Vehicular seat

Abstract

To provide a vehicular seat that comprises lifting means which can be arranged compactly in a width direction of the seat.SOLUTION: A vehicular seat S comprises: a seat cushion 1; a cushion frame CF that supports the seat cushion 1 and lifts the cushion up and down; a pair of height links HL which are turnably connected to both side parts of the cushion frame CF in a width direction of the seat and change a heigh of the seat cushion 1 by turning operation; a connection shaft 27 connecting the pair of height links HL to each other; a lifting movable part 7 provided along a circumferential direction of the connection shaft 27, and having energizing means 70 that assists the turning operation of the pair of height links HL; and a lifting restricting part 71 that restricts the seat cushion 1 from being lifted up and down.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat, and more particularly to a vehicle seat that can be transformed into a folding state. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, vehicle seats such as the one disclosed in Patent Document 1 have been known that have a function that allows the entire vehicle seat to be folded compactly into a folded state (a so-called dive-down state) by tilting the seat back forward and moving the seat cushion forward.

[0003] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a configuration in which a torsion bar that assists the elevation of an elevation member that changes the seat height is provided inside the hollow of a connecting shaft. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-59765 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6524236 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The vehicle seat described in Patent Document 1 is provided with a link for diving down and a height adjustment link for changing the height of the seat cushion, but has no lifting means to assist in changing the height of the seat cushion, which poses the problem that a large amount of force is required to change the height. Furthermore, in Patent Document 2, the torsion bar extends into the hollow portion of the connecting shaft, and there is a need for a lifting means that can realize a more compact arrangement in the left-right direction (the direction in which the connecting shaft extends, the seat width direction).

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has as its object to provide a vehicle seat provided with a lifting means that can be arranged compactly in the seat width direction, for example. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The above problem is solved by the vehicle seat of the present invention, which comprises a seat cushion, a cushion frame that supports and raises and lowers the seat cushion, a pair of height links that are rotatably connected to both sides of the cushion frame in the seat width direction and change the height of the seat cushion by pivoting, a connecting shaft that connects the pair of height links, a lifting movable part that is provided along the circumferential direction of the connecting shaft and has a biasing means that assists the pivoting movement of the pair of height links, and a lifting regulation part that regulates the lifting and lowering of the seat cushion. By providing the liftable portion with a biasing means provided along the circumferential direction of the connecting shaft, it is possible to provide a vehicle seat equipped with a liftable means that can be arranged compactly in the seat width direction.

[0008] In the above configuration, the liftable portion may be disposed inward in the seat width direction from the side portion of the cushion frame. By arranging the liftable portion on the inner side in the seat width direction from the side portion of the cushion frame, the liftable portion can be made more compact in the seat width direction.

[0009] In the above configuration, the biasing means may be formed as a spiral spring, and the connecting shaft may have an inner end locking portion that locks an inner end of the biasing means of the liftable portion. By forming the biasing means with a spiral spring, the liftable portion can be made more compact in the seat width direction.

[0010] In the above configuration, the inner end locking portion may be formed by a hole formed in the connecting shaft. By configuring the inner end locking portion as a hole formed in the connecting shaft, the number of parts of the liftable portion can be reduced.

[0011] In the above-mentioned configuration, it is preferable that the cushion frame has an outer end locking portion on a side thereof for locking an outer end of the biasing means. By providing the outer end locking portion on the side of the cushion frame, the liftable portion can be arranged more compactly in the seat width direction.

[0012] In the above configuration, the connecting shaft may be disposed around the rotation axis of the pair of height links. By arranging the connecting shaft so as to surround the rotation axis of the height link, the rotation axis of the height link is supported by the connecting shaft, thereby improving the rigidity of the rotation axis.

[0013] In the above configuration, the height link of the pair of height links provided on the side where the elevation restriction portion is disposed may be disposed between the elevation restriction portion and the biasing means. By disposing the height link between the lifting / lowering restricting portion and the biasing means, a force is applied to the height link from the seat width direction, which allows the seat to be lifted and lowered smoothly, for example.

[0014] In the above configuration, a slide rail device is provided that slides the seat cushion in the fore-and-aft direction of the seat, and when the vehicle seat is in a height-down state in which the height of the seat cushion is lowest, the lower end of the biasing means is preferably positioned below the upper end of the slide rail device. When in the height-down state, the lower end of the biasing means is configured to be positioned lower than the upper end of the slide rail device, allowing for a compact arrangement in the up-and-down direction of the seat and making the frame thinner when in the height-down state.

[0015] In the above configuration, the elevation restricting portion and the height link may be disposed inside the inner side portion of the slide rail. By arranging the lift restricting portion and the height link inside the inner side portion of the slide rail, a compact arrangement can be achieved in the seat width direction.

