Seat system

Abstract

To provide a seat system in which luggage can be easily shielded by using a seat body.SOLUTION: A seat system S for a vehicle seat S1 comprises: a seat body 10; a drive device for driving the seat body 10; a control device 50 for controlling the drive device; and a luggage detection sensor 60 for detecting luggage information of luggage B placed on the rear side of the seat body 10. The seat body 10 includes a seat back 1 and a seat cushion 2. The drive device is configured to switch the seat body 10 between a normal state in which an occupant can be seated and a luggage-shielding state in which the seat back 1 covers the luggage B from above. The control device 50 controls the drive device to move the seat back 1 closer to the luggage B on the basis of the luggage information obtained by the luggage detection sensor 60 and switch the seat body 10 from the normal state to the luggage shielded state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to seating systems, and more particularly to seating systems for vehicle seats. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a seat system that can perform a seat movement process to move a seat body in order to load luggage behind a vehicle seat. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a seat system that recognizes the size of luggage carried by an occupant and stores the seat body forward to increase luggage space. Furthermore, the seat system described in Patent Document 2 discloses that when luggage is loaded into the luggage space, the seat body is moved forward so as to be separated from the luggage.

[0003] Meanwhile, covers for vehicle seats that cover luggage placed on the seat cushion are known. For example, Patent Document 3 discloses that a movement-restricting member that covers luggage placed on the seat cushion can be pulled out from the front end of the seat cushion and hooked onto the seat back, thereby covering or restricting the movement of luggage placed on the seat cushion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-147749 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-111178 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-090391 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] For example, in the seat systems disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the seat body is controlled to move forward so as not to come into contact with luggage. However, it was not anticipated that the seat body would be used to shield luggage from the outside of the vehicle. Furthermore, when using a movement restricting member as in Patent Document 3 to shield or hold luggage, it is necessary to pull out the movement restricting member and lock it onto the seat body, which makes shielding or holding luggage time-consuming.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a seat system that can easily shield luggage using the seat body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to the seat system of the present invention, the above problem is solved by a seat system for a vehicle seat, which comprises a seat body, a drive device that drives part or all of the seat body, a control device that controls the drive device, and a luggage detection sensor that detects luggage information of luggage placed behind the seat body, wherein the seat body has a seat back that supports the back of an occupant and a seat cushion that supports the occupant's buttocks, and the drive device is capable of switching the seat body between a normal state in which the occupant can be seated and a luggage shielding state in which the seat back covers the luggage from above, and the control device controls the drive device to move the seat back closer to the luggage based on the luggage information acquired by the luggage detection sensor and switch the seat body to the luggage shielding state. With the above configuration, the seat back moves rearward to approach the luggage and cover it from above based on luggage information acquired by the luggage detection sensor, so the luggage can be automatically shielded by the seat body. Therefore, the luggage can be easily shielded using the seat body.

[0008] In this case, the drive device has a reclining device that tilts the seat back in the forward / backward direction relative to the seat cushion, and a height device that raises and lowers the seat body in the vertical direction relative to the floor of the vehicle, the luggage detection sensor detects height information of the luggage, and the control device controls the reclining device and the height device based on the height information acquired by the luggage detection sensor so that the back of the seat back faces the luggage in the vertical direction. With the above configuration, the reclining device and height adjustment device are operated according to the height of the luggage, and the luggage is covered from above by the seat back, making it difficult to see the luggage from outside the vehicle.

[0009] In this case, the control device may have a lock detection unit that detects that the vehicle door is locked, and when the lock detection unit detects that the vehicle door is locked, the control device may control the drive device to switch the seat body from the normal state to the luggage shielding state. With the above configuration, the seat body is moved when the vehicle door is locked, so that luggage can be automatically shielded when the door is locked after the passenger gets off the vehicle, improving convenience.

[0010] In this case, the reclining device may be capable of switching the seat body between the normal state and the luggage-shielding state in which the seat back is tilted backward relative to the seat cushion and the seating surface of the seat back is parallel to the seating surface of the seat cushion. With the above configuration, the seat back can be placed in a fully flat position, with the seat surface parallel to the seat cushion, to block out luggage, making it even more difficult to see luggage. In addition, the fully flat position allows luggage to be placed on the seat surface of the seat back.

[0011] In this case, the seat cushion may have an obstacle sensor provided at the front end thereof for detecting distance information between the seat body and an obstacle in front of the seat body, the drive device may have a slide device for sliding the seat body in the forward / backward direction relative to the floor of the vehicle, the slide device may switch the seat cushion between a normal position and a forward position that is further forward than the normal position, and the control device may control the slide device to switch the seat cushion from the normal position to the forward position when the distance information acquired by the obstacle sensor is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value. With the above configuration, if there is an obstacle in front of the seat body, the seat body is moved forward according to the distance between the seat body and the obstacle, thereby preventing contact between the seat body and the obstacle.

[0012] In this case, a proximity sensor is provided on the back of the seat back to detect distance information between the seat back and the luggage, and the control device controls the drive device to move the seat back closer to the luggage based on the distance information acquired by the proximity sensor. With the above configuration, the seat back is moved closer to the luggage based on information about the distance between the seat back and the luggage, so that the luggage can be held in a suitable position.

[0013] In this case, a contact sensor is provided on the back of the seat back to detect when the seat back contacts the luggage, and the control device controls the drive device to move the seat back closer to the luggage until the contact sensor detects that the seat back has contacted the luggage. With the above configuration, the seat back is brought into contact with the luggage and the luggage is held by the seat back, thereby preventing the luggage from moving while the vehicle is moving.

[0014] In this case, the seat body has an armrest that supports the occupant's arms, the drive device has a rotating device that rotates the armrest in the forward / backward direction relative to the seat back or the seat cushion, the rotating device is capable of switching the armrest between a use position that supports the arms and a deployed position in which the luggage is deployed to the side in the seat width direction, the luggage detection sensor detects width information of the luggage in the seat width direction, and the control device controls the rotating device to switch the armrest from the use position to the deployed position based on the width information acquired by the luggage detection sensor. With the above-described configuration, the armrest is deployed to the side of the luggage to cover the luggage, so that the luggage can be held in a suitable position.

[0015] In this case, the armrest has an air cell inside, the drive unit has a fluid supply device that supplies fluid to the air cell to inflate the air cell, the fluid supply device is capable of switching the armrest between the deployed position and a support position in which the air cell inflates to support the side of the luggage in the seat width direction, and the control unit controls the fluid supply device to switch from the deployed position to the support position based on the width information acquired by the luggage detection sensor. With the above configuration, the armrest supports the side of the luggage, thereby preventing the luggage from moving while traveling.

[0016] In this case, the drive unit has a folding device that bends the upper portion of the seat back relative to the lower portion of the seat back, and the folding device is capable of switching the seat back between a seating position in which the upper and lower portions form a seating surface, and a bent position in which the upper portion is bent backward relative to the lower portion, and the control unit controls the folding device to switch the upper portion from the seating position to the bent position based on the luggage information acquired by the luggage detection sensor. With the above configuration, the upper portion of the seat back is bent rearward to cover the luggage, thereby preventing the luggage from shifting while the vehicle is moving.

