Straddle type seat

Abstract

To hinder shortening of the life of a helmet.SOLUTION: A straddle type seat 2 used in a vehicle includes a mounting portion 24a provided on a seat surface of a second seating portion 24 and on which an occupant can sit, and on which a helmet can be mounted. The mounting portion 24a has a helmet support portion 3 capable of supporting a helmet in an upright state and a storage portion 5 capable of storing the helmet support portion 3 in the seat surface. The helmet support portion 3 is configured to be movable between an upright position and a storage position where the helmet support portion is stored in the storage portion 5.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a saddle-type seat for use in a saddle-type vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Now, as new standard mopeds, two-wheeled motorized bicycles of 125cc or less, which are widely distributed overseas, will be classified in the same vehicle and license categories as Class 1 motorized bicycles, and demand for new standard mopeds is expected to increase. Many new standard mopeds are scooter-type models, and some scooter-type vehicles are known to have a storage compartment below the seat where a helmet can be stored (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-040396 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, users of saddle-type vehicles, including the scooter type described above, may leave their helmets hanging from the rearview mirror or handlebars when they leave the vehicle. Repeatedly hanging a helmet from the rearview mirror or handlebars can accelerate deterioration of the cushioning material inside the helmet and make it more likely to fall off, which could shorten the lifespan of the helmet. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problem, the invention of claim 1 is a saddle-type seat used in a saddle-type vehicle, which is provided on a seat surface on which a user can sit and has a mounting portion on which a helmet can be placed, the mounting portion having a helmet support portion capable of supporting the helmet in an upright position and a storage portion capable of storing the helmet support portion within the seat surface, and is characterized in that the helmet support portion is configured to be movable between an upright position and a storage position where it is stored in the storage portion.

[0006] According to the invention of claim 1, by placing a helmet on the helmet support part that is in an upright position on the seat, the helmet can be placed stably on the seat and can be prevented from falling off. Also, by configuring the helmet support part to be retractable within the seat, it is possible to reduce the impact on the driver straddling the saddle-type seat, and for example, it is possible to prevent the helmet support part from getting in the way.

[0007] The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that, in the saddle-type seat according to claim 1, the storage section is arranged so that the upper surface of the helmet support section that is exposed when the helmet support section is stored is positioned on the same plane as the seat surface.

[0008] According to the invention of claim 2, by positioning the upper surface (exposed surface) of the helmet support part stored in the storage section on approximately the same plane as the seat surface, the helmet support part in the stored state and the seat surface become one, thereby reducing the discomfort felt by the driver straddling the saddle-type seat.

[0009] The invention according to claim 3 is the saddle-ride type seat according to claim 1, characterized in that the helmet support portion is formed to include a flexible material.

[0010] According to the invention of claim 3, when a helmet is placed on the helmet support part in an upright position, the contact part with the interior of the helmet is elastically deformed by the flexible material, thereby preventing deterioration of the interior of the helmet.

[0011] The invention of claim 4 is characterized in that, in the saddle-type seat described in claim 1, the helmet support portion is formed in a curved shape so that the upper part thereof, when in an upright position, fits along the interior lining of the helmet.

[0012] According to the invention of claim 4, when a helmet is placed on the helmet support part in an upright position, the upper part that comes into contact with the interior of the helmet is supported in a state that is in line with the interior of the helmet, thereby suppressing deterioration of the interior of the helmet.

[0013] The invention of claim 5 is characterized in that, in the saddle-type seat described in claim 4, the helmet support portion has a helmet support capable of supporting the helmet, a rotating support portion that supports the helmet support so that it can rotate between the upright position and the stowed position, and a lock portion that can fix the helmet support in at least one of the upright position and the stowed position.

[0014] According to the invention of claim 5, the helmet support can be rotated to move between the standing position and the stored position, thereby simplifying the structure of the helmet support part. Also, for example, the helmet support part can be made smaller than when the helmet support is configured to protrude upward from below.

[0015] The invention according to claim 6 is characterized in that in the saddle-ride type seat according to claim 5, the locking portion includes a one-way clutch provided on the axis of the rotation support portion.

[0016] According to the invention of claim 6, by using a one-way clutch, the locking portion can be made smaller and simpler.

[0017] The invention of claim 7 is characterized in that, in the saddle-type seat described in claim 1, the mounting portion further includes a connecting portion that can connect the helmet supported by the helmet support portion in an upright state to the helmet support portion.

[0018] According to the invention of claim 7, the theft of a helmet placed on the seat can be prevented by connecting the helmet to the helmet support part. For example, the helmet can be easily connected to the helmet support part by using a helmet lock wire or connecting the helmet's chin strap to the connecting part.

[0019] The invention of claim 8 is characterized in that, in the saddle-type seat described in claim 1, the storage section further includes a cover member that can cover the helmet supported by the helmet support section in an upright state, and the cover member is placed in the storage section in a folded state.

[0020] According to the invention of claim 8, the helmet placed on the seat and supported by the helmet support part can be protected from wind, rain, dust, etc. Furthermore, by arranging the cover member in the storage part, the risk of loss, etc. can be reduced.

[0021] The invention of claim 9 is characterized in that, in the saddle-type seat described in claim 8, the cover member is formed in a bag shape and has a string member that tightens the opening while covering the helmet supported by the helmet support portion.

[0022] According to the invention of claim 9, the covering state of the cover member placed on the helmet can be easily maintained. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the lifespan of a helmet from being shortened. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of a vehicle equipped with a saddle-ride type seat according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a saddle-type seat provided in the vehicle shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a side view showing a stored state of the helmet support part provided in the mounting part. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the helmet support portion provided on the mounting portion in an upright state. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a rear view of the helmet support shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view of the helmet support shown in FIG. 5 along line VI-VI. [Figure 7] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the helmet support shown in FIG. 5 along line VII-VII. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the helmet supported by the helmet support is covered with the cover member. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing first and second helmet support parts provided on the mounting part. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the bag is stored in the storage section with the first and second helmet support sections standing upright. [Figure 11] 1 is a side view of a vehicle equipped with a seat device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] 1 is a side view of a driver's seat equipped with a submarine prevention device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13A] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the movement of a driver's seat fixed facing forward during a frontal collision of a vehicle. [Figure 13B] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the movement of a driver's seat fixed facing forward during a frontal collision of a vehicle. [Figure 13C] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the movement of a driver's seat fixed facing forward during a frontal collision of a vehicle. [Figure 13D] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the movement of a driver's seat fixed facing forward during a frontal collision of a vehicle. [Figure 13E] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the movement of a driver's seat fixed facing forward during a frontal collision of a vehicle. [Figure 14A] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the movement of a driver's seat fixed facing backward in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle. [Figure 14B] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the movement of a driver's seat fixed facing backward in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle. [Figure 14C] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the movement of a driver's seat fixed facing backward in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle. [Figure 14D] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the movement of a driver's seat fixed facing backward in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle. [Figure 14E] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the movement of a driver's seat fixed facing backward in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle. [Figure 15A] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the movement of a driver's seat fixed facing forward during a rear-end collision of a vehicle. [Figure 15B] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the movement of a driver's seat fixed facing forward during a rear-end collision of a vehicle. [Figure 15C] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the movement of a driver's seat fixed facing forward during a rear-end collision of a vehicle. [Figure 16] 1 is a plan view of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a plan view of the vehicle seat shown in FIG. 16. [Figure 18] FIG. 17 is a side view of the vehicle seat shown in FIG. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a main part of the in-vehicle device according to the embodiment. [Figure 20A] A diagram showing calf massage exercise. [Figure 20B] FIG. 20B is a side view of a vehicle seat performing the calf massage exercise shown in FIG. 20A. [Figure 21A] A diagram showing calf stretch exercise. [Figure 21B] 21B is a side view of a vehicle seat for performing the calf stretching exercise shown in FIG. 21A. [Figure 22A] Diagram showing shin stretch exercise. [Figure 22B] 22B is a side view of a vehicle seat for performing the shin stretch exercise shown in FIG. 22A. [Figure 23A] Diagram showing glute stretch exercise. [Figure 23B] 23B is a side view of a vehicle seat performing the hip stretch exercise shown in FIG. 23A. [Figure 24A] Diagram showing lower back and hip stretch exercises. [Figure 24B] 24B is a side view of a vehicle seat performing the lumbar and hip stretch exercise shown in FIG. 24A. [Figure 25A] Diagram showing inner thigh stretch exercise. [Figure 25B] 25B is a side view of a vehicle seat for performing the inner thigh stretching exercise shown in FIG. 25A. [Figure 26A] Diagram showing chest and arm stretch exercises. [Figure 26B] 26B is a side view of a vehicle seat for performing the chest and arm stretch exercise shown in FIG. 26A. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] [Saddle-type seat] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 to 10. A saddle-type seat according to an embodiment of the present invention can be suitably used as a seat for a two-wheeled or three-wheeled saddle-type vehicle that requires the rider to wear a helmet when riding. In the following, a saddle-type seat used in a motorcycle (hereinafter simply referred to as a vehicle) will be used as an example of a saddle-type seat. In the following, the front-rear direction, left-right direction (width direction), and up-down direction (height direction) will be defined based on the rider seated on the saddle-type seat, and the configuration of each part will be described according to these definitions.

[0026] Fig. 1 is a side view of a vehicle 1 equipped with a saddle-type seat according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle 1 is a scooter-type two-wheeled vehicle using an internal combustion engine as a drive source 11, and is equipped with a front wheel 12 and a rear wheel 13, a handlebar 14 for controlling the traveling direction of the vehicle, and a saddle-type seat 2 on which a rider sits. The traveling direction of the front wheel 12 is controlled by the handlebar 14, and the rear wheel 13 is driven by the drive source 11. The handlebar 14 is provided with a throttle for controlling the driving force of the drive source 11.

[0027] The saddle-type seat 2 is located above the rear wheel 13 and the driving source 11, and an item storage section 15 capable of storing items such as fixtures is provided between the saddle-type seat 2 and the driving source 11. The item storage section 15 is opened by rotating the saddle-type seat 2 upward via a hinge section (not shown) provided at the rear end of the saddle-type seat 2, and is closed by locking the saddle-type seat in a non-rotating state via a lock section (not shown) provided at the front end of the saddle-type seat 2. Note that the saddle-type seat 2 may also be configured such that a hinge (not shown) is provided at the front end and a lock section (not shown) is provided at the rear end.

[0028] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the saddle-ride type seat 2 provided in the vehicle 1 shown in Fig. 1. In Fig. 2, a portion of the rear end of the saddle-ride type seat 2 is cut away to show its material configuration. As shown in Fig. 2, the saddle-ride type seat 2 includes a bottom plate 20 serving as a base substrate, a cushion body 21 placed on the upper surface of the bottom plate 20, and a cover material 22 that covers the cushion body 21 and is fixed to the back surface of the bottom plate 20 with staples or the like.

[0029] The bottom plate 20 is formed into a thin shape from a thermoplastic resin made from polypropylene (PP) or the like, and by using a thermoplastic resin made from polypropylene resin containing nanocellulose, the rigidity and strength of the base substrate are improved. The cushion body 21 is made from an elastic member (flexible material) made from foamed urethane or the like, and is formed to conform to the shape of the bottom plate 20 so that it can be placed on the top surface of the bottom plate 20. The cover material 22 is made from a synthetic resin made from polyvinyl chloride or the like, and is made from a covering material such as polyvinyl chloride leather. Covering materials such as polyvinyl chloride leather are formed by laminating a soft polyvinyl chloride layer on the surface of a fiber substrate, and are ideal for the cover material 22 of the saddle-type seat 2, which is directly exposed to wind, rain, etc.

[0030] The saddle-type seat 2 also includes a first seating section 23 on which the driver can sit, and a second seating section 24 on which passengers other than the driver can sit. The first seating section 23 is provided in front of the saddle-type seat 2, and has narrowed sections 23a on both the left and right sides to improve the driver's ability to reach the ground with their feet when straddling the seat.

[0031] The second seating portion 24 is provided rearward of and continuous with the first seating portion 23, and constitutes a so-called tandem seat (pillion seat). The second seating portion 24 has a mounting portion 24a with a substantially flat seating surface so that the driver's luggage and the like can be placed and secured thereon in addition to being used for seating other passengers. Luggage and the like placed on the mounting portion 24a can be secured onto the mounting portion 24a by a securing net or the like via hooks and the like (not shown) provided on both the left and right sides of the second seating portion 24.

[0032] The mounting portion 24a also includes a helmet support portion 3 capable of supporting the helmet 10 in an upright position, a connecting portion 4 that connects the helmet supported by the helmet support portion 3 in an upright position to the helmet support portion 3, a storage portion 5 that can store the helmet support portion 3 within the seat, and a cover member 6 that can cover the helmet 10 supported by the helmet support portion 3 in an upright position.

