Vehicle seat

Abstract

To secure a support property of a vehicle seat for an occupant while suppressing a cost increase as much as possible.SOLUTION: In a vehicle seat in which a seating surface (upper seating surface 10) capable of receiving an occupant in a seated state is formed by a seat cover side 6P covered with a seat pad side 6S, the seat cover side 6S forming the seating surface (upper seating surface 10) is provided with a general portion 20 expanded in a planar manner with a predetermined thickness and an upper support portion 30 to which a reinforcement material 35 is welded so as to be exposed to the outside, and the upper support portion 30 is compressed in a thickness direction to be harder than the general portion 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat in which a seating surface for receiving a seated occupant is formed by a seat cover that covers a seat pad. [Background technology]

[0002] In the field of vehicle seats, various attempts have been made to adequately support an occupant on the seating surface. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a seat pad (seat pad) used in a seat cushion. This seat pad has a center support portion in the center of the seat width direction. This center support portion has a predetermined width and extends in the front-to-rear direction of the seat. Side support portions are provided on the outer sides of the center support portion in the seat width direction, protruding upward toward the seat. The outer shapes of the seating sides of both support portions are formed from a first foam, and a second foam member with a generally triangular cross section that is relatively flexible is provided below the first foam member. This second foam member is disposed on both sides of the seat width direction, with most of it being disposed in the side support portions. Furthermore, a rigid region is provided on the outer sides of the second foam member in the seat width direction. This rigid region is formed from the first foam member and the second foam member, and is therefore more rigid than the second foam member.

[0003] In the seat pad described above, a seated occupant is supported by the first foam and the second foam. At this time, the second foam bends relatively greatly, causing the side support portions to deform so as to envelop the occupant. The side support portions are then able to support the enveloping occupant from the sides by virtue of the rigid regions provided on the outer sides in the seat width direction, thereby providing a configuration that contributes to ensuring support for the occupant. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-130006 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the field of vehicle seats, there is a demand for ensuring occupant support while minimizing cost increases. For example, one possible measure to minimize cost increases is to reduce investment in molds for seat pads. However, with the above-mentioned technology, the seat pad is formed from multiple types of foam, making it difficult to reduce investment in molds. Another possible solution is to weld and secure wires or other components supporting the occupant to the seat frame. However, even in this case, additional costs are incurred for securing the wires, and an increase in seat weight is unavoidable. The present invention was devised in light of the above-mentioned issues, and the problem to be solved by the present invention is to ensure occupant support in a vehicle seat while minimizing cost increases. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, a vehicle seat according to the first invention has a seat cover covering a seat pad, forming a seating surface for supporting a seated occupant. It is desirable for this type of vehicle seat to provide support for the occupant while minimizing cost increases. Therefore, the seat cover forming the seating surface of the present invention includes a general portion that is expanded to a predetermined thickness and a support portion to which a reinforcing material is welded so that it is exposed to the outside. The support portion is compressed in the thickness direction to be harder than the general portion. In this invention, the relatively hard support portion makes the seating surface less susceptible to partial deformation, thereby ensuring support for the occupant. Furthermore, because the support portion is formed by compressing the seat cover portion including the reinforcing material, costs can be reduced compared to when support is provided by a seat pad or the like.

[0007] The vehicle seat of the second invention is the vehicle seat of the first invention, in which the seat cover and the reinforcing material are welded via a welding layer, and the welding layer contains one or more resins selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polyamide, and polyurethane. In this invention, the welding layer containing an appropriate resin functions to more reliably weld the reinforcing material to the seat cover portion of the support part, resulting in a configuration that further contributes to ensuring support for the occupant.

[0008] The vehicle seat of the third invention is the vehicle seat of the first or second invention, in which the support portion is provided at a position where it can come into contact with a seated occupant. In this invention, the occupant comes into contact with the support portion provided at an appropriate position, which further contributes to ensuring support for the occupant. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to ensure the supportability of a vehicle seat for an occupant while minimizing cost increases. According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to ensure the supportability more reliably. And according to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to ensure the supportability even more reliably. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle seat. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic enlarged perspective view of the vehicle seat showing a support portion. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a processing machine for forming a seat cover and a support portion. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a modified vehicle seat. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a test piece. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6. In each figure, arrows indicating the front-rear direction, the up-down direction (height direction), and the left-right direction (seat width direction) of the vehicle seat are appropriately illustrated. In each figure, to easily distinguish between the general portion and the support portion, only the support portion (the portion of the seat cover where the reinforcing material is arranged) may be illustrated with hatching. For convenience, in each figure, symbols corresponding to the members on the right side are used exclusively, and illustrations and symbols of the members on the left side may be omitted.

