Seating device

Abstract

To provide a seating device enabling a seated occupant to be properly restrained even when the seating device has no airbag device in front of the occupant.SOLUTION: A seating device M1 is provides, which is mounted on a vehicle and can protect a seated occupant MP. The seating device comprises: a seat main body 5 having a backrest portion 7 and a seat portion 6; and a lifting mechanism 25 which is disposed below the seat main body and can lift at least a region on a rear end 6b side of the seat portion upward when actuated. The lifting mechanism can operate in such a way as to lift the seat portion upward upon detection of the seating state of the occupant on the seat main body, and can release the lifted state of the seat portion upon detection of an impact force acting from the front side of the occupant.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a seating device that is mounted on a vehicle and can protect a seated occupant. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a device capable of protecting an occupant seated in a vehicle seat has been a seat belt capable of restraining the seated occupant. Specifically, for example, there has been an occupant protection device configured to be able to pull the seat belt with a predetermined load when activated (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Specifically, this conventional occupant protection device restrains the occupant in the seat by operating to pull the seat belt when a vehicle collision (frontal collision) is detected. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-145015 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Typically, during a frontal vehicle collision, the upper body of an occupant seated in a seat with the lap belt restraining the lower back is subjected to inertial force and moves toward the thighs. If the lap belt is tightly wrapped around the lower back, the lower back is fixed to the seat (sitting area). Therefore, if the impact force acting on the occupant during a vehicle collision is large, for example, as the upper body moves toward the thighs, the distance between the upper body (specifically, the area near the chest) and the thighs suddenly decreases, which increases the load on the spine (lumbar vertebrae) located between the chest and thighs and may result in excessive load on the lumbar vertebrae. Conversely, if the lap belt is relatively loosely wrapped around the lower back, the lower back may slip forward relative to the seat (sitting area) during a frontal vehicle collision, causing the lap belt to dig into the occupant's abdomen. Both of these factors leave room for improvement in terms of providing adequate occupant protection.

[0005] The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a seating device that can adequately protect a seated occupant. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The seating device according to the present invention is a seating device that is mounted on a vehicle and can protect a seated occupant, a seat body having a backrest and a seat; a lifting mechanism that is disposed below the seat body and that, when activated, can lift up at least a rear end region of the seat portion; With The lifting mechanism is configured to be operable to lift the seat portion upward when it detects that an occupant is seated on the seat body, and to be able to release the lifted state of the seat portion when it detects an impact force acting from the front of the occupant.

[0007] In the seating device of the present invention, when an occupant is seated in the seat body, at least the rear end region of the seat portion of the seat body is lifted upward relative to the floor by operating the lifting mechanism. When an impact force acts from the front of the occupant in this state, the seat portion is released from the lifted state by the lifting mechanism. In other words, in the seating device of the present invention, when an impact force acts from the front, at least the rear end region of the seat portion is moved downward. As the rear end region of the seat portion moves downward, the area around the lumbar region of the occupant seated in the seat body also moves downward instantaneously. When a frontal impact force is applied, the upper body of an occupant seated on the seat (seat body) is subjected to inertial force and moves toward the thighs as described above. However, in the seating device of the present invention, when a frontal impact force is applied, as the upper body moves forward and downward toward the thighs, the occupant's lower back also moves downward together with the rear end of the seat. That is, in the seating device of the present invention, when the upper body (specifically, the region near the chest) moves toward the thighs, the distance between the region near the chest and the lower back is unlikely to decrease, thereby preventing the region near the chest from suddenly approaching the thighs, and reducing the load on the spine (lumbar vertebrae) located between the chest and the thighs. Furthermore, in the seating device of the present invention, when the seat moves downward, the region near the occupant's lower back also moves downward along with the seat, but there is a momentary time lag between the two. Therefore, even if the occupant's lower back were to shift forward relative to the seat, the lap belt would be prevented from digging into the occupant's abdomen.

[0008] Therefore, the seating device of the present invention can adequately protect the seated occupant.

