Vehicular seat

Abstract

To enhance design property of a vehicular seat that is decorated with light.SOLUTION: A vehicular seat includes: a fabric stretched part 24 across which a fabric 22 having light permeability is stretched and which supports an occupant with tensile force of the fabric 22; and an illumination part 50 which is disposed on a back face side of the fabric stretched part 24 and emits light toward the fabric 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat. [Background technology]

[0002] The following Patent Documents 1 and 2 describe the use of light to decorate vehicle (car) seats. The seat described in Patent Document 1 has optical fibers provided along the seams of the surface, causing the seat to glow in a line. The seat described in Patent Document 2 has a recess formed in the cushion material, and a lighting device fitted into the recess. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-186965 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-20668 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the vehicle seats described in the above Patent Documents 1 and 2, only a small portion of the surface is illuminated, and from the perspective of enhancing the design through decorative lighting, it cannot be said that this is sufficient, and there is still much room for improvement.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to improve the design of a vehicle seat that is decorated with light. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the vehicle seat disclosed in the present application has the following structure. (1) A vehicle seat in which a passenger sits, a fabric tensioning section across which a light-transmitting fabric is stretched and which supports the occupant by the tension of the fabric; an illumination unit disposed on the back side of the fabric stretching unit and irradiating light toward the fabric; A vehicle seat comprising:

[0007] The vehicle seat disclosed herein is partially constructed of a stretched fabric rather than a cushion. The lighting unit faces the stretched fabric portion directly, without any other components between them. This configuration allows the vehicle seat disclosed herein to illuminate a relatively wide area of ​​the seat, enabling highly aesthetically pleasing light decoration. The vehicle seat disclosed herein may have the stretched fabric portion provided on the portion that serves as the backrest for the occupant, on the seat cushion, or on both. The fabric may be made of light-transmitting fibers, or may be light-transmitting through gaps between fibers, i.e., a mesh-like structure.

[0008] Furthermore, the vehicle seat having the above-described configuration can be configured in the following various ways.

[0009] (2) The fabric stretching section is configured such that the fabric is stretched across a longitudinal frame along the periphery, The vehicle seat according to item (1), wherein the fabric is folded back to the rear side of the frame and has an overlapping portion that overlaps in the front-to-back direction.

[0010] In the vehicle seat of this configuration, the overlapping portion has fabric overlay, which reduces light transmittance compared to the non-overlapping portion. In other words, the shape of the overlapping portion allows the design of the light decoration to be set, further enhancing the design.

[0011] (3) The vehicle seat according to (2), wherein a light transmittance adjusting member for adjusting the light transmittance of the illumination unit is disposed inside the overlapping portion.

[0012] In a vehicle seat having this configuration, the light transmittance adjusting member includes a member that sets the light transmittance to 0, i.e., a light blocking member. With a vehicle seat having this configuration, the light transmittance adjusting member allows for an improvement in design freedom, such as by adding a gradation to light, and the design can be further enhanced.

[0013] (4) A cushion portion is provided which includes a pair of side frames which are arranged on both sides of the fabric extension portion in the width direction and form the lateral framework of the vehicle seat, and a pair of pad members attached to the pair of side frames, The vehicle seat according to any one of items (1) to (3), wherein the lighting unit includes a light source unit disposed on at least one of the pair of side frames, and a reflector disposed across the pair of side frames and reflecting light from the light source unit toward the fabric.

[0014] In a vehicle seat having this configuration, the widthwise center of the seat is generally formed of fabric, making it possible to illuminate a wide area of ​​the widthwise center of the seat. With this vehicle seat configuration, the light source unit can be made invisible through the fabric, and the reflector can irradiate the fabric with light relatively uniformly in the surface direction.