[0012] [Vehicle seat overview] First, an overview of a vehicle seat 2 shown in Fig. 1 will be described. In this vehicle seat 2, the lower part of a seat back 6 is connected to the rear part of a seat cushion 4 via a recliner (not shown). The seat back 6 is a member against which an occupant rests, and is formed into a rectangular shape that is long vertically when viewed from the front. The seat cushion 4 is a member that serves as a seat portion, and is formed into a rectangular shape that is long front-to-rear when viewed from above.

[0013] An upper top main portion 60 is formed in the center of the seat width direction on the front surface of the seat back 6 shown in FIG. 1. This upper top main portion 60 is a portion on which an occupant can lean back during normal driving, and is formed to extend in the up-down direction of the seat with a predetermined width. Both sides (left and right) of the upper top main portion 60 in the seat width direction are formed into a bank-like shape that is raised toward the front of the seat. The inner portions of the bank-like portions form upper top side portions 61 of the seat back 6 that extend in the up-down direction of the seat. The left and right upper top side portions 61 have substantially the same configuration and are arranged substantially symmetrically. For convenience, therefore, in FIG. 1, the symbols corresponding to the right upper top side portion and its related portions are used, and the symbols for the left upper top side portion are omitted.

[0014] Furthermore, a lower top plate main portion 40 is formed on the upper surface of the seat cushion 4 shown in FIG. 1 in the center in the seat width direction. This lower top plate main portion 40 is a portion where an occupant can sit during normal driving, etc., and is formed to extend in the seat front-to-rear direction with a predetermined width dimension. Furthermore, both sides (left and right) of the lower top plate main portion 40 in the seat width direction are formed in a bank-like shape that is raised above the seat. The inner portions of the bank-like portions form lower top plate side portions 41 of the seat cushion 4 that extend in the seat front-to-rear direction. Here, the left and right lower top plate side portions 41 have approximately the same configuration and are arranged approximately symmetrically. For convenience, therefore, in FIG. 1, the reference numerals corresponding to the right lower top plate side portion and its related portions are used, and the reference numerals for the left lower top plate side portion are omitted.

[0015] In the seat back 6 shown in FIG. 1, a seat cover 6S (described later) covers a seat frame 6F, which forms the seat skeleton, and a seat pad 6P, which elastically supports the occupant (the seat frame and seat pad are not shown in FIG. 1). In the seat back 6, the seat cover 6S covering the upper top panel main portion 60 and the left and right upper top panel side portions 61 forms an upper seating surface 10 that can support a seated occupant. In the seat cushion 4, another seat cover 4S covers another seat frame 4F and another seat pad 4P. In the seat cushion 4, another seat cover 4S covering the lower top panel main portion 40 and the left and right lower top panel side portions 41 forms an lower seating surface 11 that can support a seated occupant.

[0016] As described above, the vehicle seat 2 shown in FIG. 1 is required to provide sufficient support for the occupant. Ensuring support through the configuration of the seat pad or the seat frame is undesirable from the perspective of cost reduction. Therefore, in this embodiment, the support for the occupant of the vehicle seat 2 is ensured while minimizing cost reduction through the configuration of the seat cover (e.g., the general portion 20 and the upper support portion 30 to which the reinforcing member 35 is welded), which will be described later. Hereinafter, the configuration of this embodiment will be described in detail, taking the right upper top panel side portion 61 of the seat back 6 as an example, in the order of forming the seat cover 6S, the general portion 20, the upper support portion 30, the reinforcing member 35, the welded layer 36, and the upper support portion 30.

[0017] [Seat covers] First, the seat cover 6S shown in Figures 2 and 3 is disposed between the upper top main portion 60 and the upper top side portion 61 to form the upper seating surface 10 of the seat back 6. Referring to Figure 3, this seat cover 6S has a cover 21 that forms its surface layer and a padding material 22 integrated with the back surface of the cover 21. The cover 21 can be formed from various surface materials that form the appearance of the seat, such as fabric (woven fabric, knitted fabric, nonwoven fabric) or leather (natural leather, synthetic leather, or artificial leather, which will be described later). The padding material 22 can be formed from a foam such as polyurethane (PU), and a backing base fabric 23 can be integrated with the back surface of the padding material 22 as needed.