[0009] In addition, in the seating device of the present invention, the seat body is provided with a reclining mechanism that can adjust the angle of the backrest relative to the seat, and is configured to be fitted with a three-point restraint seat belt, It is preferable that the lifting mechanism be configured to be operable to lift the seat portion upward when it detects that the seat belt is fastened and that the backrest portion is in a reclined state with respect to the seat portion when an occupant is seated in the seat body.

[0010] With the seating device configured as described above, when an occupant is seated in the reclined seat body, at least the rear end region of the seat portion of the seat body is raised upward relative to the floor. When seated in the reclined seat, the amount of movement of the upper body (the area near the chest) is greater than when seated in a normal seating state with the backrest in the normal position. Therefore, compared to when seated in a normal seating state with the seat back in the normal position, the load on the spine (lumbar vertebrae) as the area near the chest approaches the thighs is also greater. However, with the seating device configured as described above, when an impact force from the front acts, as the upper body moves forward and downward toward the thighs, the occupant's lower back, restrained by the seat belt, also moves downward along with the rear end of the seat portion. This prevents the area near the chest from suddenly approaching the thighs, thereby reducing the load on the spine even when the amount of movement of the upper body is large. Therefore, the occupant can be accurately restrained even when seated in the reclined seat body.

[0011] Furthermore, in the seating device of the above configuration, if the lifting mechanism is configured to be able to lift the seat portion upward over the entire front and rear area when activated, the seat body in the reclined state can be lifted in a balanced manner both front and rear, which is preferable as it makes it possible to increase the comfort of the occupant seated in the seat body.

[0012] Furthermore, in the seating device having the above-mentioned configuration, the lifting mechanism is arranged below both the left and right ends of the seat, and has a pair of left and right arm parts that are arranged along the up and down direction when activated to lift the seat part, It is preferable that the arm portion be configured such that, when an impact force is applied, the upper end portion of the arm portion that is pushing up the seat portion is rotated so as to face forward, thereby releasing the lifted state of the seat portion.

[0013] In the seating device configured as described above, when an impact force is applied and the lifted state by the lifting mechanism is released, the seat bottom moves downward and forward. When a frontal impact force is applied, the area around the waist of an occupant seated in the seat body is subjected to inertial force and moves forward relative to the vehicle. However, with the seating device configured as described above, the seat bottom moves forward together with the occupant's lower body (around the waist). In other words, the lap belt of the seat belt restraining the waist (more specifically, the buckle and anchor members connecting the lap belt to the seat body) also moves forward together with the area around the waist. This prevents the submarine phenomenon, in which the occupant's waist slips through the lap belt and moves forward relative to the seat bottom, and ensures that the occupant's lower body (around the waist) is properly restrained.

[0014] Furthermore, in the seating device of the above configuration, if the lifting mechanism is configured to be able to lift the front and rear ends of the seat when activated, and the amount of lifting at the front end is greater than the amount of lifting at the rear end, then the occupant can sit on the reclined seat body with their thighs tilted so that their knees are lifted relative to their waists, which is preferable as it increases comfort when sitting compared to when the thighs are not tilted.

[0015] Furthermore, in the seating device of the above configuration, if the lifting mechanism is configured to be equipped with a delay means that delays the rotational movement of the arm portion when an impact force is applied, it becomes possible to suppress sudden movement of the arm portion, thereby suppressing sudden downward movement of the seat portion and preventing a large impact from being applied to the occupant in the early stages, which is preferable. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic side view showing a seating device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2 is a schematic front view showing the lower region of the seating device of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the seating device of FIG. [Figure 4] 2A and 2B are a schematic plan view and a schematic side view showing a lifting mechanism in the seating device of FIG. 1. [Figure 5] 2 is a block diagram showing a control device in the seating device of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is a schematic side view showing the seating device of FIG. 1 in a reclined state of the seat body. FIG. [Figure 7] 2 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the seating device of FIG. 1. [Figure 8] 2 is a schematic side view showing the state in which the lifting mechanism is activated and the seat body is lifted in the seating device of FIG. 1.

[0023] FIG. [Figure 9] 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing a state in which the seat body is released from the lifted state and moves downward in the seating device of FIG. 1 in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle after the seat body has been lifted. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing the state after FIG. 9. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing a seating device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] 12 is a schematic front view showing the lower region of the seating device of FIG. 11. FIG. [Figure 13] 12 is a schematic side view showing the state in which the lifting mechanism is activated and the seat body is lifted in the seating device of FIG. 11.