[0017] In this case, the drive device includes a reclining device that tilts the seat back in the front-to-rear direction relative to the seat cushion, a height device that raises and lowers the seat body in the vertical direction relative to the floor of the vehicle, a rotation device that rotates the armrests that support the arms of the occupant in the front-to-rear direction relative to the seat back or the seat cushion, a center-tilting device that bends the upper portion of the seat back relative to the lower portion of the seat back, and an ottoman rotation device that rotates the ottoman that supports the thighs of the occupant in the front-to-rear direction relative to the seat cushion, and the control device includes a collision prediction unit that predicts a collision of the vehicle, and a direction prediction unit that predicts the direction of the collision predicted by the collision prediction unit, and controls at least one of the reclining device, the height device, the rotation device, the center-tilting device, and the ottoman rotation device to limit the amount of movement of the luggage based on the direction of collision predicted by the direction prediction unit. With the above configuration, when a collision is predicted, the seat body is moved based on the direction of the collision, so that movement of luggage during a collision can be suppressed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, luggage can be easily shielded using the seat body. Furthermore, according to the present invention, the luggage can be made less visible from outside the vehicle. Furthermore, according to the present invention, the luggage can be automatically shielded when the passenger gets off the vehicle and the door is locked, thereby improving convenience. Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is possible to make luggage even less visible, and luggage can be placed on the seating surface of the seat back. Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the seat body from coming into contact with an obstacle. Furthermore, according to the present invention, the luggage can be held in a suitable position. Furthermore, according to the present invention, movement of luggage during travel can be suppressed. Furthermore, according to the present invention, movement of luggage during a collision can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a side view of the seat system of the first embodiment, showing the seat body in a normal state. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a view showing the seat body in the luggage shielding state. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a top view of the vehicle seat, illustrating the positional relationship between the seat body and luggage in the luggage-shielding state. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the seat system. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a control flow diagram of the seat system. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a side view of the seat system of the second embodiment, showing the seat body in a normal state. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a view showing the seat body in the luggage shielding state. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a view showing the seat body in a state where the seat body is in contact with luggage. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a view showing the seat body in a luggage holding state. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the vehicle showing the seat body in a luggage holding state. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the seat back showing the armrest in the deployed position. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the seat back showing the armrest in a support position. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the seat system. [Figure 14] This is a control flow diagram (1) of the seat system. [Figure 15] This is a control flow diagram (2) of the seat system. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the drive control process of the height device. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a drive control process for the rotation device. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a drive control process for the folding device. [Figure 19] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a drive control process for the ottoman rotating device. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a side view of a modified armrest, showing the armrest in an in-use position. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a side view of a modified armrest, showing the armrest in the deployed position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the following description, the "front-rear direction" refers to the front-rear direction of the vehicle seat, which is the direction that coincides with the direction of travel when the vehicle is traveling. The "seat width direction" refers to the width direction of the vehicle seat, which is the direction that coincides with the left-right direction as seen by an occupant seated in the vehicle seat. The "up-down direction" refers to the up-down direction of the vehicle, which is the direction that coincides with the vertical direction when the vehicle is traveling on a horizontal plane.

[0021] First Embodiment As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the seat system S of the first embodiment is a system for shielding luggage B loaded in a vehicle V by a vehicle seat S1 mounted on the vehicle V. The seat system S can make the luggage B difficult to see from outside the vehicle V by moving a seat body 10 (seat back 1, seat cushion 2, headrest 3) of the vehicle seat S1 based on information about the luggage B loaded in a luggage compartment space (luggage room) of the vehicle V. In the seat system S, data is transmitted and received wirelessly between the vehicle seat S1 and each device provided in the vehicle V.

[0022] <<Vehicle seats>> As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vehicle seat S1 of this embodiment is placed on the floor F of a vehicle V (such as an automobile) and is a seat on which a passenger of the vehicle V sits. The vehicle seat S1 is used as a rear seat corresponding to the rear seat of the vehicle V. However, the vehicle seat S1 is not limited to this, and may be a front seat of the vehicle V, or may be used as a middle seat in the second row or a rear seat in the third row in a vehicle V that has three rows of seats in the front-to-rear direction.

[0023] 1 and 2, the vehicle seat S1 includes a right front seat Sa (driver's seat), a left front seat Sb (passenger's seat), a right rear seat Sc, and a left rear seat Sd. The areas behind the right rear seat Sc and the left rear seat Sd are used as luggage compartments, and luggage B can be loaded into the space behind the vehicle seat S1. The left rear seat Sd will be described below as a representative example. The right front seat Sa, the left front seat Sb, and the right rear seat Sc have the same configuration as the left rear seat Sd, so their description will be omitted.

[0024] The vehicle seat S1 has a seat body 10 on which an occupant can be seated, a drive device (reclining device 20, height device 30, slide device 40) that drives part or all of the seat body 10, a control device 50 that controls the drive device, a luggage detection sensor 60 that detects luggage information of luggage B placed behind the seat body 10, and an obstacle sensor 70 that detects the distance between an obstacle Ba in front of the seat body 10 and the seat body 10.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, the seat body 10 has a seat back 1 that serves as a backrest to support the back of the seated occupant, a seat cushion 2 that serves as a seating portion to support the buttocks of the seated occupant, and a headrest 3 that supports the head of the seated occupant. The seat body 10 is configured to be switchable between a normal state (FIG. 1) and a luggage shielding state (FIG. 2) by a drive device. Note that the seat body 10 may be switchable to a state other than the normal state and the luggage shielding state (for example, a state in which the seat back 1 is folded so as to approach the seat cushion 2).

[0026] The normal state shown in FIG. 1 is a state in which an occupant can sit, with the seating surface of the seat back 1 facing forward and the seating surface of the seat cushion 2 facing upward. 2 is a state in which the seat back 1 covers the luggage B from above, making it difficult or impossible to see the luggage B from outside the vehicle V. In the luggage shielding state, the back surface of the seat back 1 faces the upper surface of the luggage B in the vertical direction. In other words, the luggage shielding state is a full-flat state in which the seat back 1 and the seat cushion 2 are raised relative to the floor F, the seat back 1 is tilted backward relative to the seat cushion 2, and the seating surface of the seat back 1 is parallel to the seating surface of the seat cushion 2.

[0027] 3 is a top view of the vehicle seat S1, showing the seat body 10 in a luggage-shielding state. When the vehicle door D of the vehicle V is closed and the vehicle door D is locked by the door lock device L, the seat body 10 is switched from the normal state to the luggage-shielding state. Therefore, luggage B can be automatically shielded when the door is locked after dismounting. Note that when getting on, the seat body 10 can also be automatically switched from the luggage-shielding state to the normal state when the door is unlocked.

[0028] In the luggage shielding state, the seat back 1 is in a flat position where the seating surfaces of the seat back 1 and the seat cushion 2 are parallel, but this is not limitative. For example, in the luggage shielding state, the seat back 1 may be in a rearward tilted position where it is tilted backward relative to the seat cushion 2. In this way, the seat back 1 is moved closer to the luggage B and positioned to cover the luggage B from above, so that the luggage B can be shielded using the seat body 10.

[0029] The drive device has a reclining device 20 that tilts the seat back 1 in the front-to-rear direction relative to the seat cushion 2, a height device 30 that raises and lowers the seat body 10 in the vertical direction relative to the floor F of the vehicle V, and a slide device 40 that slides the seat body 10 in the front-to-rear direction relative to the floor F of the vehicle V. The drive device can change the positions of the seat back 1, the seat cushion 2, and the headrest 3, respectively, and switch the seat body 10 between a normal state and a luggage-shielding state.

[0030] The reclining device 20 is a device that rotatably connects the seat back 1 to the seat cushion 2 and is also capable of locking the seat back 1. The reclining device 20 has a drive source, and rotates the seat back 1 relative to the seat cushion 2 by the driving force of the drive source.

[0031] The reclining device 20 can switch the seat body 10 between a normal state and a luggage-shielding state. Specifically, the reclining device 20 rotates the seat back 1, which is in the normal position, backward so as to move it away from the seat cushion 2 and move it to the flat position. Note that the reclining device 20 may also rotate the seat back 1, which is in the normal position, forward so as to move it closer to the seat cushion 2.

[0032] The height device 30 is a device that raises and lowers the seat body 10 relative to the slide device 40 (floor F) and can lock the seat body 10. The height device 30 has a drive source, and is raised and lowered in the vertical direction relative to the floor F by the drive force of the drive source.

[0033] The height adjustment device 30 can switch the seat body 10 between a normal state and a luggage shielding state. Specifically, the height adjustment device 30 raises the seat cushion 2, which is in the normal position, relative to the floor F and moves it to a raised position.

[0034] The slide device 40 is a rail device that moves the seat body 10 in the front-rear direction relative to the floor F and can lock the seat body 10. The slide device 40 has a drive source, and can move the seat body 10 back and forth relative to the floor F by sliding an upper rail fixed to the height device 30 back and forth relative to a lower rail fixed to the floor F using the drive force of the drive source.

[0035] The slide device 40 can switch the seat body 10 between a normal state and a luggage shielding state. In other words, the slide device 40 can switch the seat cushion 2 between a normal position, a forward position where the seat cushion 2 has moved forward from the normal position, and a front end position where the seat cushion 2 has moved further forward from the forward position. The front position is a position where the front end of the obstacle Ba abuts against the front end of the seat cushion 2 (or a position immediately before abutment). The front end position is a position where the upper rail is at the front end of the lower rail. Specifically, when there is no obstacle Ba (other luggage, etc.) ahead, the slide device 40 moves the seat cushion 2 from the normal position to the front end position. Also, when there is an obstacle Ba ahead but it is a predetermined distance away, the slide device 40 moves the seat cushion 2 from the normal position to the forward position.