[0018] [General section] 2 and 3, the seat cover 6S portion forming the upper seating surface 10, except for an upper support portion (described later), is formed of a general portion 20 that is spread out planarly with a predetermined thickness. The thickness of this general portion 20 can be determined by the total thickness (average thickness) of the skin 21, padding 22, and backing fabric 23 (see the dimension indicated by symbol A1 in FIG. 3). When the seat cover 6S is formed by sewing multiple pieces together, the general portion 20 refers to the portion excluding the seams between the pieces.

[0019] [Support part] Next, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the seat cover 6S portion forming the upper seating surface 10 is formed with multiple upper support portions 30, 31, and 32. The positions of the upper support portions are not particularly limited, but they may be located where support is required, and are preferably located where they can contact a seated occupant. For example, in the upper seating surface 10 of this embodiment, multiple upper support portions 30, 31, and 32 are intermittently provided at appropriate intervals above and below the lower side of the upper top panel side portion 61. Because the multiple upper support portions 30, 31, and 32 have substantially the same configuration, the following describes the details of the uppermost upper support portion 30 as an example. The upper support portion 30 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is the seat cover 6S portion to which a reinforcing member 35 (described in detail below) is welded so that it is exposed to the outside (for convenience, in each figure, only some of the support portions are labeled with the symbol indicating the reinforcing member). The upper support portion 30 is compressed in the thickness direction more than the general portion 20, and is therefore harder than the general portion 20. In other words, the upper support portion 30 has superior surface rigidity (Shore A hardness or bending resistance) to the general portion 20, and is relatively less susceptible to bending deformation.

[0020] 1, the underwear seat surface 11 of the seat cushion 4 may also be provided with lower support portions at positions where support is required. For example, in the underwear seat surface 11 of this embodiment, a plurality of lower support portions 30X, 31X, 32X extending in the up-down direction of the seat are formed at appropriate intervals in the front-to-rear direction at the rear of the lower top panel side portion 41. The plurality of lower support portions 30X, 31X, 32X also have substantially the same configuration as the upper support portion 30 described above.

[0021] [Reinforcement material] Next, the reinforcing member 35 shown in FIG. 3 is a member welded to the surface 21 of the seat cover 6S and exposed to the outside, so that it can directly contact a seated occupant. Examples of this type of reinforcing member 35 include a surface material with moderate flexibility, particularly fabric (woven fabric, knitted fabric, nonwoven fabric) and leather (natural leather, synthetic leather). When fabric is used as the reinforcing member 35, using a polyurethane (PU) brushed tricot or suede nonwoven fabric makes it easier to ensure the desired design and texture (feel) when touched. Furthermore, using synthetic leather allows for the formation of a reinforcing member 35 that is more cost-effective and has superior design than natural leather. Here, typical synthetic leather is formed by laminating and bonding a base fabric layer and a resin layer. The material of the base fabric layer is not particularly limited, but it can be formed, for example, from a synthetic or natural fiber fabric. The material of the resin layer is not particularly limited, and various resins such as polyurethane and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) can be used. When synthetic leather is used for the reinforcing material 35, it is possible to create a grain-like finish by using a sheet-like resin layer, or to create a suede-like finish by raising the surface of the resin layer. These grain-like and suede-like synthetic leathers are highly aesthetically pleasing and have a great texture, making them suitable for use in the reinforcing material 35 that comes into direct contact with the occupant. The reinforcing material 35 being exposed to the outside means that the parts that contribute to the texture of the reinforcing material 35 (such as the resin parts) are exposed so that they can be directly touched, and the texture can be more reliably felt by not providing a protective layer or the like.