[0033] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the seating device M1 of the embodiment includes a seat body 5, a seat belt 15, and a lifting mechanism 25 disposed below the seat body 5. In the embodiment, the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions will be described as corresponding to the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions relative to the occupant MP seated in the seat body 5, unless otherwise specified. The embodiment will be described using an example in which the occupant MP is seated in the seat body 5 disposed facing forward in a vehicle (not shown). Furthermore, in the seating device M1 of the embodiment, the lifting mechanism 25 is configured to be controlled to operate by a control device 40 shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 when it detects the state of the seat belt 15 and a reclining state in which the backrest 7, described later, is tilted backward relative to the seat 6. The fastening state of the seat belt 15 is detected by detecting the state in which a tongue plate (not shown) is fastened to a buckle 18 (described later), and the reclined state is detected by detecting that the inclination angle α (see FIGS. 1 and 6) of the backrest 7 relative to the seat 6 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Specifically, in the case of the embodiment, the seating device M1 is configured to lift the seat main body 5 (seat 6) by the lifting mechanism 25 when it detects an occupant MP seated with the seat belt 15 fastened in the seat main body 5 in a reclined state in which the backrest 7 (described later) is tilted significantly backward relative to the seat 6 so as to assume a so-called comfortable posture during automatic driving of the vehicle, etc.

[0018] 1 and 5, the control device 40 is electrically connected to a position detection sensor 42 capable of detecting the position of the seat main body 5 relative to the vehicle (the state of placement in a rearmost position, which will be described later), an angle detection sensor 43 capable of detecting the inclination angle of the backrest 7 relative to the seat 6 (the reclined state of the seat main body 5), and a wearing detection sensor 44 capable of detecting the wearing state of the seat belt 15, as well as to a collision detection sensor 46 capable of detecting the acceleration and direction of acceleration of the vehicle, and is configured to input electrical signals from the position detection sensor 42, angle detection sensor 43, wearing detection sensor 44, or collision detection sensor 46 to operate a motor 28 and locking means 30, which will be described later, of the lifting mechanism 25. The angle detection sensor 43 and wearing detection sensor 44 are disposed at predetermined positions on the seat main body 5, and the control device 40, position detection sensor 42, and collision detection sensor 46 are disposed at predetermined positions on the vehicle body side.

[0019] The seat body 5 has a backrest 7 and a seat 6, and is equipped with a reclining mechanism 8 that can adjust the angle of the backrest 7 relative to the seat 6. The reclining mechanism 8 includes a reclining shaft 8a that rotatably connects the lower end of the backrest 7 to the rear end of the seat 6, and a reclining motor (not shown). In this embodiment, the reclining mechanism 8 is configured to adjust the tilt angle α (see FIGS. 1 and 6) of the backrest 7 relative to the seat 6 within a range of approximately 90° to 150°. In the seat body 5 of this embodiment, the seat surface of the seat 6 is tilted slightly downward toward the rear with respect to the horizontal plane (tilt angle relative to the horizontal plane: approximately 5°) even in the normal seated position, as shown in FIG. 1. In this embodiment, the seat body 5 is attached to the vehicle floor F via slide rails 10 so as to be slidable back and forth. The slide rails 10 (10L, 10R) are arranged below the left and right ends of the seat main body 5 along the front-rear direction so as to support the left and right ends of the seat main body 5 (see FIGS. 1 to 3). In this embodiment, the seat main body 5 is configured to be movable forward and backward on the slide rails 10 (10L, 10R) using a slide motor (not shown) as a drive source. In this embodiment, the slide rails 10 are configured to allow the seat main body 5 to slide forward and backward significantly, and are divided into a rear end region 11 (supporting the seat main body 5) that is arranged below the seat main body 5 when the seat main body 5 is positioned at its rearmost position (rearmost position), and a front region 12 (see FIGS. 1, 3, 6, and 8).