[0036] The control device 50 incorporates a control circuit that controls the drive device. The control device 50 is provided in the vehicle seat S1 and is connected to the reclining device 20, the height device 30, the slide device 40, the baggage detection sensor 60, and the obstacle sensor 70. Each component is connected to each other via a bus so that they can communicate with each other. In addition to the above, the vehicle seat S1 may be equipped with various other actuators, input devices, output devices, and various sensors.

[0037] The luggage detection sensor 60 detects multiple pieces of luggage information about luggage B. The luggage information includes information such as the presence or absence of luggage B, its height, width, depth, shape, hardness (hardness or softness), and type. For example, the luggage detection sensor 60 may be an imaging camera, an infrared sensor, a pressure sensor, or the like. Note that multiple luggage detection sensors 60 may be provided, and the multiple luggage detection sensors 60 may be configured to respectively detect multiple pieces of luggage information. The luggage detection sensor 60 is provided on the back of the seat back 1 and on the rear gate G, and detects luggage information of luggage B placed behind the seat main body 10. The luggage detection sensor 60 may be provided not only on the seat back 1 and the rear gate G, but also on the rear end of the seat cushion 2 or on an interior member of the vehicle V (inner wall, roof, vehicle door D, floor F, etc.).

[0038] The obstacle sensor 70 detects a plurality of pieces of obstacle information about an obstacle Ba (for example, other luggage placed in front of the seat main body 10). The obstacle information includes information such as the presence or absence of the obstacle Ba, the distance between the obstacle Ba and the seat main body 10, etc. For example, the obstacle sensor 70 may be an infrared sensor or an imaging camera. Note that a plurality of obstacle sensors 70 may be provided, and a configuration may be adopted in which a plurality of pieces of obstacle information are detected by the plurality of obstacle sensors 70, respectively. The obstacle sensor 70 is provided at the front end of the seat cushion 2, and detects obstacle information of an obstacle Ba in front of the seat main body 10. The location where the luggage detection sensor 60 is provided is not limited to the seat cushion 2, and it may be provided on the back of the right front seat Sa or the left front seat Sb, or on an interior member of the vehicle V (inner wall, roof, vehicle door D, floor F, etc.).

[0039] <<Hardware configuration of vehicle seat system>> The seat system S includes a control device 50 that controls the drive device, as shown in Fig. 4. The control device 50 has a control circuit and is mainly composed of a central processing unit (CPU), which is a central processing unit, and memory devices such as a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), and a hard disk drive (HDD).

[0040] The CPU is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls each part. That is, the CPU reads programs from ROM or HDD and executes them using RAM as a work area. The CPU controls each component and performs various arithmetic operations according to the programs stored in ROM or HDD.

[0041] The ROM stores various programs and data, while the RAM serves as a working area for temporarily storing programs or data. The HDD may be a solid state drive (SSD), and stores various programs including the operating system and various data.

[0042] <<Controller Functions>> Next, the functions of the control device 50 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. The functional units of the control device 50 are realized by the cooperation of hardware devices (specifically, an MPU and a memory) constituting the control device 50 with software devices (control circuits).

[0043] The control device 50 has as its main functions a luggage information acquisition unit 51 that acquires luggage information from a luggage detection sensor 60, an obstacle information acquisition unit 52 that acquires obstacle information from an obstacle sensor 70, a lock detection unit 53 that detects that the vehicle door D has been locked by the door lock device L, and a drive control unit 54 that controls the drive device.

[0044] (Luggage information acquisition unit 51) The luggage information acquisition unit 51 acquires luggage information detected by the luggage detection sensor 60. Specifically, when the vehicle door D of the vehicle V is locked by the door lock device L when the occupant gets off the vehicle, the luggage information acquisition unit 51 acquires luggage information (presence or absence of luggage B, height information of luggage B, width information of luggage B, depth information of luggage B, etc.) of luggage B placed behind the seat main body 10. Note that the luggage information acquisition unit 51 may be configured to acquire the luggage information of luggage B when an operation input is made by the occupant.

[0045] (Obstacle information acquisition unit 52) The obstacle information acquisition unit 52 acquires obstacle information detected by the obstacle sensor 70. Specifically, when the luggage information acquired by the luggage information acquisition unit 51 indicates that luggage is present and the height information of the luggage B is less than a reference value, the obstacle information acquisition unit 52 acquires obstacle information of an obstacle Ba placed in front of the seat main body 10 (presence or absence of the obstacle Ba, and information on the distance between the obstacle Ba and the seat main body 10). Note that the obstacle information acquisition unit 52 may be configured to acquire luggage information of the luggage B when an operation input is made by the occupant.

[0046] (Lock detector 53) The lock detection unit 53 detects that the vehicle door D of the vehicle V has been locked by the door lock device L when the occupant gets off the vehicle V. The door lock device L is a known device that locks or unlocks the vehicle door D based on the operation of the occupant. When the occupant locks the vehicle door D with luggage B placed behind the seat body 10, the lock detection unit 53 detects that the vehicle door D has been locked.

[0047] (Drive control unit 54) When the lock detection unit 53 detects that the vehicle door D is locked, the drive control unit 54 controls the drive device to move the seat back 1 closer to the luggage B and switch the seat body 10 from the normal state to the luggage shielding state based on the luggage information acquired by the luggage detection sensor 60. Specifically, the drive control unit 54 controls the reclining device 20 and the height device 30 based on the height information acquired by the luggage detection sensor 60 so that the back surface of the seat back 1 faces the luggage B in the up-down direction. Furthermore, when the distance information acquired by the obstacle sensor 70 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the drive control unit 54 controls the slide device 40 to switch the seat cushion 2 from the normal position to the forward position.

[0048] More specifically, the drive control unit 54 controls the height adjustment device 30 based on the height information of the luggage B so that the seat body 10 is in a luggage shielding state. Specifically, the drive control unit 54 raises the seat cushion 2 from the normal position based on the height information of the luggage B detected by the luggage detection sensor 60 so that the lower surface of the seat cushion 2 is higher than the upper surface of the luggage B. In other words, based on the height information of the luggage B, the drive control unit 54 raises the seat cushion 2 to a position where the rear surface of the seat back 1 faces the luggage B in the up-down direction when the seat back 1 is tilted backward.

[0049] For example, if the seat back 1 is tilted backward from the normal position and comes into contact with the luggage B, the height device 30 can be used to move the seat body 10 upward, thereby tilting the seat back 1 backward so that it does not come into contact with the luggage B. In this way, the drive control unit 54 can prevent the seat back 1 from coming into contact with the luggage B by switching to the luggage shielding state depending on the height of the luggage B. Also, even if the seat back 1 comes into contact with the wheel house H when tilted backward from the normal position, the seat body 10 can be moved upward by the height device 30 to prevent the seat back 1 from coming into contact with the wheel house H.

[0050] Furthermore, the drive control unit 54 controls the reclining device 20 based on the height information of the luggage B so that the seat body 10 is in a luggage-shielding state. Specifically, based on the height information of the luggage B detected by the luggage detection sensor 60, the drive control unit 54 tilts the seat back 1 backward to a position where the rear surface of the seat back 1 faces the luggage B in the up-down direction.

[0051] Furthermore, when the obstacle sensor 70 determines that there is no obstacle Ba, the drive control unit 54 controls the slide device 40 to switch the seat cushion 2 from the normal position to the front end position. Also, when the distance information acquired by the obstacle sensor 70 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the drive control unit 54 controls the slide device 40 to switch the seat cushion 2 from the normal position to the forward position.

[0052] For example, if the seat back 1 would come into contact with the rear gate G if tilted backward from the normal position, the seat main body 10 can be moved forward by the slide device 40, so that the seat back 1 can be tilted backward so as not to come into contact with the rear gate G. Furthermore, if the occupant has placed other luggage in front of the seat main body 10, the seat main body 10 is moved forward based on the distance information acquired by the obstacle sensor 70, so that the seat cushion 2 can be prevented from coming into contact with the other luggage. In this way, the drive control unit 54 can prevent contact between the seat back 1 and the rear gate G by switching to the luggage shielding state according to the interior space of the vehicle V. In addition, the drive control unit 54 can prevent contact between the seat back 1 and the obstacle Ba by switching to the luggage shielding state according to the distance to the obstacle Ba.

