Seat device for vehicle

Abstract

To lower the position of the end of the seat back of a rear seat on a side distant from its center of rotation when a cargo chamber provided at the rear part of a vehicle is extended forward by rotating the seat back to a forward-tilt position through remote operation.SOLUTION: A seat device for vehicle comprises: a seat back operation device which rotates a seat back to a forward-tilt position by controlling a rotating mechanism through remote operation when predetermined operation is performed; and a control part which positions a seat cushion at a lower-end position by controlling a tilt mechanism when the seat back is rotated toward the forward-tilt position as the seat back operation device is operated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 below discloses a rear seat provided in a vehicle. This rear seat includes a seat cushion supported on the vehicle floor and a seat back supported on the seat cushion so as to be rotatable between an upright position and a forward-leaning position. The seat back further includes a first seat back and a second seat back that are aligned in the vehicle width direction and can rotate independently of each other. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-47792 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1 above is provided with a luggage compartment located immediately behind the rear seats in the rear portion of the vehicle, and the seatbacks may be remotely rotated to a forward-tilting position. Furthermore, when the rear seatbacks are rotated to a forward-tilting position, luggage may be placed on the rear (top) surface of the seatbacks. That is, when the rear seatbacks are rotated to a forward-tilting position, the luggage compartment provided in the rear portion of the vehicle may be expanded forward. The invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 above leaves room for improvement in terms of ease of use for occupants in expanding the luggage compartment forward by remotely rotating the rear seatbacks to a forward-tilting position.

[0005] In consideration of the above, the present invention aims to provide a vehicle seat device that can lower the position of the end of the seat back farther from the rotation center when the seat back of the rear seat is rotated to a forward-inclined position by remote control to expand the luggage compartment located in the rear of the vehicle forward. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle seat device according to the invention of claim 1 includes: an electric tilt mechanism provided in front of a luggage compartment formed in a rear part of a vehicle; a seat cushion that is a component of a rear seat supported by the tilt mechanism and that is movable relative to the vehicle floor surface between a lower end position where the front end is lowest and a position where the front end is higher than the lower end position by the tilt mechanism; a seat back that is a component of the rear seat that is supported so as to be rotatable between an upright position and a forward-tilted position; a rotation mechanism that is a component of the rear seat that rotates the seat back between the upright position and the forward-tilted position; a seat back operating device that remotely controls the rotation mechanism to rotate the seat back to the forward-tilted position when a predetermined operation is performed; and a control unit that controls the tilt mechanism to position the seat cushion at the lower end position when the seat back operating device is operated and the seat back is rotated toward the forward-tilted position.

[0007] The vehicle seat device described in claim 1 includes an electric tilt mechanism provided in front of a luggage compartment formed in the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle seat device further includes a seat cushion supported by the tilt mechanism and movable relative to the vehicle floor between a lower end position where the front end is lowest and a position where the front end is higher than the lower end position, and a seat back supported so as to be rotatable between an upright position and a forward-tilted position. The seat cushion and seat back are components of a rear seat. The rear seat includes a rotation mechanism that rotates the seat back between the upright position and the forward-tilted position.

[0008] The vehicle seat device described in claim 1 further includes a seatback operating device that controls the rotation mechanism to remotely rotate the seatback to a forward tilt position when a predetermined operation is performed, and a control unit that controls the tilt mechanism to position the seat cushion at its lower end position when the seatback operating device is operated to rotate the seatback to the forward tilt position.

[0009] When the seat cushion is in the lower end position, the end portion of the seat back away from the rotation center can be positioned lower than when the seat cushion is in a position higher than the lower end position. Therefore, the vehicle seat device described in claim 1 can lower the position of the end portion of the seat back away from the rotation center when the seat back of the rear seat is rotated to a forward-tilting position by remote control to expand the luggage compartment provided in the rear of the vehicle forward.

