Seats and vehicle seats

Abstract

To provide a vehicle seat capable of suitably detecting a biological signal of a seated person by a biological sensor.SOLUTION: The vehicle seat includes a seat back having a back frame 20 serving as a framework. The back frame 20 includes a pressure receiving member 26 that supports the seated occupant from behind. The vehicle seat includes the radio wave sensor 30 (the biological sensor) that is provided on the back surface of the pressure receiving member 26, emits the radio wave toward the seated occupant, and receives the reflected wave reflected from the seated occupant, and the acceleration sensor 40 (the vibration detector) that is provided at a different position from the radio wave sensor 30 on the back surface of the pressure receiving member 26 and detects the vibration of the seat back.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat, and more particularly to a vehicle seat equipped with a sensor (radio wave sensor) that is attached to the seat body, irradiates radio waves toward an occupant, and receives the reflected waves from the occupant. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, vehicle seats have been known that have the function of measuring the driver's biometric information while the vehicle is being driven. For example, a seat is known that has the function of measuring the driver's heart rate using a biosensor that detects the driver's biosignals, and quickly alerting the driver if any abnormal changes in the heart rate occur (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The vehicle seat described in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a Doppler biosensor that is installed inside the seat back and emits radio waves toward the seated occupant and receives the reflected waves from the seated occupant. The biosensor can detect minute changes in the skin surface of the seated occupant from the difference between the radio waves and the reflected waves, and detect the seated occupant's biosignal (heart rate signal or respiratory signal). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-199100 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in a vehicle seat such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1, the Doppler biosensor may not be able to properly receive reflected waves due to vibrations of the vehicle seat, which may result in the inability to properly detect the biosignals (biological information) of the seated occupant. In particular, when the vehicle is moving, the vehicle seat vibrates more strongly, so there is a need to properly detect the biosignals (biological information) of the seated occupant, for example, by accurately attenuating the vibration components of the vehicle seat.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat that can suitably detect the biosignals (biological information) of an occupant using a biosensor (radio wave sensor) attached to the seat body. Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat that can more appropriately detect the biological signals (biological information) of a seated occupant, regardless of the vibration of the vehicle seat. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The above problem is solved by the vehicle seat of the present invention, which is a vehicle seat having a seat frame as a skeleton, the seat frame having a pressure-receiving member that supports an occupant, and the vehicle seat having a radio wave sensor that is provided on the back surface of the pressure-receiving member and that irradiates radio waves toward the occupant and receives reflected waves from the occupant, and a vibration detection body that is provided on the back surface of the pressure-receiving member at a position different from the radio wave sensor and that detects vibrations of the seat body. The above configuration makes it possible to realize a vehicle seat that can more appropriately detect the biological signals of a seated occupant without relying on vibrations of the vehicle seat. More specifically, in a vehicle seat, both the radio wave sensor and the vibration detector are attached to the back surface of the pressure-receiving member, so that the radio wave sensor detects the biosignal of the seated person from the difference between the radio wave and the reflected wave, and the vibration detector detects the vibration signal of the seat body, and can accurately attenuate the vibration component of the seat body to appropriately detect the biosignal of the seated person. Specifically, by attaching them to the same member, it becomes easier to synchronize the vibration of the radio wave sensor and the vibration of the vibration detecting body, which allows the vibration components of the seat body to be attenuated with high precision and the biological signals to be corrected.Furthermore, by attaching them to the pressure-receiving member, the radio wave sensor and vibration detecting body can be made to follow the movements of the seated person, which also minimizes vibration noise. This makes it possible to more accurately grasp the biological information (heart rate information and breathing information) of the seated person, thereby realizing a vehicle seat with improved sensing performance of the radio wave sensor.

[0008] In this case, the pressure-receiving member supports the occupant from behind, the radio wave sensor is attached to the rear surface of the pressure-receiving member and emits the radio waves toward the front of the seat toward the occupant, and the vibration detection body is an acceleration sensor that is attached to the rear surface of the pressure-receiving member at a position outside the range of irradiation of the radio waves by the radio wave sensor and detects vibrations of the seat back. With the above-described configuration, when the radio wave sensor and the vibration detecting body are attached to the pressure-receiving member, it is possible to prevent the vibration detecting body from interfering with the radio waves emitted by the radio wave sensor.

[0009] In this case, the radio wave sensor detects the biological signal of the seated occupant from the difference between the radio wave and the reflected wave, the vibration detection body detects the vibration signal of the seat body, and the device is preferably further equipped with a control device that receives the biological signal detected by the radio wave sensor and the vibration signal detected by the vibration detection body and corrects the biological signal based on the vibration signal. With the above configuration, the control device can attenuate the vibration component of the seat body and obtain a more accurate biosignal (biological signal after attenuation), thereby further improving the sensing performance of the radio wave sensor.