[0053] In addition, a seating sensor (not shown) is provided in the seat body 10. When the seating sensor detects that an occupant is seated, the drive control unit 54 is configured not to control the drive device. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the seat body 10 from moving unexpectedly when an occupant is seated. A sensor for detecting other baggage placed on the seating surface of the seat back 1 may be provided on the seating surface of the seat back 1 or on the roof (ceiling surface) of the vehicle V. In this case, the drive control unit 54 controls the drive device when it is determined that no occupant is seated and no other baggage is placed on the seating surface of the seat back 1.

[0054] In addition, a shade that shields the interior of the vehicle V from the outside may be provided at the window portion of the vehicle V. A shade drive device that opens and closes the shade is provided at the vehicle V. The shade drive device switches the shade between an open state that opens the window portion and a shielded state that shields the window portion. The shade drive device is controlled by the control device 50, but may also be controlled by a control device provided at the vehicle V. The control device 50 controls the shade drive device to move the shade from the open state to the shielding state in conjunction with the switching of the seat body 10 from the normal state to the luggage shielding state. The control device 50 may also dim the lighting device in the vehicle interior to make the interior of the vehicle V less visible.

[0055] <<Driver control>> Next, a description will be given of the flow of control processing of the drive device executed by the drive control unit 54 of the control device 50. The control processing of the drive device is executed to shield the luggage B with the seat body 10 when disembarking, as shown in Fig. 5 .

[0056] Specifically, when an occupant gets off the vehicle, the control device 50 detects whether the vehicle door D is locked using the lock detection unit 53 (step St1). If the door is locked (step St1: Yes), the control device 50 detects luggage information using the luggage detection sensor 60 (step St2). On the other hand, if the door is not locked (step St1: No), the control device 50 ends the control process of the drive device. If there is luggage B behind the seat main body 10 (step St3: Yes), the control device 50 determines whether height information of the luggage B is less than a reference value (step St4). On the other hand, if there is no luggage B behind the seat main body 10 (step St3: No) or the height information is equal to or greater than the reference value (step St4: No), the control device 50 ends the control process of the drive device. If the height information of the luggage B is not equal to or greater than the reference value (step St4: Yes), the obstacle sensor 70 detects obstacle information (step St5). It is determined whether or not there is an obstacle Ba in front of the seat main body 10. If there is no obstacle Ba (step St6: Yes), the driving process (1) of the slide device 40 is executed (step St7). In the driving process (1) of the slide device 40, the seat main body 10 is moved forward. Specifically, the control device 50 controls the slide device 40 to move the seat cushion 2 from the normal position until it reaches the front end position. Then, if the seat cushion 2 reaches the front end position (step St8: Yes), the driving process of the height device 30 is executed (step St9). In the driving process of the height device 30, the seat main body 10 is controlled to move upward. Specifically, the control device 50 controls the height device 30 to move the seat cushion 2 from the front end position or the forward position to the raised position. At this time, the height device 30 raises the seat cushion 2 so that the lower surface of the seat cushion 2 is higher than the upper surface of the luggage B based on height information of the luggage B detected by the luggage detection sensor 60.

[0057] Furthermore, if there is an obstacle Ba ahead (step St6: No), the control device 50 determines whether the distance between the obstacle Ba and the seat body 10 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (step St10). If the distance between the obstacle Ba and the seat body 10 is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold (step St10: Yes), the control device 50 executes a drive process (2) for the slide device 40 (step St11). In the drive process (2) for the slide device 40, the seat body 10 is moved forward until it abuts against the obstacle Ba. Specifically, the control device 50 controls the slide device 40 to move the seat cushion 2, which is in the normal position, to the forward position. Then, the control device 50 causes the slide device 40 to move the seat body 10 forward until it abuts against the obstacle Ba, and then executes a drive process for the height device 30 (step St9). On the other hand, if the distance between the obstacle Ba and the seat body 10 is not equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold (step St10: No), the control device 50 ends the control process for the drive device.

[0058] Then, the control device 50 causes the height device 30 to raise the seat main body 10, and after the seat cushion 2 reaches the raised position, executes the drive process for the reclining device 20 (step St12). In the drive process for the reclining device 20, the control device 50 controls the seat back 1 to tilt backward relative to the seat cushion 2. Specifically, the control device 50 causes the reclining device 20 to move the seat back 1 from the normal position to the flat position. At this time, the reclining device 20 tilts the seat back 1 backward to a position where the rear surface of the seat back 1 faces the luggage B in the vertical direction, based on height information of the luggage B detected by the luggage detection sensor 60. When the control device 50 tilts the seat back 1 backward using the reclining device 20 and reaches a position where the rear surface of the seat back 1 faces the luggage B in the vertical direction (step St13: Yes), the control device 50 ends the control process for the drive device. On the other hand, if the seat back 1 does not face the luggage B (step St13: No), the driving process (3) of the slide device 40 is executed (step St14). In the driving process (3) of the slide device 40, the seat body 10 is moved rearward until the seat back 1 overlaps the luggage B in the vertical direction. Specifically, the control device 50 controls the slide device 40 to move the seat cushion 2, which is in the front end position or forward position, to a position where the rear surface of the seat back 1 faces the luggage B in the vertical direction.

[0059] In this way, based on the luggage information acquired by the luggage detection sensor 60, the control device 50 controls the drive device so that the seat back 1 covers the luggage B from above, and moves the seat back 1 closer to the luggage B. Therefore, the seat main body 10 can automatically make the luggage B difficult to see from outside the vehicle V. Therefore, the luggage B can be easily shielded using the seat main body 10. Furthermore, when the door is unlocked when the passenger gets in, the control process of the drive device is executed in reverse order, so that the luggage shielding state can be automatically switched to the normal state.

[0060] The luggage shielding state may be maintained when the door is unlocked when the occupant gets in. For example, if the control device 50 detects by the exterior camera C that the occupant is holding other luggage when getting in, the control device 50 controls the luggage shielding state to be maintained even when the door is unlocked. In this way, when the occupant is holding other luggage, the luggage shielding state is maintained, so that the occupant can easily place other luggage on the seating surface of the seat back 1.

[0061] Furthermore, the control device 50 is configured to switch from the normal state to the luggage shielding state when the height information of the luggage B is less than a reference value. Therefore, for example, when the luggage B is a tall item or when it is desired that the seat back 1 not come into contact with the upper end of the luggage B, the control device 50 is configured not to move the seat main body 10. Therefore, it is possible to prevent interference between the seat main body 10 and the luggage B. It is also possible to prevent the seat back 1 from coming into contact with the roof.

[0062] In this embodiment, the sliding device 40 moves the seat body 10 forward, and then the height device 30 and reclining device 20 switch the seat body 10 from the normal state to the luggage-shielding state, but the order in which the drive devices are driven is not limited to this. For example, the reclining device 20 may tilt the seat back 1 backward, and then the height device 30 may raise the seat cushion 2. Furthermore, the reclining device 20, height device 30, and sliding device 40 may be driven simultaneously, or some drive devices may not execute drive processing.

[0063] In this embodiment, the control process is executed in response to the timing when the occupant exits the vehicle and locks the door, but this is not limiting. For example, the seat body 10 may be switched from the normal state to the luggage-shielding state based on the occupant's operation. Furthermore, although the drive devices are controlled to be driven in conjunction with each other, they may also be controlled individually based on the occupant's operation.

[0064] In addition, in this embodiment, the left rear seat Sd can be switched from a normal state to a luggage-shielding state, but other vehicle seats S1 may also be configured in the same manner as the left rear seat Sd. For example, the left front seat Sb and the left rear seat Sd may be switched to the luggage-shielding state, and the left front seat Sb and the left rear seat Sd may be connected in a front-to-rear, fully flat state.

[0065] In addition, in this embodiment, when there is luggage B behind the seat main body 10, the luggage B is shielded by the seat back 1. However, this is not limiting, and the luggage B may be shielded by the seat cushion 2. For example, when there is luggage B below the seat main body 10, the control device 50 may control the slide device 40 so that the seat cushion 2 faces the luggage B in the up-down direction.

[0066] Second Embodiment A seat system S' according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 6 to 19. Note that a description of configurations that overlap with those of the seat system S of the first embodiment will be omitted. In the seat system S', the configuration of the vehicle seat S2 is different from the configuration of the vehicle seat S1.