[0022] [Welding layer] The seat cover 6S and the reinforcing material 35 shown in FIG. 3 are welded together via a resin welding layer 36. The welding layer 36 is made of a thermoplastic resin that melts when heated and solidifies when cooled, thereby bonding the seat cover 6S to the surface 21 and the reinforcing material 35. While there are no particular limitations on the type of resin (including elastomer), examples include polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyamide (PA), polyurethane (PU), polyolefin resins (PE, PP, etc.), styrene resins (PS, etc.), acrylic resins (PMMA, etc.), polyester resins (PET, etc.), ABS resin, polyacetal resin (POM), and polycarbonate resin (PC). Resins that can be welded by dielectric heating are preferred. For example, using one or more resins selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polyamide, and polyurethane allows welding by an internal heating method (such as high-frequency welding), which will be described later. Furthermore, polyvinyl chloride has excellent adhesion (wettability) to solids, making it compatible with various materials and ensuring excellent welding properties. For example, a protective layer may be provided on the surface 21 of the seat cover 6S, and this type of protective layer is made of various materials such as polyurethane resin, acrylic resin, polyvinyl chloride resin, polyester resin, and olefin-based resin. In such cases, forming the welding layer 36 from polyvinyl chloride allows the surface 21 and the reinforcing material 35 to be welded more reliably.

[0023] [Support part formation method] The upper support portion 30 shown in FIG. 3 can be formed using various welding methods that melt the resin in the welding layer 36 under predetermined pressure conditions, and both external and internal heating methods can be used. Examples of external heating methods include heat sealing, infrared welding, and impulse sealing. Examples of internal heating methods include high-frequency welding (weld embossing), ultrasonic welding, and microwave welding. Internal heating welding can maintain the appearance of the upper support portion 30 to the greatest extent possible. High-frequency welding (described in detail below) in particular can concentrate heating on the resin that constitutes the welding layer 36, reducing the risk of unintended deterioration due to heating of the seat cover 6S or the reinforcing material 35, thereby more reliably maintaining the excellent appearance of the seat.

[0024] In the high-frequency welding process shown in FIG. 4 , a planar member (e.g., a film material 360) that will become the welding layer 36 can be pre-fixed to the back side of the reinforcing material 35. Next, the reinforcing material 35 is superimposed on the surface 21 of the seat cover 6S, and then placed on the lower mold 51 of the high-frequency welding machine 50. Then, while pressing the seat cover 6S and the reinforcing material 35 with the upper mold 52, a high-frequency current is passed between the lower mold 51 and the upper mold 52. This heats the overlapping portion of the seat cover 6S and the reinforcing material 35, i.e., the film material 360 disposed therebetween. The resin of the film material 360 melts and impregnates the seat cover 6S and the reinforcing material 35. The resin solidifies in this state, forming the welding layer 36. In this manner, the above-described method can form the upper support portion 30, in which the reinforcing material 35 is welded so that it is exposed to the outside. The upper support portion 30 is compressed in the thickness direction and made harder than the general portion 20 as shown in FIG. 2 by the seat cover 6S and the reinforcing material 35 being compressed and crushed in the thickness direction.

[0025] In the above-described configuration, by adjusting the shapes of the upper mold 52 and the lower mold 51 shown in Fig. 4, at least one of the front side (reinforcing material 35 side) and the back side (pad material 22 side of the seat cover 6S) of the upper support part 30 can be formed concave with respect to the general part 20. When both the front and back sides of the upper support part 30 are formed concave, the amount of concaveness A2 of the front side shown in Fig. 3 can be adjusted appropriately in consideration of the appearance of the seat. Furthermore, by forming only the back side of the upper support part 30 concave, it is also possible to form the front side of the upper support part 30 so that it is generally flush with the general part 20.

[0026] [Vehicle seat support] In the vehicle seat 2 shown in FIG. 1, there is a demand for ensuring occupant support in the upper seating surface 10 and other components while suppressing cost increases, as described above. Therefore, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the seat cover 6S forming the upper seating surface 10 and other components includes a general portion 20 that is expanded in planar form with a predetermined thickness and multiple upper support portions 30, 31, and 32 to which reinforcing members 35 are welded so that they are exposed to the outside. The multiple upper support portions 30, 31, and 32 (hereinafter referred to as upper support portions 30, etc.) are compressed in the thickness direction and made harder than the general portion 20. In the above-described configuration, the upper support portions 30, etc. are formed by compressing the portion of the seat cover 6S that includes the reinforcing members 35, thereby relatively suppressing cost increases. Furthermore, the relatively hard upper support portions 30, etc. function to make the seating surface less susceptible to partial deformation, thereby ensuring occupant support. Therefore, the function of the upper support portions 30, etc. will be specifically explained below, in the order of the upper seating surface 10 and the lower seating surface 11.

