Bolster

Abstract

To provide a bolster capable of improving versatility.SOLUTION: An upper part of the bolster 20 is constituted so as to wrap the pad 21 by a bag body part by the skin member 25 and the skin piece 26. Accordingly, even if the rear surface 21f of the bolster 20 is protruded from the sidewall 16 of the vehicle cabin within the range in which the skin piece 26 is provided, it is possible to make it difficult for the pad 21, the bracket 23, and the like to be exposed to the vehicle interior. There is accordingly no need to make the shape of the bolster 20 in the range where the covering piece 26 is provided follow the shape of the side wall 16, thereby enabling the versatility of the bolster 20 to be improved.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a bolster provided on a side portion of a seat back of a vehicle seat, and more particularly to a bolster that can improve versatility. [Background technology]

[0002] Vehicle seats with bolsters provided on the sides of the seat back are known. The bolsters, together with the seat back, form part of the seat back and support the sides of the upper body of an occupant seated in the vehicle seat. The bolster described in Patent Document 1 includes a foam pad, a bracket made of a resin plate that covers substantially the entire rear surface of the pad and is fixed to the side wall of the vehicle compartment, and a cover member that covers the front surface of the pad and has its peripheral edge hooked onto the bracket. Conventionally, the interior shape of the bolster has been set to match the shape of the side wall so that the bracket, pad, etc. are hardly exposed inside the vehicle from the rear surface of the bolster, i.e., so that the bolster hardly protrudes left or right from the side wall where it is fixed to the vehicle interior. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-142662 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned prior art, the shape of the bolster must be changed every time the shape of the side wall is changed, which causes a problem of low versatility of the bolster.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a bolster that can improve versatility. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve this object, the bolster of the present invention is provided on the side of a seat back that constitutes a seat backrest and is fixed to a side wall of the vehicle compartment, and comprises: a foam pad; a bracket that is fixed to the rear surface of the pad and attached to the side wall; a skin member that covers the front, top and both side surfaces of the pad and is fixed to at least one of the pad and the bracket; and a skin piece that covers an upper portion of the rear surface of the pad and is connected to the upper edge and both side edges of the rear side of the skin member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the bolster of claim 1, the upper part of the bolster is configured so that the pad is enclosed in a bag portion formed by the skin member and the skin piece. As a result, even if the rear surface of the bolster protrudes from the side wall of the vehicle interior in the left-right direction within the range where the skin piece is provided, the pad, bracket, etc. are unlikely to be exposed inside the vehicle. Therefore, the shape of the bolster in the range where the skin piece is provided does not need to match the shape of the side wall, thereby improving the versatility of the bolster.

[0008] The bolster of claim 2 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by the bolster of claim 1. The cover piece is detachably connected to at least a portion of the upper edge and both side edges of the cover member so as to open the rear surface of the pad it covers. After the cover member is placed on the pad with the detachable portion of the cover piece removed, the detachable portion of the cover piece can be connected to the cover member, thereby facilitating the attachment of the bag portion to the pad.

[0009] The bolster of claim 3 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by the bolster of claim 2. The cover piece is detachably connected to at least a portion of the upper edge and both side edges of the cover member with a linear fastener. Compared to a case in which these are detachably connected with, for example, a hook-and-loop fastener, the linear fastener can prevent the connection from being unintentionally released.

[0010] The bolster of claim 4 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by the bolster of claim 2 or 3. The cover member is fixed to the rear surface of the pad or the bracket at a position covered by the cover piece. By fixing the cover member to the pad or the bracket at such a position, wrinkles and the like are less likely to occur in the cover member near the cover piece, and the aesthetic appearance of the cover member can be ensured. Furthermore, by removing the detachable portion of the cover piece, the cover member can be easily fixed to the pad or the like at a position covered by the cover piece.

[0011] The bolster of claim 5 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by the bolster of claim 2 or 3. An airbag is housed in a recess formed in the rear surface of the pad, and the airbag is attached to a bracket. The recess and a portion of the airbag are located in a position that is covered by a skin piece. Even when the airbag is located in such a position, by removing the detachable portion of the skin piece during assembly of the bolster that houses the airbag in the recess, it is possible to reduce interference between the airbag and the skin piece and to make it easier to fix the airbag to the bracket in a position that is covered by the skin piece.