[0010] The vehicle seat device according to the invention of claim 2 is the vehicle seat device according to claim 1, wherein the seat cushions include a first seat cushion and a second seat cushion that are aligned in the vehicle width direction and are movable by the tilt mechanism between the lower end position and a position where the front end position is higher than the lower end position, and the seat back includes a first seat back that is positioned in the same position as the first seat cushion in the vehicle width direction and is supported so as to be rotatable between the upright position and the forward tilted position, and a second seat back that is positioned in the same position as the second seat cushion in the vehicle width direction and is supported so as to be rotatable between the upright position and the forward tilted position. and a second seat back supported rotatably between the forward tilt position and the forward inclined position, and a seating sensor capable of detecting that an occupant is seated on the seat cushion, and when the seating sensor detects that the occupant is seated on one of the first seat cushion and the second seat cushion, the control unit prohibits the seat back operating device from rotating the other of the first seat back and the second seat back to the forward inclined position and prohibits the tilt mechanism from moving the other of the first seat cushion and the second seat cushion to the lower end position.

[0011] The seat cushion of the vehicle seat device described in claim 2 includes a first seat cushion and a second seat cushion aligned in the vehicle width direction and movable by a tilt mechanism between a lower end position and a position where the front end position is higher than the lower end position. The seat cushion further includes a first seat back that is positioned in the same position as the first seat cushion in the vehicle width direction and supported so as to be rotatable between an upright position and a forward-tilted position, and a second seat back that is positioned in the same position as the second seat cushion in the vehicle width direction and supported so as to be rotatable between an upright position and a forward-tilted position. The vehicle seat device further includes a seating sensor that detects whether an occupant is seated on the seat cushion. Furthermore, when the seating sensor detects that an occupant is seated on one of the first seat cushion and the second seat cushion, the control unit prohibits the seat back operating device from rotating the other of the first seat back and the second seat back to the forward-tilted position and prohibits the tilt mechanism from moving the other of the first seat cushion and the second seat cushion to the lower end position. Therefore, the vehicle seat device described in claim 2 can prevent the other of the first seat back and the second seat back from being rotated to a forward tilt position by remote operation using the seat back operating device when an occupant is seated on one of the first seat cushion and the second seat cushion, and can prevent the other of the first seat cushion and the second seat cushion from being moved to a lower end position by the tilt mechanism. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] As described above, according to the vehicle seat device of the present invention, when the seat back of the rear seat is rotated to a forward tilting position by remote control to expand the luggage compartment provided at the rear of the vehicle forward, the position of the end portion of the seat back away from the rotation center can be lowered. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle seat device according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the front. [Figure 2] 1 is a side view of a vehicle seat device and a portion of a vehicle body. [Figure 3] 1 is a side view of a vehicle seat apparatus and a portion of a vehicle body when a first seat back is rotated to a forward tilt position by remote control using a seat back operating device. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of a hardware configuration of an ECU. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the ECU. [Figure 6] 1 is a flowchart showing a process executed by a CPU of an ECU. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] A vehicle seat device 10 (hereinafter referred to as the seat device 10) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that an arrow FR shown as appropriate in each drawing indicates the front direction of the vehicle, an arrow UP indicates the upward direction of the vehicle, and an arrow LH indicates the left side in the left-right direction of the vehicle (vehicle width direction). Hereinafter, when the terms "front-rear," "left-right," and "up-down" are used in the description, they refer to front-rear in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, left-right in the left-right direction of the vehicle (vehicle width direction), and up-down in the up-down direction of the vehicle.

[0015] The seat device 10 shown in Fig. 1 is provided on a vehicle floor 12, which is the floor of the passenger compartment of a vehicle body 11. The vehicle floor 12 includes a seat installation section 14 and a luggage compartment floor 16 (see Fig. 3) located rearward of the seat installation section 14. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the luggage compartment floor 16 is located one step higher than the seat installation section 14. As shown in Fig. 3, a rear end opening 11A is formed at the rear end of the vehicle body 11, and a back door 11B that can open and close the rear end opening 11A is provided at the rear end of the vehicle body 11. A luggage compartment 15 is formed at the rear of the passenger compartment of the vehicle body 11 and is located immediately in front of the back door 11B.

