Vehicle seat device

Abstract

To provide a vehicle seat device which can secure ease of getting in / off a vehicle while minimizing a drive part.SOLUTION: A seat body 60 supported by a support part 40 is moved forward from a position above a base part 30 to a position lowered to the vehicle lower side and moved backward in a reverse direction by a drive part 50 driving the support part 40. The drive part 50 is disposed above the base part 30 through a tilt mechanism 70 which may cause the drive part 50 to tilt forward etc. so that the drive part 50 gradually inclines downward as the drive part 50 is moved in a forward movement direction relative to the base part 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat device including a support portion that supports a seat body, a horizontally rotatable base portion, and a drive portion that supports the support portion so that the support portion can move back and forth relative to the base portion. [Background technology]

[0002] This type of vehicle seat device is described in Patent Document 1. The vehicle seat device in this document has a seat body mounted on a horizontally rotatable base. By rotating the base horizontally, the seat body changes from facing forward toward the door opening. The seat device is also configured so that the seat body can be advanced and retreated through the door opening in and outward directions. Specifically, a vertical wall-shaped guide block is provided on the base so as to extend in the forward and backward directions, and the seat body is slidably attached to this guide block. A ball screw mechanism for advancing and retreating the seat body is also provided on the base so as to extend in the same direction as the guide block. Driving the ball screw mechanism with a motor causes the seat body to advance and retreat along the guide block in and outward directions.

[0003] In the vehicle seat device described above, a guide roller provided on a base portion is rotatably fitted into a guide groove provided on the seat body. This guide groove is provided to extend in the forward / backward direction, and its tip end in the forward direction is bent downward. As the seat body advances toward the outside of the vehicle, the guide roller passes through the downwardly bent portion of the guide groove, causing the seat body to gradually tilt downward relative to the guide block (ball screw mechanism). In this way, the seat body advanced toward the outside of the vehicle is in a forward-leaning position with its front lowered, which contributes to ensuring ease of ingress and egress. When the seat body is moved backward toward the inside of the vehicle, the ball screw mechanism is driven by a motor to pull the forward-leaning seat body up onto the base portion while aligning it with the guide block. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-89742 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the field of vehicle seat devices, there is a demand for vertically compact components, particularly motors (drive units), to ensure sufficient interior space. The size of the motor is typically selected based on the maximum thrust required to move the seat body backward toward the vehicle interior. However, simply making the above-described configuration vertically compact reduces the tilt of the seat body, making it difficult to ensure ease of ingress and egress. Furthermore, in the above-described configuration, the seat body, which is in a forward-leaning position, is tilted relative to the guide block and ball screw mechanism. This causes the thrust of the motor during forward and backward movement to be dispersed due to component forces, increasing the resistance of the guide block to the seat body, and limiting the miniaturization of the drive unit. The present invention was devised in light of the above-described issues, and the problem to be solved by the present invention is to ensure ease of ingress and egress while miniaturizing the drive unit as much as possible. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] As a means for solving the above problems, a vehicle seat apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a support portion that supports a seat body, a horizontally rotatable base portion, and a drive portion that supports the support portion so that the support portion can move forward and backward relative to the base portion. The drive portion is configured to drive the support portion, causing the seat body supported by the support portion to move forward from a position on the base portion to a lowered position and then move backward in the opposite direction. With the above configuration, it is desirable to ensure ease of ingress and egress while minimizing the size of the drive portion. Therefore, the drive portion of the present invention is disposed on the base portion via a tilt mechanism that tilts the drive portion forward so that it faces gradually downward as it moves forward relative to the base portion, or tilts the drive portion backward so that it faces upward. According to the present invention, by tilting the drive portion forward and backward using the tilt mechanism in accordance with the seat configuration, ease of ingress and egress can be ensured while minimizing the size of the drive portion. In other words, the tilt mechanism tilts the drive portion forward and backward depending on the seat configuration, thereby changing the posture and height of the seat body supported by the support portion, thereby contributing to ensuring ease of ingress and egress. Furthermore, by tilting the drive unit in an appropriate direction and matching it with the direction of advancement and retreat of the support unit that supports the seat body, the maximum thrust of the drive unit can be reduced.

[0007] The vehicle seat device of the second invention is the vehicle seat device of the first invention, wherein the base is provided with a guide portion that guides the support portion that moves forward and backward, and the guide portion is provided with an inclined portion that gradually tilts downward as it moves forward, and a tilt mechanism that allows the drive portion to tilt forward relative to the base. In this invention, the tilt mechanism works to tilt the drive portion forward according to the inclination of the inclined portion (the direction in which the support portion moves forward and backward), which contributes to reducing the maximum thrust of the drive portion.