[0012] The bolster of claim 6 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by the bolster of claim 5. A reinforcing plate, which is more rigid than the skin piece, is attached to the pad-side surface of the skin piece so as to straddle the recess. This makes it possible to prevent the skin piece from bending toward the recess and to prevent wrinkles from forming in the skin piece, thereby ensuring the aesthetic appearance of the skin piece exposed inside the vehicle.

[0013] The bolster of claim 7 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by the bolster of claim 1. A metal frame is embedded in the pad along the rear surface of the pad so as to surround the recess. The cover member is attached to the frame via a plurality of fasteners spaced apart from one another so as to surround the recess, thereby fixing the cover member to the rear surface of the pad. As a result, the rigidity of the pad can be ensured and the cover member can be easily fixed to the pad without the need for a conventional resin plate or the like that covers the entire rear surface of the pad and onto which the cover member is hooked.

[0014] The bolster further includes an airbag housed in a recess formed in the rear surface of the pad. The bracket is a metal member that is attached to the frame so as to straddle the recess and is fixed to the rear surface of the pad, and the airbag is attached to the bracket. It is difficult to design the rigidity of a conventional resin plate to withstand the force generated when the airbag deploys. In contrast, a metal bracket and a metal frame that is attached to the metal bracket and embedded in the pad so as to surround the recess make it easier to design the rigidity of the metal bracket and the metal frame that is embedded in the pad so as to surround the recess, compared to a resin plate.

[0015] The bolster of claim 8 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by the bolster of claim 1: Since the skin piece is made of carpet fabric, the feel of the skin piece exposed inside the vehicle can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle seat provided with a bolster according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 1(a) is a rear view of the bolster, and FIG. 1(b) is a rear view of the bolster in a state where the connection by the linear fastener has been released. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional end view of the bolster taken along line VV in FIG. 4(a). [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional end view of the bolster taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 4(a). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle seat 10 provided with a bolster 20 in one embodiment. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the seat back 12 and the bolster 20. Note that the directions of arrows U, D, L, R, F, and B in Fig. 2 indicate the upward, downward, leftward, rightward, forward, and backward directions of the seat back 12 and the bolster 20, respectively (the same applies to Figs. 3 to 6). These directions are the same as those seen by a seat occupant sitting in the vehicle seat 10 with the seat back 12 raised vertically.

[0018] Vehicle seat 10 is a seat installed in a vehicle (for example, an automobile). Vehicle seat 10 mainly includes a seat cushion 11 that forms a seat surface, a seat back 12 that forms a backrest and has a lower end rotatably supported by seat cushion 11, an armrest 13 that can form an armrest and has a base end rotatably supported by seat back 12, and a bolster 20 provided on the side of seat back 12.

[0019] The seat cushion 11 is formed by supporting a cushion pad (not shown) made of a foam such as soft polyurethane foam on a cushion frame (not shown) made of metal or synthetic resin, and covering the cushion pad with a cover material (not shown). In this embodiment, the seat cushion 11 forms a seating surface for two passengers in the rear seats of the vehicle.

[0020] Similarly, the seat back 12 is formed by supporting a back pad (not shown) made of a foam such as soft polyurethane foam on a back frame (not shown) made of metal or synthetic resin, and covering the back pad with a skin material (not shown).

[0021] The seat back 12 in this embodiment can form a backrest for two of the rear seats of the vehicle. Of these two seats, a portion of the backrest for the left seat is formed by an armrest 13 in a stored state. This stored state refers to a state in which the rotatable armrest 13 is raised and stored in a storage recess 14 formed in the front of the seat back 12.

[0022] In contrast, the armrest 13 is in a used state when it is tilted so that it is approximately parallel to the seat cushion 11. In the used state, the arm of an occupant sitting on the right side of the vehicle seat 10 or an occupant sitting on a separate seat provided on the left side of the vehicle seat 10 can rest on the arm of the armrest 13.

[0023] The bolster 20 constitutes part of the backrest together with the seat back 12. In this embodiment, the bolster 20 is provided on the right side of the seat back 12 and supports the right side of the upper body of an occupant sitting on the right side of the vehicle seat 10. The seat back 12 contacts the top surface and left side surface of the bolster 20.