[0010] In this case, the radio wave sensor has an irradiation unit that irradiates the radio waves, a receiving unit that receives the reflected waves, and a housing that houses the irradiation unit and the receiving unit, and the vibration detection body is preferably housed inside the housing. Preferably, the vibration detecting body is attached to a second inner wall surface located inside the housing opposite to a first inner wall surface to which the irradiating unit and the receiving unit are attached. Furthermore, the housing is box-shaped and has a housing main body portion having an opening, and a lid portion attached to the housing main body portion so as to cover the opening of the housing main body portion, and the irradiation unit and the receiving unit are attached to the housing main body portion, and the vibration detection body is attached to the lid portion. With the above-described configuration, the radio wave sensor and the vibration detecting body can be placed as far apart as possible, but still housed inside the same housing, thereby saving space. Furthermore, by using the housing, the radio wave sensor and the vibration detecting element can be easily assembled to the pressure receiving member.

[0011] In this case, the radio wave sensor has an irradiation unit that irradiates the radio waves, a receiving unit that receives the reflected waves, and a first housing that houses the irradiation unit and the receiving unit, and the vibration detection body is preferably housed inside a second housing that is arranged so as to overlap the first housing. Preferably, the second housing is attached so as to overlap a wall portion that faces a wall portion on which the irradiating unit and the receiving unit are attached in the first housing. With the above-described configuration, it is possible to minimize the space required while arranging the radio wave sensor and the vibration detecting body at positions separated from each other. Furthermore, by using the first and second housings, the radio wave sensor and the vibration detecting body can be easily assembled to the pressure receiving member.

[0012] In this case, the vehicle seat may include a plurality of the vibration detection bodies, each of which may be a gyro sensor and may be disposed at a corner of the inner wall surface of the housing or the second housing. The vibration detecting elements may be arranged at positions different from the irradiating unit and the receiving unit in the seat front-rear direction, the seat width direction, and the up-down direction. By using a gyro sensor (angular velocity sensor) as described above, it is possible to detect not only vibrations caused by the forward / backward, left / right, and up / down movements of the seat body, but also vibrations caused by the rotation of the seat body, thereby allowing for more accurate correction of the occupant's biological signals. Furthermore, by arranging the vibration detecting bodies as described above, the radio wave sensor and the plurality of vibration detecting bodies can be arranged compactly, thereby saving space. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a vehicle seat that can more appropriately detect the biosignals (biological information) of a seated occupant without relying on the vibration of the vehicle seat. In other words, it is possible to realize a vehicle seat with improved sensing performance of the radio wave sensor. Furthermore, according to the present invention, when the radio wave sensor and the vibration detecting body are attached to the pressure receiving member, it is possible to prevent the vibration detecting body from interfering with the radio waves emitted by the radio wave sensor. Furthermore, according to the present invention, the control device can attenuate the vibration component of the seat body, and can obtain a more accurate biosignal (biological signal after attenuation). Furthermore, according to the present invention, the radio wave sensor and the vibration detecting body can be placed at different positions, but housed in the same housing, thereby saving space. Furthermore, by using the housing, the radio wave sensor and the vibration detecting body can be easily attached to the pressure-receiving member. Furthermore, according to the present invention, by utilizing a gyro sensor, it is possible to detect not only vibrations caused by the forward / backward, left / right, and up / down movements of the seat body, but also vibrations caused by the rotation of the seat body, thereby enabling more accurate correction of the occupant's biological signals. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is an external perspective view of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a seat frame that serves as a framework. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the back frame as viewed from the rear side of the seat. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the seat back, showing a radio wave sensor and an acceleration sensor. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the radio wave sensor and the acceleration sensor. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5) of the radio wave sensor and the acceleration sensor. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a radio wave sensor, an acceleration sensor, a control device, and a power supply. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view of a seat back of a vehicle seat according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the radio wave sensor and the acceleration sensor. [Figure 10] 10 is a cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 9) of the radio wave sensor and the acceleration sensor. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a seat frame of a vehicle seat according to a third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the back frame as viewed from the rear side of the seat. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a rear view of the plate portion of the lumbar support. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a seat frame of a vehicle seat according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. This embodiment is a vehicle seat having a seat frame as a skeleton, which has a pressure-receiving member that supports the seated occupant, and on the back surface of the pressure-receiving member, there are attached a radio wave sensor that irradiates radio waves toward the seated occupant and receives the reflected waves from the seated occupant, and a vibration detection body (acceleration sensor) that detects vibrations of the seat body, and the vehicle seat invention is mainly characterized by detecting the biological signals of the seated occupant using the radio wave sensor and the vibration detection body. The side of the vehicle seat where the occupant sits relative to the seat back is the front side of the seat.