[0015] (5) The vehicle seat comprises a seat body that serves as a seating area for the occupant and a seat back that serves as a backrest for the occupant, The vehicle seat according to any one of items (1) to (4), wherein the fabric extension portion and the lighting portion are provided on at least one of the seat body and the seat back. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the design of a vehicle seat that is decorated with light. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] Front view of a vehicle seat [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a vehicle seat; [Figure 4] Seat back cross-sectional view [Figure 5] Side cross-sectional view of the seat back DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] An embodiment of a vehicle seat of the present invention is a seat 10 for a vehicle (automobile). The vehicle seat 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 5. Note that in some of the drawings, directions are indicated using the symbols Fr, Rr, L, R, U, and D, which respectively represent the front and rear sides of the vehicle, the left and right sides in the vehicle width direction, the upper and lower sides.

[0019] 1, the vehicle seat 10 of this embodiment is a seat for the driver of an automobile, and includes a seat body 12 that supports the buttocks of an occupant from below, a seat back 14 that supports the back of the occupant from behind, and a headrest 16 that supports the head of the occupant. The vehicle seat 10 has the seat body 12 connected to the floor of the vehicle compartment via a sliding device, and is arranged to be slidable in the front-to-rear direction.

[0020] The vehicle seat 10 is cushionless, with the seat body 12 and most of the seat back 14 not using padding (cushions) such as foam resin. The seat body 12 and the seat back 14 have relatively similar configurations, so the following description will focus on the seat back 14.

[0021] 2 to 4, the seat back 14 has side portions on both sides in the vehicle width direction that are cushion portions 20L, 20R using padding, while the central portion in the vehicle width direction between the pair of cushion portions 20L, 20R is a fabric tensioning portion 24 in which fabric 22 is stretched across and the tension of the fabric 22 supports the back of the occupant. The seat back 14 includes a seat back frame 26 that forms the framework of the seat back 14. As shown in FIG. 3, the seat back frame 26 has a pair of left and right side members (side frames) 26a, 26b that extend vertically, an upper member 26c that extends in the vehicle width direction and is joined to the upper ends of the pair of side members 26a, 26b, and a lower member 26d that is joined to the lower ends of the pair of side members 26a, 26b, and is generally in the shape of a rectangular frame.

[0022] The fabric extension section 24 is assembled to the seatback frame 26. The fabric extension section 24 includes a fabric 22 and a fabric frame 30. The fabric frame 30 is made up of two longitudinal pipe members 32L, 32R and an upper connecting member 34 and a lower connecting member 35 that connect the two pipe members 32L, 32R. The two pipe members 32L, 32R are generally U-shaped in a front view, and the upper connecting member 34 and the lower connecting member 35 connect the two pipe members 32L, 32R at their upper and lower ends. The fabric 22 is stretched across the fabric frame 30. The fabric 22 is a mesh-like piece of fabric that is folded over the back (rear) sides of the pipe members 32L, 32R on both the left and right sides, wrapping around each of the pipe members 32L, 32R, and is sewn along the edges of the folded-over portions. As shown in Fig. 2, the length of the folded-back portion in the vehicle width direction increases from the upper corners of the pipe members 32L, 32R downward, and then becomes approximately constant from the middle. This results in the appearance of stitch lines LL, LR as shown in Fig. 2. In other words, in this embodiment, the portions between the stitch line LL and the pipe member 32L and the portions between the stitch line LR and the pipe member 32R form overlapping portions 22a, 22b where the fabric 22 is overlapped in the front-to-back direction, and the portion between the overlapping portions 22a, 22b forms a non-overlapping portion 22c where the fabric 22 is formed from a single piece of fabric 22.

[0023] The fabric extension portion 24 is fixed to the upper member 26c of the seatback frame 26 by an upper connecting member 34, and is fixed to the lower member 26d by a lower connecting member 35. When the fabric extension portion 24 is fixed to the seatback frame 26, as shown in Fig. 4, the pair of pipe members 32L, 32R extend vertically at positions spaced forward from the pair of side members 26a, 26b.

[0024] 5, the upper side of the fabric 22 is stretched so as to cover the upper surface of the seat back 14. More specifically, the seat back 14 is provided with an upper cushion portion 36 that covers the upper connecting member 34 and the upper member 26c from above, and the upper portion of the fabric 22 is stretched so as to cover the surface of the upper cushion portion 36, functioning as a skin material.

