Vehicle seat

Abstract

To provide a vehicle seat having improved stability in a state where height of a seat cushion is raised.SOLUTION: A vehicle seat S is a vehicle seat S which includes a seat cushion capable of being brought into a collapsed state in which the seat cushion 1 is collapsed. The vehicle seat S includes a height frame 20 that supports and raises and lowers the seat cushion 1 and has a height side frame 21 on a side portion in a seat-width direction, a coupling bracket 44 disposed on a floor side, and a height link HL that has one end rotatably connected to the height side frame 21 and the other end rotatably connected to the coupling bracket 44 and changes height of the seat cushion 1 by rotating. The coupling bracket 44 has a rotation restriction portion 45 that restricts rotation of the height link HL in a seat front-rear direction.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. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-59765 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The vehicle seat described in Patent Document 1 is provided with a dive-down link and a height adjustment link for changing the height of the seat cushion, but while the pivot shaft on the seat cushion side of the height adjustment link is lockable, the pivot shaft on the floor side is not, which could cause instability when the seat cushion height is raised. Furthermore, the locking mechanism on the pivot shaft on the seat cushion side makes it difficult to make the seat thinner.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat that has improved stability when the height of the seat cushion is raised. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The above problem is solved by the vehicle seat of the present invention, which is a vehicle seat equipped with a seat cushion and capable of reclining the seat cushion, and which comprises a height frame that supports and raises and lowers the seat cushion and has height side frames on the sides in the seat width direction, a connecting bracket that is arranged on the floor side, and a height link that has one end rotatably connected to the height side frame and the other end rotatably connected to the connecting bracket and that rotates to change the height of the seat cushion, and the connecting bracket has a rotation restriction part that restricts the rotation of the height link in the fore-and-aft direction of the seat. By providing a rotation restriction section on the connecting bracket provided on the floor side, the rotation of the height link is restricted, thereby providing a vehicle seat with improved stability when the seat cushion height is raised (height-raised state).

[0007] In the above configuration, the rotation restricting portion may be disposed in front of the height link. When the height link is configured to rotate rearward when the vehicle seat is reclined, providing a rotation restrictor in front of the height link prevents the height link from rotating forward. On the other hand, not providing a rotation restrictor behind the height link allows the height link to rotate rearward easily, allowing the vehicle seat to be reclined smoothly.

[0008] In the above configuration, the height side frame may be formed so as to avoid the rotation restricting portion when the vehicle seat is in the reclined state. By forming the height side frame to avoid the rotation restriction portion, when the vehicle seat is reclined, the height link can be reclined, for example, to be approximately horizontal, thereby making it possible to make the vehicle seat thinner in the vertical direction.

[0009] In the above configuration, the height side frame has an outer recess that is recessed on the outside of the seat and avoids the rotation restriction portion, and when the vehicle seat is in the reclined state, the outer recess is preferably positioned outside the seat relative to the rotation restriction portion. By providing the height side frame with an outer recess that recesses toward the outside of the seat, the rotation restriction portion can be avoided when the vehicle seat is reclined. As a result, when the vehicle seat is reclined, the height link can be reclined to, for example, a substantially horizontal position, making it possible to reduce the thickness of the vehicle seat in the vertical direction.

[0010] In the above configuration, the height side frame has a first inclined portion in front of the outer recess, which extends inward from the rear to the front, and the first inclined portion is preferably positioned opposite the rotation restriction portion in the fore-and-aft direction of the seat when the vehicle seat is in the reclined state. By arranging the first inclined portion of the height side frame so as to face the rotation restriction portion, it is possible to balance with the outer recess in the seat width direction, for example, and to efficiently support the load from the seat cushion.

[0011] In the above configuration, the height frame may have a height frame member extending in the seat width direction in front of the first inclined portion and connecting the height side frames on both sides. By providing the height frame member in front of the first inclined portion, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the rigidity of the height frame due to the first inclined portion. Also, in the height-raised state, the rigidity of the height frame in the seat width direction is improved.

[0012] In the above configuration, the height link is composed of a front height link arranged in front of the height frame and a rear height link arranged behind it, the front height link is arranged outside the height side frame and the rear height link is arranged inside the height side frame, and the front height link and the rear height link sandwich the height side frame in the seat width direction and are connected by the height side frame. The height side frame is sandwiched between the front height link and the rear height link in the seat width direction, thereby improving rigidity in the seat width direction.