[0024] 2, the right side wall 16 of the vehicle cabin, which is the interior space of the vehicle, and which is part of the vehicle body, is indicated by a two-dot chain line. The left side of the side wall 16 is the vehicle cabin, and the right side of the side wall 16 is the interior of the vehicle body. The side wall 16 behind the seat back 12 bulges more toward the interior of the vehicle than the upper side at the bottom to avoid the wheels. The rear surface of the bolster 20 is fixed to the bulging portion of the side wall 16.

[0025] At the rear side of the lower part of the bolster 20, a part of a rotation support mechanism 12a for rotatably supporting the seat back 12 protrudes to the right from the seat back 12 and is fixed to the side wall 16. When the seat back 12 is tilted forward from the state shown in FIG. 1 by this rotation support mechanism 12a, the seat back 12 and the bolster 20 are separated, and only the bolster 20 stands upright relative to the seat cushion 11.

[0026] Next, the bolster 20 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the bolster 20. FIG. 4(a) is a rear view of the bolster 20. FIG. 4(b) is a rear view of the bolster 20 in a state where the connection by the linear fastener 32 has been released and the cover piece 26 has been spread to the right, as compared to FIG. 4(a). FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional end view of the bolster 20 taken along line VV in FIG. 4(a). FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional end view of the bolster 20 taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 4(a). Note that FIG. 3 omits illustrations of the exposed recess 21h, attachment pieces 25a and 25b, mounting fixture 30, and fixture 31, which will be described later, and FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) omit illustrations of the attachment pieces 25a and 25b and mounting fixture 30. FIG. 5 illustrates the attachment piece 25a and mounting fixture 30, which are located on the far side of the cut end surface.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the bolster 20 includes a pad 21 made of a foam such as soft polyurethane foam, a metal frame 22 embedded in the pad 21, a metal bracket 23 connecting the frame 22 to the side wall 16 (see FIG. 2), an airbag 24 housed in a recess 27 formed in a rear surface 21f of the pad 21, a skin member 25 covering the entire pad 21 except for the rear surface 21f, and a skin piece 26 covering an upper portion of the rear surface 21f of the pad 21.

[0028] Pad 21 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and includes front surface 21a, upper surface 21b, lower surface 21c, left side surface 21d, right side surface 21e, and rear surface 21f. Rear surface 21f is shaped to fit along side walls 16 and rotation support mechanism 12a (see FIG. 2) that face each other in the front-rear direction.

[0029] Furthermore, a recess 27 that is recessed toward the front surface 21a is formed in the center of the rear surface 21f and extends in the vertical direction. A slit 21g that opens to the bottom surface of this recess 27 and the front surface 21a is formed through the pad 21. The slit 21g is provided in the center of the left-right direction of the bottom surface of the recess 27 and extends in the vertical direction.

[0030] The frame 22 includes a round rod-shaped wire 22a embedded in the pad 21 along the rear surface 21f, and a plurality of mounting plates 22b, 22c, and 22d joined to the wire 22a by welding or the like. The wire 22a is arranged in a ring shape so as to surround the recess 27 (see FIG. 4(b)). The ring-shaped wire 22a may be single- or double-ply or more in part or all of its circumferential direction.

[0031] Mounting plate 22b is a portion that protrudes downward from underside 21c of pad 21, and has through-hole 22e formed therethrough for attachment to the vehicle body or seat cushion 11 with a bolt or the like. Mounting plate 22c is a portion located on the right side of recess 27 and approximately flush with rear surface 21f, and has through-hole 22f formed therethrough. Mounting plate 22d is a portion located on the left side of recess 27 and approximately flush with rear surface 21f, and has through-hole 22g formed therethrough. Two mounting plates 22d are provided so that through-holes 22g are located above and below through-hole 22f.

[0032] Bracket 23 includes plate portion 23a that is placed on rear surface 21f of pad 21 so as to straddle recess 27, and mounting portion 23b that is joined to plate portion 23a by welding or the like. Plate portion 23a is a plate material whose vertical dimension is smaller than recess 27, and is also placed on the rear surfaces of mounting plates 22c and 22d. A rectangular hook hole 23c is formed through the center of plate portion 23a.

