Vehicle seat

Abstract

To provide a vehicle seat with a seat belt retractor, which does not deteriorate an occupant's comfort during seating, and which is constituted to reduce restrictions on the minimum height of a seat cushion.SOLUTION: A vehicle seat 100 comprises: an arm rest 140 that is rotatably supported on a left side surface 120L of a seat back 120; a seat belt 150 that extends via the rear and upside of the arm rest 140; and a retractor 154 that is provided on the left side surface 120L of the seat back 120 and constituted to be capable of winding the seat belt 150.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, vehicle seats equipped with a seat belt retractor in the seat itself have been known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a vehicle seat in which the retractor is arranged behind the seating surface of the seat back and inside the seat back frame. Patent Document 2 describes a vehicle seat in which the retractor is arranged under the seat cushion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-172334 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-129066 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, if the retractor is disposed behind the seating surface of the seat back as described in Patent Document 1, the thickness of the seat back pad will be thin, reducing the comfort of the occupant when seated. Also, if the retractor is disposed below the seat cushion as described in Patent Document 2, the minimum height of the seat cushion will be restricted, reducing the degree of freedom in design. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present invention is a vehicle seat including a seat cushion having first and second sides on one and the other of the left and right sides, and a seat back erected at the rear end of the seat cushion and having first and second sides on one and the other of the left and the right sides. The seat back also includes an armrest rotatably supported on the first side of the seat back, a seat belt extending behind and above the armrest, and a retractor provided on the first side of the seat back and configured to retract the seat belt. This configuration allows the retractor to be positioned on the first side of the seat back and outside the movable range of the armrest. This ensures sufficient back pad thickness, providing a high level of comfort for the occupant when seated. Furthermore, the minimum height of the seat cushion can be set regardless of the position of the retractor, allowing for greater design flexibility.

[0006] The retractor is preferably disposed below the base end of the armrest, so that the retractor can be disposed without interfering with the armrest, which can be rotated in the front-rear direction.

[0007] The retractor is preferably located close to the base end of the armrest, which makes it easy to position the retractor.

[0008] The vehicle seat preferably further includes a bracket fixed to the first side surface of the seat back, the bracket preferably having a retractor support portion for supporting the retractor. With this configuration, the mounting orientation of the retractor can be easily set, and the retractor can be positioned with the axis, which is the center of rotation of the retractor, extending substantially horizontally.

[0009] It is preferable that the bracket further has an armrest support portion that rotatably supports the base end of the armrest. With this configuration, the armrest and the retractor are supported by a single bracket, thereby reducing the number of parts.

[0010] The vehicle seat preferably further includes a belt support portion provided at the upper end of the seat back for supporting the seat belt so that the seat belt can be pulled out after passing behind and above the armrest. With this configuration, the seat belt can be easily looped around the occupant after passing behind the armrest.

[0011] The retractor preferably has a rotation shaft around which the seat belt is wound, and the rotation shaft preferably extends at an upward incline toward the outer side of the seat back in the width direction. With this configuration, the seat belt wound around the retractor can be easily guided to the inner side of the retractor in the seat width direction.

[0012] The vehicle seat preferably further includes a belt fastening portion provided on the second side surface of the seat cushion and configured to detachably fasten the seat belt. With this configuration, the lumbar region and shoulders of the occupant can be well supported by the seat belt.

[0013] The vehicle seat preferably further includes a side airbag disposed inside the first side surface of the seatback and above the pivot shaft that pivotally supports the armrest. With this configuration, the side airbag can be easily deployed without being obstructed by the armrest.

[0014] The vehicle seat preferably further includes a cushion support portion that supports the seat cushion so that it can rotate about an axis extending in the vertical direction. With this configuration, the orientation of the vehicle seat can be easily changed without affecting the use of the seat belt. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, the retractor can be positioned on the first side of the seat back and outside the movable range of the armrest. This allows the back pad to have sufficient thickness, providing a high level of comfort for the occupant when seated. In addition, the minimum height of the seat cushion can be set regardless of the position of the retractor, allowing for greater design freedom. According to the present invention, the retractor can be disposed without interfering with the armrest that is rotatable in the front-rear direction. According to the present invention, the retractor can be easily positioned. According to the present invention, the mounting posture of the retractor can be easily set, and the retractor can be disposed with the axis, which is the center of rotation of the retractor, extending in a substantially horizontal direction. According to the present invention, the armrest and the retractor are supported by a single bracket, which reduces the number of parts. According to the present invention, the seat belt that passes behind the armrest can be easily looped around the occupant. According to the present invention, the seat belt wound around the retractor can be easily guided to a position inward in the seat width direction relative to the retractor. According to the present invention, the lumbar region and shoulders of the occupant can be well supported by the seat belt. According to the present invention, the side airbag can be easily deployed without being obstructed by the armrest. According to the present invention, the orientation of a vehicle seat can be easily changed without affecting the use state of the seat belt. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the overall configuration of the vehicle seat of FIG. 1. [Figure 3A] 2 is a front view mainly showing the configuration of the seat back of the vehicle seat of FIG. 1, and showing the state in which the seat belt is used. FIG. [Figure 3B]2 is a front view mainly showing the configuration of the seat back of the vehicle seat of FIG. 1, showing a state in which the seat belt is not in use. FIG. [Figure 4A] 1 is a perspective view of a bracket included in a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 4A. [Figure 5] 2 is a side view of an armrest provided in the vehicle seat of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 6A] FIG. 2 is a front view of a vehicle seat showing a modified example of the seat shown in FIG. 1; [Figure 6B] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a vehicle seat showing a modified example of the seat shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a side view of a vehicle seat showing an example in which a retractor is disposed above the base end of the armrest. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a front view of the vehicle seat of FIG. 7, mainly showing the seat back. [Figure 9A] FIG. 8 is a plan view of the armrest of FIG. 7 in an in-use position. [Figure 9B] FIG. 8 is a side view of the armrest of FIG. 7 in an in-use position. [Figure 9C] FIG. 9B is a diagram showing a modification of FIG. 9A. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a state in which a recess provided in an armrest is used. [Figure 11A] 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along a substantially horizontal plane of the seat back, showing a configuration of a mounting portion of a retractor different from that shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 11B] FIG. 11B is a plan view of the armrest 140A of FIG. 11A. [Figure 12A] FIG. 8 is a side view of a vehicle seat, showing a modified example of the vehicle seat shown in FIG. 7, in which the retractor and the bracket protrude rearward beyond the rear end surface of the seat back. [Figure 12B] FIG. 8 is a side view of a vehicle seat, which is a modification of the seat shown in FIG. 7, showing an example in which the retractor and the bracket are positioned forward of the rear end surface of the seat back. [Figure 13] 12A and 12B in a use position. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 8 is a side view of a vehicle seat showing another modified example of the vehicle seat shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 15A] FIG. 8 is a side view of a vehicle seat showing a further modification of the vehicle seat shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 15B] FIG. 15B is a diagram showing a modification of FIG. 15A. [Figure 16A] FIG. 8 is a side view of a vehicle seat showing yet another modified example of the vehicle seat shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 16B] 16B is a cross-sectional view of the seat back of FIG. 16A taken along a substantially horizontal plane. [Figure 17A] 16B is a diagram illustrating a procedure for moving the armrest of FIG. 16A from the storage position to the use position. [Figure 17B] FIG. 17B is a diagram for explaining the procedure following FIG. 17A. [Figure 18A] 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18B] 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 19] FIG. 18C is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control device applied to the vehicle of FIGS. 18A and 18B. [Figure 20] FIG. 18C is a side view showing an example of the luggage compartment expansion driving mode of the vehicle of FIGS. 18A and 18B. [Figure 21A] FIG. 18C is a side view showing an example of the vehicle of FIGS. 18A and 18B in a first rest mode. [Figure 21B] FIG. 18C is a side view showing an example of the vehicle of FIGS. 18A and 18B in a second rest mode. [Figure 21C] FIG. 18C is a side view illustrating an example of the vehicle of FIGS. 18A and 18B in a third rest mode. [Figure 22A] FIG. 18C is a side view showing an example of the vehicle of FIGS. 18A and 18B in a vehicle rest mode. [Figure 22B] 18A and 18B. FIG. [Figure 23] FIG. 22A is a rear view of the vehicle of FIGS. 22A and 22B. [Figure 24] 24 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 23. [Figure 25] FIG. 18C is a side view showing an example of the footwell expansion mode of the vehicle of FIGS. 18A and 18B. [Figure 26A] FIG. 18C is a side view showing an example of the vehicle of FIGS. 18A and 18B in an overnight stay mode. [Figure 26B] FIG. 26B is a side view of a vehicle showing a modification of FIG. 26A. [Figure 27A] FIG. 18C is a side view showing an example of the seat replacement mode of the vehicle of FIGS. 18A and 18B. [Figure 27B] FIG. 27B is a side view of a vehicle showing a modification of FIG. 27A. [Figure 28A] 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle seat to which an occupant support device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied; [Figure 28B] FIG. 28B is a perspective view showing the configuration of the frame of the vehicle seat of FIG. 28A. [Figure 29] 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of an occupant support device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 30] 29 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 31] FIG. 28C is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of an occupant support device provided on the seat back of FIG. 28B. [Figure 32] 32 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a connector that connects the connecting wire and the horizontal frame of FIG. 31. [Figure 33] 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a motorcycle as an example of a saddle-ride type vehicle to which an occupant support device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied; [Figure 34A] 34 is a perspective view of the rider support device applied to the motorcycle of FIG. 33, viewed obliquely from above. [Figure 34B] 34 is a perspective view of the rider support device applied to the motorcycle of FIG. 33, viewed obliquely from below. [Figure 35A] 34B is a vertical cross-sectional view of the vehicle seat taken along line AA of FIG. 34A. [Figure 35B] FIG. 34B is a diagram showing a modification of FIG. 34A. [Figure 36] 31 is a diagram showing an example of fixing a leaf spring member to a base member, different from that shown in FIG. 30. [Figure 37] 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a slide rail device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 38] 38 is a cross-sectional view of the slide rail device taken along line AA in FIG. 37. [Figure 39] 38 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the slide rail device in front of the guide member of FIG. 37. [Figure 40]FIG. 38 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a single guide member of FIG. 37. [Figure 41A] FIG. 41 is a front view of the guide member of FIG. 40; [Figure 41B] FIG. 41 is a plan view of the guide member of FIG. 40 . [Figure 42A] 38 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 37. [Figure 42B] 38 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 37. [Figure 43] 38 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 37, showing a modified example of the upper rail. [Figure 44] FIG. 38 is a perspective view of a slide rail device as a modification of the slide rail device shown in FIG. 37. [Figure 45] FIG. 45 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the cover member of FIG. 44 alone. [Figure 46A] FIG. 45 is a front view of the cover member of FIG. 44. [Figure 46B] FIG. 45 is a plan view of the cover member of FIG. 44; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6B. A vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention can be applied to various types of vehicles. Below, an example in which the vehicle seat is applied to a vehicle as a vehicle seat will be described.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle seat 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Below, the front-to-rear direction (length direction), left-to-right direction (width direction), and up-to-down direction (height direction) are defined as shown in the figure, and the configuration of each part will be described according to these definitions. FIG. 1 shows a vehicle seat (e.g., a passenger seat) 100 disposed on the left side of a vehicle. Although not shown, a vehicle seat disposed on the right side of a vehicle is configured bilaterally symmetrical to the vehicle seat 100 in FIG. 1. The forward direction in FIG. 1 is the direction in which the face of an occupant seated in the vehicle seat 100 faces. The front-to-rear direction of the vehicle seat 100 normally coincides with the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle, but may differ from the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle when, for example, the orientation of the vehicle seat 100 is changed.

[0019] 1, a vehicle seat 100 includes a seat cushion 110 that supports the buttocks of an occupant, a seat back 120 that supports the back of the occupant, and a headrest 130 that is provided on the upper part of the seat back 120 and supports the head of the occupant. The seat cushion 110 has a pair of left and right side surfaces (a left side surface 110L and a right side surface 110R), and the seat back 120 also has a pair of left and right side surfaces (a left side surface 120L and a right side surface 120R).

[0020] The seat cushion 110 extends substantially horizontally and has a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view. The seat cushion 110 has a seat cushion frame 111 (only a portion of which is shown) that forms the skeleton of the seat cushion 110. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the seat cushion frame 111 has, for example, a pair of left and right side frames that extend in the front-to-rear direction, and a pair of front and rear connecting frames that also extend in the left-to-right direction and connect the front ends and rear ends of the pair of left and right side frames, respectively, and the entire seat cushion has a substantially rectangular frame shape in a plan view.

[0021] A substantially plate-shaped pressure-receiving member (not shown) is disposed inside (inside the frame) of the seat cushion frame 111. A resilient cushion pad 112 made of, for example, urethane foam material is provided around the periphery of the seat cushion frame 111, and the surface of the cushion pad 112 is covered with a cover 113. A seating surface 114 on which an occupant sits is formed on the upper surface of the seat cushion 110. Although not shown, an ottoman may also be provided at the front end of the seat cushion 110 so as to be rotatable up and down around a shaft extending in the left-right direction as a fulcrum.

[0022] The seat back 120 rises from the rear end of the seat cushion 110 and has a generally rectangular shape when viewed from the front. The seat back 120 has a seat back frame 121 (only a part of which is shown) that forms the framework of the seat back 120. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the seat back frame 121 has, for example, a pair of left and right side frames that extend generally in the vertical direction, and a pair of upper and lower connecting frames that also extend in the horizontal direction and connect the upper ends and lower ends of the pair of left and right side frames, and the entire seat back frame has a generally rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front.

[0023] A substantially plate-shaped pressure-receiving member (not shown) is disposed inside (inside the frame) of the seatback frame 121. A resilient back pad 122 made of, for example, urethane foam material is provided around the seatback frame 121, and the surface of the back pad 122 is covered with a skin 123. A seating surface 124 on which an occupant sits is formed on the front of the seatback 120.

[0024] The lower end of the seat back 120 is pivotally supported on the rear end of the seat cushion frame 111 via a reclining mechanism 117 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction around a shaft extending in the left-right direction as a fulcrum. Although not shown in detail, the headrest 130, like the seat back 120, has a headrest frame that forms the framework of the headrest 130, a resilient headrest pad provided around the periphery of the headrest frame, and a skin that covers the surface of the headrest pad.

[0025] A pair of left and right lower rails 115 extending in the front-rear direction are installed on the upper surface of the floor inside the vehicle cabin. Although not shown, a pair of left and right upper rails extending in the front-rear direction are provided on the bottom of the seat cushion frame 111. The upper rails engage with the lower rails 115, allowing the seat cushion 110 to slide in the front-rear direction along the lower rails 115.

[0026] A rotation mechanism 116 is provided below the seat cushion 110 to support the seat cushion 110 so that the seat cushion 110 can rotate about an axis CL1 extending in the vertical direction. The rotation mechanism 116 is interposed between the seat cushion frame 111 and the upper rail, and the seat cushion 110 can rotate within a horizontal plane via the rotation mechanism 116. This allows the orientation of the vehicle seat 100 to be changed.

[0027] Armrests 140 are provided on the left and right side surfaces 120L, 120R of the seat back 120, respectively. As shown by arrow A in FIG. 1, the base end of the armrest 140 is supported on the side surfaces 120L, 120R of the seat back 120 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction, and the armrest 140 is movable between a use position (solid line) and a storage position (two-dot chain line). In the use position, the tip of the armrest 140 protrudes forward and assumes a substantially horizontal position. At this time, a support surface 141 on which the occupant's arms are placed faces upward and is substantially horizontal. In the storage position, the armrest 140 assumes a substantially vertical position. At this time, the armrest 140 moves rearward from the seating surface 124, and the support surface 141 faces rearward.

[0028] The vehicle seat 100 is equipped with a seat belt 150 (seat belt assembly). The seat belt 150 is a three-point seat belt that secures the left shoulder and both left and right hips of the occupant. Fig. 1 shows the seat belt 150 being changed from an unused state (unused position) to an used state (used position).