[0027] In the vehicle seat 2 of FIG. 1 described above, the upper top panel side portions 61 of the seat back 6 support a seated occupant who is subjected to lateral G-forces, for example, when traveling around a curve. The seat cover 6S portion (upper seating surface 10) of the upper top panel side portions 61 is made less susceptible to partial deformation by the upper support portions 30 and other components provided at its lower portion. That is, the relatively stiff upper support portions 30 and other components suppress bending and deformation of the upper top panel side portions 61 outward in the seat width direction. As a result, when the seated occupant abuts against the upper support portions 30 and other components, the upper top panel side portions 61 can more reliably support the occupant, thereby reducing the amount of occupant movement outward in the seat width direction. This configuration ensures that the upper top panel side portions 61 can provide support for the occupant, particularly for the occupant's lower back.

[0028] 1, a seated occupant subjected to lateral G-forces is supported by the lower top panel side portion 41. The seat cover 6S portion (underside seat surface 11) of the lower top panel side portion 41 is provided with multiple lower support portions 30X, 31X, 32X (hereinafter referred to as lower support portions 30X, etc.) at its rear. Therefore, the lower top panel side portion 41 can more reliably support the seated occupant with the lower support portions 30X, etc. abutting against the seated occupant, thereby reducing the amount of occupant movement outward in the seat width direction. Thus, the above-described configuration ensures that the lower top panel side portion 41 can provide support for the occupant, particularly for the occupant's buttocks.

[0029] [Design of vehicle seats] Furthermore, in the upper support portion 30 (lower support portion 30X, etc.) shown in FIG. 3 , the reinforcing material 35 is exposed to the outside, thereby constituting part of the seat design. In the above-described configuration, the appearance of the skin 21 of the general portion 20 and the reinforcing material 35 can be made similar or different, thereby expanding the freedom of seat design selection. For example, if the skin 21 of the general portion 20 is made of fabric, the appearance can be made different by using grain- or suede-like synthetic leather for the reinforcing material 35. Another example of a method for making the appearance different is to make at least one of the three color elements (hue, lightness, and saturation), particularly a method for making the hue (color type) different. Furthermore, by using a reinforcing material 35 with an appearance different from that of the skin 21, the reinforcing material 35 can function as a decorative skin (decorative material). In this case, by making the front side of the upper support portion 30 etc. concave, the reinforcing material 35 as a decorative material becomes more prominent, which further contributes to ensuring designability.

[0030] As described above, in this embodiment, the relatively hard upper support portions 30, etc. (lower support portions 30X, etc.) function to make the upper seating surface 10 (lower seating surface 11) less susceptible to partial deformation, thereby ensuring support for the occupant. Furthermore, since the upper support portions 30, etc. are formed by compressing the seat cover 6S portion provided with the reinforcing material 35, it is possible to suppress an increase in cost compared to when support is provided in a seat pad, etc. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the welding layer 36 containing an appropriate resin functions to more reliably weld the reinforcing material 35 to the seat cover 6S portion such as the upper support portion 30, thereby further contributing to ensuring support for the occupant. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the occupant abuts against the upper support portions 30, etc., which are provided in appropriate locations, thereby further contributing to ensuring support for the occupant. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the occupant support of the vehicle seat 2 can be ensured while minimizing an increase in cost.

[0031] [Variations] Here, the support portion can have various configurations in addition to those described above. For example, the shape and position of the support portion can be changed as needed. For example, a vehicle seat 2X of Modification 1 shown in FIG. 5 includes a seat cushion 4 and a seat back 6, similar to the vehicle seat of the above-described embodiment. In this seat back 6, the seat cover 6S portion of the upper top panel side portion 61 constitutes a part of the upper seating surface 10. A linear first upper support portion 300 is continuously formed on the upper seating surface 10 on the upper top panel side portion 61 side, extending in the vertical direction of the seat. A linear second upper support portion 301 is also continuously formed on the upper end side of the upper seating surface 10, extending in the vertical direction of the seat. According to the above-described configuration, when the vehicle is going around a curve, the upper body of the occupant comes into contact with at least one of the first upper support portion 300 and the second upper support portion 301, both of which extend in the vertical direction of the seat, thereby providing support for the occupant's upper body over a wide area.