[0033] Plate portion 23a is formed with mounting hole 23d communicating with through hole 22f when mounted on mounting plates 22c and 22d, and two mounting holes 23e communicating with two through holes 22g, respectively. Bolts 28 are inserted into mounting holes 23d and 23e and through holes 22f and 22g, respectively, and fitted into nuts 29 previously joined to the front surfaces (surfaces facing pad 21) of mounting plates 22c and 22d, thereby attaching bracket 23 to frame 22. In this way, bracket 23 is fixed to rear surface 21f of pad 21 in which frame 22 is embedded.

[0034] The mounting portion 23b is an annular portion that protrudes rearward from the plate portion 23a, and is attached to the side wall 16 (see FIG. 2). By attaching the bracket 23 to the side wall 16 in this manner, the rear surface of the bolster 20 is fixed to the side wall 16.

[0035] The airbag 24 protects a seated occupant by inflating a built-in bag to a deployed state when a strong impact is applied to the vehicle. When the airbag 24 deploys, the bag protrudes forward from the slit 21g and breaks through the joint of the skin member 25 provided along the slit 21g, causing the bag to inflate in front of the bolster 20. The rear of the airbag 24 is supported by the bracket 23 so that it can withstand the rearward force generated during this deployment.

[0036] Two screw shafts 24a protrude rearward from the rear portion of the airbag 24. These two screw shafts 24a are inserted into two insertion holes 23f that are respectively formed through the plate portion 23a of the bracket 23. The airbag 24 is attached to the bracket 23 by fitting nuts (not shown) onto the inserted screw shafts 24a. Wiring (not shown) extending from the airbag 24 is attached via clips or the like to assembly holes 23g provided in the upper and lower parts of the plate portion 23a.

[0037] The cover member 25 is a member that forms the outer surface of the bolster 20, and is made by sewing together a plurality of materials such as fabric, synthetic leather, and leather. The cover member 25 covers the front surface 21a, the upper surface 21b, the lower surface 21c, the left side surface 21d, and the right side surface 21e of the pad 21, except for the rear surface 21f.

[0038] A plurality of attachment pieces 25a, 25b protrude from the peripheral edge (upper edge 25c, left edge 25d, right edge 25e, and lower edge) on the rear side of cover member 25 toward the center in the left-right direction or the up-down direction of bolster 20. The attachment pieces 25a, 25b are integrally molded with cover member 25. However, the attachment pieces 25a, 25b may be sewn to the peripheral edge of cover member 25, or may be made of a material different from that of cover member 25, such as fabric, synthetic leather, or leather.

[0039] The mounting piece portion 25a is a portion that is fixed to the bracket 23 via a mounting fixture 30. The mounting fixture 30 is a hook-shaped member that is joined to the tip of the mounting piece portion 25a by sewing, gluing, or the like. The mounting piece portion 25a is fixed to the bracket 23 by hooking the mounting fixture 30 into the hook hole 23c of the bracket 23.

[0040] The mounting piece portion 25b is fixed to the rear surface 21f of the pad 21 via a fixing device 31, and its tip side is reinforced by being folded back twice. The fixing device 31 is a metal fitting called a hog ring, and the mounting piece portion 25b has a generally U-shaped shape before being fixed. When fixing, the generally U-shaped fixing device 31 is first inserted into a hole (not shown) formed through the mounting piece portion 25b, and the fixing device 31 is inserted into the pad 21 so that the wire 22a is inserted inside the fixing device 31. Thereafter, the fixing device 31 is bent into a ring shape using a dedicated tool, and the mounting piece portion 25b is attached to the wire 22a via the fixing device 31, and the mounting piece portion 25b is fixed to the pad 21 with the wire 22a embedded therein.

[0041] An exposing recess 21h recessed toward the wire 22a is formed on the rear surface 21f of the portion where the fixing device 31 is attached, so that the wire 22a is exposed or can be seen through the rear surface 21f. Also, in Figures 4(a) and 4(b), a plurality of fixing devices 31 and exposing recess 21h are arranged along the wire 22a so as to surround the recess 27. Although the illustration of the plurality of attachment pieces 25b is omitted in Figures 4(a) and 4(b), in reality, a plurality of attachment pieces 25b extending from the periphery of the skin member 25 are fixed to the rear surface 21f of the pad 21 via each of the illustrated fixing devices 31.