[0013] In the above configuration, the seat cushion may be provided with a dive down link that reclines, and the height side frame may have a second inclined portion forward of the first inclined portion, extending at an inward angle from rear to front, and the dive down link may be provided forward of the second inclined portion of the height side frame and positioned inward in the seat width direction from the front height link and the rear height link. The dive down link is positioned inside the height link, allowing for a compact arrangement.

[0014] In the above configuration, the vehicle seat is provided with a slide rail that slides the seat cushion in the fore-and-aft direction of the seat, the slide rail having a lower rail fixed to the floor, an upper rail that slides on the lower rail, and a slide regulating portion that regulates the sliding of the upper rail, and a recess is formed at the lower end of the height side frame behind the slide regulating portion to pass a cable extending from the slide regulating portion when the vehicle seat is in a reclined state, and an insertion portion is formed at the lower end of the rotation regulating portion behind the slide regulating portion to pass the cable through. The cable extending from the sliding restriction portion can be passed through the recess and the insertion portion, allowing for a more compact arrangement.

[0015] In the above configuration, the height link has a notch cut out along the side facing the rotation restriction part when the vehicle seat is in a height-raised state in which the height of the seat cushion is higher than normal, and the notch is preferably formed so that the upper end of the notch is higher than the upper end of the rotation restriction part when the vehicle seat is in the height-raised state. By forming a notch in the height link, when the vehicle seat is in the raised height state, the notch catches on the rotation restrictor, thereby improving stability.

[0016] In the above configuration, the other end of the height link may be provided with a thin-walled portion formed by cutting out the other end along the circumferential direction of the pivot shaft on the floor side. By providing a thin section at the other end of the height link, the other end of the height link is prevented from coming into contact with the slide rail device when the height link rotates, allowing the seat cushion to be raised higher. In addition, the thin section around the rotation axis allows the height link to be positioned compactly. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the vehicle seat of the present invention, by providing a rotation restriction portion on the connecting bracket provided on the floor side, the rotation of the height link is restricted, thereby providing a vehicle seat with improved stability when the height of the seat cushion is raised (height increased state). Furthermore, when the height link is configured to rotate rearward when the vehicle seat is reclined, providing a rotation restrictor in front of the height link prevents the height link from rotating forward. On the other hand, not providing a rotation restrictor behind the height link allows the height link to rotate rearward easily, allowing the vehicle seat to be reclined smoothly. Furthermore, since the height side frame is formed to avoid the rotation restriction portion, when the vehicle seat is reclined, the height link can be reclined, for example, to be approximately horizontal, thereby making it possible to make the vehicle seat thinner in the vertical direction. Furthermore, by providing the height side frames with outer recesses that are recessed toward the outside of the seat, the rotation restriction portion can be avoided when the vehicle seat is reclined. As a result, when the vehicle seat is reclined, the height links can be reclined to, for example, a substantially horizontal position, making it possible to reduce the thickness of the vehicle seat in the vertical direction. Furthermore, by arranging the first inclined portion of the height side frame so as to face the rotation restriction portion, it is possible to achieve balance with the outer recess in the seat width direction, for example, and to efficiently support the load from the seat cushion. Furthermore, by providing the height frame member in front of the first inclined portion, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the rigidity of the height frame due to the first inclined portion, and also to improve the rigidity in the seat width direction when the height is raised. Furthermore, by sandwiching the height side frame between the front height link and the rear height link in the seat width direction, rigidity in the seat width direction is improved. In addition, the dive down link is positioned inside the height link, allowing for a compact arrangement. Furthermore, since the cable extending from the sliding restriction portion can be passed through the recess and the insertion portion, a more compact arrangement can be achieved. Furthermore, by forming a notch in the height link, when the vehicle seat is in the raised height state, the notch catches the rotation restriction, thereby improving stability. In addition, by providing a thin section at the other end of the height link, the other end of the height link is prevented from coming into contact with the slide rail device when the height link rotates, allowing the seat cushion to be raised to a higher position. In addition, the thin section around the rotation axis allows the height link to be positioned compactly. [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. 2 is a perspective view showing a 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] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 2, showing the rear connecting bracket and its surroundings. [Figure 12] 12 is a side view showing the rear height link as seen from the arrow XII in FIG. 11. [Figure 13] FIG. 6 is an enlarged top view of a part of FIG. 5, showing the periphery of the left height side frame. [Figure 14] FIG. 7 is an enlarged side view of a part of FIG. 6 showing the periphery of the left height side frame. 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." In addition, the state in which the seat cushion 1 is set to the lowest position by the height link HL 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 skeleton 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. The cushion main body frame 10 corresponds to the first frame of the present invention, and the height frame 20 corresponds to the second frame.

