Seat back

Abstract

In a seatback where the cushion structure is divided into three sections in the width direction of the seat and attached to the frame, this prevents damage to the appearance. [Solution] The structure comprises a frame 4 and a cushion structure 5. The cushion structure 5 consists of a main structure 10 and side structures 20 on both sides of the main structure 10. The main structure 10 comprises a main pad 12, a main cover 13, and a main support member 11. The side structure 20 comprises a side pad 22, a side cover 23, and a side support member 21. A pair of left and right engaging portions 11c are formed on the upper part of the main support member 11, and engaged portions 21f are formed on the upper part of each side support member 21. When the main support member 11 and each of the side support members 21 are attached to the frame 4, each engaging portion 11c engages with one of the engaged portions 21f, making relative movement impossible in the front, back, left, and right directions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a seat back. More specifically, the present invention relates to a seat back in which a cushion structure that elastically supports a seated occupant is divided into three parts in the seat width direction and attached to a frame.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a seat back of a vehicle seat equipped in a vehicle such as an automobile, a cushion structure in which a pad covered with a cover is supported by a support member is divided into three parts in the seat width direction and attached to a frame. Patent Document 1 discloses a seat back in which a top plate main part that is a cushion structure in the central part in the seat width direction and a top plate side part arranged on the side part of the top plate main part are each individually attached to a frame.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the vehicle seat described in Patent Document 1 above, the top plate main part and each top plate side part are configured to be attached to the frame individually from the front. As a result, there is an advantage that the assembly property is good because the top plate main part and each top plate side part are attached to the frame from the front in a pre-formed state. However, since the top plate main part and each top plate side part are attached to the frame individually, there is a risk that a gap will occur between the top plate main part and each top plate side part, damaging the appearance.

[0005] In view of these problems, the object of the present invention is to provide a seat back in which a cushion structure, in which a pad covered with a cover is supported by a support member, is divided into three parts in the seat width direction and attached to the frame, thereby suppressing damage to the appearance of the seat back. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The first invention of the present invention is a seat back comprising a frame forming a skeleton and a cushion structure attached to the frame to elastically support a seated occupant, wherein the cushion structure comprises a main structure in the center in the width direction of the seat and a pair of left and right side structures arranged on both sides of the main structure, wherein the main structure comprises a main pad which is a cushion body, a main cover which covers the main pad, and a main support member which is attached to the frame side of the main pad and supports the main pad in a planar manner, wherein each of the side structures comprises a side pad which is a cushion body, a side cover which covers the side pad, and a side support member which is attached to the frame side of the side pad and supports the side pad in a planar manner, wherein a pair of left and right engaging portions are formed on the upper part of the main support member, and an engaged portion is formed on the upper part of each of the side support members which engages with either of the engaging portions, wherein when the main support member and each of the side support members are attached to the frame, each of the engaging portions engages with either of the engaged portions which prevents relative movement in the front, back, left, and right directions.

[0007] According to the first invention, with the main structure and each side structure attached to the frame, the upper part of the main structure and the upper part of each side structure are made immovable relative to each other in the front-rear, left-right, and right directions. This keeps the gap between the upper part of the main structure and the upper part of each side structure, which greatly affects the appearance quality, constant, thereby suppressing damage to the appearance.

[0008] The second invention of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first invention described above, the upper part of the main support member is superimposed on the upper part of each side support member from the front, and each side structure and the main structure are attached to the frame, each engaged portion is a box shape that opens upward and is disposed on the upper front surface of each side support member, and each engaged portion is a hook shape that opens downward and is disposed on the upper rear surface of the main support member.

[0009] According to the second invention, with the main structure and each side structure attached to the frame, the upper part of the main structure and the upper part of each side structure are superimposed, and one of the hook-shaped engaging parts of the main support member engages with each box-shaped engaging part of each side support member, stopping relative movement in the front, back, left, and right directions. This more reliably maintains a constant gap between the upper part of the main structure and the upper part of each side structure, suppressing damage to the appearance.

[0010] The third invention of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first invention described above, the upper part of the main support member is superimposed on the upper part of each side support member from the front, and each side structure and the main structure are attached to the frame, each engaged portion has a plate-like portion with a rectangular hole provided on the upper front surface of each side support member, and each engaged portion has a columnar portion with a cross cross section that can be inserted into the hole extending downward, provided on the upper rear surface of the main support member.

