Seat with vibrator and method for fixing vibrator

Abstract

To provide a seat with a vibrator, which can transmit vibration to a seated person and prevent falling of the vibrator, and a method for fixing the vibrator.SOLUTION: This seat comprises: a seat pad 30 that supports a seated person; and a vibrator 60 that vibrates the seat pad 30. The seat pad 30 is composed of an elastic body. The seat pad 30 is provided with a front surface 32 facing the seated person side, a backside 34 positioned on a side opposite to the front surface 32, and a storage part 42 having a shape extending from one of the front surface 32 and the backside 34 toward the other in a front-back direction and opened on an open surface which is the surface of the one of the front surface 32 and the backside 34. The vibrator 60 is stored inside the storage part 42, and the inner peripheral surface of the storage part 42 is tightly bonded to the outer peripheral surface of the vibrator 60 in the state of being elastically deformed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a seat provided with a vibrator and a method for fixing the vibrator. [Background technology]

[0002] In seats and the like installed in vehicles, the installation of a member for applying vibrations to a seat occupant has been considered. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a seat installed in a vehicle in which a vibrator (the vibration unit in Patent Document 1) that vibrates upon receiving electricity is fixed to a frame member of the seat back. Specifically, in the seat of Patent Document 1, a plate-shaped pressure-receiving member is provided on a frame member arranged on the back of a seat pad (the cushion pad in Patent Document 1) that supports the seat occupant, i.e., on the surface opposite the seat occupant, and the vibrator is fixed to this pressure-receiving member via bolts and nuts. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-101691 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the configuration of Patent Document 1, the vibrator is fixed to a frame member disposed on the back of the seat pad. Therefore, the distance between the vibrator and the seated occupant is large, and there is a risk that the vibration of the vibrator will not be transmitted sufficiently to the seated occupant. In addition, because the vibrator is fixed to the pressure-receiving member by screwing together a bolt and a nut, there is a risk that the screwing will loosen as the vibrator vibrates, causing the vibrator to fall off.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a seat equipped with a vibrator and a method for fixing the vibrator, which can transmit vibrations to an occupant and prevent the vibrator from falling off. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a seat comprising a seat pad that supports a seated occupant and a vibrator that vibrates the seat pad, wherein the seat pad is made of an elastic body and includes a front side that faces the seated occupant, a back side that is located on the opposite side of the front side, and a storage section that has a shape that extends along the front-to-back direction from one of the front side and the back side to the other and that opens into an opening surface that is one of the front side and the back side, and wherein the vibrator is stored inside the storage section, and the inner surface of the storage section is in close contact with the outer surface of the vibrator in an elastically deformed state.

[0007] In this invention, a seat pad that supports a seated occupant is provided with a housing portion that opens on one of its front and back sides, and a vibrator is housed inside this housing portion. Therefore, the vibration of the vibrator can be transmitted directly to the seat pad, and the vibration of the vibrator can be transmitted more reliably to the seated occupant supported by the seat pad. Furthermore, in this invention, the vibrator is housed inside the housing portion, and the periphery of the vibrator is surrounded by the inner peripheral surface of the housing portion, and the inner peripheral surface of the housing portion is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the vibrator, restricting movement of the vibrator, thereby preventing the vibrator from falling off the housing portion and, ultimately, the seat pad.

[0008] In the above configuration, preferably, the vibrator has a cylindrical shape extending along the front-to-back direction, and the accommodating section in an unaccommodated state in which the vibrator is not accommodated in the accommodating section has a tapered shape in which the inner diameter gradually decreases toward the opening surface in the front-to-back direction, and the maximum dimension of the inner diameter of the accommodating section in the unaccommodated state is set to be equal to or smaller than the outer diameter of the vibrator (Claim 2).

[0009] This configuration allows the inner peripheral surface of the housing to be tightly attached to the outer peripheral surface of the vibrator over almost the entire front-to-back direction, more reliably preventing the vibrator from falling out. Furthermore, the portion of the inner peripheral surface of the housing that faces the opening can be tightly attached to the outer peripheral surface of the vibrator, effectively preventing the vibrator from falling out of the housing through the opening of the housing. Furthermore, by ensuring a sufficient contact area between the vibrator and the inner peripheral surface of the housing, the vibrations of the vibrator can be more strongly transmitted to the seat pad and the seat occupant.

[0010] In the above configuration, preferably, the vibrator has a cylindrical shape extending along the front-to-back direction, and the inner diameter of the accommodating section in an unaccommodated state in which the vibrator is not accommodated in the accommodating section is smaller than the outer diameter of the vibrator throughout the entire front-to-back direction (Claim 3).

[0011] This configuration allows the inner peripheral surface of the housing to be tightly attached to the outer peripheral surface of the vibrator over the entire front-to-back direction, further preventing the vibrator from falling off. Also, by ensuring a sufficient contact area between the vibrator and the inner peripheral surface of the housing, the vibrations of the vibrator can be transmitted more strongly to the seat pad and the seat occupant.

[0012] In the above configuration, it is preferable that wiring connected to the vibrator is provided, and a groove extending along the front-to-back direction and through which the wiring is routed is formed on the inner surface of the accommodating section (claim 4).

[0013] According to this configuration, the wiring can be drawn from the vibrator to the outside of the seat pad through the groove while the inner peripheral surface of the accommodation portion is in close contact with the vibrator.