[0042] As described above, the metal frame 22 is embedded along the rear surface 21f of the pad 21 so as to surround the recess 27, and the cover member 25 is attached to the frame 22 via a plurality of fasteners 31, thereby fixing the cover member 25 to the pad 21. This ensures the rigidity of the pad 21 and allows the cover member 25 to be easily fixed to the pad 21, even without a conventional resin plate or the like that covers the entire rear surface 21f of the pad 21 and onto which the cover member 25 is hooked.

[0043] When the airbag 24 is housed in the recess 27 of the pad 21, it is difficult to design the rigidity of a conventional resin plate to withstand the force exerted when the airbag 24 is deployed. In contrast, in this embodiment, the rear surface of the airbag 24 is supported by a metal frame 22 embedded in the pad 21 so as to surround the recess 27, and a metal bracket 23 attached to the frame 22 so as to straddle the recess 27. In this way, it is easier to design the rigidity of the frame 22 and bracket 23 to withstand the force exerted when the airbag 24 is deployed when the frame 22 and bracket 23 are made of metal than when they are made of resin.

[0044] Basically, the cover member 25 is fixed to the rear surface 21f (wire 22a) of the pad 21 via a plurality of fasteners 31. However, at a position on the rear surface 21f where the mounting plate 22c is provided, the wire 22a is located on the rear side (front side) of the mounting plate 22c, so the fasteners 31 cannot be attached to the wire 22a. Even at such a position, by attaching the hook-shaped mounting fixture 30 to the bracket 23, it is possible to prevent wrinkles and the like from occurring in the cover member 25 near the mounting plate 22c.

[0045] As shown in Figures 3 and 4(a), the cover piece 26 is a cloth-like member that is connected to the entire upper edge 25c of the rear peripheral edge of the cover member 25, the upper part of the left edge 25d, and the upper part of the right edge 25e. The cover piece 26 is made of carpet fabric. This carpet fabric is the same as the carpet fabric used for the floor of the luggage compartment of the vehicle and the underside of the seat back 12. This allows adjacent cover pieces 26 and the seat back 12 to be integrated, improving the aesthetic appearance of the vehicle seat 10.

[0046] The cover piece 26 is detachably connected to the entire upper edge 25c of the cover member 25, the upper part of the left edge 25d, and the upper side of the upper part of the right edge 25e with a linear fastener 32. Furthermore, the cover piece 26 is sewn to the lower side of the upper part of the right edge 25e of the cover member 25 with a thread 33. The linear fastener 32 is located on the upper surface 21b, left side surface 21d, and right side surface 21e of the pad 21, but not on the rear surface 21f. As a result, as shown in Figure 2, the linear fastener 32 is hidden by the seat back 12 and the side wall 16, making it difficult to see the linear fastener 32 from behind the seat back 12.

[0047] 4(b) and 6, the linear fastener 32 includes a tape 32a sewn with thread 36 to the periphery of the cover member 25, a tape 32b sewn with thread 37 to the periphery of the cover piece 26, and a slider 32c that moves along the tapes 32a and 32b. The tapes 32a and 32b are each provided with an element 32d that interlocks with each other when connected. By moving the slider 32c toward the left edge 25d, the elements 32d of the tapes 32a and 32b interlock with each other, connecting the cover member 25 and the cover piece 26.

[0048] On the other hand, by moving the slider 32c toward the right edge 25e, the engagement of the element 32d is released, and the connection between the cover member 25 and the cover piece 26 is released. When the connection by the wire fastener 32 is released, the cover piece 26 that had been covering part of the rear surface 21f of the pad 21 opens around the thread 33 as a fulcrum, and the covered rear surface 21f is released.

[0049] Furthermore, a cloth-like backing material 34 is laid on top of the back surface of the cover piece 26 (the surface facing the pad 21 when connected). The peripheral edges of the backing material 34, except for the lower edge, are sewn together with tape 32b to the cover piece 26 with thread 37. A flat reinforcing plate 35 made of synthetic resin that is more rigid than the cover piece 26 is sandwiched between the backing material 34 and the cover piece 26 over substantially the entire surface. The lower edges of the backing material 34 and the reinforcing plate 35 are both sewn to the cover piece 26 with thread 38.