[0032] 5, the seat cover 6S portion of the lower top panel side portion 41 constitutes a part of the underwear seat surface 11. A linear first lower support portion 300X is continuously formed on the underwear seat surface 11 on the lower top panel side portion 41 side so as to extend in the front-rear direction of the seat. With the above-described configuration, when the vehicle is going around a curve, the occupant's lower body comes into contact with the first lower support portion 300X extending in the front-rear direction of the seat, thereby enabling the occupant's lower body to be supported over a wide area.

[0033] Furthermore, in the seat cushion 4 shown in FIG. 5, the seat cover 6S of the lower top panel main portion 40 constitutes the other portion of the underwear seat surface 11. When an occupant sits, the occupant's buttocks are typically positioned on the rear side of the lower top panel main portion 40. Therefore, by providing a second lower support portion 301X in the other portion of the underwear seat surface 11 so as to surround the occupant's buttocks from the outside and rear in the seat width direction, the occupant's buttocks can be supported while seated. The shape and position of the second lower support portion 301X can be determined based on the seat pressure distribution using an occupant model. For example, if the seat pressure distribution on the occupant's buttocks is circular, centered on the left and right ischial tuberosities of the occupant model, the inner edge 3E of the second lower support portion 301X is formed in a generally curved shape that surrounds both the left and right ischial tuberosities.

[0034] [Test example] The present embodiment will be described below based on test examples, but the present invention is not limited to these test examples. Test results for each example are shown in Tables 1 and 2 below.

[0035] [Example] In Example 1, a test piece shown in FIG. 6 was made from a seat cover and a reinforcing material. In Example 1, a seat cover was used in which the surface skin and padding were integrated by frame lamination. PU synthetic leather (thickness: 1.0 mm) was used as the surface skin, and slab urethane (thickness: 5.0 mm, density: 30 kg / m) was used as the padding material for the seat cover. 3 ) was used. The same synthetic leather as the skin was used as the reinforcing material, with a polyvinyl chloride film fixed to its backside (total thickness of the synthetic leather and film: 1.0 mm). A high-frequency welding machine (manufactured by Quinlite Electronics Co., Ltd., product name: High-Frequency Welder) was then used to weld the reinforcing material to the seat cover under the conditions shown in Table 1, creating a test specimen as a support part. In this test specimen, the skin thickness was 0.2 mm, the pad thickness was 0.2 mm, and the total thickness of the reinforcing material and welded layer was 0.5 mm.

[0036] In Examples 2 to 7, the materials for the surface and reinforcing material were selected from the synthetic leather, PET suede nonwoven fabric, PET raised tricot surface, and PET woven fabric. That is, in Example 2, suede nonwoven fabric was used as the reinforcing material, and the other parts were the same as in Example 1. In Example 3, raised tricot surface was used as the reinforcing material, and the other parts were the same as in Example 1. In Example 4, suede nonwoven fabric was used as the surface of the seat cover, and the other parts were the same as in Example 1. In Example 5, suede nonwoven fabric was used as the surface of the seat cover and raised tricot surface was used as the reinforcing material, and the other parts were the same as in Example 1. In Example 6, woven fabric was used as the surface of the seat cover, and the other parts were the same as in Example 1. In Example 7, woven fabric was used as the surface of the seat cover and suede nonwoven fabric was used as the reinforcing material, and the other parts were the same as in Example 1.

[0037] [Measurement test] The Shore A hardness of each example before and after processing (support portion) was measured in accordance with "JIS K7215-1986 Durometer Hardness Testing Method for Plastics." In the measurement test, the unprocessed seat cover (corresponding to the general portion) was used as the unprocessed test piece. Although the thickness of the test piece for each example was less than 6 mm at the time of measurement, the measurement was performed on a single piece. The measurement points were points A, B, and C in Figure 6, and the average value was taken as the Shore A hardness of the example (see Table 1). Furthermore, the Shore A hardness of the test piece of Example 1, which was separately remade, was measured before and after processing (support portion), and the bending resistance was also measured in accordance with "JISL1096 Bending Resistance Method A (45° Cantilever Method)" (see Table 2).