[0014] In the above configuration, preferably, the seat pad has a communicating portion that is arranged at a position that overlaps with the storage portion when viewed along the front-to-back direction, that is in communication with the storage portion, and that opens on the surface of the front side surface and the back side surface opposite to the opening surface, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the communicating portion perpendicular to the front-to-back direction is smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the vibrator perpendicular to the front-to-back direction (Claim 5).

[0015] According to this configuration, the inside of the housing can be visually observed through the communication portion, and the worker can easily confirm the position of the vibrator within the housing. Therefore, when the vibrator is placed in the housing, the vibrator can be positioned appropriately within the housing. Moreover, with this configuration, the cross-sectional area of ​​the communication portion is smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the vibrator, so that the above-mentioned effect can be obtained while preventing the vibrator from falling off the seat pad through the communication portion.

[0016] In the above configuration, preferably, a wiring is provided that passes through the inside of the communication portion and extends from the vibrator to the outside of the seat pad (claim 6).

[0017] According to this configuration, the wiring arrangement can be simplified, and the wiring connected to the vibrator can be drawn out to the surface opposite the opening surface through the communication portion.

[0018] In the above configuration, it is preferable to provide a lid portion that is fixed to an opening portion of the container portion formed on the opening surface and closes the opening portion (claim 7).

[0019] According to this configuration, the lid portion can more reliably prevent the vibrator from falling out of the seat pad.

[0020] In the above configuration, the rear side surface is preferably the opening surface (claim 8).

[0021] This configuration prevents the seated person from feeling uncomfortable due to the unevenness formed on the surface of the seat pad by the opening of the storage section, thereby improving seating comfort.

[0022] The present invention also provides a method for fixing a vibrator in a seat that includes a seat pad that supports a seated occupant and a vibrator, the method comprising: a front side surface facing the seated occupant; a back side surface located opposite the front side surface; and a housing portion that has a shape extending along a front-to-back direction from one of the front side surface and the back side surface toward the other and that opens into an opening surface that is one of the front side surface and the back side surface, and the seat pad is made of an elastic body; the vibrator is inserted into the housing portion through an opening portion of the housing portion formed on the opening surface while the diameter of the housing portion is expanded by the vibrator, and the inner peripheral surface of the housing portion is brought into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the vibrator while elastically deforming (Claim 9).

[0023] According to this method, the vibrator can be placed and held in the housing by the simple procedure of inserting the vibrator into the housing while expanding the diameter of the housing. In addition, the vibrator can be brought into close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the housing, making it possible to more strongly transmit the vibrations of the vibrator to the housing, i.e., the seat back, and the seat occupant supported by it. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] As described above, the seat provided with the vibrator and the method for fixing the vibrator of the present invention can transmit vibration to the seated occupant and prevent the vibrator from falling off. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a seat according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the seat back taken along line II-II in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of the seat back side seat pad. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the seat back side seat pad as seen from behind. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the vibrator. [Figure 6]FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion Y1 in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 6 and showing a part of the seat pad in an uncontained state. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 8 and showing a part of the seat pad in an uncontained state. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a method for fixing the vibrator to the seat pad. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a view corresponding to FIG. 6 and is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a part of the seat pad of the seat according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a view corresponding to FIG. 6 and is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a part of the seat pad of the seat according to the third embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a view corresponding to FIG. 6 and is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a part of the seat pad of the seat according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a view corresponding to FIG. 6 and is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a part of the seat pad of the seat according to the fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of a seat 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the seat 1 includes a seat cushion 10 that contacts the buttocks of a seated occupant to form a seating portion, a seat back 20 that contacts the back of the seated occupant to form a backrest, and a headrest 80 that contacts the head of the seated occupant. In the example shown in FIG. 1, an armrest 12 that supports the arms of the seated occupant is rotatably connected to the side of the seat back 20. In this first embodiment, the seat 1 is installed in a vehicle such as an automobile and used as a seat for a vehicle occupant to sit on. In the following description, the front-to-rear direction of the seat 1 is defined as the front-to-rear direction of the seat 1, and the left-to-right direction of the seat 1 is defined as the left-to-right direction of the seat 1, based on the seated occupant, i.e., a user seated in the seat 1.

[0028] 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the cross section taken along line II-II in FIG. 1, showing a cross section of the seat back 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the seat back 20 includes a seat back side seat pad 30 that supports a seat occupant, a seat back frame 24 that forms the framework of the seat back 20, and a seat back trim 22 that forms the outer surface of the seat back 20.

[0029] FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of the seatback-side seat pad 30. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the seatback-side seat pad 30 as viewed from the rear. The seatback-side seat pad 30 forms the basic shape of the seat back 20 and has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in the up-down and left-right directions. The seatback-side seat pad 30 has a front side surface 32 that faces the seat occupant and constitutes the front side of the seatback-side seat pad 30, and a back side surface 34 that is located on the opposite side and constitutes the rear side of the seatback-side seat pad 30. Here, the front-to-rear direction based on the seat occupant is the direction from one of the front side surface 32 and the back side surface 34 to the other, and corresponds to the "front-to-rear direction" in the claims.

[0030] The seatback-side seat pad 30 is made of an elastic material. That is, the seatback-side seat pad 30 has elasticity and is elastically deformable. The seatback-side seat pad 30 applies an elastic reaction force to the back of the seated occupant while supporting the occupant. The seatback-side seat pad 30 is made of, for example, urethane foam resin.