[0033] Fig. 3 is a side view showing the helmet support part 3 provided on the mounting part 24a in a stored state, and Fig. 4 is a side view showing the helmet support part 3 provided on the mounting part 24a in an upright state. In Fig. 4, as in Fig. 2, part of the upper end of the helmet support part 3 is cut away to show its material configuration.

[0034] 2 and 3, the helmet support part 3 is provided so that its upper surface is positioned on approximately the same plane as the seat surface of the second seating part 24 (the seat surface of the saddle-ride type seat 2) when stored in the storage part 5. By providing the upper surface of the helmet support part 3 in the stored state on approximately the same plane as the seat surface of the second seating part 24, it is possible to reduce discomfort felt by an occupant seated in the second seating part 24 even when the helmet support part 3 is provided in the second seating part 24.

[0035] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the helmet support portion 3 includes a helmet support 31 capable of supporting the helmet 10, a pivoting support portion 32 that supports the helmet support 31 so that it can pivot between an upright position and a storage position, and a locking portion 33 that can fix the helmet support 31 in the storage position.

[0036] Similar to the saddle-ride type seat 2, the helmet support 31 has a bottom plate 31a serving as a base substrate, a cushion body 31b disposed on at least the front and upper surfaces of the bottom plate 31a when in the upright position, and a cover material 31c fixed to the bottom plate 31a with staples or the like while covering the bottom plate 31a and cushion body 31b. The bottom plate 31a, cushion body 31b, and cover material 31c have the same configuration as the bottom plate 20, cushion body 21, and cover material 22 of the saddle-ride type seat 2, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0037] As described above, by using the same material configuration as the saddle-ride type seat 2 for the helmet support 31, it is possible to reduce discomfort felt by the occupant sitting in the second seating portion 24, even when the helmet support portion 3 is provided on the second seating portion 24. Furthermore, by arranging the cushion body 311b at least on the upper portion of the bottom plate 31a in the upright position, the cushion body 311b that comes into contact with the interior of the helmet 10 when the helmet 10 is supported on the helmet support 31 is elastically deformed, thereby suppressing deterioration of the interior of the helmet. Note that although the helmet support 31 shown in Fig. 4 has the cushion body 31b arranged on the front and upper portion of the bottom plate 31a, it may also be configured so that the cushion body 31b is arranged to cover the entire upper portion.

[0038] Fig. 5 is a rear view of the helmet support 31 shown in Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 5, the helmet support 31 has a curved upper portion in an upright state and is formed into a plate-like shape with a predetermined thickness. Specifically, the upper portion of the helmet support 31 is formed into a curved shape that follows the interior lining of the helmet, and by forming the upper portion of the helmet support 31 into a curved shape that follows the interior lining of the helmet, it is possible to increase the contact area between the interior lining of the helmet and the upper portion of the helmet support 31. This makes it possible to reduce the contact pressure with the interior lining of the helmet, and to further suppress deterioration of the interior lining of the helmet.

[0039] From the viewpoint of increasing the contact area with the helmet interior, the overall shape of the helmet support 31 may be shaped to fit the helmet interior (for example, a shape with a constricted portion on each of the left and right sides of the lower part). By shaping the overall shape of the helmet support 31 to fit the helmet interior, it is possible to stably support the helmet and further suppress deterioration of the helmet interior.

[0040] Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI of the helmet support 31 shown in Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VII-VII. As shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 and 7, the helmet support 31 has an outer edge protrusion 31d that is provided along the outer edge on the back surface of the helmet support 31 in the upright state (the underside of the helmet support 31 in the stored state) and that protrudes rearward (downward in the stored state), and a recessed portion 31e that is located inward of the outer edge protrusion 31d. By providing the outer edge protrusion 31d on the back surface of the helmet support 31 in the upright state, it is possible to provide a space between the recessed portion 31e of the helmet support 31 and the bottom surface of the storage compartment 5 when the helmet support 31 is stored in the storage compartment 5.

[0041] The helmet support 31 is formed so that its height (vertical length) H in the upright state is approximately the same as the length from the helmet mounting portion (mounting opening) to the top of the interior, and its width (lateral length) W is approximately the same as the length of the helmet mounting portion (mounting opening). Also, the thickness D of the helmet support 31 (front-rear length in the upright state) is formed to be thinner (shorter) than the thickness of the seat surface of the second seating portion 24.

[0042] 3 and 4, the rotation support part 32 is connected to a base end of the helmet support 31 and rotatably supports the helmet support 31 via the base end. Specifically, the rotation support part 32 has a rotation shaft 32a extending in the left-right direction, a biasing spring 32b that biases the rotation shaft 32a in the upright direction of the helmet support 31, a one-way clutch 32c that regulates the rotation force acting on the rotation shaft 32a in the storage direction, a first arm part 32d that extends radially from the outer circumferential surface of the rotation shaft 32a, and a second arm part 32e that curves and extends from the tip of the first arm part 32d in the circumferential direction of the rotation shaft 32a.

[0043] The rotating shaft 32a is rotatably supported by the bottom plate 20, and the biasing spring 32b and one-way clutch 32c are provided on the axis of the rotating shaft 32a. The one-way clutch 32c is configured so that the clutch is released when the helmet support 31 is further pressed in the biasing direction of the biasing spring 32b from the upright state. In other words, when the helmet support 31 is further pressed in the biasing direction of the biasing spring 32b from the upright state, the helmet support 31 can be moved to the stored position.

[0044] The first arm portion 32d has a base end joined to the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 32a and a tip end joined to the base end of the second arm portion 32e, and extends radially of the rotating shaft 32a. The second arm portion 32e has a base end connected to the tip end of the first arm portion 32d and a tip end joined to the base end of the bottom plate 31a, and extends in a curved manner substantially parallel to the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft 32a. The tip end of the second arm portion 32e is joined to the lower end of the base end of the bottom plate 31a in the stored state (the rear end in the upright state). By providing the first and second arm portions 32d, 32e on the rotation support portion 32, for example, it is possible to raise the helmet support 31 on the seat surface in front of the storage compartment 5, and the helmet support 31 raised on the seat surface is maintained in the upright state by the biasing force of the biasing spring 32b and the one-way clutch 32c. In this way, the helmet support 31 is made to stand on the seat surface by the biasing force of the biasing spring 32b and the one-way clutch 32c, and the helmet support 31 can be kept in a stable upright state.

[0045] Note that, from the viewpoint of allowing the helmet support 31 to stand on the seat surface in front of the storage section 5, a configuration without the second arm section 32e is also possible. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which the base end of the first arm section 32d is joined to the outer peripheral surface of the rotation shaft 32a, and the tip end of the first arm section 32d is joined to the lower end of the base end of the bottom plate 31a in the stored state (the rear end in the upright state). With this configuration, the rotation support section 32 can be made to have a simpler configuration. Also, a configuration may be adopted in which the rotation shaft 32a is rotatably supported by the cushion body 21 instead of the bottom plate 20. By rotatably supporting the rotation shaft 32a on the cushion body 21, the degree of freedom in design can be improved.

[0046] The locking portion 33 is configured as a so-called push latch, and for example, the female portion 33a is provided in the recessed portion 31e of the helmet support 31, and the male portion 33b is provided on the bottom surface of the storage portion 5 corresponding to the female portion 33a. By configuring the locking portion 33 as a push latch, the helmet support 31 can be easily fixed to the storage portion 5, and the helmet support 31 can also be easily changed to an upright position.

[0047] As shown in Fig. 5, the connecting part 4 is configured by a helmet lock provided in the recessed part 31e of the helmet support body 31, and is configured to be connectable to the helmet support body 31, for example, by hooking a D-ring provided on the chin strap of the helmet onto a hook 41 that can be opened and closed with a dedicated key, and locking the hook 41 to the main body part 42. Note that the connecting part 4 is not limited to a helmet lock, and may be configured, for example, to provide a D-ring on the helmet support body 31 or the storage part 5, to which the helmet is connected via a helmet wire 43 (see Fig. 9 described later). In this case, the chin guard of the helmet can be connected to the D-ring on the helmet support body 31 or the storage part 5 via the helmet wire 43.

[0048] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the storage section 5 is formed to be able to store the helmet support section 3. For example, the storage section 5 is formed by cutting out a portion of the cushion body 21 and the upholstery material 22 in the mounting section 24a so that the bottom plate 20 serves as the bottom. The bottom plate 20 that constitutes the bottom of the storage section 5 is provided with a through-hole 20a that penetrates in the vertical direction, and the through-hole 20a is configured to be able to drain rainwater and the like that accumulates in the storage section 5. Note that the through-hole 20a may be configured to be formed at the lowest part of the bottom plate 20 by providing an incline in the bottom plate 20 that constitutes the bottom of the storage section 5, or may be configured to be formed together with a drainage groove.

[0049] The storage section 5 has a first storage section 51 capable of storing the helmet support 31, and a second storage section 52 capable of storing the rotation support section 32. The first storage section 51 is formed in substantially the same shape as the helmet support 31, and can store the helmet support 31 in a fitted state. By forming the first storage section 51 so that the helmet support 31 can be stored in a fitted state, it is possible to reduce the gap between the first storage section 51 and the helmet support 31, and it is possible to reduce discomfort felt by an occupant sitting in the second seating section 24.

[0050] Furthermore, by fitting a pad member or a lid portion formed in approximately the same shape as the helmet support 31 into the first storage section 51 when the helmet support 31 is in an upright position, the first storage section 51 is prevented from being exposed, thereby improving the aesthetic appearance of the saddle-type seat 2.

[0051] The second storage section 52 is provided in front of and continuous with the first storage section 51, and is formed within the movement range of the rotation support section 32. The second storage section 52 is formed by cutting out a part of the bottom plate 20, since the lower end of the rotation support section 32 in the stored state is located below the bottom plate 20. Since the second storage section 52 is formed by cutting out a part of the bottom plate 20, rainwater and the like can also be drained from here.

[0052] Furthermore, by fitting a lid portion formed in approximately the same shape as the outer shape of the second storage section 52 into the second storage section 52 when the helmet support 31 is stored, the second storage section 52 is prevented from being exposed, the intrusion of rainwater, etc. can be suppressed, and the aesthetic appearance of the saddle-type seat 2 can be improved.

[0053] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the cover member 6 is made of a waterproof thermoplastic resin such as polyvinyl chloride, and is placed in a folded state at the bottom of the first storage section 51. When the cover member 6 is folded, a portion of it is joined to the bottom of the first storage section 51, preventing it from being lost from the first storage section 51. The cover member 6 may be configured to be detachably attached to the bottom of the first storage section 51, for example, by using a hook-and-loop fastener or the like. Making the cover member 6 detachable not only prevents it from being lost, but also makes repairs and replacements easier. For example, it is possible to use cover members of different colors or materials depending on the user, such as the driver.

[0054] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state in which a helmet supported by the helmet support body 31 is covered with the cover member 6. As shown in FIG. 8, the cover member 6 has a bag-shaped cover main body 61 and a string member 62 that is arranged along the opening of the cover main body 61. The cover main body 61 is formed so as to be able to cover a helmet supported by the helmet support body 31 in an upright state. The string member 62 tightens the opening of the cover main body 61 that covers the helmet supported by the helmet support body 31, thereby restricting removal of the cover main body 61. For example, using a cord stopper 63 provided on the string member 62 makes it easy to tighten the opening of the cover main body 61.

[0055] In the saddle-type seat 2 configured as described above, when the helmet support 31 of the helmet support part 3 is stored in the storage part 5, it is released from its fixed position in the storage position by the push latch (lock part 33) by pressing downward. When the helmet support 31 is released from its fixed position in the storage position by the push latch (lock part 33), the helmet support 31 rotates in the upright direction due to the biasing force of the biasing spring 32b of the rotation support part 32. At this time, the one-way clutch 32c of the rotation support part 32 restricts the rotation in the storage direction, and it is also possible to stop the rotation of the helmet support 31 at any rotation position. For example, by stopping the rotation of the helmet support 31 at any rotation position, it is possible to temporarily store accessories such as gloves between the tilted helmet support 31 and the storage part 5.

[0056] When the helmet support 31 rotates to the upright position (vertically upright position), the lower surface of the helmet support 31 abuts against the seat surface of the second seating portion 24, restricting the rotation, and the one-way clutch 32c fixes the helmet support 31 in the upright position. At this time, the lower surface of the helmet support 31 abuts against the seat surface of the second seating portion 24, stabilizing the upright state of the helmet support 31.