[0038] [Table 1]

[0039] [Table 2]

[0040] [Results and Discussion] Referring to Tables 1 and 2, in Example 1, the Shore A hardness and bending resistance were significantly increased compared to before processing. It was also easily inferred that in Examples 2 to 7, the Shore A hardness and bending resistance were also significantly increased compared to before processing. This demonstrates that high-frequency welding can form a support portion, and regardless of the material selected, the support portion could be compressed in the thickness direction to harden it. It was also easily inferred that using a support portion with a predetermined hardness and excellent surface rigidity can ensure support for the occupant while minimizing cost increases. Furthermore, this test demonstrated that various materials can be used for the upholstery and reinforcing material of the seat cover. It was also easily inferred that the above-mentioned effects could be obtained even when combining materials other than those used in the above test examples, such as using suede nonwoven fabric for the upholstery and reinforcing material, or using a brushed tricot upholstery for the upholstery and a woven fabric for the reinforcing material.

[0041] In this test, the thickness of the test piece after processing was compressed to 12% to 13%, assuming that the thickness of the test piece before processing was 100%, but the degree of compression is not intended to be limited. For example, the compression ratio (compression ratio (%) = thickness of test piece after processing / total thickness of seat cover and reinforcing material before processing × 100) is not particularly limited as long as the desired hardness is obtained, and can be, for example, 50% or less, more preferably 35% or less, and even more preferably 15% or less. The compression ratio of the support part may be uniformly set to the same or may vary partially. For example, the compression ratio can be set high on the periphery of the support part to make it soft, and gradually decrease toward the center to make it hard, or vice versa. An example of a method for calculating the thickness described above is a method in which the average thickness is determined by taking the average thickness of thicknesses measured at multiple randomly selected locations (e.g., three or more locations, preferably five or more locations). In the above calculation method, it is desirable to exclude locations where the thickness changes excessively.

[0042] The vehicle seat of this embodiment is not limited to the above-described embodiment and may be embodied in various other embodiments. For example, in this embodiment and the modified examples, the configuration of the support portion is illustrated, but this is not intended to limit the configuration of the support portion. The shape, dimensions, and position of the support portion can be appropriately changed depending on the seat configuration. For example, the support portion can be provided on the main portion of the upper top panel so as to surround the upper body of the occupant in a seated position (with the back resting). The support portion may also be formed on the front side of the main portion of the lower top panel to prevent the submarine phenomenon. The support portion can be formed linearly or planarly on each seating portion. For example, the support portion can be provided on most of the side portions of each top panel. The configurations of this embodiment and the modified examples can be used in appropriate combinations. Note that in the embodiment, at least one of the upper support portion and the lower support portion can be formed in multiple or single units. Furthermore, in the modified examples, at least one of the first upper support portion, the second upper support portion, the first lower support portion, and the second lower support portion can also be formed.

[0043] The configuration of the vehicle seat can also be modified as needed. For example, the seat cover can be formed from a single piece of face material. The configuration of the high-frequency welding machine can also be modified as needed. The configuration of this embodiment can be used for general vehicle seats, such as those for cars, airplanes, trains, and ships. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 2 Vehicle seats 4 seat cushions 4S Alternate seat covers 4P separate seat pad 4F Different seat frame 40 Lower top plate main part 41 Lower top board side part 6 Seat back 6S seat cover 6P seat pad 6F seat frame 60 Top plate main section 61 Top panel side 10 Upper seating surface 11 Underwear seat 20 General section 21 Epidermis 22 Pad material 23 Back base fabric 30~32 Upper support part 30X~32X Lower support part 35 Reinforcement 36 Welding layer 360 film material 50 High frequency welding machine 51 Lower mold 52 Upper mold 2X Variant Vehicle Seat 300 First upper support part 301 Second upper support part 300X First lower support part 301X Second lower support part 3E (Second Lower Support) Edge

Claims

1. A vehicle seat in which a seating surface for receiving a seated occupant is formed by a seat cover that covers a seat pad, The seat cover forming the seating surface is provided with a general portion that is expanded in a planar manner with a predetermined thickness dimension, and a support portion to which a reinforcing material is welded so that it is exposed to the outside, and the support portion is compressed in the thickness direction to be harder than the general portion.

2. 2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the seat cover and the reinforcing material are welded together via a welding layer, and the welding layer contains one or more resins selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polyamide, and polyurethane.

3. 3. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the support portion is provided at a position where it can come into contact with a seated occupant.

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