[0031] The seatback frame 24 is a frame member that holds the seatback-side seat pad 30 at a predetermined angle relative to the seat cushion 10. The seatback frame 24 includes a plurality of rod-shaped members 24A extending in the left-right direction and a rod-shaped member (not shown) that extends in the up-down direction so as to connect these members, and is disposed along the rear surface 34 of the seatback-side seat pad 30. The seatback frame 24 is made of, for example, metal.

[0032] The seat back trim 22 is made of cloth or leather and covers the seat back side seat pad 30 and the seat back frame 24 from the outside.

[0033] Although detailed illustrations are omitted, the seat cushion 10, like the seat back 20, has a seat cushion side seat pad 10B made of an elastic material that supports the seat occupant, a seat cushion frame that forms the skeleton of the seat cushion 10, and a seat cushion trim 10A that covers the seat cushion side seat pad 10B and the seat cushion frame from the outside and forms the outer surface of the seat cushion 10.

[0034] The sheet 1 further includes vibrators 60. In the first embodiment, the sheet 1 includes six vibrators 60.

[0035] The vibrator 60 vibrates the seat pad 30 to transmit vibrations to the seated occupant in order to convey various types of information to the seated occupant. The vibrator 60 receives power and is driven to vibrate. For example, the vibrator 60 includes a voice coil, a magnet, etc., and vibrates when power is supplied to the voice coil. Note that the vibrator 60 is not limited to a configuration including a voice coil and a magnet, etc., and may be configured, for example, to include a rotary motor and generate vibrations using the driving force of the rotary motor.

[0036] FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the vibrator 60. As shown in FIG. 5, the vibrator 60 has a cylindrical shape. Here, in this specification, having a cylindrical shape does not only mean having a completely cylindrical shape, but also means having a roughly cylindrical shape. In the first embodiment, the vibrator 60 has a cylindrical shape as a whole, but the diameter of the vibrator 60 is not completely constant in the direction along its central axis X1. Most of the vibrator 60 has the same diameter and the outer circumferential surface follows a cylindrical surface, while the diameter of some parts is slightly smaller than the diameter of the majority of the parts.

[0037] Wiring is connected to each vibrator 60. In the first embodiment, two wires 51 and 52 are connected to each vibrator 60. These two wires 51 and 52 are connected to the outer peripheral surface of the axial center portion of the vibrator 60. In the first embodiment, these two wires 51 and 52 are power lines for supplying power to the vibrator 60, and are connected to a drive circuit (not shown) that can supply drive power to the vibrator 60. Hereinafter, the two wires 51 and 52 will be collectively referred to as wire 50, as appropriate.

[0038] The vibrator 60 is supplied with driving power from a driving circuit for switching between driving and stopping the vibrator 60. For example, when the seat 1 is mounted on a vehicle, the driving circuit is controlled by a control device (not shown). The control device determines whether or not a condition for vibrating the vibrator 60 is met based on information from various sensors attached to the vehicle, and if this condition is met, sends a predetermined control signal to the driving circuit. The driving circuit supplies driving power to the vibrator 60 based on the control signal, driving the vibrator 60 to vibrate. The above condition is met, for example, when an obstacle or the like is detected around the vehicle or when an abnormality in the driver is detected.

[0039] In the first embodiment, all of the vibrators 60 are held inside the seat back side seat pad 30. As such, in the first embodiment, the seat back side seat pad 30 corresponds to the "seat pad" in the claims. Hereinafter, the seat back side seat pad 30 will be referred to simply as the seat pad 30 as appropriate.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 2 etc., the seat pad 30 is provided with housing sections 42 that house the vibrators 60. In the first embodiment, six housing sections 42 that house the vibrators 60 respectively are provided in the seat pad 30 corresponding to the six vibrators 60. Furthermore, when the seat pad 30 is divided into two in the left-right direction, three housing sections 42 are provided in the right part and lined up vertically, and the remaining three housing sections 42 are provided in the left part and lined up vertically.

[0041] The storage sections 42 and their surrounding structures are the same, and the following description will be given of one representative storage section 42 and its surrounding structure.

[0042] FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion indicated by Y1 in FIG. 2. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 6. FIG. 9 is a view corresponding to FIG. 6 and is a cross-sectional view showing a portion of the seat pad 30 in a state where the vibrator 60 has been removed from the seat pad 30, i.e., where the vibrator 60 is not housed in the housing portion 42. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 8 and is a cross-sectional view showing a portion of the seat pad 30 in a state where the vibrator 60 is not housed in the housing portion 42. In FIGS. 6 to 8, the inner circumferential surface 42A of the housing portion 42 in a state where the vibrator 60 is not housed is shown by a chain line. In addition, in FIGS. 10 and 11, the vibrator 60 and the wiring 50 (51, 52) housed in the housing portion 42 are shown by a chain line.

[0043] First, the storage section 42 in the unstored state and its surrounding structure will be described.

[0044] As shown in Figure 9 and other figures, the storage section 42 has a shape that extends in the front-rear direction and opens to the back surface 34 of the seat pad 30. In other words, the seat pad 30 has a hole that is recessed forward from the back surface 34, and this hole constitutes the storage section 42. As described above, in the first embodiment, the storage section 42 opens to the back surface 34 of the seat pad 30, and the back surface 34 of the seat pad 30 constitutes the opening surface where the storage section 42 opens. As described above, this back surface 34 is the surface where the storage section 42 opens, and corresponds to the "opening surface" in the claims.

