Lock structure for vehicular flip-up seat

The locking mechanism for vehicle flip-up seats addresses the issue of a non-flat floor by using a rotatable hook plate and kickstand, ensuring a smooth and secure locking process while maintaining a flat surface.

JP2025166780APending Publication Date: 2025-11-06ADIENT US LLC
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024196735
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2024-04-24
Filing Date
2024-11-11
Publication Date
2025-11-06

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The striker of existing vehicle seats protrudes upward when flipped up, creating a non-flat floor surface in the passenger compartment.

Method used

A locking mechanism for vehicle flip-up seats that includes a rotatable hook plate and a kickstand, allowing the seat to be locked and unlocked smoothly, with components embedded within the lower rail to maintain a flat floor surface.

Benefits of technology

The mechanism ensures a flat floor surface by embedding the locking components within the lower rail, providing a smooth and secure locking and unlocking process.

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Abstract

To provide a lock structure for a vehicular flip-up seat that can convert a living chamber floor surface into a flat state.SOLUTION: A vehicular flip-up seat is supported so as to be freely rotatable with an outer upper rail that is slidable on a lower rail and can be freely attached and detached so as to be capable of being locked to an inner upper rail that is slidable while being embedded in the lower rail 82 with a lock part provided on an inner side. The inner upper rail includes a body rail and a hook engagement member 1. The hook engagement member includes an overhang part 12 forming a space on a lower side that extends in a longitudinal direction. The lock part includes: a hook plate 73 including a hook part 732 entering via a gap of the lower rail 82 with the rotation in a first direction; and a lock plate 72 of which rotation is permitted in a position where the hook part 732 enters the space and which regulates the rotation of the hook plate 73 in the first direction and a second direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4A
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a locking structure for a vehicle flip-up seat. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a vehicle seat that slides relative to the floor of the vehicle compartment and can be flipped up sideways to be stored in a side wall of the vehicle compartment. Lower rails are installed on the floor of the vehicle compartment, and a striker is attached to an upper rail that slides while engaging with the lower rail. The vehicle seat is locked so that it cannot be flipped up by engaging a hook provided on the seat cushion with the striker. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-180678 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The striker of the vehicle seat described in Patent Document 1 is a metal rod-shaped member formed into a generally U-shape, with the open side facing downward and both ends hanging down, and is fixed to surround the right and left sides of the upper rail. Therefore, the striker protrudes upward from the upper rail, and the floor of the passenger compartment is not flat when the seat is flipped up and stored, leaving room for improvement. Thus, a locking mechanism for a vehicle flip-up seat is desired that allows the floor of the passenger compartment to be flat.

[0005] Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a locking structure for a vehicle flip-up seat that can make the floor surface of the vehicle compartment flat. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, one embodiment of the present invention has the following configuration. 1) The vehicle pop-up seat is rotatably supported on the side of the outer upper rail that engages with and slides on the outer lower rail, and is lockably and detachably attached to and from the inner upper rail that slides while being substantially embedded in the inner lower rail by a locking portion provided on the inner side; The inner lower rail has top wall portions opposed to each other with a gap in the width direction, The inner upper rail has a main rail and a hook engaging member attached to the main rail, The hook engaging member has a protruding portion that extends in the longitudinal direction at an upper position of the main rail and forms a space below it, The locking portion is a hook plate having a hook portion that enters a space below the overhang portion through the gap in the inner lower rail by rotation in a first rotation direction; a lock plate that is allowed to rotate when the hook portion reaches a position where it enters the space and that restricts rotation of the hook plate in a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction, This is a locking structure for a vehicle flip-up seat. 2) A release wire is provided that is pulled to rotate the lock plate in the second rotation direction, This is a locking structure for a vehicle pop-up seat described in 1), in which the release wire is pulled and the lock plate rotates in the second rotation direction, allowing the hook plate to rotate in the second rotation direction and causing the hook portion to disengage from the space. 3) A locking structure for a vehicle pop-up seat described in 1), which is equipped with a kickstand that rotates integrally with the hook plate and abuts against the upper surface of the hook engagement member when the vehicle pop-up seat is lowered from a position where the locking portion is disengaged from the inner upper rail, thereby rotating the hook plate in the first rotation direction and allowing the hook portion to enter the space. 4) A kickstand is provided which has a sliding portion that slides on the upper surface of the hook engaging member and rotates integrally with the hook plate, the sliding portion is formed so that a distance from a sliding position to a rotation center increases with rotation in the second rotation direction, This is a locking structure for a vehicle pop-up seat described in 1), in which when the hook plate rotates in the second rotation direction, the kickstand rotates together and the locking portion rises. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, an effect is obtained in that the floor surface of a room can be made flat. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating the flip-up operation of a seat ST locked by a lock structure RK for a flip-up vehicle seat according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2A is a front view showing the hook engaging member 1 in the lock structure RK. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B is a vertical cross-sectional view of the hook engagement member 1. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a left side view showing the frame configuration of the seat ST in use. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4A is a left side view for explaining the configuration of the lock structure RK. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is a left side view in which some components are not shown in order to explain the configuration of the lock structure RK. [Figure 4C] FIG. 4C is a perspective view seen from diagonally above the front right side for explaining the configuration of the lock structure RK. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a left side view showing the lock structure RK in the unlocked state. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a left side view illustrating the transition of the lock structure RK from the unlocked state to the locked state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] One embodiment of the locking structure for a vehicle flip-up seat of the present invention will be described using the seat ST and the locking structure RK. In the description, the up, down, left, and right directions are defined by the arrows shown in Fig. 1. The left and right directions correspond to the left and right directions of an occupant facing the forward direction of the vehicle, with the front being the front of the paper in Fig. 1 and the rear being the back of the paper in Fig. 1. The left and right directions also correspond to the width direction of the vehicle and the seat ST.