[0016] In the above configuration, the elevation restricting portion may be a round unit having external teeth, internal teeth that mesh with the external teeth, and a release mechanism that moves the external teeth to release the lock on the external teeth. By making the lifting restriction section a round unit, it is possible to share parts with the reclining mechanism, for example, thereby reducing costs. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the vehicle seat of the present invention, the liftable portion has a biasing means arranged along the circumferential direction of the connecting shaft, thereby making it possible to provide a vehicle seat equipped with a liftable means that can be arranged compactly in the seat width direction. Furthermore, by arranging the liftable portion on the inner side in the seat width direction from the side portion of the cushion frame, the liftable portion can be arranged more compactly in the seat width direction. Furthermore, by forming the biasing means as a spiral spring, the liftable portion can be arranged more compactly in the seat width direction. Furthermore, by forming the inner end locking portion as a hole formed in the connecting shaft, the number of parts of the liftable portion can be reduced. Furthermore, by providing the outer end locking portion on the side of the cushion frame, the liftable portion can be arranged more compactly in the seat width direction. Furthermore, by arranging the connecting shaft so as to surround the rotation axis of the height link, the rotation axis of the height link is supported by the connecting shaft, thereby improving the rigidity of the rotation axis. Furthermore, by disposing the height link between the lifting / lowering restricting portion and the biasing means, a force is applied to the height link from the seat width direction, which allows the seat to be lifted and lowered smoothly, for example. In addition, by configuring the lower end of the biasing means to be positioned lower than the upper end of the slide rail when the seat is in the height-down state, the seat can be arranged compactly in the vertical direction, and the frame can be made thinner when the seat is in the height-down state. Furthermore, by arranging the lift restricting portion and the height link inside the inner side portion of the slide rail, a compact arrangement can be achieved in the seat width direction. Furthermore, by making the lifting restriction section a round unit, it is possible to share parts with the reclining mechanism, for example, thereby reducing costs. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen obliquely from the front. [Figure 2] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the seat frame in a height-raised state. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the frame in a folded state, and is a diagram mainly showing the height frame and the slide rail device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a top view showing the cushion frame and the slide rail device in a folded state. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a top view showing the height frame and slide rail device in a folded state. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a seat frame in a normal state. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the seat frame in a reclined state. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the seat frame in the height-raised state. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the seat frame in a folded state. [Figure 10] 5 is a cross-sectional view of the cushion frame taken along line XX in FIG. 4. [Figure 11] 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a part of FIG. 3 showing the periphery of a liftable part. [Figure 12]12 is a rear view showing the vicinity of the liftable part as seen from the arrow XII direction in FIG. 11. [Figure 13] 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII in FIG. 11, showing the configuration of a biasing spring. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the internal configuration of a lifting / lowering restriction unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] The configuration of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention (the present embodiment) will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment described below is an example for facilitating understanding of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. In other words, the present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and of course, the present invention also includes equivalents thereof.

[0020] In the following, a vehicle seat S provided in a vehicle automobile such as a minivan will be taken as an example of a vehicle seat, and an example of the configuration thereof will be described. In the following description, the "seat front-rear direction" refers to the front-rear direction of the vehicle seat S, which is the direction that coincides with the traveling direction when the vehicle is traveling. The "seat width direction" refers to the width direction of the vehicle seat S, which is the direction that coincides with the left-right direction as seen by an occupant seated in the vehicle seat S. The "up-down direction" refers to the up-down direction of the vehicle seat S, which is the direction that coincides with the vertical direction when the vehicle is traveling on a horizontal plane. The outer and inner sides are defined based on the occupant. That is, the direction toward the center of the seat width direction is the inward direction, and the direction away from it is the outward direction. A common number is assigned to a pair of left and right components, and when specifying the left and right, the name indicating the component is appended with "left side" or "right side," and the letter "L" or "R" is added to the reference symbol.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle seat S is a seat placed on the floor of the vehicle and in which a vehicle occupant sits. In this embodiment, the vehicle seat S is a seat that is disposed on the right side (behind the driver's seat) of the rear seats corresponding to the rear seats of the vehicle. The vehicle seat S can also be used as a middle seat in the second row or a third seat in the third row in a vehicle that has three rows of seats in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The vehicle seat S may also be used as a front seat corresponding to the front seats.

[0022] The vehicle seat S of this embodiment is configured to be able to transition between a plurality of states. Hereinafter, a state in which an occupant can sit in the vehicle seat S in an edge-sitting position (sitting with legs down) will be referred to as the "normal state" of the vehicle seat S (see FIGS. 1 and 6). A state in which the seat back 2 is rotated rearward of the seat cushion 1 from the normal state will be referred to as the "reclining state" of the vehicle seat S (see FIG. 7). On the other hand, a state in which the position of the seat cushion 1 is higher than the position in the normal state (see FIGS. 2 and 8) will be referred to as the "height-raised state." A state in which the seat cushion 1 is moved to collapse (sink) onto the vehicle floor and the entire vehicle seat S is folded (see FIG. 9) will be referred to as the "folded state." The folded state may also be referred to as the "dive-down state." A state in which the seat cushion 1 is simply moved to collapse onto the vehicle floor, regardless of the state of the seat back 2, may also be referred to as the "collapsed state." Furthermore, the state in which the seat cushion 1 is at the lowest position may be referred to as a height-down state.

