Vehicular seat

Abstract

To provide a vehicular seat that is excellent in both ride comfort and support performance.SOLUTION: A vehicular seat comprises a seat cushion 6 that supports a lower body of an occupant and a seat back 7 that supports an upper body of the occupant. The seat cushion 6 comprises a first lateral support part 61 that supports the thigh and the hip of the occupant from the lateral side, and a lower support part 62 that supports the thigh and the hip from below. The seat back 7 comprises a second lateral support part 71 that supports the back of the occupant from the lateral side and a rear support part 72 that supports the back from the rear side. The first lateral support part 61 is formed of materials harder than materials of the lower support part 62, and the second lateral support part 71 is formed of materials harder than materials of the rear support part 72.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat for a vehicle capable of off-road driving. [Background technology]

[0002] The patent document discloses a multipurpose vehicle capable of off-road driving. In this multipurpose vehicle, the left and right end regions of the seat surface of the seat cushion are raised above the seat surface to provide firm support for the occupant during off-road driving. Similarly, the left and right end regions of the rear surface of the seat back protrude forward from the rear surface, providing side support for the occupant's upper body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-154951 A (Fig. 3) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the vehicle seat structure disclosed in Patent Document 1, the upper and lower halves of the occupant's body are supported from the sides, so the occupant is properly held in the seat even when driving off-road. However, the enhanced support results in poor seating comfort, which is a significant problem when driving on normal roads.

[0005] For this reason, there is a demand for vehicle seats that are excellent in both ride comfort and support. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle seat according to the present invention is a vehicle seat for an off-road vehicle, and comprises a seat cushion that supports the lower body of an occupant and a seat back that supports the upper body of the occupant, the seat cushion comprising a first lateral support portion that supports the thighs and buttocks of the occupant from the sides, and a lower support portion that supports the thighs and buttocks from below, the seat back comprising a second lateral support portion that supports the back of the occupant from the sides, and a rear support portion that supports the back from behind, the first lateral support portion being made of a harder material than the lower support portion, and the second lateral support portion being made of a harder material than the rear support portion.

[0007] According to this configuration, the occupant's lower body, i.e., the thighs and buttocks, are supported from the sides by the first lateral support portions made of a hard material, so the occupant's lower body is firmly held even when the vehicle sways. Furthermore, the thighs and buttocks are supported from below by the lower support portions made of a soft material, meaning that the seat surface area where the thighs and buttocks come into contact with the seat cushion has good cushioning properties, ensuring a comfortable ride for the occupant. Similarly, the occupant's upper body, i.e., the back, is supported from the sides by the second lateral support portions made of a hard material, so the occupant's upper body is firmly held even when the vehicle sways. Furthermore, the back is supported from behind by the rear support portions made of a soft material, meaning that the back area where the back comes into contact with the seat back has good cushioning properties, ensuring a comfortable ride for the occupant. This provides a vehicle seat that is excellent in both ride comfort and support (stability).

[0008] For occupant stability and ride comfort when driving a vehicle, especially off-road driving, it is important that the occupant's lower body is stabilized and that the transmission of vehicle vibrations to the occupant's lower body through the seat surface is suppressed. Furthermore, if the occupant's upper body is tightly restrained from the sides in order to stabilize it, drivability will be impaired. For this reason, the present invention proposes that the first lateral support portion be made of a harder material than the second lateral support portion.

[0009] When driving a vehicle, especially off-road driving, it is important that the upper body is supported more firmly than the lower body to ensure stability. In other words, it is preferable that the seat cushion as a whole be made of a harder material than the seat back. For this reason, the present invention proposes that the lower support portion be made of a harder material than the second lateral support portion. In this configuration, the hardness of each portion is in the order of "first lateral support portion > lower support portion > second lateral support portion > rear support portion."