[0057] When storing the helmet support 31 in the storage section 5, the helmet support 31 in the upright state is pressed in the biasing direction of the biasing spring 32b of the rotation support section 32. This disengages the one-way clutch 32c, allowing the helmet support 31 to rotate in the storage direction against the biasing force of the biasing spring 32b. When the helmet support 31 is rotated to the storage position, the male part 33b of the push latch (lock section 33) engages with the female part 33a, restricting the rotation of the helmet support 31 and allowing it to be fixed in the storage position.

[0058] According to this embodiment, the following effects can be achieved. (1) The saddle-type seat 2 used in the vehicle 1 is provided on the seat surface of the second seating section 24 on which the occupant can sit, and is equipped with a mounting section 24a on which a helmet can be placed (Fig. 1). The mounting section 24a has a helmet support section 3 that can support the helmet in an upright position, and a storage section 5 that can store the helmet support section 3 inside the seat surface, and the helmet support section 3 is configured to be movable between an upright position and a storage position where it is stored in the storage section 5 (Figs. 2 to 4).

[0059] With this configuration, by placing a helmet on the helmet support part 3 in an upright state on the seat surface of the second seating part 24, the helmet can be placed stably on the seat surface, and for example, it is possible to prevent the helmet from falling off the seat surface. Furthermore, by configuring the helmet support part 3 to be storable within the seat surface of the second seating part 24, it is possible to reduce the impact on the occupant straddling the second seating part 24 of the saddle-ride type seat 2, and for example it is possible to prevent the helmet support part 3 from getting in the way or making the occupant feel uncomfortable with the helmet support part 3 in a stored state.

[0060] (2) The storage section 5 is provided so that the upper surface of the helmet support section 3, which is exposed when the helmet support section 3 is stored, is positioned on the same plane as the seat surface of the second seating section 24 (FIGS. 2 and 3). With this configuration, by positioning the upper surface (exposed surface) of the helmet support section 3 stored in the storage section 5 on approximately the same plane as the seat surface of the second seating section 24, the helmet support section 3 in the stored state and the seat surface of the second seating section 24 become one, and it is possible to reduce any discomfort felt by the occupant straddling the second seating section 24 of the saddle-ride type seat 2.

[0061] (3) The helmet support part 3 is formed to include a flexible material (Fig. 4). With this configuration, when a helmet is placed on the helmet support part 3 in an upright position, the contact part with the helmet interior is elastically deformed by the flexible material, thereby preventing deterioration of the helmet interior.

[0062] (4) The upper part of the helmet support part 3 is curved so that it fits along the interior lining of the helmet when it is upright (Fig. 5). With this configuration, by forming the upper part of the helmet support part 3 (helmet support 31) into a curved shape that fits along the interior lining of the helmet, it is possible to increase the contact area between the helmet interior and the upper part of the helmet support part 3 (helmet support 31). This makes it possible to reduce the contact pressure with the helmet interior, and further suppress deterioration of the helmet interior.

[0063] (5) The helmet support part 3 has a helmet support 31 capable of supporting a helmet, a rotation support part 32 that supports the helmet support 31 so that it can rotate between an upright position and a stowed position, and a lock part 33 that can fix the helmet support 31 in the stowed position (FIGS. 3 and 4). With this configuration, the helmet support 31 can be rotated to move between the upright position and the stowed position, thereby simplifying the configuration of the helmet support part 3. For example, the helmet support part 3 can be made smaller than when the helmet support 31 is configured to protrude upward from below.

[0064] (6) The locking portion 33 includes a one-way clutch provided on the axis of the rotation support portion 32 (FIGS. 3 and 4). This configuration allows the locking portion 33 to be made smaller and simpler.

[0065] (7) The mounting portion 24a further includes a connecting portion 4 that can connect a helmet supported by the helmet support portion 3 in an upright state to the helmet support portion 3 (FIG. 5). With this configuration, by connecting the helmet to the helmet support portion 3, it is possible to prevent theft of the helmet placed on the helmet support portion 3. For example, the helmet can be easily connected to the helmet support portion 3 by using a helmet lock wire or by connecting the chin strap of the helmet to the connecting portion 4.

[0066] (8) The mounting portion 24a further includes a cover member 6 that can cover the helmet supported by the helmet support portion 3 in the upright state, and the cover member 6 is placed in the storage portion 5 in a folded state (Fig. 2). With this configuration, the helmet placed on the helmet support portion 3 can be protected from wind, rain, dust, etc. Furthermore, by placing the cover member 6 in the storage portion 5, the risk of losing the cover member 6 can be reduced.

[0067] (9) The cover member 6 is formed in a bag shape and has a string member 62 that tightens the opening while covering the helmet placed on the helmet support part 3 (Fig. 8). This configuration makes it easy to maintain the covering state of the cover member 6 placed on the helmet.

[0068] An example of the saddle-ride type seat 2 according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the saddle-ride type seat 2 can be modified into various forms.

[0069] For example, in the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which a single helmet support portion 3 is provided on the second seating portion 24, but, for example, a configuration may also be adopted in which a plurality of helmet support portions are provided on the seating surface of the saddle-ride type seat 2. For example, a configuration may also be adopted in which a pair of helmet support portions are provided at the front and rear of the seating surface of the saddle-ride type seat 2.

[0070] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the first and second helmet support parts 3A, 3B provided on the mounting part 24a of the second seating part 24. As shown in Fig. 9, a saddle-type seat 2A according to a modified example has a pair of front and rear helmet support parts, a first helmet support part 3A and a second helmet support part 3B, on the second seating part 24. Each of the first helmet support part 3A and the second helmet support part 3B has the same configuration as the helmet support part 3 described above, and the first helmet support part 3A and the second helmet support part 3B are configured to be able to be stored in a common storage part 5A.

[0071] The first helmet support part 3A is provided at the front of the second seating part 24, and the second helmet support part 3B is provided at the rear of the second seating part 24. The first helmet support part 3A provided at the front of the second seating part 24 is configured to be able to stand up at the front end of the second seating part 24, and the second helmet support part 3B provided at the rear of the second seating part 24 is configured to be able to stand up at the rear end of the second seating part 24. By having the first helmet support part 3A and the second helmet support part 3B stand up at both ends of the second seating part 24 in the front-to-rear direction, the first helmet support part 3A and the second helmet support part 3B can be separated as far as possible on the second seating part 24, and a helmet can be supported by each of the first helmet support 31A and the second helmet support 31B in a worn state. In other words, two helmets can be supported side by side in the front-to-rear direction.

[0072] Further, for example, the hook portion 7 may be provided on each of the opposing surfaces of the first helmet support 31A of the first helmet support portion 3A and the second helmet support 31B of the second helmet support portion 3B. For example, the hook portion 7 may be provided with a plurality of D-shaped D-rings 71. The plurality of D-rings 71 are arranged facing each other on the opposing surfaces of the first helmet support 31A and the second helmet support 31B, and for example, pairs of left and right D-rings 71 are arranged in two rows in the vertical direction, on both sides of the opposing surfaces of the first helmet support 31A and the second helmet support 31B (in this case, a total of four D-rings are provided on each opposing surface).

[0073] By providing two rows of pairs of left and right D-rings 71 on the opposing surfaces of each of the first helmet support 31A and the second helmet support 31B, for example, when a bag 16 is stored in the storage section 5A with the first and second helmet support parts 3A, 3B standing upright as shown in Fig. 10, the bag 16 can be fixed to the storage section 5A by engaging a string- or belt-like member 72 such as a rubber band with the pair of opposing left and right D-rings 71 on the upper row. Also, for example, when gloves, cold weather gear, etc. are stored in the storage section 5A with the first and second helmet support parts 3A, 3B standing upright, the gloves, etc. can be fixed to the storage section 5A by engaging a string- or belt-like member 72 such as a rubber band with the pair of opposing left and right D-rings 71 on the lower row.

[0074] When fixing the bag 16 or the like to the storage section 5A, it is considered that a string- or belt-like member 72 having rings 72a such as carabiners attached to both ends is used, so it is preferable that the D-ring 71 has a notch 71a in part thereof through which the rings 72a such as carabiners can be inserted. Furthermore, a configuration may be adopted in which a plurality of D-rings 71 are provided on the bottom surface of the storage section 5A in addition to the opposing surfaces of the first helmet support 31A and the second helmet support 31B.

[0075] For example, in the above embodiment, a saddle-type seat 2 having first and second seating portions 23, 24 was described, but the saddle-type seat 2 may be configured to have only the first seating portion 23, with the helmet support portion 3 and storage portion 5 provided in the first seating portion 23, or may be configured to have the first seating portion 23 and a mounting portion separate from the first seating portion 23, with the helmet support portion 3 and storage portion 5 provided in the mounting portion.

[0076] For example, in the above embodiment, a helmet support part 3 having a lock part 33 that fixes the helmet support 31, which is biased toward the upright position, in the storage position, was described; however, for example, a configuration may be used in which a helmet support part 3 has a lock part that fixes the helmet support 31, which is biased toward the storage position, in the upright position.

[0077] [Submarine restraint devices, seat devices and vehicles] Recent technological advances mean that autonomous driving of vehicles will become mainstream in the future, allowing occupants to spend their travel time in a vehicle in a more relaxed posture (e.g., with the seat back reclined). However, when an occupant adopts a relaxed posture, the degree of restraint of the occupant seated in the seat tends to decrease, making it more likely that the occupant will slip through the seat belt and move forward due to inertial force in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle, a phenomenon known as submarining. To address this issue, technologies have been disclosed, such as providing an airbag in the seat cushion and inflating the front end of the seat cushion upward in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle, thereby suppressing the submarining phenomenon.

[0078] However, many self-driving vehicles are electric vehicles that use a motor as a drive source and are equipped with a motor drive battery to drive the motor. By its very nature, the motor drive battery is one of the components with the largest mass in an electric vehicle, and generates a relatively large inertial force in the event of a frontal collision.

[0079] Therefore, in this embodiment, the inertial force acting on a mass body such as a motor-driving battery is utilized to move the front of the seat cushion upward during a frontal collision of the vehicle, thereby suppressing the submarine phenomenon and improving the safety of occupants even when a frontal collision of the vehicle occurs while the occupant is in a relaxed position during autonomous driving.

[0080] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 11 to 15C. A submarine suppression device according to an embodiment of the present invention is a device for moving the front of a seat cushion upward by utilizing a mass body mounted on a vehicle. The mass body is a component that has a relatively large mass among the components mounted on the vehicle, and includes, for example, a motor drive battery (including a fuel cell), a drive source disposed at the rear, a fuel tank stored under the floor, etc. Below, an example will be described in which a motor drive battery disposed under the floor of the vehicle is used as the mass body, and an electric vehicle (hereinafter simply referred to as a vehicle) equipped with a seat device equipped with a submarine suppression device driven by the motor drive battery will be used.

[0081] Fig. 11 is a side view of a vehicle 1A equipped with a seat device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 11, a portion of the exterior of the vehicle 1A is cut away to clearly show the seat device and a motor-driven battery device disposed in the passenger compartment. In the following, the front-rear direction and the up-down direction are defined as shown in the figure, and the left-right direction is defined based on the front-rear direction and up-down direction shown in the figure. The configuration of each part of the vehicle 1A will be described according to these definitions.

[0082] As shown in FIG. 11, vehicle 1A is a four-wheel vehicle having four wheels 101 on the front, rear, left and right sides, and is equipped with a front seat 110F, a rear seat 110R arranged behind front seat 110F, and a battery device 120 that supplies power to a drive source (not shown).

[0083] The front row seat 110F has a driver's seat (seat device) 110Fa located on the right side facing the steering wheel 102 and a passenger seat (seat device) 110Fb located on the left side, while the rear row seat 110R is configured as a bench seat divided into two halves, left and right, at a predetermined ratio. Each of the divided bench seats is configured to be independently movable. Note that the driver's seat 110Fa and the passenger seat 110Fb have the same configuration, so the following description will focus on the configuration of the driver's seat 110Fa and omit the description of the passenger seat 110Fb.

[0084] Fig. 12 is a side view of a driver's seat 110Fa equipped with a submarine suppression device 140 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 12, the driver's seat 110Fa includes a vehicle seat 130 on which an occupant sits, and a submarine suppression device 140 that rotates the front end or rear end of the vehicle seat 130 in the up-down direction when the vehicle 1A is involved in a frontal or rearward collision.

[0085] The vehicle seat 130 includes a seat cushion 131 that supports the buttocks and other parts of the occupant, a seat back 132 that supports the lumbar and back regions of the occupant, and a headrest 133 that supports the head of the occupant. A cushion airbag device 134 is disposed inside the front end of the seat cushion 131. The cushion airbag device 134 is configured to inflate a built-in cushion airbag 135 in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle 1A, thereby lifting the thighs and other parts of the occupant upward. The seat back 132 is supported at the rear end of the seat cushion 131 so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the left-right direction, and is configured to be fixable at a predetermined tilted position via a reclining unit 136. The headrest 133 is supported at the upper end of the seat back 132 and is configured to be fixable at a predetermined height via a height adjustment unit 137. The occupant can assume a relaxed posture, for example, by tilting the seat back 132 backward and adjusting the height position of the headrest 133.