[0016] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vehicle seat S1 of this embodiment is a vehicle seat, and includes a seat body having a seat cushion 1, a seat back 2, and a headrest 3, a radio wave sensor 30 attached inside the seat body to detect an electrical signal (biological signal) corresponding to the bioelectric potential of a person seated in the seat body, and an acceleration sensor 40 to detect a vibration signal of the seat body. In addition, the vehicle seat S1 further includes a control device 50 that receives the biosignal detected by the radio wave sensor 30 and the vibration signal detected by the acceleration sensor 40, corrects the biosignal based on the vibration signal, and transmits the biosignal to the outside. In addition, the vehicle seat S1 further includes a rail device 60 that supports the seat body so that it can move back and forth relative to the vehicle floor, a height link device 70 that connects the seat body to the vehicle floor (rail device 60) so that it can be raised and lowered, and a reclining device 80 that connects the seat back 2 to the seat cushion 1 so that it can be rotated.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the seat cushion 1 is a seating portion that supports the seated person from below, and is configured by placing a pad material 1a on a cushion frame 10 shown in FIG. 2, which serves as the skeleton, and covering it with a skin material 1b. As shown in FIG. 2, a control device 50 is disposed inside the seat cushion 1.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the seat back 2 is a backrest portion that supports the back of a seated person from behind, and is configured by placing a pad material 2a on a back frame 20 shown in FIG. 2, which serves as the skeleton, and covering it with a skin material 2b. As shown in FIG. 2, a radio wave sensor 30 and an acceleration sensor 40 are disposed inside the seat back 2.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the cushion frame 10 is a substantially rectangular frame-like body and is mainly composed of cushion side frames 11 arranged on the left and right sides, plate-shaped pan frames 12 (mounting frames) mounted on the front end portions of each cushion side frame 11, a rear connecting frame 13 connecting the rear portions of each cushion side frame 11, and a plurality of pressure-receiving members 14 (pressure-receiving members) hooked onto the pan frames 12 and the rear connecting frame 13 and extending in a snake-like shape in the fore-and-aft direction of the seat.

[0020] The cushion side frame 11 is a plate-shaped frame that is long in the front-rear direction of the seat. A reclining device 80 is attached to the rear portion of the cushion side frame 11, and a rail device 60 is attached to the lower portion thereof via a height link device 70.

[0021] The pan frame 12 is a frame that supports the thighs of a seated person and is made of a rectangular plate body, with both end portions in the seat width direction placed on and attached to the upper surfaces of the cushion side frames 11. A control device 50 is attached to the rear surface of the pan frame 12.

[0022] The pressure-receiving members 14 are elastic springs (elastic support members) that support the buttocks of a seated occupant from below, and a plurality of them are provided at predetermined intervals in the seat width direction. The pressure-receiving member 14 is configured such that its front end portion is hooked onto the edge of a hook hole (not shown) formed on the top surface of the pan frame 12, and its rear end portion is hooked onto the rear connecting frame 13 via a hook member (not shown). In this embodiment, the pressure-receiving member 14 is an elastic spring, but is not particularly limited to this, and may be a plate-shaped pressure-receiving member.

[0023] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the back frame 20 is a substantially rectangular frame-like body and is mainly composed of back side frames 21 arranged on the left and right sides, an inverted U-shaped upper frame 22 connecting the upper end portions of each back side frame 21, a plate-shaped lower frame 23 connecting the lower end portions of each back side frame 21, a connecting frame 24 connecting the left and right ends of the upper frame 22 and extending in the seat width direction, left and right elastic wires 25 (wire members) hooked on the connecting frame 24 and the lower frame 23 and extending in the vertical direction, and a pressure-receiving member 26 held by the left and right elastic wires 25 and supporting the seated occupant.

[0024] The backside frame 21 is a sheet metal member that extends in the vertical direction and has a substantially C-shaped cross section, and its lower end portion is connected to the rear end portion of the cushion side frame 11 via the reclining device 80. In the above configuration, the back frame 20 is capable of rotating relative to the cushion frame 10.

[0025] The pressure-receiving member 26 is a plate-shaped elastic support member that supports the back of the seated occupant from behind, and is capable of bending in the front-to-rear direction of the seat in response to (following) the movement of the seated occupant. A radio wave sensor 30 and an acceleration sensor 40 are attached to the rear surface of the lower portion of the pressure-receiving member 26 .