[0067] As shown in FIGS. 6 to 19, the seat system S' is a system for shielding and holding luggage B loaded on the vehicle V by using a vehicle seat S2 mounted on the vehicle V. The seat system S' can make the luggage B difficult to see from outside the vehicle V by moving the seat main body 110 (seat back 101, seat cushion 102, headrest 103, armrest 104, ottoman 105) of the vehicle seat S2 based on information about the luggage B loaded in the luggage space of the vehicle V. Furthermore, the seat system S' can hold the luggage B by moving the seat main body 110 of the vehicle seat S2 based on information about the luggage B loaded in the luggage space of the vehicle V.

[0068] The vehicle seat S2 includes a seat body 110 on which an occupant can sit, drive devices (a reclining device 120, a height adjustment device 130, a sliding device 140, a rotation device 180, a fluid supply device 190, a center-folding device 200, and an ottoman rotation device 210) that drive part or all of the seat body 110, and a control device 150 that controls the drive devices. The vehicle seat S2 also includes a baggage detection sensor 160 that detects baggage information about baggage B placed behind the seat body 110, an obstacle sensor 170 that detects the distance between the seat body 110 and an obstacle Ba in front of the seat body 110, a proximity sensor 220 that detects distance information between the seat back 101 and the baggage B, a contact sensor 230 that detects when the seat back 101 contacts the top of the baggage B, and a side contact sensor 240 that detects when the armrest 104 contacts the side of the baggage B.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 6, the seat body 110 has a seat back 101, a seat cushion 102, a headrest 103, an armrest 104 for supporting the arms of the occupant, and an ottoman 105 for supporting the thighs of the occupant. The seat back 101 has a structure divided into an upper part 101a and a lower part 101b in the seat height direction. The armrest 104 is rotatably attached to the seat back 101 and has an air cell 104a therein. The seat body 110 is configured to be switchable by a drive device among a normal state (FIG. 6), a luggage shielding state (FIG. 7), a luggage abutting state (FIG. 8), and a luggage holding state (FIG. 9).

[0070] 6, the normal state is a state in which an occupant can sit, with the seating surface of the seat back 101 facing forward and the seating surface of the seat cushion 102 facing upward. Also, the armrest 104 and the ottoman 105 are in their respective use positions to support the occupant. 7 is a state in which the seat back 101 is close to the luggage B and covers the luggage B from above, making it difficult or impossible to see the luggage B from outside the vehicle V. In the luggage shielding state, the back surface of the seat back 101 faces the upper surface of the luggage B in the vertical direction.

[0071] 8 is a state in which the seat body 110 has moved downward and rearward from the luggage shielding state. At this time, the seat back 101 is in a contact position in which it contacts the upper surface of the luggage B. The luggage holding state shown in Figure 9 is a state in which the upper portion 101a of the seat back 101 is bent backward relative to the lower portion 101b from the luggage abutting state. The luggage holding state is also a state in which the armrest 104 has been rotated downward from the luggage abutting state. The luggage holding state is also a state in which the ottoman 105 has been rotated downward from the luggage abutting state. At this time, the upper portion 101a of the seat back 101, the armrest 104, and the ottoman 105 are each positioned to cover the side of luggage B. In this way, the luggage abutting state and the luggage holding state are states in which the luggage B is difficult or impossible to see from outside the vehicle V by the seat main body 110, and the periphery of the luggage B can be held.

[0072] 10 is a rear view of the vehicle seat S2, showing the seat body 110 in the luggage holding state. When an occupant operates the seat body 110 while the vehicle V is stopped or moving, the seat body 110 is switched from the normal state to the luggage shielding state, the luggage abutting state, and the luggage holding state. Therefore, the luggage B can be automatically shielded when the occupant gets off the vehicle and the door is locked. Note that when getting on the vehicle, the seat body 110 can also be automatically switched from the luggage shielding state, the luggage abutting state, and the luggage holding state to the normal state when the door is unlocked.

[0073] The drive device includes a reclining device 120, a height adjustment device 130, a slide device 140, a rotation device 180 that rotates the armrest 104 in the front-to-rear direction relative to the seat back 101, a fluid supply device 190 that supplies fluid to the air cell 104a to inflate the air cell 104a, a center-folding device 200 that bends the upper portion 101a of the seat back 101 relative to the lower portion 101b of the seat back 101, and an ottoman rotation device 210 that rotates the ottoman 105 in the front-to-rear direction relative to the seat cushion 102. The drive device can change the positions of the seat back 101, the seat cushion 102, the headrest 103, the armrest 104, and the ottoman 105, respectively, and switch the seat body 110 among a normal state, a luggage-shielding state, a luggage-contacting state, and a luggage-holding state.

[0074] 7 and 8, the height adjustment device 130 can lower the seat body 110 to switch from a luggage shielding state to a luggage contacting state. In the luggage contacting state, the lower portion 101b of the seat back 101 contacts the upper end of the luggage B. In this way, the height device 130 causes the seat back 101 to abut against the upper end of the luggage B, so that the luggage B can be suitably held by the seat body 110. Note that the reclining device 120 may also be used to cause the seat back 101 to abut against the upper end of the luggage B.

[0075] The rotation device 180 is a device that rotatably connects the armrest 104 to the seat back 101 and is also capable of locking the armrest 104. The rotation device 180 has a drive source, and rotates the armrest 104 relative to the seat back 101 by the driving force of the drive source.

[0076] The rotation device 180 can switch the armrest 104 between a use position that supports the arms and a deployed position that deploys the armrest 104 laterally in the seat width direction of the luggage B. The rotation device 180 is configured to be able to switch the armrest 104 from the use position to a storage position where the armrest 104 is stored in the seat back 101. As shown in Fig. 9, when the seat main body 110 is in the luggage holding state, the armrest 104 is in the deployed position. At this time, as shown in Fig. 10, the lower end of the armrest 104 is in contact with the floor F of the vehicle V. This increases the rigidity of the seat back 101. Therefore, even if another piece of luggage is placed on the seating surface of the seat back 101 in the luggage holding state, the multiple pieces of luggage can be held appropriately.

[0077] The fluid supply device 190 is provided inside the armrest 104 and supplies fluid to the air cells 104a to inflate the air cells 104a. The fluid supply device 190 can switch the armrest 104 between an unfolded position and a support position in which the air cells 104a are inflated to support the sides of the luggage B in the seat width direction. The inner end of the air cell 104a is provided with a side contact sensor 240. The side contact sensor 240 can detect when the armrest 104 contacts the luggage B.

[0078] A temperature control device 104b for heating or cooling luggage B is provided inside the armrest 104. The temperature control device 104b is controlled by the control device 150 in response to an operational input from the occupant. In this way, when the armrest 104 is in the deployed position, the luggage B can be heated or cooled from the side by the temperature control device 104b. Note that the luggage B may also be cooled by a blower device provided in the seat back 101.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 11, when the armrest 104 is in the deployed position, the air cell 104a is provided inside the armrest 104 on the inner side in the seat width direction. When a fluid (e.g., air) is supplied to the inside of the air cell 104a by the fluid supply device 190, the air cell 104a expands toward the inside in the seat width direction and is switched to the support position, as shown in Fig. 12. In the support position, the expanded end of the armrest 104 abuts against the luggage B.

[0080] In this way, the fluid supply device 190 causes the armrest 104 to abut against the side of the luggage B, so that the luggage B can be suitably held by the seat body 110. Furthermore, the air cells 104a can elastically support the luggage B. The armrest 104 is not limited to a mechanism in which the air cell 104a is expanded by the fluid supply device 190, and may be configured to expand inward in the seat width direction by a mechanical mechanism (such as a link mechanism or hinge mechanism).

[0081] The seat back tilting device 200 is a device that rotatably connects the upper part 101a to the lower part 101b and can lock the upper part 101a. The seat back tilting device 200 has a drive source, and by the drive force of the drive source, rotates the upper part 101a rearward relative to the lower part 101b, thereby bending the seat back 101. The seat back tilting device 200 switches the seat body 110 from a luggage abutting state to a luggage holding state. Specifically, the seat back tilting device 200 can switch the seat back 101 between a seating position where the upper portion 101a and the lower portion 101b form a seating surface, and a bent position where the upper portion 101a is bent backward relative to the lower portion 101b. In the bent position, the upper portion 101a may or may not abut against the rear end of the luggage B.