[0016] A pair of left and right front seats (not shown) are provided in front of the seat installation section 14. One of the front seats is a driver's seat, and the other is a passenger seat. The seat device 10 is a rear seat located behind the front seats, and is provided at the rear of the seat installation section 14.

[0017] The seat device 10 has a first fixed member 20, a first support arm 22, a second support arm 24, a first seat cushion (seat cushion) 26, a first seating sensor (seat sensor) 27, a second seat cushion (seat cushion) 28, a second seating sensor (seat sensor) 29, a rotation center axis 30, a first tilt mechanism (tilt mechanism) 34, a second tilt mechanism (tilt mechanism) 35, a first seat back (seat back) 50, a first rotation mechanism (rotation mechanism) 52, a first lock mechanism 53, a first headrest 54, a second seat back (seat back) 58, a second rotation mechanism (rotation mechanism) 60, a second lock mechanism 61, a second headrest 62, a first seat back operating device (seat back operating device) 66, and a second seat back operating device (seat back operating device) 68.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, a first fixed member 20 extending in the left-right direction is fixed to the rear of the seat installation portion 14. Rear ends of a pair of left and right first support arms 22 are fixed to the left portion of the first fixed member 20, and rear ends of a pair of left and right second support arms 24 (see FIG. 1) are fixed to the right portion of the first fixed member 20. The rear ends of a first seat cushion 26 are supported on the front ends of the left and right first support arms 22 so as to be rotatable about a rotation center shaft 30 extending in the left-right direction. A first seat occupancy sensor 27 is provided inside the first seat cushion 26. When an occupant is seated on the first seat cushion 26, the first seat occupancy sensor 27 detects the load exerted by the occupant on the first seat cushion 26. Similarly, the rear end of a second seat cushion 28 located on the right side of the first seat cushion 26 is supported on the front ends of the left and right second support arms 24 so as to be rotatable about the rotation center shaft 30 extending in the left-right direction. A second seat occupancy sensor 29 is provided inside the second seat cushion 28. When an occupant sits on the second seat cushion 28, the second seating sensor 29 detects the load exerted by the occupant on the second seat cushion 28.

[0019] Furthermore, a second fixed member 36 (see FIG. 2 ) is provided at the rear of the seat installation section 14, positioned forward of the first fixed member 20 and extending in the left-right direction. A lower end of a first rotating arm 38 is rotatably supported on the left side of the second fixed member 36 via a lower rotation center shaft 42 extending in the left-right direction. The upper end of the first rotating arm 38 is rotatably connected to a metal frame that is part of the first seat cushion 26 via an upper rotation center shaft (not shown) that extends in the left-right direction. Similarly, a lower end of a second rotating arm 40 (see FIG. 1 ; the lower rotation center shaft 42 is not shown) is rotatably supported on the right side of the second fixed member 36 via a lower rotation center shaft 42 that extends in the left-right direction. The upper end of the second rotating arm 40 is rotatably connected to a metal frame that is part of the second seat cushion 28 via an upper rotation center shaft (not shown) that extends in the left-right direction.

[0020] The first rotating arm 38 is connected to a first electric motor 44 via a drive mechanism, and the second rotating arm 40 is connected to a second electric motor 46 via a drive mechanism. The second fixed member 36, the first rotating arm 38, the lower rotation central shaft 42, the first electric motor 44, and the upper rotation central shaft are components of a first tilt mechanism (tilt mechanism) 34. The second fixed member 36, the second rotating arm 40, the lower rotation central shaft 42, the second electric motor 46, and the upper rotation central shaft are components of a second tilt mechanism (tilt mechanism) 35. The first seat cushion 26 is provided with a first tilt operation switch 26S for operating the first electric motor 44, and the second seat cushion 28 is provided with a second tilt operation switch 28S for operating the second electric motor 46.