[0011] According to the third invention, with the main structure and each side structure attached to the frame, the upper part of the main structure and the upper part of each side structure are superimposed, and one of the columnar parts of the cross cross section of each engagement part of the main support member engages with each rectangular hole in each engagement part of each side support member, thereby stopping relative movement in the front, back, left, and right directions. This more reliably maintains a constant gap between the upper part of the main structure and the upper part of each side structure, suppressing damage to the appearance. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of an automotive seat with a seatback attached according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a front view of the seat back shown above. Because it is symmetrical, only the right side is shown. Furthermore, only the frame and the side support members of the side structure are shown. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in Figure 2. It shows the side structure including the back pad, back cover, and main structure. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in Figure 2. It shows the side structure including the back pad, back cover, and main structure. [Figure 5] This is a magnified view of section V in Figure 2. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in Figure 5. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view taken along the line of arrow VII-VII in Figure 5. [Figure 8] This figure corresponds to Figure 5, which shows another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IX-IX in Figure 8. [Figure 10] This is a cross-sectional view taken along the line of arrow XX in Figure 9. [Figure 11] Figure 9 is a perspective view from direction XI. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Based on Figures 1 to 7, the seat back 3 of the automobile seat 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, the description of direction will be based on the up, down, front, back, left, and right directions shown in each figure. Here, the up, down, front, back, left, and right directions are defined based on the automobile seat 1 when it is mounted on the floor F of the automobile. The left and right direction coincides with the seat width direction.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle seat 1 has a seat cushion 2 that supports the buttocks and thighs of the seated occupant, and a seat back 3 that supports the waist and back of the seated occupant.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the seat back 3 has a frame 4 forming a skeleton, a cushion structure 5 having a cushion function and attached on the frame 4 to define the outer shape of the seat back 3, and a pair of left and right airbag devices 6.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the frame 4 has a pair of left and right side frames 41 extending in the vertical direction on both left and right sides of the seat back 3, an upper frame 42 connecting the upper end portions of the respective side frames 41, and a lower frame 43 connecting the lower end portions of the respective side frames 41. The frame 4 is formed in a substantially rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front. A lumbar plate (not shown) is disposed between the upper frame 42 and the lower frame 43 of the frame 4. This lumbar plate is the same as the one disclosed in JP-A-2015-209062.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, the cushion structure 5 has a main structure 10 at the center in the seat width direction, and a pair of left and right side structures 20 at both side portions of the main structure 10. The main structure 10 is a portion that supports the waist and back of the seated occupant from the rear, and the pair of left and right side structures 20 are portions that support the waist and back of the seated occupant from the side.

[0018] The main structure 10 has a resin main support member 11, a main pad 12 that is a cushion body disposed on the front side of the main support member 11 and supported by the main support member 11 with respect to the frame 4, and a main cover 13 that covers the main pad 12 from the front side.

[0019] The main support member 11 has a roughly rectangular shape with its long axis running vertically when viewed from the front. The upper rear portion is fixed to the upper frame 42, the rear portion approximately in the center vertically is fixed to the lumber plate, and the lower rear portion is fixed to the lower frame 43. Furthermore, the rear portions on the left and right ends of the upper portion have hook-shaped engaging portions 11c that open downwards and engage with box-shaped engaging portions 21f that open upwards to the side support members 21, which will be described later. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the engaging portion 11c has an upper wall portion 11d that extends downward and rearward from the rear surface of the main support member 11, and a lower wall portion 11e that extends downward and forward approximately perpendicular to the upper wall portion 11d from the lower end of the upper wall portion 11d. Two ribs 11f are formed on the rear surface of the lower wall portion 11e that extend downward and rearward perpendicularly to the lower wall portion 11e.

[0020] The main pad 12 is an elastic body made of foamed polyurethane resin and has an external shape that is almost the same as the main support member 11 when viewed from the front. The main cover 13 is a bag-shaped cover member that opens towards the rear and is formed by sewing together multiple pieces. The main structure 10 is formed when the main cover 13 is placed over the main pad 12, which is positioned in front of the main support member 11, from the front and the end portion of the rear opening is locked to the rear outer edge of the main support member 11.

[0021] As shown in Figures 2 to 7, the side structure 20 includes a resin side support member 21, a side pad 22 which is a cushion body positioned in front of the side support member 21 and supported by the side support member 21 against the frame 4, and a side cover 23 which covers the side pad 22 from the front.