[0023] The vehicle seat S can be arranged in a normal state in which an occupant can be seated, a reclined state in which the seat back 2 is rotated backward, a height-raised state in which the position of the seat cushion 1 is raised, and a folded state in which the seat back 2 is folded and tilted forward.

[0024] The occupant can move the entire seat forward or backward by operating a slide rail operating lever 41 located on the front left side of the seat cushion 1. In addition, by operating a height frame operating lever 42 located on the front right side of the seat cushion 1, the occupant can rotate a height link HL, which will be described later, to change the height of the seat cushion 1. In addition, by operating a lever located on the shoulder of the seat back 2, the seat back 2 can be rotated forward or backward and folded down. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the shape, position, and posture of each part of the vehicle seat S described below will be described assuming that the vehicle seat S is in a normal state.

[0025] <Vehicle seat S> The overall configuration of a vehicle seat S according to this embodiment will be outlined with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the vehicle seat S according to this embodiment, seen obliquely from the front, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the seat frame F of the vehicle seat S in a height-raised state. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the seat frame F in a folded state, mainly showing the height frame 20 and the slide rail device 6. FIG. 4 is a top view showing the cushion frame Cf and the slide rail device 6 in a folded state. FIG. 5 is a top view showing the seat frame F in a folded state, mainly showing the height frame 20 and the slide rail device 6. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the seat frame F in a normal state, and FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the seat frame F in a reclined state. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the seat frame F in a height-raised state, and FIG. 9 is a side view showing the seat frame F in a folded state. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the cushion frame Cf taken along line XX in FIG. 4. In FIG. 1, for convenience of illustration, a part of the vehicle seat S is shown with the cover material Tr removed and the pad material P exposed.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle seat S according to this embodiment mainly comprises a seat cushion 1, a seat back 2, a headrest 3, a reclining device 5, and a slide rail device 6. In the following description, the seat cushion 1, the seat back 2, and the headrest 3 may be collectively referred to as a seat body Sh. A buckle for a seat belt 9 is provided on the left rear portion of the seat cushion 1. 2, a seat frame F that forms the framework of the vehicle seat S is provided inside the vehicle seat S. The seat frame F includes a cushion frame Cf, a back frame 30, and a headrest frame 36.

[0027] <Seat cushion 1> The seat cushion 1 is a support member that supports the buttocks of a seated occupant (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a seated person), and supports the seated person from below. As shown in FIG. 2, the seat cushion 1 includes a cushion frame Cf that forms the framework of the seat cushion 1. The cushion frame Cf of this embodiment is composed of a cushion main body frame 10 that directly supports the seated person, and a height frame 20 that is disposed below the cushion main body frame 10 and supports the cushion main body frame 10.

[0028] <Cushion body frame 10> The cushion main body frame 10 is a frame body having a rectangular shape when viewed from above. The cushion main body frame 10 has cushion side frames 11 that constitute the frame body, a pan frame 14 that connects the cushion side frames 11, and a cushion frame member 15. The cushion main body frame 10 also has a dive down link 16 that connects to the height frame 20 at its front end.

[0029] The cushion side frame 11 is composed of a right cushion side frame 11R disposed on the right side of the cushion main body frame 10 and a left cushion side frame 11L disposed on the left side. The right cushion side frame 11R and the left cushion side frame 11L extend in the front-to-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 4, the right cushion side frame 11R and the left cushion side frame 11L extend in different directions, with the right cushion side frame 11R bending outward (to the right) at the front and then extending in the front-to-rear direction. This makes it possible to ensure a seating space for the occupant while preventing the right cushion side frame 11R from interfering with other interior components arranged in the vehicle.

[0030] Each of the cushion side frames 11 has a folding mechanism. Specifically, the right cushion side frame 11R and the left cushion side frame 11L have a rear cushion side frame 12 and a front cushion side frame 13 that are rotatably connected around a folding pivot shaft 12a (see FIGS. 2 and 4).

[0031] The rear cushion side frame 12 arranged on the right side of the vehicle seat S may be referred to as the right rear cushion side frame 12R, and the rear cushion side frame 12 arranged on the left side may be referred to as the left rear cushion side frame 12L. The front cushion side frame 13 arranged on the right side of the vehicle seat S may be referred to as the right front cushion side frame 13R, and the front cushion side frame 13 arranged on the left side may be referred to as the left front cushion side frame 13L.

[0032] The pan frame 14 is made of a plate-like member and connects the front ends of the cushion side frames 11. The cushion frame members 15 are made of a pipe material and connect the central portions in the front-to-rear direction of the cushion side frames 11. A portion of the cushion frame member 15 is bent rearward, and the central portion of the cushion frame member 15 in the seat width direction is curved so that it is positioned rearward.

[0033] 2 and 4, a plurality of S-springs 18 are attached to the cushion main body frame 10 as pressure-receiving members that receive the load of the seated occupant, spanning the pan frame 14 and the cushion frame member 15. As described above, the central portion of the cushion frame member 15 has a shape that curves backward, so that the S-springs 18 can receive the load of the seated occupant over a wide area in the front-to-rear direction. In this embodiment, the pressure-receiving member is made up of a plurality of S-springs 18, but is not limited to this. The pressure-receiving member provided on the cushion main body frame 10 may be made up of an elastic plate-shaped member.