[0050] Because the reinforcing plate 35 is sandwiched between the backing material 34 and the skin piece 26, the reinforcing plate 35 is less likely to separate from the skin piece 26, even without sewing the reinforcing plate 35 to the skin piece 26 with thread 37. If the reinforcing plate 35 were to be sewn to the skin piece 26 with thread 37, it would be necessary to bend all but the lower edge of the reinforcing plate 35 so that it fits the corners of the pad 21. However, sandwiching the reinforcing plate 35 makes bending unnecessary, which makes it easier to manufacture the skin piece 26 on which the reinforcing plate 35 is layered.

[0051] According to the bolster 20 described above, the upper part of the bolster 20 is configured so that the pad 21 is wrapped in a bag portion made up of the skin member 25 and the skin piece 26. As a result, within the range where the skin piece 26 is provided, even if the rear surface of the bolster 20 is made to protrude from the side wall 16 toward the interior of the vehicle in the left-right direction as shown in Fig. 2, the pad 21, the bracket 23, etc. can be made less likely to be exposed inside the vehicle. Therefore, in order to prevent this exposure, the shape of the bolster 20 in the range where the skin piece 26 is provided does not have to match the shape of the side wall 16, which improves the versatility of the bolster 20.

[0052] Even when the bag portion is formed by the skin member 25 and the skin piece 26, substantially the entire rear surface 21f of the pad 21 can be opened by releasing the connection between the skin piece 26 and the skin member 25 by the wire fastener 32 (by removing the detachable portion). After the skin member 25 is placed over the pad 21 in this released state, the skin piece 26 can be connected to the skin member 25, thereby facilitating the attachment of the bag portion to the pad 21.

[0053] The structure for detachably connecting the skin piece 26 and the skin member 25 is not limited to the linear fastener 32, but may be, for example, a hook-and-loop fastener or a snap button. However, compared to a detachable connection using a hook-and-loop fastener or the like, the linear fastener 32 can prevent the connection from being unintentionally released. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the exposed skin piece 26 from sagging due to unintentional release of the connection.

[0054] The cover member 25 is fixed not only to a position on the rear surface 21f of the pad 21 that is not covered by the cover piece 26, but also to a position that is covered by the cover piece 26 (the back side of the cover piece 26). This makes it difficult for wrinkles to form in the cover member 25 near the cover piece 26, ensuring the aesthetic appearance of the cover member 25. Furthermore, by releasing the connection by the wire fastener 32, the cover member 25 can be easily fixed to the pad 21 on the back side of the cover piece 26.

[0055] The recess 27 and a portion of the airbag 24 are disposed on the back surface side of the skin piece 26. Even in this case, by releasing the connection by the wire fastener 32 when assembling the bolster 20 that houses the airbag 24 in the recess 27, it is possible to reduce the likelihood of interference between the airbag 24 and the skin piece 26. In addition, even if the back surface side of the skin piece 26 has the screw shaft portion 24a for fixing the airbag 24 to the bracket 23, the assembly hole 23g for fixing the wiring of the airbag 24, and the like, these can be easily fixed.

[0056] A reinforcing plate 35, which is more rigid than the skin piece 26, is attached to the back surface of the skin piece 26 so as to straddle the recess 27. This prevents the skin piece 26 from bending toward the recess 27 and from wrinkling, thereby ensuring the aesthetic appearance of the skin piece 26 exposed to the interior of the vehicle. Furthermore, since the reinforcing plate 35 is provided over substantially the entire surface of the skin piece 26 that is exposed to the interior of the vehicle, the skin piece 26 does not bend significantly even when pressed by an occupant or the like, and the aesthetic appearance of the skin piece 26 can be further ensured.

[0057] While the present invention has been described based on the above embodiment, it is not limited to the above embodiment and it is readily apparent that various modifications and improvements are possible within the scope of the present invention. For example, the shape, dimensions, number, etc. of each part of the bolster 20 may be changed as appropriate.