[0026] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the radio wave sensor 30 emits radio waves toward the front of the seat toward the occupant, receives reflected waves from the occupant, and detects the occupant's biosignal (biological information) from the difference between the radio waves and the reflected waves. The "radio waves" may be any radio waves having a frequency that is reflected by the skin surface of a living body, and are preferably microwaves. The "biological signals (biological information) of the seated person" are signals (information) that indicate the heart rate, pulse rate, pulse amplitude, respiratory rate, and respiratory amplitude. In other words, the radio wave sensor 30 is a biological sensor that can detect the heart rate and respiratory amplitude of the seated person. The radio wave sensor 30 is provided inside the seat back 2 and attached to the rear surface of the pressure receiving member 26 that supports the seated occupant from behind. More specifically, the radio wave sensor 30 is disposed in the center of the pressure-receiving member 26 in the seat width direction, and is disposed at a position slightly below the center of the pressure-receiving member 26 in the up-down direction.

[0027] Specifically, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the radio wave sensor 30 includes an irradiation unit 31 that irradiates radio waves, a receiving unit 32 that receives reflected waves, and a housing 33 that houses (seals) the irradiation unit 31 and the receiving unit 32. The radio wave sensor 30 also includes the housing 33, and therefore may be called a radio wave device (radio wave transmitting / receiving device).

[0028] The housing 33 is a resin box that houses the irradiating unit 31 and the receiving unit 32 . Specifically, the housing 33 has a rectangular cross section and is made of a box that is elongated in the sheet width direction, and has a housing main body 34 with an opening, and a lid 35 attached to the housing main body 34 so as to cover the opening of the housing main body 34. The irradiating unit 31 and the receiving unit 32 are attached to the housing main body 34. More specifically, they are attached to the inner wall surface of the front wall of the housing main body 34. In other words, as shown in Figure 6, the housing main body 34 has an opening on the rear side of the seat, so it can be said that the irradiation unit 31 and the receiving unit 32 are attached to the inner wall surface of the bottom wall of the housing main body 34. The housing 33 also houses a plurality of acceleration sensors 40 .

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the acceleration sensor 40 is a vibration detector that detects vibration of the seat body (seat back 2), and is, for example, a gyro sensor (angular velocity sensor). The acceleration sensor 40 is attached to the rear surface of the pressure-receiving member 26 at a position outside the range of radiation of the radio waves from the radio wave sensor 30 . The acceleration sensor 40 is housed inside the housing 33 . More specifically, the plurality of acceleration sensors 40 are attached to the inner wall surface of the lid portion 35, respectively.

[0030] In the above configuration, the irradiating unit 31 of the radio wave sensor 30 irradiates radio waves toward the seating surface of the seat back 2. The radio waves irradiated by the irradiating unit 31 are reflected by the skin surface of the seated occupant, and the receiving unit 32 receives the reflected waves. The skin surface of the seated person moves minutely due to heartbeat and breathing, so the frequency of the radio waves emitted from the emitting unit 31 differs from the frequency of the reflected waves received by the receiving unit 32. The radio wave sensor 30 can detect the seated person's biosignals (biological information), i.e., breathing rate, heart rate, etc., based on the difference between the frequency of the radio waves and the frequency of the reflected waves. In other words, the radio wave sensor 30 can detect the biological information of the seated occupant by utilizing the Doppler effect.

[0031] The radio wave sensor 30 detects the biological information of the seated occupant based on minute movements of the skin surface of the seated occupant, and therefore its installation position is limited. In this embodiment, the radio wave sensor 30 is attached to the rear surface of the pressure-receiving member 26. This allows the radio wave sensor 30 to follow the slightest movement of the seated occupant, thereby minimizing vibration noise.

[0032] In this embodiment, the acceleration sensor 40 is attached to the rear surface of the pressure-receiving member 26 . By providing the acceleration sensor 40, it is possible to detect vibrations of the seat body, and to detect biological information of the seated occupant after attenuating the vibration components of the seat body even while the vehicle is moving. Furthermore, by attaching the radio wave sensor 30 and the acceleration sensor 40 to the same component, it becomes easier to synchronize the vibrations of the radio wave sensor 30 and the acceleration sensor 40, and the vibration components of the seat body can be accurately damped before detecting the biological signals of the seated occupant. In this way, a vehicle seat S can be realized that can follow the subtle movements of the occupant and more appropriately detect the biological signals of the occupant, without relying on vibrations of the vehicle seat S.

