Seat system

Abstract

To provide a seat system capable of having more variations when forming a flat seat surface across a front seat and a rear seat.SOLUTION: This seat system 1 has a front seat side 1A and a rear seat side 1B arranged in the longitudinal direction. The vehicle seat includes the posture switching mechanism capable of performing the first switching in which the upper half portion 6 of the backrest of the front seat 1B as the seating part facing the rear seat 1A is arranged flat with the lower half portion 5 of the backrest or folded downward, and the second switching in which the ottoman 4 of the rear seat 1A as the seating part facing the front seat 1B is arranged flat with the seating part 3 or folded downward, and the front-rear slide mechanism 2 that slides the front seat 1A and / or the rear seat 1B in the front-rear direction with respect to the floor F.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a seating system having front and rear seats arranged one behind the other. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a technique for expanding the seat surface by fitting the seat portions of two seats together without any gaps has been known.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a seat system in which the cushion and backrest are each angle adjustable relative to the floor inside the vehicle, and the entire seat is slidable relative to the floor of the vehicle.

[0004] In such a seat system, one of the multiple usage modes is a usage mode in which the backrests of the front seats, which have been reclined until they are horizontal, and the cushions of the rear seats are lined up flat with no gaps (see Figure 4 of Patent Document 1). In this usage mode, the horizontal backrests of the front seats and the cushions of the rear seats are lined up flat from front to back, forming a seating surface that spans the front and rear seats. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-152046 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the technology in Patent Document 1 only allows the seating area of ​​the front seat and the backrest of the rear seat to be aligned more flatly front to back in order to expand the seating surface spanning the front and rear seats, which has the problem of limited variation.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a seat system that can provide more variations in forming a flat seating surface that spans the front and rear seats. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, the seat system of the present invention employs the following means.

[0009] That is, a first aspect of the present invention is a seat system having front and rear seats arranged side by side, the seat system having a posture switching mechanism that is capable of a first switching operation in which a first seat portion constituting the upper half of the backrest of the front seat and a second seat portion constituting the lower half of the backrest are arranged flatly front to back with respect to each other, or the first seat portion is folded downward relative to the flat second seat portion, thereby selectively switching the flat seat portion at the rear end facing the rear seat, and a second switching operation in which a third seat portion constituting the seating portion of the rear seat and a fourth seat portion constituting an ottoman are arranged flatly front to back with respect to each other, or the fourth seat portion is folded downward relative to the flat third seat portion, thereby selectively switching the flat seat portion at the front end facing the front seat. The seat system also has a front-to-rear sliding mechanism that slides the front seat and / or the rear seat in the front-to-rear direction relative to the floor, thereby aligning the flat seat portion at the rear end of the front seat and the flat seat portion at the front end of the rear seat so that they are aligned flatly in the front-to-rear direction.

[0010] According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to select whether to use both the first seat portion (upper half of the backrest) of the front seat and the fourth seat portion (ottoman) of the rear seat, or neither, or to use either the first seat portion or the fourth seat portion. In other words, when forming a flat seat surface spanning the front and rear seats, the first seat portion or the fourth seat portion can be selectively used, allowing for greater variation.

[0011] The second invention of the present invention is the first invention, wherein the front seat and the rear seat have the same seat structure having the first seat portion, the second seat portion, the third seat portion, and the fourth seat portion.

[0012] According to the second aspect of the present invention, by applying the switching by the posture switching mechanism to the third seat portion (sitting portion) and fourth seat portion (ottoman) of the front seat, and the second seat portion (lower half of the backrest) and first seat portion (upper half of the backrest) of the rear seat, it becomes possible to select whether or not to use these seat portions as flat seats. Therefore, it is possible to provide even more variations in forming a flat seat surface spanning the front and rear seats.

[0013] The third invention of the present invention is the second invention, wherein the posture switching mechanism has a first connecting portion that rotatably connects the base end of the second seat portion to a base on the floor around a rotation axis extending in the seat width direction, a second connecting portion that rotatably connects the base end of the third seat portion to the base at the front side of the seat of the first connecting portion around a rotation axis extending in the seat width direction, a third connecting portion that rotatably connects the base end of the first seat portion to the tip end of the second seat portion around a rotation axis extending in the seat width direction, and a fourth connecting portion that rotatably connects the base end of the fourth seat portion to the tip end of the third seat portion around a rotation axis extending in the seat width direction, wherein the second seat portion and the third seat portion are configured symmetrically with each other in the front-to-back direction, and the first seat portion and the fourth seat portion are configured symmetrically with each other in the front-to-back direction.

[0014] According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is only necessary to prepare two types of seat portions in order to realize the seat system, and it is possible to obtain a seat system with a simpler and more rational structure.

[0015] A fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect, has a swivel section that supports the base so that it can rotate about a vertical axis relative to the floor, and the front-to-rear slide mechanism supports the swivel section so that it can slide in the front-to-rear direction relative to the floor.

