Blower protection structure of seatback, and vehicle seat

Abstract

To prevent or suppress drawing-in of secondary air.SOLUTION: In a blower protection structure of a seatback, a mounting bracket 40 is mounted indirectly to a pair of left and right lumbar wires spanning between an upper portion and a lower portion of a seatback frame of a vehicle seat. A blower 46 disposed at a seatback rear side with respect to the mounting bracket is urged toward the mounting bracket 40 side by an urging portion 60.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat, and more particularly to a fan protection structure for a seat back. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a vehicle seat used as a front seat of a vehicle. In this vehicle seat, a pair of left and right wires (lumbar wires) are suspended between the upper and lower parts of a seatback frame. Plates (mounting brackets) are attached to the left and right lumbar wires. A blower is attached to the mounting brackets. This blower is a fan for a seat ventilation system that generates an airflow on the surface of the seatback to promote ventilation of the surface of the seatback. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-144605 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned prior art, when an occupant kneels on the seatback while the front seat is reclined and moves to the rear seat, the occupant's weight is applied directly above the blower, which can damage the attachment portion between the blower and the mounting bracket. In this case, the blower draws in secondary air through the gap between the blower and the mounting bracket, reducing the amount of air intake from the occupant's side, reducing the occupant's sense of coolness and increasing noise.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a seat back blower protection structure and a vehicle seat that can prevent or suppress the inhalation of secondary air. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The first aspect of the seatback blower protection structure comprises a pair of left and right lumbar wires stretched between the upper and lower parts of a seatback frame of a vehicle seat, mounting brackets attached directly or indirectly to the left and right lumbar wires, a blower positioned on the rear side of the seatback relative to the mounting brackets, and a biasing portion that biases the blower toward the mounting bracket.

[0007] In the first aspect of the seatback fan protection structure, a pair of left and right lumbar wires are suspended between the upper and lower parts of a seatback frame of a vehicle seat. Mounting brackets are directly or indirectly attached to the left and right lumbar wires. A blower is disposed on the rear side of the seatback relative to the mounting brackets. The blower is biased toward the mounting bracket by a biasing portion. This prevents or suppresses the occurrence of a gap between the blower and the mounting bracket, thereby preventing or suppressing the blower from drawing in secondary air through the gap.

[0008] The fan protection structure for a seat back of a second aspect is the same as that of the first aspect, in which the fan is attached to a surface of the mounting bracket on the rear side of the seat back.

[0009] In the seatback fan protection structure of the second aspect, even if an occupant kneels on the reclined seatback and the attachment portion between the fan and the attachment bracket is broken, the biasing portion can hold the fan on the attachment bracket, thereby ensuring a fail-safe function in the event that the attachment portion is broken.

[0010] The third aspect of the seat back fan protection structure is the first or second aspect, in which the urging portion has a long, stretchable portion that is stretchable and is wrapped around the mounting bracket and the fan.

[0011] In the seat back fan protection structure of the third aspect, the biasing portion having a long, stretchable portion is wrapped around the mounting bracket and the fan, making it easy to attach the biasing portion to the mounting bracket and the fan.

[0012] The fourth aspect of the seat back fan protection structure is the third aspect, in which the urging portion is formed in a sheet shape with the thickness direction being the fore-and-aft direction of the seat back, is positioned on the rear side of the seat back relative to the fan, and has a sheet-like portion to which the extension / contraction portion is fixed.

[0013] According to the fourth aspect of the seat back fan protection structure, a sheet-like portion having a thickness that is the longitudinal direction of the seat back is disposed behind the fan, and a long, extensible portion is fixed to the sheet-like portion and is wound around the mounting bracket and the fan. The sheet-like portion can protect the fan from the rear of the seat back.

[0014] The fifth aspect of the seat back blower protection structure is the fourth aspect, in which the stretchable portion is wrapped around the sheet-like portion, and the sheet-like portion has a positioning portion that engages with the longitudinal middle portion of the stretchable portion to position the stretchable portion on the sheet-like portion.