[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 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 and avoid interference with the slide lock device 63 and front connecting bracket 43 disposed on the slide rail device 6. The slide lock device 63 corresponds to the slide restriction unit of the present invention.

[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] <Lifting movable part 7> As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in the vehicle seat S of this embodiment, the rear connecting shaft 27b is provided with a lifting and lowering movable portion 7 that assists the lifting and lowering operation.

[0065] 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. Although the biasing spring 70 is provided at both ends of the rear connecting shaft 27b, this is just one example, and the biasing spring 70 may be provided at either end of the rear connecting shaft 27b. The biasing spring 70 is formed as a spiral spring. An inner end locking portion that locks the inner end of the biasing spring 70 is formed on the rear connecting shaft 27b. Further, the height side frame 21 is provided with a stopper portion 75 that engages the outer end of the biasing spring 70 .

[0066] <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.

[0067] <Rear connecting bracket 44> 11 and 12, the rear connecting bracket 44 will be described. As described above, the rear connecting bracket 44 is provided on the upper rail 62 of the slide rail device 6 and is a component that connects the end of the rear height link 23 to the slide rail device 6, and the rear height link 23 is rotatably connected to the rear connecting bracket 44 via the second rotation shaft 23b.

[0068] 11 and 12, the rear connecting bracket 44 is provided with a rotation restricting portion 45 in front of the rear height link 23 that restricts the forward rotation of the rear height link 23. The rotation restricting portion 45 is formed by bending the front end portion of the plate-shaped rear connecting bracket 44. Since the rotation restriction portion 45 is located in front of the rear height link 23, when the rear height link 23 rotates forward, the side portion 23c in front of the rear height link 23 abuts against the rotation restriction portion 45, thereby restricting the rear height link 23 from rotating forward. By providing the rotation restricting portion 45, the rotation of the rear height link 23 is restricted, thereby improving the stability when the height of the seat cushion 1 is raised (height-raised state). Furthermore, by not providing a rotation restriction portion 45 behind the rear height link 23, the rear height link 23 can be easily rotated rearward, allowing the vehicle seat to be smoothly folded (folded down).

[0069] In this embodiment, when the height of the seat cushion 1 is lowered, the rear height link 23 is rotated rearward. However, if the rear height link 23 is configured to rotate forward, the rotation restriction portion 45 may be provided behind the rear height link 23.

[0070] 12, when the vehicle seat S is in the height-raised state, a notch 23e is formed along the side 23c of the rear height link 23, which faces the rotation restricting portion 45. The notch 23e is formed so that the upper end of the notch 23e in the height-raised state is higher than the upper end of the rotation restricting portion 45. In this way, by forming the notch portion 23e in the rear height link 23, when the height is raised, the notch portion 23e catches on the rotation restriction portion 45, thereby improving the stability of the height raised state.

[0071] 12, the end of the rear height link 23 that connects to the rear connecting bracket 44 has a thin-walled portion 23f formed by cutting out along the circumferential direction of the second pivot shaft 23b. In other words, the thickness T2 of the thin-walled portion 23f is thinner than the thickness T1 of the remaining portion. Without the thin-walled portion 23f, the end of the rear height link 23 would have the dimensions shown by the dotted line, which may interfere with the slide rail device 6.

[0072] The provision of the thin portion 23f prevents the lower end of the rear height link 23 from coming into contact with the slide rail device 6, widening the range of rotation of the rear height link 23 and enabling the seat cushion 1 to be raised higher. In addition, the provision of the thin portion 23f around the second rotation shaft 23b allows the rear height link 23 to be arranged more compactly.