[0034] A slide rail operating lever 41 for operating the slide rail device 6 is provided in front of the left front cushion side frame 13L. In addition, a height frame operating lever 42 for operating the height frame 20 (described later) is provided in front of the right front cushion side frame 13R.

[0035] An ottoman for supporting the legs of a seated person may be provided on the seat cushion 1. When an ottoman is provided, an ottoman support mechanism (not shown) for supporting the ottoman may be provided between the slide rail operation lever 41 and the height frame operation lever 42.

[0036] <Dive Downlink 16> The dive down link 16 is interposed between the cushion side frame 11 and the front end of the height frame 20, and supports the cushion main body frame 10 in cooperation with the seat back 2, which will be described later. The dive downlink 16 mainly comprises a right dive downlink 16R located on the right side, a left dive downlink 16L located on the left side, and a dive downlink member 17 (see Figures 3 and 5).

[0037] The right dive down link 16R and the left dive down link 16L are long plate members each having a first rotation shaft 16a at one longitudinal end and a second rotation shaft 16b at the other end. The first rotation shaft 16a is rotatably connected to the cushion side frame 11, and the second rotation shaft 16b is rotatably connected to the height side frame 21. By rotating the right dive down link 16R and the left dive down link 16L, the vehicle seat S transitions between a normal state (see FIG. 6) in which the cushion main body frame 10 is spaced above the height frame 20, and a reclined state (or folded state, see FIG. 9) in which the cushion main body frame 10 is sunk downward.

[0038] <Elastic member 80> An elastic member 80 is provided at the longitudinal center of the right dive down link 16R and the left dive down link 16L. The elastic member 80 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and abuts against the slide rail device 6 in the folded state shown in FIG. 9. This makes it possible to suppress movement of the left and right dive down links 16 in the folded state. This makes it possible to suppress rattling of the vehicle seat S when it is stored below the floor.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 3, the elastic member 80 is fixed to an elastic member fixing portion 16c provided on the outer side of the dive down link 16 in the seat width direction. The elastic member fixing portion 16c is formed by bending the dive down link 16 made of a plate member. This eliminates the need to separately prepare a member such as a bracket for fixing the elastic member 80, thereby reducing the number of parts of the vehicle seat S. However, without being limited to this, a fixing member for fixing the elastic member 80 may be provided as a separate member.

[0040] The dive down link member 17 connects the right dive down link 16R and the left dive down link 16L, increasing the rigidity of the dive down link 16. In addition, by connecting the right dive down link 16R and the left dive down link 16L with the dive down link member 17, the cushion main body frame 10 can be smoothly raised and lowered relative to the height frame 20.

[0041] <Height frame 20> The cushion frame Cf includes the height frame 20 below the cushion main body frame 10 to support the cushion main body frame 10 as described above. The height frame 20 is a frame body having a rectangular shape when viewed from above, and includes height side frames 21 that constitute the frame body, a front height frame member 24, an intermediate height frame member 25, a rear height frame member 26, and a connecting shaft 27. The height frame 20 also has a front height link 22 and a rear height link 23 that are interposed between the height side frames 21 and the slide rail device 6.

[0042] The height side frame 21 is composed of a right height side frame 21R arranged on the right side of the height frame 20 and a left height side frame 21L arranged on the left side. The right height side frame 21R and the left height side frame 21L have an elongated shape and extend in the front-to-rear direction. The right height side frame 21R and the left height side frame 21L are plate-like bodies that, when viewed from the side, have a generally triangular shape that increases in height toward the rear.

[0043] 4 and 5, the left height side frame 21L has a portion that is bent toward the inside or outside of the seat in the seat width direction. This allows the left height side frame 21L to be positioned above the slide rail device 6 while avoiding interference with the slide lock device 63 and the front connecting bracket 43 disposed on the slide rail device 6.

[0044] An extended height side frame 21E is provided on the right side of the right height side frame 21R. The extended height side frame 21E is connected to the right height side frame 21R via a rear height frame member 26 and two connecting pipes 21Ea. However, the number and arrangement of the connecting pipes 21Ea are not limited to those shown in Figures 4 and 5. Three or more connecting pipes 21Ea may connect the right height side frame 21R and the extended height side frame 21E.

[0045] The front end of the right height side frame 21R and the front end of the left height side frame 21L are connected by a front height frame member 24. In addition, the rear end of the right height side frame 21R and the rear end of the left height side frame 21L are connected by a rear height frame member 26. The front height frame member 24 and the rear height frame member 26 are made of round pipe material that extends linearly.

[0046] An intermediate height frame member 25 is provided between the front height frame member 24 and the rear height frame member 26, and the intermediate height frame member 25 connects the right height side frame 21R and the left height side frame 21L. The intermediate-height frame member 25 is made of a straight round pipe material, but is not limited to this. For example, the intermediate-height frame member 25 may have a curved shape to avoid interference with other members. As a specific example, the intermediate-height frame member 25 may have a shape in which the center portion in the seat width direction is curved rearward.