[0015] In the fifth aspect of the seatback fan protection structure, a long stretchable part is wrapped around a sheet-like part that is located behind the seatback relative to the fan, and a positioning part provided on the sheet-like part engages with a longitudinal middle part of the stretchable part. This positions the stretchable part relative to the sheet-like part, preventing, for example, the stretchable part from blocking the intake and exhaust ports of the fan due to a misaligned stretchable part.

[0016] A sixth aspect of the seat back fan protection structure is the fourth or fifth aspect, wherein the sheet-like portion is formed with a positioning hole into which a part of the fan is fitted.

[0017] In the seat back fan protection structure of the sixth aspect, a part of the fan fits into a positioning hole in the sheet-like portion located on the rear side of the seat back relative to the fan, preventing the sheet-like portion from shifting in position relative to the fan. As a result, for example, it is possible to prevent the intake and exhaust ports of the fan from being blocked by a shifted sheet-like portion.

[0018] A seventh aspect of the seat back fan protection structure is the fourth aspect, wherein the sheet-like portion is made of a cloth-like material.

[0019] In the seventh aspect of the seat back fan protection structure, the sheet-like portion disposed on the rear side of the seat back relative to the fan is made of a cloth material, so that the sheet-like portion can effectively protect the fan from the rear side of the seat back.

[0020] The vehicle seat of the eighth aspect comprises a seat cushion on which an occupant sits and a seat back that supports the back of the occupant, and the seat back has a seat back blower protection structure of any one of the first to seventh aspects.

[0021] In the vehicle seat of the eighth aspect, the back of an occupant seated on a seat cushion is supported by the seat back. This seat back has the fan protection structure for a seat back of any one of the first to seventh aspects, and therefore the above-mentioned effects can be obtained. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] As described above, the seat back blower protection structure and vehicle seat according to the present invention can prevent or suppress the inhalation of secondary air. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing a vehicle seat according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a portion of the seat back of the vehicle seat. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a first perspective view showing the mounting bracket, the blower, and the biasing portion. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a second perspective view showing the mounting bracket, the blower, and the biasing portion. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a side view corresponding to FIG. 1 for explaining the load applied to the reclined seat back. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a side view corresponding to FIG. 1 for explaining a load applied to the rear surface of the seat back. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a first perspective view showing a blower and a biasing portion of a vehicle seat according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a second perspective view showing the blower and the biasing portion of the vehicle seat according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] First Embodiment A vehicle seat 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 10. Note that in each figure, some reference numerals may be omitted to make the drawings easier to understand. Arrows FR, LH, RH, and UP, which are appropriately shown in each figure, respectively indicate the front, left, right, and top of the vehicle seat 10. Hereinafter, when the front-rear, left-right, top-bottom directions are used in the description, they will indicate directions relative to the vehicle seat 10.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 1, a vehicle seat 10 according to this embodiment is, for example, a front seat of a vehicle, and includes a seat cushion 12 on which an occupant sits, a seat back 14 that supports the occupant's back, and a headrest 16 that supports the occupant's head. The seat cushion 12 is connected to the floor of the vehicle via a well-known slide mechanism 18. The lower end of the seat back 14 is connected to the rear end of the seat cushion 12 via a well-known reclining mechanism 20. The headrest 16 is connected to the upper end of the seat back 14 so that its vertical position can be adjusted.

[0026] The seat back 14 includes a seat back frame 22 (see FIG. 2) which is a framework member, a seat back pad 24 which is a cushioning material, and a trim cover 26 which is an upholstery material. As shown in FIG. 2, the seat back frame 22 includes a pair of left and right side frames 28, an upper frame 30 which connects upper ends of the left and right side frames 28 in the left-right direction, an upper bracket 32 ​​attached to the upper frame 30, and a lower frame 34 which connects lower ends of the left and right side frames 28 in the left-right direction.