[0025] The pair of cushions 20L, 20R are configured to include a base material 40 that forms the outer diameter shape of the cushions 20L, 20R, a pad member 42 attached to the front surface of the base material 40, and a skin material 44 that covers the base material 40 and the pad member 42. Each of the cushions 20L, 20R is attached to the side members 26a, 26b at attachment portions (not shown) provided on the base material 40. The cushions 20L, 20R cover the left and right side end portions of the side members 26a, 26b and the fabric extension portion 24. With this configuration, the center portion of the seat back 14 in the vehicle width direction is cushion-free, and instead is configured as the fabric extension portion 24, across which the fabric 22 is stretched and which supports the back of the occupant by the tension of the fabric 22.

[0026] The vehicle seat 10 of this embodiment is equipped with an illumination unit 50 for illuminating the fabric extension portion 24. The illumination unit 50 is disposed on the back side (rear side) of the fabric extension portion 24, in other words, between the pair of side members 26a, 26b. As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the illumination unit 50 is configured to include a light source unit 52 that emits light, and a reflector 54 that reflects the light from the light source unit 52 toward the fabric 22.

[0027] The light source unit 52 is disposed on a pair of side members 26a, 26b. The side members 26a, 26b have a generally U-shaped cross section with openings on opposing sides, and are disposed along the opposing surfaces (inner surfaces). A pair of frame covers 60, 61 are attached to the side members 26a, 26b to cover the openings, and the light source unit 52 is attached to the pair of frame covers 60, 61. Specifically, the light source unit 52 is a so-called LED tape, in which multiple LEDs 52a are mounted at equal intervals on a flexible substrate 52b. Each of the pair of frame covers 60, 61 has recesses 60a, 61a extending in the vertical direction formed on the opposing surface facing the other, and the light source unit 52, which is an LED tape, is attached to the recesses 60a, 61a.

[0028] The illumination unit 50 also has a reflector 54 attached to it, spanning the pair of frame covers 60, 61 and blocking the rear side of the seatback frame 26. Therefore, light emitted laterally from the light source 52 disposed on the pair of side members 26a, 26b is reflected within the space surrounded by the seatback frame 26 and the reflector 54, and is emitted from the fabric 22, specifically, from the non-overlapping portion 22c and the overlapping portions 22a, 22b toward the vehicle interior, as shown in FIG. 1 . A light transmittance adjusting member 64, such as a nonwoven fabric, that adjusts the light transmittance of the overlapping portions 22a, 22b is disposed inside the overlapping portions 22a, 22b. Therefore, the light emitted from the overlapping portions 22a, 22b is darker than the light emitted from the non-overlapping portion 22c. As shown in FIG. 4, a backboard 66 is attached to the seat back frame 26 so as to cover the space between the pair of cushion portions 20L, 20R, and the seat back frame 26 and the lighting portion 50 cannot be seen from the rear seat.

[0029] Similarly to the seat back 14, the seat body 12 has a fabric tensioning section 70 in the center in the vehicle width direction, and cushion sections 72L, 72R including padding on both sides of the fabric tensioning section 70 in the vehicle width direction. There is no cushion below the fabric tensioning section 70, and the occupant's weight is supported from below by the tension of the fabric. Although not shown, the seat body 12 includes a seat body frame. A light source is disposed on a pair of side members of the seat body frame. A reflector attached to the lower part of the seat body frame reflects light from the light source upward, and the light is emitted from the fabric into the vehicle cabin. The vehicle seat 10 of this embodiment can be used as a welcome lamp, for example, by turning it on when an occupant gets in, creating a novel effect.

[0030] As described above, the vehicle seat 10 of this embodiment can illuminate a relatively wide area in a planar manner, as shown by hatching in Fig. 1, and can perform decorative lighting with a highly aesthetic design. Furthermore, the vehicle seat 10 of this embodiment has overlapping portions 22a, 22b formed by folding and sewing the fabric 22, which allows the light transmittance to vary along the seams. Note that the shape of the seams can be changed in various ways to easily change the light design.