[0086] The submarine suppression device 140 includes a seat support portion 141 that supports the vehicle seat 130, a moving support portion 142 that supports the vehicle seat 130 so that it can move in the front-to-rear direction, a rotating support portion 143 that supports the vehicle seat 130 so that it can rotate around an axis extending in the vertical direction, a rotating support portion 144 that supports the rear end portion of the seat support portion 141 so that it can rotate around an axis extending in the left-to-right direction, and a link mechanism 150 that rotates the front end portion of the seat support portion 141 in the vertical direction around the axis.

[0087] The seat support portion 141 is provided on the floor 103 of the vehicle 1A and supports the vehicle seat 130 so that the vehicle seat 130 is movable in the up and down direction relative to the floor 103 of the vehicle 1A. The seat support portion 141 is formed, for example, in substantially the same shape as a through-hole 104 formed in the floor 103 of the vehicle 1A, and is disposed in this through-hole 104 so as to be movable relative to the floor 103.

[0088] The movement support part 142 is interposed between the seat support part 141 and the vehicle seat 130. The movement support part 142 is attached to the seat support part 141 and includes a pair of left and right lower rails 142a, 142a extending in the front-to-rear direction, and a pair of left and right upper rails 142b, 142b attached to the vehicle seat 130 and slidably supported on the pair of left and right lower rails 142a, 142a. The vehicle seat 130 is movable in the front-to-rear direction as the pair of left and right upper rails 142b, 142b slide on the pair of left and right lower rails 142a, 142a, and can be fixed at a predetermined position as the movement of the pair of left and right upper rails 142b, 142b is restricted by stoppers (not shown).

[0089] The rotation support part 143 is interposed between the movement support part 142 and the vehicle seat 130. Specifically, the rotation support part 143 is interposed between the pair of left and right upper rails 142b, 142b and the vehicle seat 130, and supports the vehicle seat 130 on the pair of left and right upper rails 142b, 142b so that the vehicle seat 130 is rotatable about an axis extending in the up-down direction. In other words, the pair of left and right upper rails 142b, 142b are attached to the vehicle seat 130 via the rotation support part 143, and the rotation support part 143 is movable in the front-to-rear direction together with the pair of left and right upper rails 142b, 142b. The vehicle seat 130 can change the facing direction of the seated occupant by rotating via the rotation support part 143. For example, the forward-facing vehicle seat 130 can be changed to a rear-facing vehicle seat 130 by rotating it 180 degrees.

[0090] The rotation support portion 144 is configured by, for example, a hinge, and connects the rear end portion of the seat support portion 141 to the floor 103 of the vehicle 1A so that the front end portion of the seat support portion 141 is rotatable around the rear end portion relative to the floor 103. The rotation support portion 144 also connects the seat support portion 141 to the floor 103 so that the upper surface of the seat support portion 141 is positioned on approximately the same plane as the upper surface of the floor 103. In other words, when the seat support portion 141 is not rotated (positioned in the non-rotation position), the upper surface of the seat support portion 141 and the upper surface of the floor 103 are positioned on approximately the same plane.

[0091] Link mechanism 150 is provided below seat support portion 141, i.e., below floor 103 (under the floor of vehicle 1A). Specifically, link mechanism 150 includes a lock portion 151 that fixes the front end portion of seat support portion 141 at a non-rotating position, a link portion 152 that moves the front end portion of seat support portion 141 to a first or second rotating position, a first interlocking portion 153 that interlocks lock portion 151 with rearward movement of battery (mass body) 121 (described later) due to inertial force in the event of a rear-end collision of vehicle 1A, and a second interlocking portion 154 that interlocks link portion 152 with rearward movement of battery 121 due to inertial force in the event of a rear-end collision of vehicle 1A.

[0092] The locking portion 151 is located below the front end of the seat support portion 141 and is supported rotatably about a rotation shaft portion 151c (described later) extending in the left-right direction. Specifically, the locking portion 151 has an engaging portion 151a formed to be engageable with an engaged portion 141a provided at the front end of the seat support portion 141, a pushed portion 151b formed to be pushable by the battery 121, and a rotation shaft portion 151c provided between the engaging portion 151a and the pushed portion 151b.

[0093] The engaging portion 151a is provided at one end (upper end) of the locking portion 151 centered on the rotation shaft portion 151c, and is formed so as to be able to engage, in a non-rotating position, with one end (rear end) of an engaged portion 141a provided on the underside of the front end of the seat support portion 141. By engaging the engaging portion 151a with the engaged portion 141a, the seat support portion 141 is held in the non-rotating position, and the vehicle seat 130 is held in the non-rotating position. The manner in which the engaging portion 151a and the engaged portion 141a engage with each other is not particularly limited, and for example, the engaging portion 151a and the engaged portion 141a can be engaged with each other by fitting a convex portion formed on the engaged portion 141a into a concave portion formed on the engaging portion 151a.

[0094] The pushed portion 151b is provided at the other end (lower end) of the lock portion 151 centered on the rotation shaft portion 151c, and is formed so as to be able to push against the upper front surface of the battery 121, which moves forward due to a frontal collision of the vehicle 1A. For example, the pushed portion 151b is formed so that when the battery 121 moves forward a first distance due to a frontal collision of the vehicle 1A, a pushing action by the battery 121 is initiated, and when the battery 121 subsequently moves a second distance or more (second distance > first distance), the pushed portion 151b is held in a state retracted from the front surface of the battery 121.

[0095] The rotating shaft 151c is rotatably supported by a pair of left and right brackets (not shown) extending downward from the lower surface of the floor 103. Note that the rotating shaft 151c may be configured to be rotatably supported by a pair of left and right brackets (not shown) extending upward from the upper surface of the chassis 105, for example.

[0096] The link portion 152 has a driven link 152a supported by the seat support portion 141 and a drive link 152b supported by the floor 103. One end (upper end) of the driven link 152a is supported at the other end (tip) of an engaged portion 141a provided on the underside of the front end portion of the seat support portion 141 so as to be rotatable about an axis extending rearward to the left and right, and the other end (lower end) is connected to one end (upper end) of the drive link 152b so as to be rotatable about an axis extending rearward to the left and right.

[0097] The drive link 152b is formed in a bent shape that bends forward in side view, and is supported at the bent portion by a pair of left and right brackets (not shown) extending downward from the floor 103 so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the left-right direction. One end (upper end) of the drive link 152b is rotatably connected to the other end of the driven link 152a, and the other end (lower end) is formed so as to be able to push against the upper front surface of the battery 121 that moves forward in a frontal collision of the vehicle 1A. For example, the other end is formed so that a pushing action by the battery 121 is initiated when the battery 121 moves forward a second distance in a frontal collision of the vehicle 1A, and the pushing state is maintained by the battery 121 that has moved a third distance (third distance > second distance).

[0098] The link portion 152 rotates around the bent portion when the other end of the drive link 152b is pushed by the battery 121, and the driven link 152a connected to one end of the rotated drive link 152b lifts the other end (tip) of the engaged portion 141a provided at the front end of the seat support portion 141, pushing the front end of the seat support portion 141 up to the first rotation position.

[0099] When the drive link 152b is not pushed by the battery 121 (when the seat support portion 141 is in a non-rotating position), one end (the portion connected to the driven link 152a) is located forward and the rear end is located rearward, with the bent portion as the center. In a pushed and held state in which the battery 121 has moved a third distance (when the seat support portion 141 is in a first rotating position), the other end is located forward of the one end. At this time, the driven link 152a and a portion of the drive link 152b (from the one end to the bent portion) are in a substantially vertical position. The drive link 152b may be configured to be rotatably supported by, for example, a pair of left and right brackets extending upward from the top surface of the chassis 105.

[0100] The first interlocking part 153 is provided behind the locking part 151. Specifically, one end (tip end) of the first interlocking part 153 is supported by the locking part 151 so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the left-right direction, and the other end (rear end) is configured to be engageable with the battery 121. One end of the first interlocking part 153 is rotatably connected between the engaging part 151a and the rotation shaft part 151c of the locking part 151, and the other end of the first interlocking part 153 is configured to be interlocked when the battery 121 moves rearward. The other end of the first interlocking part 153 is pulled in conjunction with the rearward movement of the battery 121, causing the locking part 151 connected to the one end to rotate and unlock the locking part 151.

[0101] The second interlocking part 154 is formed in a substantially L-shape in a side view, with one end (tip) positioned in front of the drive link 152b and the other end (rear end) connected to the front surface of the battery 121. One end of the second interlocking part 154 is positioned in front of the drive link 152b when the battery 121 is in a first position where it is not moving, and is configured to push the other end (lower end) of the drive link 152b rearward when the battery 121 moves rearward due to a rear-end collision of the vehicle 1A. The drive link 152b, whose other end is pushed rearward, rotates about the bent part, and one end presses the front end of the seat support part 141 down to the second rotation position via the driven link 152a.

[0102] The battery device 120 includes a battery 121 having an approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape, a pair of front and rear primary stoppers 122 that primarily fix the battery 121 in a first position, a pair of front and rear secondary stoppers 123 that restrict the movement of the battery 121 when it moves forward or backward, and a cable 124 that connects the battery 121 to a drive source or the like (not shown), and is disposed on a chassis 105 located below the floor 103.

[0103] The pair of front and rear primary stoppers 122 includes a front primary stopper 122a that fixes the front side of the battery 121 located in the first position and a rear primary stopper 122b that fixes the rear side, and fixes the battery 121 located in the first position in the front-to-rear direction. The front primary stopper 122a is formed to be breakable by a forward inertial force acting on the battery 121 when the vehicle 1A experiences a frontal collision. For example, the front primary stopper 122a is formed to be broken by the battery 121 when a forward inertial force of 15 G acts on the battery 121. The rear primary stopper 122b is formed to be breakable by a rearward inertial force acting on the battery 121 when the vehicle 1A experiences a rearward collision. For example, the rear primary stopper 122b is formed to be broken by the battery 121 when a rearward inertial force of 15 G acts on the battery 121.

[0104] The pair of front and rear secondary stoppers 123 includes a front secondary stopper 123a provided in front of the front primary stopper 122a and a rear secondary stopper 123b provided behind the rear primary stopper 122b, and restricts the movement range of the battery 121, which may move by destroying the primary stoppers 122 in a front or rear collision of the vehicle 1A. The front secondary stopper 123a restricts the forward movement of the battery 121, which destroys the front primary stopper 122a, at a second position, and the rear secondary stopper 123b restricts the rearward movement of the battery 121, which destroys the rear primary stopper 122b, at a third position.

[0105] The cable 124 is connected to a drive source (not shown) or the like so as to have a predetermined slack (play). The cable 124 is provided with a slack within a range that does not interfere with the connection with a drive source (not shown) or the like when the cable 124 moves within the range of movement restricted by the secondary stopper 123. By providing such slack in the cable 124, it is possible to prevent the cable 124 from being damaged, even if the primary stopper 122 is destroyed and the battery 121 moves due to a frontal or rearal collision of the vehicle 1A.

[0106] Next, the operation of the driver's seat 110Fa in the event of a frontal collision and a rearward collision of the vehicle 1A equipped with the driver's seat 110Fa equipped with the submarine suppression device 140 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 13A to 15C.

[0107] First, the movement of the driver's seat 110Fa fixed facing forward during a frontal collision of the vehicle 1A will be described with reference to Figures 13A to 13E. Figures 13A to 13E are diagrams illustrating a series of movements of the driver's seat 110Fa facing forward during a frontal collision of the vehicle 1A.

[0108] 13A, when the vehicle 1A is in a normal running state (including a normal stopped state), the battery 121 is fixed at a first position by a pair of front and rear primary stoppers 122, and the seat support part 141 is held at a non-rotating position by the link mechanism 150. At this time, the pushed part 151b of the lock part 151 is located in front of the upper front surface of the battery 121 and is not in contact with the upper front surface of the battery 121.

[0109] If the vehicle 1A experiences a frontal collision from this state, a forward inertial force is generated in the vehicle 1A, and first, the battery 121, which is heavier than the vehicle seat 130, starts to move forward. When the battery 121 starts to move forward, the front primary stopper 122a is destroyed by the forward inertial force acting on the battery 121, and when the battery 121 moves forward a first distance, the upper front surface of the battery 121 presses the pressed portion 151b of the locking portion 151, as shown in Fig. 13B. When the pressed portion 151b of the locking portion 151 is pressed by the upper front surface of the battery 121, the locking portion 151 rotates around the rotation shaft portion 151c, and the engagement between the engaging portion 151a of the locking portion 151 and the engaged portion 141a of the seat support portion 141 is released.