[0027] The left and right side frames 28, the upper bracket 32, and the lower frame 34 are made of, for example, press-formed metal plate material, and the upper frame 30 is made of, for example, bent metal pipe material. The upper frame 30 has a generally inverted U-shape when viewed in the front-rear direction, and the upper bracket 32 ​​spans between the left and right ends of the lower part of the upper frame 30.

[0028] The seatback pad 24 is made of a foam such as urethane foam, and is placed over the seatback frame 22. The trim cover 26 is formed into a bag shape by sewing together multiple pieces of skin made of, for example, cloth, leather, or synthetic leather, and is placed over the seatback pad 24 from above.

[0029] A pair of left and right lumbar wires 36 are suspended between an upper bracket 32 ​​provided on the upper part of the seatback frame 22 and a lower frame 34 provided at the lower end of the seatback 14. The left and right lumbar wires 36 extend in the vertical direction and are spaced apart in the horizontal direction. The lower ends of the left and right lumbar wires 36 are connected in the horizontal direction by a connecting wire 37, which is fixed to the lower frame 34. The left and right lumbar wires 36 and the connecting wire 37 are integrally formed from, for example, a metal wire.

[0030] A lumbar support plate 38 is attached to the left and right lumbar wires 36 via a lumbar support drive mechanism (not shown). The lumbar support plate 38 is made of, for example, injection-molded resin and is formed in a generally plate-like shape with its longitudinal direction extending up and down and its thickness direction extending back and forth. The lumbar support plate 38 is disposed forward of the left and right lumbar wires 36 and is in contact with the back surface of the seatback pad 24. The lumbar support drive mechanism displaces the lumbar support plate 38 in the front-rear direction using the driving force of a motor. This allows the strength of support for the occupant's lower back to be adjusted.

[0031] A mounting bracket 40 is disposed within the seat back 14 above the lumbar support plate 38. The mounting bracket 40 is formed into a plate shape, for example, from injection-molded resin, and is formed in a generally plate-like shape with the left-right direction as the longitudinal direction and the front-rear direction as the thickness direction. The mounting bracket 40 is disposed forward of the left and right lumbar wires 36 and is indirectly attached to the left and right lumbar wires 36 via another wire (not shown) and the above-mentioned lumbar support mechanism. However, the mounting bracket 40 may also be configured to be directly attached to the left and right lumbar wires 36.

[0032] 2 to 4, a blower 46 is attached to the center of the mounting bracket 40 in the left-right direction. The blower 46 is disposed on the rear side of the mounting bracket 40. The blower 46 is, for example, a centrifugal blower, and includes a turbofan (not shown) whose axis is in the front-to-rear direction, and a case 48 that houses the turbofan. The case 48 is made of, for example, injection-molded resin, has a rectangular shape when viewed in the front-to-rear direction, and is formed to be thin in the front-to-rear direction.

[0033] 4 and 5, a circular through-hole 42 is formed in the center of the mounting bracket 40 in the left-right direction. An air intake 48A provided in a case 48 of a blower 46 is inserted into this through-hole 42. The air intake 48A has a cylindrical shape with its axis in the front-to-rear direction, and is disposed in contact with the back surface of the seatback pad 24. Although not shown, a plurality of air intake holes are formed in the seatback pad 24 at a location opposite the air intake 48A.

[0034] 6, a cylindrical fan housing portion 48B having a bottom and a cylindrical peripheral wall portion 48B1 and a bottom wall portion 48B2 with its axis aligned in the front-to-rear direction is provided at the rear of the case 48. A turbofan is housed inside the peripheral wall portion 48B1, and is covered from the rear side by the bottom wall portion 48B2. A plurality of exhaust ports (not shown) are formed in the peripheral wall portion 48B1.

[0035] A motor (not shown) that rotates the turbofan is provided inside the case 48. When the turbofan is rotated by this motor, air on the front side of the seat back 14 (i.e., the passenger side) is drawn into the intake port 48A through the plurality of intake holes and is then exhausted from the plurality of exhaust holes. In Figures 2 to 4 and 6, reference numeral 50 denotes a harness for supplying power to the motor.