[0031] Furthermore, in the vehicle seat 10 of this embodiment, the light source units 52 emit light laterally from both sides in the vehicle width direction on the back surface of the fabric 22, and only the reflector 54 is present on the back surface (rear side) of the fabric 22. Therefore, even if the fabric 22 is a mesh-like fabric, it is difficult for occupants to see the light source units 52 and the like through the mesh of the fabric 22, which can avoid a situation where the design is deteriorated. Furthermore, the reflector 54 can make the amount of light directed toward the fabric 22 uniform in the surface direction, and can make the brightness of the light emitted from the non-overlapping portions 22c uniform.

[0032] <Other embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in various forms with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. For example, the following embodiments are also included within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0033] In the above embodiment, the fabric 22 is a mesh-like fabric that allows light to pass through the mesh, but is not limited to this. For example, the fabric may be a finely knitted fabric in which the yarn forming the knitted fabric, i.e., the fibers themselves, are made of a light-transmitting material, or a perforated leather or sheet material with multiple holes.

[0034] In the above embodiment, the light transmittance adjusting member 64 is interposed inside the overlapping portions 22a, 22b to reduce the light transmittance, but this is not limiting. For example, if the light transmittance adjusting member is configured so that the light transmittance gradually changes in the surface direction, a gradation can be imparted to the light emitted from the overlapping portions 22a, 22b. Furthermore, the light transmittance adjusting member can also be a light blocking member. In this case, the configuration is such that light is emitted only from the non-overlapping portion 22c.

[0035] Furthermore, even without providing a light transmittance adjusting member, the light transmittance can be lowered in the overlapping portions 22a and 22b compared to the non-overlapping portion 22c because two layers of fabric 22 are overlapped. Moreover, by further folding back the fabric 22 to increase the number of overlapping layers, the light transmittance can be further reduced.

[0036] In the above embodiment, an automobile is used as an example of a vehicle, but the vehicle seat of the present invention is not limited to this and can also be applied to vehicles such as trains and recreational vehicles as ground vehicles, airplanes and helicopters as flying vehicles, and ships and submarines as marine and underwater vehicles. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 10... Vehicle seat (vehicle seat), 12... Seat body, 14... Seat back, 20L, 20R... Cushion portion, 22... Fabric, 22a, 22b... Overlapping portion, 24... Fabric stretching portion, 26a, 26b... Side member (side frame), 30... Fabric frame (frame), 42... Pad member, 50... Lighting portion, 52... Light source portion, 54... Reflector, 64... Light transmittance adjusting member, 70... Fabric stretching portion, 72L, 72R... Cushion portion

Claims

1. A vehicle seat for a passenger, a fabric tensioning section across which a light-transmitting fabric is stretched and which supports the occupant by the tension of the fabric; an illumination unit disposed on the back side of the fabric stretching unit and irradiating light toward the fabric; A vehicle seat comprising:

2. The fabric stretching section is configured such that the fabric is stretched across a longitudinal frame along the periphery, The vehicle seat according to claim 1 , wherein the fabric is folded back to the rear side at the frame and has an overlapping portion that overlaps in the front-to-back direction.

3. The vehicle seat according to claim 2 , wherein a light transmittance adjusting member for adjusting the light transmittance of the illumination portion is disposed inside the overlapping portion.

4. a cushion portion including a pair of side frames arranged on both sides of the fabric stretched portion in the width direction to form a lateral framework of the vehicle seat, and a pair of pad members attached to the pair of side frames; 4. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the lighting unit includes a light source unit disposed on at least one of the pair of side frames, and a reflector disposed across the pair of side frames and reflecting light from the light source unit toward the fabric.

5. The vehicle seat includes a seat body that serves as a seating portion for an occupant and a seat back that serves as a backrest for the occupant, 4. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the fabric extension portion and the lighting portion are provided on at least one of the seat body and the seat back.

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