[0029] The seat belt 150 has a strap 151 (also called a webbing) made of, for example, polyester and configured in a strip shape. An anchorage 152 is attached to the rear end of the left side surface 110L of the seat cushion 110, more specifically, to the rear end of the left seat cushion frame 111. One end of the strap 151 is fixed to the anchorage 152. A strap guide 153 is provided on the upper end of the seatback frame 121, to the left of the headrest 130. The strap guide 153 has a through-hole 153a that is elongated in the left-right direction and passes through the strap guide 153 in the front-rear direction. The strap 151 is held in the strap guide 153 so as to be slidable along the through-hole 153a.

[0030] The other end of the strap 151 that passes through the strap guide 153 is connected to a retractor 154 attached to the left side surface 120L of the seat back 120. The installation position of the retractor 154 will be described in detail later. The retractor 154 has a built-in spring and is configured to wind up the strap 151 by the spring force. Under normal circumstances, the strap 151 can be withdrawn from the retractor 154 against the spring force, thereby allowing the seat belt 150 to be put into a usable state. On the other hand, when the retractor 154 detects an impact, it locks and prohibits the withdrawal of the strap 151.

[0031] A slip guide 155 is provided on the strap 151 so as to be slidable along the strap 151. A tongue 156 is provided integrally with the slip guide 155. A buckle 157 is attached to the rear end of the right side surface 110R of the seat cushion 110, more specifically, to the rear end of the right seat cushion frame 111. The buckle 157 is configured so that the tongue 156 can be inserted through an opening at the upper end. When the tongue 156 is pulled in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 1 and inserted into the buckle 157, the tongue 156 is locked and the seat belt 150 is put into use. The buckle 157 is provided with an unlocking portion. When the unlocking portion is operated, the lock is released and the tongue 156 can be removed from the buckle 157.

[0032] Fig. 2 is a side view (viewed from the left) showing the overall configuration of vehicle seat 100, and Figs. 3A and 3B are front views (viewed from the front) mainly showing the configuration of seat back 120. In Figs. 2, 3A, and 3B, the outline of vehicle seat 100 is shown by a two-dot chain line, and components such as the frame, armrest 140, and seat belt 150 are shown by solid lines.

[0033] 2 and 3A show the seat belt 150 in use (use position). As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3A, when the seat belt 150 is in use, the strap 151 crosses the front of the seat back 120 in the left-right direction from the anchorage 152 to the buckle 157. This allows the strap 151 to function as a waist strap 151a, supporting the waist of the occupant PS. The strap 151 also crosses the front of the seat back 120 diagonally from the strap guide 153 on the upper left to the buckle 157 on the lower right. This allows the strap 151 to function as a shoulder strap 151b, supporting the upper body (chest, etc.) of the occupant PS.

[0034] 3B shows the unused state (unused position) of seat belt 150. As shown in FIG. 3B, when seat belt 150 is in the unused state, strap 151 is wound around retractor 154 and tensioned from strap guide 153 to anchorage 152. As a result, strap 151 is positioned closer to the left side of seat back 120. Therefore, an occupant seated in vehicle seat 100 can easily move seat belt 150 from the unused position to the used position.

[0035] The vehicle seat 100 according to this embodiment is characterized by the installation position of the retractor 154. This point will be described below. As shown in FIG. 3A, the seatback frame 121 has a pair of left and right side frames 121a extending in the vertical direction, and a pair of upper and lower connecting frames 121b also extending in the horizontal direction. A bracket 160 is fixed to the left side surface of the left side frame 121a, and a bracket 161 is fixed to the right side surface of the right side frame 121a. The right armrest 140 is supported so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction via a shaft 161a that protrudes rightward from the right surface of the bracket 161.

[0036] Fig. 4A is a perspective view (as viewed from diagonally forward left) of the left bracket 160, and Fig. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 4A. As shown in Figs. 4A and 4B, the bracket 160 is mainly formed by bending a plate-like member into a predetermined shape. More specifically, the bracket 160 has a base plate 162 extending in the up-down and front-rear directions, and a pair of upper and lower rear plates 163, 164 fixed to the rear end surface of the base plate 162 and extending in the up-down and left-right directions.

[0037] The base plate 162 has, in order from the top, a fixing portion 162a extending vertically, an upper plate portion 162b extending leftward from the lower end of the fixing portion 162a, a vertical plate portion 162c extending downward from the left end of the upper plate portion 162b, a horizontal plate portion 162d extending leftward from the lower end of the vertical plate portion 162c, a vertical plate portion 162e extending downward from the left end of the horizontal plate portion 162d, a lower plate portion 162f extending rightward from the lower end of the vertical plate portion 162e, and a fixing portion 162g extending downward from the right end of the lower plate portion 162f. The fixing portions 162a and 162g are fastened to the left surface of the side frame 121a via bolts, thereby fixing the bracket 160 to the side frame 121a.

[0038] The rear end surfaces of the lower vertical plate portion 162e and the lower plate portion 162f protrude further rearward than the rear end surfaces of the upper vertical plate portion 162c and the upper plate portion 162b. The rear plate 163 is fixed to the rear end surfaces of the upper plate portion 162b and the vertical plate portion 162c. The rear plate 164 is fixed to the rear end surfaces of the vertical plate portion 162e and the lower plate portion 162f. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4B, the lower rear plate 164 is located rearward of the upper rear plate 163.

[0039] A shaft 165 protrudes leftward from the left surface of the vertical plate portion 162c. As shown in FIG. 3A, a base end portion 142 of the left armrest 140 is supported on the bracket 160 via the shaft portion 165 so as to be rotatable in the front-to-rear direction. The base end portion 142 is the opposite side of the tip end portion of the armrest 140 and refers to the periphery of the shaft portion 165. The left side surface of the left armrest 140 is located on approximately the same vertical plane as the left side surface of the vertical plate portion 162e. As shown in FIG. 4A, a stopper pin 166 protrudes further leftward from the left surface of the vertical plate portion 162c.

[0040] FIG. 5 is a side view (viewed from the left) of the left armrest 140. As shown in FIG. 5, a substantially arc-shaped engagement groove 143 is provided in the base end portion 142 of the armrest 140, and a stopper pin 166 engages with the engagement groove 143. When the armrest 140 is in the use position (solid line), the stopper pin 166 abuts against one end of the engagement groove 143. When the armrest 140 is in the storage position (two-dot chain line), the stopper pin 166 abuts against the other end of the engagement groove 143. This limits the rotation of the armrest 140 around the shaft portion 165. Although not shown, a similar stopper pin is provided on the right bracket 161.

[0041] 4A and 4B, the retractor 154 has a shaft 154a extending along the axis CL2 and a substantially cylindrical spool 154b that rotates around the shaft 154a, and the strap 151 is wound around the spool 154b. The spool 154b is supported by a bracket 154c provided at its rear end. The bracket 154c is fastened to the front surface of the rear plate 164 by a bolt 158. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3A, the retractor 154 is disposed below the armrest 140 and between the side frame 121a of the seat back 120 and the vertical plate portion 162e (FIG. 4A).

[0042] As shown in Fig. 4B, strap 151 passes between a pair of upper and lower rear plates 163, 164 and extends upward from retractor 154. This restricts the position of strap 151. As shown in Figs. 4A and 4B, shaft 154a of retractor 154 is disposed so as to slope upward to the left. This allows strap 151 to extend diagonally upward to the right from retractor 154, as shown in Fig. 3A, and allows strap 151 to be easily looped around strap guide 153.

[0043] As described above, in this embodiment, the retractor 154 is disposed below the base end 142 of the armrest 140. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2 , the strap 151 passes behind the armrest 140 in the stowed position, passes through the strap guide 153, and reaches the front of the seat back 120. In front of the seat back 120, the strap 151 is located to the right of the left armrest 140, whether the seat belt 150 is in a used or unused state. In other words, the seat belt 150 is located outside the rotation range of the armrest 140. Therefore, the seat belt 150 can be moved from a used state to a used state regardless of whether the armrest 140 is in a used position.

[0044] A side airbag unit may be built into the seat back 120. Fig. 6A is a front view (viewed from the front) of a vehicle seat 100 showing an example of such an arrangement, and Fig. 6B is a plan view (viewed from above). Figs. 6A and 6B show an example in which a retractor 154 is disposed below the right armrest 140. That is, as shown in Figs. 6A and 6B, a bracket 160 is attached to the right side frame 121a, and the retractor 154 is disposed below the base end portion 142 of the armrest 140.

[0045] Side airbag unit 170 is configured by storing an inflator, an airbag body, etc. in a housing. Side airbag unit 170 is disposed at the right end of seatback 120, above bracket 160. As shown in FIG. 6B , shaft 165, which is the rotation shaft of armrest 140, protrudes obliquely to the right and rear from bracket 160. Therefore, inner surface (left side surface) 140a of armrest 140 extends obliquely forward and right. This allows the side airbag to deploy without being hindered by armrest 140, and allows the side airbag to deploy favorably forward when an impact is applied to the vehicle.

[0046] According to this embodiment, the following effects can be achieved. (1) Vehicle seat 100 includes seat cushion 110 and seat back 120 erected at the rear end of seat cushion 110 (FIG. 1). Vehicle seat 100 further includes armrest 140 rotatably supported on one side (e.g., left side 120L) of seat back 120, seat belt 150 having strap 151 extending behind and above armrest 140, and retractor 154 provided on left side 120L of seat back 120 and configured to be able to retract seat belt 150 (strap 151) (FIGS. 2 and 3A).

[0047] This allows the retractor 154 to be disposed on the left side surface 120L of the seat back 120, outside the movable range of the armrest 140. Therefore, a sufficient thickness of the back pad 122 can be ensured, providing a high level of comfort for the occupant when seated. In addition, the minimum height of the seat cushion 110 can be set regardless of the position of the retractor 154, allowing for a high degree of freedom in design.

[0048] (2) The retractor 154 is disposed below the base end portion 142 of the armrest 140 (FIGS. 2 and 3A). This allows the retractor 154 to be disposed without interfering with the armrest 140, which can rotate in the front-rear direction.

[0049] (3) The retractor 154 is disposed close to (for example, adjacent to) the base end portion 142 of the armrest 140 (FIGS. 2 and 3A). This makes it easy to dispose the retractor 154.

[0050] (4) The vehicle seat 100 further includes a bracket 160 fixed to the left side surface 120L of the seat back 120 (FIGS. 2 and 3A). The bracket 160 has a rear plate 164 that supports the retractor 154 (FIG. 4B). This makes it easy to set the mounting orientation of the retractor 154, and allows the retractor 154 to be positioned with the axis CL2, which is the center of rotation of the retractor 154, extending in a substantially horizontal direction.

[0051] (5) Bracket 160 further has shaft 165 that rotatably supports base end 142 of armrest 140 (FIG. 4A). This allows armrest 140 and retractor 154 to be supported by a single bracket 160, thereby reducing the number of parts.

[0052] (6) The vehicle seat 100 further includes a strap guide 153 provided at the upper end of the seat back 120, which supports the seat belt 150 (strap 151) so that the seat belt 150 (strap 151) can be pulled out after passing behind and above the armrest 140 (FIGS. 1 and 2). This allows the seat belt 150, which passes behind the armrest 140, to be easily looped around the occupant's shoulder.

[0053] (7) The retractor 154 has a shaft 154a around which the seat belt 150 is wound (FIGS. 4A and 4B). The shaft 154a extends at an upward incline toward the left, which is the outer side in the width direction of the seat back 120 (FIG. 4A). This allows the strap 151 wound around the retractor 154 to be easily guided to the strap guide 153, which is located on the inner side (right side) of the retractor 154 in the seat width direction.

[0054] (8) The vehicle seat 100 further includes a buckle 157 (FIG. 1) that is provided on the right side surface 120R of the seat cushion 110 and that detachably fastens the seat belt 150. This allows the seat belt 150 to provide good support for the occupant's waist and shoulders.

[0055] (9) The vehicle seat 100 further includes a side airbag unit 170 (side airbag) that is located inside one side surface (for example, the right side surface 100R) of the seat back 120 where the armrest 140 and the retractor 154 are provided, and above the shaft 165 that rotatably supports the armrest 140 (FIGS. 6A and 6B). This allows the side airbag to easily deploy without being obstructed by the armrest 140.

[0056] (10) The vehicle seat 100 further includes a rotation mechanism 116 that supports the seat cushion 110 so that the seat cushion 110 can rotate about an axis CL1 that extends in the vertical direction (FIG. 1). This allows the orientation of the vehicle seat 100 to be easily changed without affecting the use of the seat belt 150.

[0057] In the above embodiment (FIG. 1), the armrest 140 and the retractor 154 are provided on the left side surface 120L of the left side surface 120L (first side surface) and the right side surface 120R (second side surface) of the seat back 120, but they may be provided on the right side surface 120R. That is, the first side surface may be the right side surface 120R, and the second side surface may be the left side surface 120L. In the above embodiment (FIG. 1), the buckle 157 is provided on the right side surface 110R of the left side surface 110L (first side surface) and the right side surface 110R (second side surface) of the seat cushion 110, but the buckle 157 as a belt fastening part may be provided on the side surface opposite the retractor 154, and may also be provided on the left side surface 110L.

[0058] In the above embodiment (FIG. 1), the retractor 154 is disposed below and adjacent to the base end 142 of the armrest 140, but the retractor 154, which is configured to be able to retract the seat belt 150 extending behind and above the armrest 140, may be provided at another position on the first side surface (for example, the left side surface 120L). In the above embodiment (FIG. 4A), the bracket 160 fixed to the left side surface 120L of the seat back 120 (seat back frame 121) has a rear plate 164 that supports the retractor 154 and also has a shaft portion 165 that rotatably supports the base end 142 of the armrest 140. That is, although the bracket 160 has a retractor support portion and an armrest support portion, a bracket having a retractor support portion and a bracket having an armrest support portion may be provided separately.

[0059] In the above embodiment (FIG. 2), a strap guide 153 is provided at the upper end of the right side of the seat back 120 as a belt support portion that supports the seat belt 150 so that it can be withdrawn after passing behind and above the armrest 140, but the belt support portion may be provided at another position (for example, the upper end of the left side of the seat back 120). In the above embodiment (FIG. 4A), the shaft portion (rotation shaft) of the retractor 154 extends at an upward incline toward the outer side (left side) of the seat back 120 in the width direction, but the rotation shaft may extend without inclining.

[0060] In the above embodiment (FIGS. 6A and 6B), a side airbag is provided inside the right side surface 120R of the seat back 120 and above the axis 165 that is the rotation axis of the armrest 140, but the arrangement of the side airbag is not limited to the above. In the above embodiment (FIG. 1), a rotation mechanism 116 that supports the seat cushion 110 so that the seat cushion 110 can rotate around the axis CL1 that extends in the vertical direction is provided below the seat cushion 110, but the rotation mechanism may be omitted, and the configuration of the cushion support portion is not limited to the above.

[0061] Although the example in which the retractor 154 is disposed on the side surface of the seat back 120 and below the armrest 140 has been described above, the retractor 154 may also be disposed on the side surface of the seat back 120 and above the base end portion 142 of the armrest 140. This point will be described below with reference to Figures 7 to 17B.

[0062] Fig. 7 is a side view of vehicle seat 100 showing an example in which a retractor is arranged above base end portion 142 of armrest 140, and Fig. 8 is a front view mainly of seat back 120 of vehicle seat 100 of Fig. 7. As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, bracket 160 is attached to the left side surface of seat back frame 121. Although detailed illustration is omitted, bracket 160, unlike Fig. 4A, has a retractor support portion above shaft portion 165 serving as an armrest support portion.

[0063] Therefore, when fixed to bracket 160, retractor 154 is disposed below tip surface (upper end surface) 144 of armrest 140 in the storage position and above base end 142 of armrest 140. When armrest 140 is in the use position, tip surface 144 becomes the front end surface of armrest 140 (see FIG. 12A).

[0064] A recess 145 is provided in the support surface 141 of the armrest 140. When the armrest 140 is in the storage position, the retractor 154 is disposed inside the recess 145. This allows the armrest 140 to be rotated without interfering with the retractor 154. The strap 151 of the seat belt 150 passes behind the armrest 140 in the storage position and reaches the strap guide 153. Therefore, the seat belt 150 is positioned outside the rotation range of the armrest 140, and the seat belt 150 can be moved from the unused state to the used state regardless of whether the armrest 140 is in the used position or not.