[0021] A first seatback 50 is rotatably supported on the first seat cushion 26 via a first rotation mechanism 52 (see FIG. 1). The first rotation mechanism 52 connects the first seatback 50 to the first seat cushion 26 so that the first seatback 50 is rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction. The first rotation mechanism 52 rotates the first seatback 50 relative to the first seat cushion 26 between an upright position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and a forward-tilting position shown in FIG. 3. The first rotation mechanism 52 further includes a first biasing member (not shown) that generates a biasing force to rotate the first seatback 50 toward the forward-tilting position, and an electric first locking mechanism 53 that can maintain the rotated position of the first seatback 50 relative to the first seat cushion 26. When the first seat back 50 is in a rotation position within a range between the upright position and a first predetermined position between the upright position and the forward-leaning position and the first locking mechanism 53 is in a locked state, rotation of the first seat back 50 is restricted, and when the first locking mechanism 53 is in an unlocked state, rotation of the first seat back 50 is permitted. Furthermore, when the first seat back 50 is in a rotation position within a range between the forward-leaning position and the first predetermined position, rotation of the first seat back 50 is permitted whether the first locking mechanism 53 is in a locked state or an unlocked state. The first locking mechanism 53 is switched between a locked state and an unlocked state by the driving force of an electric first actuator 53A.

[0022] A first headrest 54 is provided at the upper end of the first seat back 50.

[0023] A second seatback 58 is rotatably supported on the second seat cushion 28 via a second rotation mechanism 60. The second rotation mechanism 60 connects the second seatback 58 to the second seat cushion 28 so that the second seatback 58 is rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction. The second rotation mechanism 60 rotates the second seatback 58 relative to the second seat cushion 28 between an upright position shown in FIG. 1 and a forward-tilting position (not shown). The second rotation mechanism 60 further includes a second biasing member (not shown) that generates a biasing force that rotates the second seatback 58 toward the forward-tilting position, and an electric second locking mechanism 61 that can maintain the rotated position of the second seatback 58 relative to the second seat cushion 28. When the second seat back 58 is in a rotation position within a range between the upright position and a second predetermined position between the upright position and the forward-leaning position and the second locking mechanism 62 is in a locked state, rotation of the second seat back 58 is restricted, and when the second locking mechanism 62 is in an unlocked state, rotation of the second seat back 58 is permitted. Furthermore, when the second seat back 58 is in a rotation position within a range between the forward-leaning position and the second predetermined position, rotation of the second seat back 58 is permitted regardless of whether the second locking mechanism 61 is in a locked state or an unlocked state. The second locking mechanism 61 is switched between a locked state and an unlocked state by the driving force of an electric second actuator 61A.

[0024] A second headrest 62 is provided at the upper end of the second seat back 58.

[0025] The first seat back 50 is provided with a first reclining operation switch 55 (see Figure 1) for operating the first locking mechanism 53 (first actuator 53A), and the second seat back 58 is provided with a second reclining operation switch 63 (see Figure 1) for operating the second locking mechanism 61 (second actuator 61A).

[0026] A first seatback operating device 66 (see FIG. 4) that can switch the first locking mechanism 53 from a locked state to an unlocked state is provided on the left side wall of the luggage compartment 15. A second seatback operating device 68 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) that can switch the second locking mechanism 61 from a locked state to an unlocked state is provided on the right side wall of the luggage compartment 15.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 4, the vehicle includes a seat control ECU 70. The seat control ECU 70 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) (controller) (processor) (computer) 70A, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 70B, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 70C, a storage 70D, a communication I / F 70E, and an input / output I / F 70F. The CPU 70A, ROM 70B, RAM 70C, storage 70D, communication I / F 70E, and input / output I / F 70F are connected to each other via an internal bus 70Z so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0028] The CPU 70A is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls each part. The CPU 70A reads programs from the ROM 70B or storage 70D and executes the programs using the RAM 70C as a work area. The CPU 70A controls each component and performs various arithmetic processing in accordance with the programs recorded in the ROM 70B or storage 70D.

[0029] The ROM 70B stores various programs and various data. The RAM 70C temporarily stores programs or data as a working area. The storage 70D is configured with a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or small-scale RAM, and stores various programs and various data.