[0010] The seat ST has a seat cushion ST1 and a seat back ST2. The seat cushion ST1 has a seat cushion frame ST1f therein, and the seat back ST2 has a seat back frame ST2f therein. The seat back frame ST2f is rotatable for reclining around an axis CLS (FIG. 3) extending left and right relative to the seat cushion frame ST1f (see arrow DR2 in FIG. 3).

[0011] The seat ST is installed in the vehicle interior so as to be slidable in the fore-and-aft direction and can be stored in the right wall of the interior by flipping up sideways. As shown in Fig. 1, an inner lower rail 82 (hereinafter simply referred to as the lower rail 82) is installed in the floor FL of the interior so as to extend in the fore-and-aft direction and to be substantially embedded in the floor FL. The right side of the floor FL is one step higher as a wheel well FLa, and an outer lower rail 81 is installed on top of the wheel well FLa and to extend in the fore-and-aft direction.

[0012] An upper rail STb, which is an outer upper rail, is engaged with the outer lower rail 81 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction, and a hinge STa is attached to the upper end of the upper rail STb, which is responsible for rotation about a rotation axis extending in the front-rear direction. A seat cushion frame ST1f housed in the seat cushion ST1 is connected to the hinge STa. This allows the seat cushion frame ST1f to rotate relative to the upper rail STb via the hinge STa. Specifically, the seat cushion ST1 rotates about the hinge STa between a storage position shown by a solid line in which the seat cushion ST1 is upright and stored within the right wall (not shown) and a use position shown by a dashed-dotted line in a generally horizontal position (see arrow DR1).

[0013] A leg panel STc that rotates and rises around its base is attached to the left end portion, which is the inner side of the underside of the seat cushion frame ST1f. The leg panel STc is a plate-shaped member extending perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 1, and is locked against rotation in a posture extending in the vertical direction when the seat cushion ST1 is in the use position. A locking portion 7 is provided at the tip of the leg panel STc. The locking portion 7 is detachable from a hook engaging member 1 (see FIGS. 2A and 2B) of the upper rail 5, which is an inner upper rail that is engaged with the lower rail 82 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. The locking portion 7 can be locked in an attached state. The locking portion 7 and the hook engaging member 1 constitute a locking structure RK. The upper rail 5 is engaged with the lower rail 82 by being embedded within it.

[0014] Next, the lock structure RK will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 2A to 4C. Fig. 2A is a front view showing the hook engagement member 1 in the lock structure RK. Fig. 2B is a vertical cross-sectional view of the hook engagement member 1. Fig. 3 is a left side view showing the frame configuration of the seat ST in use. Fig. 4A is a left side view for explaining the configuration of the lock structure RK. Fig. 4B is a left side view for explaining the configuration of the lock structure RK, with some parts not shown. Fig. 4C is a perspective view seen from diagonally above the front right for explaining the configuration of the lock structure RK.