[0065] 7 and 8, there is no need to extend the bracket 160 below the base end 142 of the armrest 140. This allows parts to be efficiently arranged on the left side surface 120L of the seat back 120, simplifying the configuration of the left side surface 120L. Furthermore, the retractor 154 is positioned higher than in the above-described embodiment (FIGS. 2 and 3A). This allows the length of the strap 151 to be reduced.

[0066] Fig. 9A is a plan view (viewed from above) of armrest 140 in the use position, and Fig. 9B is a side view (viewed from the left). Note that in Figs. 9A and 9B, shaft 165, which is the rotation axis of armrest 140, extends through armrest 140 in the left-right direction. As shown in Figs. 9A and 9B, recess 145 in placement surface 141 of armrest 140 is configured as a notch that traverses armrest 140 in the left-right direction. Approximately arc-shaped concave curved surfaces 145a are formed on the front and rear surfaces of the notch (recess 145).

[0067] As a result, as shown in FIG. 10, a substantially cylindrical drink DR or the like can be stored in recess 145. That is, recess 145 of armrest 140 can be used as a drink holder. FIG. 9C is a diagram showing a modified example of FIG. 9A. As shown in FIG. 9C, a foldable lip 145b is attached to concave curved surface 145a of the recess. This allows a small-diameter drink DR to be stably held. Note that recess 145 can also be used as a small item holder (for example, a storage compartment for a mobile phone) instead of a drink holder.

[0068] The configuration of the mounting portion of the retractor 154 is not limited to the one described above. Fig. 11A is a cross-sectional view taken along a substantially horizontal plane of the seat back 120, showing another configuration of the mounting portion of the retractor 154. As shown in Fig. 11A, the bracket 160 has a support portion 160a fixed to the rear end portion of the left side surface 120L of the seat back 120. The support portion 160a protrudes leftward and rearward from the armrest 140, and the retractor 154 is supported on the tip of the support portion 160a, forward of the support portion 160a.

[0069] 11B is a plan view of armrest 140A in FIG. 11A. As shown in FIG. 11B, recess 145 of armrest 140A is provided without cutting out the left and right sides of armrest 140A, and the periphery of recess 145 is covered by armrest 140A. That is, the right and left sides of recess 145 are covered by end portions (referred to as wall portions 145c) of armrest 140A. As a result, as shown in FIG. 11A, when armrest 140A is in the storage position, retractor 154 is disposed inside recess 145, and right wall portion 145c is disposed between left side surface 120L of seat back 120 and retractor 154.

[0070] By supporting bracket 160 via support portion 160a in this manner, retractor 154 can be positioned away from left side surface 120L of seat back 120. As a result, the entire periphery of vehicle DR accommodated in recess 145 is surrounded by armrest 140A, providing a strong hold as a drink holder. Furthermore, when armrest 140A is in the retracted position, retractor 154 is covered by armrest 140A, which saves space for installing parts and provides a good appearance.

[0071] 12A and 12B are side views of vehicle seat 100, each of which is a modification of FIG. 7, showing the positional relationship between retractor 154 and armrest 140. In FIGS. 12A and 12B, the use position of armrest 140 is indicated by a solid line, and the storage position is indicated by a two-dot chain line. As shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, in both examples, retractor 154 is located above and rearward of base end 142 of armrest 140, and below tip surface 144 of armrest 140 when it is in the storage position.

[0072] More specifically, a bracket 166B that supports the retractor 154 is provided above a bracket 166A that rotatably supports the armrest 140. That is, the bracket 166A for supporting the armrest and the bracket 166B for supporting the retractor are provided separately. The bracket 166B is fixed to the left side surface 120L of the seat back 120, for example, without using the support portion 160a (FIG. 11A).

[0073] 12A, the retractor 154 and the bracket 166B protrude rearward from the rear end surface 120RS of the seat back 120. On the other hand, in the example of Fig. 12B, the retractor 154 and the bracket 166B are positioned forward from the rear end surface 120RS of the seat back 120. Therefore, the depth of the recess 145 of the armrest 140 in Fig. 12B is deeper than the depth of the recess 145 in Fig. 12A.

[0074] 12A and 12B is a plan view of the armrest 140 in the use position. As shown in FIG. 13, the armrest 140 has a cutout 145d on the right side of the recess 145. This prevents interference between the armrest 140 and the retractor 154 when the armrest 140 is in the storage position. As shown in FIG. 11B, the recess 145 of the armrest 140 may be configured without the cutout 145d. In this case, as shown in FIG. 11A, a bracket 166B may be provided at a distance from the left side surface 120L of the seat back 120 via a support portion 160a.

[0075] Fig. 14 is a side view of the vehicle seat 100 showing another modified example of the vehicle seat 100 shown in Fig. 7. As shown in Fig. 14, the armrest 140B is provided so as to be extendable and contractible in the front-to-rear direction (direction of the arrow) when in the use position. For example, the armrest 140B can be extended and contracted manually. An actuator such as an electric motor or pneumatic cylinder may be provided in the armrest 140B, and the armrest 140B may be extended and contracted by driving the actuator.

[0076] In the storage position (two-dot chain line), armrest 140B is positioned facing left side surface 120L of seat back 120 in a fully retracted state. Retractor 154 and bracket 166B are positioned above tip surface 144 of armrest 140B positioned in the storage position. This allows seat belt 150 (FIG. 7) to be easily looped around outside the rotation range of armrest 140B. In addition, the length of seat belt 150 (strap 151) can be minimized when retractor 154 is positioned on the side surface of seat back 120.

[0077] Fig. 15A is a side view of vehicle seat 100 showing a further modified example of the one shown in Fig. 7. In the example shown in Fig. 15A, retractor 154 and bracket 166B are disposed behind armrest 140 in the stowed position, and are disposed above base end 142 and below tip end surface 144 of armrest 140. Furthermore, side airbag unit 170 (shown by a solid line for convenience) is disposed behind armrest 140 and above retractor 154. The upper end of side airbag unit 170 is positioned above tip end surface 144 of armrest 140. This allows the side airbag to deploy satisfactorily when an impact is applied to the vehicle.

[0078] Figure 15B is a diagram showing a modification of Figure 15A. In the example shown in Figure 15B, side airbag unit 170 is positioned above tip surface 144 of armrest 140 when it is in the stored position. This makes it easier to deploy the side airbag. In this case, if armrest 140 is made extendable as shown in Figure 14, armrest 140 can be shortened when in the stored position, making it easier to position side airbag unit 170 above armrest 140.

[0079] 15B, the rear end surface of armrest 140 in the storage position abuts against bracket 166B, thereby restricting rearward rotation of armrest 140. By abutting the rear end surface of armrest 140 against bracket 166B in this way, for example, when vehicle seat 100 is in the fully flat position and a large downward load acts on armrest 140, the load can be easily supported by bracket 166B.

[0080] Fig. 16A is a side view of vehicle seat 100 showing yet another modified example of Fig. 7, and Fig. 16B is a cross-sectional view taken along a substantially horizontal plane of seat back 120 of Fig. 16A. As shown in Figs. 16A and 16B, a shaft 165a protrudes leftward from the front end of left side surface 120L of seat back 120, and a bracket 166A is rotatably supported by shaft 165a. An armrest 140C is rotatably supported by bracket 166A via shaft 165b extending substantially parallel to left side surface 120L.

[0081] 11A, the retractor 154 is disposed to the left of the left side surface 120L of the seat back 120 via the support portion 160a. A recess 145 is provided in the support surface 141 of the armrest 140C (FIG. 17B). As shown in FIG. 16B, when the armrest 140 is in the stored position, the retractor 154 is disposed inside the recess 145. As shown in FIG. 16A, the width of the armrest 140C (the length in the front-rear direction in FIG. 16A) is wider than the width (length in the left-right direction) of the armrest 140 in FIG.

[0082] 17A and 17B are diagrams illustrating the procedure for moving armrest 140C from the storage position to the use position. When moving armrest 140C to the use position, as shown in FIG. 17A, armrest 140C is first rotated forward by 90° around shaft 165b. Next, as shown in FIG. 17B, armrest 140C is rotated forward to the use position around shaft 165a. This places armrest 140C in the use position with mounting surface 141, which is wide in the left-right direction, facing upward.

[0083] This embodiment can further provide the following advantageous effects. (1) At least a portion of the armrest 140 (for example, the base end portion 142) is disposed below the retractor 154 (FIGS. 7 and 8). This narrows the area on the side surface of the seat back 120 where parts can be attached, compared to when the retractor 154 is disposed below the armrest 140, and simplifies the configuration of the side surface of the seat back 120.

[0084] (2) Armrest 140 is supported on left side surface 120L of seat back 120 so as to be rotatable between an in-use position and a stowed position (FIG. 7). Retractor 154 is disposed above base end 142 of armrest 140 (FIG. 7). This allows strap 151 of seat belt 150 to be easily guided to strap guide 153 behind and above armrest 140 without interfering with armrest 140.

[0085] (3) The retractor 154 is disposed above the armrest 140 in the retracted position (FIG. 14). This allows the strap 151 of the seat belt 150 to be easily guided into the strap guide 153 without interfering with the armrest 140. In addition, the length of the strap 151 can be shortened.

[0086] (4) The retractor 154 is disposed below the upper end surface (tip surface 144) of the armrest 140 when it is in the storage position (FIG. 7). The armrest 140 has a recess 145 (or a cutout) that avoids interference with the retractor 154 (FIG. 7). This allows the armrest 140 and the retractor 154 to be disposed so that they overlap in a side view while avoiding interference between them. In other words, the retractor 154 can be disposed between the lower end surface and the upper end surface of the armrest 140 when it is in the storage position, and between the front end surface and the rear end surface.

[0087] (5) Armrest 140 has a cup holder formed by recess 145 (FIG. 10). This allows recess 145, which is provided to avoid interference with retractor 154, to be effectively used as a cup holder when armrest 140 is in the use position.

[0088] (6) The rear end surface of the retractor 154 is located behind the rear end surface (support surface 141) of the armrest 140 that is in the storage position (FIGS. 12A and 12B). This allows the strap 151 of the seat belt 150 to be easily routed behind the armrest 140 without interfering with the armrest 140.

[0089] (7) The rear end surface of the retractor 154 is located forward of the rear end surface 120RS of the left side surface 120L of the seat back 120 (FIG. 12B). As a result, the retractor 154 does not protrude rearward from the seat back 120, making it easy to change the position of the seat, for example, to a fully flat position.

[0090] (8) The vehicle seat 100 further includes a side airbag unit 170 disposed inside the left side surface 120L of the seat back 120 and above the retractor 154 (FIGS. 15A and 15B). This allows the side airbag to be deployed properly.

[0091] (9) The vehicle seat 100 further includes a bracket 166A that is supported rotatably about a shaft 165a that protrudes leftward from the left side surface 120L of the seat back 120 (FIGS. 16A and 16B). The bracket 166A supports the armrest 140C rotatably about a shaft 165b that extends substantially parallel to the left side surface 120L of the seat back 120 (FIGS. 16A and 16B). This allows the armrest 140C to be configured so that it is wider in the left-right direction when in the in-use position and so that it protrudes less in the left-right direction when in the stowed position.

[0092] (10) The armrest 140C is arranged so as to cover the entire retractor 154 in the storage position (FIG. 16A). This allows for saving space for installing parts and also provides a good appearance.

[0093] The configuration of the vehicle seat 100 described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 17B can be summarized as follows. The vehicle seat includes a seat cushion having a first side surface and a second side surface on one side and the other side in the left-right direction, and a seat back having a first side surface and a second side surface on one side and the other side in the left-right direction and erected at a rear end of the seat cushion. The vehicle seat also includes an armrest rotatably supported on the first side surface of the seat back, a seat belt extending behind and above the armrest, and a retractor provided on the first side surface of the seat back and configured to retract the seat belt. At least a portion of the armrest is disposed below the retractor.

[0094] The armrest is supported on a first side surface of the seat back so as to be rotatable between an in-use position and a stowed position, and the retractor is disposed above a base end of the armrest. In particular, the retractor is disposed above the armrest when it is in the stowed position.

[0095] The retractor is positioned below the upper end surface of the armrest when it is in the storage position, and the armrest has a recess or cutout to avoid interference with the retractor. The armrest also has a cup holder formed by the recess.

[0096] The rear end surface of the retractor is located rearward of the rear end surface of the armrest when it is in the stowed position, and furthermore, the rear end surface of the retractor is located forward of the rear end of the first side surface of the seatback.

[0097] The vehicle seat further includes a side airbag disposed inside the first side surface of the seat back and above the retractor.

[0098] The vehicle seat further includes a bracket supported rotatably about a first rotation shaft that protrudes outward in the left-right direction from a first side surface of the seat back, and the bracket supports an armrest rotatably about a second rotation shaft that extends substantially parallel to the first side surface. The armrest is positioned to cover the entire retractor when in the stored position.

[0099] In the above embodiment (FIGS. 7 to 17B), the left side surface 120L of the seat back 120 is defined as the first side surface, and the armrest 140 and the retractor 154 are arranged on the left side surface, but the right side surface 120R of the seat back 120 may be defined as the first side surface, and the armrest 140 and the retractor 154 may be arranged on the right side surface 120R in a similar manner. In the above embodiment (FIGS. 7 to 17B), the retractor 154 is arranged above the base end portion 142 of the armrest 140, but the positional relationship between the armrest and the retractor is not limited to that described above as long as at least a portion of the armrest is arranged below the retractor.

[0100] In the above embodiment (FIGS. 9A to 11B, etc.), recess 145 or cutout is provided in support surface 141 of armrest 140, but the configuration of the recess or cutout is not limited to that described above as long as it is provided to avoid interference with retractor 154. In the above embodiment (FIGS. 16A and 16B), bracket 166A is supported on left side surface 120L of seat back 120 so as to be rotatable about shaft 165a (first rotation shaft), and armrest 140C is supported so as to be rotatable about shaft 165b (second rotation shaft) extending approximately parallel to left side surface 120L, but the configurations of the first rotation shaft and the second rotation shaft are not limited to that described above.

[0101] Although an example in which the vehicle seat 100 is applied to a vehicle has been described above, the vehicle seat of the present invention can also be applied to vehicles other than vehicles, such as aircraft and ships.

[0102] <Vehicle> The configuration of a vehicle according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 18A to 27B. The vehicle according to this embodiment can be applied to the vehicle seat 100 described above, and other vehicle seats can also be applied. Below, an example will be described in which a vehicle seat, in which illustrations of armrests and seat belts are omitted, is applied to a vehicle.

[0103] FIG. 18A is a side view (viewed from the left) showing a schematic configuration of vehicle 200 according to this embodiment, and FIG. 18B is a plan view. FIGS. 18A and 18B mainly show the arrangement of seats in vehicle 200. As shown in FIGS. 18A and 18B, vehicle 200 is a four-wheel vehicle having a pair of left and right front wheels 200F and a pair of left and right rear wheels 200R. Inside the vehicle cabin, a pair of left and right front seats 210 (210R, 210L) and a rear seat 220 behind front seats 210 are arranged. Right front seat 210R is a driver's seat where the driver sits, and left front seat 210L is a passenger seat. The driver's seat and passenger seat may be positioned in opposite left and right directions.

[0104] Similar to the vehicle seat 100 described above, the front seat 210 has a seat cushion 211, a seat back 212, and a headrest 213. The seat back 212 is supported on the rear end of the seat cushion 211 via a reclining mechanism 214 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction.

[0105] The seat cushion 211 is supported by a support portion 215 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. More specifically, the support portion 215 has a pair of left and right upper rails 216 that extend in the front-rear direction from the bottom of a seat cushion frame 211a (corresponding to the seat cushion frame 111 in FIG. 1). The upper rails 216 slidably engage with a pair of left and right lower rails 202 that extend in the front-rear direction and are installed on the upper surface of the floor 201, thereby allowing the seat cushion 211 to move in the front-rear direction along the lower rails 202.

[0106] The rear seat 220 is a single bench seat with multiple seating areas in the left-right direction. Similar to the front seat 210, the rear seat 220 also has a seat cushion 221, a seat back 222, and a headrest 223. The seat back 222 is supported on the rear end of the seat cushion 221 via a reclining mechanism 224 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction. The right end face of the seat cushion 221 protrudes rightward beyond the right end face of the right front seat 210R, and the left end face of the seat cushion 221 protrudes leftward beyond the left end face of the left front seat 210L.