[0045] The front-rear dimension of the storage portion 42 is smaller than the front-rear dimension of the seat pad 30, and the storage portion 42 is provided rearward from a position rearward of the front surface 32 of the seat pad 30.

[0046] In the first embodiment, the storage section 42 has a tapered shape in which the inner diameter gradually decreases toward the rear, that is, a tapered shape in which the inner diameter gradually decreases in the front-to-rear direction toward the back surface 34. In other words, the storage section 42 is configured as a substantially truncated conical hole having a central axis X2 extending in the front-to-rear direction and an inner diameter that decreases toward the rear, and the cross section of the storage section 42 perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction is substantially circular at any position in the front-to-rear direction.

[0047] 10 and other figures, a radial portion of the inner circumferential surface 42A of the storage portion 42 is recessed radially outward, and a groove 43 extending in the front-to-rear direction is formed in the inner circumferential surface 42A of the storage portion 42. The groove 43 is formed over the entire inner circumferential surface 42A of the storage portion 42 in the front-to-rear direction, and opens to the rear side surface 34 of the seat pad 30. In the first embodiment, the shape of a cross section of the groove 43 perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction is substantially rectangular.

[0048] A communication portion 44 that communicates with the storage portion 42 is provided in a portion of the seat pad 30 forward of the storage portion 42 at a position that overlaps with the storage portion when viewed in the front-rear direction. The communication portion 44 opens on the front side surface 32 of the seat pad 30, on the side opposite the back side surface (opening surface) 34. In other words, the seat pad 30 has a hole that is recessed rearward from the front side surface 32 and communicates with the storage portion 42, and this hole constitutes the communication portion 44. The seat pad 30 has six communication portions 44 formed therein corresponding to the six storage portions 42.

[0049] The communication portion 44 is a circular hole having a generally cylindrical shape with a central axis X3 extending in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 6 , the central axis X3 of the communication portion 44 and the central axis X2 of the accommodation portion 42 extend along substantially the same line. The inner diameter d4 of the communication portion 44 is smaller than the outer diameter d1 of the vibrator 60, and the area of ​​a cross section of the communication portion 44 perpendicular to the front-rear direction is smaller than the area of ​​a cross section of the vibrator 60 perpendicular to the front-rear direction. For example, the inner diameter d4 of the communication portion 44 is set to approximately 40% of the outer diameter d1 of the vibrator 60. Furthermore, the inner diameter d4 of the communication portion 44 is smaller than the inner diameter d3 of the front end of the accommodation portion 42. As a result, the accommodation portion 42 has a bottom 42B that expands in a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction at the boundary between the front end portion and the communication portion 44.

[0050] Next, the housing portion 42 in the housed state where the vibrator 60 is housed in the housing portion 42 and its surrounding structure will be described.

[0051] The vibrator 60 is housed inside the housing 42 with its central axis X1 extending in the front-rear direction. In the first embodiment, the central axis X1 of the vibrator 60, the central axis X2 of the housing 42, and the central axis X3 of the communication portion 44 are all aligned along substantially the same line. The dimension of the housing 42 in the front-rear direction is greater than the dimension of the vibrator 60 in the axial direction, and the vibrator 60 is entirely disposed inside the housing 42. The vibrator 60 is housed in the housing 42 with its front end abutting the bottom 42B of the housing 42, and is disposed in a region between the bottom 42B of the housing 42 and the rear end of the housing 42, i.e., a position slightly forward of the rear surface 34, in the front-rear direction. Note that the housing structure for the vibrator 60 is not limited to the structure described above (the structure in which the entire vibrator 60 is housed in the housing 42). For example, the housing structure for the vibrator 60 may be such that the front-to-rear dimension of the housing section 42 is smaller than the axial dimension of the vibrator 60, and the rear end of the vibrator 60 protrudes from the rear end of the housing section 42 (i.e., a part of the vibrator 60 protrudes from the housing section 42).

[0052] The vibrator 60 is press-fitted into the housing portion 42. That is, in the housed state, the housing portion 42 elastically deforms radially outward, and the inner circumferential surface 42A of the housing portion 42 is in close contact with the outer circumferential surface 60A of the vibrator 60. Specifically, in the non-housed state, the housing portion 42 is configured such that the inner diameter d3 at its front end is set to be equal to or smaller than the outer diameter d1 of the vibrator 60 and the inner diameter gradually decreases from the front end toward the front, and the inner diameter of the housing portion 42 is set to be smaller than the outer diameter d1 of the vibrator 60 over almost the entire front-to-rear direction. As a result, in the housed state, the inner circumferential surface 42A of the housing portion 42 is in close contact with the outer circumferential surface 60A of the vibrator 60 over almost the entire front-to-rear direction. For example, the inner diameter d3 of the front end of the accommodating section 42 in the non-accommodated state, which is the maximum dimension d3 of the inner diameter of the accommodating section 42, is set to approximately 15 mm, the same as the outer diameter d1 of the vibrator 60, and the inner diameter d2 of the rear end of the accommodating section 42 in the non-accommodated state is set to approximately 14 mm, which is smaller than the outer diameter d1 of the vibrator 60.