[0073] <Height Side Frame 21> The height side frames 21 of the height frame 20 will be described with reference to FIG. When the vehicle seat S is in a folded state (reclining state), the lower end of the height frame 20 is configured to descend to the upper surface of the slide rail device 6. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 13, the height side frame 21 is formed to be bent so as to avoid the rotation restricting portion 45. More specifically, the height side frame 21 is formed with an outer recess 21c at a position corresponding to the rear connecting bracket 44, which is recessed toward the outside of the seat and avoids the rear connecting bracket 44 including the rotation restricting portion 45. When the vehicle seat S is in a folded state, the outer recess 21c is configured to be positioned on the outside of the seat with respect to the rear connecting bracket 44 including the rotation restricting portion 45.

[0074] In this way, by providing the outer recesses 21c in the height side frames 21, when the vehicle seat S is in a folded state (reclining state), it is possible to avoid the rotation restricting portions 45. As a result, when the vehicle seat S is in a folded state, the rear height links 23 can be reclined until the major axes of the rear height links 23 become substantially horizontal, for example, and the vehicle seat S can be made thinner in the up-down direction.

[0075] 13, the height side frame 21 has an inclined portion 21e (first inclined portion) that extends inwardly from the rear to the front in front of the outer recess 21c. When the vehicle seat S is in the folded state, the inclined portion 21e is disposed so as to face the rotation restricting portion 45 as shown in FIG. 13. By providing the inclined portion 21e in this manner, the front portion of the height side frame 21 is positioned inside the seat, and balance with the outer recess 21c in the seat width direction can be achieved, allowing the load from the seat cushion 1 to be supported efficiently.

[0076] Furthermore, an intermediate height frame member 25 is provided in front of the inclined portion 21e of the height side frame 21 to connect the height side frames 21 (the right height side frame 21R and the left height side frame 21L) arranged on the left and right sides (both sides) in the seat width direction, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 13. The intermediate height frame member 25 corresponds to the height frame member of the present invention. By providing the intermediate height frame member 25 in front of the inclined portion 21e, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the rigidity of the height frame 20 due to the inclined portion 21e. Furthermore, in the height-up state, the rigidity of the height frame 20 in the seat width direction is improved.

[0077] 13, by bending the height side frame 21, the front height link 22 is disposed outside the height side frame 21 and connected by the first pivot shaft 22a. The rear height link 23 is disposed inside the height side frame 21 and connected by the first pivot shaft 23a. By arranging the front height link 22 and the rear height link 23 in this manner, the height side frame 21 is supported by being sandwiched between the front height link 22 and the rear height link 23 in the seat width direction. This improves the rigidity of the height side frame 21 in the seat width direction.

[0078] Furthermore, the height side frame 21 has a bent portion 21a formed forward of the inclined portion 21e. The bent portion 21a has an inclined portion 21a3 (second inclined portion) that extends inward from the rear to the front from a rear bent point 21a1. An extension portion 21b is also provided that extends forward from a front bent point 21a2 of the inclined portion 21a3. The dive down link 16 is rotatably connected to the extension portion 21b via a second pivot shaft 16b. Because the bent portion 21a moves the second pivot shaft 16b inward in the seat width direction, the dive down link 16 is disposed more inward in the seat width direction than the front height link 22 and the rear height link 23, thereby enabling a more compact arrangement in the seat width direction.

[0079] 13, the vehicle seat S is equipped with a slide rail device 6, and is provided with a slide lock device 63 (slide restricting portion) that restricts the sliding of the upper rail 62 that slides on the lower rail 61. Also, inside the slide lock device 63, a reverse rotation suppression device 50 that suppresses reverse rotation of the front height link 22 is provided. A cable 64 for operating the lock of the slide lock device 63 extends to the slide lock device 63 . A recess 21d through which the cable 64 passes is formed at the lower end of the height side frame 21. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 14, even when the height side frame 21 comes into contact with the upper end of the slide rail device 6, the cable 64 can be passed through the recess 21d of the height side frame 21 and drawn inward from the height side frame 21. 11, the rotation restricting portion 45 of the rear connecting bracket 44 has a notch at its lower end to form an insertion portion 45a for passing the cable 64. By passing the cable 64 extending from the slide locking device 63 through the insertion portion 45a, the cable 64 can be drawn inward from the slide rail device 6, allowing for a more compact arrangement.