[0036] Two upper and lower fastening pieces 52 are provided at each of the left and right ends of the case 48. Each fastening piece 52 is plate-shaped with its thickness direction extending in the front-to-rear direction, and a circular screw hole 54 is formed in the center of each fastening piece 52. Four fastening seats 44 are formed in the mounting bracket 40 corresponding to these four fastening pieces 52. Each fastening seat 44 is generally cylindrical with its axis extending in the front-to-rear direction.

[0037] A nut (not shown) is embedded in each fastening seat 44 by, for example, insert molding. Each fastening piece 52 is overlapped with each fastening seat 44 from the rear side, and a screw 56 (see FIG. 3) inserted into each screw hole 54 is threaded into the nut of each fastening seat 44. In this way, the blower 46 is attached to the rear surface of the mounting bracket 40.

[0038] The blower 46 is biased toward the mounting bracket 40 by a biasing portion 60 shown in Figures 2 to 4 and 7 to 8. The biasing portion 60 is made up of a rubber band 64, which is an elastic portion, a resin plate 62, which is a sheet-like portion, and a J-hook 66, which is a fixing device. The biasing portion 60, together with the left and right lumbar wires 36, the mounting bracket 40, and the blower 46, constitutes the "seat back blower protection structure" according to the present invention.

[0039] The rubber band 64 is in the form of a long strip and is elastically stretchable. The resin plate 62 is made of a resin plate material and is in the form of a substantially rectangular plate (sheet). The resin plate 62 is disposed on the rear side of the blower 46 with its plate thickness direction aligned in the front-to-rear direction. A semicircular positioning hole 68 is formed in the lower part of the resin plate 62. The lower part of the fan housing portion 48B of the case 48 is fitted into this positioning hole 68. The upper part of the resin plate 62 contacts the upper part of the fan housing portion 48B from the rear side.

[0040] Both longitudinal ends of a rubber band 64 are fixed by sewing or other means to both left and right ends of the upper part of the resin plate 62. A J hook 66 is attached to the middle part of the upper part of the resin plate 62 in the left and right direction. The J hook 66 is manufactured by extrusion molding of resin, for example, and is fixed to the resin plate 62 by sewing or other means. It has a J shape when viewed from the left and right direction.

[0041] The rubber band 64 is wrapped around the blower 46 and the mounting bracket 40 from the front side, and the center portion of the rubber band 64 in the longitudinal direction is hooked onto the J hook 66. In this way, the rubber band 64 is wrapped around the blower 46, the mounting bracket 40, and the resin plate 62. The rubber band 64 presses the resin plate 62 against the blower 46 from the rear side, and the blower 46 is urged toward the mounting bracket 40 (i.e., toward the front side).

[0042] Rectangular notches 70 are formed at both left and right ends of the upper and lower edges of the resin plate 62. These notches 70 correspond to the "positioning portions" of the present invention. A longitudinal middle portion of the rubber band 64 engages (fits in this case) with these notches 70. This positions the longitudinal middle portion of the rubber band 64 on the resin plate 62, preventing the rubber band 64 from shifting position relative to the resin plate 62.

[0043] In the vehicle seat 10 configured as described above, the back of an occupant seated on the seat cushion 12 is supported by the seat back 14. In the seat back fan protection structure of this seat back 14, a mounting bracket 40 is indirectly attached to a pair of left and right lumbar wires 36 that are bridged between the upper and lower parts of the seat back frame 22. A blower 46 is attached to the rear surface of the mounting bracket 40. The blower 46 is biased toward the mounting bracket 40 by a biasing portion 60.

[0044] Therefore, for example, as shown in Figure 9, even if the attachment portion between blower 46 and mounting bracket 40 (i.e., fastening piece 52 and fastening seat 44) is destroyed when an occupant kneels on reclined seat back 14 and the occupant's weight (see arrow F1 in Figure 9) is applied directly above blower 46, as shown in Figure 9, the biasing portion 60 can hold blower 46 to mounting bracket 40.