[0015] First, the lower rail 82 and the hook engagement member 1 attached to the main rail 5a of the upper rail 5 engaged with the lower rail 82 will be described in detail. As shown in the cross section of FIG. 2A, the lower rail 82 has a generally U-shaped configuration with an open top and a bottom wall 82a, side wall 82b, and top wall 82c. The bottom wall 82a is fixed to an underfloor panel FLp disposed under the floor of the living room. A pair of side wall 82b is formed to rise upward from both left and right edges of the bottom wall 82a. The top wall 82c is formed to extend in a eaves-like manner, approaching each other in the left-right direction from the tips of the pair of side wall 82b. The tips of the pair of top wall 82c are separated in the left-right direction, forming a gap 82d. A running rail 82b1 protruding inward is formed at the lower portion of the inner surface of each side wall 82b. The upper surface of the traveling rail portion 82b1 is an inclined surface that slopes downward toward the inside.

[0016] The upper rail 5 is embedded in the space V inside the lower rail 82 and is housed therein so as to be movable in the front-to-rear direction. The upper rail 5 has a main rail 5a and a pair of hook engagement members 1 attached to the front and rear of the main rail 5a. Rollers 2 are attached to the front and rear of the main rail 5a. The rollers 2 have a shaft portion 2b extending in the left-to-right direction and disk-shaped ground contact portions 2a formed on the left and right ends of the shaft portion 2b and having a larger diameter than the shaft portion 2b. The pair of ground contact portions 2a roll on the pair of traveling rail portions 82b1, respectively, so that the upper rail 5 moves smoothly within the space V inside the lower rail 82.

[0017] 2B, an auxiliary roller 3 is attached to the main rail 5a of the upper rail 5 adjacent to the roller 2 on the side away from the end. The auxiliary roller 3 rotates around an axis parallel to the roller 2 and rolls in contact with the underside of the top wall portion 82c of the lower rail 82. The auxiliary roller 3 is biased upward by a biasing member (not shown). As a result, the auxiliary roller 3 absorbs any vertical play of the upper rail 5, allowing it to move more smoothly along the lower rail 82.

[0018] The upper rail 5 is configured by attaching hook engagement members 1 to the front and rear ends of the main rail 5a so as not to interfere with the rollers 2. The two hook engagement members 1 have the same shape but are attached facing in opposite directions, so the following description will focus on the hook engagement member 1 attached to the front end as a representative example.

[0019] The hook engaging member 1 is made of, for example, resin and attached to the upper rail 5 by a snap-fit ​​structure (not shown). The hook engaging member 1 may also be made of metal or the like and attached to the upper rail 5 by fastening screws or the like. 2A and 2B, the hook engagement member 1 has a base 10 that is positioned approximately at the top of the space V inside the lower rail 82 and is shaped to avoid interference with the roller 2, a pair of extensions 11 that extend forward from the left and right edges of the base 10, and a protruding portion 12 that protrudes forward like an eave and connects the pair of extensions 11 at the top. The protruding portion 12 extends in the longitudinal direction from an upper position of the main rail 5a. Below the protruding portion 12, a space V1 is formed, surrounded on three sides by the protruding portion 12, the base 10, and the pair of extensions 11. The hook engaging member 1 is accommodated almost entirely embedded in the lower rail 82, but the upper surface of the rear part of the base 10 protrudes slightly above the upper surface of the lower rail 82 to form a flat contact surface 13 parallel to the lower rail.

[0020] Next, a lock structure RK including a lock portion 7 will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4A to 4C. As shown in Figure 3, a pair of lock portions 7 are provided at the front and rear of the lower part of the leg panel STc in positions that are symmetrical from front to back. Since the pair of lock portions 7 have the same configuration, the following description will mainly focus on the combination of the lock portion 7 provided at the front and the hook engagement member 1 provided at the front end of the upper rail 5 that corresponds to the lock portion 7.

[0021] 3 and 4A, the leg panel STc is provided with a first shaft portion 74 and a second shaft portion 75. The first shaft portion 74 is disposed in the vertical center of the leg panel STc, and the second shaft portion 75 is disposed in a position spaced forward and downward from the first shaft portion 74.