[0010] In order to stably support the thighs and buttocks of the occupant while ensuring the freedom of movement of the knees and below the knees, a configuration that allows only lateral movement of the knees is required. For this reason, in the present invention, the distance between the left first lateral support portion and the right first lateral support portion of the seat cushion is wider at the front than at the rear in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the seat cushion and the seat back are each an integrally foamed product, and the hardness and softness of the material are created by the difference in foam density. In this configuration, the hard material portion and the soft material portion of the seat cushion and the seat back are integrally molded by making the foam density different, which is advantageous in terms of cost. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of a utility vehicle equipped with an example of a vehicle seat according to the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a plan view of a utility vehicle equipped with an example of a vehicle seat according to the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a vehicle seat; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a longitudinal section of the seat cushion. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a transverse section of a seat back. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] A multipurpose vehicle, which is an example of a work vehicle capable of off-road driving according to the present invention, will be described below. In the following description, with respect to the multipurpose vehicle, the direction of arrow F shown in the drawings will be referred to as the "front of the vehicle body," the direction of arrow B as the "rear of the vehicle body," the direction of arrow U as the "upper of the vehicle body," the direction of arrow D as the "lower of the vehicle body," the direction of arrow L as the "left of the vehicle body," and the direction of arrow R as the "right of the vehicle body."

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the multipurpose vehicle has a body frame 3 supported on the ground by a pair of left and right front wheels 1 and a pair of left and right rear wheels 2. The front wheels 1 are drivable and steerable, and the rear wheels 2 are drivable. A driver's section 9 is formed at the front of the body frame 3, and a cargo bed 30 is provided at the rear of the body frame 3. An engine E and a transmission are mounted below the cargo bed 30. The driver's section 9 is surrounded by a ROPs 8.

[0015] 1 and 2, the driver's section 9 is provided with a driver's seat 5A and a passenger's seat 5B as vehicle seats 5. A steering wheel 90 is disposed in front of the driver's seat 5A, and a dashboard 91 including an instrument panel 92 is provided in front of the steering wheel 90. The driver's section 9 is provided with manual operating devices such as an accelerator pedal for adjusting the driving speed, a brake pedal for braking, and a gear shift lever for changing gears.

[0016] 3, in this embodiment, the passenger seat 5B is a two-seat type, but it may be a one-seat type. The structure of the driver's seat 5A will be described below as an example of the vehicle seat 5.

[0017] The driver's seat 5A is composed of a seat cushion 6 that supports the lower body of the occupant (driver) and a seat back 7 that supports the upper body of the occupant. The seat back 7 is a reclining seat that can be swung back and forth by a swing mechanism 50 provided in the rear end region of the seat cushion 6.

[0018] The seat cushion 6 includes a pair of first lateral support portions 61 on the left and right sides that support the thighs and buttocks of the occupant from the sides, and a lower support portion 62 that supports the thighs and buttocks of the occupant from below. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the first lateral support portions 61 rise upward from the upper surfaces (seat surface) of the lower support portions 62, and this rising provides good support for the sides of the occupant's thighs and buttocks.

[0019] The lower support portion 62 has a width that allows it to support substantially the entire lower surface of the occupant's thighs and buttocks from below. However, to ensure freedom of movement of the occupant's knees and below the knees, the width of the lower support portion 62 in the knee region is long. In other words, the width (indicated by reference symbol L1 in FIG. 3) of the front end (in the vehicle body longitudinal direction) of the lower support portion 62 is longer than the width (indicated by reference symbol L2 in FIG. 3) of the rear end of the lower support portion 62. For this reason, the lower support portion 62 has an inverted trapezoidal shape in a plan view.

[0020] It is important that the first lateral support portions 61 support the occupant's thighs and buttocks from the sides and stably hold the occupant's lower body, and that the lower support portions 62 firmly support the occupant's thighs and buttocks while suppressing the transmission of vehicle body vibrations. Therefore, the first lateral support portions 61 are made of a hard material, and the lower support portions 62 are made of a soft material. In this embodiment, the seat cushion 6 is an integrally foamed product. That is, the first lateral support portions 61 and the lower support portions 62 are integrally formed by a foam molding method, and the difference in hardness between them is created by the difference in foam density. As an example of the difference in hardness, in an ILD test, the hardness of the first lateral support portions 61 is approximately 210 N (Newtons), and the hardness of the lower support portions 62 is approximately 180 N.

[0021] Similarly, the seat back 7 also includes a pair of second lateral support portions 71 that support the occupant's back (left and right side ends including the flanks) from the sides, and a rear support portion 72 that supports the occupant's back from behind. The second lateral support portions 71 protrude forward from the surface (back surface) of the rear support portion 72, and this protrusion provides good support for the sides of the occupant's back.