[0053] The inner circumferential surface of the accommodation portion 42 is in close contact with the outer circumferential surface 60A of the vibrator 60 in an elastically deformed state, thereby holding the vibrator 60 inside the accommodation portion 42. Specifically, in the accommodated state, an elastic reaction force is applied to the vibrator 60 in a radially inward direction from the inner circumferential surface 42A of the accommodation portion 42. As a result, the movement of the vibrator 60 is restricted and the vibrator 60 is held inside the accommodation portion 42.

[0054] In the first embodiment, the vibrator 60 has a generally cylindrical shape, and the housing portion 42 has a tapered shape in which the inner diameter gradually decreases toward the rear. As a result, the amount of elastic deformation increases toward the rear of the inner circumferential surface 42A of the housing portion 42, and the rearward portion of the vibrator 60 receives a stronger force from the inner circumferential surface 42A of the housing portion 42.

[0055] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, as described above, the vibrator 60 is disposed in the region between the bottom 42B of the housing portion 42 and the rear end of the housing portion 42, i.e., a position slightly forward of the back surface 34, and the vibrator 60 is not disposed near the rear end of the housing portion 42. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6 and other figures, the amount of elastic deformation of the rear end portion of the housing portion 42 is kept small, and the rear end portion of the housing portion 42 is disposed so as to close the space behind the vibrator 60.

[0056] As shown in Figure 7 and other figures, the wiring 50 (51, 52) connected to the vibrator 60 is disposed in the groove 43 formed in the inner circumferential surface 42A of the housing portion 42. In the illustrated example, the two wirings 51, 52 are disposed in the groove 43 in a state where they are aligned along the circumferential direction of the vibrator 60. Also, as shown in Figure 7 and other figures, the two wirings 51, 52 are disposed in the groove 43 in a position where they extend rearward from near the center of the vibrator 60 in the front-to-rear direction, and are drawn out to the rear of the seat pad 30 through the open end of the groove 43.

[0057] Here, no holes corresponding to the storage portions 42 are formed in the seatback trim 22. As a result, the wires 50 are routed to the outside of the seat 1, passing between the rear surface 34 of the seat pad 30 and the seatback trim 22. As shown in FIG. 4 and other figures, in the first embodiment, the wires 50 drawn rearward from the grooves 43 are routed downward from the open ends of the grooves 43, and are drawn out to the outside of the seat 1, passing below the seatback trim 22.

[0058] 1, the seatback trim 22 does not have any holes corresponding to the communication portions 44. This makes it possible for the storage portions 42 and the communication portions 44 to be invisible from outside the seat 1.

[0059] Next, a method for accommodating the vibrator 60 in the accommodation portion 42 and fixing the vibrator 60 to the seat pad 30 will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a view corresponding to Fig. 6 and is a cross-sectional view showing a portion of the vibrator 60 and the seat pad 30.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 11(a), first, the vibrator 60 is placed at the rear of the housing 42 with its central axis X1 extending in the front-rear direction. Next, as shown in FIGS. 11(b) and 11(c), the vibrator 60 is inserted into the housing 42. At this time, the front end of the vibrator 60 presses the inner circumferential surface 42A of the housing 42 radially outward to expand the diameter, while the vibrator 60 is moved forward. Also, the wiring 50 is inserted into the groove 43 while the vibrator 60 is moved forward. In this first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11(c), the vibrator 60 is moved until its front end abuts against the bottom 42B of the housing 42. In this way, in this first embodiment, by inserting the vibrator 60 into the housing 42, the vibrator 60 is accommodated and held inside the housing 42 with its outer circumferential surface 60A in close contact with the inner circumferential surface 42A of the housing 42. The wiring 50 is arranged so as to extend rearward from the open end of the groove 43 .

[0061] (effect, etc.) According to the seat 1 of the first embodiment described above, the seat pad 30 that supports the seated occupant is provided with a housing portion 42 that opens to the rear side surface 34 thereof, and the vibrator 60 is housed inside this housing portion 42. Therefore, the vibration of the vibrator 60 can be transmitted directly to the seat pad 30, and the vibration of the vibrator 60 can be transmitted more reliably to the seated occupant. Furthermore, because the vibrator 60 is surrounded by the inner peripheral surface 42A of the housing portion 42, the vibrator 60 is prevented from falling off the housing portion 42 and, ultimately, the seat 1.

[0062] Moreover, in the sheet 1 according to the first embodiment, the inner peripheral surface 42A of the housing portion 42 is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface 60A of the vibrator 60 while being elastically deformed. Therefore, the movement of the vibrator 60 can be restricted by the inner peripheral surface 42A of the housing portion 42, and the vibrator 60 can be reliably prevented from falling out of the housing portion 42.

[0063] In particular, in the seat 1 according to the first embodiment, the vibrator 60 has a cylindrical shape, and the accommodation portion 42 in the unaccommodated state is configured to have a tapered shape in which the inner diameter gradually decreases toward the rear surface 34 of the seat pad 30, which is the opening surface. The maximum inner diameter d3 of the accommodation portion 42 in the unaccommodated state is set to be equal to or smaller than the outer diameter d1 of the vibrator 60. This allows the inner peripheral surface 42A of the accommodation portion 42 to be tightly attached to the outer peripheral surface 60A of the vibrator 60 over almost the entire front-to-rear direction, thereby reliably restricting movement of the vibrator 60. Furthermore, the rear portion of the inner peripheral surface 42A of the accommodation portion 42, which is the opening side of the accommodation portion 42, can be tightly attached to the outer peripheral surface 60A of the vibrator 60, effectively preventing the vibrator 60 from falling out of the accommodation portion 42 through the opening of the accommodation portion 42. Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, since the vibrator 60 is not positioned near the rear end of the accommodating section 42, the rear end of the accommodating section 42 is positioned to block the space behind the vibrator 60, thereby more reliably preventing the vibrator 60 from falling out of the accommodating section 42.