[0047] The front height link 22 and the rear height link 23 are made of long plate-like members. The front height link 22 is rotatably connected to the height side frame 21 via a first pivot shaft 22a. A front connecting bracket 43 is provided on the upper surface of the slide rail device 6, and the front height link 22 is rotatably connected to the slide rail device 6 via a second pivot shaft 22b provided on the front connecting bracket 43. The left and right first pivot shafts 22a are connected by a front connecting shaft 27a (see FIG. 5). The front height link 22 is a driven link mechanism that operates in response to the rear height link 23 when the height frame operating lever 42 is operated.

[0048] 3 and 5, the left and right front height links 22 are connected by a front height link member 28. The front height link member 28 is made of a long plate-like member. The front height link member 28 is attached so as to be located in front of the front connecting shaft 27a when the vehicle seat S is in the folded state.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 8, the rear height link 23 is rotatably connected to the height side frame 21 via a first pivot shaft 23a. The rear height link 23 is rotatably connected to the slide rail device 6 via a second pivot shaft 23b provided on the rear connecting bracket 44. The left and right first pivot shafts 23a are connected by a rear connecting shaft 27b, as shown in Fig. 4. The rear connecting shaft 27b is provided with a lifting / lowering unit 7 that rotates the rear height link 23 and raises and lowers the seat surface of the seat cushion 1. The rear height link 23 is a driven link mechanism that is driven when the height frame operating lever 42 is operated. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the rear height links 23 provided on the left and right sides are connected by a rear height link member 29 formed in a pipe shape.

[0050] In the following, when there is no need to distinguish between the front height link 22 and the rear height link 23, they may be collectively referred to simply as height link HL. The front height link 22 arranged on the right side of the vehicle seat S may be referred to as the right front height link 22R, and the front height link 22 arranged on the left side may be referred to as the left front height link 22L. The rear height link 23 arranged on the right side of the vehicle seat S may be referred to as the right rear height link 23R, and the rear height link 23 arranged on the left side may be referred to as the left rear height link 23L.

[0051] The front height links 22 and the rear height links 23 rotate so as to stand upright forward relative to the slide rail device 6, thereby raising the cushion main body frame 10. This causes the vehicle seat S to transition from the normal state shown in Fig. 6 to the height-raised state shown in Fig. 8. Conversely, the front height links 22 and the rear height links 23 rotate so as to lean backward relative to the slide rail device 6, thereby lowering the cushion main body frame 10. This causes the vehicle seat S to transition from the height-raised state shown in Fig. 8 to the normal state shown in Fig. 6.

[0052] The second rotation shaft 16b of the dive down link 16 is rotatably provided at the front end of each height side frame 21. In addition, the rear end of each height side frame 21 is connected to the side connecting frame 32 of the back frame 30 via the reclining device 5. This allows each height side frame 21 to support the cushion main body frame 10 from below via the dive down link 16 at the front end and the back side frame 31 at the rear end.

[0053] <Pad material P> A pad material P for the seat cushion is placed on the cushion main body frame 10, and the pad material P is covered with a skin material Tr. The pad material P is a cushion material and is made of, for example, a urethane resin (foam resin) such as soft polyurethane foam. The pad material P may be made of biomass urethane. The skin material Tr that covers the pad material P is made of, for example, a stretchable synthetic leather material. The skin material Tr may be made of cloth, film, leather, etc.

[0054] <Seatback 2> The seat back 2 is a support member that supports the back of a seated occupant, and supports the seated occupant from behind. As shown in Fig. 2, the seat back 2 has a back frame 30 that forms the skeleton of the seat back 2. The seat back 2 has a back frame pad material P that covers the back frame 30, and a cover material Tr that covers the pad material P.

[0055] The back frame 30 is a frame body having a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the front. The back frame 30 mainly comprises a pair of back side frames 31, a side connecting frame 32, a back upper frame 33, a back lower frame 34, and a pressure plate 35. The pair of back side frames 31 are elongated frame members extending in the vertical direction and are disposed apart from each other while facing each other in the seat width direction. The side connecting frame 32 is connected to the lower end of the back side frame 31 and the reclining device 5. In addition, the side connecting frame 32 is connected to the upper end (rear end) of the rear cushion side frame 12.

[0056] The back upper frame 33 connects the upper ends of the left and right back side frames 31, and the back lower frame 34 connects the lower ends of the left and right back side frames 31. The pressure plate 35 is a plate-shaped member that is attached to the inside of the back frame 30 and receives the weight of a seated person.

[0057] The seat back 2 is connected to the seat cushion 1 and can be folded toward the seat cushion 1 as shown in FIG. When the seat back 2 is folded, the dive down link 16 of the seat cushion 1 rotates in conjunction with the operation of folding the seat back 2 toward the seat cushion 1, causing the seat cushion 1 to fall forward. At this time, the height links HL (front height link 22 and rear height link 23) of the seat cushion 1 also rotate toward the rear of the seat in conjunction with the operation of folding the seat back 2 toward the seat cushion 1, thereby lowering the height of the seat cushion 1. The dive down link 16 and the height link HL move in conjunction with the seat back 2, so that the vehicle seat S can be easily folded (folded down).