[0022] As clearly shown in Figure 2, the side support member 21 is a member that extends vertically, and has a through hole 21a that extends vertically and penetrates in the front-to-back direction, approximately in the center in the left-to-right direction. The left side of the through hole 21a (inside the sheet) is the base portion 21b that extends vertically along the front side of the side frame 41 of the frame 4, and the right side of the through hole 21a (outside the sheet) is the deformed portion 21c. The deformed portion 21c is formed in a roughly U-shape with a horizontal cross-section that opens towards the rear (see Figures 3 and 4). Below the through hole 21a, a weakening portion 21d is formed that connects the lower end of the base portion 21b and the lower end of the deformed portion 21c. Above the through hole 21a, the upper end of the deformed portion 21c is connected to the upper end of the base portion 21b, and as it moves upward, it gradually curves to the left (towards the inside of the sheet), forming an R-shaped R portion 21e when viewed from the front between the base portion 21b and the deformed portion 21c. As clearly shown in Figure 6, the upper front portion of the base portion 21b has an upward-opening box-shaped engaged portion 21f that engages with the engaging portion 11c of the main support member 11. As shown in Figures 5 to 7, the engaged portion 21f is formed in an upward-opening box shape by a flat portion 21n on the upper part of the base portion 21b, a pair of upright plate portions 21p extending forward parallel to the flat portion 21n, a front plate portion 21r extending substantially parallel to the flat portion 21n by connecting the front ends of each upright plate portion 21p, and a lower plate portion 21t connecting the lower end of the front plate portion 21r and the lower ends of each upright plate portion 21p to the flat portion 21n. On the rear surface of the front plate portion 21r, two ribs 21s are formed that extend downward and rearward perpendicularly and parallel to the front plate portion 21r. When the lower wall portion 11e of the engaging portion 11c is inserted between the two ribs 21s and the flat portion 21n, the relative movement of the engaging portion 11c in the front-rear, left-right, and right directions is prevented with respect to the engaged portion 21f. The side support member 21 has a rear surface portion (not shown) of the approximately central part in the vertical direction of the base portion 21b and a weakened portion 21d fixed to the frame 4.

[0023] As clearly shown in Figures 2 and 4, the weakened portion 21d has a rectangular mounting portion 21g when viewed from the front, and a bent portion 21h with a Z-shaped cross-section when cut in a horizontal plane. The upper end of the bent portion 21h is connected to the deformed portion 21c, and the lower end of the bent portion 21h is connected to the right end of the mounting portion 21g. The outer bent portion 21k, which is the folded portion on the right side (outside the seat) of the bent portion 21h, is thin and is designed to easily break due to the load applied to the deformed portion 21c in the rightward direction (outward direction of the seat) when the airbag deploys. The mounting portion 21g is fixed to the bracket 41a of the side frame 41 by a clip 21m passed through a clip hole (not shown).

[0024] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the side pad 22 is an elastic body made of foamed polyurethane resin and has an outer shape that is almost the same as the outer portion of the side support member 21 in the seat width direction when viewed from the front. The portion of the side support member 21 corresponding to the through hole 21a is formed to cover the front part of the airbag device 6 which is positioned to close the through hole 21a, and no hole is provided that penetrates in the front-to-back direction. The side cover 23 is a bag-shaped cover member that opens toward the rear and is formed by integrating a plurality of pieces by sewing together. The side structure 20 is formed when the side cover 23 is placed over the side pad 22 which is positioned on the front side of the side support member 21 from the front and the end portion of the rear opening is locked to the rear outer edge of the side support member 21. As shown in Figure 3, the side cover 23 has a first cover portion 23a that covers the front and right sides of the side pad 22 and a second cover portion 23b that covers the right side of the side support member 21. The right end of the first cover portion 23a and the upper right end of the second cover portion 23b are connected by the first sewing portion 23c. The upper left end of the second cover portion 23b is connected to the resin plate 23e by the second sewing portion 23d, together with the upper left end of the connecting reinforcement fabric 67, which will be described later.

[0025] The airbag device 6 is attached to the outer surface of the seat on the left and right side frames 41. Since it is symmetrical, the right airbag device 6 will be described as a representative example. As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the airbag device 6 is formed in a vertically elongated box shape that extends in a long length in the vertical direction, and when viewed from the front, its external shape is designed to substantially match the shape of the through hole 21a of the side support member 21. The airbag device 6 has an airbag 61, an inflator 62, a case 63, and a reinforcing cloth 64. The airbag device 6 receives a vehicle collision detection signal from the vehicle's ECU (not shown), injects gas from the inflator 62 into the airbag 61, inflating the airbag 61 and deploying it toward the front of the seat.

[0026] Case 63 is a vertically elongated box-shaped container that houses the airbag 61 and the inflator 62, with its left side fixed to the side frame 41. When the airbag 61 inflates and deploys, Case 63 is pushed open through a slit (not shown) to inflate and deploy the airbag 61 forward.