[0030] The communication I / F 70E is an interface that allows the seat control ECU 70 to communicate with other devices. The input / output I / F 70F is an interface that allows communication with various devices. As shown in Fig. 4, the devices connected to the input / output I / F 70F include, for example, the first seating sensor 27, the second seating sensor 29, the first electric motor 44, the second electric motor 46, the first locking mechanism 53 (first actuator 53A), the second locking mechanism 61 (second actuator 61A), the first seatback operating device 66, the second seatback operating device 68, the first tilt operating switch 26S, the second tilt operating switch 28S, the first reclining operating switch 55, and the second reclining operating switch 63.

[0031] 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the seat control ECU 70. The seat control ECU 70 has, as its functional components, a reclining control unit 701 and a tilt control unit 702. The reclining control unit 701 and the tilt control unit 702 are realized by the CPU 70A reading and executing a program stored in the ROM 70B.

[0032] When the first seatback operating device 66 or the first reclining operation switch 55 is operated, the reclining control unit 701 supplies power from a battery (not shown) connected to the seat control ECU 70 to the first actuator 53A to switch the first locking mechanism 53 from the locked state to the unlocked state. When the first seatback operating device 66 and the first reclining operation switch 55 are switched to the non-operated state, the reclining control unit 701 supplies power from the battery to the first actuator 53A to return the first locking mechanism 53 to the locked state.

[0033] However, when the reclining control unit 701 determines that an occupant is seated on the second seat cushion 28 based on a signal from the second seating sensor 29, it does not control the first actuator 53A even if the first seatback operating device 66 is operated. In other words, when an occupant is seated on the second seat cushion 28, the first seatback 50 does not rotate to the forward tilt position even if the first seatback operating device 66 is operated.

[0034] When the second seatback operating device 68 or the second reclining operation switch 63 is operated, the reclining control unit 701 supplies battery power to the second actuator 61A to switch the second locking mechanism 61 from the locked state to the unlocked state. When the second seatback operating device 68 and the second reclining operation switch 63 are switched to the non-operated state, the reclining control unit 701 supplies battery power to the second actuator 61A to return the second locking mechanism 61 to the locked state.

[0035] However, when the reclining control unit 701 determines that an occupant is seated on the first seat cushion 26 based on a signal from the first seating sensor 27, it does not control the second actuator 61A even if the second seatback operating device 68 is operated. In other words, when an occupant is seated on the first seat cushion 26, the second seatback 58 does not rotate to the forward tilt position even if the second seatback operating device 68 is operated.

[0036] When the first tilt operation switch 26S is operated, the tilt control unit 702 controls the first electric motor 44 based on the operation of the first tilt operation switch 26S to rotate the first rotating arm 38 clockwise or counterclockwise in FIG. 2 around the lower rotation central shaft 42. When the first rotating arm 38 rotates clockwise, the front end 26A of the first seat cushion 26 moves upward relative to the rear end 26B. On the other hand, when the first rotating arm 38 rotates counterclockwise, the front end 26A of the first seat cushion 26 moves downward relative to the rear end 26B. Therefore, the first seat cushion 26 can rotate with respect to the first support arm 22 between an upper end position shown in FIG. 2 and a lower end position shown in FIG. 3.

[0037] Furthermore, when the first seatback operating device 66 is operated, the tilt control unit 702 controls the first electric motor 44 to rotate the first rotating arm 38 counterclockwise around the lower rotation central shaft 42 and rotate the first seat cushion 26 to the lowest position. The tilt control unit 702 can recognize the rotation position of the first seat cushion 26 based on a signal sent from the tilt control unit 702 to the first electric motor 44. Furthermore, when the tilt control unit 702 determines that the first seat cushion 26 has reached the lowest position, it stops sending the signal to the first electric motor 44 and stops the operation of the first electric motor 44.

[0038] However, when the tilt control unit 702 determines that an occupant is seated on the second seat cushion 28 based on a signal from the second seating sensor 29, it does not control the first electric motor 44 even if the first seatback operating device 66 is operated. In other words, when an occupant is seated on the second seat cushion 28, the first rotating arm 38 does not rotate even if the first seatback operating device 66 is operated.