[0008] A vehicle seat device of a third aspect of the present invention is the vehicle seat device of the second aspect of the present invention, wherein the tilt mechanism has a pivot shaft that connects a first end of the drive unit on the forward direction tip side to the base unit so that the first end can pivot up and down, and a lifting unit that raises and lowers a second end of the drive unit opposite the first end in the up and down direction. In this invention, the second end of the drive unit is lifted by the lifting unit, so that the drive unit can be tilted forward around the pivot shaft on the first end side.

[0009] In a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle seat device of the third aspect, the lifting / lowering unit is configured with a pantograph mechanism that is extendable in the up and down direction. In this invention, the power-saving pantograph mechanism is used in the lifting / lowering unit, so that the drive unit can be tilted forward.

[0010] A vehicle seat apparatus according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the vehicle seat apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the base portion is provided with a guide portion for guiding the support portion as it moves forward and backward, and the guide portion is provided with an inclined portion that gradually slopes downward as it moves forward. The support portion also includes a slide member that slides forward and backward on the base portion and a lifting member connected to the slide member via a four-bar linkage mechanism. When the slide member moves forward toward the forward-moving tip of the drive unit, the four-bar linkage mechanism is guided by the inclined portion and rotates downward, thereby lowering the lifting member connected to the four-bar linkage mechanism while supporting the seat body. Therefore, the vehicle seat apparatus is provided with a tilt mechanism that enables the drive unit to tilt backward relative to the base portion. In this invention, by tilting the drive unit backward using the tilt mechanism, the slide member located at the forward-moving tip of the drive unit can be raised toward the vehicle's upper inclined portion. This allows the four-bar linkage mechanism to further rotate downward using the slide member as a base point, thereby lowering the height of the seat body supported by the lifting member. Therefore, according to the present invention, the drive unit can be made smaller, while the height position of the seat body can be lowered, thereby ensuring ease of getting in and out. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to ensure ease of getting in and out of the seat while minimizing the size of the drive unit. According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to ensure ease of getting in and out of the seat while more reliably miniaturizing the drive unit. According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to further reliably miniaturize the drive unit. According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to more appropriately miniaturize the drive unit. And according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to more reliably ensure ease of getting in and out of the seat body while minimizing the size of the drive unit. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective top view of a vehicle. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic perspective rear view showing a basic configuration of a vehicle seat device. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic perspective side view of a vehicle seat device in a getting-in and getting-out position. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic perspective side view of a vehicle seat device when an outer slide mechanism is in operation. FIG. [Figure 5] 2 is a schematic perspective side view of the vehicle seat device when a drive unit is operating; FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a base portion, a drive portion, and a part of a support portion. [Figure 7] 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle seat device showing a pivot shaft portion. FIG. [Figure 8] 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle seat device showing a lifting / lowering portion. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective side view showing the positional relationship between a guide portion, a drive portion, and a support portion. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing a base portion and a part of a driving portion according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a schematic front view of a base section and a drive section showing a shortened lifting section of the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a schematic front view of the base unit and the drive unit showing the extended lift unit of the second embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 is a schematic perspective side view showing the positional relationship between a guide portion and a support portion in the second embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 13. In each figure, arrows indicating the front-rear direction, the up-down direction (height direction), and the left-right direction (vehicle width direction) of the vehicle are appropriately shown. In the following embodiment, the left side of the vehicle is the outside of the vehicle, and the right side of the vehicle is the inside of the vehicle. In each figure, the main components of the vehicle seat device are shown with solid lines, and other components may be shown in perspective or may not be shown.

[0014] [Outline of vehicle seat device] First, a basic configuration of a vehicle seat apparatus 2 installed in a vehicle 1 shown in Fig. 1 will be described. The vehicle seat apparatus 2 is installed on a vehicle floor 3 and includes a seat body 60 on which an occupant can be seated. A door opening 4 is provided on the vehicle outer side (left side of the vehicle) of the vehicle seat apparatus 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the vehicle seat apparatus 2 includes a fixed portion 10 fixed to the vehicle floor 3, a sliding portion 20 provided on the fixed portion 10 so as to be slidable forward and backward, and a base portion 30 provided on the sliding portion 20 so as to be horizontally rotatable. A support portion 40 including a sliding member 41 and a lifting member 42 is disposed on the base portion 30, and the support portion 40 can be moved forward and backward in a predetermined direction by a drive portion 50, which will be described later. The seat body 60 is provided on the lifting member 42 of the support portion 40 via an outer slide mechanism 68.