[0064] Furthermore, according to the seat 1 of the first embodiment described above, the inner surface 42A of the accommodating section 42 is in close contact with the outer surface 60A of the vibrator 60 over almost the entire front-to-rear direction, as described above, ensuring a sufficient contact area between the vibrator 60 and the inner surface 42A of the accommodating section 42, thereby enabling the vibration of the vibrator 60 to be transmitted more strongly to the seat pad 30 and the seated occupant.

[0065] Furthermore, in the seat 1 according to the first embodiment, the rear surface 34 of the seat pad 30, the surface opposite the seated person, is the opening surface where the storage section 42 opens. Therefore, while the storage section 42 is open on the surface of the seat pad 30, the impact on the seated person of the unevenness of the surface of the seat pad 30 caused by this opening can be minimized, resulting in good sitting comfort.

[0066] Furthermore, in the seat 1 according to the first embodiment, grooves 43 extending along the front-rear direction and through which the wiring 50 is routed are formed on the inner peripheral surface 42A of the accommodation portion 42. Therefore, the wiring 50 can be drawn out from the vibrator 60 accommodated inside the accommodation portion 42 to the outside of the seat pad 30 while the inner peripheral surface 42A of the accommodation portion 42 is brought into close contact with the vibrator 60.

[0067] Furthermore, in the seat 1 according to the first embodiment, a communication portion 44 is provided at a position overlapping the storage portion 42 when viewed along the front-rear direction of the seat pad 30. The communication portion 44 is connected to the storage portion 42 and opens to the front side surface 32 opposite the back side surface 34 where the storage portion 42 opens. Therefore, the interior of the storage portion 42 can be visually observed through the communication portion 44, allowing an operator to easily check the storage state of the vibrator 60 when storing the vibrator 60 in the storage portion 42. This allows the vibrator 60 to be stored in the storage portion 42 in a more appropriate state. Furthermore, the cross-sectional area of ​​the communication portion 44 perpendicular to the front-rear direction is set to be smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the vibrator 60 perpendicular to the front-rear direction. Therefore, while achieving the above-described effects, the vibrator 60 can be prevented from falling off the seat pad 30 through the communication portion 44. Furthermore, the unevenness of the surface of the seat pad 30 caused by the communication portion 44 can be minimized, thereby suppressing a decrease in ride comfort due to the provision of the communication portion 44.

[0068] Furthermore, according to the method for fixing the vibrator 60 of the first embodiment described above, the vibrator 60 can be accommodated and held in the housing portion 42 by a simple procedure of inserting the vibrator 60 into the inside of the housing portion 42 through the opening of the housing portion 42 formed on the back side surface 34 while expanding the diameter of the housing portion 42 with the vibrator 60, and then tightly adhering the inner surface 42A of the housing portion 42 to the outer surface 60A of the vibrator 60 while the inner surface 42A is elastically deformed, thereby minimizing the effort required for fixing the vibrator 60.

[0069] (Second embodiment) A seat according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 12. In the following description and drawings of the seats according to the second to fifth embodiments, the same elements as those in the first embodiment will be designated by the same reference numerals. In the following description of the second to fifth embodiments, the description of the same configuration as that in the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0070] FIG. 12 corresponds to FIG. 6 and is a cross-sectional view showing an enlarged portion of the seat pad 30 of the seat 101 according to the second embodiment. As in FIG. 6, the dashed line in FIG. 12 indicates the inner circumferential surface 42A of the storage portion 42 in the unstored state. As shown in FIG. 12, the seat 101 according to the second embodiment does not have a communication portion 44, unlike the first embodiment. That is, the seat pad 30 is formed with only a hole serving as the storage portion 42 that opens to the rear side surface 34, and no hole that opens to the front side surface 32. As a result, in the second embodiment, the bottom portion 42B of the storage portion 42 abuts against almost the entire front end surface of the vibrator 60.

[0071] According to the seat 101 of the second embodiment, since no holes are formed in the front surface 32, the front surface 32 has a smoother surface. This provides a more comfortable sitting experience for the seated occupant. Furthermore, according to the seat 101 of the second embodiment, as described above, almost the entire front end surface of the vibrator 60 abuts against the bottom 42B of the housing portion 42, thereby increasing the contact area between the vibrator 60 and the seat pad 30. This allows the vibration of the vibrator 60 to be more strongly transmitted to the seat pad 30 and ultimately to the seated occupant. Note that the seat 101 of the second embodiment also provides the same effects as those of the first embodiment, which are obtained by having the same configuration as the first embodiment.

[0072] (Third embodiment) A seat according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described using Fig. 13. Fig. 13 corresponds to Fig. 6 and is a cross-sectional view showing an enlarged portion of the seat pad 30 of the seat 201 according to the third embodiment. As in Fig. 6, in Fig. 13 too, the chain line indicates the inner circumferential surface 242A of the storage section 242 in the unstored state.