[0033] In the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 6, the acceleration sensor 40 is attached to an inner wall surface located inside the housing 33 opposite to the inner wall surface to which the irradiating unit 31 and the receiving unit 32 are attached. Specifically, the irradiating unit 31 and the receiving unit 32 are attached to a front wall 33 a of the housing 33 , and the acceleration sensor 40 is attached to a rear wall 33 b of the housing 33 . By doing so, the radio wave sensor 30 and the acceleration sensor 40 can be placed as far apart as possible, but still housed inside the same housing 33, thereby saving space. Furthermore, the radio wave sensor 30 and the acceleration sensor 40 can be easily assembled to the pressure-receiving member 26 by utilizing the housing 33 .

[0034] In the above configuration, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the acceleration sensors 40 are arranged at the corners of the inner wall surface of the lid portion 35 of the housing 33, respectively. The acceleration sensors 40 are arranged at positions different from the irradiation unit 31 and the receiving unit 32 in the seat front-rear direction, the seat width direction, and the up-down direction. This allows the radio wave sensor 30 and the plurality of acceleration sensors 40 to be arranged compactly, thereby saving space.

[0035] As shown in Figures 2 and 7, the control device 50 is a device that processes the biosignals detected by the radio wave sensor 30 and the acceleration sensor 40, and is attached to the bottom surface of the pan frame 12 via a holder (not shown). In more detail, the control device 50 receives the biosignal detected by the radio wave sensor 30 and the vibration signal detected by the acceleration sensor 40, corrects the biosignal by attenuating the vibration component of the seat body, and grasps the bioinformation of the seated occupant based on the corrected biosignal. The control device 50 is electrically connected to the radio wave sensor 30 and the acceleration sensor 40 via wired or wireless communication. In the case of wired communication, the control device 50, the radio wave sensor 30, and the acceleration sensor 40 are preferably connected via a transmission path (not shown). The transmission path may be a conductive sheet with conductive wires adhered thereto, or a wire harness formed by bundling conductive wires.

[0036] As shown in Figure 7, the control device 50 has a communication unit 51 for receiving biosignals and vibration signals from the radio wave sensor 30 and acceleration sensor 40 and transmitting them wirelessly to the outside, and a control unit 52 for processing the biosignals and vibration signals detected by the radio wave sensor 30 and acceleration sensor 40 and transmitting the processed biosignals (biological information) to the communication unit 51.

[0037] The communication unit 51 uses wireless communication technology to connect to an external terminal, for example, a tablet terminal, a smartphone, a computer such as a PC, or an electric device, and transmits and receives electric signals (data signals). The control unit 52 corresponds to a microcomputer and performs overall electrical control. The control device 50 is supplied with power from a power source P mounted in the vehicle. The control device 50 may be attached inside the vehicle seat S1 or outside the vehicle seat S1 (for example, in the vehicle).

[0038] In the above configuration, for example, by connecting the control device 50 to a publicly known heart rate measuring device (not shown) via a network, the heart rate measuring device can measure the heart rate of the occupant based on the occupant's heart rate signal (heart rate information) and breathing signal (breathing information), and can quickly alert the occupant if any abnormalities occur in the changes in their heart rate.

[0039] In addition, the "type of biosensor" can be changed according to the occupant's needs, and the "output function" based on the biometric information detected by the biosensor can be changed. Specifically, in addition to radio wave sensors, pressure sensors, capacitance sensors, temperature sensors, sound sensors, light sensors, odor sensors, etc. may also be used. In addition, the "output function" is expected to measure changes in the occupant's heart rate and alert the occupant to abnormal heart rates (drowsy state), measure the occupant's sitting posture and control the seat movement to create relaxation mode or skeletal correction mode, and play games or videos for the occupant based on the occupant's biometric information (e.g., electrocardiogram, blood pressure, body temperature, breathing, etc.). In this case, the biometric information obtained by the biometric sensor can be used by a dedicated app downloaded to the mobile device of the seat occupant, allowing the biometric information to be used to operate the dedicated app and to be stored in the dedicated app.

[0040] Second Embodiment Next, a vehicle seat S2 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. It should be noted that the description of the same content as that of the vehicle seat S2 described above will be omitted.

[0041] The vehicle seat S2 includes a seat body having a seat back 102, a radio wave sensor 130, and an acceleration sensor 140. The radio wave sensor 130 has an emitting unit 131, a receiving unit 132, and a first housing 133 that houses the emitting unit 131 and the receiving unit 132. Acceleration sensor 140 is housed inside second housing 141 that is provided so as to overlap first housing 133 .