[0022] The locking portion 7 includes a leg plate 71, a locking plate 72, a hook plate 73, and a kickstand 76. 4A, the leg plate 71 is fixed to the first shaft portion 74 and the second shaft portion 75 and has a base portion 711 made of a metal plate extending in a triangular shape with its apex pointing downward and rearward of the second shaft portion 75, and a resin grounding portion 712 attached to cover the tip of the triangular shape. The leg plate 71 cannot rotate with respect to the leg panel STc and moves up and down together with the leg panel STc in accordance with the lifting and returning motion of the seat ST.

[0023] When the seat ST transitions from the stored state to the locked state shown in FIG. 4A, the ground contact portion 712 descends together with the leg panel STc and abuts against the contact surface 13 of the hook engagement member 1, restricting further downward movement of the leg panel STc.

[0024] Hook plate 73 is a plate-shaped member and is attached to second shaft portion 75 so as to be rotatable about axis line CL2 extending in the left-right direction. In Fig. 4A, hook plate 73 has a base portion 731 extending downward and forward from second shaft portion 75, and a tapered hook portion 732 extending downward and rearward in a sickle shape from the tip of base portion 731. Base portion 731 has a protruding pin 733 protruding leftward (forward in the plane of the paper) diagonally above and forward of second shaft portion 75, and a pin 734 protruding rightward (into the distance into the plane of the paper) diagonally below and forward of protruding pin 733.

[0025] A first spiral spring 78 is attached to the second shaft portion 75. A fixed end portion 78a on the inner diameter side of the first spiral spring 78 is fixed to the second shaft portion 75, and an end portion on the outer diameter side forms a locking end portion 78b that is bent so as to extend radially outward. In a contracted state, the first spiral spring 78 has the locking end portion 78b hooked from the front side on the protruding pin 733, and biases the hook plate 73 with a force F2 in the clockwise direction in FIG. 4A around the axis CL2.

[0026] A pin 734 provided diagonally downward in front of the protruding pin 733 protrudes rightward and engages with an engagement hole 761b formed in a kick plate 761 of a kick stand 76 (described later) with almost no gap.

[0027] 4A, hook plate 73 has plate abutment portion 731a, which is an inclined portion formed to steeply approach axis CL2 as it extends rearward above second shank 75. Plate abutment portion 731a is formed to have an arc shape centered approximately on axis CL1 of first shank 74 in the locked state.

[0028] In the locked state, a second lock plate 722 of the lock plate 72 (described later) abuts against the plate abutment portion 731 a, restricting clockwise rotation of the hook plate 73 due to the biasing force of the first spiral spring 78 .

[0029] The lock plate 72 includes a first lock plate 721 and a second lock plate 722. The first lock plate 721 is formed from a metal plate, and the second lock plate 722 is formed from, for example, a polyacetal resin plate. The first lock plate 721 is supported on the first shaft 74 so as to be rotatable about an axis CL1 extending laterally. The first lock plate 721 has a first extension 721b that protrudes obliquely upward and forward from the first shaft 74. A wire end 77a, which is one end of a release wire 77, is engaged with the distal end of the first extension 721b. The other end of the release wire 77 extends rearward and is connected to a release lever (not shown) provided on the seat ST. When the release lever is operated by an occupant or the like, the release wire 77 is pulled rearward, and a lock that prevents the seat ST from being flipped up is released by an operation described below. The first extending portion 721b has a pin 724 that protrudes to the left (toward the viewer on the paper).

[0030] In the locked state, the first lock plate 721 has a second extending portion 721c that extends to a position close to the plate abutment portion 731a of the hook plate 73. A pin 723 that protrudes to the right (toward the back of the page) is provided near the lower edge of the second extending portion 721c. A third spiral spring 80 is attached to the first shaft 74. A fixed end 80a on the inner diameter side of the third spiral spring 80 is fixed to the first shaft 74, and an end on the outer diameter side forms a locking end 80b that is bent so as to extend radially outward. In the contracted state, the third spiral spring 80 has the locking end 80b hooked from the rear side on the protruding pin 724, biasing the lock plate 72 with a force F12 in a counterclockwise direction in FIG. 4A around the axis CL1.