[0080] <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 height frame 20 that supports and raises and lowers the seat cushion 1 and has height side frames 21 on its sides in the seat width direction, height links HL that rotate to change the height of the seat cushion 1, and a rear connecting bracket 44 that is disposed on the floor side and has a rotation restriction portion 45 that restricts rotation of the height links HL in the front-to-rear direction of the seat, rotatably attaching one end of the height link HL to the side of the height side frame 21, and rotatably attaching the other end of the height link HL to the rear connecting bracket 44.

[0081] 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]

[0082] 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 61 Lower rail 62 Upper Rail 63 Slide lock device (slide control part) 63a Lock operation lever (protruding part) 63b Spring member 64 Cable 7. Lifting and lowering part 70 biasing spring (biasing means) 71 Lifting control section 75 Stopper part (outer 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 side 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 21a Bend part 21a1 Posterior bending point 21a2 Anterior bending point 21a3 Slope part (second slope part) 21b Extension 21c Outer recess 21e Inclined part (first inclined part) 21d Recess 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 23c Side 23e Notch 23f Thin section 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 45 Rotation control part 45a Insertion part 50 Reverse rotation suppression device 80 Elastic member (rattle suppression member)

Claims

1. A vehicle seat including a seat cushion, the seat cushion being capable of being reclined, a height frame that supports the seat cushion and raises and lowers it, and has height side frames on the sides in the seat width direction; A connecting bracket disposed on the floor side; a height link having one end rotatably connected to the height side frame and the other end rotatably connected to the connecting bracket, and configured to change the height of the seat cushion by rotating; The vehicle seat is characterized in that the connecting bracket has a rotation restricting portion that restricts rotation of the height link in the front-to-rear direction of the seat.

2. 2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the rotation restricting portion is disposed in front of the height link.

3. 2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the height side frame is formed so as to avoid the rotation restricting portion when the vehicle seat is in the reclined state.

4. The height side frame has an outer recess that is recessed on the outer side of the seat and avoids the rotation restricting portion, 2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein when the vehicle seat is in the reclined state, the outer recess is disposed on an outer side of the seat than the rotation restricting portion.

5. The height side frame includes a first inclined portion extending inwardly from the rear to the front in front of the outer recess, The vehicle seat according to claim 4, wherein the first inclined portion is disposed opposite the rotation restricting portion in the seat front-rear direction when the vehicle seat is in the reclined state.

6. The vehicle seat according to claim 5, wherein the height frame has a height frame member extending in the seat width direction in front of the first inclined portion and connecting the height side frames on both sides.

7. The height link is composed of a front height link arranged in front of the height frame and a rear height link arranged in the rear, The front height link is disposed outside the height side frame, The rear height link is disposed inside the height side frame, 6. The vehicle seat according to claim 5, wherein the front height link and the rear height link sandwich the height side frame in the seat width direction and are connected by the height side frame.

8. A dive down link is provided to collapse the seat cushion, The height side frame has a second inclined portion that is located forward of the first inclined portion and extends inwardly from the rear to the front, 8. The vehicle seat according to claim 7, wherein the dive down link is provided forward of the second inclined portion of the height side frame and is positioned inward in the seat width direction from the front height link and the rear height link.

9. a slide rail device that slides the seat cushion in the front-rear direction of the seat; The slide rail device includes a lower rail fixed to a floor, an upper rail that slides on the lower rail, and a slide restricting portion that restricts the sliding of the upper rail, a recess formed at a lower end of the height side frame, rearward of the slide restriction portion, through which a cable extending from the slide restriction portion passes when the vehicle seat is in a reclined state; 2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein a passage for passing the cable is formed at a lower end of the rotation restricting portion rearward of the sliding restricting portion.

10. the height link has a notch formed along a surface thereof that faces the rotation restricting portion when the vehicle seat is in a height-raised state in which the height of the seat cushion is higher than normal, The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the notch portion is formed so that an upper end of the notch portion is higher than an upper end of the rotation restriction portion when the vehicle seat is in the height-raised state.

11. 2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the other end of the height link has a thin-walled portion formed by cutting the other end along the circumferential direction of the pivot shaft on the floor side.

Images