provides softer support to the seated occupant. This more appropriately prevents bedsores from developing in the seated occupant. Furthermore, the ventilation grooves (32) and the air vents (40) allow air to flow through the soft member (30) and the cushion pad (10). This allows the air conditioning performance of the seat to be maintained appropriately. In this way, the seated occupant can be more appropriately prevented from developing bedsores without impairing the air conditioning performance of the seat.

[0026] The ventilation grooves (32) are arranged to extend in the front-to-rear direction directly below the left and right ischial tuberosities (C) of the seated occupant, and have support portions (32c) that support the seated occupant from both sides in the seat width direction with their raised upper edges. With this configuration, the high support pressure from the ischial tuberosities (C) can be released into the ventilation grooves (32) and alleviated. The support portions (32c) also suppress wobbling of the seated occupant in the seat width direction.

[0027] The ventilation grooves (32) are configured as a pair of left and right support portions (32c) that are respectively positioned directly below the thighs (B) of the seated occupant so that the support portions (32c) support the thighs (B) of the seated occupant. According to this configuration, the support portions (32c) of each ventilation groove (32) can support the thighs (B) of the seated occupant from both sides in the seat width direction. This further reduces wobbling of the seated occupant in the seat width direction.

[0028] In addition, the air vents (40) open from the bottom surfaces (32a) of the ventilation grooves (32). With this configuration, the air vents (40) are less likely to be blocked by a seated occupant from above the seat, which makes it less likely that the flow of air passing through the ventilation grooves (32) and the air vents (40) will be obstructed.

[0029] <Other embodiments> Although the present invention has been described above using one embodiment, the present invention can be embodied in various forms other than the above embodiment.

[0030] 1. Two or more recesses may be provided on the surface of the top plate. The recesses may be formed so as to open to the edge in the in-plane direction along the surface of the top plate. For example, by placing the pressure-relieving mat of this embodiment in a recess that extends to the front end of the top plate, the ventilation groove opens from the front end of the top plate. This allows air to flow into the ventilation groove from the front.

[0031] 2. Two or more soft members may be provided in one recess, or multiple soft members may be provided in multiple recesses, respectively, on the top plate. The soft members may be provided in any shape that conforms to the recesses. The soft members may be provided across the main and side top plates.

[0032] 3. The ventilation groove may be one or three or more on the surface of the soft member. As long as it extends along the surface of the soft member, it may be of any shape, such as extending in the left-right direction, extending in a serpentine shape, having a groove width that varies along the extension direction, multiple ventilation grooves extending so that the distance between them increases or decreases, multiple ventilation grooves extending so as to intersect, multiple ventilation grooves forming a lattice pattern, or the like.

[0033] 4. The ventilation holes may be configured to open from the side of the ventilation groove. The ventilation holes may be configured to open from two or more locations on the inner surface of the ventilation groove. The ventilation holes may be configured to open in any shape, such as a circular, elliptical, or rectangular shape.

[0034] 5. The support portion may be configured to support only the buttocks of the seated occupant. The support portion may be provided at the upper edge of a ventilation groove extending in the left-right direction, and may be configured to support the seated occupant in the front-rear direction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 1 seat cushion 10 cushion pads 11 Top plate 11a Top plate main 11b Top side 12 Surface 13 Recess 13a Bottom 13b Side 20 cushion covers 30 Pressure relief mat (soft material) 31 Surface 32 Ventilation groove 32a Bottom 32b side 32c Support part 40 ventilation holes A buttocks B Thigh C ischial tuberosity

Claims

1. A seat cushion having a cushion pad that elastically supports a seated person, a recess formed on a surface of a top plate portion of the cushion pad that supports a seated person; a non-breathable soft member disposed in the recess and supporting the seated person more softly than the cushion pad; a ventilation groove formed so as to extend along the surface of the soft member; The seat cushion has an air vent formed through the soft member and the cushion pad so that a portion of the ventilation groove opens to the back surface of the cushion pad.

2. 2. The seat cushion according to claim 1, The seat cushion has support parts in which the ventilation grooves are arranged so as to extend in the front-to-rear direction directly below the left and right ischial tuberosities of the seated person, and the raised upper edges thereof support the seated person from both sides in the seat width direction.

3. 3. The seat cushion according to claim 2, The seat cushion has a pair of ventilation grooves, one on each side, which are arranged directly below the left and right thighs of the seated person so that the support portions support the thighs of the seated person, respectively.

4. The seat cushion according to claim 1 or 2, The seat cushion has the ventilation hole opening from the bottom surface of the ventilation groove.

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