[0031] The second lock plate 722 is arranged next to the first lock plate 721 on the right side (the rear side of the page) and is supported by the first shaft 74 so as to be rotatable about an axis CL1 extending laterally. The second lock plate 722 has a first extension 722b that extends obliquely upward and forward of the first shaft 74. A locking hole 721a that locks the rear end of the tension spring 61 is formed at the tip of the first extension 722b. The front end of the tension spring 61 is locked to the spring locking portion 62 of the leg panel STc.

[0032] The second locking plate 722 has a second extending portion 722c that extends along the second extending portion 721c of the first locking plate 721. A tip edge portion 722d of the second extending portion 722c is positioned to protrude forward and downward relative to the first locking plate 721 and is formed in an arc shape centered on the axis line CL1 of the first shaft portion 74. In the locked state shown in FIG. 4A , the tip edge portion 722d abuts against the plate abutment portion 731a of the hook plate 73. This abutment between the tip edge portion 722d of the second locking plate 722 and the plate abutment portion 731a of the hook plate 73 prevents rattling of the hook plate 73, and rotation of the hook plate 73 in the unlocking direction is restricted by the first locking plate 721.

[0033] The second extension portion 722c of the second lock plate 722 has a notch 722a cut in the clockwise circumferential direction in FIG. 4A. The pin 723 of the first lock plate 721 fits into the notch 722a. The second lock plate 722 is constantly biased in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 4A about the axis CL1 by the force F1, which is the compression force of the tension spring 61, and the notch 722a is in a state of pushing the pin 723 in the counterclockwise direction. In other words, the first lock plate 721 and the second lock plate 722 are configured to rotate together in the counterclockwise direction about the axis CL1 by the compression force F1 of the tension spring 61 and the force F12 of the third spiral spring 80.

[0034] Conversely, when release wire 77 is pulled rearward during an unlocking operation to rotate first lock plate 721 clockwise about axis CL1, pin 723 of first lock plate 721 pushes notch 722a of second lock plate 722 clockwise. As a result, during the unlocking operation, first lock plate 721 and second lock plate 722 rotate together clockwise about axis CL1. Here, force F1 by tension spring 61 and third spiral spring 80 are set so that the counterclockwise torque of lock plate 72 generated by the resultant force of forces F1 and F12 is smaller than the clockwise torque of lock plate 72 generated by the normal pulling force of release wire 77.

[0035] Next, kickstand 76 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 4B and 4C. Compared to Figure 4A, Figure 4B does not show leg plate 71 and does not show first spiral spring 78 except for locking end 78b, for ease of understanding. Kickstand 76 is a plate-shaped member and has a kick plate 761 and a sliding cover 762.

[0036] Kick plate 761 is attached to second shaft 75 so as to be rotatable about axis CL2. Kick plate 761 has a first extending portion 761c extending diagonally upward and forward of second shaft 75 and a second extending portion 761d extending diagonally downward and rearward. An engagement hole 761b is formed through first extending portion 761c, and pin 734 of hook plate 73 engages with this engagement hole 761b with almost no play. This allows kick plate 761 and hook plate 73 to rotate together about axis CL2.

[0037] Second extension portion 761d of kick plate 761 extends with the same width from the second shaft portion 75 side toward the tip. At least the edge of the tip of second extension portion 761d and the area up to the vicinity of second shaft portion 75 on the right side (the surface on the front side of the page) shown in Fig. 4C are covered with a resin sliding cover 762. Sliding cover 762 is formed on metal kick plate 761 by insert molding or the like using a resin (for example, polyacetal) with excellent sliding properties.

[0038] The tip edge of the sliding cover 762, which is the tip of the second extending portion 761d, is referred to as the sliding portion 76a. In the locked state shown in FIG. 4B, the shape of the sliding portion 76a as viewed from left is curved such that the distance from the axis CL2 increases as the sliding portion 76a moves rearward. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4B, the shape of the sliding portion 76a is curved such that the length of a line segment LNK connecting an arbitrary position Pk of the sliding portion 76a to the axis CL2 gradually increases as the position Pk moves from the front end position P1 to the rear end position P2 of the sliding portion 76a.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 4C , the front edge of the first extension 761c of the kick plate 761 is bent to form a bent-up portion 761a that protrudes to the right. A second spiral spring 79 is disposed on the right side of the kick plate 761. The second spiral spring 79 is supported by a nut N1 that fastens the second shaft 75. The inner end of the second spiral spring 79 is fixed to the second shaft 75, and the outer end forms a locking end 79a that is bent radially outward. With the outer diameter of the second spiral spring 79 contracted, the locking end 79a is hooked onto the bent-up portion 761a of the kick plate 761 so as to be biased downward from above by a force F3. As a result, the kickstand 76 is constantly biased counterclockwise in the locked state shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B . As is clear from FIG. 4B, in the locked state, the front end portion of the sliding portion 76a of the kickstand 76 abuts against the abutment surface 13 of the hook engagement member 1.