[0020] The seat belt 15 is a three-point restraint type seat belt mounted on the seat body 5, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, includes a belt body 16 for restraining an occupant MP seated in the seat body 5, a tongue plate (not shown) attached to the belt body 16, and a buckle 18 for connecting the tongue plate. In this embodiment, the buckle 18 is disposed on the rear right end side of the seat portion 6 of the seat body 5 (on the right side near the boundary between the backrest 7 and the seat portion 6) (see FIG. 3). One end of the belt body 16 is secured to a winding shaft of a retractor 20 disposed in the backrest 7, and the other end is secured to the rear left end side of the seat portion 6 of the seat body 5 by an anchor member 19, so that the belt can be unwound from the retractor when worn (see FIGS. 1 and 7). The belt main body 16 includes a lap belt 16a that is arranged along the left-right direction between the anchor member 19 and the buckle 18 when the tongue plate is fastened to the buckle 18 while the occupant is seated, and a shoulder belt 16b that extends from the upper left edge of the backrest 7 and is arranged diagonally toward the buckle 18 (see FIGS. 1 and 3). In the seat belt 15 of this embodiment, the shoulder belt 16b restrains the upper body MU (from the shoulders to the chest) of the occupant MP, and the lap belt 16a restrains the lower body MD (lower back MW) of the occupant MP.

[0021] In this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 25 is disposed between the floor F and the slide rail 10, which mounts the seat body 5 slidably relative to the floor F. Specifically, the lifting mechanism 25 is disposed in an area below the rear end portion 11 of the slide rail 10 (see FIGS. 1 to 3). In this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 25 is configured to lift the seat body 5, which is disposed on the rear end portion 11 of the slide rail 10 (rearmost position), upward along the entire front-to-rear area together with the rear end portion 11 of the slide rail 10 (see FIG. 8). Although not shown in detail, the lifting mechanism 25 is attached to the floor panel 2 (floor F), which is a member of the vehicle body 1. Specifically, the lifting mechanism 25 includes an arm portion 27 stored below the rear end portion 11 and a motor 28 electrically connected to the control device 40 and serving as a drive means for moving the arm portion 27. A pair of left and right arm portions 27 are disposed in the areas of the front end 6a and rear end 6b of the seat 6, respectively. That is, the lifting mechanism 25 of this embodiment includes four arm portions 27FL, 27FR, 27BL, and 27BR.

[0022] In the inoperative state, each of the arm portions 27FL, 27FR, 27BL, and 27BR is disposed directly below the slide rail 10 (rear end portion 11) and along the slide rail 10 (rear end portion 11) (along the front-to-rear direction) (see FIGS. 2 and 3). In the present embodiment, each of the arm portions 27FL, 27FR, 27BL, and 27BR has a front end 27a in the stored state rotatably attached to the slide rail 10 (rear end portion 11), and a rear end 27b in the stored state connected via a gear 29 to a motor 28 attached to the floor F (floor panel 2) (see A in FIG. 4). In detail, the front arm portions 27FL, 27FR disposed on the front side have their front ends 27a in the stored state attached to a region that is approximately directly below the front end 6a of the seat 6 in the rear end portion 11, and the rear arm portions 27BL, 27BR disposed on the rear side have their front ends 27a in the stored state attached to a region that is approximately directly below the rear end 6b of the seat 6 in the rear end portion 11. In the case of this embodiment, one motor 28 is disposed corresponding to each arm portion 27, and is connected to the rear end 27b of the arm portion 27 via a gear 29 so that the arm portion 27 can rotate around the rear end 27b when driven (see FIG. 4). When activated, each arm 27 rotates around its rear end 27b by driving the motor 28 so that its front end 27a, which is connected to the rear end portion 11, faces upward (see B in FIG. 4). When lifting is complete, the arm 27 is positioned vertically below the front end 6a and rear end 6b of the seat 6, as shown in FIG. 8. That is, in the lifting mechanism 25 of this embodiment, the four corners of the seat 6 are lifted upward by the four arms 27FL, 27FR, 27BL, and 27BR. The arm 27 can be maintained in its vertically aligned state (rotational movement state) when lifting is complete by locking it with a predetermined locking means 30 (details not shown) electrically connected to the control device 40.Furthermore, when each arm portion 27 is in a rotational movement maintaining state (seat portion 6 is completely lifted), the locked state by the locking means 30 is released when a frontal collision of the vehicle is detected, and once the locking by the locking means 30 is released, the arm portion 27 moves in a manner of falling forward as shown by the two-dot chain line in Figure 8 and Figures 9 and 10 due to the weight of the seat body 5 and the occupant MP (the downward pressing force exerted by the weight of the seat body 5 and the occupant MP themselves).