[0015] Next, a brief description will be given of the behavior of the vehicle seat apparatus 2 when an occupant gets in and out of the vehicle (note that in each drawing, the seat body 60 is tilted by a tilt mechanism 70, which will be described later). With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, in this vehicle seat apparatus 2, when an occupant gets in and out of the vehicle, the slide portion 20 is slid back and forth relative to the fixed portion 10, so that the seat body 60 can be positioned at a horizontally rotatable position. Next, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3, the base portion 30 is horizontally rotated relative to the slide portion 20, so that the seat body 60 is displaced from a seating position facing forward of the vehicle to a boarding / exit position facing sideways of the vehicle and facing the door opening 4. Then, with reference to FIG. 4, the seat body 60 in the boarding / exit position is moved forward on the lifting member 42 toward the outside of the vehicle, which is the door opening 4 side, by the operation of the outer slide mechanism 68. As a result, the seat body 60 is positioned at a position on the base portion 30 that protrudes outward of the vehicle (the forward limit position on the base portion).

[0016] Then, as shown in Fig. 5, the support portion 40 is driven by the drive portion 50. As a result, the seat body 60 supported by the support portion 40 moves further forward from on the base portion 30 toward the outside of the vehicle, while gradually descending downward. In the configuration described above, the seat body 60 in the entry / exit position is swung outward and downward from the base portion 30. Then, with the occupant seated, the seat body 60 is moved backward in the opposite direction, toward the inside of the vehicle (to the right of the vehicle) and upward, and positioned on the base portion 30 by the action of the support portion 40 (see Fig. 5 and Fig. 4 in that order).

[0017] [Vehicle seat device according to the first embodiment] 4 and 5, in the vehicle seat apparatus 2, the support unit 40, driven by the drive unit 50, moves the seat body 60 back and forth between a position on the base unit 30 and a lowered position lowered from the base unit 30 toward the outside of the vehicle (see the direction indicated by the arrow 90 in FIG. 5). In this type of vehicle seat apparatus 2, it is desirable to ensure ease of ingress and egress while minimizing the vertical size of the drive unit 50. In the above-described configuration, the size of the drive unit 50 is selected based on the maximum thrust force required to move the seat body 60 backward when an occupant is seated. Therefore, in this embodiment, the tilt mechanism 70, described later, ensures ease of ingress and egress while minimizing the size of the drive unit 50. The configuration of the vehicle seat apparatus 2 shown in FIG. 2 and other figures will be described in detail below, in the order of the fixed unit 10, the sliding unit 20, the base unit 30, the drive unit 50, the support unit 40, the tilt mechanism 70, the seat body 60, and the outer sliding mechanism 68.

[0018] [Fixed and sliding parts] First, the fixed part 10 shown in FIG. 2 is fixed to the vehicle floor 3 and supports the sliding part 20 so that it can slide back and forth. Here, the sliding part 20 is a table-like (plate-like) part configured to be slidable in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. A pair of front and rear sliders 14s fixed to the sliding part 20 are slidably fitted onto left and right slide rails 14 fixed to the fixed part 10 (for convenience, only one of the members is designated by a corresponding reference numeral in FIG. 2). In addition, a slide drive mechanism 16 that slides the sliding part 20 back and forth is provided between the fixed part 10 and the sliding part 20. The slide drive mechanism 16 slides the sliding part 20 back and forth by utilizing the threaded engagement between a trapezoidal screw 16w and a nut 16n. In addition, a slide lock mechanism 22 that locks the sliding part 20 from sliding back and forth is provided between the sliding part 20 and the seat main body 60 (a frame side wall part 62w described below).

[0019] [Base] Next, the base unit 30 shown in FIG. 2 is a table-like portion on which the support unit 40 and the drive unit 50 (described later) are disposed, and is disposed on the slide unit 20 via the rotation mechanism 23. The rotation mechanism 23 includes an inner ring 23e and an outer ring 23r configured to rotate relative to each other, with the inner ring 23e fixed to the slide unit 20 and the outer ring 23r fixed to the base unit 30 (note that in FIG. 2, the rotation mechanism is illustrated in the center for convenience). The slide unit 20 is provided with a motor and a gear mechanism (not shown) that serve as the drive source for the rotation mechanism 23, and a gear of this gear mechanism meshes with the outer ring 23r. The outer ring 23r rotates relative to the inner ring 23e fixed to the slide unit 20, allowing the base unit 30, to which the outer ring 23r is fixed, to rotate horizontally by approximately 90° between the seating position and the boarding / disembarking position (see FIGS. 1 and 3).