[0058] <Headrest 3> The headrest 3 is a support member that supports the head of a seated occupant from behind. As shown in Fig. 2, the headrest 3 has a headrest frame 36 that forms the skeleton of the headrest 3. The headrest 3 has a headrest padding material (not shown) that covers the headrest frame 36, and a skin material Tr that covers the padding material.

[0059] <Reclining device 5> The reclining device 5 rotatably connects the seat back 2 to the seat cushion 1. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, the reclining device 5 connects the rear end of the height frame 20 and the lower end of the back frame 30 that constitute the seat cushion 1. The reclining device 5 rotates the seat back 2 rearward relative to the seat cushion 1, thereby transitioning the vehicle seat S to a reclined state. The reclining device 5 also rotates the seat back 2 forward relative to the seat cushion 1, thereby transitioning the vehicle seat S to a folded state.

[0060] <Slide rail device 6> As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the slide rail device 6 connects the vehicle seat S to the vehicle floor so that the seat can slide in the front-rear direction. The movement direction of the slide rail device 6 is not limited to the front-rear direction of the seat, but may also be the seat width direction (left-right direction). In other words, the slide rail device 6 may connect the vehicle seat S to the vehicle floor so that the vehicle seat S can slide in the seat width direction. In other words, the slide rail device 6 is a device that moves the seat cushion 1 of the vehicle seat S in a predetermined direction.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 1, the slide rail device 6 is provided below the vehicle seat S. The slide rail device 6 has a known structure (the structure of a general slide rail mechanism). In detail, the slide rail device 6 has a lower rail 61 fixed to the floor and an upper rail 62 that is slidable in the front-to-rear direction relative to the lower rail 61. The slide rail device 6 also has a slide lock device 63 that restricts the sliding movement of the upper rail 62 relative to the lower rail 61. The slide lock device 63 can release the restriction on the sliding movement by operating a slide rail operating lever 41 provided on the seat cushion 1.

[0062] The slide lock device 63 also has a lock operation lever 63a that protrudes from the top surface of the upper rail 62 and is used to release the lock. The lock operation lever 63a is connected to a cable 64 that extends from the slide rail operation lever 41, and can be released by being pulled. When the pulling by the cable 64 is released, the lock operation lever 63a is returned to its original position by the spring member 63b and is locked again.

[0063] As described above, the upper rail 62 is provided with the front connecting bracket 43 and the rear connecting bracket 44. The upper rail 62 is connected to the height link HL of the cushion frame Cf via the front connecting bracket 43 and the rear connecting bracket 44. When the vehicle seat S is in a normal state, the height of the seat cushion 1 can be changed by rotating the height link HL in an upright direction, and the vehicle seat S can be brought into a height-raised state. The vehicle seat S is equipped with a slide rail device 6 and a height link HL rotatably connected to the slide rail device 6, which allows the seat cushion 1 to be moved in a predetermined direction (in the fore-and-aft direction of the seat in this embodiment) while changing the height of the seat cushion 1, thereby improving the freedom of seat arrangement.

[0064] <Reverse rotation suppression device 50> The vehicle seat S of this embodiment is provided with a reverse rotation suppression device 50, as shown in Fig. 2. The reverse rotation suppression device 50 is a device that suppresses the front height link 22 from rotating in the reverse direction when the seat cushion 1 is raised from a state in which the seat cushion height is at its lowest. As shown in Fig. 3, for example, the reverse rotation suppression device 50 is provided below the front height link 22 when the vehicle seat S is in a folded state and the seat cushion 1 is at its lowest height (height-down state). By providing the reverse rotation suppression device 50, reverse rotation of the front height link 22 during ascent can be suppressed.

[0065] <Lifting movable part 7> Hereinafter, the liftable portion 7 that assists the lifting and lowering of the seat cushion 1 by the height link HL will be described with reference to FIGS. Fig. 11 is a partially enlarged perspective view of Fig. 3 showing the vicinity of the liftable part 7, and Fig. 12 is a rear view showing the vicinity of the liftable part 7 as seen from the arrow XII in Fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII in Fig. 11, showing the configuration of the biasing spring 70, and Fig. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing the internal configuration of the lift restricting part 71.

[0066] As described above, the vehicle seat S has the seat cushion 1 and the cushion frame Cf, which forms the skeleton of the seat cushion 1. The cushion frame Cf also has a cushion main body frame 10 and a height frame 20 that supports the cushion main body frame 10 from below. The height frame 20 has height side frames 21 on both sides. The height side frame 21 is made up of a right height side frame 21R disposed on the right side and a left height side frame 21L disposed on the left side. The height frame 20 is provided with a pair of height links HL that are rotatably connected to the right height side frame 21R and the left height side frame 21L, respectively, and that change the height of the seat cushion 1 by a rotational movement.

