Seat cushion for vehicle seat and vehicle seat

Abstract

To improve ease for an occupant to get on and off a vehicle and support of the hip part of an occupant.SOLUTION: A seat cushion 12 comprises: a cushion center part 12C which supports a hip part and a thigh part of a vehicle occupant from the lower side of a seat; and right and left cushion side parts 12S which support the hip part and the thigh part of the occupant from the outer side in the right-left direction the seat. A front part 12S1 of the upper surface of each of the right and left cushion side parts 12S is inclined upward toward the rear side of the seat. The upper surface projects to the upper side of the seat more than the front parts 12S1 at a projecting part 12S3 provided in a middle part in a front-rear direction. A rear part 12S2 on the rear side of the seat is inclined downward toward the rear side of the seat more than a vertex V of the projection part 12S3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat, and more particularly to a seat cushion. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 below discloses a vehicle seat to be installed in a large truck or the like. The seat cushion of this vehicle seat includes a cushion center portion that supports the occupant's buttocks and thighs from below, and left and right cushion side portions that support the occupant's buttocks and thighs from the left and right outer sides. The left and right cushion side portions are gently curved and convex upward when viewed from the side. The front portion of the upper surface of each cushion side portion is inclined upward toward the rear of the seat, and the rear portion of the upper surface of each cushion side portion is inclined downward toward the rear of the seat. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-141104 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned prior art, the front and rear of each cushion side section are set at approximately the same height, so there is room for improvement in terms of improving the ease with which occupants can get in and out of the vehicle and the support for the buttocks (pelvis).

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a seat cushion for a vehicle seat and a vehicle seat that can improve the ease with which an occupant can get in and out of a vehicle and the support for the buttocks. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The seat cushion of a vehicle seat of the first aspect comprises a cushion central portion that supports the buttocks and thighs of a vehicle occupant from below the seat, and left and right cushion side portions that support the buttocks and thighs of the occupant from the left-right outer sides of the seat, and the upper surface of at least the cushion side portion on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the left and right cushion side portions has a front portion that slopes upward toward the rear of the seat, a protruding portion provided in the middle in the fore-and-aft direction that protrudes further above the seat than the front portion, and a rear portion that is rearward of the seat from the apex of the protruding portion slopes downward toward the rear of the seat.

[0007] In the seat cushion for a vehicle seat of the first aspect, the cushion central portion supports the buttocks and thighs of a vehicle occupant from below the seat, and the left and right cushion side portions support the buttocks and thighs of the occupant from the left-right outer sides of the seat. Of the left and right cushion side portions, at least the upper surface of the cushion side portion on the outer side in the vehicle width direction has a front portion that slopes upward toward the rear of the seat, a protruding portion provided in the intermediate portion in the fore-and-aft direction protrudes further upward on the seat than the front portion, and a rear portion behind the apex of the protruding portion slopes downward toward the rear of the seat. This makes the front portion of the upper surface of at least the cushion side portion on the outer side in the vehicle width direction lower than the rear portion, thereby improving the ease with which occupants get in and out of the vehicle. Moreover, because the rear portion of the upper surface of at least the cushion side portion on the outer side in the vehicle width direction is higher than the front portion, this improves support for the buttocks.

[0008] In the seat cushion of the vehicle seat of the second aspect, in the first aspect, the protruding portion is disposed within a range of 20 mm to 80 mm toward the front of the seat from the hip point of the occupant when viewed in the left-right direction of the seat.

[0009] In the seat cushion for a vehicle seat according to the second aspect, the protrusions provided at least in the longitudinally intermediate portions of the cushion side portions on the outer sides in the vehicle width direction are disposed within the above-described range, thereby achieving both improved ease of entry and exit for the occupant and improved support for the buttocks.

[0010] The seat cushion of the vehicle seat of the third aspect is the first or second aspect, wherein the front and rear portions are inclined downwardly toward the center of the seat in the left-right direction, and the inclination angle of the front portion relative to the seat left-right direction is set to a range of 10±5 degrees, and the inclination angle of the rear portion relative to the seat left-right direction is set to a range of 35±5 degrees.