[0027] The reinforcing fabric 64 is a guide fabric that does not stretch easily and restricts the deployment direction of the airbag 61, and has a front reinforcing fabric 65 disposed on the front side and a rear reinforcing fabric 66 disposed on the rear side. The right end of the front reinforcing fabric 65, the right end of the first cover portion 23a, the upper right end of the second cover portion 23b, and the right end of the rear reinforcing fabric 66 are overlapped in this order and connected by the first sewing portion 23c. The upper left end of the second cover portion 23b is connected to the resin plate 23e by the second sewing portion 23d. The right side of the side cover 23 is fixed to the side support member 21 by the resin plate 23e being positioned on the inner part of the U-shape of the deformed portion 21c of the side support member 21. The left end of the front reinforcing fabric 65 is fixed to the frame 4 by a fixing member (not shown). The left end of the rear reinforcing fabric 66 is fixed to the frame 4 by a fixing member 66a.

[0028] The assembly procedure for the seat back 3 will now be described. First, as shown in Figures 2 to 4, the airbag device 6 is attached to the outer surface of the seat of each side frame 41 in the frame 4. Next, the pre-assembled left and right side structures 20 are attached to the frame 4. At this time, the airbag device 6 is positioned inside each side structure 20 so that it passes through each through hole 21a of each side support member 21 in each side structure 20. At this time, the left end of the front reinforcing fabric 65 is fixed to the frame 4 by a fixing member (not shown), and the left end of the rear reinforcing fabric 66 is fixed to the frame 4 by a fixing member 66a. Next, the main structure 10 is attached to the frame 4. At this time, the engaging parts 11c of the main structure 10 are engaged with the engaging parts 21f of each side structure 20. Specifically, when the lower wall portion 11e of the engaging portion 11c is inserted between the two ribs 21s and the flat portion 21n between the pair of vertical plate portions 21p of the engaged portion 21f, the engaging portion 11c engages with the engaged portion 21f in such a way that relative movement in the front, back, left, and right directions is prevented, and the upper part of the main structure 10 becomes unable to move relative to the upper part of each side structure 20. As a result, the rear side of the main structure 10 comes into contact with the front side of the portion of each side support member 21 on the upper part of each side structure 20 that is not covered by each side pad 22. Note that when removing the main structure 10 and each side structure 20 from the frame 4, the reverse procedure of the above is followed. Finally, a backboard (not shown) is attached to the rear side of the frame 4 to conceal the rear side of the frame 4.

[0029] As described above, the assembled seat back 3 is attached to the seat cushion 2 as shown in Figure 1 to form the automobile seat 1 and is fixed to the floor F. In this state, when a vehicle collision detection signal is received from the vehicle's ECU, gas is injected from the inflator 62 into the airbag 61, inflating the airbag 61 and deploying it toward the front of the seat. At this time, as shown in Figure 2, as the airbag 61 deploys and reaches the deployed state 61E, the outer bent portion 21k (see Figure 4) of the weakened portion 21d breaks, causing the deformed portion 21c of the side support member 21 to rotate to the right around its upper end and reach the deformed state 21cE. In parallel, as the airbag 61 deploys and reaches the deployed state 61E, the tensile force applied by the front reinforcing fabric 65 and the rear reinforcing fabric 66 causes the first stitched portion 23c to break, and the airbag 61 deploys toward the front of the seat back 3 from between the first cover portion 23a and the second cover portion 23b.

[0030] As described above, this embodiment provides the following effects. With the main structure 10 and each side structure 20 attached to the frame 4, the upper part of the main structure 10 and the upper part of each side structure 20 are prevented from moving relative to each other in the front, back, left, and right directions by one of the engaging parts 11c engaging with each engaged part 21f. As a result, the gap between the upper part of the main structure 10 and the upper part of each side structure 20, which greatly affects the appearance quality, is kept constant, and damage to the appearance is suppressed.

[0031] Furthermore, with the main structure 10 and each side structure 20 attached to the frame 4, the upper part of the main structure 10 and the upper part of each side structure 20 are overlapped front to back, and one of the hook-shaped engaging parts 11c of the main support member 11 engages with each box-shaped engaging part 21f of each side support member 21, stopping relative movement in the front, back, left, and right directions. This allows one of the hook-shaped engaging parts 11c to smoothly engage with each engaging part 21f, and more reliably maintains a constant gap between the upper part of the main structure 10 and the upper part of each side structure 20, thereby suppressing damage to the appearance.