[0042] The first housing 133 is a box-shaped body having a rectangular cross section and elongated in the sheet width direction, and contains the irradiation unit 131 and the receiving unit 132 therein. The second housing 141 has a rectangular cross section similar to the first housing 133, is a box-like body that is elongated in the seat width direction, and houses the acceleration sensor 140 therein. The second housing 141 is attached so as to overlap with a wall portion of the first housing 133 that faces the wall portion on which the emitting unit 131 and the receiving unit 132 are attached. Specifically, the emitting unit 131 and the receiving unit 132 are attached to the inner wall surface of the front wall portion 133a of the first housing 133. The second housing 141 is attached to the rear wall portion 133b of the first housing 133 so as to overlap with it. The plurality of acceleration sensors 140 are attached to the corners of the inner wall surface of the front wall portion 141 a of the second housing 141 .

[0043] Even in the second embodiment, it is possible to realize a vehicle seat that can more appropriately detect the biosignal (biological information) of a seated occupant without relying on vibrations of the vehicle seat.

[0044] Third Embodiment Next, a vehicle seat S3 according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. It should be noted that the description of the same contents as those of the vehicle seats S1 and S2 described above will be omitted.

[0045] The vehicle seat S3 includes a seat body having a seat back 202, a radio wave sensor 230, an acceleration sensor 240, and a lumbar support 250 (lumbar support device, lower back support).

[0046] As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the back frame 220 is mainly composed of left and right back side frames 221, an upper frame 222, a lower frame 223, a connecting frame 224, and an elastic wire 225 that is hooked onto the left and right back side frames 221 and extends in the seat width direction.

[0047] The lumbar support 250 corresponds to a pressure-receiving member that supports the seated occupant from behind. Specifically, the lumbar support 250 is mainly composed of a plate member 251 which is a resin panel, an adjustment mechanism 252 which has an electromagnetic motor built in, and a wire member 253.

[0048] The plate member 251 has a rectangular plate shape that is long in the seat width direction, and is made of an elastically deformable resin. The plate member 251 is disposed at a position lower than the elastic wire 225, and more specifically, is disposed at a position that supports the lower back of a seated occupant. The plate member 251 is disposed in front of the wire member 253 . When the adjustment mechanism 252 is actuated, the wire member 253 is bent so as to protrude forward, and the plate member 251 is elastically bent toward the front side of the seat.

[0049] With the above configuration, the lumbar support 250 can change the support position for the lumbar region of the seated occupant. Specifically, when the electromagnetic motor of the adjustment mechanism 252 is not operating, the plate member 251 is flat and not bent, as shown in Figure 11. When the electromagnetic motor of the adjustment mechanism 252 is operating, the wire member 253 is pulled, causing the plate member 251 to bend toward the front of the seat. The bending of the plate member 251 causes the seat back 202 to bend toward the front of the seat, and the seat back 202 pushes the lumbar region of the seated person forward. This changes the support position for the lumbar region of the seated person. In other words, the amount of bending (protrusion amount) of the plate member 251 changes depending on the amount of operation of the adjustment mechanism 252, and the support position for the lumbar region of the seated person can be changed as desired.

[0050] The radio wave sensor 230 and the acceleration sensor 240 are attached to the rear surface of the plate member 251 as shown in FIGS. Specifically, it is disposed at a position on the rear surface of the plate member 251 to avoid the adjustment mechanism 252 and the wire member 253 , and is disposed at a position above the adjustment mechanism 252 and the wire member 253 . This ensures a degree of freedom in the layout of the sensors 230 and 240. Furthermore, the sensors 230 and 240 can appropriately detect biological information. The sensors 230 and 240 may be disposed on the rear surface of the plate member 251 at a position lower than the adjustment mechanism 252, or may be disposed on the outer side of the adjustment mechanism 252 in the sheet width direction.

[0051] In the above configuration, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the plate member 251 has lattice-shaped ribs 251a on the rear surface thereof. The radio wave sensor 230 and the acceleration sensor 240 are disposed at positions that avoid the ribs 251a, and more specifically, are disposed within the area surrounded by the ribs 251a. This allows the sensors 230, 240 to be positioned without protruding in the front-rear direction of the seat. Also, the sensors 230, 240 can detect biological information in an appropriate manner.

[0052] 12, plate member 251 has recess 251b that is thinner than the main body thereof, and radio wave sensor 230 is attached to recess 251b. This stabilizes the placement of the radio wave sensor 230, allowing the radio wave sensor 230 to appropriately detect biological information. Alternatively, a second recess may be formed in the plate member 251, and the acceleration sensor 240 may be disposed in the second recess.

[0053] In the above configuration, the radio wave sensor 230 is disposed on the rear surface of the plate member 251 at a position eccentric from the center, as shown in FIG. This allows the radio wave sensor 230 to emit radio waves to the recessed area around the occupant's spine and the back part of the occupant's body that is always in contact with the seating surface, making it easier to detect the occupant's biological information.