[0082] The ottoman rotation device 210 is a device that rotatably connects the ottoman 105 to the seat cushion 102 and is also capable of locking the ottoman 105. The ottoman rotation device 210 has a drive source, and uses the driving force of the drive source to rotate the ottoman 105 downward relative to the seat cushion 102 and store it in the seat cushion 102. The ottoman rotation device 210 switches the seat body 110 from a luggage abutting state to a luggage holding state. Specifically, the ottoman rotation device 210 can switch the ottoman 105 between a use position that supports the thighs of the occupant and a storage position that stores the ottoman 105 in the seat cushion 102.

[0083] The proximity sensor 220 detects distance information between the seat back 101 and the luggage B. For example, the proximity sensor 220 may be an imaging camera or an infrared sensor. The proximity sensor 220 may also serve as the luggage detection sensor 160, and may be configured so that the luggage detection sensor 160 detects distance information between the seat back 101 and the luggage B. The proximity sensor 220 is provided on the back of the seat back 101, and detects distance information between the seat back 101 in the flat position and the luggage B. The proximity sensor 220 may be provided not only on the seat back 101, but also on an interior member of the vehicle V (such as an inner wall, a roof, a rear gate G, a vehicle door D, or a floor F).

[0084] The contact sensor 230 detects that the seat back 101 has come into contact with the upper part of the luggage B. For example, the contact sensor 230 may be a pressure sensor, an infrared sensor, or the like. The contact sensor 230 is provided on the back of the seat back 101, and detects when the seat back 101 in the flat position contacts the upper end of the luggage B. The contact sensor 230 may be provided not only on the seat back 101, but also on an interior member of the vehicle V (an inner wall, a roof, a rear gate G, a vehicle door D, a floor F, etc.).

[0085] The side contact sensor 240 detects that the armrest 104 has come into contact with the side of the luggage B. For example, the side contact sensor 240 may be a pressure sensor, an infrared sensor, or the like. The side contact sensor 240 is provided at the inner end of the armrest 104 in the seat width direction, and detects when the armrest 104 in the deployed position contacts the side end of the luggage B in the seat width direction. Note that the position where the side contact sensor 240 is provided is not limited to the armrest 104, and it may also be provided in an interior member of the vehicle V (inner wall, roof, rear gate G, vehicle door D, floor F, etc.).

[0086] The control device 150 has as its main functions a luggage information acquisition unit 151, an obstacle information acquisition unit 152, a lock detection unit 153, a drive control unit 154, a distance information acquisition unit 155 that acquires distance information from the proximity sensor 220, a sensor detection unit 156 that detects contact with luggage B from the contact sensor 230 and the side contact sensor 240, a collision prediction unit 157 that predicts a collision of the vehicle V, and a direction prediction unit 158 ​​that predicts the direction of collision of the vehicle V predicted by the collision prediction unit 157.

[0087] (Drive control unit 154) When an occupant inputs an operation while the vehicle V is stopped or moving, the drive control unit 154 controls the drive device to switch the seat body 110 from the normal state to the luggage shielding state based on the luggage information acquired by the luggage detection sensor 160. Specifically, based on the luggage information acquired by the luggage detection sensor 160, the drive control unit 154 controls the reclining device 120 and the height device 130 so that the back of the seat back 101 faces the luggage B in the vertical direction, thereby switching the seat body 110 to a luggage abutting state.

[0088] Furthermore, the drive control unit 154 controls the drive device to switch the seat body 110 from the normal state to the luggage shielding state (luggage abutting state) based on the separation distance information acquired by the proximity sensor 220. Specifically, the drive control unit 154 controls the drive device to move the seat back 101 closer to the luggage B based on the separation distance information acquired by the proximity sensor 220. More specifically, the drive control unit 154 controls the height device 30 to lower the seat body 110 so that the back surface of the seat back 101 abuts against the upper end of the luggage B.

[0089] Furthermore, the drive control unit 154 operates the drive device to move the seat back 101 closer to the luggage B until the contact sensor 230 detects that the seat back 101 has contacted the luggage B. Specifically, the drive control unit 154 lowers the seat body 110 using the height device 30 so that the seat back 101, which is in the flat position, reaches the contact position where the contact sensor 230 detects that the seat back 101 has contacted the luggage B.

[0090] Furthermore, the drive control unit 154 controls the rotation device 180 to switch the armrest 104 from the use position to the deployed position based on the width information of the luggage B acquired by the luggage detection sensor 160. Specifically, when the width information of luggage B acquired by the luggage detection sensor 160 is smaller than the inner end of the armrest 104, the drive control unit 154 controls the rotation device 180 so that the armrest 104 is in an expanded position that covers the side of luggage B, thereby switching the seat body 110 to a luggage holding state.

[0091] Furthermore, the drive control unit 154 controls the fluid supply device 190 to switch the air cell 104a of the armrest 104 from the deployed position to the support position based on the width information of the luggage B acquired by the luggage detection sensor 160. Specifically, when inflating the armrest 104, the drive control unit 154 controls the fluid supply device 190 to a support position where the side contact sensor 240 detects that the armrest 104 (air cell 104a) in the deployed position has contacted the side of the luggage B.

[0092] Furthermore, the drive control unit 154 controls the seat back tilting device 200 based on the baggage information acquired by the baggage detection sensor 160 so as to switch the upper portion 101a of the seat back 101 from the seating position to the bent position. Specifically, when the height information of the luggage B acquired by the luggage detection sensor 160 is greater than the length of the upper portion 101a and the depth information (length information) of the luggage B is shorter than the length of the lower portion 101b, the drive control unit 154 controls the center-folding device 200 so that the back of the upper portion 101a faces the rear end of the luggage B in the front-to-rear direction, and switches the seat body 110 to a luggage-holding state.

[0093] Furthermore, the drive control unit 154 controls the ottoman rotation device 210 based on the baggage information acquired by the baggage detection sensor 160 so as to switch the ottoman 105 from the use position to the storage position. Specifically, when the front end of the luggage B detected by the luggage detection sensor 160 is located behind the front end of the seat cushion 102, the drive control unit 154 controls the ottoman rotation device 210 so that the ottoman 105 faces the front end of the luggage B in the front-to-back direction, thereby switching the seat body 110 to a luggage holding state.

[0094] In addition, the drive control unit 154 controls at least one of the reclining device 120, the height device 130, the rotation device 180, the folding device 200, and the ottoman rotation device 210 to limit the amount of movement of the luggage B based on the collision direction predicted by the direction prediction unit 158. Specifically, when the collision prediction unit 157 predicts a collision, and the direction prediction unit 158 ​​predicts the collision direction is the front-to-rear direction, the drive control unit 154 controls the reclining device 120 and the height device 130 so that the back surface of the lower portion 101b of the seat back 101 faces the upper end of the luggage B in the vertical direction, controls the seat-back folding device 200 so that the back surface of the upper portion 101a faces the rear end of the luggage B in the front-to-rear direction, and controls the ottoman rotation device 210 so that the back surface of the ottoman 105 faces the front end of the luggage B in the front-to-rear direction. Furthermore, when the direction prediction unit 158 ​​predicts the collision direction is the seat width direction, the drive control unit 154 controls the rotation device 180 so that the armrest 104 faces both ends of the luggage B in the seat width direction.

[0095] (Separation distance information acquisition unit 155) The separation distance information acquisition unit 155 acquires separation distance information detected by the proximity sensor 220. Specifically, when the seat body 110 is in a luggage shielding state, the separation distance information acquisition unit 155 acquires separation distance information between the seat back 101 and the upper end of the luggage B. Note that the luggage information acquisition unit 51 may be configured to acquire separation distance information when an operation input is made by the occupant.

[0096] (Sensor detection unit 156) The sensor detection unit 156 detects from the contact sensor 230 that the seat back 101 has contacted the upper end of the luggage B. Specifically, when the height device 30 switches the seat body 110 from the luggage shielding state to the luggage contacting state, the control device 150 terminates the lowering operation of the height device 30 based on the detection of the sensor detection unit 156. Furthermore, the sensor detection unit 156 detects from the side contact sensor 240 that the armrest 104 has contacted the side of the luggage B. Specifically, when the air cell 104a of the armrest 104 is switched from the luggage contact state to the luggage holding state by the fluid supply device 190, the control device 150 terminates the inflation operation by the fluid supply device 190 based on the detection by the sensor detection unit 156.