[0011] In the seat cushion for a vehicle seat of the third aspect, at least the front and rear portions of the upper surface of the cushion side portion on the outer side in the vehicle width direction are inclined downward toward the center in the seat left-right direction, and the inclination angles are set as described above, thereby achieving both improved ease of getting in and out of the vehicle and improved support for the occupant's buttocks.

[0012] A vehicle seat of a fourth aspect includes a seat cushion of any one of the first to third aspects that supports the buttocks and thighs of a vehicle occupant, and a seat back that supports the back of the occupant.

[0013] In the vehicle seat of the fourth aspect, the buttocks and thighs of a vehicle occupant are supported by the seat cushion, and the back of the occupant is supported by the seat back. Since the seat cushion is any one of the first to third aspects, the above-mentioned effects can be obtained. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to improve the ease with which an occupant can get in and out of a vehicle and the support for the buttocks. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a portion of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] 1 is a side view showing a portion of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment; [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a cut surface taken along line F3-F3 in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a cut surface taken along line F4-F4 in FIG. [Figure 5] 1 is a plan view showing a vehicle seat according to an embodiment; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] A vehicle seat 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 5. Note that in each figure, some reference numerals may be omitted to make the drawings easier to understand. Arrows FR, RH, and UP, which are appropriately depicted in each figure, respectively indicate the front, right, and top of the vehicle seat 10. Hereinafter, when the front-rear, left-right, top-bottom directions are used in the description, they will indicate directions relative to the vehicle seat 10.

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, a vehicle seat 10 according to this embodiment includes a seat cushion 12 that supports the buttocks B and thighs F of a vehicle occupant P, a seatback 14 that supports the back of the occupant P, and a headrest (not shown) that supports the head of the occupant P. The vehicle seat 10 is a seat that is installed in vehicles with a high ground clearance, such as large trucks, pickup trucks, sports utility vehicles, and minivans. The vehicle seat 10 is disposed on the right side of the vehicle interior, for example. The front-rear, left-right, up-down directions of the vehicle seat 10 coincide with the front-rear, left-right, up-down directions of the vehicle.

[0018] The seat cushion 12 includes a cushion frame (not shown) which is a framework member, a cushion pad 16 which is a cushion material attached to the cushion frame, and a cushion skin 18 which covers the cushion pad 16.

[0019] The cushion frame is formed by joining, for example, press-formed metal plates or metal pipes. The cushion pad 16 is formed from a foam such as urethane foam and is attached to the cushion frame from above. The cushion cover 18 is formed into a bag shape by sewing together multiple cover pieces made of, for example, cloth, leather, synthetic leather, etc., and is placed over the cushion pad 16 from above.

[0020] The seat cushion 12 includes a cushion center portion 12C that supports the occupant's buttocks and thighs from below, and left and right cushion side portions 12S that support the occupant's buttocks and thighs from the outside in the left-right direction (seat width direction). The left and right cushion side portions 12S protrude (bulge) upward from the cushion center portion 12C. The left and right cushion side portions 12S are basically configured the same except that they are configured symmetrically.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, the upper surface of the cushion side portion 12S has a front portion 12S1 that slopes upward toward the rear, a protrusion (step portion) 12S3 provided in the middle of the front-to-rear direction that protrudes upward more than the front portion 12S1, and a rear portion 12S2 located rearward of the apex V of the protrusion 12S3 slopes downward toward the rear.

[0022] 2 to 4, the buttocks B and thighs F of the occupant P are indicated by two-dot chain lines as appropriate. The occupant P is, for example, a Hybrid-III AM50 (50th percentile of adult males in the United States) dummy. Also, in FIGS. 2 to 4, the cushion side portions CES of a seat cushion according to a comparative example (conventional example) are indicated by two-dot chain lines. In FIGS. 2 to 4, CES1 is the front portion of the cushion side portion CES, and CES2 is the rear portion of the cushion side portion CES.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 2, the front portion 12S1 is gently curved upward and convex toward the rear. The protruding portion 12S3 is also inclined upward toward the rear, with a steeper incline than the front portion 12S1. The rear portion 12S2 is an inclined surface with a substantially constant downward incline from the apex V of the protruding portion 12S3 to the rear end of the cushion side portion 12S.