[0107] The seat cushion 221 is supported by a support portion 225 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. More specifically, the support portion 225 has a pair of left and right risers 227 that stand upright and are substantially perpendicular to the floor 201. The risers 227 are substantially rectangular plates that extend in the front-rear and up-down directions and have a predetermined thickness in the left-right direction. The pair of left and right risers 227, 227 are disposed to the right of the right end face of the right front seat 210R and to the left of the left end face of the left front seat 210L, respectively. The right end of a seat cushion frame 221a (corresponding to the seat cushion frame 111 in FIG. 1) is supported on the upper end of the right riser 227, and the left end of the seat cushion frame 221a is supported on the upper end of the left riser 227. As a result, a substantially box-shaped space SP1 with open front and rear faces is formed below the seat cushion 221.

[0108] The support portion 225 further has a pair of left and right upper rails 226 ( FIG. 18A ) that extend in the front-rear direction from the bottom of the riser 227. A pair of left and right lower rails 203 that extend in the front-rear direction are installed on the upper surface of the floor 201, outboard of the lower rails 202 in the front-rear direction. The front ends of the lower rails 203 are located at approximately the same position in the front-rear direction as the front ends of the lower rails 202. The lower rails 203 are longer in the front-rear direction than the lower rails 202, and the rear ends of the lower rails 203 are located rearward of the rear ends of the lower rails 202. The upper rails 226 slidably engage with the pair of left and right lower rails 202, thereby allowing the seat cushion 221 to move in the front-rear direction along the lower rails 203.

[0109] The height of the riser 227 is higher than the height from the floor 201 to the seating surface 211b of the seat cushion 211 of the front seat 210. More specifically, the height of the riser 227 is higher than the maximum height of the front seat 210 when the seat back 212 of the front seat 210 is tilted rearward to the maximum. This allows the front seat 210 to pass through the space SP1 below the seat cushion 221 of the rear seat 220 when the seat back 212 of the front seat 210 is tilted rearward to the maximum. In other words, the rear seat 220 can be moved forward of the front seat 210 along the lower rails 203. Furthermore, the front seat 210 can be moved rearward of the rear seat 220 along the lower rails 202.

[0110] By supporting the seat cushion 221 of the rear seat 220 via the riser 227 in this manner, the seating surface 221b of the seat cushion 221 of the rear seat 220 is positioned higher than the seating surface 211b of the seat cushion 211 of the front seat 210. At this time, the upper end of the seat back 222 of the rear seat 220 is positioned higher than the upper end of the seat back 212 of the front seat 210.

[0111] Vehicle 200 is, for example, an electric vehicle, and a large-capacity battery is disposed behind rear seat 220. More specifically, a storage section 230 (for example, a battery case) that forms a storage space for the battery is provided on the upper surface of floor 201 behind rear seat 220. Storage section 230 has a generally box-like shape with a predetermined height. The height of storage section 230 is lower than the height of riser 227. The width of storage section 230 in the left-right direction is shorter than the distance between the inner sides of the pair of left and right risers 227, 227, and the pair of left and right risers 227, 227 are disposed outside storage section 230 in the left-right direction.

[0112] The rear end of the lower rail 202 for the front seat is located forward of the front end surface of the storage portion 230. On the other hand, the rear end of the lower rail 203 for the rear seat is located rearward of the front end surface of the storage portion 230. This allows the front end of the storage portion 230 to be located in the space SP1 below the seat cushion 221 of the rear seat 220. The vehicle 200 may not be an electric vehicle, but may be, for example, a vehicle having an internal combustion engine. The storage portion 230 may be configured to store something other than a battery (for example, a drive mechanism). The storage portion 230 may also form a space for luggage.

[0113] In the above, vehicle 200 has been described as having two rows of seats (front seat 210, rear seat 220), but vehicle 200 may have three or more rows of seats. For example, as shown by the dotted line in Fig. 18A, vehicle 200 may have a third seat 235 behind rear seat 220 and above storage section 230.

[0114] As shown in FIG. 18A , vehicle 200 has a front window 205 in front of front seat 210, front side windows 206 provided in the front door on one side of front seat 210, and rear side windows 207 provided in the rear door on the other side of rear seat 220. A B-pillar 208 is erected between the front door and the rear door. A roof 204 constituting the ceiling of vehicle 200 is formed in a stepped shape with B-pillar 208 as the boundary. That is, if the area in front of B-pillar 208 is defined as front roof 204F and the area behind B-pillar 208 is defined as rear roof 204R, rear roof 204R is higher than front roof 204F by a predetermined height. Note that the dotted line above B-pillar 208 in FIG. 18A indicates an example in which front roof 204F and rear roof 204R are the same height.

[0115] The vehicle 200 configured as described above can change the seat arrangement to a plurality of modes. The seat mode change is performed automatically in response to a command from the occupant. FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control device 250 that changes the seat mode of the vehicle 200. As shown in FIG. 19, the control device 250 has an input unit 251, a controller (ECU) 252, and a plurality of actuators 253 to 256. The input unit 251 is configured by, for example, a switch through which a mode change command is input by the occupant.

[0116] Actuator 253 is provided in reclining mechanism 214 of front seat 210 and rotates seat back 212 in the front-rear direction. Actuator 254 is provided in reclining mechanism 224 of rear seat 220 and rotates seat back 222 in the front-rear direction. Actuators 253 and 254 are configured, for example, by electric motors. Actuator 255 is provided in support portion 215 of front seat 210 and moves front seat 210 in the front-rear direction along lower rails 202. Actuator 256 is provided in support portion 225 of rear seat 220 and moves rear seat 220 in the front-rear direction along lower rails 203. Actuators 255 and 256 are configured, for example, by electric motors.

[0117] The controller 252 includes a processing unit having a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and outputs control signals to the actuators 253 to 256 in response to commands from the input unit 251. Although not shown, the control device 250 has sensors that detect the angles of the seat backs 212, 222 and the positions of the seat cushions 211, 221 in the front-rear direction when the actuators 253 to 256 are driven, and the controller 252 outputs control signals to the actuators 253 to 256 based on the values ​​detected by the sensors.

[0118] The input unit 251 has a plurality of switches corresponding to a plurality of modes, and the mode is changed in response to the operation of the switches. Note that the mode may not be changed unconditionally in response to the operation of the switches, but may be changed only when a predetermined condition is met, such as when the vehicle is stopped. Some examples of the mode change will be described below.

[0119] 18A and 18B show an example of a normal driving mode in which a driver seated in the driver's seat drives and operates the vehicle. In the normal driving mode, a passenger can be seated in each of the front seat 210 and the rear seat 220, allowing multiple passengers to ride in the vehicle. The vehicle 200 has an automatic driving function and is configured to be able to switch between a manual driving mode in which the passenger must operate the vehicle and an automatic driving mode in which no driving operation is required. Therefore, in the normal driving mode, driving operation is not necessarily always required.

[0120] FIG. 20 is a side view of vehicle 200 showing an example of a luggage compartment expansion mode in which the luggage compartment at the rear of the vehicle is expanded. As shown in FIG. 20, in the luggage compartment expansion mode, seat cushion 221 of rear seat 220 rises (tip-up) approximately vertically with the rear end of seat cushion 221 as a fulcrum, and seat cushion 221 and seat back 222 become approximately parallel. Furthermore, riser 227 moves forward, and seat cushion 221 abuts or comes close to seat back 212 of front seat 210. At this time, the rear end of front seat 210 is positioned in space SP1 inside left and right risers 227, 227. This expands the luggage compartment at the rear of vehicle 200, making it possible to load large luggage.

[0121] 21A is a side view of vehicle 200 illustrating an example of a first rest mode in which occupant PS seated on rear seat 220 rests in a first manner. As shown in FIG. 21A, in the first rest mode, the position and posture of rear seat 220 are the same as those in normal driving mode. Meanwhile, seat back 212 of front seat 210 rotates forward by a predetermined angle, and seat cushion 211 of front seat 210 moves rearward so that the distance between front seat 210 and rear seat 220 becomes a predetermined distance. This allows occupant PS to rest with his / her feet on the rear surface of seat back 212.

[0122] 21B is a side view of vehicle 200 illustrating an example of a second rest mode in which occupant PS seated on rear seat 220 rests in a second manner. As shown in FIG. 21B, in the second rest mode, the position and posture of rear seat 220 are the same as those in normal driving mode. Meanwhile, with headrest 213 removed from seat back 212 of front seat 210, seat back 212 rotates rearward by a predetermined angle, and seat cushion 211 of front seat 210 moves rearward so that the upper end of seat back 212 abuts or comes close to the front end surface of seat cushion 221 of rear seat 220. This allows occupant PS to rest with his or her calves on the front surface (sitting surface) of seat back 212.

[0123] FIG. 21C is a side view of vehicle 200 illustrating an example of a third rest mode in which occupant PS seated on rear seat 220 rests in a third manner. As shown in FIG. 21C, in the third rest mode, rear seat 220 moves rearward to a predetermined position (for example, the most rearward position). Meanwhile, seat cushion 211 of front seat 210 moves forward to a predetermined position (for example, the most forward position), and seat back 212 rotates rearward to its maximum extent. In this state, the upper surface of seat back 212 is positioned lower than the upper surface of seat cushion 221 of rear seat 220. Furthermore, headrest 213 of front seat 210 is disposed in storage space SP1 inside left and right risers 227, 227. This allows occupant PS to rest with his / her legs stretched and his / her feet placed on the front surface (seating surface) of seat back 212.

[0124] Fig. 22A is a side view of vehicle 200 showing an example of a vehicle interior rest mode in which a vehicle interior space SP2 that cannot be seen from outside the vehicle is formed at the rear of the vehicle interior, and Fig. 22B is a plan view. As shown in Figs. 22A and 22B, in the vehicle interior rest mode, seat back 212 of front seat 210 rotates forward by a predetermined angle, and seat cushion 211 moves forward to a predetermined position (for example, the most forward position). Meanwhile, seat back 222 of rear seat 220 stands upright approximately vertically, and seat back 222 and riser 227 move forward to a predetermined position.

[0125] The predetermined position is a position where the seat back 222 overlaps the B-pillar 208 in a side view, and at the predetermined position, the left and right side surfaces 222a of the seat back 222 face the B-pillar 208. At this time, the upper end of the seat back 222 is positioned higher than the upper ends of the front window 205 and the front side windows 206. This allows the seat back 222 to block the view from outside the vehicle via the front window 205 and the front side windows 206. The rear side windows 207 and the rear window 209 are configured as smoked glass that can block the view from outside. As a result, a vehicle interior space SP2 that cannot be seen from outside the vehicle can be formed behind the seat back 222.

[0126] The vehicle interior space SP2 can be used as a resting space or a space for working. As shown in FIG. 22A, a table 231 can be placed above the storage section 230 in the vehicle interior space SP2. FIG. 23 is a rear view (viewed from behind) of the vehicle 200 shown in FIGS. 22A and 22B. As shown in FIG. 23, a thin, approximately rectangular table 228 and a thin, approximately rectangular storage box 29 are provided on the rear surface of the seat back 222 so as to be storable thereon. As shown in FIG. 22A, the table 228 can be rotated rearward (in the direction of arrow A) around a shaft 228a extending in the left-right direction as a fulcrum. This allows the table 228 to be moved from a storage position where it is stored on the rear surface of the seat back 222 to a substantially horizontal usage position.

[0127] FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 23, showing the configuration of storage box 229. As shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, storage box 229 is provided so as to be movable rearward (in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 24) around shaft 229a extending in the left-right direction as a fulcrum. A substantially rectangular wall 229b protrudes from the front of storage box 229 along the outer edge of storage box 229, and storage box 229 is formed in a substantially box-like shape with an opening on the front. Furthermore, a plurality of (e.g., two) intermediate walls 229c protrude from the front of storage box 229 in the vertical direction. Walls 229d protrude upward from the front end of lower wall 229b and the front end of intermediate wall 229c. This divides the interior of storage box 229 into multiple spaces, allowing various items to be efficiently stored within the storage box.

[0128] FIG. 25 is a side view of vehicle 200 illustrating an example of a foot space expansion mode for expanding the foot space of an occupant seated in rear seat 220. As shown in FIG. 25, in the foot space expansion mode, seat cushion 211 of front seat 210 moves as far forward as possible, i.e., to the front end position of lower rail 202. Furthermore, seat cushion 221 and riser 227 of rear seat 220 move as far rearward as possible, i.e., to the rear end position of lower rail 203. This maximizes the space in front of rear seat 220. In the foot space expansion mode, seat back 212 of front seat 210 may also be rotated forward by a predetermined angle, as indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 25.

[0129] 26A is a side view of vehicle 200 showing an example of a vehicle camping mode in which an occupant can lie down inside the vehicle cabin without worrying about being seen from outside. As shown in FIG. 26A, in the vehicle camping mode, headrests 213 are removed from seat backs 212 of front seats 210, and the seat backs 212 are rotated rearward to the maximum extent. At this time, the upper surface (seating surface) of the seat backs 212 is substantially flush with the upper surface of the storage section 230. Furthermore, the seat cushion moves in the front-rear direction, and the upper end surface (rear end surface in FIG. 26A) of the seat backs 212 abuts on or approaches the front end surface of the storage section 230.

[0130] On the other hand, the seatback 222 of the rear seat 220 stands up substantially perpendicular to the floor 201, and the upper end of the seatback 222 is positioned higher than the upper ends of the front window 205 and the front side windows 206. Furthermore, the seat cushion 221 and the riser 227 move forward so that the seatback 222 faces the B-pillar 208. At this time, the seatback 212 of the front seat 210 passes through the storage space SP1 below the seat cushion 221, and the seatback 222 of the rear seat 220 is positioned forward of the seatback 212 of the front seat 210.

[0131] This allows the seat back 222 to block the view from outside the vehicle 200 through the front windshield 205 and the front side windshields 206. In the overnight stay mode, a space with a flat horizontal surface is formed behind the seat back 222, allowing the occupant to lie down comfortably.

[0132] 26B is a side view of vehicle 200 showing a modification of FIG. 26A (another overnight stay mode). Unlike FIG. 26A, headrest 213 of front seat 210 remains attached in FIG. 26B. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 26B, the upper end surface of headrest 213 abuts or is close to the front end surface of storage portion 230, and seat cushion 211 is positioned further forward than in FIG. 26A. Note that in FIG. 26B, seat back 222 of rear seat 220 is positioned rearward of B-pillar 208, but it may be positioned at the same position as B-pillar 208 in the fore-and-aft direction as in FIG. 25A.

[0133] FIG. 27A is a side view of vehicle 200 illustrating an example of a seat swapping mode in which the positions of front seat 210 and rear seat 220 are swapped in the front-to-rear direction. When swapping the positions of front seat 210 and rear seat 220, first, in front of rear seat 220, seat back 212 of front seat 210 is rotated rearward to the maximum extent, and seat back 212 is placed in a substantially horizontal position (see FIG. 21C). Next, seat cushion 221 and riser 227 of rear seat 220 are moved forward to predetermined positions, and seat cushion 211 of front seat 210 is moved rearward to a predetermined position. At this time, seat back 212 of front seat 210 passes through storage space SP1 below seat cushion 221 of rear seat 220. Finally, seat back 212 of front seat 210 is rotated forward, and seat back 212 is raised. This results in the seat swapping mode shown in FIG. 27A.

[0134] In the seat swapping mode, an occupant can sit in a seat at the front of the vehicle (rear seat 220) with their viewpoint elevated. Also, in FIG. 27A, the front seat 210 is disposed close to the rear seat 220, so that the luggage space behind the seat can be expanded, and large luggage can be loaded into the vehicle 200. A change to the seat swapping mode may be possible on the condition that the vehicle is traveling in the automatic driving mode. In the seat swapping mode, an occupant seated in the rear seat 220 may be able to drive the vehicle 200 in the manual driving mode. In this case, the vehicle 200 can be driven with a high viewpoint.

[0135] 27B is a side view of vehicle 200 showing a modification of FIG. 27A (another seat interchange mode). In FIG. 27B, seat cushion 211 of front seat 210 moves further rearward than in FIG. 27A. This makes it possible to ensure a passenger space in front of front seat 210, and passengers can be seated not only in rear seat 220 at the front of the vehicle but also in front seat 210. As a result, it is possible to accommodate more passengers while maintaining a higher viewpoint for passengers seated in the front seat (rear seat 220).