[0040] By using the components described above, when the seat cushion ST1 of the seat ST is returned from the flipped-up position to the use state, the lock structure RK automatically enters the locked state shown in Figures 4A and 4B in which the hook plate 73 enters the space V1 below the protruding portion 12 of the hook engaging member 1 and is hooked onto the protruding portion 12. The state transition between the locked state and the use state will now be described mainly with reference to Figures 5 to 6.

[0041] As described above, hook plate 73 is biased clockwise in Fig. 4B because locking end 78b of first spiral spring 78 is engaged with protruding pin 733. In the locked state shown in Fig. 4B, leading edge 722d of second lock plate 722 abuts against plate abutment portion 731a of hook plate 73, restricting clockwise rotation of hook plate 73 and maintaining hook portion 732 engaged with protruding portion 12 of hook engagement member 1. In other words, the locked state is maintained. The hook portion 732 passes through the gap 82 d at the top of the lower rail 82 and hooks onto the protruding portion 12 .

[0042] To transition from this locked state to an unlocked state, the occupant or the like operates a release lever (not shown). As a result, the release wire 77 is pulled rearward as shown in Fig. 5 (see arrow DR51). The clockwise torque of the lock plate 72 in Fig. 5 generated by the release wire 77 being pulled rearward is greater than the counterclockwise torque caused by the resultant force of the force F1 of the tension spring 61 and the force F12 of the third spiral spring 80, so the lock plate 72 rotates clockwise in Fig. 5 (see arrow DR52).

[0043] When the lock plate 72 rotates clockwise, the leading edge 722d of the second lock plate 722 slides upward on the plate abutment portion 731a of the hook plate 73 (see arrow DR53). When the rotation angle of the second lock plate 722 exceeds a predetermined angle, the leading edge 722d moves upward away from the plate abutment portion 731a, releasing the abutment. The hook plate 73 rotates clockwise, which is a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction, due to the force F2 of the first spiral spring 78 (see arrow DR54). As a result, the hook portion 732 on the leading end side of the hook plate 73 disengages from the hook engagement member 1, and the lock is released.

[0044] As the hook plate 73 rotates clockwise, the kickstand 76 rotates clockwise together with the hook plate 73 (see arrow DR55). As a result, as shown in FIG. 4B , the sliding position, which is the contact position of the sliding portion 76a that contacts the contact surface 13 of the hook engagement member 1 in the locked state, moves rearward from the front end position P1 to the rear end position P2. As described above, the distance between the sliding portion 76a and the axis line CL2 increases toward the rear end of the sliding portion 76a. Therefore, the clockwise rotation of the kickstand 76 raises the position of the second shaft portion 75 by a certain height. In other words, the leg panel STc rises (see arrow DR56). The certain height is the difference between the distance between the axis line CL2 and the front end position P1 of the sliding portion 76a and the distance between the axis line CL2 and the rear end position P2 of the sliding portion 76a.

[0045] In this way, by operating the release lever in the release direction, the locking mechanism RK is released, and the seat cushion ST1 is automatically raised by a certain height, making it easier for the occupant to lift up the seat ST.

[0046] Next, the operation of lowering the seat ST that has been flipped up and locking it to a member on the floor FL side will be described with reference to FIG. 6. First, when an occupant or the like rotates the seat cushion ST1 in the stored state downward, causing the leg panel STc to descend (see arrow DR61), position P2, which is the rear end of the sliding portion 76a of the kick stand 76, abuts against the abutment surface 13 of the hook engagement member 1 and receives a reaction force F4. Position P2 is not directly below axis CL1, which is the rotation center of the kick plate 761, but is rearward of the perpendicular line LN1 passing through axis CL1. Therefore, a counterclockwise torque based on force F4 is generated in the kick plate 761, and the downward force of the leg panel STc causes the kick plate 761 to rotate counterclockwise about axis CL2 while the sliding portion 76a slides against the abutment surface 13 of the hook engagement member 1 (see arrow DR63). As the kick plate 761 rotates counterclockwise, the contact position of the sliding portion 76a against the contact surface 13 gradually moves forward, so that the leg panel STc further descends by a certain distance.