[0016] According to the fourth invention, each seat can be rotated 90 degrees and rearranged so that they are lined up left and right, and then the same seat parts can be matched with each other, for example, the third seat part (seating part) of the front seat and the third seat part (seating part) of the rear seat, thereby providing even more variations.

[0017] The fifth invention of the present invention, in the above-mentioned fourth invention, further includes a second slide mechanism that supports the base so that it can slide in the fore-and-aft direction of the seat relative to the rotating part, and the base rotates together with the second slide mechanism by the rotating part, thereby becoming slidable in a direction different from the sliding direction of the fore-and-aft slide mechanism.

[0018] According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the seats can be slid in the front-to-rear direction even during rotation to change the arrangement of the seats from front-to-rear to left-to-right, so that the seat portions can be avoided from interfering with each other.

[0019] A sixth aspect of the present invention is the fourth or fifth aspect of the present invention, wherein the pivoting portion has the vertical axis, which serves as the pivot center, at a position shifted from the center of the front seat and the rear seat in the seat width direction.

[0020] According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, when the vehicle is turned by 90 degrees, it can be positioned closer to the side of the floor than when the vertical axis is at the center in the width direction.

[0021] The seventh invention of the present invention is the third invention, wherein the posture switching mechanism raises the second seat portion and the third seat portion so that they face each other, and is further switchable to a folding mode in which the first seat portion and the fourth seat portion are arranged flat above and below the raised second seat portion and the third seat portion.

[0022] According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, by folding down one of the front and rear seats, the vehicle interior space can be made more widely usable, thereby providing a seat system with higher usability.

[0023] The eighth invention of the present invention is the third invention, wherein the posture switching mechanism is capable of switching to a table mode in which the second seat portion and the third seat portion are raised so that they face each other, and the first seat portion and the fourth seat portion are arranged flat in a front-to-back position.

[0024] According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, one of the front seat and the rear seat can be used as a table, thereby providing a seat system with higher usability.

[0025] The ninth invention of the present invention is the third invention, wherein the posture switching mechanism is switchable to an inverted mode in which the second seat portion of the front seat is made flat so that it can be sat on, and the third seat portion of the front seat is made upright so that it faces the rear seat so that it can be rested against.

[0026] According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, since the occupants in the front and rear seats can face each other, a more useful seat system can be obtained. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing front and rear seats in a vehicle interior to which a seat system is applied; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the front seat (rear seat). [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the front seat (rear seat). [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating angle adjustment by a reclining device. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a combination of patterns. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing one variation of the combined mode. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing one variation of the combined mode. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing one variation of the combined mode. [Figure 9]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing one variation of the combined mode. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the seats arranged in front and behind are rotated by 90 degrees. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing one variation of the combined mode. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of using the folding mode. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of using the table mode. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of using the inversion mode. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the seat system according to the present disclosure is applied to a seat mounted in a vehicle known as a minivan or a wagon. In the following description, when directions such as front, back, up, down, left, and right are indicated, they refer to the directions shown in each drawing.

[0029] Furthermore, when the word "seat" is used to refer to a direction such as the "seat width direction" or "seat front-rear direction," it refers to the respective direction based on the seating portion 3. Furthermore, in the following description, when a specific reference drawing is not shown or when there is no reference symbol corresponding to a reference drawing, any of Figures 1 to 14 will be referred to as appropriate.

[0030] First Embodiment <Overview of Seat System 1> As shown in FIG. 1, a seat system 1 according to this embodiment is applied to a front seat 1A and a rear seat 1B installed in a vehicle interior.

[0031] The seat system 1 has a front seat 1A and a rear seat 1B arranged in a line behind each other. Each seat 1A, 1B is arranged as a two-seater bench seat on the interior floor of the vehicle together with a driver's seat Ds. The driver's seat Ds is arranged in the first row, the front seat 1A in the second row, and the rear seat 1B in the third row.

[0032] Each seat 1A, 1B includes a seating portion 3, an ottoman 4, a backrest lower half 5, and a backrest upper half 6 (hereinafter collectively referred to as the seat portions 3-6). The angle of each of these seat portions 3-6 can be adjusted using reclining devices 7a-7d (described later). For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the backrest lower half 5 and backrest upper half 6 of the front seat 1A (hereinafter also referred to as the backrests 5, 6) can be tilted like the backrest lower half 5 and backrest upper half 6 of the rear seat 1B, and can also be reclined until they are flush with the seating portion 3 of the rear seat 1B. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the folded ottoman 4 of the front seat 1A can be unfolded until it is flush with the seating portion 3, as in the rear seat 1B. In addition, of the backrests 5, 6 of the front seat 1A, only the upper half 6 of the backrest can be moved to fold it up like an ottoman 4, or it can be folded down in the middle.

[0033] The seat system 1 has a front-rear sliding mechanism 2 that slides each of the seats 1A and 1B in the front-rear direction relative to the floor F. The front-rear sliding mechanism 2 allows the seats 1A and 1B to move closer to or farther apart from each other.