[0045] This prevents or suppresses the blower 46 from separating from the mounting bracket 40 and also prevents or suppresses the formation of a gap between the blower 46 and the mounting bracket 40, thereby preventing or suppressing the blower 46 from drawing in secondary air through the gap. This ensures a fail-safe function in case the mounting portion is destroyed. As a result, passenger comfort (a feeling of coolness) can be ensured and an increase in noise from the blower 46 can be suppressed.

[0046] It is also possible to increase the rigidity of the mounting bracket 40, for example, instead of providing the biasing portion 60. However, increasing the rigidity of the mounting bracket 40 raises concerns that occupant injury protection performance (especially whiplash protection), which is one of the basic performance characteristics of a vehicle seat, may deteriorate. In this regard, in the present embodiment, a certain degree of damage to the attachment portion between the blower 46 and the mounting bracket 40 can be tolerated, making it possible to achieve both occupant comfort and noise suppression performance, as well as occupant injury protection performance.

[0047] In this embodiment, the urging portion 60 includes a long elastic rubber band 64, which is wound around the mounting bracket 40 and the blower 46. Since the urging portion 60 is wound around the mounting bracket 40 and the blower 46 in this manner, the urging portion 60 can be easily attached to the mounting bracket 40 and the blower 46.

[0048] Moreover, the biasing portion 60 is formed in a sheet shape with its thickness direction aligned with the front-to-rear direction of the seat back 14, and is disposed rearward of the blower 46, with a resin plate 62 having a rubber band 64 fixed thereto. Therefore, even if a rear seat occupant (not shown) kicks the back of the seat back 14 and an impact load (see arrow F2 in FIG. 10) is applied to the back of the seat back 14 from the rear, the resin plate 62 can protect the blower 46 from the rear.

[0049] Furthermore, even if the mounting portion between the blower 46 and the mounting bracket 40 is destroyed by the impact load F2, it is possible to prevent or suppress the occurrence of a gap between the blower 46 and the mounting bracket 40, thereby preventing or suppressing the blower from drawing in secondary air through the gap.

[0050] In the above-described biasing portion 60, a rubber band 64 is wound around the resin plate 62, and a longitudinal middle portion of the rubber band 64 is fitted into a notch 70 formed in the resin plate 62. This positions the rubber band 64 relative to the resin plate 62, and therefore, it is possible to prevent the rubber band 64 from being misaligned with the resin plate 62 from blocking the intake port 48A of the blower 46, for example.

[0051] Furthermore, the resin plate 62 is formed with a positioning hole 68 into which a part of the fan housing portion 48B of the blower 46 is fitted. This makes it possible to prevent the resin plate 62 from being misaligned with the blower 46. As a result, it is possible to prevent, for example, the exhaust port of the blower 46 from being blocked by the resin plate 62 that is misaligned with the blower 46.

[0052] In the first embodiment, the resin plate 62 (sheet-like portion) is configured to have the positioning holes 68 and the notches 70 (positioning portions), but the present invention is not limited to this, and the resin plate 62 may be configured not to have the positioning holes 68 and the notches 70. Also, for example, an engaging portion such as a notch formed in the resin plate 62 may be engaged with the blower 46 or the rubber band 64 to prevent the resin plate 62 and the rubber band 64 from shifting in position.

[0053] <Second embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment are used for the configurations and operations that are basically the same as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0054] 11 and 12 are perspective views showing a blower 46 and a biasing unit 80 of a vehicle seat according to the second embodiment. Note that the mounting bracket 40 is not shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. In this embodiment, the biasing unit 80 is made up of a cloth-like portion 82 made of a cloth-like material (e.g., felt) and a pair of left and right rubber bands 64 fixed to the cloth-like portion 82. The cloth-like portion 82 corresponds to the "sheet-like portion" in this invention. Note that the material of the cloth-like portion 82 is not limited to cloth, and any sheet-like or plate-like material that has flexibility and shock absorption properties similar to that of a thick cloth may be used, such as rubber or foam.