[0073] As shown in Fig. 13, the shape of the accommodation portion in sheet 201 according to the third embodiment is different from that in the first embodiment. Specifically, in sheet 201 according to the third embodiment, the shape of accommodation portion 242 in the non-accommodated state is not tapered but is a substantially cylindrical shape extending in the front-rear direction. That is, in the third embodiment, in the non-accommodated state, inner diameter d10 of accommodation portion 242 is set to a substantially constant dimension in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, in the non-accommodated state, inner diameter d10 of accommodation portion 242 is set to a dimension smaller than outer diameter d1 of vibrator 60.

[0074] In the seat 201 according to the third embodiment, the inner diameter d10 of the accommodation portion 242 in the unaccommodated state is set to be smaller than the outer diameter d1 of the vibrator 60. Therefore, in the accommodated state in which the vibrator 60 is accommodated in the accommodation portion 242, the inner circumferential surface 242A of the accommodation portion 242 is in close contact with the outer circumferential surface 60A of the vibrator 60 in an elastically deformed state. In the seat 201 according to the third embodiment, the inner circumferential surface 242A of the accommodation portion 242 is in close contact with the outer circumferential surface 60A of the vibrator 60 over its entire front-to-rear direction. As a result, in the third embodiment, as in the first embodiment, vibrations can be reliably transmitted from the vibrator 60 to the seat pad 30 and the seated occupant, while the vibrator 60 can be stably held inside the seat pad 30. Note that the seat 201 according to the third embodiment also achieves the same effects as those of the first embodiment, provided that it has the same configuration as the first embodiment.

[0075] (Fourth embodiment) A seat according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 14. Fig. 14 corresponds to Fig. 6 and is a cross-sectional view showing an enlarged portion of the seat pad 30 of a seat 301 according to the fourth embodiment. As in Fig. 6, in Fig. 14 too, the chain line indicates the inner circumferential surface of the storage section in the unstorage state.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 14, in a seat 301 according to the fourth embodiment, a lid portion 310 is fixed to a seat pad 30.

[0077] The lid portion 310 is fixed to an opening of the storage compartment 42 formed on the rear surface 34 of the seat pad 30, closing the opening. The lid portion 310 has a plate shape. For example, the lid portion 310 is formed of urethane, similar to the seat pad 30. The lid portion 310 is fitted into the opening edge 42D of the storage compartment 42 formed on the rear surface 34 in a position perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction. A tape 320 is attached to the rear surface of the lid portion 310 and the rear surface 34 of the seat pad 30 so as to extend across them, and the tape 320 secures the lid portion 310 to the opening edge 42D of the storage compartment 42. The lid portion 310 does not close the opening edge of the groove 43, and in the fourth embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the wiring 50 is drawn from the inside to the outside of the storage compartment 42 through the opening edge of the groove 43.

[0078] According to the sheet 301 of the fourth embodiment, the opening of the housing portion 42 is closed by the lid portion 310, which more reliably prevents the vibrator 60 from falling out of the housing portion 42. Note that the sheet 301 of the fourth embodiment also has the same effects as the first embodiment, which are obtained by having the same configuration as the first embodiment.

[0079] (Fifth embodiment) A seat according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described using Fig. 15. Fig. 15 corresponds to Fig. 6 and is a cross-sectional view showing an enlarged portion of the seat pad 30 of a seat 401 according to the fifth embodiment. As in Fig. 6, in Fig. 15 too, the chain line indicates the inner circumferential surface of the storage section in the unstored state.

[0080] 15, in a seat 401 according to the fifth embodiment, a storage portion 442 opens to the front side surface 32 of the seat pad 30, and a communication portion 444 opens to the back side surface 34. In addition, a wiring 50 is inserted into the communication portion 444, and the wiring 50 passes through the communication portion 444 and extends from the storage portion 442 to the outside of the seat pad 30.

[0081] In the seat 401 of the fifth embodiment, the storage section 442, which has a relatively large inner diameter, opens to the front surface 32, allowing the vibrator 60 to be positioned closer to the front surface 32 and therefore closer to the back of the occupant, making it possible to apply stronger vibrations to the seat pad 30 and the occupant.

[0082] Furthermore, in the seat 401 according to the fifth embodiment, the wiring 50 is routed so as to pass through the inside of the communication portion 444 and extend from the storage portion 442 to the outside of the seat pad 30. Therefore, with a simple routing structure, the wiring 50 can be routed to the surface opposite to the surface where the storage portion 442 is open. Specifically, in the case where the storage portion 442 is opened on the front side surface 32 as described above and the wiring 50 is routed toward the rear of the seat pad 30, if a configuration is adopted in which the wiring 50 is routed forward of the storage portion 442 through the opening of the storage portion 442, it would be necessary to add a hole in the seat pad 30 to guide the wiring 50 toward the rear of the seat pad 30, or the wiring 50 would need to be routed across the seat pad 30, resulting in a complicated arrangement of the wiring 50. In contrast, with the configuration according to the fifth embodiment, the storage portion 442 is opened on the front side surface 32, and the wiring 50 can be routed from the inside of the storage portion 442 to the rear of the seat pad 30, thereby simplifying the arrangement of the wiring 50.