[0034] In other words, in the front seat 1A and rear seat 1B to which the seat system 1 is applied, a combine mode can be used in which the front seat 1A and rear seat 1B are combined by adjusting the angle of each seat portion 3 to 6 and sliding each seat 1A, 1B in the forward and backward directions, thereby forming a flat seating surface spanning the front seat 1A and rear seat 1B.

[0035] <Reclining devices 7a to 7d> As shown in Figures 2 and 3, each of the reclining devices 7a to 7d connects an object to a mating component so that the angle can be adjusted. For example, the base end of the backrest lower half 5 of the reclining device 7a is connected to the base 9A so that it can rotate about a rotation axis L1 extending in the seat width direction. The base end of the seating portion 3 of the reclining device 7b is connected to the base 9A so that the front side of the seat of the reclining device 7a can rotate about a rotation axis L2 extending in the seat width direction.

[0036] Reclining device 7c rotatably connects the base end of backrest upper half 6 to the tip end of backrest lower half 5 about a rotation axis L3 extending in the seat width direction. Reclining device 7d rotatably connects the base end of ottoman 4 to the tip end of seat 3 about a rotation axis L4 extending in the seat width direction.

[0037] In the front seat 1A shown in Fig. 4, the seating portion 3 is parallel to the floor F, the ottoman 4 is stored below the seating portion 3, and the backrests 5, 6 are in an upright position. The reclining device 7a of the front seat 1A allows the lower half 5 of the backrest to be reclined until it is parallel to the floor F. The reclining device 7c of the front seat 1A allows the upper half 6 of the backrest to be folded downward relative to the lower half 5 of the backrest to form a flat seat at the rear end facing the rear seat 1B, or the upper half 6 can be folded flat again relative to the lower half 5 of the backrest (first switching).

[0038] On the other hand, in the rear seat 1B, the seating portion 3 and ottoman 4 are parallel to the floor F and aligned flatly from front to back, and the backrests 5 and 6 are inclined and aligned flat from front to back. The rear seat 1B has a flat seating portion at its front end facing the front seat 1A, and the ottoman 4 can be kept aligned flat with the seating portion 3 as is by the reclining device 7d, or the ottoman 4 can be folded downward relative to the seating portion 3 (second switching).

[0039] In this way, the reclining devices 7c and 7d constitute a posture switching mechanism capable of first switching and second switching.

[0040] <Slide and rotate seats 1A and 1B> 2 and 3, each seat 1A, 1B has a hierarchical structure that includes, from top to bottom, a base 9A to which the seating portion 3 and the lower half of the backrest 5 are connected, a second sliding mechanism 9B that supports the base 9A so that it can slide, a swivel portion 9C that rotatably supports the second sliding mechanism 9B, and a front-to-rear sliding mechanism 2 that allows the swivel portion 9C to slide relative to the floor F. The second sliding mechanism 9B and the front-to-rear sliding mechanism 2 also have locking portions that lock the sliding movement.

[0041] The front-rear sliding mechanism 2 located in the lower layer slides each of the seats 1A, 1B as a whole in the front-rear direction relative to the floor F. In contrast, the second sliding mechanism 9B located in the upper layer slides a portion of each of the seats 1A, 1B (the base 9A connecting the seating portion 3 and the lower half of the backrest 5). In other words, even if the sliding movement by the front-rear sliding mechanism 2 is locked, the base 9A can still be slid, allowing fine adjustment of the positions of each of the seat portions 3 to 6.

[0042] The second slide mechanism 9B has a slide rail 9R and a slider 9S that slides along the slide rail 9R. The slider 9S is fixed to a base 9A, and when the slider 9S moves along the slide rail 9R, the base 9A (the seating section 3 and the backrest lower half section 5 connected to the base section 9A) slides in the front-to-rear direction relative to the floor F, for example.

[0043] The swivel unit 9C supports the second slide mechanism 9B so that it can swivel about a vertical axis L5 relative to the floor F. Specifically, the swivel unit 9C has a circular first member that supports the weight of each seat 1A, 1B, and a circular second member that engages with the first member and rotates relative to it. The second member is fixed to the second slide mechanism 9B, and the second slide mechanism 9B rotates when the second member rotates relative to the first member. When the second slide mechanism 9B rotates, the base 9A (the seating portion 3 and the backrest lower half 5) connected to the second slide mechanism 9B also rotates about the vertical axis L5 relative to the floor F. The vertical axis L5 is positioned at a position offset in the width direction from the center of each seat 1A, 1B in the seat width direction.

[0044] The base 9A (seat portion 3 and backrest lower half portion 5) can be slid in a direction different from the sliding direction of the front-rear sliding mechanism 2 (front-rear direction) by rotating together with the second sliding mechanism 9B by the rotating portion 9C.