[0039] Furthermore, when the second tilt operation switch 28S is operated, the tilt control unit 702 controls the second electric motor 46 based on the operation of the second tilt operation switch 28S to rotate the second rotating arm 40 clockwise or counterclockwise around the lower rotation central shaft 42. When the second rotating arm 40 rotates clockwise, the front end 28A of the second seat cushion 28 moves upward relative to 28B. On the other hand, when the second rotating arm 40 rotates counterclockwise, the front end 28A of the second seat cushion 28 moves downward relative to the rear end 28B. Therefore, the second seat cushion 28 can rotate with respect to the second support arm 24 between an upper end position shown in FIG. 1 and a lower end position (not shown).

[0040] Furthermore, when the second seatback operating device 68 is operated, the tilt control unit 702 controls the second electric motor 46 to rotate the second rotating arm 40 counterclockwise around the lower rotation central shaft 42 and rotate the second seat cushion 28 to the lowest position. The tilt control unit 702 can recognize the rotational position of the second seat cushion 28 based on a signal sent from the tilt control unit 702 to the second electric motor 46. Furthermore, when the tilt control unit 702 determines that the second seat cushion 28 has reached the lowest position, it stops sending the signal to the second electric motor 46 and stops the operation of the second electric motor 46.

[0041] However, when the tilt control unit 702 determines that an occupant is seated on the first seat cushion 26 based on a signal from the first seating sensor 27, it does not control the second electric motor 46 even if the second seatback operating device 68 is operated. In other words, when an occupant is seated on the first seat cushion 26, the second rotating arm 40 does not rotate even if the second seatback operating device 68 is operated.

[0042] (Action and effect) Next, the operation and effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0043] The CPU 70A of the seat control ECU 70 repeatedly executes the process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6 every time a predetermined time elapses.

[0044] In step S10 (hereinafter, the word "step" will be omitted), the CPU 70A determines whether or not the first seatback operating device 66 has been operated.

[0045] If the determination in S10 is Yes, the CPU 70A proceeds to S11, where it determines whether or not an occupant is seated on the second seat cushion 28 based on the detection result of the second seating sensor 29.

[0046] If the determination in S11 is No, the CPU 70A proceeds to S12, where it controls the first actuator 53A to transition the first locking mechanism 53 to an unlocked state, thereby rotating the first seat back 50 to the forward tilt position by the action of the first biasing member.

[0047] After completing the processing of S12, the CPU 70A proceeds to S12 and controls the first electric motor 44 to rotate the first rotating arm 38 counterclockwise around the lower rotation center axis 42, thereby rotating the first seat cushion 26 to the lower end position.

[0048] When the first seat cushion 26 is rotated to the lowest position and the first seatback 50 is rotated to the forward tilted position, the first seat cushion 26 and the first seatback 50 assume the state shown in Fig. 3. That is, the front surface (lower surface) of the first seatback 50 comes into contact with the upper surface of the first seat cushion 26 that has moved to the lowest position. At this time, the rear surface (upper surface) of the first seatback 50 is approximately parallel to the luggage compartment floor surface 16 in a side view. More specifically, the rear surface (upper surface) of the first seatback 50 is inclined at an angle α with respect to the luggage compartment floor surface 16.

[0049] On the other hand, when the CPU 70A determines No in S10, it proceeds to S14 and determines whether the second seatback operating device 68 has been operated.

[0050] If the determination in S14 is Yes, the CPU 70A proceeds to S15, where it determines whether or not an occupant is seated on the first seat cushion 26 based on the detection result of the first seating sensor 27.

[0051] If the determination in S15 is No, the CPU 70A proceeds to S16, where it controls the second actuator 61A to transition the second locking mechanism 61 to the unlocked state, thereby rotating the second seat back 58 to the forward tilt position by the action of the second biasing member.

[0052] After completing processing of S16, the CPU 70A proceeds to S17, where it controls the second electric motor 46 to rotate the second rotating arm 40 counterclockwise around the lower rotation center axis 42, thereby rotating the second seat cushion 28 to the lower end position.