[0110] When the battery 121 moves a second distance in a state in which the engagement between the engaging portion 151a of the locking portion 151 and the engaged portion 141a of the seat support portion 141 is released, the upper front surface of the battery 121 abuts against the other end of the drive link 152b and begins to push, as shown in Fig. 13C. When the other end of the drive link 152b is pushed against the upper front surface of the battery 121, the drive link 152b rotates about the bent portion, as shown in Fig. 13D, and one end of the drive link 152b lifts the front end of the seat support portion 141 via the driven link 152a.

[0111] As shown in FIG. 13E, the battery 121, which pushes the other end of the drive link 152b, is restricted from moving by the front secondary stopper 123a at a position where it has moved a third distance, and is stopped at the second position. When the battery 121 stops at the second position, the drive link 152b is held in a state where the other end is being pushed. That is, the tip of the seat support portion 141 is held in the first rotation position where it is pushed upward. By pushing the tip of the seat support portion 141 up to the first rotation position, the tip of the seat cushion 131 is pushed upward, and the submarine phenomenon of the occupant can be suppressed even when a forward inertial force acts on the vehicle seat 130.

[0112] Next, the movement of the driver's seat 110Fa fixed facing backward in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle 1A will be described with reference to Figures 14A to 14E. Figures 14A to 14E are diagrams illustrating a series of movements of the driver's seat 110Fa facing backward in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle 1A.

[0113] 14A, even when the vehicle seat 130 is fixed facing backward, in the normal running state of the vehicle 1A (including the normal stopped state), the battery 121 is fixed at the first position by the primary stopper 122, and the seat support part 141 is held at the non-rotating position by the link mechanism 150. At this time, the pushed part 151b of the lock part 151 is located in front of the upper front surface of the battery 121 and is not in contact with the upper front surface of the battery 121.

[0114] If the vehicle 1A experiences a frontal collision from this state, a forward inertial force is generated in the vehicle 1A, and first, the battery 121, which is heavier than the vehicle seat 130, starts to move forward. When the battery 121 starts to move forward, the front primary stopper 122a is destroyed by the forward inertial force acting on the battery 121, and when the battery 121 moves forward a first distance, the upper front surface of the battery 121 presses the pressed portion 151b of the locking portion 151, as shown in Fig. 14B. When the pressed portion 151b of the locking portion 151 is pressed by the upper front surface of the battery 121, the locking portion 151 rotates about the rotation shaft portion 151c, and the engagement between the engaging portion 151a of the locking portion 151 and the engaged portion 141a of the seat support portion 141 is released.

[0115] When the battery 121 moves a second distance in a state in which the engagement between the engaging portion 151a of the locking portion 151 and the engaged portion 141a of the seat support portion 141 is released, the upper front surface of the battery 121 abuts against the other end of the drive link 152b and begins to push, as shown in Fig. 14C. When the other end of the drive link 152b is pushed against the upper front surface of the battery 121, the drive link 152b rotates about the bent portion, as shown in Fig. 14D, and one end of the drive link 152b lifts up the front end of the seat support portion 141 via the driven link 152a.

[0116] As shown in FIG. 14E, the battery 121, which pushes the other end of the drive link 152b, is restricted from moving by the front secondary stopper 123a at a position where it has moved a third distance, and is stopped at the second position. When the battery 121 stops at the second position, the drive link 152b is held in a state where the other end is pushed. That is, the tip of the seat support portion 141 is held in the first rotation position where it is pushed upward. By pushing the tip of the seat support portion 141 up to the first rotation position, the rear end of the seat cushion 131 is pushed upward, and the load acting on the occupant can be suppressed even when a forward inertial force acts on the vehicle seat 130.

[0117] Next, the movement of the driver's seat 110Fa fixed facing forward during a rear-end collision of the vehicle 1A will be described with reference to Figures 15A to 15C. Figures 15A to 15C are diagrams illustrating a series of movements of the driver's seat 110Fa facing forward during a rear-end collision of the vehicle 1A.

[0118] 15A, when vehicle 1A is in a normal driving state (including a normal stopped state), battery 121 is fixed at the first position by primary stopper 122, and seat support portion 141 is held at a non-rotating position by link mechanism 150. At this time, first interlocking portion 153 is engaged with battery 121 fixed at the first position and is in a state in which it can be interlocked with the rearward movement of battery 121. In addition, second interlocking portion 154 is located in front of the other end (lower end) of drive link 152b and is not in contact with the other end (lower end) of drive link 152b.

[0119] If the vehicle 1A experiences a rear-end collision from this state, a rearward inertial force is generated in the vehicle 1A, and first, the battery 121, which is heavier than the vehicle seat 130, starts to move rearward. When the battery 121 starts to move rearward, the rear primary stopper 122b is destroyed by the rearward inertial force acting on the battery 121, and the first interlocking part 153 engaged with the battery 121 is pulled rearward, as shown in Fig. 15B. When the first interlocking part 153 is pulled rearward, the locking part 151 rotates about the rotating shaft part 151c, and the engagement part 151a of the locking part 151 and the engaged part 141a of the seat support part 141 are disengaged.

[0120] When the battery 121 moves further rearward while the engagement between the engaging portion 151a of the locking portion 151 and the engaged portion 141a of the seat support portion 141 is released, the second interlocking portion 154 connected to the front surface of the battery 121 comes into contact with the other end (lower end) of the drive link 152b and begins to push it rearward. When the other end of the drive link 152b is pushed rearward, the drive link 152b rotates downward around the bent portion, and one end (upper end) of the drive link 152b pushes down the front end of the seat support portion 141 via the driven link 152a.

[0121] As shown in FIG. 15C , the battery 121, which pushes the other end of the drive link 152b rearward, is restricted in movement by the rear secondary stopper 123b and stops at the third position. When the battery 121 stops at the third position, the drive link 152b is held in a state in which the other end is pushed. That is, the tip of the seat support portion 141 is held in the second rotation position where it is pushed downward. By pushing the tip of the seat support portion 141 down to the second rotation position, the tip of the seat cushion 131 is pushed downward, and the head of the occupant can be suitably protected even when a rearward inertial force acts on the vehicle seat 130.

[0122] According to this embodiment, the following effects can be achieved. (10) The submarine suppression device 140 includes a seat support portion 141 that supports the vehicle seat 130, a pivoting support portion 144 that pivotally supports the rear end of the seat support portion 141 around an axis extending in the left-right direction, and a link mechanism 150 that pivots the front end of the seat support portion 141 in the vertical direction around the axis, and the link mechanism 150 pivots the front end of the seat support portion 141 in response to the movement of a mass body such as a battery 121 mounted on the vehicle 1A (Figures 13A to 13E).

[0123] With this configuration, by using a mass body such as the battery 121, which is a heavy object mounted on the vehicle 1A, to move the front end of the seat cushion 131 upward, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of the submarine phenomenon of the occupant, for example, without providing the cushion airbag device 134. Furthermore, for example, when traveling in an automatically driven electric vehicle or the like, the occupant seated in the vehicle seat 130 can spend the travel time in a relaxed state with a reduced degree of restraint, and the occurrence of the submarine phenomenon of the occupant can be efficiently suppressed.

[0124] (11) Link mechanism 150 has locking portion 151 that fixes the front end of seat support portion 141 in a non-rotating position and linking portion 152 that moves the front end of seat support portion 141 to a rotating position, and locking portion 151 is pushed by battery 121 moving forward to release the front end of seat support portion 141 from being fixed in the non-rotating position, and linking portion 152 is pushed by battery 121 moving further forward to push the released front end of seat support portion 141 up to the first rotating position (FIGS. 13A to 13E). By forming link mechanism 150 with locking portion 151 and linking portion 152 in this way, the submarine suppression device 140 can be configured simply.

[0125] (12) The link mechanism 150 further includes a first interlocking unit 153 that interlocks the locking unit 151 with the rearward movement of the battery 121 and a second interlocking unit 154 that interlocks the link mechanism 150 with the rearward movement of the battery 121. The locking unit 151 is interlocked with the rearwardly moving battery 121 via the first interlocking unit 153, thereby releasing the front end of the seat support unit 141 from the non-rotation position. The link unit 152 is interlocked with the rearwardly moving battery 121 via the second interlocking unit 154, thereby pushing the released front end of the seat support unit 141 down to the second rotation position (FIGS. 15A to 15C). With this configuration, by adding the first and second interlocking units 153 and 154 to the link mechanism 150, for example, in the event of a rear-end collision of the vehicle 1A, the front end of the vehicle seat 130 is pushed downward, thereby providing optimal head protection for the occupant.

[0126] (13) The locking portion 151 has an engaging portion 151a engageable with an engaged portion 141a provided at the front end of the seat support portion 141, a pushed portion 151b pushed by the battery 121, and a rotation shaft portion 151c provided between the engaging portion 151a and the pushed portion 151b, and the first interlocking portion 153 has one end connected between the engaging portion 151a and the rotation shaft portion 151c and the other end engageable with the battery 121 (FIG. 12). In this way, by interlocking the rotation of the locking portion 151 with the first interlocking portion 153, which is interlocked with the movement of the battery 121, it is possible to simplify the configuration for pushing the front end of the vehicle seat 130 downward when the vehicle 1A is involved in a rear-end collision, for example.

[0127] (14) Link mechanism 150 is disposed under the floor of vehicle 1A and is driven in response to the movement of battery 121 disposed under the floor of vehicle 1A (FIG. 12). In this way, by disposing link mechanism 150 under floor 103 of vehicle 1A, the occurrence of the submarine phenomenon can be suppressed without affecting the vehicle interior.

[0128] (15) The vehicle seat 130 further includes a rotation support portion 143 that is interposed between the vehicle seat 130 and the seat support portion 141 and supports the vehicle seat 130 so that the vehicle seat 130 can rotate about an axis extending in the vertical direction (FIG. 12). This configuration makes it possible to turn the vehicle seat 130 rearward, and even in this case, the influence of the forward inertial force generated in the vehicle seat 130 can be suppressed.

[0129] (16) The driver's seat 110Fa includes the submarine suppression device 140 and the vehicle seat 130 (FIG. 12). As a result, by using a mass body such as the battery 121, which is a heavy object mounted on the vehicle 1A, to move the front end of the seat cushion 131 upward, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of the submarine phenomenon of the occupant without providing, for example, the cushion airbag device 134.

[0130] (17) The vehicle 1A includes the driver's seat 110Fa and a mass body such as the battery 121 (FIGS. 11 and 12). As a result, by using the mass body such as the battery 121, which is a heavy object mounted on the vehicle 1A, to move the front end of the seat cushion 131 upward, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of the submarine phenomenon of the occupant without providing, for example, the cushion airbag device 134.

[0131] (18) The mass body includes a battery 121 that supplies power to the drive source of the vehicle 1A (FIGS. 11 and 12). This makes it possible to suitably prevent the occurrence of submarine phenomenon among occupants in the vehicle 1A, such as an electric vehicle.

[0132] (19) Primary or secondary stoppers 122, 123 are provided to restrict the forward or rearward movement of the battery 121 (FIGS. 11 and 12). By providing the primary stopper 122, the battery 121 can be temporarily fixed until a front or rear collision occurs, and by providing the secondary stopper 123, the range of movement of the battery 121 that would otherwise move due to a front or rear collision can be restricted.

[0133] The configuration of a vehicle equipped with a seat device equipped with the submarine prevention device described with reference to FIGS. 11 to 15C can be summarized as follows.

[0134] The submarine suppression device includes a seat support portion that supports a vehicle seat, a pivoting support portion that rotatably supports the rear end portion of the seat support portion around an axis extending in the left-right direction, and a link mechanism that pivots the front end portion of the seat support portion in the up-and-down direction around the axis, and the link mechanism pivots the front end portion of the seat support portion in accordance with the movement of a mass body mounted on the vehicle.

[0135] The above-mentioned link mechanism has a locking portion that fixes the front end of the seat support portion in a non-rotating position and a linking portion that moves the front end of the seat support portion to a rotating position.The locking portion is pushed by the mass body that has moved forward to release the fixation of the front end of the seat support portion in the non-rotating position, and the linking portion is pushed by the mass body that has moved further forward to push up the front end of the released seat support portion to the first rotating position.

[0136] The above-mentioned link mechanism further has a first interlocking portion that interlocks the locking portion with the rearward movement of the mass body, and a second interlocking portion that interlocks the link mechanism with the rearward movement of the mass body, and the locking portion is interlocked with the mass body that has moved rearward via the first interlocking portion, thereby releasing the front end of the seat support portion from being fixed in the non-rotation position, and the link portion is interlocked with the mass body that has moved rearward via the second interlocking portion, thereby pushing the front end of the released seat support portion down to the second rotation position.