[0055] The cloth portion 82 is rectangular when viewed from the front-to-rear direction and is sheet-shaped with its thickness in the front-to-rear direction, and is disposed rearward of the blower 46. The left and right rubber bands 64 have one longitudinal end fixed (sewn) to both left and right ends of the upper end of the cloth portion 82, and the other longitudinal end fixed (sewn) to both left and right ends of the lower end of the cloth portion 82. The left and right rubber bands 64 are wrapped around the blower 46 and the mounting bracket 40, and the biasing portion 80 biases the blower 46 toward the mounting bracket 40. In this embodiment, the configuration other than that described above is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0056] In this embodiment as well, the blower 46 can be held on the mounting bracket by the biasing portion 80, and as in the first embodiment, it is possible to prevent or suppress the intake of secondary air from the gap between the blower 46 and the mounting bracket 40. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a cloth portion 82 made of a cloth-like material is arranged on the rear side of the blower 46, and therefore the blower 46 can be effectively protected from an impact load applied to the back of the seat back 14 (see arrow F2 in FIG. 10).

[0057] In the above embodiments, the urging portions 60, 80 are configured to include a resin plate 62, which is a sheet-like portion, and a cloth-like portion 82, but this is not limited to this, and the urging portions 60, 80 may also be configured to consist of only a rubber band 64.

[0058] Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, the blower 46 is attached (fastened and fixed) to the mounting bracket 40, but this is not limiting, and the blower 46 may not be attached to the mounting bracket 40, but may be held to the mounting bracket 40 only by the biasing force of the biasing portion. In this case, it is preferable to prevent the blower 46 from shifting position relative to the mounting bracket 40 by, for example, using a guide shape or the like provided on the mounting bracket 40 or the blower 46.

[0059] In addition, the present invention can be implemented in various modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 10 Vehicle seats 12 seat cushions 14 Seat back 22 Seat back frame 36 Lumber wire 40 Mounting bracket 46 Blower 60 energizing section 62 Resin plate (sheet-shaped part) 64 Rubber band (stretchable part) 80 energizing section 82 Cloth-like part (sheet-like part)

Claims

1. a pair of left and right lumbar wires stretched between an upper portion and a lower portion of a seat back frame of a vehicle seat; mounting brackets attached directly or indirectly to the left and right lumbar wires; a blower disposed on the rear side of the seat back relative to the mounting bracket; a biasing portion that biases the fan toward the mounting bracket; A seatback blower protection structure equipped with a

2. 2. The fan protection structure for a seat back according to claim 1, wherein the fan is attached to a surface of the mounting bracket on a rear side of the seat back.

3. 3. The fan protection structure for a seat back according to claim 1, wherein the biasing portion includes a long, stretchable portion that is wound around the mounting bracket and the fan.

4. The seat back blower protection structure according to claim 3, wherein the biasing portion is formed in a sheet shape with a thickness direction in the front-to-rear direction of the seat back, is positioned on the rear side of the seat back relative to the blower, and has a sheet-like portion to which the extension portion is fixed.

5. the stretchable portion is wrapped around the sheet-like portion, 5. The fan protection structure for a seat back according to claim 4, wherein the sheet-like portion has a positioning portion that engages with a longitudinal intermediate portion of the stretchable portion to position the stretchable portion on the sheet-like portion.

6. 6. The fan protection structure for a seat back according to claim 4, wherein the sheet-like portion is formed with a positioning hole into which a part of the fan is fitted.

7. 5. The fan protection structure for a seat back according to claim 4, wherein the sheet-like portion is made of a cloth-like material.

8. A seat cushion on which an occupant sits; a seat back that supports the back of the occupant; Equipped with 3. A vehicle seat, wherein the seat back has the fan protection structure for a seat back according to claim 1.

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