[0097] (Collision Prediction Section 157) The collision prediction unit 157 predicts a collision of the vehicle V. Specifically, the collision prediction unit 157 predicts that the vehicle V will collide with another vehicle, a guardrail, or the like, depending on the speed of the vehicle V and road conditions (for example, map information obtained from a car navigation system or information determined from an image detected by an outside-vehicle camera C). As shown in Fig. 6, the exterior camera C is installed outside the vehicle V in a position where it can capture images of the surroundings of the vehicle V. The vehicle control device of the vehicle V can determine the conditions of the surroundings of the vehicle V based on the image information captured by the exterior camera C. For example, by capturing images of the surroundings of the vehicle V, it is possible to detect other vehicles traveling nearby, or to determine whether the road is dangerous, such as one with a series of curves.

[0098] (Directional prediction unit 158) The direction prediction unit 158 ​​predicts the collision direction of the collision predicted by the collision prediction unit 157. Specifically, the direction prediction unit 158 ​​predicts the direction of another vehicle, a guardrail, or the like that the vehicle V is likely to collide with, based on an image detected by the outside-vehicle camera C.

[0099] Next, a description will be given of the flow of control processing of the drive device executed by the drive control section 154 of the control device 150. The control processing of the drive device is executed to shield and hold luggage B by the seat body 110 while the vehicle is traveling or stopped, as shown in Figs.

[0100] 14, the control device 150 detects whether an operation input has been made by the occupant while the vehicle V is stopped or traveling (step St101). If an operation input has been made (step St101: Yes), the control device 150 detects luggage information using the luggage detection sensor 160 (step St102). On the other hand, if an operation input has not been made (step St101: No), the control device 150 ends the control process of the drive device. If luggage B is present behind the seat main body 110 (step St103: Yes), the control device 150 determines whether height information of luggage B is less than a reference value (step St104). On the other hand, if luggage B is not present behind the seat main body 110 (step St103: No) or the height information is equal to or greater than the reference value (step St104: No), the control device 150 ends the control process of the drive device. If the height information of the luggage B is not equal to or greater than the reference value (step St104: Yes), obstacle information is detected by the obstacle sensor 170 (step St105). It is determined whether or not there is an obstacle Ba in front of the seat main body 110, and if there is no obstacle Ba (step St106: Yes), a drive process (1) of the slide device 140 is executed (step St107). In the drive process (1) of the slide device 40, the seat main body 10 is moved forward. Then, if the seat cushion 102 reaches the front end position (step St108: Yes), a drive process (1) of the height device 130 is executed (step St109). In the drive process (1) of the height device 130, the seat main body 110 is controlled to move upward.

[0101] Furthermore, if there is an obstacle Ba ahead (step St106: No), the control device 150 determines whether the distance between the obstacle Ba and the seat body 110 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (step St110). If the distance between the obstacle Ba and the seat body 110 is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold (step St110: Yes), the control device 150 executes a drive process (2) for the slide device 140 (step St111). In the drive process (2) for the slide device 140, the seat body 110 is moved forward to a position where the seat body 110 abuts against the obstacle Ba. Then, the control device 150 causes the slide device 140 to move the seat body 110 forward to a position where the seat body 110 abuts against the obstacle Ba, and then executes a drive process for the height device 130 (step St109). On the other hand, if the distance between the obstacle Ba and the seat body 110 is not equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold (step St110: No), the control device 150 ends the control process for the drive device.

[0102] 15, the control device 150 raises the seat main body 110 using the height device 130, and after the seat cushion 102 reaches the raised position, executes the drive process for the reclining device 120 (step St112). In the drive process for the reclining device 120, the seat back 101 is controlled to tilt backward relative to the seat cushion 102. When the control device 150 tilts the seat back 101 backward using the reclining device 120 and reaches a position where the rear surface of the seat back 101 faces the luggage B in the vertical direction (step St113: Yes), the control device 150 executes the drive process for each device. On the other hand, when the seat back 101 does not face the luggage B (step St113: No), the control device 150 executes the drive process (3) for the sliding device 140 (step St114). In the drive process (3) for the sliding device 140, the seat main body 110 is moved rearward until the seat back 101 overlaps the luggage B in the vertical direction.

[0103] In the drive processing of each device, the control device 150 executes the drive processing (2) of the height device 130 (step St115). Subsequently, the control device 150 executes the drive processing of the rotation device 180 (step St116). Then, the control device 150 executes the drive processing of the folding device 200 (step St117), executes the drive processing of the ottoman rotation device 210 (step St118), and ends the control processing of the drive devices.

[0104] 16, in the drive process (2) of the height adjustment device 130, the control device 150 acquires separation distance information between the seat back 101 and luggage B using the separation distance information acquisition unit 155 (step St115-1). Then, the control device 150 controls the height adjustment device 130 to switch the seat main body 110 from the normal state to the luggage abutting state (luggage shielding state) based on the separation distance information acquired by the proximity sensor 220 (step St115-2). Specifically, the control device 150 controls the height adjustment device 130 to lower the seat back 101 from the raised position until it reaches the abutment position, in accordance with the distance of the separation distance information acquired by the proximity sensor 220. Then, when the seat back 101 reaches the abutment position (step St115-3: Yes), the drive process (2) of the height adjustment device 130 is terminated.

[0105] 17, in the driving process of the turning device 180, the control device 150 acquires width information of the luggage B by the luggage detection sensor 160 (step St116-1). Then, the control device 150 determines whether the width information of the luggage B acquired by the luggage detection sensor 160 is smaller than the width of the seat cushion 102 (step St116-2). If the width information of the luggage B is smaller than the width of the seat cushion 102 (step St116-2: Yes), the control device 150 controls the turning device 180 to switch the armrest 104 from the use position to the deployed position (step St116-3). On the other hand, if the width information of the luggage B is not smaller than the width of the seat cushion 102 (step St116-2: No), the driving process of the turning device 180 ends. When the armrest 104 is rotated to the unfolded position, the control device 150 controls the fluid supply device 190 to switch the armrest 104 from the unfolded position to the support position based on the width information acquired by the luggage detection sensor 160 (step St116-4). Then, when the side contact sensor 240 detects that the armrest 104 has reached the support position (step St116-5: Yes), the driving process of the rotation device 180 is terminated.

[0106] 18, in the drive process of the center folding device 200, the control device 150 acquires depth information and height information of the baggage B using the baggage detection sensor 160 (step St117-1). Then, the control device 150 determines whether the baggage information acquired by the baggage detection sensor 160 satisfies a predetermined condition (step St117-2). Specifically, the predetermined condition is that the height information of the baggage B is greater than the length of the upper portion 101a and the depth information of the baggage B is shorter than the length of the lower portion 101b. If the predetermined condition is satisfied (step St117-2: Yes), the center folding device 200 is controlled so that the back surface of the upper portion 101a faces the rear end of the baggage B in the front-rear direction (step St117-3). On the other hand, if the predetermined condition is not satisfied (step St117-2: No), the drive process of the center folding device 200 is terminated.

[0107] 19, in the drive process of the ottoman rotation device 210, the control device 150 acquires depth information of the luggage B using the luggage detection sensor 160 (step St118-1). Then, the control device 150 determines whether the front end of the luggage B acquired by the luggage detection sensor 160 is located behind the front end of the seat cushion 102 (step St118-2). If the front end of the luggage B is located behind the front end of the seat cushion 102 (step St118-2: Yes), the control device 150 controls the ottoman rotation device 210 so that the ottoman 105 faces the front end of the luggage B in the front-rear direction (step St118-3). On the other hand, if the front end of the luggage B is not located behind the front end of the seat cushion 102 (step St118-2: No), the drive process of the ottoman rotation device 210 ends.

[0108] In this way, the control device 150 controls the drive device so that the seat back 101 approaches the luggage B and covers the luggage B from above, based on the luggage information acquired by the luggage detection sensor 160. Therefore, the luggage B can be automatically shielded by the seat main body 110. Therefore, the luggage B can be easily shielded by using the seat main body 110. Furthermore, based on the luggage information acquired by the luggage detection sensor 160, the drive device is controlled so that the seat back 101, the armrest 104, and the ottoman 105 cover the periphery of the luggage B. Therefore, the luggage B can be easily held using the seat body 110.

[0109] Furthermore, the control device 150 lowers the seat main body 110 so that the seat back 101 abuts against the luggage B, according to the information on the distance between the seat back 101 and the luggage B. Therefore, the seat back 101 can be abutted against the luggage B in accordance with the height of the luggage B. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the seat main body 110 and the luggage B from colliding with each other.