[0083] (Other variations) In the fourth embodiment described above, the lid 310 has a plate shape. However, the specific shape of the lid is not limited to the above, as long as it is configured to be fixed to the opening of the storage section 42 and close the opening of the storage section. For example, a cloth-like material may be used as the lid. Furthermore, the material of the lid is not limited to urethane, and the lid may be made of resin, rubber, nonwoven fabric, woven fabric, or the like. Furthermore, the configuration for fixing the lid is not limited to the above-described tape-fixing configuration. For example, the lid may be fixed by adhesive, a pin, or the like. Furthermore, the lid may be press-fitted into the opening end of the storage section and fixed by the elastic reaction force of the opening end.

[0084] In each of the above embodiments, the accommodating portion has been described as having a tapered shape (first embodiment) or a cylindrical shape (third embodiment), but the specific shape of the accommodating portion is not limited to the above as long as it has a shape that can accommodate the vibrator 60 inside and be in close contact with it.

[0085] Furthermore, as explained in the second embodiment above, the communication portion 44 may be omitted.

[0086] Furthermore, in the above first to fourth embodiments, the opening surface of the storage section 42, 242 is the rear surface 34 of the seat pad 30, and the storage section 42, 242 opens rearward, but the opening direction of the storage section 42, 242 is not limited to this.

[0087] In addition, although the above embodiments have been described with reference to the case where the vibrator has a cylindrical shape, the specific shape of the vibrator is not limited to this. Furthermore, the arrangement orientation of the vibrator is not limited to an orientation extending in the front-rear direction.

[0088] In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the case where six vibrators 60 are fixed to the seat pad 30 has been described, but the number of vibrators 60 is not limited to this. In addition, the case where two wires 51 and 52 are connected to the vibrator 60 has been described, but the number of wires connected to the vibrator 60 is not limited to this.

[0089] Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, the case where the storage section is provided in the seat back side seat pad 30 and the vibrator 60 is fixed to the seat back side seat pad 30 has been described, but the storage section and the vibrator 60 may also be provided in the seat cushion side seat pad 10B.

[0090] Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, the seatback side seat pad 30 is made of urethane foam resin, but the specific material of the seatback side seat pad 30 is not limited to this. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 1 sheet 30 seat pad 32 Front side 34 Back side (opening surface) 42 Storage section 43 Groove 44 Communication part 50 Wiring 60 oscillators 101 seat (second embodiment) 201 seat (third embodiment) 301 seat (fourth embodiment) 310 Lid 401 seat (fifth embodiment)

Claims

1. A seat including a seat pad that supports a seated occupant and a vibrator that vibrates the seat pad, The seat pad is made of an elastic body, and includes a front side surface facing the seated person, a back side surface located opposite to the front side surface, and a storage portion having a shape extending along a front-back direction from one of the front side surface and the back side surface to the other and opening into an opening surface that is one of the front side surface and the back side surface, The vibrator is accommodated inside the accommodation portion, A sheet characterized in that an inner peripheral surface of the accommodating portion is in close contact with an outer peripheral surface of the vibrator in an elastically deformed state.

2. The sheet according to claim 1, the vibrator has a cylindrical shape extending along the front-to-back direction, the accommodation portion in a non-accommodated state in which the vibrator is not accommodated in the accommodation portion has a tapered shape in which an inner diameter gradually decreases toward the opening surface in the front-to-back direction, The seat is characterized in that the maximum inner diameter of the accommodation portion in the non-accommodated state is set to be equal to or smaller than the outer diameter of the vibrator.

3. The sheet according to claim 1, the vibrator has a cylindrical shape extending along the front-to-back direction, A sheet characterized in that, in a non-accommodated state in which the vibrator is not accommodated in the accommodation section, the inner diameter of the accommodation section is smaller than the outer diameter of the vibrator over the entire front-to-back direction.

4. The sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 3, Wiring connected to the vibrator, The seat is characterized in that a groove extending along the front-to-back direction and into which the wiring is routed is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the storage section.

5. The sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the seat pad has a communication portion that is provided at a position overlapping with the storage portion when viewed along the front-back direction, communicates with the storage portion, and opens on one of the front side surface and the back side surface opposite to the opening surface, A sheet characterized in that the area of ​​a cross section of the communicating portion perpendicular to the front-to-back direction is smaller than the area of ​​a cross section of the vibrator perpendicular to the front-to-back direction.

6. The sheet according to claim 5, A seat characterized by comprising a wiring that passes through the inside of the communication portion and extends from the vibrator to the outside of the seat pad.

7. The sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A sheet characterized by comprising a lid portion fixed to an opening portion of the storage portion formed on the opening surface to close the opening portion.

8. The sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A sheet characterized in that the back side surface is the open surface.

9. A method for fixing a vibrator in a seat including a seat pad that supports a seated occupant and a vibrator, comprising: The seat pad is made of an elastic material and has a front side surface facing the seat occupant, a back side surface located opposite to the front side surface, and a storage section that has a shape extending along a front-back direction from one of the front side surface and the back side surface to the other and that opens into an opening surface that is one of the front side surface and the back side surface. a method for fixing a vibrator, the method comprising inserting the vibrator into the accommodating section through an opening formed on the opening surface while expanding the diameter of the accommodating section by the vibrator, and bringing the inner peripheral surface of the accommodating section into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the vibrator while elastically deforming the inner peripheral surface of the accommodating section.

Images