[0054] Even in the third embodiment, it is possible to realize a vehicle seat that can more appropriately detect the biosignal (biological information) of a seated occupant without relying on vibrations of the vehicle seat.

[0055] <Fourth embodiment> Next, a vehicle seat S4 according to a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. It should be noted that the description of the same contents as those of the vehicle seats S1 to S3 described above will be omitted.

[0056] The vehicle seat S4 includes a seat body having a seat back 302, a radio wave sensor 330, an acceleration sensor 340, and a lumbar support 350 (lumbar support device, lower back support).

[0057] As shown in Figures 14 and 15, the back frame 320 is mainly composed of left and right back side frames 321, an upper frame 322, a lower frame 323, a connecting frame 324, and an elastic wire 325 that is hooked to the connecting frame 324 and the lower frame 323 and extends in the vertical direction and the seat width direction.

[0058] The elastic wire 325 is formed in a lattice shape and corresponds to a pressure-receiving member that supports the seated person from behind. The elastic wire 325 has left and right vertical wires 325a that are spaced apart in the width direction of the seat and extend in the vertical direction, a plurality of horizontal wires 325b that are spaced apart in the vertical direction and extend in the width direction of the seat to connect the left and right vertical wires 325a, and a central wire 325c that extends in the vertical direction and connects the central portions of the plurality of horizontal wires 325b.

[0059] The lumbar support 350 is attached to the elastic wire 325 and is mainly composed of an adjustment mechanism 352 with a built-in electromagnetic motor, a wire member 353, a cable 354, a winding mechanism 355 that winds up the cable 354, and an operating lever 356 that operates the winding mechanism 355.

[0060] Both ends of the wire member 353 in the seat width direction are fixed to the back side frame 321, respectively. One end of the cable 354 is connected to the adjustment mechanism 352 , and the other end of the cable 354 is connected to the winding mechanism 355 . In the above configuration, when the operating lever 356 is operated, the winding mechanism 355 winds up the cable 354, and the wire member 353 connected to the adjustment mechanism 352 bends so as to protrude forward of the seat. This allows the lumbar support 350 to elastically bend the lower portion of the elastic wire 325 in the front-to-rear direction of the seat.

[0061] With the above configuration, the lumbar support 350 can change the support position for the lumbar region of the seated occupant. Specifically, when the cable 354 is not wound up, the wire member 353 is not pulled, and the elastic wire 325 is not bent and is in a flat state. Then, when the operating lever 356 is operated and the winding mechanism 355 winds up the cable 354, the wire member 353 is pulled, and the elastic wire 325 bends toward the front of the seat. The bending of the elastic wire 325 also causes the seat back 302 to bend toward the front of the seat, and the seat back 302 pushes the lumbar region of the seated person forward. This changes the support position for the lumbar region of the seated person. In other words, the bending amount (protrusion amount) of the elastic wire 325 changes depending on the operation amount of the operating lever 356 (the winding amount of the winding mechanism 355), and the support position for the lumbar region of the seated person can be changed as desired.

[0062] As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the radio wave sensor 330 is attached to the rear surface of the elastic wire 325, and more specifically, is attached so as to span across the two horizontal wires 325b. The radio wave sensor 330 includes an emitting unit 331, a receiving unit 332, and a first housing 333 that houses the emitting unit 331 and the receiving unit 332 and engages with the horizontal wire 325b. The first housing 333 has a hook-shaped wire engaging portion 333a that clamps the horizontal wire 325b. The cross section of the wire engaging portion 333a is not limited to a generally C-shaped cross section, and may be a hook portion having a generally L-shaped cross section or the like. Similar to the radio wave sensor 330, the acceleration sensor 340 is attached to the rear surface of the elastic wire 325. Specifically, it includes a second housing 341 (wire engaging portion 341a) that engages with the horizontal wire 325b.

[0063] With the above configuration, the radio wave sensor 330 and the acceleration sensor 340 can be attached at any position on the lattice-shaped elastic wire 325. In other words, it is possible to ensure a degree of freedom in the layout of the sensors 330 and 340. Furthermore, the sensors 230 and 240 can appropriately detect biological information.

[0064] 15, in the above configuration, the sensors 330 and 340 are arranged at positions avoiding the central wire 325c in the elastic wire 325. Specifically, they are arranged between the central wire 325c and the vertical wire 325a. Furthermore, the sensors 330 and 340 are arranged at positions that avoid the cable 354 . This prevents the sensors 330, 340 from interfering with the central wire 325c and the cable 354, allowing the sensors 330, 340 to detect biological information in an appropriate manner.