[0023] 1 and 8, the front arm portions 27FL, 27FR disposed on the front side are set longer in length than the rear arm portions 27BL, 27BR disposed on the rear side. That is, in this embodiment, the seat portion 6 (seat main body 5) is positioned so that the lift amount of the front end 6a side is greater than the lift amount of the rear end 6b side, and the seat portion 6 is tilted downward and rearward when the lifting is complete. Specifically, in the seating device M1 of this embodiment, when the lifting mechanism 25 is activated, the rear end 6b side of the seat portion 6 is lifted upward by approximately 100 to 200 mm. The front end 6a side of the seat portion 6 is lifted upward by a greater amount than the rear end 6b side. Specifically, the upward lift amount of the front end 6a side of the seat portion 6 is set so that the inclination angle β (see FIG. 8) of the seat portion 6 relative to the horizontal direction (floor F) is approximately 25° when the seat portion 6 is moved upward (lifted).

[0024] As described above, the lifting mechanism 25 is controlled by the control device 40, and in the case of the embodiment, specifically, when the vehicle is traveling and the seat body 5 is positioned at the rear end portion 11 (rearmost position) of the slide rail 10, and the seat body 5 is in a reclined state with the backrest 7 inclined relative to the seat portion 6, and the occupant MP is seated with the seat belt 15 fastened (the state shown in FIG. 6), the lifting mechanism 25 is activated to lift the seat body 5. Specifically, the lifting mechanism 25 is activated when the inclination angle α of the backrest 7 relative to the seat portion 6 is about 120°, that is, when the occupant MP is seated in a so-called comfortable position. Furthermore, when this lifting mechanism 25 detects a movement that returns the backrest portion 7 to the normal seating position (releasing the reclining state) while each arm portion 27 is in a state where its rotational movement is maintained (the seat body 5 is in a lifted state), it releases the locking by the locking member (not shown) and drives the motor 28, thereby restoring the position of each arm portion 27 (returning it to the stored position).

[0025] The operation of the seating device M1 of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 7. When the vehicle is in a traveling state (specifically, in an autonomous driving state), the control device 40 detects whether the seat belt 15 is fastened (step S1) and whether the seat body 5 is positioned in the rearmost position (step S2). If the control device 40 detects in step S3 that the angle of inclination α of the backrest 7 relative to the seat 6 is 120° or more, the control device 40 drives the motor 28 of the lifting mechanism 25 to rotate and move the arms 27, thereby lifting the seat 6 (step S4). Thereafter, while detecting that the inclination angle α of the backrest 7 with respect to the seat 6 is 120° or more (step S5), if the control device 40 detects a frontal collision of the vehicle (the action of an impact force from the front of the occupant MP) (step S6), it releases the locking means 30 that restricts the rotational movement of each arm 27 (step S7), and each arm 27 moves so as to tilt forward under the weight (downward pressing force) of the seat main body 5 and the occupant MP, causing the seat 6 (seat main body 5) to move downward. If it is not detected in step S5 that the inclination angle α of the backrest 7 with respect to the seat 6 is 120° or more (when it detects that the reclined state has been released), the control device 40 releases the locking means 30 and drives the motor 28 to restore the position of each arm 27 and release the lifted state of the seat 6 (step S8).