[0053] When the second seatback 58 rotates to the forward tilted position with the second seat cushion 28 rotated to the lowest position in this manner, the front surface (lower surface) of the second seatback 58 comes into contact with the upper surface of the second seat cushion 28 that has moved to the lowest position. At this time, the rear surface (upper surface) of the second seatback 58 is approximately parallel to the luggage compartment floor surface 16 in a side view. More specifically, the rear surface (upper surface) of the second seatback 58 is inclined at an angle α with respect to the luggage compartment floor surface 16.

[0054] When the CPU 70A judges Yes in S11 or S15, when the CPU 70A judges No in S14, or when the CPU 70A has completed the processes of S13 and S17, the CPU 70A temporarily ends the process of this flowchart.

[0055] As described above, in the seat apparatus 10 of this embodiment, when an occupant who has positioned the back door 11B in the open position operates the first seatback operating device 66 through the rear-end opening 11A, the first locking mechanism 53 controlled by the ECU 70 is unlocked, and the first seatback 50 moves to a forward tilting position. Furthermore, the first tilting mechanism 34 controlled by the ECU 70 moves the first seat cushion 26 to the lowest position. As a result, as described above, the rear surface (upper surface) of the first seatback 50 is tilted at an angle α with respect to the luggage compartment floor 16 in a side view. This allows the occupant to place luggage 100 (see the imaginary line in FIG. 3 ) on the rear surface of the first seatback 50 and the luggage compartment floor 16 so that the luggage 100 straddles the rear surface of the first seatback 50 and the luggage compartment floor 16.

[0056] When the first seat cushion 26 is positioned at the lowermost position and the first seatback 50 is positioned at the forward tilted position, the upper end of the first seatback 50 (first headrest 54) is positioned lower than when the first seat cushion 26 (front end 26A) is positioned higher than the lowermost position. In other words, when the first seat cushion 26 is positioned at the lowermost position and the first seatback 50 is positioned at the forward tilted position, the angle α is smaller than when the first seat cushion 26 is positioned higher than the lowermost position and the first seatback 50 is rotated forward until it contacts the first seat cushion 26. Therefore, the seat apparatus 10 of this embodiment can lower the position of the upper end of the first seatback 50 when the luggage compartment 15 provided at the rear of the vehicle is expanded forward by remotely rotating the first seatback 50 to the forward tilted position. In other words, the seat apparatus 10 can make it easier to place luggage 100 on the luggage compartment floor 16 and the first seatback 50.

[0057] However, when the first seatback operating device 66 is operated with an occupant seated on the second seat cushion 28, the seat apparatus 10 does not move the first seatback 50 to the forward tilt position and does not move the first seat cushion 26 to the lowest position. If the first seatback 50 were to rotate to the forward tilt position with an occupant seated on the second seat cushion 28, there is a risk that the first seatback 50 would come into contact with the occupant. However, in this embodiment, there is no such risk.

[0058] Furthermore, for example, when an occupant who has positioned the back door 11B in the open position operates the second seatback operating device 68 through the rear-end opening 11A, the second lock mechanism 61 controlled by the ECU 70 is unlocked, and the second seatback 58 moves to a forward-tilting position. Furthermore, the second tilt mechanism 35 controlled by the ECU 70 moves the second seat cushion 28 to its lowest position. As a result, as described above, the rear surface (upper surface) of the second seatback 58 is tilted at an angle α with respect to the luggage compartment floor 16 in a side view. This allows the occupant to place luggage 100 on the rear surface of the second seatback 58 and the luggage compartment floor 16 so that the luggage 100 straddles the rear surface of the second seatback 58 and the luggage compartment floor 16.

[0059] When the second seat cushion 28 is in the lowermost position and the second seatback 58 is in the forward-tilted position, the upper end of the second seatback 58 (the second headrest 62) is positioned lower than when the second seat cushion 28 (front end 28A) is positioned higher than the lowermost position. In other words, when the second seat cushion 28 is in the lowermost position and the second seatback 58 is in the forward-tilted position, the angle α is smaller than when the second seat cushion 28 is positioned higher than the lowermost position and the second seatback 58 is rotated forward until it contacts the second seat cushion 28. Therefore, the seat apparatus 10 of this embodiment can lower the position of the upper end of the second seatback 58 when the luggage compartment 15 provided in the rear of the vehicle is expanded forward by remotely rotating the second seatback 58 to the forward-tilted position. In other words, the seat apparatus 10 can make it easier to place luggage 100 on the luggage compartment floor 16 and the second seatback 58.