[0022] The rear support part 72 has a width that allows it to support substantially the entire back of the occupant from behind. However, to ensure freedom of movement of the occupant's upper arms, the width of the rear support part 72 in the upper arm region is long. In other words, the width of the upper end (vertical direction of the vehicle body) of the rear support part 72 (indicated by reference symbol L3 in FIG. 3) is longer than the width of the lower end of the rear support part 72 (indicated by reference symbol L4 in FIG. 3). Therefore, the rear support part 72 has an inverted trapezoidal shape when viewed from the front.

[0023] It is important that the second lateral support portions 71 support the occupant's back from the sides and stably hold the occupant's upper body, and that the rear support portions 72 firmly support the occupant's back and suppress the transmission of vehicle body vibrations to the back. For this reason, the second lateral support portions 71 are made of a hard material, and the rear support portions 72 are made of a soft material. In this embodiment, the seat back 7 is an integrally foam-molded product. That is, the second lateral support portions 71 and the rear support portions 72 are integrally formed by a foam molding method, and the difference in hardness between them is created by the difference in foam density. As an example of the difference in hardness, in an ILD test, the hardness of the second lateral support portions 71 is approximately 160 N (Newtons), and the hardness of the rear support portions 72 is approximately 120 N.

[0024] Considering the hardness of the seat cushion 6 and the seat back 7, the order is "first lateral support portion 61 > lower support portion 62 > second lateral support portion 71 > rear support portion 72", which creates good stability and a comfortable ride for the occupant as a whole.

[0025] 4 and 5, the seat cushion 6 includes a seat cushion frame 63, and the seat back 7 includes a seat back frame 73. The seat back frame 73 is connected to the swing mechanism 50, and the seat cushion frame 63 is connected to the vehicle body frame 3 via a slide mechanism (not shown).

[0026] [Another embodiment] (1) In the above embodiment, the driver's seat 5A was taken as the vehicle seat 5 and its characteristic configuration was explained, but the passenger seat 5B, passenger seats, etc. can also be configured in a similar manner. Not all seats installed in the vehicle need to have the characteristic configuration of the vehicle seat 5 according to the present invention.

[0027] (2) In the above-described embodiment, the vehicle seat 5 according to the present invention was installed in a multipurpose vehicle, but it can also be installed in an off-road vehicle such as a jeep, or an agricultural vehicle such as a tractor or a lawnmower.

[0028] (3) In the above-described embodiment, the hardness of the materials of the seat cushion 6 and the seat back 7 constituting the vehicle seat 5 was in the order of "first lateral support portion 61 > lower support portion 62 > second lateral support portion 71 > rear support portion 72," but it may be "first lateral support portion 61 > lower support portion 62" and "second lateral support portion 71 > rear support portion 72." For example, the first lateral support portion 61 and the second lateral support portion 71 may have the same hardness, or the difference in hardness may be reversed. As mentioned above, the lower support portion 62 and the rear support portion 72 may have the same hardness, or the difference in hardness may be reversed.

[0029] The configurations disclosed in the above embodiments (including other embodiments, the same applies below) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, as long as no contradiction arises. Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are examples, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to these, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope that does not deviate from the purpose of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0030] The present invention is applicable to vehicles capable of off-road driving. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] 5: Vehicle seats 5A: Driver's seat 5B: Passenger seat 6: Seat cushion 7: Seat back 9: Driving section 50: Oscillating mechanism 61: First horizontal support part 62: Lower support part 71: Second horizontal support part 72: Rear support part

Claims

1. A vehicle seat for an off-road vehicle, comprising: The seat cushion supports the lower body of an occupant, and the seat back supports the upper body of the occupant. the seat cushion includes a first lateral support portion that supports the thighs and buttocks of the occupant from the sides, and a lower support portion that supports the thighs and buttocks from below, The seat back includes a second lateral support portion that supports a back portion of the occupant from the side and a rear support portion that supports the back portion from the rear, The first lateral support portion has a harder material than the lower support portion, and the second lateral support portion has a harder material than the rear support portion.

2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 , wherein the first lateral support portion is made of a harder material than the second lateral support portion.

3. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 , wherein the lower support portion is made of a harder material than the second lateral support portion.

4. 2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the first lateral support portion on the left side and the first lateral support portion on the right side of the seat cushion is wider at the front than at the rear in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.

5. 5. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the seat cushion and the seat back are each an integral foam molding, and the hardness and softness of the material are determined by the difference in foam density.

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