[0045] The leg 9D is integral with the second slide mechanism 9B and, together with the swivel 9C, bears the load acting on each seat 1A, 1B. The leg 9D also rotates integrally with the second slide mechanism 9B around the vertical axis L5. To lock the rotation of each seat 1A, 1B, the leg 9D is locked to the floor F. Specifically, the floor F is provided with slide rails Fa, Fb, and one other slide rail (not shown), and the leg 9D has two locking portions that can be locked to these slide rails. In the state of the leg 9D shown in Figures 2 and 3, the locking portions are aligned in a row in the front-to-rear direction. Therefore, the leg 9D is locked to one slide rail. When the leg 9D rotates 90 degrees together with the second slide mechanism 9B, the two locking portions are locked to the slide rails Fa, Fb, respectively.

[0046] The bottom-most longitudinal sliding mechanism 2 enables the swivel unit 9C to slide in the longitudinal direction relative to the floor F. Specifically, the second sliding mechanism 9B is composed of slide rails Fa, Fb provided on the floor F and a sliding mechanism (not shown) provided on the bottom surface of the swivel unit 9C.

[0047] <Fixing rail> As shown in Fig. 2, each seat 1A, 1B is provided with fixing rails 3a to 6a. Also, as shown in Figs. 15 and 16, fixing rails Wa, Wb are also provided on the interior wall W of the vehicle. Each of the fixing rails 3a to 6a, Wa, Wb is a fixture that allows the user to detachably fix other members. Examples of "other members" include a table, a partition, a monitor (display), etc.

[0048] The fixing rails 3a to 6a are provided in areas other than the seat surface of the seats 3 to 6. For example, the fixing rail 6a is provided on the rear surface of the backrest upper half 6. The fixing rails 3a to 6a are provided along the seat width direction and are parallel to the floor F.

[0049] 15, the fixing rails Wa, Wb are provided along the front-rear direction of the vehicle and are parallel to the floor F. The intervals between the fixing rails Wa, Wb and the intervals between the fixing rails 5a, 6a are the same.

[0050] The basic structure and method of use of each of the fixing rails 3a to 6a, Wa, and Wb are the same as those disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-152046, which is shown as a prior art document.

[0051] <Combined mode variations> As shown in Figure 5, there are four patterns in which the seat portions 3 to 6 of the front seat 1A can be arranged flat. For each of these four patterns, there are also four patterns for the rear seat 1B, so it can be said that there are 16 variations in how the seat portions 3 to 6 of the seats 1A and 1B can be combined and arranged flat. For example, by changing the hardness of the padding of the seat portions 3 to 6 or by changing the material of the covering, it is possible to provide 16 different hardnesses and textures when arranging the seat portions 3 to 6 to form a flat seating surface spanning the front seat 1A and the rear seat 1B.

[0052] Below, several variations will be explained, along with the operation of each seat 1A, 1B. In Figure 6, the seat cushions 3 to 6 of each seat 1A, 1B are all aligned flat from front to back. Of the combinations shown in Figure 5, this is a combination of pattern f1 and pattern r1. This is the longest of all the combined mode variations. For example, if the upper half 6 of the backrest of the rear seat 1B is lifted slightly upward and secured, it can be used as a pillow. Also, if the lower half 5 of the backrest of the rear seat 1B is lifted slightly upward together with the upper half 6 of the backrest, the user can sleep on their back with their upper body slightly raised. In this way, the user can make appropriate adjustments to the variations shown in Figure 5.

[0053] To switch from the state of the sheets 1A and 1B in FIG. 4 to the state of the sheets 1A and 1B in FIG. 6, for example, the following procedure is performed.

[0054] First, the lower half 5 of the backrest of the rear seat 1B is reclined until it is parallel to the floor F. The upper half 6 of the backrest is already aligned flat with the lower half 5 of the backrest, so it is now parallel to the floor F together with the lower half 5 of the backrest. Next, the ottoman 4 of the front seat 1A is unfolded so that it is aligned flat with the seating portion 3. Next, the backrests 5 and 6 of the front seat 1A are reclined until they are parallel to the floor F, but if they are reclined in this state, they will interfere with the rear seat 1B. Therefore, the front / rear slide mechanism 2 is used to increase the distance between the front seat 1A and the rear seat 1B. Finally, fine adjustments are made so that the upper half 6 of the backrest of the front seat 1A and the ottoman 4 of the rear seat 1B are aligned without any gaps.

[0055] In Figure 7, the seat cushions 3 to 6 of the seats 1A and 1B (excluding the ottoman 4 of the rear seat 1B) are aligned flat from front to back. This is a combination of patterns f1 and r2 from among the combinations shown in Figure 5. To switch from the state of Figure 6 to the state of Figure 7, for example, the following procedure is performed.

[0056] First, the ottoman 4 of the rear seat 1B is folded downward relative to the seating portion 3. Next, the front-rear slide mechanism 2 is used to fine-tune the backrest upper half 6 and the seating portion 3 of the rear seat 1B so that they are aligned without any gaps. Note that the second slide mechanism 9B may also be used for the fine adjustment.

[0057] In Figure 8, the seating portion 3, ottoman 4 (except for the rear seat 1B), lower backrest portion 5, and upper backrest portion 6 (except for the front seat 1A) of each seat 1A, 1B are aligned flat from front to back. This is a combination of pattern f3 and pattern r2 among the combinations shown in Figure 5. To switch from the state of Figure 7 to the state of Figure 8, for example, the following procedure is performed.