[0137] The above-mentioned locking portion has an engaging portion that can engage with an engaged portion provided at the front end of the seat support portion, a pushed portion that is pushed by the mass body, and a rotating shaft portion that is provided between the engaging portion and the pushed portion, and the first interlocking portion has one end connected between the engaging portion and the rotating shaft portion and the other end that is configured to be engageable with the mass body.

[0138] The above-mentioned link mechanism is disposed under the floor of the vehicle and is driven in response to the movement of a mass body disposed under the floor of the vehicle.

[0139] The vehicle seat further includes a rotation support portion interposed between the vehicle seat and the seat support portion, and supporting the vehicle seat so that the vehicle seat is rotatable about an axis extending in the up-down direction.

[0140] The seat device includes the above-described submarine suppression device and a vehicle seat.

[0141] The vehicle includes the above-described seat device and a mass body that drives the seat device.

[0142] The mass mentioned above includes a battery that supplies power to the vehicle's drive source.

[0143] The above-described vehicle includes a movement restricting unit that restricts movement of the battery in the front-rear direction.

[0144] The submarine suppression device 140, the driver's seat (seat device) 110Fa, and the vehicle 1A can be modified into various forms. For example, in the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the front of the seat cushion 131 is pushed upward when the vehicle 1A is hit by a frontal collision. However, for example, a configuration in which the front of the seat cushion 131 is pushed upward and the cushion airbag 135 is inflated may also be used. When the vehicle seat 130 is fixed facing forward, the occurrence of the submarine phenomenon can be further suppressed by interlocking the cushion airbag 135. Furthermore, when the vehicle seat 130 is fixed facing backward, the thighs of the occupant are lifted upward by interlocking the cushion airbag 135, thereby preventing the occupant's feet from being pressed against the floor 103.

[0145] In addition, in this embodiment, an example has been described in which the battery of an electric vehicle is used as the mass body, but it is also possible to use, for example, a fuel storage device placed under the floor of a vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine as the mass body.

[0146] Sheet Recent technological advances mean that autonomous driving will become mainstream in the future, allowing passengers to use their travel time more freely. However, as convenience in daily life improves, for example with autonomous driving, there is a risk that people will become less active and start to feel anxious about their health.

[0147] Therefore, in this embodiment, for example, a seat installed in a vehicle or the like is configured to allow the occupant to perform stretching exercises while seated, and the time spent traveling in the vehicle can be used to perform stretching exercises, which allows the time spent traveling in the vehicle to be used effectively and improves the health of the occupant.

[0148] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 16 to 26B. A seat according to an embodiment of the present invention can be used as a vehicle seat mounted on a vehicle such as an airplane, train, or automobile, or as a chair used in daily life, work, etc. Below, an example will be described in which the seat is applied to a vehicle seat mounted on an electric vehicle (hereinafter simply referred to as a vehicle) with an automatic driving function.

[0149] Fig. 16 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle 1B equipped with a vehicle seat 210 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 16, a portion of the exterior of the vehicle 1B is cut away to show a portion of the interior. In the following, the front-rear direction and the left-right direction are defined as shown in the figure, and the up-down direction is defined based on the front-rear direction and the left-right direction as shown in the figure, and the configuration of each part of the vehicle 1B will be described according to these definitions.

[0150] As shown in FIG. 16, vehicle 1B is a four-wheel vehicle having four wheels 201 on the front, rear, left and right sides, and is equipped with a front seat 210F, a rear seat 210R arranged behind front seat 210F, and an in-vehicle device 300 arranged in front of front seat 210F.

[0151] The front row seats 210F have a driver's seat 210Fa located on the right side facing the steering wheel 202 and a passenger seat 210Fb located on the left side, while the rear row seats 210R have a right rear seat 210Ra located behind the driver's seat 210Fa and a left rear seat 210Rb located behind the passenger seat 210Fb. The in-vehicle device 300 has a controller (control unit) 310 (described later) that can control the driving of the front and rear seats 210F, 210R.

[0152] The driver's seat 210Fa, the passenger's seat 210Fb, the rear right seat 210Ra, and the rear left seat 210Rb have the same configuration, and therefore, in the following, these configurations will be described as a vehicle seat (seat) 210.

[0153] Fig. 17 is a plan view of the vehicle seat 210 shown in Fig. 16, and Fig. 18 is a side view of the vehicle seat 210 shown in Fig. 16. As shown in Fig. 17 and Fig. 18, the vehicle seat 210 includes a seat cushion 220, a seat back 230 rotatably supported on a rear end of the seat cushion 220, a headrest 240 supported on an upper end of the seat back 230 so as to be height-adjustable, a pair of left and right armrests 250, 250 rotatably supported on both left and right sides of the seat back 230, an ottoman 260 rotatably supported on a front end of the seat cushion 220, a footrest 270 rotatably supported at a tip end of the ottoman 260, and a rotation support part (rotation device) 280 that supports the seat cushion rotatably about an axis extending in the up-down direction.

[0154] The seat cushion 220 includes a rear cushion (first cushion) 221 that supports the buttocks of the occupant, a pair of left and right front cushions (second cushions) 222, 222 that are arranged in front of the rear cushion 221 and support the left and right thighs of the occupant, a pair of left and right cushion actuators 223, 223 that drive each of the pair of left and right front cushions 222, 222, and a pair of left and right cushion reaction force detection units 224, 224 that detect the reaction force acting on each of the pair of left and right cushion actuators 223, 223.

[0155] The rear cushion 221 may be formed in a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the left-right direction and has a shape that is uneven along the buttocks. The pair of left and right front cushions 222, 222 includes a right front cushion 222r that can support the right thigh of the occupant and a left front cushion 222l that can support the left thigh, and each of the right and left front cushions 222r, 222l is formed in a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, each of the right and left front cushions 222r, 222l is rotatably supported at its rear end on the tip portion of the rear cushion 221 around an axis extending in the left-right direction so that the cushions can rotate independently of each other.

[0156] Each of the rear cushion 221 and the right and left front cushions 222r, 222l includes a cushion frame that forms a skeleton that follows the respective outer shapes, a cushion pad made of a cushion material such as urethane foam, and a cushion covering material made of synthetic leather, fabric, or the like, and is configured by attaching the cushion pad to the cushion frame and covering them with the cushion covering material.

[0157] The pair of left and right cushion actuators 223 includes a right cushion actuator 223r that drives the right front cushion 222r and a left cushion actuator 223l that drives the left front cushion 222l. The right and left cushion actuators 223r and 223l rotate the right and left front cushions 222r and 222l up and down about the aforementioned axes that extend in the left-right direction at the rear ends of the right and left front cushions 222r and 222l, respectively.

[0158] The pair of left and right cushion reaction force detectors 224, 224 includes a right reaction force detector (reaction force detector) 224r that detects the reaction force acting on the right cushion actuator 223r, and a left reaction force detector (reaction force detector) 224l that detects the reaction force acting on the left cushion actuator 223l. The right and left reaction force detectors 224r, 224l detect the reaction forces from the right and left thighs of the occupant acting on the right and left front cushions 222r, 222l, respectively, as reaction forces acting on the right and left cushion actuators 223r, 223l, respectively.

[0159] The seat back 230 is arranged at the rear end of the seat cushion 220 and comprises a lower back (first back) 231 that supports the occupant's lower back, an upper back (second back) 232 that is arranged above the lower back 231 and supports the occupant's back, a lower actuator 233 that drives the lower back 231, a lower reaction force detection unit 234 that detects the reaction force acting on the lower actuator 233, an upper actuator 235 that drives the upper back 232, and an upper reaction force detection unit 236 that detects the reaction force acting on the upper actuator 235.

[0160] The lower back 231 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape capable of supporting the lumbar region of the occupant, and its lower end is supported to be rotatable around an axis extending in the left-right direction to the rear end of the rear cushion 221. The upper back 232 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape capable of supporting the back region of the occupant, and its lower end is supported to be rotatable around an axis extending in the left-right direction to the upper end of the lower back 231.

[0161] Each of the lower back 231 and the upper back 232 includes a back frame that forms a skeleton that conforms to the respective outer shapes, a back pad made of a cushioning material such as urethane foam, and a back skin material made of synthetic leather, fabric, or the like, and is configured by attaching the back pad to the back frame and covering them with the back skin material.

[0162] The lower actuator 233 is provided at a lower end of the lower back 231 and rotates the lower back 231 in the front-rear direction around an axis extending in the left-right direction at the lower end of the lower back 231. The lower reaction force detection unit 234 detects the reaction force from the lumbar region of the occupant acting on the lower back 231 as a reaction force acting on the lower actuator 233. The upper actuator 235 is provided at a lower end of the upper back 232 and rotates the upper back 232 in the front-rear direction around an axis extending in the left-right direction at the lower end of the upper back 232. The upper reaction force detection unit 236 detects the reaction force from the back of the occupant acting on the upper back 232 as a reaction force acting on the upper actuator 235.

[0163] The headrest 240 does not have a frame that forms a skeleton that conforms to the external shape, but is formed by covering a head pad made of cushioning material such as urethane foam that is shaped to conform to the external shape with a head skin material made of synthetic leather, fabric, etc.

[0164] The pair of left and right armrests 250, 250 includes a right armrest 250r configured with a multi-joint arm and capable of supporting the right arm of the occupant, and a left armrest 250l configured with a multi-joint arm and capable of supporting the left arm of the occupant. The right and left armrests 250r, 250l are supported on both left and right sides of the upper back 232 so as to be rotatable in the up and down direction around an axis extending in the left and right direction.

[0165] The right armrest 250r includes a first right armrest 251r rotatably supported on the right side of the upper back 232, a second right armrest 252r rotatably supported at the tip of the first right armrest 251r, a third right armrest 253r rotatably supported at the tip of the second right armrest 252r, a first right actuator 254r that drives the first right armrest 251r, a first right reaction force detection unit 255r that detects the reaction force acting on the first right actuator 254r, a second right actuator 256r that drives the second right armrest 252r, a second right reaction force detection unit 257r that detects the reaction force acting on the second right actuator 256r, a third right actuator 258r that drives the third right armrest 253r, and a third right reaction force detection unit 259r that detects the reaction force acting on the third right actuator 258r.

[0166] The first right armrest 251r has a base end supported on the right side of the upper back 232 so as to be rotatable around an axis extending in the left-right direction. The second right armrest 252r has a base end supported on a tip end of the first right armrest 251r so as to be rotatable around an axis extending in the left-right direction. The third right armrest 253r has a base end supported on a tip end of the second right armrest 252r so as to be rotatable around an axis extending in the left-right direction. The third right armrest 253r also has a grip portion 211r at its tip that can be gripped by an occupant. The grip portion 211r may be formed to protrude from the third right armrest 253r, or may be configured to be provided inside a recessed portion provided at the tip.

[0167] The first right actuator 254r is provided at the base end of the first right armrest 251r and rotates the first right armrest 251r in the up and down direction around an axis extending in the left and right direction at the base end of the first right armrest 251r. The first right reaction force detector 255r detects the reaction force from the shoulder and upper arm of the occupant acting on the first right armrest 251r as a reaction force acting on the first right actuator 254r.

[0168] The second right actuator 256r is provided at the base end of the second right armrest 252r and rotates the second right armrest 252r in the up and down direction around an axis extending in the left and right direction at the base end of the second right armrest 252r. The second right reaction force detector 257r detects the reaction force from the upper arm of the occupant acting on the second right armrest 252r as a reaction force acting on the second right actuator 256r.

[0169] The third right actuator 258r is provided at the base end of the third right armrest 253r and rotates the third right armrest 253r in the up and down direction around an axis extending in the left and right direction at the base end of the third right armrest 253r. The third right reaction force detector 259r detects the reaction force from the occupant's forearm acting on the third right armrest 253r as a reaction force acting on the third right actuator 258r.

[0170] The left armrest 250l includes a first left armrest 251l rotatably supported on the left side of the upper back 232, a second left armrest 252l rotatably supported at the tip of the first left armrest 251l, a third left armrest 253l rotatably supported at the tip of the second left armrest 252l, a first left actuator 254l that drives the first left armrest 251l, a first left reaction force detection unit 255l that detects the reaction force acting on the first left actuator 254l, a second left actuator 256l that drives the second left armrest 252l, a second left reaction force detection unit 257l that detects the reaction force acting on the second left actuator 256l, a third left actuator 258l that drives the third left armrest 253l, and a third left reaction force detection unit 259l that detects the reaction force acting on the third left actuator 258l.