[0110] The seat back 101 may be configured to abut against the luggage B according to the luggage type of the luggage information acquired by the luggage detection sensor 160. For example, if the luggage B is box-shaped, the seat back 101 may be configured to abut against the luggage B, and if the luggage B is one whose upper end should not be abutted by the seat back 101 (for example, a flower pot, etc.), the driving process (2) of the height device 130 may not be executed. Also, for example, if the luggage B is soft, the force with which the seat back 101 abuts against the luggage B may be weakened, and if the luggage B is hard, the force with which the seat back 101 abuts against the luggage B may be strengthened.

[0111] The order in which the drive devices are driven is not limited to this. For example, the armrest 104 may be rotated by the rotation device 180, and then the seat body 110 may be lowered by the height adjustment device 130. Also, the reclining device 120, height adjustment device 130, slide device 140, rotation device 180, fluid supply device 190, center folding device 200, and ottoman rotation device 210 may be driven simultaneously, or some drive devices may not perform drive processing.

[0112] In this embodiment, the control process is executed based on the operation of the occupant, but is not limited to this. For example, the seat body 110 may be switched from the normal state to the luggage-shielding state depending on the timing when the occupant gets off the vehicle and locks the door. Furthermore, although the drive devices are controlled to be driven in conjunction with each other, they may also be controlled individually based on the operation of the occupant.

[0113] <<Modifications>> Next, a modified example of an armrest 204 will be described. As shown in Fig. 20, the armrest 204 is rotatably attached to the seat cushion 102. The armrest 204 has a fan shape and is attached to the rear end of the seat cushion 102. An air cell 204a and a temperature adjustment device 204b are provided inside the armrest 204.

[0114] The rotation device 180 is configured to be switchable between a storage position in which the armrest 204 is stored on both sides of the seat cushion 102 in the seat width direction, an upright position (usage position) in which the front end portion is rotated upward and upright, and an unfolded position in which the front end portion is rotated downward and unfolded. The armrest 204 is configured so that the height of the support surface that supports the arms of the occupant can be adjusted when in the standing position. Note that the armrest 204 may be configured so that it can be extended and retracted in the front-rear direction when in the deployed position.

[0115] In this way, the large-area armrest 204 covers the luggage B from the sides, thereby better shielding and holding the luggage. Also, the height of the support surface can be adjusted in the standing position, so the occupant's arms can be supported in an appropriate manner.

[0116] In the above embodiment, a vehicle seat used in an automobile was described as a specific example, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be used for various seats such as two-wheeled vehicle seats, vehicle seats for trains and buses, vehicle seats for airplanes and ships, as well as office chairs for work, wheelchairs, and child seats in shopping carts.

[0117] In this embodiment, the seat system according to the present invention has been mainly described. However, the above embodiment is merely an example for facilitating understanding of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention. The present invention can be modified and improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and the present invention naturally includes equivalents thereof. [Explanation of symbols]

[0118] S, S´ seat system S1, S2 vehicle seats Sa Right front seat Sb Left front seat Sc Right rear seat Sd Left rear seat C. Exterior camera D. Vehicle door F Floor G. Rear gate H Wheelhouse L Door lock device 1, 101 seat back 101a Upper part 101b Lower part 2. 102 seat cushion 3, 103 Headrest 10, 110 seat body 20, 120 Reclining device 30, 130 height device 40, 140 slide device 50, 150 Control device 51, 151 Baggage Information Acquisition Department 52, 152 Obstacle information acquisition unit 53, 153 Lock detector 54, 154 Drive control unit 60, 160 Baggage detection sensor 70, 170 Obstacle sensor 104, 204 Armrest 104a, 204a Air cell 104b, 204b Temperature control device 105 Ottoman 155 Separation distance information acquisition unit 156 Sensor detection unit 157 Collision Prediction Department 158 Direction Prediction Unit 180 Rotating device 190 Fluid supply device 200 Center-folding device 210 Ottoman rotation device 220 Proximity Sensor 230 Contact sensor 240 Side contact sensor B. Luggage Ba Obstacle

Claims

1. 1. A seat system for a vehicle seat, comprising: The seat body, a drive device that drives a part or all of the seat body; a control device that controls the drive device; a baggage detection sensor that detects baggage information of baggage placed behind the seat body, The seat body includes a seat back that supports the back of the occupant and a seat cushion that supports the buttocks of the occupant, the drive device is capable of switching the seat body between a normal state in which the occupant can be seated and a luggage shielding state in which the seat back covers the luggage from above, The control device controls the drive device to move the seat back closer to the luggage and switch the seat body to the luggage shielding state based on the luggage information acquired by the luggage detection sensor.

2. the drive device includes a reclining device that tilts the seat back in the front-rear direction relative to the seat cushion, and a height device that raises and lowers the seat body in the up-and-down direction relative to the floor of the vehicle, the luggage detection sensor detects height information of the luggage; The seat system according to claim 1, characterized in that the control device controls the reclining device and the height device so that the back of the seat back faces the luggage in the vertical direction based on the height information acquired by the luggage detection sensor.

3. The control device a lock detection unit that detects that a vehicle door is locked; 3. The seat system according to claim 1, wherein when the lock detection unit detects that the vehicle door is locked, the drive device is controlled to switch the seat body from the normal state to the luggage shielding state.

4. 3. The seat system according to claim 2, wherein the reclining device is capable of switching the seat body between the normal state and the luggage-shielding state in which the seat back is tilted backward relative to the seat cushion so that the seating surface of the seat back is parallel to the seating surface of the seat cushion.

5. an obstacle sensor provided at a front end of the seat cushion for detecting a distance between an obstacle in front of the seat body and the seat body; the drive device includes a slide device that slides the seat body in the front-rear direction relative to a floor of a vehicle, the slide device is capable of switching the seat cushion between a normal position and a forward position that is further forward than the normal position, 3. The seat system according to claim 1, wherein the control device controls the sliding device to switch the seat cushion from the normal position to the forward position when the distance information acquired by the obstacle sensor is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold.

6. a proximity sensor provided on the back of the seat back to detect distance information between the seat back and the luggage; The seat system according to claim 2 , wherein the control device controls the drive device to move the seat back closer to the luggage based on the distance information acquired by the proximity sensor.

7. a contact sensor provided on the back of the seat back to detect when the seat back contacts the luggage; 7. The seat system according to claim 6, wherein the control device controls the drive device to move the seat back closer to the luggage until the contact sensor detects that the seat back has contacted the luggage.

8. the seat body has an armrest that supports the arms of the occupant, the drive device has a rotation device that rotates the armrest in the front-rear direction relative to the seat back or the seat cushion, the rotation device is capable of switching the armrest between a use position for supporting the arm and a deployed position in which the armrest is deployed laterally in a seat width direction of the luggage, the luggage detection sensor detects width information of the luggage in a seat width direction; 3. The seat system according to claim 2, wherein the control device controls the rotation device to switch the armrest from the use position to the deployed position based on the width information acquired by the luggage detection sensor.

9. The armrest has an air cell therein, the drive device includes a fluid supply device that supplies fluid to the air cell to expand the air cell, the fluid supply device is capable of switching the armrest between the deployed position and a support position in which the air cell is inflated to support a side portion of the luggage in a seat width direction, The seat system according to claim 8, wherein the control device controls the fluid supply device to switch from the deployed position to the support position based on the width information acquired by the luggage detection sensor.

10. the drive device has a seat back bending device that bends an upper portion of the seat back relative to a lower portion of the seat back, the seat back tilting device is capable of switching the seat back between a seating position in which the upper portion and the lower portion form a seating surface and a bent position in which the upper portion is bent rearward relative to the lower portion, The seat system according to claim 2, wherein the control device controls the center-bending device to switch the upper portion from the seating position to the bent position based on the luggage information acquired by the luggage detection sensor.

11. The drive device includes a reclining device that tilts the seat back in the front-rear direction relative to the seat cushion, a height device that raises and lowers the seat body in the vertical direction relative to the floor of the vehicle, a rotation device that rotates an armrest that supports the arms of the occupant in the front-rear direction relative to the seat back or the seat cushion, a center-folding device that bends an upper portion of the seat back relative to a lower portion of the seat back, and an ottoman rotation device that rotates an ottoman that supports the thighs of the occupant in the front-rear direction relative to the seat cushion, The control device a collision prediction unit that predicts a collision of the vehicle; and a direction prediction unit that predicts a collision direction of the collision predicted by the collision prediction unit, The seat system according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the reclining device, the height device, the rotation device, the center-folding device, and the ottoman rotation device is controlled to limit the amount of movement of the luggage based on the collision direction predicted by the direction prediction unit.

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