[0065] In the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 15, when the lumbar support 350 is positioned at the rearmost position, the sensors 330 and 340 are positioned rearward of the adjustment mechanism 352 in a side view of the seat. This ensures a degree of freedom in the layout of the sensors 330 and 340. Furthermore, the sensors 330 and 340 can detect biological information in an appropriate manner.

[0066] 15 and 16, the irradiation unit 331 and the reception unit 332 are disposed between the plurality of wire engagement units 333a in the vertical direction. The acceleration sensor 340 is also disposed between the plurality of wire engagement units 341a. This prevents the irradiation unit 331 (receiving unit 332) and the acceleration sensor 340 from interfering with the wire engaging units 333a and 341a, respectively, and allows the sensors 330 and 340 to detect biological information appropriately.

[0067] Even in the fourth embodiment, it is possible to realize a vehicle seat that can more appropriately detect the biosignal (biological information) of a seated occupant without relying on vibrations of the vehicle seat.

[0068] <Other Alternative Embodiments> In the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the radio wave sensor 30 and the acceleration sensor 40 are attached to the pressure-receiving member 26 of the seat back 2, but this is not particularly limited and they may also be attached to the pressure-receiving member 14 of the seat cushion 1. Alternatively, the radio wave sensor 30 and the acceleration sensor 40 may be attached to the front surface of the pressure-receiving member 26 or to the upper surface of the pressure-receiving member 14 .

[0069] In the above embodiment, the acceleration sensor 40 is a gyro sensor, but there is no particular limitation and any acceleration sensor may be used. Alternatively, instead of an acceleration sensor, any vibration detection body that can detect vibrations of the seat body may be used.

[0070] In the above embodiment, a vehicle seat used in an automobile was described as a specific example, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be used for various seats such as two-wheeled vehicle seats, vehicle seats for trains and buses, seats for vehicles such as airplanes and ships, as well as office chairs for work, wheelchairs, and child seats in shopping carts.

[0071] In this embodiment, the vehicle seat according to the present invention has been mainly described. However, the above embodiment is merely an example for facilitating understanding of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention. The present invention can be modified and improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and the present invention naturally includes equivalents thereof. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] S1~S4 Vehicle seats Sa seat frame 1 seat cushion 1a, 2a pad material 1b, 2b Skin material 2, 102, 202, 302 seat back 3 Headrest 10, 110 cushion frame 11 Cushion side frame 12 Pan Frame 13 Rear connecting frame 14 Pressure-receiving member (elastic spring, elastic support member) 20, 120, 220, 320 back frame 21, 221, 321 backside frame 22, 222, 322 Upper frame 23, 223, 323 Lower frame 24, 224, 324 connecting frame 25, 225, 325 Elastic wire (wire material) 325a longitudinal wire 325b horizontal wire 325c center wire 26, 126 Pressure-receiving member (pressure-receiving plate, elastic support member) 30, 130, 230, 330 Radio wave sensor (radio wave device) 31, 131, 331 Irradiation unit 32, 132, 332 receiver 33, 133, 333 enclosure (first enclosure) 33a, 133a front wall 33b, 133b rear wall 333a Wire engagement part 34 Housing main body 35 Lid 40, 140, 240, 340 Acceleration sensor (vibration detector, gyro sensor) 141, 341 2nd cabinet 141a Front wall 341a Wire engagement part 50 Control device 51 Communications Department 52 Control section 60 Rail Device 70 Height Link Device 80 Reclining device 250, 350 lumbar support 251 Plate members 251a Rib 251b Recess 252, 352 adjustment mechanism 253, 353 Wire member 354 Cable 355 Winding mechanism 356 Operating lever P power supply

Claims

1. A seat comprising a padding material and a first sensor that detects the biometric information of an occupant, a pressure-receiving member that supports the pad material and a second sensor that detects vibration of the seat, The seat is characterized in that the second sensor is disposed at a position lower than the first sensor and is provided on a plate body attached to the pressure-receiving member.

2. The plate body is provided on the back surface of the pressure-receiving member, 2. The seat according to claim 1, wherein the second sensor is provided on the rear surface of the pressure-receiving member via the plate body.

3. The pressure-receiving member has a wire material, 2. The seat according to claim 1, wherein the second sensor is provided in a housing having a wire engaging portion that engages with the wire material.

4. A seat as described in claim 1, characterized in that the seat is a vehicle seat.

5. A vehicle seat having a seat frame as a framework, the seat frame has a pressure-receiving member that supports a seated occupant, The vehicle seat includes: a biosensor provided on a rear surface of the pressure-receiving member for acquiring a biosignal of the seated occupant; a vibration detector that is provided on the rear surface of the pressure-receiving member at a position different from the biosensor and that detects vibrations of the seat body;

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