[0136] Although not shown, the left and right front seats 210, 210 may be provided with an armrest 140 and a side airbag unit 170, for example, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B. In this case, for example, in the normal driving mode (FIGS. 18A and 18B), when the armrest 140 is stored, an occupant may be able to move toward the rear seat 220 by passing between the left and right front seats 210, 210. The left and right front seats 210, 210 can be arranged close to each other. Therefore, the rear seat 220 can be easily configured to straddle the left and right front seats 210, 210, as described above.

[0137] The vehicle 200 according to this embodiment can achieve the following effects. (1) Vehicle 200 includes front seat 210 having seat cushion 211 supported via support portion 215 so as to be movable in the fore-and-aft direction and seat back 212 supported by seat cushion 211 so as to be tiltable, and rear seat 220 disposed in front of or behind front seat 210, having seat cushion 221 supported via support portion 225 so as to be movable in the fore-and-aft direction and seat back 222 supported by seat cushion 221 so as to be tiltable (FIGS. 18A and 18B). Support portion 225 supports seat cushion 221 above seat cushion 211 of front seat 210 so as to form, below seat cushion 221 of rear seat 220, storage space SP1 into which at least a portion of front seat 210 can be inserted when seat back 212 of front seat 210 is in a predetermined position where it is reclined (FIGS. 18A and 18B).

[0138] As a result, by rotating the seat back 212 of the front seat 210 in the front-rear direction and moving at least one of the front seat 210 and the rear seat 220 in the front-rear direction, the front seat 210 and the rear seat 220 can be arranged so that they overlap in a side view. As a result, the seat arrangement can be changed to various modes with an inexpensive configuration without complicating the configuration of the support parts 215, 225.

[0139] (2) The support portion 225 has a pair of left and right risers 227, 227 that are disposed outboard of the front seat 210 in the left-right direction and have bottoms that are movable in the front-rear direction along the lower rails 203 on the floor (FIGS. 18A and 18B). This allows a substantially box-shaped storage space SP1 to be formed below the seat cushion 221, and at least a portion of the front seat 210 can be easily inserted below the seat cushion 221.

[0140] (3) The seat cushion 221 of the rear seat 220 is supported at a height that allows the front seat 210 in a predetermined position to pass through (FIG. 26B). This allows the front seat 210 to pass under the seat cushion 221.

[0141] (4) Vehicle 200 is configured to be able to change modes between a normal driving mode in which front seat 210 is positioned forward of rear seat 220 so that an occupant can sit there, and a seat swap mode in which rear seat 220 is positioned forward of front seat 210 so that an occupant can sit there (FIGS. 18A, 27A, 27B). This allows the front and rear positions of front seat 210 and rear seat 220 to be swapped, and the height of the viewpoint of an occupant sitting in the front seat to be changed.

[0142] (5) The upper end of the seat back 222 of the rear seat 220 is positioned higher than the upper end of the seat back 212 of the front seat 210 (FIG. 18A). When the seat back 222 of the rear seat 220 is in an upright position in a substantially vertical direction, the upper end of the seat back 222 is positioned higher than the upper end of the front window 205 and the upper end of the front side window 206 (FIG. 22A). This allows the seat back 222 to block the view from outside the vehicle via the front window 205 and the front side window 206, and a space that cannot be seen from outside can be formed behind the seat back 222.

[0143] (6) The seat back 222 of the rear seat 220 has a side surface 222a that faces the B-pillar 208 in the upright position (FIG. 22A). This allows the seat back 222 to block the view from outside the vehicle while maximizing the space behind the seat back 222.

[0144] (7) Vehicle 200 further includes roof 204, which is a ceiling portion (FIG. 18A). Roof 204 has front roof 204F provided in front of B-pillar 208 and rear roof 202R provided behind B-pillar 208 and higher than front roof 204F (FIG. 18A). This allows the gap between seat back 222 and roof 204 to be small, and seat back 222 can effectively block views from outside the vehicle.

[0145] (8) Vehicle 200 has storage section 230, which forms a storage space that is generally rectangular in plan view, at the rear and bottom of vehicle 200 (FIGS. 18A and 18B). This allows large-capacity batteries, luggage, and the like to be easily loaded onto vehicle 200.

[0146] (9) The seat cushion 221 of the rear seat 220 is positioned above the upper end of the storage portion 230 (FIG. 18A). The support portion 225 supports the seat cushion 221 so that the seat cushion 221 can move rearward beyond the front end of the storage portion 230 (FIG. 21B). This allows the rear seat 220 to move to a position where it overlaps with the storage portion 230 in a side view, thereby expanding the space in front of the rear seat 220.

[0147] (10) The rear seat 220 is a bench seat having multiple seating areas in the left-right direction (FIG. 18B). As a result, the seat cushion 221 can be supported by a pair of left and right risers 227, 227, and a large storage space SP1 can be formed below the seat cushion 221. As a result, the seat cushion 221 can be moved to a position where it overlaps with the storage section 230 in a side view.

[0148] The configuration of vehicle 200 described with reference to FIGS. 18A to 27B can be summarized as follows. The vehicle includes a first seat having a first seat cushion supported via a first support portion so as to be movable in the fore-and-aft direction and a first seat back supported by the first seat cushion so as to be tiltable, and a second seat disposed in front of or behind the first seat, having a second seat cushion supported via a second support portion so as to be movable in the fore-and-aft direction and a second seat back supported by the second seat cushion so as to be tiltable. The second support portion supports the second seat cushion above the first seat cushion so as to form a space below the second seat cushion into which at least a portion of the first seat can be inserted when the first seat back is in a predetermined position with the seat back reclined.

[0149] The second support portion is disposed outboard of the first seat in the left-right direction and has a pair of left and right support pillars whose bottom portions are provided so as to be movable in the front-rear direction along the floor.

[0150] The second seat cushion is supported at a height that allows the first seat in a predetermined position to pass through. More specifically, the second seat cushion is configured to be changeable between a first mode in which the first seat is positioned forward of the second seat so that an occupant can sit on it, and a second mode in which the second seat is positioned forward of the first seat so that an occupant can sit on it.

[0151] The upper end of the second seatback is located higher than the upper end of the first seatback, and when the second seatback is in an upright position in a substantially vertical direction, the upper end of the second seatback is located higher than the upper ends of the front window and the side windows. Preferably, the second seatback has a side surface that faces the B-pillar when in the upright position.

[0152] The vehicle further includes a roof, which is the ceiling of the vehicle. The roof has a first roof provided in front of the B-pillar and a second roof provided behind the B-pillar and higher than the first roof.

[0153] The vehicle has a space forming portion at the rear and bottom of the vehicle that forms a storage space that is generally rectangular in plan view. In the vehicle having the space forming portion, it is preferable that the second seat cushion is located above the upper end of the space forming portion, and the second support portion supports the second seat cushion so that it can move rearward beyond the front end of the space forming portion. Furthermore, the second seat may be a bench seat having multiple seating portions in the left-right direction.

[0154] In the above embodiment (FIGS. 18A to 27B), the front seat 210 serving as the first seat includes a seat cushion 211 (first seat cushion) supported via support portions 215 (first support portions) so as to be movable in the front-rear direction, and a seat back 212 (first seat back) supported by the seat cushion 211 so as to be tiltable. However, the configuration of the first seat is not limited to the above. In the above embodiment (FIGS. 18A to 27B), the rear seat 220 serving as the second seat includes a seat cushion 221 (second seat cushion) supported via support portions 225 (second support portions) so as to be movable in the front-rear direction, and a seat back 222 (second seat back) supported by the seat cushion 221 so as to be tiltable. However, the configuration of the second seat is not limited to the above. The second seat may be disposed behind the first seat instead of in front of it.

[0155] In the above embodiment (FIGS. 18A to 27B), the seat cushion 221 of the rear seat 220 is supported from the floor 201 via a pair of left and right risers 227, 227 (supports), but the second support portion supporting the second seat cushion may have any configuration as long as it is supported above the seat cushion 211 so as to form an accommodation space SP1 (space) below the seat cushion 221 into which at least a portion of the front seat 210 with the seat back 212 in a predetermined position can be inserted. In the above embodiment (FIGS. 18A, 27A, 27B), the mode is changeable between a normal driving mode (an example of a first mode) in which the front seat 210 is disposed in front of the rear seat 220, and a seat swap mode (an example of a second mode) in which the rear seat 220 is disposed in front of the front seat 210, but the first mode and the second mode are not limited to those described above.

[0156] In the above embodiment (FIGS. 18A to 27B), the control device 250 controls the actuators 253 to 256 in response to the occupant's switch operation to change the seat arrangement mode (seat mode). However, the occupant may manually rotate the seat backs 212, 222 in the fore-and-aft direction and manually move the seat cushions 211, 221 in the fore-and-aft direction. In the above embodiment (FIG. 22A), in the vehicle rest mode, the seat back 222 of the rear seat 220 is moved to a position where the side surface 222a faces the B-pillar 208, but it may also be moved to another position. In the above embodiment (FIGS. 18A to 27B), the roof 204 of the vehicle 200 is configured in a stepped shape by the front roof 204F (first roof) and the rear roof 204R (second roof). However, the entire roof may be configured smoothly without any steps, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 18A.

[0157] In the above embodiment (FIGS. 18A to 27B), a storage section 230 (space forming section) that forms a storage space that is generally rectangular in plan view is provided at the rear and bottom of the vehicle, but the configuration of the space forming section is not limited to that described above. In the above embodiment (FIGS. 18A to 27B), the rear seat 220 is configured as a bench seat with multiple seating sections in the left and right direction, but the rear seat may be configured as a bench seat that is not a bench seat and is divided in the left and right direction.

[0158] <Occupant support device> The configuration of an occupant support device according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 28A to 36. The occupant support device is provided inside a vehicle seat and is configured to support an occupant seated on the seat. A generally plate-shaped pressure-receiving member is known as an occupant support device. However, a simple pressure-receiving member lacks cushioning properties and cannot sufficiently enhance occupant comfort. Therefore, in this embodiment, the occupant support device is configured to enhance occupant comfort. The occupant support device can be applied to any of the vehicle seat 100, front seat 210, and rear seat 220 described above. For convenience, an example in which the occupant support device is applied to a vehicle seat other than those described above will be described below.

[0159] Fig. 28A is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle seat 300 to which an occupant support device according to this embodiment is applied, and Fig. 28B is a perspective view showing a configuration of a frame of the vehicle seat 300. This vehicle seat 300 is mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile and can be used as a vehicle seat.

[0160] 28A, vehicle seat 300 has seat cushion 301 extending in a substantially horizontal direction, seat back 302 supported on the rear end of seat cushion 301 via reclining mechanism 304 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction, and headrest 303 provided on the upper end of seat back 302. Seating surfaces 301a and 302a on which an occupant sits are formed on the upper surface of seat cushion 301 and the front surface of seat back 302.

[0161] As shown in FIG. 28B, vehicle seat 300 has seat cushion frame 310 that forms the framework of seat cushion 301, and seat back frame 320 that forms the framework of seat back 302.

[0162] The seat cushion frame 310 has a pair of left and right vertical frames 311, 311 extending in the front-rear direction, and a pair of front and rear horizontal frames 312, 313 extending in the left-right direction and having both left and right ends fixed to the pair of left and right vertical frames 311, 311. The horizontal frames 312, 313 are generally cylindrical in shape as a whole. The front ends of the vertical frames 311, 311 may be connected to each other, and the vertical frame 311 as a whole may be configured to be generally U-shaped in a plan view.

[0163] The seatback frame 320 has a pair of left and right vertical frames 321, 321 extending in the up-down direction, and a pair of upper and lower horizontal frames 322, 323 extending in the left-right direction with both left and right ends fixed to the pair of left and right vertical frames 321, 321. The lower horizontal frame 322 is generally box-shaped with an upper surface and a lower surface. The upper horizontal frame 323 is generally plate-shaped with a front surface and a rear surface. The upper ends of the vertical frames 321, 321 may be connected to each other, and the entire vertical frame 321 may be configured to be generally U-shaped when viewed from the front.

[0164] In such a vehicle seat 300, a generally plate-shaped pressure-receiving member may be provided to receive the weight of an occupant seated in the vehicle seat 300. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 28B, the pressure-receiving member may be disposed between the front and rear horizontal frames 312, 313 of the seat cushion 301 (hatched area AR1) and between the upper and lower horizontal frames 322, 323 of the seat back 302 (hatched area AR2). However, the pressure-receiving member has poor cushioning properties and may impair the comfort of the occupant.

[0165] On the other hand, in order to improve the cushioning properties of the seat cushion 301, it is conceivable to incorporate a spring inside the seat cushion 301 or to form a thicker cushion pad. However, in this case, the seat cushion 301 becomes thicker, and the height of the seating surface 301a is likely to increase. If the vehicle is an electric vehicle, the battery is placed under the floor, which raises the floor surface and may increase the height of the seating surface 301a. Therefore, it is difficult to make the seat cushion 301 thick in order to reduce the height of the seating surface 301a. As for the seat back 302, if the seat back 302 becomes thicker, the riding space will be correspondingly narrower, and it is therefore difficult to make the seat back 302 thick. Therefore, in this embodiment, the occupant support device is configured as follows.

[0166] Fig. 29 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of an occupant support device 330 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 30 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 29. The occupant support device 330 is provided in an area AR1 of the seat cushion 301 in Fig. 28B. For convenience, this occupant support device 330 is referred to as a lower occupant support device 330A. Fig. 30 also shows a cushion pad 305 around the lower occupant support device 330A and a cover 306 on the upper surface of the cushion pad 305.

[0167] 29 and 30, the lower occupant support device 330A has a substantially plate-shaped base member 331 and a leaf spring member 335 disposed on top of the base member 331. The base member 331 is made of a resin material or metal. The leaf spring member 335 is made of a resin material or metal so as to be elastically deformable under a predetermined load. In the following description, it is assumed that the base member 331 and the leaf spring member 335 are both made of a resin material.

[0168] The base member 331 extends in the front-rear and left-right directions and has a generally rectangular shape in a plan view. The base member 331 has a front surface 331a facing the seating surface 301a and a back surface 331b opposite the front surface 331a, and is configured symmetrically with respect to a center line CL3 passing through the center in the left-right direction. More specifically, the base member 331 has protrusions 332 protruding in the front-rear direction at both left-right ends. The base member 331 has a plurality of through holes 333 opened in the front-rear direction. The plurality of through holes 333 are formed to be elongated in the left-right direction. The through holes 333 have the same length in the left-right direction.

[0169] On the other hand, the width (length in the front-rear direction) of the front through-hole 333 is narrower than the width of the rear through-hole 333, and the widths of the multiple through-holes 333 are not the same as each other. Specifically, of the six through-holes 333 in the front-rear direction, the widths of the three front through-holes 333 are narrower than the three rear through-holes 333. The widths of the through-holes 333 may be divided into three or more types instead of two, and may gradually narrow toward the front. Note that the widths of the multiple through-holes 333 may be the same as each other.

[0170] The leaf spring member 335 has a support plate portion 336 that is elongated in the front-rear direction and extends along the center line CL3 below the base member 331, and a plurality of front-rear legs 337 that extend in the front-rear direction from both left and right ends of the support plate portion 336, and is configured symmetrically with respect to the center line CL3. The leaf spring member 335 has a shape obtained by bending a plate member of a constant thickness. The front and rear ends of the support plate portion 336 are located at approximately the same positions in the front-rear direction as the front end of the protruding portion 332 that protrudes forward and the rear end of the protruding portion 332 that protrudes rearward.

[0171] The multiple legs 337 are provided corresponding to the through holes 333 of the base member 331, and each passes through the through hole 333 and is disposed above the base member 331. The width (length in the front-to-rear direction) of each of the multiple legs 337 is constant in the left-to-right direction. The widths of the multiple legs 337 are set corresponding to the widths of the multiple through holes 333. Therefore, the width of the front leg 337 is narrower than the width of the rear leg 337. The front leg 337 may be referred to as a narrow leg 337a, and the rear leg 337 may be referred to as a wide leg 337b.