[0032] Figures 8 to 11 show other embodiments of the present invention. The difference from one embodiment is that the engaged portion 21f and the engaging portion 11c have been changed to engaged portion 7 and engaging portion 8, which have different structures. The same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and their description is omitted. On the upper flat portion 21n of the base portion 21b of the side support member 21, a plate-shaped side plate portion 7a is erected, extending forward and upward perpendicular to the flat portion 21n. A square hole 7b is formed in the side plate portion 7a, penetrating in the thickness direction. The side plate portion 7a with the hole 7b is the engaged portion 7. On the rear surface of the main support member 11, a main plate portion 8a is erected, extending rearward and downward perpendicular to the main support member 11. A columnar projection 8b is formed on the main plate portion 8a, extending forward and downward perpendicular to the main plate portion 8a. The projection 8b is formed by cutting the apex portion of a columnar body, which is created by intersecting two isosceles triangular plates perpendicularly with their central axes aligned, with a plane perpendicular to the central axis. The main plate portion 8a on which the projection 8b is formed is the engaging portion 8. The front, back, left, and right surfaces of the projection 8b are formed as inclined surfaces, making it easier to engage with the hole 7b of the engaged portion 7. Here, the side plate portion 7a and the projection 8b correspond to the "plate portion" and "columnar portion" in the claims, respectively.

[0033] As described above, this embodiment provides the following effects. With the main structure 10 and each side structure 20 attached to the frame 4, the upper part of the main structure 10 and the upper part of each side structure 20 are overlapped front to back, and one of the projections 8b of the engaging part 8 on the main support member 11 engages with the hole 7b of the engaged part 7 on each side support member 21, stopping relative movement in the front, back, left, and right directions. This allows one of the engaging parts 8 to smoothly engage with each engaged part 7, and more reliably maintains a constant gap between the upper part of the main structure 10 and the upper part of each side structure 20, thereby suppressing damage to the appearance.

[0034] Although specific embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to their appearance and configuration, and various modifications, additions, and deletions are possible without altering the essence of the invention. For example, the following can be made.

[0035] 1. In the above embodiment, each side support member 21 is provided with engaged portions 21f, 7 and engaging portions 11c, 8 in the portion where it overlaps with the main support member 11. However, it is not limited to this, and an extension portion can be provided from each side support member 21 in the direction of the main support member 11, and this extension portion can be used as the engaged portion to provide the engaging portion to the main support member 11.

[0036] 2. In the above embodiment, the present invention was applied to the seat back 3 of an automobile seat 1, but it is not limited to this and can also be applied to seats in railway vehicles. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0037] 1. Automotive seats 3 Seatback 4 frames 5. Cushion structure 7 Engaged portion 7a Side plate section 7b hole 8 Engaging part 8a Main plate section 8b Protrusion 10 Main Structure 11 Main support member 11c Engagement part 12 Main Pad 13 Main Cover 20 Side Structures 21 Side support member 21f Engaged part 22 Side Pads 23 Side cover

Claims

1. It is a seat back, It has a frame that forms the skeleton and a cushion structure attached to the frame that elastically supports the seated occupant, The cushion structure consists of a main structure in the center in the width direction of the seat, and a pair of left and right side structures positioned on both sides of the main structure. The main structure comprises a main pad which is a cushioning body, a main cover which covers the main pad, and a main support member which is attached to the frame side of the main pad and supports the main pad in a planar manner. Each of the aforementioned side structures includes a side pad which is a cushioning body, a side cover which covers the side pad, and a side support member which is attached to the frame side of the side pad and supports the side pad in a planar manner. A pair of left and right engaging portions are formed on the upper part of the main support member, and an engaged portion is formed on the upper part of each side support member to engage with one of the respective engaging portions. A seat back in which, when the main support member and each of the side support members are attached to the frame, each of the engaging portions engages with one of the engaged portions, thereby preventing relative movement in the front-rear, left-right, and right directions.

2. In claim 1, Each of the side support members and the main support member are attached to the frame with the upper part of the main support member overlapping the upper part of each side support member from the front. Each of the aforementioned engaging portions is a box-shaped structure that opens upward and is located on the upper front surface of each of the aforementioned side support members. Each of the aforementioned engaging portions is a hook-shaped seat back that is located on the upper rear surface of the main support member and opens downwards.

3. In claim 1, Each of the side support members and the main support member are attached to the frame with the upper part of the main support member overlapping the upper part of each side support member from the front. Each of the aforementioned engaged portions has a plate-like portion with a rectangular hole provided on the upper front surface of each of the aforementioned side support members. Each of the aforementioned engaging portions has a columnar portion with a cross-shaped cross section that can be inserted into the hole extending downward, which is located on the upper rear surface of the main support member, in the seat back.

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