[0026] In the seating device M1 of the embodiment, when an occupant MP is seated on the seat main body 5, at least the region of the seat portion 6 on the rear end 6b side of the seat main body 5 is lifted upward relative to the floor F by operating the lifting mechanism 25. When an impact force acts from the front of the occupant MP in this state, the seat portion 6 is released from the lifted state by the lifting mechanism 25. That is, in the seating device M1 of the embodiment, when an impact force acts from the front, at least the region of the rear end 6b side of the seat portion 6 is moved downward. At this time, along with the downward movement of the region of the rear end 6b side of the seat portion 6, the area around the waist MW of the occupant MP seated on the seat main body 5 also instantaneously moves downward. When an impact force is applied from the front, the upper body of the occupant seated on the seat (seat main body) is subjected to inertial force and moves so as to collapse toward the thighs, as described above, but in the seating device M1 of the embodiment, when an impact force is applied from the front, when the upper body MU moves forward and downward so as to collapse toward the thighs MT, the lumbar region MW of the occupant MP also moves downward together with the vicinity of the rear end 6b of the seat portion 6. That is, in the seating device M1 of the embodiment, when the upper body MU (specifically, the region near the chest MB) moves toward the thighs MT, the distance between the region near the chest MB and the lumbar region MW is unlikely to decrease, so that the region near the chest MB can be prevented from suddenly approaching the thighs MT, and the load on the spine (lumbar vertebrae) located between the chest MB and the thighs MT can also be reduced. In addition, in the seating device M1 of the embodiment, when the seat portion 6 moves downward, the area around the lumbar region MW of the occupant MP also moves downward along with the seat portion, but there is a momentary time lag between the two. Therefore, even if the lumbar region MW moves forward relative to the seat (seat body, seat portion 6), the lap belt 16a can be prevented from digging into the abdomen of the occupant MP.

[0027] Therefore, the seating device M1 of the embodiment can adequately protect the seated occupant MP.

[0028] Furthermore, in the seating device M1 of the embodiment, when the lifting mechanism 25 detects that the seat belt 15 is fastened and that the backrest 7 is in a reclined state with respect to the seat 6 while the occupant MP is seated on the seat main body 5, it operates to lift the seat 6 upward. That is, in the seating device M1 of the embodiment, when the occupant MP is seated on the seat main body 5 in a reclined state, at least the area of ​​the seat 6 on the rear end 6b side of the seat main body 5 is lifted upward relative to the floor F. When an occupant is seated in a reclined seat, the amount of movement of the upper body (the area around the chest) is greater than in a normal seating state with the backrest in the normal position. Therefore, compared to a normal seating state, the load on the spine (lumbar vertebrae) as the area around the chest approaches the thighs is greater than in a normal seating state. However, in the seating device M1 of the embodiment, when an impact force from the front acts, as the upper body MU moves forward and downward so as to collapse toward the thighs MT, the lumbar region MW of the occupant MP, which is restrained by the seat belt 15, also moves downward together with the rear end 6b of the seat portion 6. This prevents the area around the chest MB from suddenly approaching the thighs MT, thereby reducing the load on the spine even if the amount of movement of the upper body MU is large. Therefore, the occupant MP can be appropriately restrained even when seated in the seat main body 5 in a reclined position.

[0029] Furthermore, in the seating device M1 of the embodiment, the lifting mechanism 25 is configured to be able to lift the seat portion 6 upward over the entire front and rear regions when activated. Therefore, the seat main body 5 in the reclined state can be lifted in a balanced manner both front and rear, thereby improving the comfort of the occupant MP seated in the seat main body 5. However, in cases where this point is not taken into consideration, or in cases where a seat main body is used that can tilt the seat portion so that the front end side is lifted when reclined, the lifting mechanism may be configured to lift only the rear end region of the seat portion upward.