[0172] 30 , the support plate 336 is fixed to the base member 331 by screwing a screw 330a passing through the support plate 336 into a screw hole 331c provided in a back surface 331b of the base member 331. The leg 337 has an inner inclined plate portion 3371 that passes through the through hole 333 and extends obliquely upward from both left and right ends of the support plate 336 outward in the left-right direction, an outer inclined plate portion 3372 that extends obliquely downward from the outer left-right end of the inner inclined plate portion 3371 outward in the left-right direction, and a horizontal plate portion 3373 that extends approximately horizontally outward in the left-right direction from the outer left-right end of the outer inclined plate portion 3372. The horizontal plate portion 3373 is placed on the surface 331a of the base member 331 on the left-right outer side of the through hole 333 so as to be movable in the left-right direction.

[0173] 29, metal wires 334 are integrally formed on base member 331. Wires 334 protrude in the front-rear direction from the front and rear ends of protrusion 332. The tip of wire 334 is formed in a substantially arc shape, and wire 334 engages with lateral frames 312, 313 (FIG. 28B) of seat cushion 301.

[0174] Similarly, metal wires 339 are integrally formed with the leaf spring member 335. The wires 339 protrude in the front-rear direction from the front and rear ends of the support plate portion 336. The distal ends of the wires 339 are formed in a substantially arc shape, and the wires 339 engage with the lateral frames 312, 313. As a result, the lower occupant support device 330A is supported by the seat cushion frame 310 via the wires 334, 339.

[0175] 30, the lower occupant support device 330A is disposed in a concave accommodation space SP3 provided inside or on the bottom surface of the cushion pad 305. In the initial state where no occupant is seated in the vehicle seat 300, no downward load acts on the cushion pad 305, and the leaf spring member 335 is located in the initial position indicated by the solid line.

[0176] When an occupant sits on the vehicle seat 300, a downward load acts on the cushion pad 305, causing the cushion pad 305 to bend. As a result, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 30 , the leg portions 337 are crushed and elastically deformed, and the horizontal plate portions 3373 move outward in the left-right direction while sliding on the surface 331 a of the base member 331. As a result, a repulsive force due to the elastic deformation of the leaf spring members 335 acts on the cushion pad 305, improving the cushioning properties of the seat cushion 301. Although not shown in the drawings, when the maximum load acts on the seat cushion 301, the leg portions 337 are further crushed, and the outer inclined plate portions 3372 come into contact with the surface 331 a of the base member 331, causing the leg portions 337 to become substantially flat as a whole. At this time, the repulsive force of the leaf spring members 335 reaches its maximum.

[0177] The width of the multiple leg portions 337 is wider at the rear and narrower at the front. Therefore, the narrow leg portions 337a located at the front are more flexible than the wide leg portions 337b located at the rear. This allows the hardness of the seat cushion 301 to be set to be harder near the occupant's buttocks and softer near the thighs. Therefore, the cushioning properties of the seat cushion 301 are good, improving the comfort of the occupant when sitting.

[0178] The occupant support device 330 can also be provided on the seat back 302. FIG. 31 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the occupant support device 330 provided in the area AR2 between the lateral frames 22, 323 of the seat back 302 in FIG. 28B. For convenience, this occupant support device 330 is referred to as the upper occupant support device 330B. The upper occupant support device 330B is configured similarly to the lower occupant support device 330A. That is, as shown in FIG. 31, the upper occupant support device 330B has a substantially plate-shaped base member 331 and a leaf spring member 335 arranged on top of the base member 331.

[0179] The lower occupant support device 330A and the upper occupant support device 330B differ in the shape of the wires 334 protruding from the protruding portions 332 of the base member 331. That is, in the upper occupant support device 330B, the pair of left and right wires 334, 334 protruding upward from the upper ends of the left and right protruding portions 332, 332, respectively, are bent outward in the left-right direction and then bent upward. On the other hand, the pair of left and right wires 334, 334 protruding downward from the lower ends of the left and right protruding portions 332, 332, respectively, are connected to each other via a connecting wire 334A that has a substantially cylindrical shape and extends in the left-right direction, and the wire 334 is configured in a substantially U-shape as a whole.

[0180] In the upper occupant support device 330B, no wire (wire 339 in FIG. 29) is provided on the support plate portion 336 in the center in the left-right direction. Therefore, while the lower occupant support device 330A is supported from the frame by six wires 334, 339, the upper occupant support device 330B is supported by four wires 334. The reason for this is that the load acting on the seat back 302 is smaller than the load acting on the seat cushion 301. Since no wire is provided, the support plate portion 336 of the leaf spring member 335 of the upper occupant support device 330B is configured to be shorter than the support plate portion 336 of the lower occupant support device 330A.

[0181] The wire 334 of the upper occupant support device 330B is connected to the pair of upper and lower horizontal frames 322, 323 via a connector 325 such as a wire clip. Fig. 32 is a diagram (partial cross-sectional view) showing a schematic configuration of the connector 325 that connects the connection wire 334A to the horizontal frame 322. As shown in Fig. 32, the connector 325 has a substantially C-shaped clip portion 325a that is attached to the peripheral surface of the connection wire 334A, and an attachment portion 325b that is inserted into a through-hole 322a provided in the upper surface of the horizontal frame 322.

[0182] Clip portion 325a is expandable in the radial direction, allowing connection wire 334A to be attached to clip portion 325a through a C-shaped opening. Mounting portion 325b has a pair of retractable claws at its tip. By inserting mounting portion 335b into through-hole 322a, the claws open and hook onto the edge of through-hole 322a, thereby securing mounting portion 325b to horizontal frame 322. Although not shown, a connector 325 is similarly attached to the tip of upper wire 334, and connector 325 is secured to horizontal frame 323.

[0183] The leaf spring member 335 has a plurality of legs 337 that pass through the through-holes 333 of the base member 331, with the width of the lower legs 337 being narrower than the width of the upper legs 337. Therefore, the lower legs (narrow legs) 337a are more flexible than the upper legs (wide legs) 337b. This allows the hardness of the seat back 302 to be set to be harder near the occupant's chest and softer near the lumbar region. This provides good cushioning to the seat back 302, improving the comfort of the occupant when seated.

[0184] In the above, an example has been described in which the occupant support device 330 is applied to the seating surfaces 301a, 302a of the vehicle seat 300 having the seat cushion 301 and the seat back 302, but the occupant support device 330 can also be applied to the seating surface of a saddle-ride type vehicle. This point will be described below.

[0185] Fig. 33 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a motorcycle 350, which is an example of a saddle-ride type vehicle to which the occupant support device 330 is applied. As shown in Fig. 33, the motorcycle 350 has a vehicle seat 351 on which a rider sits. A seating surface 351a is formed on the upper surface of the vehicle seat 351. The vehicle seat 351 has a cover 352 and a cushion pad 353, and the occupant support device 330 is disposed below the cushion pad 353. For convenience, the occupant support device 330 applied to the motorcycle will be referred to as a two-wheeled occupant support device 330C.

[0186] Figure 34A is a perspective view of two-wheel occupant support device 330C viewed obliquely from above, and Figure 34B is a perspective view viewed obliquely from below. The configuration of two-wheel occupant support device 330C is also generally the same as the configuration of lower occupant support device 330A described above. That is, as shown in Figures 34A and 34B, two-wheel occupant support device 330C has a substantially plate-shaped base member 331 and a leaf spring member 335 arranged on top of base member 331.

[0187] The base member 331 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape that follows the outline of the vehicle seat 351 in a plan view. More specifically, the base member 331 is formed so that its width in the left-right direction narrows toward the front. Although not shown, the base member 331 is fixed to an upper portion of the seat frame of the motorcycle 350 via fixing means such as bolts. Therefore, unlike the above-described occupant support devices 330A and 330B, no wires are required for attaching the occupant support device. Note that, similar to the above-described occupant support devices 330A and 330B, the leaf spring member 335 is fixed to the base member 331 via a support plate portion 336, and multiple legs 337 of the leaf spring member 335 are provided to pass through multiple through-holes 333 in the base member 331 so as to be elastically deformable.

[0188] Fig. 35A is a vertical cross-sectional view of vehicle seat 351 taken along line AA in Fig. 34A. Fig. 35A also shows cushion pad 353 and cover 352. As shown in Fig. 35A, a single storage space SP4 is formed by recess 353a on the bottom surface of cushion pad 353, and two-wheel occupant support device 330C is disposed in storage space SP4. In the initial state where no occupant is seated on vehicle seat 351, no downward load acts on cushion pad 343, and leaf spring member 335 (leg portion 337) is positioned in the initial position shown by the solid line.

[0189] When an occupant sits on vehicle seat 351, a downward load acts on cushion pad 353, causing cushion pad 353 to bend. As a result, leg portion 337 is crushed and elastically deformed as shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 35A. As a result, a repulsive force due to the elastic deformation of leaf spring member 335 acts on cushion pad 353, and the cushioning properties of vehicle seat 351 are improved.

[0190] In two-wheel occupant support device 330C, front leg 337 is narrower than rear leg 337. Therefore, front leg (narrow leg) 337a is more flexible than rear leg (wide leg) 337b. This allows the occupant to shift their seating position forward when waiting at a traffic light, etc., thereby lowering the seating position and allowing the occupant to easily place their feet on the ground.

[0191] Figure 35B is a diagram showing the deformability of Figure 35A. Figure 35B differs from Figure 35A in the configuration of the cushion pad 353. That is, while a single recess 353a is provided on the bottom surface of the cushion pad 353 in Figure 35A, a plurality of recesses 353a are provided in the front-rear direction corresponding to the positions of the plurality of legs 337 in Figure 35B, and a plurality of storage spaces SP4 are formed by the recesses 353a. This allows the cushioning performance to be changed from the configuration of Figure 35A. Although not shown, the above-mentioned lower occupant support device 330A and upper occupant support device 330B also form storage spaces SP3 (Figure 30) in the same way as in Figures 35A and 35B.

[0192] The occupant support device 330 of this embodiment uses a plurality of legs 337 having a bent shape that can be elastically deformed. Therefore, the spring characteristics of the leaf spring member 335 can be adjusted by appropriately changing the number, arrangement, width, thickness, etc. of the legs 337. A plurality of occupant support devices 330 with different spring characteristics may be prepared, allowing the occupant to select one based on their preference. A seat assembly in which a pad member and a cover are assembled to the occupant support device 330 may be prepared, and the entire seat assembly may be reassembled into a seat.

[0193] The occupant support device 330 according to this embodiment can achieve the following effects. (1) The occupant support device 330 is disposed inside the seating surfaces 301a, 302a, 351a of the vehicle seat 300, 351 (FIGS. 28A, 33). The occupant support device 330 includes a substantially plate-shaped base member 331 extending substantially parallel to the seating surfaces 301a, 302a, 351a, and a leaf spring member 335 supported by the base member 331 (FIGS. 29, 31, 34A). The leaf spring member 335 protrudes toward the seating surfaces 301a, 302a, 351a beyond the base member 331 and has leg portions 337 as elastically deforming portions that are elastically deformed and crushed by a load acting on the seating surfaces 301a, 302a, 305a (FIGS. 29, 31, 34A).

[0194] By configuring the occupant support device 330 in this way, the cushioning properties of the seat are improved, improving the comfort of the occupant. Because the occupant support device 330 is formed thin, the seat does not become thick, and the occupant's seating position can be prevented from becoming too high. At the same time, it is possible to prevent the space inside the vehicle cabin from becoming narrower.

[0195] (2) Leaf spring member 335 further includes support plate portion 336 fixed to base member 331 (FIGS. 30 and 34B). Leg portion 337 extends from support plate portion 336 and has a predetermined width in a bent shape (FIGS. 29, 31, and 34A). This allows leaf spring member 335 to easily be shaped into a resilient leaf spring.

[0196] (3) A plurality of legs 337 extending substantially parallel to one another (FIGS. 29, 31, and 34A) are provided from the support plate portion 336. This allows the occupant support device 330 to provide cushioning properties for the vehicle seat 300, 351 over a wide range.

[0197] (4) The legs 337 each include a narrow leg portion 337a and a wide leg portion 337b that is wider than the narrow leg portion 337a (FIGS. 29, 31, and 34A). This allows the spring characteristics of each portion of the vehicle seat 300, 351 to be adjusted.

[0198] (5) Base member 331 has front surface 331a facing seating surfaces 301a, 302a, and 351a, and back surface 331b opposite front surface 331a (FIGS. 30, 34A, and 34B). Support plate portion 336 of leaf spring member 335 is fixed to back surface 331b of base member 331 (FIG. 30). Leg portion 337 is disposed to penetrate base member 331 and be movable along front surface 331a (FIG. 30). This allows leaf spring member 335 to be easily elastically deformable while being stably fixed to base member 331.

[0199] (6) The base member 331 is provided with a long, narrow through-hole 333 through which the leg portion 337 passes (FIGS. 29, 31, and 34A). The leg portion 337 has a curved inner inclined plate portion 3371 and an outer inclined plate portion 3372 that pass through the through-hole 333 and protrude from the surface 331a, and a horizontal plate portion 3373 that is provided slidably along the surface 331a between the end of the base member 331 and the through-hole 333 (FIG. 30). This allows the height of the leg portion 337 to change smoothly in response to the load, providing optimal cushioning for the occupant.

[0200] (7) The vehicle seat 300, 351 includes a pad member (cushion pad 305, 353 and back pad) on the surface of which the seating surface 301a, 302a, 351a is formed, and an occupant support device 330 disposed inside the pad member (FIGS. 28A, 30, 33). This allows the vehicle seat 300, 351 to have high cushioning of the seating surface 301a, 302a, 351a.

[0201] (8) The vehicle seat 300 further includes a seat cushion frame 310 (lateral frames 312, 313) that supports the cushion pad 305 (FIG. 28B). The occupant support device 330 has wires 334 that protrude from the base member 331 and are attached to the lateral frames 312, 313 (FIG. 29). This allows the occupant support device 330 to be stably supported on the frame.

[0202] (9) Vehicle seat 300 includes seat cushion 301 extending substantially horizontally and seat back 302 standing upright from the end of seat cushion 301 (FIG. 28A). Occupant support devices 330 (330A, 330B) are provided on seating surfaces 301a, 302a of seat cushion 301 and seat back 302 (FIGS. 29 and 31). This improves the cushioning properties of both seat cushion 301 and seat back 302, improving comfort for the occupant.

[0203] (10) The occupant support device 330 (330C) is provided on the seating surface 351a of the motorcycle 350, which is a straddle-type vehicle. This improves the comfort level of the occupant of the motorcycle 350.

[0204] In the above embodiment (FIG. 30), the leaf spring member 335 is fixed to the base member 331 using the screws 330a, but other methods may be used for fixing. FIG. 36 is a diagram showing another example of fixing the leaf spring member 335 to the base member 331, and is an example applied to a lower occupant support device 330A. Specifically, FIG. 36 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 29. That is, it is a vertical cross-sectional view of a portion of the base member 331 where no through-hole 333 is provided.

[0205] As shown in Figure 36, a hook 331d is provided to protrude downward from a back surface 331b of the base member 331. The hook 331d has a generally L-shaped cross section and an opening on the right surface. The support plate portion 336 of the leaf spring member 335 is inserted into the inside of the hook 331d through the opening, as shown by arrow A. This fixes the leaf spring member 335 to the base member 331. Although not shown in the figures, an engaging claw may be provided to protrude from the support plate portion 336 and inserted into a through-hole provided in the base member 331, thereby fixing the leaf spring member 335 to the base member 331.

[0206] The configuration of the occupant support device 330 described with reference to FIGS. 28A to 36 can be summarized as follows. The occupant support device is disposed inside the seating surface of the vehicle seat and includes a substantially plate-shaped base member extending substantially parallel to the seating surface and a leaf spring member supported by the base member, the leaf spring member having an elastically deforming portion that protrudes toward the seating surface beyond the base member and is elastically deformed and crushed by a load acting on the seating surface.

[0207] The leaf spring member further has a fixed portion that is fixed to the base member, and the elastically deformable portion is constituted by a leg portion that extends from the fixed portion and has a bent shape and a predetermined width.

[0208] The elastically deformable portion is preferably configured by a plurality of legs extending from the fixed portion and generally parallel to one another. The plurality of legs preferably includes a first leg and a second leg that is wider than the first leg.

