Blower protection structure of seatback, and vehicle seat

Abstract

To protect a blower from impact load applied to the back surface of a seatback.SOLUTION: A blower protection structure of a seatback comprises: a pair of left and right lumbar wires 36 spanning between an upper portion and a lower portion of a seatback frame of a vehicle seat; a blower mounted indirectly to the left and right lumbar wires 36; and a fabric-like member 60 disposed at a seatback rear side with respect to the blower and having a pair of left and right insertion holes 62 inserted through the left and right lumbar wires 36.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

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] In the vehicle seat disclosed in Patent Document 1 below, a blower unit incorporated inside the seat back is supported so as to be displaced toward the rear by a load acting from the front side of the seat back. The backboard of the seat back has an opening facing the blower unit. The entire surface of this backboard, including the opening, is covered with a skin. A protective sheet is integrally provided on the backside of the skin at a portion of the opening that would interfere with the displacement of the blower unit toward the rear. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-104769 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned prior art, for example, when a rear seat passenger kicks the back of the seatback, the protective sheet can protect the air blower unit, thereby preventing or suppressing damage to the air blower unit. However, since a process of integrating the protective sheet with the surface skin is required, there is room for improvement in terms of ease of manufacturing.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a fan protection structure for a seat back and a vehicle seat that can protect a fan from impact loads applied to the rear surface of the seat back and that are easy to manufacture. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The first embodiment of the seatback blower protection structure comprises a pair of left and right lumbar wires stretched between the upper and lower parts of the seatback frame of a vehicle seat, a blower attached directly or indirectly to the left and right lumbar wires, and a cloth-like member having a pair of left and right engaging portions engaged with the left and right lumbar wires and positioned on the rear side of the seatback relative to the blower.

[0007] In a first aspect of the seatback fan protection structure, a fan is attached directly or indirectly to a pair of left and right lumbar wires that are suspended between the upper and lower parts of a seatback frame of a vehicle seat. A cloth member is disposed behind the seatback relative to the fan. This protects the fan from impact loads applied to the back of the seatback. Moreover, the cloth member is attached to the left and right lumbar wires by having its left and right locking portions lock onto the left and right lumbar wires, eliminating the need for a process for integrating the seatback skin and the cloth member, making manufacturing easier. Furthermore, the use of a cloth member makes it easy to ensure freedom in the design and shape of the back of the seatback.

[0008] In the seat back fan protection structure of the second aspect, in the first aspect, the left and right locking portions are a pair of left and right insertion holes through which left and right lumbar wires are inserted.

[0009] In the second aspect of the seat back fan protection structure, the left and right lumbar wires are inserted into the left and right insertion holes of the cloth member, thereby attaching the cloth member to the left and right lumbar wires, thereby simplifying the configuration of the cloth member.

[0010] A seat back fan protection structure of a third aspect is the first or second aspect, in which the fabric member is sandwiched between an upper bracket of a seat back frame and the fan.

[0011] In the third aspect of the seatback fan protection structure, a flexible fabric member is sandwiched between the upper bracket of the seatback frame and the fan. This prevents the fan from directly hitting the upper bracket when an occupant kneels on the reclined seatback, for example, and as a result, noise can be prevented.

[0012] The seat back fan protection structure of the fourth aspect is any one of the first to third aspects, in which the upper part of the cloth member is formed so that the dimension in the left-right direction of the seat back decreases as it moves toward the upper side of the seat back.

[0013] In the seatback fan protection structure of the fourth aspect, the upper part of the cloth member is formed as described above, which makes it possible to prevent interference between the headrest stay and the cloth member, for example. Also, in a configuration in which the cloth member is sandwiched between the upper bracket of the seatback frame and the fan, as in the third aspect, it becomes easier to sandwich the cloth member between the upper bracket and the fan during the manufacture of the vehicle seat.

[0014] The fifth aspect of the seat back fan protection structure is any one of the first to fourth aspects, in which a harness protection portion is provided at the lower part of the cloth member, covering the root portion of the fan harness from the rear side of the seat back.

[0015] In the fifth aspect of the seat back fan protection structure, the root portion of the fan harness is covered from the rear side of the seat back by the harness protection portion provided at the bottom of the cloth-like member, so that the root portion of the harness can be protected by the cloth-like member.

[0016] A sixth aspect of the vehicle seat 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 according to any one of the first to fifth aspects.