[0020] [Information Department] Referring now to FIG. 6 , the base portion 30 is provided with a guide portion 31 that guides a four-bar link mechanism 43 of the support portion 40 (described later) in the forward / backward direction. The guide portion 31 is formed as a vertical wall extending in the forward / backward direction and is provided at both ends of the base portion 30 in the seat width direction, i.e., at the front and rear ends at the boarding / disembarking position (for convenience, in FIG. 6 , the reference numeral corresponding to the front guide portion is given, and the reference numeral corresponding to the rear guide portion is given in parentheses). The upper edge of the guide portion 31 is curved in a convex shape in a side view, and a horizontal portion 32 is provided in the center of the guide portion 31. The upper edge of the horizontal portion 32 extends approximately horizontally in the vehicle interior / exterior direction at the boarding / disembarking position. The guide portion 31 is also provided with an inclined portion 33 that continues from the horizontal portion 32 on the vehicle exterior side. The upper edge of the inclined portion 33 is formed in a curved shape that gradually slopes downward as it approaches the vehicle exterior (left side), which is the forward direction (see the inclination θ shown in FIG. 9 ).

[0021] [Drive unit] 2 and 6, the drive unit 50 is disposed on the base unit 30 and supports the support unit 40 (described later) so as to be movable forward and backward. As shown in FIG. 6, the drive unit 50 includes a main body 51 extending in the vehicle interior-exterior direction at the boarding / exiting position, a trapezoidal thread 55, a nut 56, and a drive motor 57 (only a portion of the nut 56 is shown in FIG. 6). The main body 51 has a generally U-shaped cross section with an open upper side, and includes a bottom plate 52 that fits along the base unit 30 and a pair of side plate portions 53 and 54 that rise from both ends of the bottom plate 52 in the seat width direction. The trapezoidal thread 55 and the nut 56 that is threaded onto the trapezoidal thread 55 are disposed within the main body 51 and are surrounded by the pair of side plate portions 53 and 54 and the bottom plate 52. The trapezoidal thread portion 55 is provided so as to extend in the vehicle interior / exterior direction, and its tip end is rotatably supported at a first end E1, which is the end on the vehicle exterior side (the end on the leading edge in the forward direction) of the main body portion 51. A drive motor 57, which serves as a drive source for the trapezoidal thread portion 55, is fixed to a second end E2 on the vehicle interior side (the opposite side to the first end E1) of the main body portion 51.

[0022] [Tilt mechanism] The drive unit 50 shown in FIG. 6 is disposed on the base unit 30 via a tilt mechanism 70. The tilt mechanism 70 allows the drive unit 50 to tilt forward relative to the base unit 30 and may be composed of a pivot shaft 71 and a lifting unit 72, which will be described later. The pivot shaft 71 is a base point for tilting the drive unit 50 forward and is provided at the first end E1 of the main body 51. That is, the pivot shaft 71 extending in the seat width direction is fixed to the bottom plate 52 of the main body 51 at the first end E1 of the drive unit 50. The base unit 30 also has a pair of guide units 31 each provided with a hole H through which the pivot shaft 71 can be inserted. Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, both ends of the pivot shaft 71 in the seat width direction are rotatably inserted into the hole H of the guide units 31, thereby connecting the drive unit 50 to the base unit 30 so as to be rotatable up and down.

[0023] [Lifting unit (pantograph mechanism)] 6 and 8, the drive unit 50 is provided with a lifting / lowering unit 72 at the second end E2 of the main body 51. The lifting / lowering unit 72 is configured with a pantograph mechanism that can extend and retract in the up-down direction of the seat. The lifting / lowering unit 72 of the pantograph mechanism is formed by four links arranged in a diamond shape in a front view, and can further extend and retract in the up-down direction of the seat by the action of a ball screw 77. That is, in the lifting / lowering unit 72 of the pantograph mechanism, a pair of first links 73, 74 located on one side in the seat width direction (the front side in the lifted / lowered position) are rotatably connected to each other by a pivot pin 72A. Furthermore, a pair of second links 75, 76 located on the other side in the seat width direction (the rear side in the lifted / lowered position) are rotatably connected to each other by another pivot pin 72B. A ball screw 77 is attached to and passes through the pivot pin 72A and another pivot pin 72B. This ball screw 77 is attached so as to threadably engage with the shaft pin 72A and to be fitted so as to be rotatable relative to another shaft pin 72B. According to the above-described configuration, when the ball screw 77 is rotated by the vertical movement motor 78, the shaft pin 72A that engages with the ball screw 77 is moved closer to the other shaft pin 72B, thereby extending the lifting unit 72 upward. Conversely, when the shaft pin 72A and the other shaft pin 72B are moved away from each other, the lifting unit 72 is shortened downward. According to the above-described configuration, the lifting unit 72 can be extended and retracted by the rotation of the ball screw 77, resulting in a configuration that is highly energy-efficient.