[0209] The base member has a first surface facing the seating surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the fixed portion of the leaf spring member is fixed to the second surface of the base member, and the leg portion is disposed so as to penetrate the base member and move along the first surface. In this case, it is preferable that the base member has an elongated through-hole through which the leg portion penetrates, and the leg portion has a bent-shaped protruding portion that penetrates the through-hole and protrudes from the first surface, and a sliding portion that is provided so as to be slidable along the first surface between the end of the base member and the through-hole.

[0210] The configurations of the vehicle seats 300, 351 described with reference to FIGS. 28A to 36 can be summarized as follows. The vehicle seat includes a pad member having the seating surface formed on its surface, and the above-described occupant support device disposed inside the pad member.

[0211] The vehicle seat further includes a frame that supports the pad member, and the occupant support device has a mounting portion that projects from the base member and is attached to the frame.

[0212] The vehicle seat preferably includes a seat cushion extending substantially horizontally and a seat back rising from an end of the seat cushion, and the seating surface is preferably the seating surface of at least one of the seat cushion and the seat back. The seating surface may also be the seating surface of a saddle-ride type vehicle.

[0213] In the above embodiment (FIGS. 28A to 36), the legs 337 of the leaf spring member 335 extend in the left-right direction, but they may also extend in the up-down direction. Therefore, the orientation of the above-described occupant support device 330 may be rotated 90 degrees when used. In the above embodiment (FIGS. 28A to 36), the legs 337 protrude toward the seating surface from the base member 331, but the configuration of the elastic deformation portion is not limited to that described above. In other words, the elastic deformation portion may have any configuration as long as it protrudes toward the seating surface from the base member and is elastically deformed and crushed by a load acting on the seating surface.

[0214] In the above embodiment (FIGS. 28A to 36), the support plate portion 336 of the leaf spring member 335 is fixed to the base member 331. More specifically, of the front surface 331a (first surface) and the back surface 331b (second surface) of the base member 331, the support plate portion 336 is fixed to the back surface 331b, but the configuration of the fixed portion is not limited to the above. The support plate portion 336 may be fixed to the front surface 331a. In the above embodiment (FIGS. 28A to 36), multiple legs 337 extend substantially parallel to each other from the support plate portion 336, but the number of legs is not limited to the above. A single leg may extend. In the above embodiment (FIGS. 28A to 36), the legs 337 are divided into a narrow leg portion (first leg portion) and a wide leg portion (second leg portion), but the leg width may be constant. Ribs may be provided on the leaf spring member 335 to adjust its spring characteristics.

[0215] In the above embodiment (FIGS. 28A to 36), leg portion 337 is provided with inner inclined plate portion 3371 as a protruding portion that penetrates through hole 333 of base member 331, and leg portion 337 is provided with horizontal plate portion 3373 as a sliding portion that slides on surface 331a of base member 331, but the configuration of the protruding portion and sliding portion is not limited to that described above. In the above embodiment (FIGS. 28A to 36), passenger support device 330 is applied to an automobile (four-wheel vehicle) and a motorcycle, but the passenger support device of the present invention can also be applied to other vehicles.

[0216] <Slide rail device> 37 to 46B, a slide rail device according to this embodiment will be described. The slide rail device is a device that supports a seat cushion so that it can slide in the front-rear direction, and has a lower rail installed on the floor and an upper rail that slides along the lower rail.

[0217] In such a slide rail device, gaps may occur on the upper surface of the lower rail and between the lower rail and the upper rail, and foreign matter may enter the interior of the lower rail through the gaps. If foreign matter enters through the gaps, smooth movement of the upper rail along the lower rail may be hindered. In consideration of this, in this embodiment, the slide rail device is configured as follows to prevent foreign matter from entering the interior of the lower rail through the gaps on the upper surface of the lower rail and the gap between the lower rail and the upper rail.

[0218] Fig. 37 is a perspective view (viewed obliquely from the front) showing the schematic configuration of a slide rail device 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 38 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the slide rail device 400 taken along line AA in Fig. 37. The slide rail device 400 is applied to, for example, the vehicle seat 100 (Fig. 1) described above. Note that the slide rail device 400 can also be applied to the other vehicle seats 210, 220, and 300 described above, as well as to other vehicle seats not described above. Therefore, the form of the vehicle seat to which the slide rail device 400 is applied may be any.

[0219] 38, the slide rail device 400 has a lower rail 410 extending in the front-rear direction, and an upper rail 420 that slides in the front-rear direction along the lower rail 410. The lower rail 410 is installed in a recess 402 in the upper surface of a floor 401 inside the vehicle cabin, and an upper surface 411 of the lower rail 410 is positioned substantially flush with the upper surface of the floor 401. A seat cushion frame (e.g., seat cushion frame 111 in FIG. 1) is fixed to the upper rail 420, and movement of the upper rail 420 causes the vehicle seat 100 to move in the front-rear direction.

[0220] The lower rail 410 and the upper rail 420 are configured symmetrically with respect to a center line CL5 passing through the center in the left-right direction. More specifically, the lower rail 410 is formed by bending a substantially plate-shaped metal, and has a top surface 411, a bottom surface 412, and left and right side surfaces 413. A pair of left and right inner end surfaces 411a, 411a is provided on the top surface 411 over the entire length of the lower rail 410 in the front-rear direction, and the lower end of the upper rail 420 is inserted into an internal space SP5 of the lower rail 410 via a gap CL10 ( FIG. 37 ) between the inner end surfaces 411a, 411a. A roller 414 is arranged in the internal space SP5 to facilitate sliding of the upper rail 420.

[0221] The upper rail 420 is formed by bending a generally plate-shaped metal. The upper rail 420 has a pair of left and right leg portions 421 inserted into the internal space SP5 of the lower rail 410, side wall portions 422 rising upward from the leg portions 421, and a head portion 423 provided on the upper portion of the side wall portion 422. The lower end portions of the leg portions 421 are bent outward in the left-right direction, and the tip portions thereof are sandwiched between a pair of upper and lower rollers 414, 414. As a result, the upper rail 420 is slidably supported on the lower rail 410 via the rollers 414. For convenience, the rollers 414 are not shown in FIG. 37.

[0222] The leg portions 421 and rollers 414 may have any configuration as long as they are slidably supported on the lower rails 410. The rollers 414 on the inside of the lower rails 410 may be omitted. The head portion 423 has a generally rectangular shape when viewed from the front. A bracket for fixing the seat cushion frame or the like can be attached to the head portion 423.

[0223] Fig. 37 shows the configuration of the front end side of the upper rail 420. Although not shown, the rear end side of the upper rail 420 is also configured in the same manner as in Fig. 37. As shown in Fig. 37, the lower rail 410 extends forward of the upper rail 420. Therefore, a gap CL10 of a predetermined width exists in the left-right direction between the left and right inner end faces 411a, 411a of the top surface 411 of the lower rail 410 forward of the front end of the upper rail 420. Meanwhile, a pair of left and right gaps CL20 exists between the lower ends of the side wall portions 422 of the upper rail 420 and the inner end faces 411a of the lower rail 410 rearward of the front end of the upper rail 420 (in the region where the upper rail 420 is present), as shown in Fig. 38.

[0224] In this embodiment, a pair of sheet-like left and right lips 430, 440 (also called moldings), i.e., a left lip 430 and a right lip 440, are provided above the upper surface 411 of the lower rail 410 so as to cover these gaps CL10, CL20. The lips 430, 440 are made of, for example, a flexible rubber material. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a guide member 450 attached to the front end surface of the upper rail 420 is interposed between the left lip 430 and the right lip 440. The guide member 450 is a molded product made of, for example, resin.

[0225] Figure 39 is a vertical cross-sectional view of slide rail device 400 forward of guide member 450. As shown in Figure 39, enlarged recesses 402a, which are formed by expanding the area of ​​recess 402 outward in the left-right direction in a stepped manner, extend in the front-to-rear direction at the top of the left and right sides of recess 402 in floor 401. Approximately plate-shaped guides 431, 441, each having a predetermined thickness in the left-to-right direction, protrude downward from the undersides of lips 430, 440. Guides 431, 441 are inserted into enlarged recesses 402a, thereby regulating the positions of lips 430, 440.

[0226] The left lip 430 and the right lip 440 are each placed on the lower rail. The right end of the left lip 430 is located to the right of the center line CL5 and to the left of the right inner end surface 411a of the lower rail 410. The left end of the right lip 440 is located to the left of the center line CL5 and to the right of the left inner end surface 411a of the lower rail 410. A recess 432 is provided in the upper surface of the right end portion of the left lip 430 toward the right end, and a recess 442 is provided in the lower surface of the left end portion of the right lip 440 toward the left end.

[0227] The end face 432a of the recess 432 is located to the left of the center line CL5 and to the left of the left end of the right lip 440. The end face 442a of the recess 442 is located to the right of the center line CL5 and to the right of the right end of the left lip 430. Therefore, the right lip 440 is disposed above the left lip 430 with a gap of a predetermined width in the left-right direction between the end face 432a of the recess 432 and the left end of the right lip 440, and between the end face 442a of the recess 442 and the right end of the left lip 430. That is, the right end of the left lip 430 and the left end of the right lip 440 are disposed overlapping each other in a front view in a region passing through the center line CL5. This covers the gap CL10 between the inner end faces 411a, 411a of the lower rail 410 with the lips 430, 440, preventing foreign matter from entering the interior of the lower rail 410.

[0228] Notches 433, 443 are formed in the front-to-rear direction on the underside of the left lip 430 and the underside of the right lip 440. This allows the lips 430, 440 to be easily bent upward (turned up) using folding lines 433a, 443a on the backside of the notches 433, 443 as fulcrums, as shown in Figures 37 and 38.

[0229] Fig. 40 is a perspective view (viewed from diagonally front right) showing the configuration of a single guide member 450 attached to the front end of upper rail 420. Fig. 41A is a front view (viewed from the front) of guide member 450, and Fig. 41B is a plan view (viewed from above). As shown in Figs. 40, 41A, and 41B, guide member 450 has an attachment portion 451 extending in a substantially vertical direction, a flat plate portion 452 extending in a substantially horizontal direction, and an inclined portion 453 extending obliquely from attachment portion 451 to flat plate portion 452.

[0230] The mounting portion 451 has a generally rectangular shape in front view corresponding to the shape of the head 423 of the upper rail 420 (FIG. 38). Engagement arms 451a protrude rearward from the top end surface and left and right side end surfaces of the mounting portion 451. Engagement claws 451b protrude inward in the left-right direction from the tips of the left and right engagement arms 451a. Engagement claws 451b protrude downward from the tip of the upper engagement arm 451a. As shown in FIGS. 37 and 38, generally rectangular through-holes 423a are opened in the top surface and left and right side surfaces of the upper rail 420.

[0231] The engaging claw 451b is engaged with the through-hole 423a in a state where the mounting portion 451 abuts against the front end surface 423b of the head portion 423 of the upper rail 420. This fixes the guide member 44 to the upper rail 420. The mounting portion 451 may also be fixed to the upper rail 420 via a bolt that passes through the mounting portion 451.

[0232] 40, 41A, and 41B, the flat plate portion 452 has a left plate portion 4521 on the left side of the center line CL5, a right plate portion 4522 on the right side, and a central plate portion 4523 between the left plate portion 4521 and the right plate portion 4522. The left plate portion 4521 and the central plate portion 4523 are connected in a stepped manner via a connecting plate portion 4524 that extends obliquely upward to the left. The right plate portion 4522 and the central plate portion 4523 are connected in a stepped manner via a connecting plate portion 4525 that extends obliquely upward to the left.

[0233] Therefore, the left plate portion 4521 is located higher than the central plate portion 4523, which is located higher than the right plate portion 4522. That is, the height of the flat plate portion 452 gradually increases in a stepped manner from right to left. The front end surfaces of these plate portions 4521 to 4525 are located on the same plane. The plate portions 4521 to 4525 extend rearward substantially parallel to one another.

[0234] The guide member 450 has a constricted portion 454 below the attachment portion 451, the constricted portion 454 being formed with a narrow width in the left-right direction corresponding to the shape of the front end surface (FIG. 38) of the side wall portion 422 of the upper rail 420. The inclined portion 453 has a left inclined portion 4531 extending downwardly to the left from the lower end of the constricted portion 454, a right inclined portion 4532 extending downwardly to the right, and a front inclined portion 4533 extending downwardly to the front. These inclined portions 4531 to 4533 are formed, for example, in the shape of a concave curved surface. Some or all of the inclined portions 4531 to 4533 may be formed flat. For convenience, the left inclined portion 4531 and the left plate portion 4521 may be collectively referred to as the left guide portion 450L.

[0235] As shown in FIG. 41A, the angle that the left inclined portion 4531 makes with respect to the vertical is greater than the angle that the right inclined portion 4532 makes with respect to the vertical, and the left inclined portion 4531 is gently inclined. As shown in FIG. 41B, the length from a center line CL5 passing through the center of the mounting portion 451 in the left-right direction to the left end surface of the guide member 450 is longer than the length from the center line CL5 to the right end surface of the guide member 450. These lengths may be equal to each other. As shown in FIGS. 41A and 41B, the left inclined portion 4531 is formed so that a slit-like gap SP10 (dotted line) is provided between the back side of the left inclined portion 4531 and an extended surface of the left side surface of the upper rail 420.

[0236] 37, when the upper rail 420 moves forward, the right end of the left lip 430 enters the gap SP10, and the left lip 430 rises along the gap SP10. Note that no gap is formed between the back side of the right inclined portion 4532 and the extended surface of the right side surface of the upper rail 420.

[0237] Figure 42A is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Figure 37, i.e., a vertical cross-sectional view of slide rail device 400 passing through the front end of guide member 450. Figure 42B is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Figure 37, i.e., a vertical cross-sectional view of slide rail device 400 passing through front inclined portion 4533 of guide member 450. As shown in Figure 42A, the front end of guide member 450 is sandwiched and positioned between left lip 430 and right lip 440.

[0238] More specifically, the central plate portion 4523 is sandwiched between the recessed portion 432 of the left lip 430 and the recessed portion 442 of the right lip 440, and the left lip 430, guide member 450, and right lip 440 overlap with each other. The left plate portion 4521 of the guide member 450 is disposed on the upper surface 411 of the left lip 430. The right plate portion 4522 of the guide member 450 is disposed on the upper surface 411 of the lower rail 410, and the right lip 440 is disposed on the upper surface of the right plate portion 4522. Therefore, when the upper rail 420 moves forward, the front end portion of the guide member 450 enters between the left lip 430 and the right lip 440, and the guide member 450 advances while sliding along the upper surface of the left lip 430 and the lower surface of the right lip 440. As a result, the gap between the left lip 430 and the right lip 440 is blocked by the guide member 450.

[0239] 42B, when the right inclined portion 4532 or the front inclined portion 4533 of the guide member 450 enters below the right lip 440, the left end portion of the right lip 440 bends (springs up) upward along the right inclined portion 4532 of the guide member 450, with the folding line 443a on the upper surface as a fulcrum. As a result, the left end portion of the right lip 440 retreats to the right side of the upper rail 420 behind the guide member 450, as shown in FIG.

[0240] 42B, the right end of the left lip 430 is bent to the right by the upper rail 420, with the fold line 433a on the top surface as a fulcrum, and is inserted into a gap SP10 between the extended surface of the side wall portion 422 of the upper rail 420 and the left inclined portion 4531 of the guide member 450. As a result, the right end of the left lip 430 rises along the gap SP10, and behind the guide member 450, the right end of the left lip 430 is retracted to the left side of the upper rail 420, as shown in FIGS.

[0241] In this way, as the upper rail 420 advances, the guide member 450 advances while being inserted between the left lip 430 and the right lip 440, so that the left lip 430 and the right lip 440 can be retracted to the left and right sides of the upper rail 420 while the gap between the lips 430, 440 is blocked by the guide member 450. This effectively prevents foreign matter from entering through the gap between the left lip 430 and the right lip 440 when the upper rail 420 turns up the lips 430, 440.

[0242] Because the left lip 430 is covered by the guide member 450, upward displacement of the left lip 430 can be suppressed by the guide member 450. As a result, the right end of the left lip 430 abuts against the left side surface of the side wall portion 422 of the upper rail 420, preventing foreign matter from entering through the gap between the right end of the left lip 430 and the upper rail 420.