[0024] The protruding portion 12S3 is provided so as to be positioned within a range of 20 to 80 millimeters forward from the hip point HP of the occupant P when viewed in the left-right direction. The protruding height h of the protruding portion 12S3 from the front portion 12S1 is set within a range of 15 to 16 millimeters, for example. By providing this protruding portion 12S3, the height of the front portion 12S1 is made lower than the height of the rear portion 12S2. In addition, the radius of curvature of the curved surface portion R1 provided at the front end of the cushion side portion 12S is set smaller than the radius of curvature of the curved surface portion R2 provided at the front end of the cushion side portion CES in the comparative example.

[0025] 3, the front portion 12S1 is inclined downward toward the center in the left-right direction, with an inclination angle θ1 relative to the left-right direction set within a range of 5 to 15 degrees. The front portion CES1 of the cushion side portion CES in the comparative example is inclined downward toward the center in the left-right direction, with an inclination angle θ2 relative to the left-right direction set to, for example, approximately 17.5 degrees. The height of the front portion 12S1 is set to be lower than the height of the front portion CES1 by, for example, approximately 12 millimeters.

[0026] 4, the rear portion 12S2 is inclined downward toward the center in the left-right direction, and the inclination angle θ3 with respect to the left-right direction is set within a range of 30 to 40 degrees. The rear portion CES2 of the cushion side portion CES in the comparative example is inclined downward toward the center in the left-right direction, and the inclination angle θ4 with respect to the left-right direction is set to, for example, about 22 degrees. The height of the rear portion 12S2 is set to be higher than the height of the rear CES2, for example, about 10 millimeters.

[0027] 3 shows a cross section of the seat cushion 12 at a position in the front-to-rear direction where the hip point HP of the occupant P is located, and Fig. 4 shows a cross section of the seat cushion 12 at a position 150 mm forward of the hip point HP of the occupant P. The cross section of the cushion pad 16 is not shown in Figs. 3 and 4. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the radii of curvature of the curved surface portions R3 and R5 provided at the outer left-right ends of the front portion 12S1 and the rear portion 12S2 of the cushion side portion 12S in this embodiment are set to be smaller than the radii of curvature of the curved surface portions R4 and R6 provided at the outer left-right ends of the front portion CES1 and the rear portion CES2 of the cushion side portion CES in the comparative example.

[0028] Next, the operation and effects of this embodiment will be described. In the vehicle seat 10 configured as described above, the buttocks B and thighs F of the occupant P are supported by the seat cushion 12, and the back of the occupant P is supported by the seat back 14. In the seat cushion 12, the buttocks B and thighs F of the occupant P are supported from below by the cushion center portion 12C, and the buttocks B and thighs F of the occupant P are supported from the outside in the left-right direction by the left and right cushion side portions 12S.

[0029] The upper surfaces of the left and right cushion side portions 12S have front portions 12S1 that slope upward toward the rear, protruding portions 12S3 provided in the middle in the front-to-rear direction protrude upward more than the front portions 12S1, and rear portions 12S2 that are rearward of the apex V of the protruding portions 12S3 slope downward toward the rear. As a result, the front portions 12S1 of the upper surfaces of the left and right cushion side portions 12S are lower than the rear portions 12S2, thereby improving the ease with which the occupant P can get in and out of the vehicle.

[0030] That is, when the occupant P gets in and out of the vehicle, the occupant P leans relative to the seat cushion 12 so that the buttocks B and thighs F of the occupant P face forward and outward in the vehicle width direction (to the right in this case) as shown in Fig. 5. At this time, the front portions 12S1 of the upper surfaces of the cushion side portions 12S on the outer side in the vehicle width direction are less likely to interfere with the thighs F. This improves the ease with which the occupant P gets in and out of the vehicle. Moreover, because the rear portions 12S2 of the upper surfaces of the left and right cushion side portions 12S are higher than the front portions 12S1, the support for the buttocks B while the vehicle is moving can be improved.