[0024] 6 and 8 is disposed between the second end E2 of the drive unit 50 and the base unit 30 so that its extension direction faces the upper side of the vehicle. At this time, a mounting bracket 79 provided on the upper part of the lifting unit 72 can be firmly fixed to the drive motor 57 by a method such as fastening, thereby integrating the lifting unit 72. In the above-described configuration, as the lifting unit 72 extends upward, the second end E2 of the drive unit 50, on which the drive motor 57 is disposed, is lifted and raised. Then, referring to FIG. 9, as the second end E2 of the drive unit 50 (trapezoidal screw portion 55) rises, it tilts forward from the pivot shaft 71 as a base point so as to gradually face downward as it moves toward the outside of the vehicle, which is the forward movement direction.

[0025] [Support part] 2 and 6, the support unit 40 is supported by the drive unit 50 and supports a seat main body 60 (described later). The support unit 40 includes a slide member 41, a lifting member 42, and a pair of four-bar linkages 43 (for convenience, the slide member and lifting member are shown by dashed lines in FIG. 6). The slide member 41 is formed in a table shape and is longer in the seat width direction than the drive unit 50 (main body 51). The slide member 41 is fixed to a nut portion 56 of the support unit 40 and slidably attached to the main body 51 of the support unit 40 via an LM guide 80. That is, guide protrusions 81 of the LM guide 80 are provided on the pair of side plate portions 53, 54 (outer surfaces) of the main body 51 so as to extend in the vehicle interior / exterior direction. A guide block 82 of the LM guide 80 provided on the slide member 41 is slidably fitted to the guide protrusions 81. According to the above-described configuration, as the nut portion 56 moves back and forth relative to the trapezoidal screw portion 55, the slide member 41 fixed to the nut portion 56 moves back and forth on the base portion 30 along the main body portion 51.

[0026] 2 and 6, a table-like lifting member 42 is provided on the support portion 40. In the boarding / alighting position shown in Fig. 3, this lifting member 42 is disposed on the base portion 30 on the outer side of the vehicle than the slide member 41. Furthermore, a seat main body 60 is provided on the lifting member 42 via an outer slide mechanism 68, which will be described later. The slide member 41 and the lifting member 42 shown in Figs. 2 and 6 are connected by a four-bar link mechanism 43 provided on both sides of the slide member 41 in the seat width direction.

[0027] [Four-bar link mechanism] 6 and 9, four-bar link mechanism 43 connects slide member 41 and lifting member 42 so as to be vertically rotatable, and includes upper link arm 44 and lower link arm 45. Upper link arm 44 (lower link arm 45) is formed in a strip shape extending in the vehicle's interior-exterior direction, and its right end portion on the vehicle's interior side is axially connected to slide member 41 via rear support shaft 44A (another rear support shaft 45A) so as to be vertically rotatable. Upper link arm 44 (lower link arm 45) has its left end portion on the vehicle's exterior side axially connected to lifting member 42 via front support shaft 44B (another front support shaft 45B) so as to be vertically rotatable.

[0028] 6 and 9 has a guide roller 46 at a position a predetermined distance from the rear support shaft 44A. When the support portion 40 is disposed on the base portion 30, the guide roller 46 is placed on the guide portion 31 of the base portion 30. When the slide member 41 of the support portion 40 moves back and forth on the base portion 30, the guide roller 46 of the upper link arm 44 rolls along the guide portion 31. As the guide roller 46 rolls on the horizontal portion 32 of the guide portion 31, the four-bar link mechanism 43 moves in a substantially horizontal position. The guide roller 46 rolls on the inclined portion 33 of the guide portion 31. As the four-bar link mechanism 43 receives the weight of the seat body and the like, it moves back and forth while rotating up and down around the rear support shaft 44A and the like in accordance with the inclination of the inclined portion 33 (see the direction indicated by the arrow 90 in FIG. 9).