[0030] Furthermore, in the seating device M1 of the embodiment, when the lifting mechanism 25 is activated, a pair of left and right arm portions 27 are arranged in the vertical direction below both left and right ends of the seat 6, and when an impact force is applied, the arm portions 27 rotate so that the upper end portion (front end 27a in the stored state) that is pushing up the seat 6 faces forward, thereby releasing the lifted state of the seat 6. That is, in the seating device M1 of the embodiment, when the lifted state by the lifting mechanism 25 is released when an impact force is applied, the seat 6 moves forward while moving downward as the arm portions 27 rotate (see FIGS. 8 to 10). When a frontal impact force is applied, the area around the lumbar region MW of the occupant MP seated in the seat main body 5 is subjected to inertial force and moves forward relative to the vehicle. However, with the seating device M1 configured as described above, the seat portion 6 moves forward together with the occupant MP's lower body (around the lumbar region MW). In other words, the lap belt 16a of the seat belt 15 restraining the lumbar region MW (more specifically, the buckle 18 and anchor member 19 connecting the lap belt 16a to the seat main body 5 (seat portion 6)) also moves forward together with the area around the lumbar region MW. This prevents the submarine phenomenon, in which the lumbar region MW of the occupant MP moves forward relative to the seat portion 6 so as to slip through the lap belt 16a, and also ensures that the occupant MP's lower body MD (around the lumbar region MW) is properly restrained. If this point is not taken into consideration, a lifting mechanism may be used that simply moves the seat portion downward in a lifted state, without moving it forward, to release the lifted state.

[0031] Furthermore, in the seating device M1 of the embodiment, the lifting mechanism 25 is configured to lift the front end 6a of the seat portion 6 by a larger amount than the rear end 6b thereof, and when the lifting is complete, the seat portion 6 is tilted so that the front end 6a is positioned upward. This allows the occupant MP to sit on the reclined seat body 5 with the thighs MT tilted so that the knees are lifted relative to the lower back MW. This is preferable because it increases comfort when seated compared to when the thighs are not tilted. Of course, if this point is not taken into consideration, a lifting mechanism configured to lift the front and rear ends of the seat by approximately the same amount may be used, or even one configured to lift the rear end by a larger amount than the front end.

[0032] 11 to 13 can also be used as the seating device M2. The seating device M2 has the same configuration as the seating device M1 described above except for the lifting mechanism 50, so the same components are given the same reference numerals and detailed explanations will be omitted.

[0033] In the seating device M2, the lifting mechanism 50 is equipped with a delay means for delaying the rotational movement of the arm portion 27 when an impact force is applied. Specifically, the lifting mechanism 50 is configured to include, as the delay means, an airbag device 52 and a receiving plate portion 57 for receiving the pressing force of an inflated airbag 53. Except for the airbag device 52 and the receiving plate portion 57, the lifting mechanism 50 has the same configuration as the lifting mechanism 25 in the seating device M1 described above. Therefore, in the lifting mechanism 50, the same members as those in the lifting mechanism 25 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 12, the airbag device 52 serving as the delay means is disposed in a region below the rear end portion 11 of the slide rail 10, between the arm portions 27. As shown in Fig. 11, the airbag device 52 includes an airbag 53 that can be inflated by flowing inflation gas therein, and an inflator 54 that is connected to the airbag 53 so as to supply inflation gas to the airbag 53. The inflator 54 is configured to be attached to the floor panel 2 using a predetermined bracket, and is electrically connected to the control device 40. When deployed flat, the airbag 53 has a generally rectangular outer shape that can widely cover the underside of the seat 6 in all directions, and is disposed on the floor F (floor panel 2) in a region between the arm portions 27 when deployed flat (see Figs. 11 and 12). After the arms 27 lift the seat 6, the inflator 54 receives an activation signal from the control device 40 when a frontal collision of the vehicle is detected, and operates to supply inflation gas to the inside of the airbag 53. The inflation gas from the inflator 54 flows into the airbag 53, and in this embodiment, the airbag 53 inflates to fill the space between the floor F (floor panel 2) and the receiving plate 57, as shown in FIG.

[0035] The receiving plate 57 is flat, and the vicinity of its four corners is rotatably connected to the upper and lower intermediate portions of the arms 27FL, 27FR, 27BL, and 27BR during rotational movement (when the seat 6 is lifted). When the lifting mechanism 50 is in an inoperative state, the receiving plate 57 is disposed between the airbag 53 and the rear end portion 11 of the slide rail 10 (see FIG. 12). When the lifting mechanism 50 is activated (when the seat 6 is lifted), the vicinity of the four corners of the receiving plate 57 rotates relative to the arms 27, and the receiving plate 57 is disposed so as to cover the upper part of the airbag device 52. In detail, when the lifting mechanism 50 is activated (when the seat 6 is lifted), the receiving plate 57 is disposed in a rearwardly downward inclined position so as to follow the rear end portion 11 (see FIG. 13).