[0171] The first left armrest 251l has a base end supported on the left side of the upper back 232 so as to be rotatable around an axis extending in the left-right direction. The second left armrest 252l has a base end supported on a tip end of the first left armrest 251l so as to be rotatable around an axis extending in the left-right direction. The third left armrest 253l has a base end supported on a tip end of the second left armrest 252l so as to be rotatable around an axis extending in the left-right direction. The third left armrest 253l also has a grip portion 211l at its tip that can be gripped by an occupant. The grip portion 211l may be formed to protrude from the third left armrest 253l, or may be configured to be provided inside a recessed portion provided at the tip.

[0172] The first left actuator 254l is provided at the base end of the first left armrest 251l and rotates the first left armrest 251l in the up and down direction around an axis extending in the left-right direction at the base end of the first left armrest 251l. The first left reaction force detector 255l detects the reaction force from the shoulder and upper arm of the occupant acting on the first left armrest 251l as a reaction force acting on the first left actuator 254l.

[0173] The second left actuator 256l is provided at the base end of the second left armrest 252l and rotates the second left armrest 252l in the up and down direction around an axis extending in the left and right direction at the base end of the second left armrest 252l. The second left reaction force detector 257l detects the reaction force from the upper arm of the occupant acting on the second left armrest 252l as a reaction force acting on the second left actuator 256l.

[0174] The third left actuator 258l is provided at the base end of the third left armrest 253l and rotates the third left armrest 253l in the up and down direction around an axis extending in the left-right direction at the base end of the third left armrest 253l. The third left reaction force detector 259l detects the reaction force from the occupant's forearm acting on the third left armrest 253l as a reaction force acting on the third left actuator 258l.

[0175] The ottoman 260 includes a right ottoman 261r capable of supporting the right lower leg of the occupant, a left ottoman 261l capable of supporting the left lower leg, a right ottoman actuator 262r that drives the right ottoman 261r, a right ottoman reaction force detection unit 263r that detects the reaction force acting on the right ottoman actuator 262r, a left ottoman actuator 262l that drives the left ottoman 261l, and a left ottoman reaction force detection unit 263l that detects the reaction force acting on the left ottoman actuator 262l.

[0176] The right ottoman 261r is supported at its rear end on the tip of the right front cushion 222r so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the left-right direction. The left ottoman 261l is supported at its rear end on the tip of the left front cushion 222l so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the left-right direction. The right and left ottoman actuators 262r, 262l rotate the right and left ottomans 261r, 261l up and down about the aforementioned axis extending in the left-right direction at the rear ends of the right and left ottomans 261r, 261l, respectively. The right and left ottoman reaction force detectors 263r, 263l detect reaction forces from the right and left lower legs of the occupant acting on the right and left ottomans 261r, 261l, respectively, as reaction forces acting on the right and left ottoman actuators 262r, 262l, respectively.

[0177] The footrest 270 includes a right footrest 271r to which the occupant's right foot can be fixed, a left footrest 271l to which the occupant's left foot can be fixed, a right footrest actuator 272r that drives the right footrest 271r, a right footrest reaction force detection unit 273r that detects the reaction force acting on the right footrest actuator 272r, a left footrest actuator 272l that drives the left footrest 271l, and a left footrest reaction force detection unit 273l that detects the reaction force acting on the left footrest actuator 272l.

[0178] The right footrest 271r is supported at its rear end on the front end of the right ottoman 261r so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the left-right direction. The left footrest 271l is supported at its rear end on the front end of the left ottoman 261l so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the left-right direction. The right and left footrest actuators 272r, 272l rotate the right and left footrests 271r, 271l up and down about the aforementioned axes extending in the left-right direction at the rear ends of the right and left footrests 271r, 271l, respectively. The right and left footrest reaction force detectors 273r, 273l detect reaction forces from the right and left feet of the occupant acting on the right and left footrests 271r, 271l, respectively, as reaction forces acting on the right and left footrest actuators 272r, 272l, respectively.

[0179] The rotation support part 280 is configured to be able to rotate the seat cushion 220 around an axis extending in the vertical direction and fix it in a predetermined orientation. For example, by rotating the seat cushion 220 by 180 degrees, the orientation of the occupant seated in the vehicle seat 210 can be changed to face backward.

[0180] 19 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of an in-vehicle device 300 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 19, the in-vehicle device 300 includes a controller 310, and an input / output device 320 and a communication unit 330 connected to the controller 310.

[0181] Input / output device 320 is a general term for devices that input commands from the occupant and output information to the occupant. Input / output device 320 has a touch panel 321 through which the occupant inputs various commands and information, a microphone 322 through which the occupant inputs various commands and information by voice, a monitor 323 that presents information to the occupant via a displayed image, and a speaker 324 that presents information to the occupant by voice. Commands related to stretching are given to controller 310 via touch panel 321 or microphone 322, and information related to stretching is presented to the occupant via monitor 323 and speaker 324.

[0182] The communication unit 330 is configured to be capable of wireless communication with a portable terminal carried by the occupant and an external device via a communication network. For example, the communication unit 330 is configured to be capable of wireless communication with the portable terminal of the occupant via short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), and is configured to be capable of wireless communication with an external device such as an external server via a public wireless communication network such as the Internet network or a mobile phone network. Note that communication networks include not only public wireless communication networks but also closed communication networks established for each predetermined management area, such as wireless LAN and Wi-Fi (registered trademark). Information about the stretching exercise can be transmitted via the communication unit 330 to an external device such as the portable terminal of the occupant or an external server.

[0183] The controller 310 is configured by a computer having a calculation unit 311 such as a CPU, a storage unit 312 such as a RAM, a ROM, a hard disk, and other peripheral circuits not shown.

[0184] The calculation unit 311 has, as functional components, an information receiving unit 313, an information output unit 314, and a menu creating unit 315. The information receiving unit 313 receives various information, various commands, etc., and the information output unit 314 outputs a control signal to the vehicle seat 210 based on the various information and various commands received by the information receiving unit 313. The menu creating unit 315 creates a stretching menu (a predetermined action menu) for the occupant.

[0185] For example, Fig. 20A is a diagram showing a calf massage exercise, and Fig. 20B is a side view of vehicle seat 210 that performs the calf massage exercise shown in Fig. 20A. The calf massage exercise shown in Fig. 20A is an exercise in which the lower leg with stiff calf is lifted in a flexed state and the ankle is bent and stretched. When the calf massage switch that performs the calf massage exercise shown in Fig. 20A is pressed by the occupant via touch panel 321 of input / output device 320, information receiving unit 313 receives a calf massage signal, and information output unit 314 outputs a calf massage command to vehicle seat 210 to perform the calf massage exercise shown in Fig. 20B. Upon receiving the calf massage command, vehicle seat 210 drives the corresponding actuator to perform the calf massage exercise shown in Fig. 20B. At this time, when the reaction force detected by the reaction force detection unit exceeds a predetermined value, vehicle seat 210 controls the drive of the corresponding actuator so that the drive of the corresponding part is stopped.

[0186] 21A is a diagram showing a calf stretch exercise, and FIG. 21B is a side view of vehicle seat 210 that performs the calf stretch exercise shown in FIG. 21A. The calf stretch exercise shown in FIG. 21A is an exercise in which the upper body is bent while the lower leg of the calf to be stretched is extended, and the ankle is bent and stretched. When the calf stretch switch that performs the calf stretch exercise shown in FIG. 21A is pressed by the occupant via touch panel 321 of input / output device 320, information receiving unit 313 receives a calf stretch signal, and information output unit 314 outputs a calf stretch command to vehicle seat 210 to perform the calf stretch exercise shown in FIG. 21B. Upon receiving the calf stretch command, vehicle seat 210 drives the corresponding actuator to perform the calf stretch exercise shown in FIG. 21B. At this time, when the reaction force detected by the reaction force detection unit exceeds a predetermined value, vehicle seat 210 controls the drive of the corresponding actuator so that the drive of the corresponding part is stopped. FIG. 21A shows a calf stretching exercise for stretching the calf of the left leg, and FIG. 21B shows a calf stretching exercise for stretching the calf of the right leg.

[0187] For example, FIG. 22A is a diagram showing a shin stretch exercise, and FIG. 22B is a side view of a vehicle seat 210 that performs the shin stretch exercise shown in FIG. 22A. The shin stretch exercise shown in FIG. 22A is an exercise in which the lower legs and feet are stretched while the lower legs are bent. When the shin stretch switch that performs the shin stretch exercise shown in FIG. 22A is pressed by the occupant via the touch panel 321 of the input / output device 320, the information receiving unit 313 receives the shin stretch signal, and the information output unit 314 outputs a shin stretch command to the vehicle seat 210 to perform the shin stretch exercise shown in FIG. 22B. Upon receiving the shin stretch command, the vehicle seat 210 drives the corresponding actuator to perform the shin stretch exercise shown in FIG. 22B. At this time, when the reaction force detected by the reaction force detection unit exceeds a predetermined value, the vehicle seat 210 controls the drive of the corresponding actuator so that the drive of the corresponding part is stopped.

[0188] For example, Fig. 23A is a diagram showing a buttocks stretching exercise, and Fig. 23B is a side view of a vehicle seat 210 that performs the buttocks stretching exercise shown in Fig. 23A. The buttocks stretching exercise shown in Fig. 23A is an exercise in which the upper body is bent while one bent lower leg is placed on the other lower leg, thereby stretching the buttocks. When a buttocks stretch switch that performs the buttocks stretching exercise shown in Fig. 23A is pressed by an occupant via the touch panel 321 of the input / output device 320, the information receiving unit 313 receives a buttocks stretching signal, and the information output unit 314 outputs a buttocks stretching command to the vehicle seat 210 to perform the buttocks stretching exercise shown in Fig. 23B. The vehicle seat 210 that receives the buttocks stretching command drives the corresponding actuator to perform the buttocks stretching exercise shown in Fig. 23B. At this time, when the reaction force detected by the reaction force detection unit exceeds a predetermined value, the vehicle seat 210 controls the driving of the corresponding actuator so that the driving of the corresponding portion stops.

[0189] For example, FIG. 24A is a diagram showing a lumbar and buttocks stretching exercise, and FIG. 24B is a side view of vehicle seat 210 that performs the lumbar and buttocks stretching exercise shown in FIG. 24A. The lumbar and buttocks stretching exercise shown in FIG. 24A is an exercise in which one lower leg is crossed over the other and the upper body is opened toward one lower leg. When a passenger presses a lumbar and buttocks stretch switch that performs the lumbar and buttocks stretching exercise shown in FIG. 24A via touch panel 321 of input / output device 320, information receiving unit 313 receives a lumbar and buttocks stretch signal, and information output unit 314 outputs a lumbar and buttocks stretch command to vehicle seat 210 to perform the lumbar and buttocks stretching exercise shown in FIG. 24B. Upon receiving the lumbar and buttocks stretching command, vehicle seat 210 drives the corresponding actuator to perform the lumbar and buttocks stretching exercise shown in FIG. 24B. At this time, when the reaction force detected by the reaction force detection unit exceeds a predetermined value, the vehicle seat 210 controls the driving of the corresponding actuator so that the driving of the corresponding portion stops.

[0190] For example, FIG. 25A is a diagram showing an inner thigh stretching exercise, and FIG. 25B is a side view of vehicle seat 210 that performs the inner thigh stretching exercise shown in FIG. 25A. The inner thigh stretching exercise shown in FIG. 25A is an exercise in which the upper body is opened left and right with both legs apart. When an occupant presses an inner thigh stretch switch that performs the inner thigh stretching exercise shown in FIG. 25A via touch panel 321 of input / output device 320, information receiving unit 313 receives an inner thigh stretch signal, and information output unit 314 outputs an inner thigh stretch command to vehicle seat 210 to perform the inner thigh stretching exercise shown in FIG. 25B. Upon receiving the inner thigh stretch command, vehicle seat 210 drives the corresponding actuator to perform the inner thigh stretching exercise shown in FIG. 25B. At this time, when the reaction force detected by the reaction force detection unit exceeds a predetermined value, vehicle seat 210 controls the drive of the corresponding actuator so that the drive of the corresponding part is stopped.

[0191] For example, FIG. 26A is a diagram showing a chest and arm stretching exercise, and FIG. 26B is a side view of vehicle seat 210 that executes the chest and arm stretching exercise shown in FIG. 26A. The chest and arm stretching exercise shown in FIG. 26A is an exercise in which both arms are rotated backward to open the chest. When a passenger presses a chest and arm stretch switch that executes the chest and arm stretching exercise shown in FIG. 26A via touch panel 321 of input / output device 320, information receiving unit 313 receives a chest and arm stretch signal, and information output unit 314 outputs a chest and arm stretch command to vehicle seat 210 to execute the chest and arm stretching exercise shown in FIG. 26B. Upon receiving the chest and arm stretch command, vehicle seat 210 drives the corresponding actuators to execute the chest and arm stretching exercise shown in FIG. 26B. At this time, when the reaction force detected by the reaction force detection unit exceeds a predetermined value, the vehicle seat 210 controls the driving of the corresponding actuator so that the driving of the corresponding portion stops.