[0047] As described above, the kick plate 761 and the base portion 731 of the hook plate 73 rotate integrally. Therefore, the hook portion 732 rotates counterclockwise, which is the first rotation direction, integrally with the kick plate 761, and enters the space V1 below the protruding portion 12 of the hook engaging member 1, where it is locked.

[0048] Meanwhile, while the kick plate 761 and the hook plate 73 rotate counterclockwise together, the lock plate 72 slides on the upper end face of the base portion 731 of the hook plate 73 (see arrow DR65). When the rotation position of the hook plate 73 reaches a position where the hook portion 732 enters the space V1 below the protruding portion 12, the plate abutment portion 731a reaches a position forward of the tip edge portion 722d of the second lock plate 722. As a result, second lock plate 722 is allowed to rotate counterclockwise by the torque due to tension force F1 (see FIG. 4B) of tension spring 61, and first lock plate 721 is also urged counterclockwise by the torque due to force F12 of third spiral spring 80, so that leading edge 722d rotates to face plate abutment portion 731a of hook plate 73 (see arrow DR66) and comes into contact with or close to plate abutment portion 731a. That is, a locked state is achieved in which clockwise rotation of hook plate 73 is restricted by second lock plate 722.

[0049] Furthermore, when the height position of the descending leg panel STc becomes slightly lower than the height position at which the seat ST is locked, the contact portion 712 of the leg plate 71 integrated with the leg panel STc comes into contact with the contact surface 13 of the hook engagement member 1, restricting further descent of the leg panel STc. The contact portion 712 is made of resin and is elastic against vertical compression. Therefore, the vibrations and shocks generated when the leg panel STc comes into contact with the contact surface 13 are absorbed by the contact portion 712, and the seat ST provides a soft and pleasant feel when it hits the floor FL as it rotates and descends.

[0050] As described above, when the seat cushion ST1 is lowered from the unlocked position, the locking structure RK is configured so that as the seat cushion ST1 moves downward, the hook portion 732 of the hook plate 73 automatically engages with the hook engaging member 1, and the locking plate 72 restricts the rotation of the hook plate 73 in the direction of releasing the lock, thereby locking the hook plate 73.

[0051] In the locking structure RK, the second locking plate 722 normally restricts the rotation of the hook plate 73 in the unlocking direction when in the locked state. When an impact force is applied that moves the lower rail 82 forward relative to the seat cushion ST1, such as when a vehicle carrying the seat ST collides longitudinally, it is expected that the hook plate 73 will be subjected to excessive force that rotates it clockwise in FIG. 4B . Therefore, it is preferable to form the second locking plate 722 from resin to improve sliding properties during the locking operation, and to form the first locking plate 721 from a thick metal to provide a sufficiently higher rigidity than the second locking plate 722 and make it less susceptible to deformation. In this case, the input of excessive force from the plate abutment portion 731a of the hook plate 73 causes the second locking plate 722 to buckle, but the plate abutment portion 731a directly abuts against the first locking plate 721. The first locking plate 721 is resistant to deformation due to external forces, and therefore, even if an excessive force is applied from the hook plate 73 side, excessive deformation of the locking structure RK can be suppressed, and the locked state can be maintained.

[0052] As already mentioned, a pair of the locking structures RK are attached in reverse front-to-rear orientation to the front and rear ends of the lower rail 82. When a passenger or the like operates the release lever, the two release wires 77 connected to each of the pair of locking structures RK are pulled in the same manner, and the unlocking operations are performed simultaneously.

[0053] As described above in detail, the lock structure RK of one embodiment of the present invention is locked when the lock plate 72 on the flip-up seat ST side engages with the hook engagement member 1 on the vehicle side. The hook engagement member 1 is stored inside the lower rail 82 that is substantially embedded in the floor surface of the vehicle, with the abutment surface 13 only slightly protruding upward, so that when the flip-up seat ST is flipped up and stored in the side wall of the passenger compartment, the floor surface of the vehicle can be made substantially flat.