[0058] First, the upper half 6 of the backrest of the front seat 1A is folded downward relative to the lower half 5 of the backrest. Fine adjustment to close the gap is performed as described above.

[0059] In Figure 9, the seating portions 3 and lower half portions 5 of the backrests of each seat 1A, 1B are aligned flat from front to back. This is a combination of pattern f4 and pattern r4 from the combinations shown in Figure 5. To switch from the state of Figure 8 to the state of Figure 9, the ottoman 4 of the front seat 1A is folded downward relative to the seating portion 3, and the upper half portion 6 of the backrest of the rear seat 1B is folded downward relative to the lower half portion 5 of the backrest.

[0060] If the seats 1A, 1B are rotated 90 degrees and arranged sideways in a row with the front-to-rear direction of the seat perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle, the variations in arranging the seat cushions 3 to 6 flatten further increase. That is, as shown in Fig. 10, the seats 1A, 1B can be rotated by the rotating part 9C about a vertical axis L5 from a state in which they are arranged sideways in a row (dotted lines) to a state in which they are arranged sideways in a row (solid lines). Below, several variations in arranging the seats sideways in a row will be described along with the operations for the seats 1A, 1B.

[0061] After each seat 1A, 1B is rotated 90 degrees, it is positioned closer to the interior wall W of the vehicle. This is because the vertical axis L5 is set at a position offset from the center in the seat width direction. As a result of being offset from the center, the vertical axis L5 is positioned closer to the wall W. If the vertical axis L5 were set at the center in the seat width direction, it would be positioned away from the interior wall W after rotating 90 degrees, and therefore, in order to move it closer to the interior wall W, it would be necessary to slide it using, for example, the second slide mechanism 9B.

[0062] Furthermore, the seats 1A and 1B are lined up without any gaps after being rotated 90 degrees, which is due to the sliding movement of the second sliding mechanism 9B. If the sliding movement by the second sliding mechanism 9B were not possible, and the relative positions of the seats 1A and 1B before rotation were such that they would be lined up without any gaps after being rotated 90 degrees (the distance between the vertical axes L5 of the seats 1A and 1B would not change before and after rotation), the lower half 5 of the backrest of the front seat 1A and the seating portion 3 of the rear seat 1B would interfere with each other during rotation. However, by using the second sliding mechanism 9B, the front seat 1A can be slid to avoid the rear seat 1B when they are about to interfere.

[0063] Fig. 11 shows a state in which the seat portions 3 to 6 of the seats 1A and 1B are all arranged flat. To switch from the state shown in Fig. 10 to the state shown in Fig. 11, for example, the following procedure is performed.

[0064] Since there is no space between the seats 1A, 1B and the wall W to recline the backrests 5, 6, first, the second slide mechanism 9B is used to slide the seats 3 to 6 together with the base 9A to the left. After the space is secured, the lower half 5 of the backrest is reclined until it is parallel to the floor F. The upper half 6 of the backrest is also adjusted appropriately so that it is aligned flat with the lower half 5 of the backrest. Finally, the ottoman 4 is unfolded so that it is aligned flat with the seating portion 3.

[0065] In FIG. 11, the width in the left-right direction is at its maximum, but the width can be adjusted as needed. Specifically, the width in the left-right direction can be changed by folding down or raising up the upper half backrest 6 or ottoman 4 of each seat 1A, 1B. For example, by folding down the ottoman 4 of each seat 1A, 1B from the state shown in FIG. 11, the width can be narrowed accordingly. Conversely, by raising up the ottoman 4 of each seat 1A, 1B, the width can be narrowed and the ottoman 4 can be used as a bed guard to prevent falls. Also, both the upper half backrest 6 and the ottoman 4 may be raised so that bed guards are provided on both sides. Furthermore, both the upper half backrest 6 and the ottoman 4 may be folded down.

[0066] <Other modes> In the seat system 1, in addition to the combined mode in which the seat portions 3 to 6 of the seats 1A and 1B are aligned to form a flat seating surface, other modes can also be used by deforming the front seat 1A as shown in Figures 12 to 14, thereby providing a highly convenient vehicle interior space.

[0067] In Figure 12, the front seat 1A is in the folding mode, in which the seating portion 3 and the lower half of the backrest 5 are raised to face each other, and the ottoman 4 and the upper half of the backrest 6 are arranged flat above and below the raised seating portion 3 and the lower half of the backrest 5.

[0068] By placing the front seat 1A in the folding mode and further sliding the front seat 1A forward, the passenger in the rear seat 1B can use the space more widely.

[0069] Additionally, an object 8a such as a monitor can be fixed to each of the fixing rails 5a and 6a of the front seat 1A. By fixing the object 8a to two fixing rails in this way, it is possible to fix the object 8a more firmly than when fixing it to one fixing rail.