[0192] The menu creation unit 315 creates a stretching menu (a predetermined action menu) based on the range of motion of the occupant stored in the storage unit 312. For example, the menu creation unit 315 creates a stretching menu such as the calf massage exercise, calf stretch exercise, shin stretch exercise, buttocks stretch exercise, inner thigh stretch exercise, and chest and arm stretch exercise, based on the range of motion of the occupant measured from the reaction forces of the actuators detected by the reaction force detection units provided in the vehicle seat 210. For example, the menu creation unit 315 corrects a general stretching menu that has been created in advance based on the range of motion of the occupant, and creates this as a stretching menu for the occupant.

[0193] The menu creation unit 315 may also be configured to create a stretching menu for the occupant based on the occupant's condition, for example. For example, the menu creation unit 315 may be configured to create a stretching menu that matches the occupant's physical condition based on the occupant's condition input via the touch panel 321 of the input / output device 320 or the occupant's condition detected by a condition detection unit installed in the vehicle 1B, and then execute the menu.

[0194] The storage unit 312 stores various programs and various data executed by the calculation unit 311. For example, the storage unit 312 has a program database 316 in which various programs are stored, and a user database 317 in which various pieces of information related to the occupant are stored.

[0195] The program database 316 stores various programs for executing the calf massage exercise shown in Fig. 20B, the calf stretch exercise shown in Fig. 21B, the shin stretch exercise shown in Fig. 22B, the buttocks stretch exercise shown in Fig. 23B, the waist and buttocks stretch exercise shown in Fig. 24B, the inner thigh stretch exercise shown in Fig. 25B, and the chest and arm stretch exercise shown in Fig. 26B. For example, drive programs for various actuators for executing these programs are stored. The program database 316 also stores a program recording a basic stretch menu for the occupant created by the menu creation unit 315.

[0196] The user database 317 stores personal data of the occupant. For example, the user database 317 stores information related to the range of motion of the occupant's joints. The range of motion of each occupant's joints is measured from the reaction forces of the actuators detected by a plurality of reaction force detection units provided in the vehicle seat 210. When the occupant is riding in the vehicle for the first time, the range of motion of the joints may be measured and stored when any of the stretch switches is pressed by the occupant, or may be measured and stored regardless of whether the stretch switch is pressed.

[0197] In the vehicle seat 210 configured as described above, when the occupant presses the stretch switch displayed on the touch panel 321 of the input / output device 320, the selected stretch program is executed, and the occupant can perform the selected stretch exercise while seated.

[0198] The vehicle seat 210 according to the embodiment can achieve the following effects. (20) The vehicle seat 210 includes a seat cushion 220, a seat back 230 rotatably supported at the rear end of the seat cushion 220, and a pair of left and right armrests 250, 250 rotatably supported on both sides of the seat back 230. The pair of left and right armrests 250, 250 are each formed of a multi-joint arm, and the multi-joint arm has a gripping portion 211 (211r, 211l) at its tip that can be gripped by a user (Figures 17 and 18).

[0199] In this way, armrest 250 is configured as a multi-joint arm, and grip portion 211 is provided at the tip of armrest 250, so that stretching exercises and the like can be performed by moving armrest 250 while gripping grip portion 211. For example, muscle training can also be performed by receiving a load generated at the joints of armrest 250 while gripping grip portion 211. In particular, by providing torque generating devices such as actuators (first to third right and left actuators) at the joints of armrest 250, it becomes possible to adjust muscle training, and by causing armrest 250 to perform a predetermined operation with these actuators (first to third right and left actuators), it becomes possible to effectively stretch the arm gripping grip portion 211.

[0200] (21) The seat back 230 has a lower back 231 disposed below and an upper back 232 disposed above, the lower back 231 being rotatably supported at the rear end of the seat cushion 220, and the upper back 232 being rotatably supported at the upper end of the lower back 231 (FIGS. 17 and 18). In this way, the lower back 231 capable of supporting the occupant's waist and the upper back 232 capable of supporting the occupant's back are each configured to be rotatable, so that the occupant can stretch their upper body while seated in the vehicle seat 210.

[0201] (22) The seat cushion 220 has a rear cushion 221 disposed rearward and a front cushion 222 disposed forward, the front cushion 222 being provided as a pair divided into left and right halves, and the pair of left and right front cushions 222r, 222l are rotatably supported on the front end of the rear cushion 221 so as to be rotatable independently of each other (FIGS. 17 and 18). In this way, the pair of left and right front cushions 222r, 222l capable of supporting the pair of left and right thighs of the occupant are rotatably supported on the rear cushion 221 capable of supporting the buttocks of the occupant, so that the occupant can stretch the lower body, for example, the hip joints, while seated in the vehicle seat 210.

[0202] (23) The vehicle seat 210 further includes an ottoman 260 disposed at the front end of the seat cushion 220. The ottoman 260 is provided as a pair, divided into left and right ottomans, and the pair of left and right ottomans 260, 260 are rotatably supported at the front end of the seat cushion 220 so as to be rotatable independently of each other (FIGS. 17 and 18). In this manner, the right and left ottomans 260r, 260l capable of supporting the pair of left and right lower legs of the occupant are rotatably supported on the front cushion 222, respectively, so that the pair of left and right lower legs of the occupant can be stretched while seated in the vehicle seat 210. Furthermore, when the right and left ottomans 260r, 260l are rotatably supported on the pair of left and right front cushions 222r, 222l, respectively, the occupant can also stretch the entire pair of left and right lower legs while seated in the vehicle seat 210, in addition to the above.

[0203] (24) The vehicle seat 210 further includes a footrest 270 disposed at the front end of the ottoman 260. The footrest 270 is provided as a pair, divided into left and right, and the pair of left and right footrests 270, 270 are rotatably supported at the front end of the ottoman 260 so as to be rotatable independently of each other (FIGS. 17 and 18). In this way, the right and left footrests 270r, 270l capable of supporting the pair of left and right feet of the occupant are rotatably supported on the ottoman 260, respectively, so that the occupant can stretch the pair of left and right feet while seated in the vehicle seat 210. Furthermore, when the pair of left and right footrests are supported on the right and left ottomans 260r, 260l, respectively, the occupant can also stretch both of their entire legs while seated in the vehicle seat 210.

[0204] (25) The vehicle seat 210 further includes a plurality of actuators that respectively drive the pair of left and right armrests 250, 250, the seat cushion 220, the seat back 230, the ottoman 260, and the footrest 270, and a controller 310 that controls the driving of each of the plurality of actuators based on a predetermined operation menu (FIGS. 18 and 19). This configuration allows the occupant to perform a predetermined menu of operations while seated in the vehicle seat 210.

[0205] (26) The predetermined action menu is a stretching menu for the seated occupant (FIGS. 20A to 26B). This allows the occupant to perform stretching exercises while seated in the vehicle seat 210.

[0206] (27) The vehicle seat 210 further includes a plurality of reaction force detectors that detect reaction forces acting on the respective parts driven by the plurality of actuators, and the controller 310 controls the driving of the corresponding actuators so that the driving of the corresponding parts stops when the reaction forces detected by the reaction force detectors exceed a predetermined value (FIGS. 18 and 19). This configuration limits the load acting on the occupant, thereby preventing the occupant from being injured by stretching exercises.

[0207] (28) The controller 310 has a memory unit 312 that stores the range of motion of the occupant's joints, and a menu creation unit 315 that creates a predetermined action menu based on the range of motion of the occupant stored in the memory unit 312 (FIG. 19). This configuration allows the occupant to perform stretching exercises that match their condition.

[0208] (29) The vehicle seat 210 further includes a rotation support 280 that can rotate the seat cushion 220 around an axis extending in the vertical direction and fix it in a predetermined position (FIG. 18). This configuration allows stretching exercises to be performed in a direction that minimizes interference with the stretching exercises. For example, stretching exercises can be performed facing backward or sideways.

[0209] The configuration of the sheet described with reference to FIGS. 16 to 26B can be summarized as follows.

[0210] The seat comprises a seat cushion, a seat back rotatably supported at the rear end of the seat cushion, and a pair of left and right armrests rotatably supported on both sides of the seat back, each of which is formed by a multi-joint arm, and the multi-joint arm has a gripping portion at its tip that can be grasped by the user.

[0211] The above-mentioned seat back has a first back arranged below and a second back arranged above, the first back being rotatably supported on the rear end of the seat cushion, and the second back being rotatably supported on the upper end of the first back.

[0212] The above-mentioned seat cushion has a first cushion arranged at the rear and a second cushion arranged at the front, and the second cushion is divided into a pair of left and right cushions, and the pair of left and right second cushions are rotatably supported on the front end of the first cushion so that they can rotate independently of each other.

[0213] The seat cushion further includes an ottoman that is placed at the front end of the seat cushion, and the ottoman is provided in pair, divided into left and right ottomans, which are rotatably supported at the front end of the seat cushion so that they can rotate independently of each other.

[0214] The ottoman further includes a footrest that is placed at the front end of the ottoman, and the footrest is provided as a pair, divided into left and right halves, and the pair of left and right footrests are rotatably supported at the front end of the ottoman so that they can rotate independently of each other.

[0215] The seat further includes a plurality of actuators that drive the pair of left and right armrests, the seat cushion, the seat back, the ottoman, and the footrest, and a control unit that controls the driving of each of the plurality of actuators based on a predetermined operation menu.

[0216] The above-mentioned predetermined action menu is a stretching menu for a seated user.

[0217] The seat further includes a plurality of reaction force detection units that detect the reaction force acting on each part driven by each of the plurality of actuators, and the control unit controls the driving of the corresponding actuator so that the driving of the corresponding part stops when the reaction force detected by the reaction force detection unit exceeds a predetermined value.

[0218] The control unit described above has a storage unit that stores the range of motion of the user's joints, and a menu creation unit that creates a predetermined action menu based on the range of motion of the user stored in the storage unit.

[0219] The seat further includes a rotation device that can rotate the seat cushion about an axis extending in the vertical direction and fix it in a predetermined position.

[0220] The seat can be modified into various forms. For example, in the above embodiment, a single-axis multi-joint arm is used as the pair of left and right armrests, but a multi-axis multi-joint arm may be used. For example, a three-axis multi-joint arm or a five-axis multi-joint arm may be used. By using a multi-axis multi-joint arm, more precise stretching motions can be performed.

[0221] Further, for example, in the above embodiment, a vehicle seat is used, but the present invention may be applied to a business chair or the like.

[0222] 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]

[0223] 1 vehicle, 2 saddle-type seat, 3 helmet support portion, 4 connecting portion, 5 storage portion, 6 cover member, 24 second seating portion, 24a placing portion, 31 helmet support, 32 rotating support portion, 33 locking portion

Claims

1. In a saddle-type seat used in a saddle-type vehicle, A seat is provided on a seat surface on which a user can sit, and a placement portion on which a helmet can be placed is provided, The mounting portion has a helmet support portion capable of supporting the helmet in an upright state, and a storage portion capable of storing the helmet support portion in a seat surface, The saddle-type seat is characterized in that the helmet support portion is configured to be movable between an upright position and a storage position where the helmet support portion is stored in the storage portion.

2. The saddle-type seat according to claim 1, The storage section is provided so that an upper surface of the helmet support section exposed when the helmet support section is stored is positioned on the same plane as the seat surface.

3. The saddle-type seat according to claim 1, The saddle-type seat is characterized in that the helmet support portion is formed to include a flexible material.

4. The saddle-type seat according to claim 1, The saddle-type seat is characterized in that the helmet support portion has an upper portion formed in a curved shape so as to fit along the interior lining of the helmet when in an upright position.

5. The saddle-type seat according to claim 4, a saddle-type seat, characterized in that the helmet support portion includes a helmet support capable of supporting the helmet, a pivoting support portion that supports the helmet support so that it can pivot between the upright position and the stowed position, and a locking portion that can fix the helmet support in at least one of the upright position and the stowed position.

6. The saddle-type seat according to claim 5, The saddle-type seat is characterized in that the locking portion includes a one-way clutch provided on the axis of the rotation support portion.

7. The saddle-type seat according to claim 1, The saddle-type seat is characterized in that the mounting portion further includes a connecting portion that can connect the helmet supported by the helmet support portion in an upright position to the helmet support portion.

8. The saddle-type seat according to claim 1, the mounting portion further includes a cover member capable of covering the helmet supported by the helmet support portion in an upright state, The saddle-type seat is characterized in that the cover member is placed in the storage section in a folded state.

9. The saddle-type seat according to claim 8, The cover member is formed in a bag shape and has a string member that tightens an opening while covering the helmet supported by the helmet support portion.

Images