[0029] [Seat body and outer sliding mechanism] Next, the seat body 60 shown in FIG. 2 is mounted on the lifting member 42 of the support portion 40 via an outer slide mechanism 68. The seat body 60 includes a seat cushion 64 and a seat back 66. A pair of left and right frame side walls 62w are provided on the seat frame 62 of the seat cushion 64 (for convenience, in FIG. 2, a reference numeral corresponding to one of the frame side walls is attached, and a reference numeral corresponding to the other frame side wall is attached in parentheses). The outer slide mechanism 68 is provided on the underside of the seat frame 62. This outer slide mechanism 68 is a mechanism for sliding the seat body 60 in the seat front-rear direction relative to the lifting member 42. The outer slide mechanism 68 has a rack 68r on the seat frame 62 side and a pinion 68p rotated by a motor (not shown) installed on the lifting member 42. In the above-described configuration, when the pinion 68p of the lifting member 42 rotates, the rack 68r on the seat frame 62 side moves forward (when rotated in the reverse direction, it moves backward). This allows the seat body 60 provided with the seat frame 62 to move forward toward the forward limit position on the base portion 30 at the boarding / exiting position (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

[0030] [Behavior of a vehicle seat device when passengers get in and out] 4 and 5, in the vehicle seat apparatus 2, the seat body 60 moves forward and backward in the vehicle interior and exterior directions by the action of the support unit 40 driven by the drive unit 50 (see the direction indicated by the arrow 90 in FIG. 5). In this type of configuration, it is desirable to ensure ease of getting in and out while minimizing the size of the drive unit 50. Therefore, in the vehicle seat apparatus 2 shown in FIG. 6, the drive unit 50 is disposed on the base unit 30 via a tilt mechanism 70 that tilts the drive unit forward so that it faces gradually downward as it moves forward relative to the base unit 30. According to the above-described configuration, by tilting the drive unit 50 forward by the action of the tilt mechanism 70, it is possible to ensure ease of getting in and out while minimizing the size of the drive unit 50. Therefore, below, the operation of the tilt mechanism 70 will be described in the order of forward movement and backward movement of the seat body 60.

[0031] [Tilt mechanism operation during forward movement] First, the seat body 60 shown in FIG. 4 is positioned at a forward limit position on the base portion 30 by the operation of the outer slide mechanism 68. Next, referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the drive unit 50 drives the support portion 40 to move the slide member 41 forward toward the outside of the vehicle. At this time, the four-bar linkage mechanism 43 connected to the slide member 41 moves forward while gradually rotating downward along the inclined portion 33 due to the weight of the seat body 60 and the like. As a result, the lifting member 42 supporting the seat body 60 moves forward and downward, and is positioned at the lowered position shown in FIG. 5 (see the direction indicated by the arrow 90 in FIG. 5). Then, in the vehicle seat apparatus 2, the tilt mechanism 70 works to tilt the drive unit 50 forward together with the support portion 40 (seat body 60). By tilting the seat body 60 forward in this manner, the outer end of the seat cushion 64 (seat front end 64E) is lowered to the lowest position, making it easier for the occupant to sit with their feet on the ground (for comparison, the non-tilted seat body is shown by a dashed line in Figure 5). The extension timing of the lifting / lowering unit 72 is not particularly limited, but can be easily controlled by matching it with the operation timing of the outer slide mechanism 68 and the drive unit 50.

[0032] [Tilt mechanism operation when moving backward] Next, referring to FIGS. 5 and 9, the seat body 60, on which an occupant (not shown) is seated, is moved backward toward the base portion 30 by driving the support portion 40 with the drive unit 50. Referring to FIG. 9, the four-bar linkage 43 connected to the slide member 41 gradually rotates upward in accordance with the inclination θ of the inclined portion 33 as its guide roller 46 rolls on the inclined portion 33, and the seat body 60 is moved backward toward the inside of the vehicle (see the direction indicated by arrow 90 in FIG. 9). Therefore, in the vehicle seat apparatus 2, the tilt mechanism 70 tilts the drive unit 50 forward. This allows the orientation of the trapezoidal screw portion 55 of the drive unit 50, i.e., the thrust direction of the drive motor 57, to be aligned parallel to the inclined portion 33. With the above-described configuration, when the four-bar linkage 43 moves backward, the thrust dispersion of the drive unit 50 is suppressed and the resistance of the inclined portion 33 is reduced, thereby enabling the thrust of the drive motor 57 to be reduced. Thus, with the above-described configuration, the maximum thrust of the drive motor 57 can be reduced, which certainly contributes to the miniaturization of the drive motor 57. The timing of shortening the lifting section 72 (the timing of returning to the original normal position) is not particularly limited, but it is desirable to match it with the timing when the guide roller 46 moves from the inclined section 33 to the horizontal section 32.