[0070] As described above, the spacing between the fixing rails 5a, 6a and the spacing between the fixing rails Wa, Wb are the same, so the object 8a can be fixed to the fixing rails Wa, Wb of the wall W instead of the fixing rails 5a, 6a.

[0071] In Figure 13, the front seat 1A is in table mode. In table mode, the seating portion 3 and the lower half of the backrest 5 are raised so that they face each other, and the ottoman 4 and the upper half of the backrest 6 are arranged flat in front and behind. In other words, the seat can be switched from the folding mode to the table mode by unfolding the ottoman 4 and the upper half of the backrest 6.

[0072] By placing the front seat 1A in table mode, a passenger in the rear seat 1B can place luggage on top of the front seat 1A. Also, by fixing an object 8b to the fixing rail 6a, the object 8b can be held so that it hangs from the backrest upper half 6. Note that if the object 8b is also fixed to the fixing rail 5a, it can be fixed more firmly.

[0073] In Figure 14, the front seat 1A is in the inverted mode, in which the lower half 5 of the backrest of the front seat 1A is tilted so that it is parallel to the floor F, allowing a seating position, and the seating portion 3 of the front seat 1A is raised so that it faces the rear seat 1B, allowing a seating position.

[0074] By setting the front seat 1A to the reversible mode, the occupants in the front seat 1A and the rear seat 1B can face each other, providing a highly convenient vehicle interior space. For example, if a monitor is fixed to the fixing rails Wa and Wb, the occupants in each seat 1A and 1B can view the monitor.

[0075] To summarize the above, the seat system (1) according to this embodiment has the following configuration: Note that the reference numerals in parentheses below correspond to the respective components shown in the above embodiment.

[0076] That is, the seat system (1) has a front seat (1A) and a rear seat (1B) arranged side by side in the front and rear direction. The seat system (1) has a posture-changing mechanism (7c, 7d) that can perform a first changeover, in which a first seat portion (6) constituting the upper half of the backrest of the front seat (1A) and a second seat portion (5) constituting the lower half of the backrest are aligned flatly in the front and rear direction, or the first seat portion (6) is folded downward relative to the flat second seat portion (5), thereby selectively switching the flat seat portion at the rear end facing the rear seat (1B), and a second changeover, in which a third seat portion (3) constituting the seating portion of the rear seat (1B) and a fourth seat portion (4) constituting an ottoman are aligned flatly in the front and rear direction, or the fourth seat portion (4) is folded downward relative to the flat third seat portion (3), thereby selectively switching the flat seat portion at the front end facing the front seat (1A). The seat system (1) also has a front-to-rear slide mechanism (2) that slides the front seat (1A) and / or rear seat (1B) in the front-to-rear direction relative to the floor (F) to align the flat seat portion at the rear end of the front seat (1A) and the flat seat portion at the front end of the rear seat (1B) so that they are aligned flatly in the front-to-rear direction.

[0077] According to the above configuration, it is possible to select whether to use both the first seat portion (6) of the front seat (1A) and the fourth seat portion (4) of the rear seat (1B), or neither, or to use either the first seat portion (6) or the fourth seat portion (4). In other words, when forming a seat surface spanning the front seat (1A) and the rear seat (1B), the first seat portion (6) or the fourth seat portion (4) can be selectively used, which allows for greater variation.

[0078] Furthermore, the front seat (1A) and the rear seat (1B) have the same seat structure, each having a first seat portion (6), a second seat portion (5), a third seat portion (3), and a fourth seat portion (4). According to the above configuration, by applying the switching mechanism (7c, 7d) to the third seat portion (3) and the fourth seat portion (4) of the front seat (1A) and the second seat portion (5) and the first seat portion (6) of the rear seat (1B), it becomes possible to select whether or not these seat portions are used as flat seats. Therefore, even greater variations can be created when forming a seat surface spanning the front seat (1A) and the rear seat (1B).

[0079] The position switching mechanism includes a first connecting part (7a) that connects a base end of the second seat part (5) to a base (9A) on the floor (F) so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis (L1) extending in the seat width direction, a second connecting part (7b) that connects a base end of the third seat part (3) to the base (9A) so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis (L2) extending in the seat width direction at the seat front side of the first connecting part (7a), and a base end of the first seat part (6) connected to a base (9A) of the second seat part (5). The seat cushion has a third connecting portion (7c) that rotatably connects the tip end of the fourth seat portion (4) around a rotation axis (L3) that extends in the seat width direction, and a fourth connecting portion (7d) that rotatably connects the base end of the fourth seat portion (4) around a rotation axis (L4) that extends in the seat width direction to the tip end of the third seat portion (3), and the second seat portion (5) and the third seat portion (3) are configured to be symmetrical with each other in the front-to-back direction, and the first seat portion (6) and the fourth seat portion (4) are configured to be symmetrical with each other in the front-to-back direction.

[0080] According to the above configuration, it is only necessary to prepare two types of seat portions in order to realize the seat system (1), and it is possible to obtain a seat system (1) with a simpler and more rational structure.