[0058] In the above embodiment, the armrest 13 is provided on the left side of the seat back 12, and the bolster 20 is provided on the right side, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the vehicle seat 10 may be reversed left and right, with the armrest 13 provided on the right side of the seat back 12, and the bolster 20 provided on the left side. Furthermore, the armrest 13 in the stored state does not necessarily have to form part of the backrest, and the armrest 13 does not have to form part of the backrest. The vehicle seat 10 is not limited to a rear seat of a vehicle, and may also be a front seat.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the cover member 25 is fixed to the bracket 23 via the hook-shaped fixture 30, and is fixed to the pad 21 (frame 22) via the fastener 31, which is a hog ring. However, this is not necessarily limited to this. The fixture 30 and the fastener 31 may be replaced with bolts, rivets, clips, hog rings, hooks, etc., and the shape of the fastening device may be changed accordingly. The cover piece 26 may extend to a position that covers the fixture 30. Furthermore, the cover member 25 may be fixed only to the bracket 23, or only to the pad 21 (frame 22). The cover member 25 may be adhered to the pad 21, or the cover member 25 may be integrated with the pad 21 by foam-molding the pad 21 inside the cover member 25.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the skin pieces 26 are detachably connected to the upper edge 25c, the left edge 25d, and the right edge 25e of the skin member 25. However, this is not necessarily limited to this. The skin pieces 26 may be sewn to the upper edge 25c, the left edge 25d, and the right edge 25e with thread, or the areas near each edge of the skin member 25 and the skin pieces 26 may be integrally formed from the same fabric.

[0061] The cover piece 26 is not limited to being made of carpet fabric, but may be made of fabric other than carpet fabric, synthetic leather, leather, etc. However, if the cover piece 26 is made of carpet fabric, the feel of the cover piece 26 exposed inside the vehicle can be improved.

[0062] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the case where a portion of the skin piece 26 is sewn to the skin member 25 with the thread 33, and the thread 33 may be omitted so that the skin piece 26 is detachable from the skin member 25. The skin piece 26 may be sewn to the upper edge 25c of the skin member 25 with thread and detachably connected to the left edge 25d and the right edge 25e, or the skin piece 26 may be sewn to the left edge 25d of the skin member 25 with thread and detachably connected to the upper edge 25c and the right edge 25e, thereby making it possible to open the rear surface 21f of the pad 21 covered by the skin piece 26. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 12 Seat back 16 side wall 20 Bolster 21 Pad 21a Front 21b Top surface 21d Left side (one of the two sides) 21e Right side (other of both sides) 21f rear 22 frames 23 Bracket 24 Airbags 25 Skin material 25c upper edge 25d Left edge (one of both edges) 25e Right edge (other of both edges) 26 Epidermal piece 27 Recess 31 Fixtures 32 Wire fastener 35 Reinforcement plate

Claims

1. A bolster provided on a side of a seat back constituting a backrest and fixed to a side wall of a vehicle compartment, A pad made of foam; a bracket fixed to a rear surface of the pad and attached to the side wall; a cover member that covers the front, top, and both side surfaces of the pad and is fixed to at least one of the pad and the bracket; a skin piece covering an upper portion of the rear surface of the pad and connected to an upper edge and both side edges of the rear side of the skin member.

2. 2. The bolster according to claim 1, wherein the cover piece is detachably connected to at least a part of the upper edge and both side edges of the cover member so as to open the rear surface of the pad that it covers.

3. 3. The bolster according to claim 2, wherein the skin piece is detachably connected to at least a portion of the upper edge and both side edges of the skin member by fasteners.

4. 4. The bolster according to claim 2, wherein the skin member is fixed to the rear surface of the pad or the bracket at a position covered by the skin piece.

5. an airbag housed in a recess formed in a rear surface of the pad and attached to the bracket; 4. The bolster according to claim 2, wherein the recess and a portion of the airbag are located in a position covered by the skin piece.

6. 6. The bolster according to claim 5, further comprising a reinforcing plate having higher rigidity than the cover piece, the reinforcing plate being attached to the surface of the cover piece facing the pad so as to straddle the recess.

7. an airbag housed in a recess formed in a rear surface of the pad and attached to the bracket; a metal frame is embedded in the pad along the rear surface of the pad so as to surround the recess; the cover member is attached to the frame via a plurality of fasteners spaced apart from one another so as to surround the recess, and is thereby fixed to the rear surface of the pad; 2. The bolster according to claim 1, wherein the bracket is a metal member that is attached to the frame so as to straddle the recess and is fixed to the rear surface of the pad.

8. 2. The bolster according to claim 1, wherein the surface piece is made of carpet fabric.

Images