[0031] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the protruding portions 12S3 of the left and right cushion side portions 12S are disposed within a range of 20 to 80 millimeters forward from the hip point HP of the occupant P when viewed in the left-right direction. As a result, when the occupant gets in and out of the vehicle, the front portions 12S1 of the upper surfaces of the cushion side portions 12S on the outer sides in the vehicle width direction are less likely to interfere with the thighs F of the occupant P, and when the vehicle is moving, the rear portions 12S2 of the upper surfaces of the left and right cushion side portions 12S are more likely to interfere with the buttocks B of the occupant P. As a result, it is possible to satisfactorily achieve both improved ease of getting the occupant P in and out of the vehicle and improved support for the buttocks B.

[0032] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the front portions 12S1 and rear portions 12S2 of the upper surfaces of the left and right cushion side portions 12S are inclined downwardly toward the center in the left-right direction, with the angle of inclination of the front portion 12S1 relative to the left-right direction being set within a range of 10±5 degrees, and the angle of inclination of the rear portion 12S2 relative to the left-right direction being set within a range of 35±5 degrees. As a result, when an occupant gets in and out of the vehicle, the front portions 12S1 of the upper portions of the cushion side portions 12S on the outer side in the vehicle width direction are less likely to interfere with the thighs F of the occupant P, and when the vehicle is moving, the rear portions 12S2 of the upper surfaces of the left and right cushion side portions 12S are more likely to interfere with the buttocks B of the occupant P. As a result, it is possible to satisfactorily achieve both improved ease of ingress and egress for the occupant P and improved support for the buttocks B.

[0033] In the above embodiment, the left and right cushion side portions 12S are configured to be symmetrical, but this is not limiting. A configuration in which the protrusion 12S3 is provided only on the cushion side portion 12S on the outer side in the vehicle width direction among the left and right cushion side portions 12S may be adopted. In this case, for example, the front and rear portions of the upper surface of the cushion side portion 12S on the inner side in the vehicle width direction may be configured to have the same height.

[0034] In addition, the present invention can be implemented with various modifications within the scope of the gist thereof. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the scope of the rights of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 10 Vehicle seats 12 seat cushions 12C Cushion Center 12S Cushion side part 12S1 front 12S2 rear 12S3 Protrusion 14 Seat back θ1 Front tilt angle relative to the left and right direction θ3 Rear tilt angle relative to the left and right direction V Vertex P crew B Buttocks F thigh HP Hip Point

Claims

1. a cushion center portion that supports the buttocks and thighs of a vehicle occupant from below the seat; left and right cushion side portions that support the buttocks and thighs of the occupant from the outside in the left-right direction of the seat; Equipped with The upper surface of at least the vehicle width direction outer cushion side portion of the left and right cushion side portions is The front part slopes upward towards the rear of the seat, a protruding portion provided in a middle portion in the front-rear direction protrudes above the seat further than the front portion; The seat cushion for a vehicle seat has a rear portion that is inclined downward toward the rear of the seat from the apex of the protrusion.

2. 2. The seat cushion for a vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the protruding portion is disposed within a range of 20 to 80 mm forward of the hip point of the occupant when viewed from the left and right of the seat.

3. The front and rear portions are inclined downwardly toward the center in the left-right direction of the seat, The inclination angle of the front portion relative to the left-right direction of the seat is set within a range of 10±5 degrees, 3. The seat cushion for a vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the rear portion has an inclination angle set within a range of 35.+-.5 degrees with respect to the left-right direction of the seat.

4. The seat cushion according to claim 1 or 2, which supports the buttocks and thighs of a vehicle occupant; a seat back that supports the back of the occupant; A vehicle seat comprising:

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