[0081] The seat cushion further includes a swivel unit (9C) that supports the base (9A) so that it can be rotated about a vertical axis (L5) relative to the floor (F), and the front-rear slide mechanism (2) supports the swivel unit (9C) so that it can slide in the front-rear direction relative to the floor (F). According to the above configuration, after each seat is rotated 90 degrees to be aligned left and right, the same seat portions can be matched with each other, for example, the third seat portion (3) of the front seat (1A) and the third seat portion (3) of the rear seat (1B), thereby providing even greater variations.

[0082] The seat cushion further includes a second slide mechanism (9B) that supports the base (9A) so that the base (9A) can slide in the front-rear direction of the seat relative to the swivel portion (9C), and the base (9A) rotates together with the second slide mechanism (9B) by the swivel portion (9C), thereby enabling the base (9A) to slide in a direction different from the sliding direction of the front-rear slide mechanism (2). According to the above configuration, the seats (1A, 1B) can slide in the front-rear direction even during rotation to change the arrangement from front-rear to left-right, so that the seat portions of the seats can avoid interfering with each other.

[0083] In the fourth or fifth aspect of the present invention, the swivel portion (9C) has a vertical axis (L5) serving as a swivel center at a position shifted from the center of the front seat (1A) and the rear seat (1B) in the seat width direction. According to the above configuration, when swiveled 90 degrees, the seat can be positioned closer to the side of the floor (F) than when the vertical axis (L5) is at the center of the width direction.

[0084] In addition, the position switching mechanism can raise the second seat portion (5) and the third seat portion (3) so that they face each other, and can also switch to a folding mode in which the first seat portion (6) and the fourth seat portion (4) are arranged flat above and below the raised second seat portion (5) and the third seat portion (3). According to the above configuration, folding one of the front seat (1A) and the rear seat (1B) can make use of a wider interior space of the vehicle, resulting in a more useful seat system (1).

[0085] In addition, the posture switching mechanism can switch to a table mode in which the second seat portion (5) and the third seat portion (3) are raised so that they face each other, and the first seat portion (6) and the fourth seat portion (4) are arranged flat in front and behind. According to the above configuration, one of the front seat (1A) and the rear seat (1B) can be used as a table, thereby providing a more useful seat system (1).

[0086] In addition, the posture switching mechanism can be switched to an inversion mode in which the second seat portion (5) of the front seat (1A) lies flat to allow seating, and the third seat portion (3) of the front seat (1A) is raised to face the rear seat (1B) to allow the back to rest. With the above configuration, occupants seated in the front seat (1A) and the rear seat (1B) can face each other, resulting in a more useful seat system (1).

[0087] Other Embodiments Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention can be embodied in various forms other than the above embodiment.

[0088] 1. In the above embodiment, the seat portion used in the combined mode was described as including the seating portion 3 and ottoman 4 of the front seat 1A and the lower half of the backrest 5 and the upper half of the backrest 6 of the rear seat 1B. However, to form a flat seat surface spanning the front seat 1A and the rear seat 1B, it is sufficient to use at least the lower half of the backrest 5 and the upper half of the backrest 6 of the front seat 1A and the seating portion 3 and ottoman 4 of the rear seat 1B. Even in this case, there are two ways to arrange the upper half of the backrest 6 of the front seat 1A flat or folded down relative to the lower half of the backrest 5 of the front seat 1A, and two ways to arrange the ottoman 4 flat or folded down relative to the seating portion 3 of the rear seat 1B, so four different combinations can be provided. Furthermore, the four variations can be freely arranged by adjusting the angles of the seating portion 3 and ottoman 4 of the front seat 1A and the lower half 5 and upper half 6 of the backrest of the rear seat 1B. For example, the seating portion 3 and ottoman 4 of the front seat 1A can be in an upright position, and the lower half 5 and upper half 6 of the backrest of the rear seat 1B can be arranged flat (or vice versa). Also, the seating portion 3 and ottoman 4 of the front seat 1A and the lower half 5 and upper half 6 of the backrest of the rear seat 1B can both be in an upright position (or tilted at a 45-degree angle, for example). The 16 variations shown in FIG. 5 can also be considered a special mode (bed mode) within the combined mode, in which the selected seating portions are arranged flat.

[0089] 2. In the above embodiment, the seating portion 3 and ottoman 4 of the front seat 1A have the same configuration as the seating portion 3 and ottoman 4 of the rear seat 1B, but they may have different configurations. For example, the front seat 1A may not have an ottoman 4. The seating portion 3 does not have to be angle adjustable. Similarly, the backrest lower half 5 and backrest upper half 6 of the rear seat 1B have the same configuration as the backrest lower half 5 and backrest upper half 6 of the front seat 1A, but they may have different configurations. For example, the rear seat 1B may not have a backrest upper half 6. The backrest lower half 5 does not have to be angle adjustable.

[0090] 3. In the above embodiment, both the front seat 1A and the rear seat 1B are slidable in the front-rear direction, but only one of the front seat 1A and the rear seat 1B may be slidable in the front-rear direction.