[0067] The pair of height links HL is composed of a pair of front height links 22 arranged in front of the seat and a pair of rear height links 23 arranged behind the seat. 11, a rear connecting shaft 27b is provided to connect the pair of rear height links 23 (the right rear height link 23R and the left rear height link 23L). The liftable part 7 is provided on the rear connecting shaft 27b.

[0068] The lifting movable portion 7 is arranged along the circumferential direction of the rear connecting shaft 27b and is composed of a biasing spring 70 that assists the rotational movement of the pair of rear height links 23, and a lifting regulation portion 71 that regulates the lifting and lowering of the seat cushion 1. 11, the biasing springs 70 are provided at both ends of the rear connecting shaft 27b, but this is just one example, and the biasing springs 70 may be provided at either end of the rear connecting shaft 27b. The biasing springs 70 correspond to the biasing means of the present invention.

[0069] 12, the lifting and lowering movable part 7 is disposed on the side of the height frame 20 of the cushion frame Cf, i.e., on the inner side in the seat width direction of the height side frame 21. By disposing the lifting and lowering movable part 7 on the inner side in the seat width direction of the height side frame 21, the lifting and lowering movable part 7 can be made more compact in the seat width direction.

[0070] The biasing spring 70 is formed as a spiral spring as shown in Fig. 13. By forming it as a spiral spring, the liftable portion 7 can be made more compact in the seat width direction.

[0071] The rear connecting shaft 27b is formed with an inner end locking portion 76 that locks the inner end 70a of the biasing spring 70. The inner end locking portion 76 is configured as a hole formed in the rear connecting shaft 27b. By configuring the inner end locking portion 76 as a hole (through hole) formed in the rear connecting shaft 27b, it is no longer necessary to prepare a separate member for locking the inner end 70a, and the number of parts of the liftable unit 7 can be reduced.

[0072] Further, the height side frame 21 is provided with a stopper portion 75 that locks the outer end 70b of the biasing spring 70. The stopper portion 75 corresponds to the outer end locking portion of the present invention. By providing the stopper portion 75 on the height side frame 21, the liftable portion 7 can be made compact in the seat width direction.

[0073] 13, the rear connecting shaft 27b is disposed so as to surround the first pivot shaft 23a of the pair of rear height links 23. By disposing the rear connecting shaft 27b so as to surround the first pivot shaft 23a, the first pivot shaft 23a is supported by the rear connecting shaft 27b, thereby improving the rigidity of the first pivot shaft 23a.

[0074] 12, of the pair of rear height links 23, the right rear height link 23R adjacent to the side where the lifting / lowering restricting part 71 is disposed is disposed between the lifting / lowering restricting part 71 and the biasing spring 70. By disposing the right rear height link 23R in this manner, a force is applied to the right rear height link 23R from the seat width direction, which makes it possible to easily rotate the right rear height link 23R, thereby allowing the seat cushion 1 to be raised and lowered smoothly.

[0075] 12, when the vehicle seat S is in a folded state, more specifically, a height-down state in which the height of the seat cushion 1 is at its lowest, the lower end 70c of the biasing spring 70 is positioned below the upper end 6d of the slide rail device 6. With this configuration, the cushion frame Cf and the slide rail device 6 can be arranged compactly in the up-down direction of the seat, and the vehicle seat S can be made thinner in the folded state.

[0076] As shown in Fig. 12, the lifting / lowering restricting portion 71 and the rear height link 23 are disposed inward from the inner side portion 6a of the slide rail device 6. In other words, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the lifting / lowering restricting portion 71, the left rear height link 23L, and the right rear height link 23R are disposed inward from the inner side portion 6a of each slide rail device 6 disposed on the left and right in the seat width direction. By arranging the lifting / lowering restricting portion 71 and the rear height link 23 in this manner, the cushion frame Cf can be made more compact in the seat width direction.

[0077] <Lifting restriction unit 71> The internal configuration of the lift-down restricting unit 71 will be described using FIG. 14. The lift-down restricting unit 71 is a round unit that is circular in side view. As shown in FIG. 14, the lift-down restricting unit 71 is configured with external teeth 72 arranged along the outer periphery and internal teeth 73 that mesh with the external teeth 72. The internal teeth 73 can be moved up and down by a release mechanism 74 consisting of a cam provided at the center of the lift-down restricting unit 71. When the cam of the release mechanism 74 rotates, the internal teeth 73 move outward, thereby meshing with the external teeth 72 and locking rotation, and restricting rotation of the rear height link 23. When the internal teeth 73 move inward, the meshing (lock) between the external teeth 72 and the internal teeth 73 is released, allowing the rear height link 23 to rotate, allowing the height of the seat cushion 1 to be changed. The configuration of the lifting / lowering restricting portion 71 is an example, and a mechanism for restricting the rotational movement of a seat back that is conventionally used in a reclining device may also be used.

[0078] Although not shown, a slide rail operation panel for operating the slide rail device 6 may be provided on the rear connecting shaft 27b.