[0054] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and procedure, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0055] The materials of the respective members are not limited to those mentioned above. They may all be made of metal, or members having sliding parts or the sliding parts may be made of a resin with high slidability, such as polyacetal resin.

[0056] Vehicles include not only vehicles such as automobiles and trains, but also ships, aircraft, drones, and other flying objects, and refer to any moving object that can carry people. Furthermore, the directions of up, down, left, right, front and rear in the above description are merely examples defined for the convenience of description, and the orientation of the flip-up seat ST relative to the vehicle is not defined and is free. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 1 Hook engagement member 10 base 11 Extension 12 Overhang 13. Contact surface 2. Laura 2a Grounding part 2b Shaft part 3 Auxiliary roller 5 Upper Rail 5a Main rail 61 Tension spring 62 Spring locking part 7 Lock Section 71 Leg Plate 711 Base 712 Grounding part 72 Lock Plate 721 First Lock Plate 721a Locking hole 721b 1st extension 721c 2nd extension 722 Second Lock Plate 722a Notch 722b 1st extension 722c 2nd extension 722d Tip edge 723,724 pins 73 Hook Plate 731 Base 731a Plate contact part 732 Hook part 733 Protruding pin 734 pins 74 First shaft 75 Second shaft 76 Kickstand 76a Sliding part 761 kick plate 761a Bending and raising part 761b Engagement hole 761c 1st extension 761d 2nd extension 762 Sliding cover 77 Release Wire 77a Wire End 78 First mainspring 78a Fixed end 78b Locking end 79 Second mainspring 79a Locking end 80 Third mainspring 80a fixed end 80b Locking end 81 Outer lower rail 82 Inner lower rail (lower rail) 82a Bottom wall 82b Side wall part 82b1 Running rail section 82c Ceiling wall section 82d Gap CL1,CL2,CLS axis line FL floor FLa Wheelhouse FLp Underfloor Panel F1,F2,F3,F4,F12 Force LNK line segment LN1 Perpendicular N1 Nut P1,P2,Pk position RK lock structure ST seat STa Hinge STb upper rail STc Leg Panel ST1 seat cushion ST1f seat cushion frame ST2 seat back ST2f seat back frame V,V1 space

Claims

1. The vehicle pop-up seat is rotatably supported on the side of an outer upper rail that engages with and slides on an outer lower rail, and is lockably and detachably attached to an inner upper rail that slides while being substantially embedded in the inner lower rail by a locking portion provided on the inner side, The inner lower rail has top wall portions opposed to each other with a gap in the width direction, The inner upper rail has a main rail and a hook engaging member attached to the main rail, The hook engaging member has a protruding portion that extends in the longitudinal direction at an upper position of the main rail and forms a space below it, The locking portion is a hook plate having a hook portion that enters a space below the overhang portion through the gap in the inner lower rail by rotation in a first rotation direction; a lock plate that is allowed to rotate when the hook portion reaches a position where it enters the space and that restricts rotation of the hook plate in a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction, Locking structure for vehicle flip-up seats.

2. a release wire that is pulled to rotate the lock plate in the second rotation direction; 2. The locking structure for a vehicle pop-up seat according to claim 1, wherein the release wire is pulled to rotate the lock plate in the second rotation direction, thereby allowing the hook plate to rotate in the second rotation direction and disengaging the hook portion from the space.

3. 2. The locking structure for a vehicle pop-up seat as described in claim 1, further comprising a kickstand that rotates integrally with the hook plate and abuts against the upper surface of the hook engagement member when the vehicle pop-up seat is lowered from a position where the locking portion is disengaged from the inner upper rail, thereby rotating the hook plate in the first rotation direction and causing the hook portion to enter the space.

4. a kickstand having a sliding portion that slides on an upper surface of the hook engaging member and rotates integrally with the hook plate; the sliding portion is formed so that a distance from a sliding position to a rotation center increases with rotation in the second rotation direction, 2. The locking structure for a vehicle flip-up seat according to claim 1, wherein when the hook plate rotates in the second rotation direction, the kickstand rotates together with the hook plate, causing the locking portion to rise.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Vehicle seat

    JP2013180678A