[0091] 4. In the above embodiment, the seating portion 3 and the lower half of the backrest 5 are symmetrical to each other, and the ottoman 4 and the upper half of the backrest 6 are also symmetrical to each other, but they may be asymmetrical. For example, the lower half of the backrest 5 may be longer in the front-to-rear direction than the seating portion 3, or the upper half of the backrest 6 may be longer in the front-to-rear direction than the ottoman 4.

[0092] 5. In the above embodiment, each seat 1A, 1B is rotatable by the swivel unit 9C, but the swivel unit 9C need not be provided. Furthermore, as long as the front seat 1A and the rear seat 1B can slide in the front-rear direction to eliminate the gap between them, the seat system may have only one of the front-rear slide mechanism 2 or the second slide mechanism 9B.

[0093] 6. In the above embodiment, the vertical axis L5 is set at a position shifted from the center in the seat width direction, but it may also be set at the center in the seat width direction.

[0094] 7. In the above embodiment, the seat system is applied to the front seat 1A and rear seat 1B mounted in a vehicle, but it can also be applied not only to the floor inside the vehicle cabin, but also to front and rear seats arranged front to back on, for example, a floor inside a building or an outdoor floor. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 1 seat system 1A front seat 1B rear seat 2. Front and rear sliding mechanism 3a~6a Fixing rail 3 Seating area 4 Ottoman 5 Lower half of backrest 6 Upper part of backrest 7a~7d Reclining device 8a~8b Object 9A Base 9B Slide mechanism 9C Swivel section 9D legs 9R slide rail F Floor Fa, Fb slide rails L1~L5 Rotation axis W wall Wa, Wb fixing rails

Claims

1. A seating system having a front seat and a rear seat arranged in tandem with each other, a posture switching mechanism capable of a first switching operation in which a flat rear end seat portion facing the rear seat is selectively switched by arranging a first seat portion constituting the upper half of the backrest of the front seat and a second seat portion constituting the lower half of the backrest flatly in the front-to-back direction or by folding the first seat portion downward relative to the flat second seat portion, and a second switching operation in which a flat front end seat portion facing the front seat is selectively switched by arranging a third seat portion constituting the seating portion of the rear seat and a fourth seat portion constituting an ottoman flatly in the front-to-back direction or by folding the fourth seat portion downward relative to the flat third seat portion; a front-rear slide mechanism that adjusts the flat seat portion at the rear end of the front seat and the flat seat portion at the front end of the rear seat so that they are aligned flatly in the front-rear direction by sliding the front seat and / or the rear seat in the front-rear direction relative to a floor; A seat system having:

2. 10. The seating system of claim 1, A seat system in which the front seat and the rear seat have the same seat structure as each other, having the first seat portion, the second seat portion, the third seat portion, and the fourth seat portion.

3. 3. The seating system of claim 2, The attitude switching mechanism is a first connecting portion that connects a base end of the second seat portion to a base on a floor so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis that extends in the seat width direction; a second connecting portion that connects a base end portion of the third seat portion to the base so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the seat width direction at a seat front side of the first connecting portion; a third connecting portion that connects a base end portion of the first seat portion to a tip end portion of the second seat portion so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis that extends in the seat width direction; a fourth connecting portion that connects a base end portion of the fourth seat portion to a tip end portion of the third seat portion so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis that extends in the seat width direction, A seat system in which the second seat portion and the third seat portion are configured symmetrically to each other in the front and rear directions, and the first seat portion and the fourth seat portion are configured symmetrically to each other in the front and rear directions.

4. 4. The seating system of claim 3, a swivel unit that supports the base so that the base can be swiveled about a vertical axis relative to the floor, The front-rear sliding mechanism supports the swivel portion so that it can slide in the front-rear direction relative to the floor.

5. 5. The seating system of claim 4, a second slide mechanism that supports the base so that the base can slide in the front-rear direction of the seat relative to the rotating portion; A seat system in which the base is slidable in a direction different from the sliding direction of the forward / backward sliding mechanism by rotating together with the second sliding mechanism using the rotating portion.

6. 6. A seat system according to claim 4 or 5, A seat system in which the pivoting portion has the vertical axis, which serves as the pivot center, at a position offset from the center of the seat width direction of the front seat and the rear seat.

7. 4. The seating system of claim 3, The seat system is capable of switching to a folding mode in which the posture switching mechanism raises the second seat portion and the third seat portion so that they face each other, and further, aligns the first seat portion and the fourth seat portion flatly above and below the raised second seat portion and the third seat portion.

8. 4. The seating system of claim 3, The seat system is capable of being switched to a table mode in which the posture switching mechanism raises the second seat portion and the third seat portion so that they face each other, and arranges the first seat portion and the fourth seat portion flat in a front-to-back position.

9. 4. The seating system of claim 3, The seat system is configured such that the posture switching mechanism can be switched to an inverted mode in which the second seat portion of the front seat is made flat to allow seating, and the third seat portion of the front seat is made upright to face the rear seat to allow reclining.

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