[0033] As described above, according to this embodiment, by tilting the drive unit 50 forward using the tilt mechanism 70 in accordance with the seat configuration, it is possible to ensure ease of ingress and egress while miniaturizing the drive unit 50. That is, by tilting the drive unit 50 forward using the tilt mechanism 70 in accordance with the seat configuration and changing the posture of the seat body 60 supported by the support units 40, this configuration contributes to ensuring ease of ingress and egress. Furthermore, by tilting the drive unit 50 in an appropriate direction to align it with the forward and backward movement direction of the support units 40 that support the seat body 60, this configuration contributes to reducing the maximum thrust of the drive unit 50. That is, in this embodiment, the tilt mechanism 70 tilts the drive unit 50 forward in accordance with the inclination of the inclined portion 33 (the forward and backward movement direction of the support units), which contributes to reducing the maximum thrust of the drive unit 50. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, by lifting the second end E2 of the drive unit 50 by the lift unit 72, the drive unit 50 can be tilted forward around the pivot shaft 71 on the first end E1 side as a base point. In this embodiment, a pantograph mechanism, which is excellent in power saving, is used in the lifting unit 72, so that the drive unit 50 can be tilted forward.

[0034] [Vehicle seat device according to the second embodiment] Next, a vehicle seat device 2X according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 13. The vehicle seat device 2X shown in Figure 10 has the same basic configuration as that of the first embodiment (in the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by corresponding reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted). The vehicle seat device 2X differs from the first embodiment in that it is provided with a tilt mechanism 70X that enables the drive unit 50 to tilt backward relative to the base unit 30.

[0035] [Tilt mechanism] 10 to 12, the drive unit 50 of this embodiment is disposed on the base unit 30 via a tilt mechanism 70X. This tilt mechanism 70X is a mechanism that enables the drive unit 50 to tilt backward relative to the base unit 30 and has a lift unit 72 configured with a pantograph mechanism. The lift unit 72 has the same configuration as in the first embodiment and is disposed between the first end E1 of the drive unit 50 and the base unit 30 so that its extension direction faces the upper side of the vehicle. In this case, a pivot shaft 71 provided at the first end E1 of the drive unit 50 is inserted into a mounting bracket 79 provided on the upper part of the lift unit 72 so as to be vertically pivotable. The second end E2 of the drive unit 50 can be disposed on the base unit 30 via another pivot shaft (not shown) or another lift unit (not shown). In the above-described configuration, the lifting / lowering unit 72 shown in Fig. 12 extends upward, thereby lifting and raising only the first end E1 of the drive unit 50 (note that in Fig. 12, the extension direction of the lifting / lowering unit is tilted slightly rearward from the vertical, taking into consideration the tilt of the vehicle seat apparatus itself at the boarding / exiting position). As a result, the drive unit 50 tilts rearward so that it gradually faces upward as it moves toward the outside of the vehicle, which is the forward direction.

[0036] [Support part] 13, similarly to the first embodiment, the support part 40 has a slide member 41 and a lifting member 42 connected by a four-bar link mechanism 43. The base part 30 is provided with a guide part 31 extending in the forward / backward direction. When the slide member 41 moves forward, the four-bar link mechanism 43 is guided by the inclined part 33 of the guide part 31 and rotates downward. As a result, the lifting member 42 connected to the four-bar link mechanism 43 is lowered downward while supporting the seat main body 60.

[0037] [Tilt mechanism function] Next, with reference to FIG. 13 , the operation of the tilt mechanism 70X when the seat main body 60 moves forward will be described. First, as the slide member 41 moves forward, the guide roller 46 of the four-bar linkage mechanism 43 passes the horizontal portion 32 of the guide section 31 and rolls on the inclined portion 33. At this time, with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13 , the tilt mechanism 70X functions to tilt the drive unit 50 rearward, causing the first end E1 of the drive unit 50 to rise toward the upper side of the vehicle together with the slide member 41. This allows the four-bar linkage mechanism 43 shown in FIG. 13 to further rotate downward using the raised slide member 41 as a base point, thereby lowering the height position of the lifting member 42 supporting the seat main body 60. At this time, the four-bar linkage mechanism 43 can rotate downward until its guide roller 46 descends and rests on the inclined portion 33 again.

[0038] As described above, in this embodiment as well, the drive unit 50 is miniaturized, and the tilt mechanism 70X functions to change the height position of the seat body 60 supported by the support unit 40 (increase the amount of lift), thereby contributing to ensuring ease of getting in and out. Furthermore, in the above-described configuration, the seat body 60 on the base unit 30 can be tilted backward to ensure ease of adjustment of the seat.