[0017] In the vehicle seat of the sixth aspect, the back of an occupant seated on a seat cushion is supported by a seat back. This seat back has the fan protection structure of any one of the first to fifth aspects, and therefore the above-mentioned effects can be obtained. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] As described above, the seatback fan protection structure and vehicle seat according to the present invention can protect the fan from impact loads applied to the rear surface of the seatback and is easy to manufacture. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [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. 3 is a first perspective view showing a portion of the configuration shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a second perspective view of a portion of the configuration shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a portion of the left and right lumbar wires and a cloth member. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a portion of the left and right lumbar wires. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a side view corresponding to FIG. 1 for explaining a load applied to the rear surface of the seat back. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a side view corresponding to FIG. 1 for explaining the load applied to the reclined seat back. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] A vehicle seat 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 9. 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 depicted 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.

[0021] 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.

[0022] The seat back 14 includes a seat back frame 22 (see FIGS. 2 to 4) 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 FIGS. 2 to 4, 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.

[0023] 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.

[0024] 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.

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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 into 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 attached to the left and right lumbar wires 36 via another wire (not shown) and the above-mentioned lumbar support drive mechanism. Note that the mounting bracket 40 may also be configured to be directly attached to the left and right lumbar wires 36.

[0028] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a blower 46 is attached to the center of the mounting bracket 40 in the left-right direction. The blower 46 is disposed rearward of the mounting bracket 40 and is indirectly attached to the left and right lumbar wires 36 via the mounting bracket 40, the separate wire, and the lumbar support drive mechanism. The blower 46 may also be directly attached to the left and right lumbar wires 36. 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 from the front-to-rear direction, and is formed to be thin in the front-to-rear direction.

[0029] 3, 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.

[0030] 4, a cylindrical fan housing portion 48B having a bottom and a cylindrical peripheral wall portion 48B1 and a bottom wall portion 48B2 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.

[0031] A motor (not shown) that rotates the turbofan is provided inside case 48. When the turbofan is rotated by this motor, air on the front side of seat back 14 (i.e., the passenger side) is drawn into intake port 48A through the multiple intake holes and is then exhausted from the multiple exhaust holes. In Figures 2 to 4, reference numeral 50 denotes a harness for supplying power to the motor.

[0032] 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 extending in the front-to-rear direction, and a circular screw hole (reference numeral omitted) is formed in the center of each fastening piece 52. Four fastening seats (not shown) are formed in the mounting bracket 40 corresponding to these four fastening pieces 52.

[0033] A nut (not shown) is embedded in each fastening seat by, for example, insert molding. Each fastening piece 52 is overlapped with its corresponding fastening seat from the rear side, and a screw (number omitted) inserted into the screw hole of each fastening piece 52 is threaded into the nut of the corresponding fastening seat. In this way, the blower 46 is attached to the rear surface of the mounting bracket 40.

[0034] 2 and 3, a cloth-like member (blower protection member) 60 is disposed within the seat back 14 behind the blower 46, and the cloth-like member 60 covers the blower 42 from the rear side. This cloth-like member 60, together with the left and right lumbar wires 36 and the blower 42, constitutes the "seat back blower protection structure" of the present invention. This cloth-like member 60 is formed in a sheet shape from a cloth-like material (e.g., felt) and is disposed in an orientation with its thickness direction in the front-to-rear direction. Note that the material of the cloth-like member 60 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.

[0035] 5 and 7, the upper part 60A of the cloth-like member 60 is generally triangular when viewed from the front-to-rear direction, and is formed so that the left-to-right dimension decreases as it moves upward. Insertion holes 62 are formed at both the left and right ends of the upper part 60A of the cloth-like member 60. The left and right insertion holes 62 each correspond to the "locking portion" in this invention.

[0036] The left and right insertion holes 62 penetrate the cloth member 60 in the front-to-rear direction, and are slit-like in shape extending in the left-to-right direction. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the upper parts of the left and right lumbar wires 36 are inserted from the front into the left and right insertion holes 62. In this way, the cloth member 60 is fastened (attached) to the left and right lumbar wires 36. As shown in FIG. 6, the upper parts of the left and right lumbar wires 36 are formed with bent portions 36A that are bent in a crank shape. These bent portions 36A engage with the edges of the respective insertion holes 62, thereby restricting downward displacement of the cloth member 60 relative to the left and right lumbar wires 36.

[0037] Furthermore, for example, instead of left and right insertion holes 62, a pair of left and right resin clips may be attached to cloth member 60 by sewing or other means as a pair of left and right locking portions, and these resin clips may be used to lock cloth member 60 to left and right lumbar wires 36.

[0038] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the upper part 60A of the fabric member 60 is sandwiched between the upper bracket 32 ​​of the seatback frame 22 and the blower 42. The upper end of the fabric member 60 protrudes upward beyond the upper bracket 32. As shown in Figures 2, 5 and 7, the lower part 60B of the fabric member 60 is generally T-shaped when viewed from the front-to-rear direction. A harness protection part 60B1 is provided at the lower part of the fabric member 60, covering, from the rear side, the root part of the harness 50 that extends from the lower end of the blower 42.