[0079] <Method for manufacturing vehicle seat S> The vehicle seat S (vehicle seat) may be manufactured by a manufacturing method for the vehicle seat S, which includes preparing a seat cushion 1, a cushion frame Cf that supports and raises and lowers the seat cushion 1, a pair of height links HL that are rotatably connected to both side portions (height side frames 21) of the cushion frame Cf in the seat width direction and change the height of the seat cushion 1 by pivoting, a connecting shaft 27 that connects the pair of height links HL, a biasing spring 70 that assists the pivoting movement of the pair of height links HL, and a lifting movable part 7 that has a lifting regulation part 71 that regulates the lifting and lowering of the seat cushion 1, and attaching the biasing spring 70 around the connecting shaft 27.

[0080] As an embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle seat S to be mounted in a vehicle has been described above, and an example of its configuration has been explained using the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to seats mounted in ground-traveling vehicles with wheels such as automobiles and trains, and may also be applied to seats mounted in aircraft, ships, and other vehicles that move on non-ground surfaces, for example. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] S Vehicle seat (vehicle seat) Front seat frame P pad material Tr skin material Sh seat body 1 seat cushion 2 seat backs 3 Headrest 5 Reclining device 6 Slide rail device 6a medial side 6d top end 61 Lower rail 62 Upper Rail 63 Slide lock device 63a Lock operation lever (protruding part) 63b Spring member 64 Cable 7. Lifting and lowering part 70 biasing spring (biasing means) 70a inner end 70b outer end 70c bottom end 71 Lifting control section 72 Outer teeth 73 Inner teeth 74 Release mechanism 75 Stopper part (outer end locking part) 76 Inner end locking part 9. Seatbelts Cf Cushion Frame 10 Cushion main frame (first frame) 11 Cushion side frame 11R Right side cushion side frame 11L Left side cushion frame 12 Rear cushion side frame (first side frame) 12R Right rear cushion side frame 12L Left rear cushion side frame 13 Front cushion side frame (second side frame) 13R Right front cushion side frame 13L Left front cushion side frame 14 Pan Frame 15 Cushion frame member 16 Dive Downlink (First Link) 16a First rotation axis 16b Second rotation axis 16c Elastic member fixing part 16R Right Dive Downlink 16L left dive downlink 17 Dive Downlink Members 18 S spring (pressure-receiving member) 20 Height frame (second frame) 21 Height side frame 21R Right side height side frame 21L Left side height side frame 21E Extended Height Side Frame 21Ea Connecting pipe HL Height Link (Second Link) 22 Front height link (second link) 22a First rotation axis 22b Second rotation axis 22R Right front height link 22L left front height link 23 Rear height link (second link) 23a First rotation axis 23b Second rotation axis 23R Right rear height link 23L Left rear height link 24 Front height frame member 25 Mid-height frame member 26 Rear height frame member 27 Connecting shaft 27a Front connecting shaft 27b Rear connecting shaft 28 Front height link member 29 Rear height link member 30 Back Frame 31 Backside Frame 32 Side connecting frame 33 Back upper frame 34 Back lower frame 35 Pressure Plate 36 Headrest frame 41 Slide rail operating lever 42 Height frame operating lever 43 Front connecting bracket 44 Rear connecting bracket 50 Reverse rotation suppression device 80 Elastic member (rattle suppression member)

Claims

1. Seat cushion and a cushion frame that supports and raises and lowers the seat cushion; a pair of height links rotatably connected to both sides of the cushion frame in the seat width direction and adapted to change the height of the seat cushion by pivoting; a connecting shaft that connects the pair of height links; a movable lifting section including a biasing means provided along the circumferential direction of the connecting shaft to assist the rotational movement of the pair of height links, and a lifting regulation section that regulates the lifting and lowering of the seat cushion.

2. 2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the liftable portion is disposed inward in the seat width direction from the side portion of the cushion frame.

3. The biasing means is formed as a spiral spring, 2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the connecting shaft has an inner end locking portion that locks an inner end of the biasing means of the liftable portion.

4. 4. The vehicle seat according to claim 3, wherein the inner end engaging portion is configured as a hole formed in the connecting shaft.

5. 4. The vehicle seat according to claim 3, wherein the cushion frame has outer end engaging portions on its sides for engaging outer ends of the biasing means.

6. 2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the connecting shaft is disposed around a pivot axis of the pair of height links.

7. 2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the height link provided on the side where the lifting / lowering restricting portion is disposed is disposed between the lifting / lowering restricting portion and the biasing means.

8. a slide rail for sliding the seat cushion in the front-rear direction of the seat; 2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein when the vehicle seat is in a height-down state in which the height of the seat cushion is lowest, the lower end of the biasing means is located below the upper end of the slide rail.

9. 9. The vehicle seat according to claim 8, wherein the lifting restriction portion and the height link are disposed inward of the inner side portion of the slide rail.

10. 2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the lifting / lowering regulating portion is a round unit having external teeth, internal teeth that mesh with the external teeth, and a release mechanism that moves the external teeth to release the lock on the external teeth.

Images