[0039] The vehicle seat apparatus of this embodiment is not limited to the above-described embodiment and may be embodied in various other ways. For example, while the present embodiment illustrates a tilt mechanism, the tilt mechanism configuration is not intended to be limited. As the tilt mechanism, various types of lifting mechanisms, such as a pantograph mechanism, an actuator, or a link mechanism, can be used. Here, an example of the link mechanism is a configuration in which the first and second ends of the drive unit are connected to a base unit via band-shaped link arms that can be raised or lowered. Another example of the lifting unit is a configuration in which a gear that can rotate up and down relative to the base unit is provided, and a connecting link that protrudes radially outward from the gear is slidably fitted into an elongated hole provided in the drive unit (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-15147). The positions of the lifting unit and the pivot shaft can be changed as long as the drive unit can be tilted. It is desirable that the direction of the trapezoidal screw portion of the drive unit (thrust direction of the drive motor) be parallel to the tilted portion, but a slight angular difference is acceptable if it reduces the component force. That is, the tilt angle of the tilt mechanism can be adjusted as needed. In the present embodiment, the configuration of each member of the vehicle seat device is exemplified, but the configuration of each member can also be changed as needed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1 vehicle 2 (Embodiment 1) Vehicle seat device 3 Vehicle floor 4 Door opening 10 Fixed part 14 Slide rail 14s slider 16 Slide drive mechanism 16n nut 16w trapezoidal screw 20 Slide section 22 Slide lock mechanism 23 Rotation mechanism 23r outer ring 23e Inner circle 30 Base 31 Information Department 32 horizontal part 33 Slope area 40 Support part 41 Slide member 42 Lifting member 43 Four-bar link mechanism 44 Upper link arm 44A Rear support shaft 44B Front support shaft 45 Lower link arm 45A Separate rear support shaft 45B Alternate front support shaft 46 Guide roller 50 Drive unit 51 Main body 52 Bottom plate part 53,54 Side plate part 55 Trapezoidal thread 56 Nut part 57 Drive motor E1 (Driver) First End E2 (drive section) second end 60 seat body 62 seat frame 62w frame side wall 64 seat cushion 64E Front end of seat 66 Seat back 68 External slide mechanism 68p Pinion 68r rack 70 (First embodiment) tilt mechanism 71 Rotating shaft 72A, 72B Axle pin 72 Lifting section 73,74 First link 75,76 Second link 77 Ball screw 78 Vertical movement motor 79 Mounting bracket 80 LM guide 81 Guide protrusion 82 Guide Block 2X (Second embodiment) vehicle seat device 70X (Example 2) Tilt mechanism

Claims

1. A vehicle seat device including a support portion that supports a seat body, a horizontally rotatable base portion, and a drive portion that supports the support portion so that the support portion can move forward and backward relative to the base portion, When the support portion is driven by the drive portion, the seat body supported by the support portion moves forward from a position on the base portion to a position lowered downward, and moves backward in the opposite direction, The drive unit is arranged on the base portion via a tilt mechanism that can tilt the drive unit forward so that it faces gradually downward as it moves forward relative to the base portion, or tilt the drive unit backward so that it faces upward.

2. the base portion is provided with a guide portion that guides the support portion that moves forward and backward, and the guide portion is provided with an inclined portion that gradually slopes downward as it moves forward, 2. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a tilt mechanism that allows the drive unit to tilt forward relative to the base unit.

3. 3. The vehicle seat device according to claim 2, wherein the tilt mechanism has a pivot shaft portion that connects a first end portion of the drive unit at the forward direction tip side to the base portion so that the first end portion can be rotated up and down, and a lifting portion that raises and lowers a second end portion of the drive unit opposite the first end portion in the up and down direction.

4. 4. The vehicle seat device according to claim 3, wherein the lifting section is configured by a pantograph mechanism that is extendable and contractible in the vertical direction.

5. the base portion is provided with a guide portion that guides the support portion that moves forward and backward, and the guide portion is provided with an inclined portion that gradually slopes downward as it moves forward, The support portion has a slide member that slides in the forward and backward directions on the base portion, and a lifting member that is connected to the slide member via a four-bar link mechanism, and the slide member moves forward toward the tip end of the drive portion in the forward direction, and the four-bar link mechanism is guided by the inclined portion and rotates downward, so that the lifting member connected to the four-bar link mechanism is lowered downward while supporting the seat body, 2. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a tilt mechanism that enables the drive unit to tilt rearward relative to the base unit.

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