[0039] 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, the fan 46 is indirectly attached to a pair of left and right lumbar wires 36 that are stretched between the upper and lower parts of the seat back frame 22. A cloth member 60 is arranged behind the fan 46.

[0040] Therefore, even if, for example, an occupant in a rear seat (not shown) kicks the back of seatback 14 and an impact load (see arrow F1 in FIG. 8 ) is applied to the back of seatback 14 from the rear side, cloth member 60 can protect blower 46 from the rear side and mitigate the impact applied to blower 46. As a result, it is possible to prevent damage to blower 46 itself and the attachment portion between blower 46 and mounting bracket 40. As a result, it is possible to avoid the intake of secondary air by blower 46 and an increase in noise from blower 46 due to blower 46 moving away from mounting bracket 40.

[0041] Moreover, because the left and right lumbar wires 36 are inserted through the left and right insertion holes 62 of the cloth member 60, the cloth member 60 is attached to the left and right lumbar wires 36, eliminating the need for a process of integrating the trim cover 26, which is the upholstery material of the seat back 14, with the cloth member 60 by sewing or the like, making manufacturing easier. Furthermore, because a flexible cloth member 60 is used, it is easy to ensure a degree of freedom in the design and shape of the back surface of the seat back 14.

[0042] Furthermore, the left and right lumbar wires 36 are inserted into the left and right insertion holes 62 of the cloth member 60, thereby attaching the cloth member 60 to the left and right lumbar wires 36, thereby simplifying the configuration of the cloth member 60 compared to, for example, a configuration in which a resin clip is attached to the cloth member 60.

[0043] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a flexible cloth member 60 is sandwiched between the upper bracket 32 ​​of the seatback frame 22 and the blower 42. This makes it possible to prevent or suppress displacement of the cloth member 60. It also makes it possible to prevent the blower 42 from directly hitting the upper bracket 32 ​​when an occupant kneels on the reclined seatback 14 (see arrow F2 in FIG. 9), for example. As a result, it is possible to prevent the generation of abnormal noise.

[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the upper portion 60A of the fabric member 60 is formed so that the dimension in the left-right direction decreases as it goes upward, and has a generally triangular shape when viewed in the front-to-rear direction. This makes it easier to sandwich the fabric member 60 between the upper bracket 32 ​​and the blower 42 during the manufacture of the vehicle seat 10. It also prevents the fabric member 60 from interfering with a stay (not shown) of the headrest 16.

[0045] In addition, in this embodiment, the lower part 60B of the cloth member 60 is provided with a harness protection part 60B1 that covers the root part of the harness 50 of the blower 42 from the rear side, so that the root part of the harness 50 can be protected by the cloth member 60.

[0046] In the above embodiment, the cloth member 60 is configured to be sandwiched between the upper bracket 32 ​​of the seatback frame 22 and the blower 42, but this is not limited to this, and the cloth member may be configured not to be sandwiched between the upper bracket and the blower.

[0047] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the upper portion 60A of the cloth-like member 60 is configured so that the dimension in the left-right direction decreases as it moves upward, but this is not limited to this, and the shape of the cloth-like member can be modified as appropriate.

[0048] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a harness protection portion 60B1 is provided on the lower portion 60B of the cloth member 60, but this is not limiting, and the harness protection portion may be omitted.

[0049] In addition, the present invention can be implemented with various modifications within the scope of the gist thereof. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the scope of the rights of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 10 Vehicle seats 12 seat cushions 14 Seat back 22 Seat back frame 36 Lumber wire 46 Blower 60 Cloth-like member 60B1 Harness protection part 62 Insertion hole (locking 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; a blower attached directly or indirectly to the left and right lumbar wires; a cloth member having a pair of left and right locking portions that are locked to the left and right lumbar wires, the cloth member being disposed on the rear side of the seat back relative to the blower; A seatback blower protection structure equipped with a

2. 2. The blower protection structure for a seat back according to claim 1, wherein the left and right locking portions are a pair of left and right insertion holes through which left and right lumbar wires are inserted.

3. 3. The blower protection structure for a vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the fabric member is sandwiched between an upper bracket of a seat back frame and the blower.

4. 3. The blower protection structure for a vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the upper portion of the fabric member is formed so that the dimension in the left-right direction of the seat back decreases as the upper portion of the fabric member approaches the upper side of the seat back.

5. 3. The blower protection structure for a vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein a harness protection portion is provided at a lower portion of the fabric member, the harness protection portion covering a root portion of the blower harness from the rear side of the seat back.

6. 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 blower protection structure for a seat back according to claim 1.

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