[0060] However, when the second seatback operating device 68 is operated while an occupant is seated on the first seat cushion 26, the seat apparatus 10 does not move the second seatback 58 to the forward tilt position and does not move the second seat cushion 28 to the lowest position. If the second seatback 58 were to rotate to the forward tilt position while an occupant is seated on the first seat cushion 26, there is a risk that the second seatback 58 would come into contact with the occupant. However, in this embodiment, there is no such risk.

[0061] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

[0062] For example, when the first seatback operating device 66 is operated while an occupant is seated on the first seat cushion 26, the ECU 70 may keep the first locking mechanism 53 in the locked state and may not rotate the first seat cushion 26 to the lowermost position. Similarly, when the second seatback operating device 68 is operated while an occupant is seated on the second seat cushion 28, the ECU 70 may keep the second locking mechanism 61 in the locked state and may not rotate the second seat cushion 28 to the lowermost position.

[0063] The first fixing member 20 and the second fixing member 36 may be provided on the vehicle floor surface 12 via slide rails (not shown) that are slidable in the front-rear direction.

[0064] The first seat back 50 and the second seat back 58 may be supported by a member (for example, the vehicle floor surface 12) different from the first seat cushion 26 and the second seat cushion 28 via a rotation mechanism. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 10. Vehicle seat device (rear seat) 12 Vehicle floor 15 Luggage room 26 1st seat cushion (seat cushion) 26A Front end 27 First seating sensor (seat sensor) 28 Second seat cushion (seat cushion) 28A Front end 29 Second seating sensor (seat sensor) 34 First tilt mechanism (tilt mechanism) 35 Second tilt mechanism (tilt mechanism) 50 1st seat back (seat back) 52 First rotation mechanism (rotation mechanism) 58 Second seat back (seat back) 60 Second rotation mechanism (rotation mechanism) 66 First seat back operating device (seat back operating device) 68 Second seat back operating device (seat back operating device) 70A CPU (control unit)

Claims

1. an electric tilt mechanism provided in front of a luggage compartment formed at the rear of the vehicle; a seat cushion that is a component of the rear seat and is supported by the tilt mechanism and is movable relative to a vehicle floor surface between a lower end position where a front end thereof is lowest and a position where the front end thereof is higher than the lower end position by the tilt mechanism; a seat back that is a component of the rear seat and is supported so as to be rotatable between an upright position and a forward-leaning position; a rotation mechanism that is a component of the rear seat and that rotates the seat back between the upright position and the forward tilt position; a seat back operation device that remotely controls the rotation mechanism to rotate the seat back to the forward tilt position when a predetermined operation is performed; a control unit that controls the tilt mechanism to position the seat cushion at the lower end position when the seat back operating device is operated to rotate the seat back toward the forward tilt position; A vehicle seat device comprising:

2. the seat cushion includes a first seat cushion and a second seat cushion that are aligned in a vehicle width direction and are movable by the tilt mechanism between the lower end position and a position where the front end position is higher than the lower end position, the seat back includes a first seat back whose position in a vehicle width direction is the same as that of the first seat cushion and which is supported so as to be rotatable between the upright position and the forward-leaning position, and a second seat back whose position in the vehicle width direction is the same as that of the second seat cushion and which is supported so as to be rotatable between the upright position and the forward-leaning position, a seating sensor capable of detecting that an occupant is seated on the seat cushion; 2. The vehicle seat device according to claim 1, wherein, when the seating sensor detects that the occupant is seated on one of the first seat cushion and the second seat cushion, the control unit prohibits the seatback operating device from rotating the other of the first seat cushion and the second seat back to the forward tilt position, and prohibits the tilt mechanism from moving the other of the first seat cushion and the second seat cushion to the lower end position.

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