[0036] In the seating device M2 configured as described above, when an impact force acts from in front of the occupant MP (toward the front of the vehicle) while the seat body 5 in a reclined position is lifted upward relative to the floor F by operating the lifting mechanism 50, the locking members (not shown) release the locking state of the arms 27, and the airbag 53 inflates below the seat portion 6 to fill the space between the floor F (floor panel 2) and the receiving plate 57 (see FIG. 13). Thereafter, each arm 27 is subjected to the weight (downward pressing force) of the seat body 5 and the occupant MP, causing it to move forward as if it were falling down. However, in the seating device M2, this downward pressing force is temporarily offset by the force exerted by the inflated airbag 53 to press the receiving plate 57 upward, and the rotational movement of each arm 27 is delayed. This makes it possible to prevent the arm 27 from moving suddenly, thereby preventing the seat 6 from moving downward suddenly, and thus preventing a large impact from being applied to the occupant MP in the early stages. In the seating device M2, an airbag device and a receiving plate that receives the pressing force of the inflated airbag are provided as delay means for delaying the rotational movement of the arm, but the delay means is not limited to the embodiment. For example, the delay means may be configured to delay the rotational movement of the arm by using the tension force of a spring.

[0037] In the embodiment, the case of an occupant MP seated in a seat body 5 disposed facing forward relative to the vehicle has been taken as an example and explained, but the orientation of the seat body relative to the vehicle is not limited to the embodiment, and for example, the seating device of the present invention can also be configured to be able to protect an occupant seated in a seat body disposed facing backward or sideways relative to the vehicle. Also, in the embodiment, the case of protecting an occupant MP seated in a seat body 5 in a reclined state has been taken as an example and explained, but the seating devices M1, M2 of the present invention can of course also adequately protect an occupant seated in a seat body in a normal state where the backrest is not significantly inclined relative to the seat portion. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 5...seat body, 6...seat portion, 6a...front end, 6b...rear end, 7...backrest portion, 8...reclining mechanism, 10...slide rail, 15...seat belt, 16...belt body, 16a...lap belt, 16b...shoulder belt, 25...lifting mechanism, 27 (27FL, 27FR, 27BL, 27BR)...arm portion, 27a...front end, 27b...rear end, 40...control device, 50...lifting mechanism, 52...airbag device (delay means), 57...receiving plate portion (delay means), MP...occupant, MU...upper body, MD...lower body, MW...waist, M1, S2...seating device.

Claims

1. A seating device that is mounted on a vehicle and can protect a seated occupant, a seat body having a backrest and a seat; a lifting mechanism disposed below the seat body and operable to lift at least a rear end region of the seat portion upward when actuated; With The seating device is characterized in that the lifting mechanism is operable to lift the seat portion upward when it detects that the occupant is seated on the seat body, and is configured to release the lifted state of the seat portion when it detects an impact force acting from in front of the occupant.

2. The seat body is provided with a reclining mechanism that can adjust the angle of the backrest relative to the seat portion, and is configured to be fitted with a three-point restraint seat belt, The seating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the lifting mechanism is configured to be operable to lift the seat portion upward when it detects that the seat belt is fastened and that the backrest portion is in a reclined state with respect to the seat portion when the occupant is seated on the seat body.

3. 3. The seating device according to claim 2, wherein the lifting mechanism is configured to be able to lift the seat upward over the entire front and rear areas when activated.

4. The lifting mechanism is arranged below both left and right ends of the seat, and has a pair of left and right arm parts that are arranged along the up and down direction when activated to lift the seat, The seating device according to claim 3, characterized in that the arm portion is configured to rotate and move so that the upper end portion that is pushing up the seat portion faces forward when the impact force is applied, thereby releasing the lifted state of the seat portion.

5. The seating device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the lifting mechanism is configured to be able to lift the front and rear end sides of the seat when activated, and is configured so that the amount of lifting on the front end side is greater than the amount of lifting on the rear end side.

6. 3. The seating device according to claim 2, wherein the lifting mechanism has a delay means for delaying the rotational movement of the arm portion when the impact force is applied.

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