[0243] In the above, the front end surface of side wall portion 422 of upper rail 420 is formed flat, but a protrusion protruding forward may be provided on the front end surface of side wall portion 422 of upper rail 420 so as to easily guide the right end of left lip 430 into slit-shaped gap SP10 (FIG. 42B). FIG. 43 shows an example of this, a vertical cross-sectional view of slide rail device 400 taken along line DD in FIG.

[0244] 43, a protruding portion 425 is provided on the front end surface of the side wall portion 422 of the upper rail 420, protruding at a downward incline from below the constricted portion 454 of the guide member 450 to the front. The protruding portion 425 has an inclined surface 425a that abuts against the back surface of the front inclined portion 4531 of the guide member 450. As a result, a slit-shaped gap SP10 (FIG. 42B) is formed between the left side surface of the protruding portion 425 and the back surface of the left inclined portion 4531, and the right end of the left lip 430 can be easily guided into the gap SP10 when the upper rail 420 moves forward.

[0245] 43, instead of or in addition to providing the protrusion 425 on the upper rail 420, a protrusion 455 that protrudes rearward may be provided at the rear end of the guide member 450 and to the left of the upper rail 420. The protrusion 455 extends substantially parallel to the left side surface of the side wall portion 422 of the upper rail 420, with a gap (gap SP10) between them. This makes it possible to easily guide the right end of the left lip 430 into the gap SP10.

[0246] FIG. 44 is a perspective view of slide rail device 400 showing a modification of FIG. 37. FIG. 44 differs from FIG. 37 in that cover member 460 is attached so as to cover guide member 450. FIG. 45 is a perspective view (viewed from diagonally front right) showing the configuration of cover member 460 alone. FIG. 46A is a front view (viewed from the front) of cover member 460, and FIG. 46B is a plan view (viewed from above). As shown in FIGS. 45, 46A, and 46B, cover member 460 has an attachment portion 461 attached to upper rail 420, a flat plate portion 462 extending substantially horizontally, and an inclined portion 463 extending obliquely from attachment portion 461 to flat plate portion 462.

[0247] The mounting portion 461 has a front surface portion 4611 facing the front surface of the mounting portion 451 of the guide member 450, and an upper surface portion 4612, a left surface portion 4613, and a right surface portion 4614 facing the upper surface, left surface, and right surface, respectively, of the head portion 423 of the upper rail 420. A substantially circular through-hole 461a is formed in the front surface portion 4611, the upper surface portion 4612, the left surface portion 4613, and the right surface portion 4614 of the cover member 460.

[0248] When the cover member 460 is provided, the engagement arm 451a (FIG. 37) of the guide member 450 is not necessary. In this case, a through hole is opened in the mounting portion 451 of the guide member 450 so as to communicate with the through hole 461a. A screw hole is formed in the head 423 of the upper rail 420 at a position corresponding to the through hole 461a. As shown in FIG. 44, a bolt 465 inserted into the through hole 461a is screwed into the screw hole, whereby the cover member 460 is fastened to the upper rail 420 with the guide member 450 sandwiched between the cover member 460 and the front end surface 423b of the upper rail 420.

[0249] As shown in FIGS. 45, 46A, and 46B, the flat plate portion 462 has, in order from left to right, a left plate portion 4621, a central plate portion 4622, and a right plate portion 4623. The central plate portion 4622 is located higher than the left plate portion 4621, and the right plate portion 4623 is located higher than the central plate portion 4622. In other words, the flat plate portion 462 is formed in a stepped shape so that its height gradually increases from left to right. As shown in FIG. 44, the right plate portion 4623 is disposed on the upper surface of the left lip 430, the central plate portion 4622 is disposed on the upper surface of the guide member 450, and the left plate portion 4621 is disposed on the upper surface of the right lip 440.

[0250] As shown in FIGS. 45, 46A, and 46B, the right plate portion 4623 is formed to be wider in the left-right direction than the left plate portion 4621 and the central plate portion 4622. Specifically, the left end portion of the right plate portion 4623 is located to the left of the left surface portion 4613 of the mounting portion 461. The left plate portion 4621 and the central plate portion 4622 are supported by the mounting portion 461 via a left inclined portion 4631 that extends from the mounting portion 461 at a downward slope to the left. The right plate portion 4623 is supported by the mounting portion 461 via a right inclined plate portion 4632 that extends from the mounting portion 461 at a downward slope to the front and right. For convenience, the right inclined plate portion 4632 and the right plate portion 4623 may be collectively referred to as the right cover portion 460R.

[0251] 44 , a wide range of the upper surface of the right lip 440, that is, a wide range from the left end of the right lip 440 to the vicinity of the fold line 443a, is covered by the right plate portion 4623 of the cover member 460. This makes it possible for the cover member 460 to suppress upward displacement of the right lip 440 when the upper rail 420 moves forward. As a result, the left end of the right lip 440 abuts against the right side surface of the side wall portion 422 of the upper rail 420, making it possible to prevent foreign matter from entering through the gap between the left end of the right lip 440 and the upper rail 420.

[0252] The slide rail device 400 according to this embodiment can achieve the following effects. (1) Slide rail device 400 has a lower rail 410 extending in the front-rear direction, and an upper rail 420 slidably mounted on lower rail 410 along a gap CL10 extending in the front-rear direction formed in the upper surface of lower rail 410 ( FIG. 37 ). Slide rail device 400 includes a generally sheet-shaped flexible left lip 430 disposed on the upper surface of lower rail 410, a generally sheet-shaped flexible right lip 440 disposed overlapping the upper surface of lower rail 410 and the upper surface of the right end of left lip 430, and a guide member 450 attached to the front end of upper rail 420 and interposed between left lip 430 and right lip 440 slidably in the front-rear direction ( FIG. 37 ).

[0253] This allows the left lip 430 and the right lip 440 to close the gap CL10 in the upper surface 411 of the lower rail 410, preventing foreign matter from entering the interior of the lower rail 410 through the gap CL10. The gap between the left lip 430 and the right lip 440 can be closed by the guide member 450, preventing foreign matter from entering through the gap between the lips 430, 440 when the left and right lips 430, 440 are pushed up laterally to the left and right by the upper rail 420.

[0254] (2) The left lip 430 and the right lip 440 are arranged to overlap each other so as to close the gap CL10 (FIG. 39). This allows the left lip 430 and the right lip 440 to reliably close the gap CL10 in the upper surface 411 of the lower rail 410.

[0255] (3) The guide member 450 extends at a downward incline from the front end surface 423b of the upper rail 420 (FIGS. 37 and 40). This allows the left and right lips 430, 440 to be easily turned up laterally of the upper rail 420 via the guide member 450.

[0256] (4) Guide member 450 has a flat portion 452 that enters between left lip 430 and right lip 440 as upper rail 420 moves in the front-to-rear direction and presses left lip 430 against upper surface 411 of lower rail 410, and an inclined portion 453 that lifts right lip 440 above guide member 450 ( FIG. 40 ). This allows guide member 450 to lift right lip 440 while pressing left lip 430 against it.

[0257] (5) The guide member 450 has a left plate portion 4521 at the left end and a right plate portion 4522 at the right end, and as the upper rail 420 moves in the front-to-rear direction, the left plate portion 4521 slides along the upper surface of the left lip 430, and the right plate portion 4522 slides along the lower surface of the right lip 440 ( FIGS. 37 and 40 ). This allows the guide member 450 to be inserted between the lips 430, 440 while reducing the gap between the left and right lips 430, 440.

[0258] (6) Guide member 450 has a central plate portion 4523 between left plate portion 4521 and right plate portion 4522, which is sandwiched vertically between left lip 430 and right lip 440 (FIGS. 40 and 42A). This allows the gap between left lip 430 and right lip 440 to be effectively closed.

[0259] (7) The upper rail 420 has a side wall portion 422 extending in the vertical direction (FIG. 38). The guide member 450 has an attachment portion 451 attached to the front end surface 423b of the upper rail 420, and a left guide portion 450L inclined downward to the left from the attachment portion 451 and placed on the upper surface of the left lip 430 (FIG. 40). A slit-shaped gap SP10 extending in the front-rear direction is provided between the lower surface of the left guide portion 450L (left inclined portion 4531) and the side wall portion 422 of the upper rail 420, or between the lower surface of the left guide portion 450L and an extension surface of the side wall portion 422 of the upper rail 420 extended in the front-rear direction (FIGS. 41A and 41B). The right end of the left lip 430 is guided by the gap SP10 as the upper rail 420 moves in the front-to-rear direction, and is configured to turn up along the side wall portion 422 (FIG. 37). This allows the left lip 430 below the guide member 450 to be turned up smoothly and retracted to the side of the upper rail 420.

[0260] (8) The slide rail device 400 further includes a cover member 460 attached to the upper rail 420 so as to cover the guide member 450 (FIG. 44). The cover member 460 has an attachment portion 461 attached to the front end surface 423b of the upper rail 420, and a right cover portion 460R that slopes downward to the right from the attachment portion 461 and is disposed on the upper surface of the right lip 440 (FIGS. 44 and 45). This causes the right lip 440 to be pressed down by the cover member 460, preventing foreign matter from entering through a gap at the end of the right lip 440.

[0261] (9) The guide members 450 are attached to the front and rear ends of the upper rail 420. This prevents foreign matter from entering the lower rail through the gap between the lips 430, 440, whether the upper rail 420 moves forward or backward.

[0262] The configuration of slide rail device 400 described with reference to FIGS. 37 to 46B can be summarized as follows. The slide rail device includes a lower rail extending in the front-rear direction and an upper rail slidably mounted on the lower rail along a gap extending in the front-rear direction formed in the upper surface of the lower rail. The slide rail device also includes a first lip that is generally sheet-shaped and flexible in one of the left and right directions and disposed on the upper surface of the lower rail, a second lip that is generally sheet-shaped and flexible in the other of the left and right directions and disposed overlying the upper surface of the lower rail and the upper surface of the inner end of the first lip in the front-rear direction, and a guide member that is attached to a mounting surface of at least one of the front and rear ends of the upper rail and is interposed between the first and second lips so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction.

[0263] The first lip and the second lip are preferably arranged to overlap each other so as to close the gap.The guide member preferably extends from the mounting surface of the upper rail at a downward incline in the front-rear direction.

[0264] The guide member has a pressing portion that enters between the first lip and the second lip as the upper rail moves in the fore-and-aft direction and presses the first lip against the upper surface of the lower rail, and an inclined portion that lifts the second lip above the guide member.

[0265] The guide member has a first end portion on one side of the left-right direction on the first lip side and a second end portion on the other side of the left-right direction on the second lip side, and as the upper rail moves in the front-rear direction, the first end portion slides along the upper surface of the first lip and the second end portion slides along the lower surface of the second lip. In particular, the guide member has an intermediate portion between the first end portion and the second end portion that is sandwiched between the first lip and the second lip in the up-down direction.

[0266] The upper rail has a side wall extending vertically, and the guide member has an attachment portion attached to the attachment surface of the upper rail and a first inclined portion that slopes downward in the left-right direction from the attachment portion toward the first lip, and a slit-shaped groove extending in the front-to-rear direction is provided between the lower surface of the first inclined portion and the side wall, or between the lower surface of the first inclined portion and an extension surface extending the side wall in the front-to-rear direction, and the inner left-to-right end of the first lip is guided by the groove as the upper rail moves in the front-to-rear direction and is configured to curl up along the side wall.

[0267] The cover member may further include a cover member attached to the upper rail so as to cover the guide member. The cover member has a second mounting portion attached to the upper rail and a second inclined portion that slopes downward from the second mounting portion in the opposite left-right direction to the first inclined portion and is disposed on the upper surface of the second lip.

[0268] The above-described guide members may be attached to the front end and rear end of the upper rail, respectively.

[0269] In the above embodiment (FIGS. 37 to 46B), guide member 450 is attached to front end surface 423b of upper rail 420. However, guide member 450 may be attached to the rear end surface of upper rail 420 instead of or in addition to front end surface 423b. That is, the attachment surface of the upper rail to which the guide member is attached may be provided at least at one of the front end and rear end of the upper rail. In the above embodiment (FIGS. 37 to 46B), left lip 430 (first lip) is arranged to overlap upper surface 411 of lower rail 410, and right lip 440 (second lip) is arranged to overlap upper surface of guide member 450. However, the configuration of the left and right lips may be reversed, and therefore the first lip may be the right lip and the second lip may be the left lip.

[0270] In the above embodiment (FIGS. 37 to 46B), the left lip 430 and the right lip 440 are arranged to overlap each other, but the opposing ends of these lips 430, 440 may also be arranged to abut against each other. In the above embodiment (FIGS. 37 to 46B), the guide member 450 is provided with a flat portion 452 (pressing portion) that enters between the lips 430, 440 and presses the left lip 430 against the upper surface 411 of the lower rail 410, and also has an inclined portion 453 that turns up the right lip 440 above the guide member 450.

[0271] More specifically, the guide member 450 has a central plate portion 4523 (middle portion) sandwiched between the left lip 430 and the right lip 440 in the vertical direction between a left plate portion 4521 (first end portion) and a right plate portion 4522 (second end portion), and also has a left guide portion 450L (first inclined portion) that slopes downward from the mounting portion 451, and a slit-shaped gap SP10 (groove) extending in the front-to-rear direction is provided between the lower surface of the left guide portion 450L and the side wall portion 422 (side wall) of the upper rail 420, or between the lower surface of the left guide portion 450L and an extension surface of the side wall portion 422 extended in the front-to-rear direction, but the configuration of the guide member is not limited to that described above.

[0272] In the above embodiment (FIGS. 44 to 46B), cover member 460 is attached to front end surface 423b of upper rail 420 via attachment portion 461 (second attachment portion), and cover member 460 has right cover portion 460R (second inclined portion) that is inclined downward on the side opposite to left inclined portion 4531 and is placed on the upper surface of right lip 440, but the configuration of the cover member is not limited to the above. Guide member 450 and cover member 460 may also be provided integrally in advance via connecting portion 4634 as shown in FIG.

[0273] The above description is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and modifications as long as the features of the present invention are not impaired. One or more of the above-described embodiment and modifications can be arbitrarily combined, and modifications can also be combined with each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0274] 100 vehicle seat, 110 seat cushion, 110L left side, 110R right side, 116 rotation mechanism, 120 seat back, 120L left side, 120R right side, 140 armrest, 142 base end, 150 seat belt, 151 strap, 152 anchorage, 153 strap guide, 154 retractor, 154a axis, 157 buckle, 160 bracket, 164 rear plate, 165 axis, 170 side airbag unit, CL1 axis

Claims

1. A vehicle seat including a seat cushion having a first side surface and a second side surface on one side and the other side in a left-right direction, and a seat back provided upright at a rear end of the seat cushion, the seat back having a first side surface and a second side surface on one side and the other side in the left-right direction, an armrest rotatably supported on the first side surface of the seat back; a seat belt extending behind and above the armrest; a retractor provided on the first side surface of the seat back and configured to be able to retract the seat belt.

2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, The vehicle seat is characterized in that the retractor is disposed below the base end of the armrest.

3. The vehicle seat according to claim 2, The vehicle seat is characterized in that the retractor is disposed adjacent to the base end of the armrest.

4. The vehicle seat according to claim 3, a bracket fixed to the first side surface of the seat back; The vehicle seat, wherein the bracket has a retractor support portion that supports the retractor.

5. The vehicle seat according to claim 4, The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the bracket further includes an armrest support portion that rotatably supports the base end portion of the armrest.

6. The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 5, A vehicle seat further comprising a belt support portion provided at an upper end of the seat back and supporting the seat belt so that the seat belt can be withdrawn after passing behind and above the armrest.

7. The vehicle seat according to claim 6, The vehicle seat is characterized in that the retractor has a rotating shaft around which the seat belt is wound, and the rotating shaft extends at an upward incline toward the outside of the seat back in the width direction.

8. The vehicle seat according to claim 6, The vehicle seat further comprises a belt fixing portion provided on the second side surface of the seat cushion and configured to detachably fix the seat belt.

9. The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 5, A vehicle seat further comprising a side airbag disposed inside the first side surface of the seat back and above a pivot shaft that rotatably supports the armrest.

10. The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 5, A vehicle seat further comprising a cushion support portion that supports the seat cushion rotatably about an axis extending in the vertical direction.

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