Vehicle seats

Abstract

To provide a vehicle seat that can properly support occupants during a collision. [Solution] A seat S for a vehicle mounted on a vehicle V, comprising a seat body Sh having a seat cushion 1, a seat back 2, bolsters 8 provided on both sides of the seat cushion 1 or on both sides of the seat back 2, and a bolster drive unit 83 for deforming the bolsters 8, and a rotating device 7 that supports the seat body Sh so as to be rotatable around a vertical axis, wherein the rotating device 7 is configured to rotate the seat body Sh when a collision with an external obstacle is predicted, and the bolster drive unit 83 deforms the bolsters 8 by a predetermined amount so that the seat surface of the bolsters 8 faces the center in the width direction of the seat when the rotating device 7 rotates when a collision is predicted.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat, and particularly to a vehicle seat that can rotate around a vertical axis.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, in a vehicle seat that is rotatably supported around a vertical axis with respect to a vehicle body floor, when a collision is detected, if an acceleration component in the left-right direction occurs with respect to the vehicle seat, or when the vehicle seat is in a rotated posture, a vehicle seat that selects and deploys an appropriate airbag arranged in the vehicle is known.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in a conventional rotatable vehicle seat, a three-point seat belt is installed. In the case of a three-point seat belt, since the shoulder belt is hung obliquely with respect to the upper body of the occupant, the upper body of the occupant and one of the left and right shoulders are in a constrained state. Therefore, when a collision where no acceleration occurs in the left-right direction, a so-called frontal collision, occurs, the shoulder of the occupant that is not constrained by the shoulder belt moves forward, and as a result, the upper body of the occupant may behave in a twisted manner. Also, even in the case of a collision where acceleration occurs in the left-right direction, the upper body of the occupant may behave in a twisted manner. Therefore, it has been desired to appropriately rotate the vehicle seat according to the direction of the acceleration generated in the vehicle seat to suppress or reduce the twisting behavior of the occupant. Also, it is desirable to appropriately support the occupant during a collision.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its objective is to provide a vehicle seat that can change the occupant's body to an appropriate orientation when a collision is anticipated. Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat capable of properly supporting the occupant. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The above problems are solved by a vehicle seat according to the present invention, which is a vehicle seat mounted on a vehicle, comprising a seat body having a seat cushion, a seat back, bolsters provided on both sides of the seat cushion or on both sides of the seat back, and a bolster drive unit for deforming the bolster, and a rotating device that supports the seat body so as to be rotatable around a vertical axis, wherein the rotating device is configured to rotate the seat body when a collision with an external obstacle is predicted, and the bolster drive unit deforms the bolster by a predetermined amount so that the seat surface of the bolster faces the center in the width direction of the seat when the rotating device rotates when a collision is predicted. When a collision is anticipated, the bolster deforms in accordance with the rotation of the seat body, so that the seat surface of the bolster faces the center in the width direction of the seat, thereby properly supporting the occupant.

[0007] In the above-described vehicle seat, the seat body has a reclining device that rotates the seat back relative to the seat cushion, and when the reclining angle of the seat back by the reclining device is greater than or equal to a predetermined angle, the bolster drive unit may deform the bolster by reducing the amount of deformation of the bolster to less than the predetermined amount. When the reclining angle exceeds a predetermined angle, the torsional behavior of the occupant is reduced, so by reducing the amount of bolster deformation below a predetermined amount, the occupant can be properly supported.

[0008] In the above-described vehicle seat, the vehicle is provided with an angle sensor that measures the rotation angle of the seat body with respect to the front direction, and the bolster drive unit may deform the bolster by changing the amount of deformation of the bolster according to the rotation angle of the seat body. By changing the amount of deformation of the bolster according to the rotation angle of the seat body, the occupant can be supported more appropriately.

[0009] In the above-described vehicle seat, when the seat body faces the interior of the vehicle, the bolster drive unit deforms the bolster by reducing the amount of deformation of the bolster to less than a predetermined amount, and when the seat body faces the exterior of the vehicle, the bolster drive unit deforms the bolster by increasing the amount of deformation of the bolster to more than a predetermined amount. By changing the amount of deformation of the bolster according to the orientation of the seat itself, the occupant can be supported more appropriately.

[0010] In the above-described vehicle seat, the bolster drive unit may simultaneously deform the bolsters provided on both sides of the seat cushion or both sides of the seat back when a collision is predicted and the rotating device rotates. By simultaneously deforming the bolsters located on both sides of the seat cushion or both sides of the seat back, the occupant can be supported more appropriately.

[0011] In the above-described vehicle seat, the bolster drive unit is equipped with an actuator, and the bolster is deformed by rotating relative to the seat cushion or seat back by the actuator. By using actuators to control the deformation of the bolster, the occupants can be supported more appropriately.

[0012] In the above-described vehicle seat, the bolster drive unit is equipped with an air cell, and the bolster is deformed by the expansion of the air cell. By using air cells in the deformation of the bolster, the occupants can be supported more effectively. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, when a collision is anticipated, the bolster deforms so that the seat surface of the bolster faces the center in the width direction of the seat in accordance with the rotation of the seat body, thereby providing proper support to the occupant. Furthermore, when the reclining angle exceeds a predetermined angle, the torsional behavior of the occupant is reduced, allowing the occupant to be properly supported by reducing the amount of bolster deformation below a predetermined amount. Furthermore, by changing the amount of deformation of the bolster according to the rotation angle of the seat itself, the occupant can be supported more appropriately. Furthermore, by simultaneously deforming the bolsters located on both sides of the seat cushion or both sides of the seat back, the occupant can be supported more appropriately. Furthermore, by using actuators to control the deformation of the bolster, the occupants can be supported more appropriately. Furthermore, by using air cells to deform the bolster, the occupants can be supported more appropriately. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a schematic top view showing the configuration of a vehicle equipped with vehicle seats. [Figure 2] This is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the vehicle. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of a vehicle seat, seen from a diagonal front angle. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing the frame of a vehicle seat. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a vehicle seat and its surrounding area, viewed from above the seat. [Figure 6A] This is a hardware configuration diagram of the occupant protection device installed in the vehicle. [Figure 6B] This is a software configuration diagram for the occupant protection system. [Figure 7A] It is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a rotating device when the vehicle seat is rotated in normal times, and is a view seen from above the seat. [Figure 7B] It is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a rotating device when the vehicle seat is rotated at the time of collision prediction, and is a view seen from above the seat. [Figure 8] It is a view of the vehicle seat seen from the side, and is a diagram for explaining the position of the stopper portion. [Figure 9] It is a flowchart showing the seat rotation process. [Figure 10] It is a flowchart showing the seat rotation process. [Figure 11] It is a flowchart showing the seat rotation process. [Figure 12] It is a top view schematically showing the state of a vehicle in which a collision from the front direction is predicted, and is a diagram showing the amount of rotation of the vehicle seat. [Figure 13] It is a top view schematically showing the state of a vehicle in which a collision from the left front diagonal direction is predicted, and is a diagram showing the amount of seat rotation when an acceleration in the vehicle exterior direction is applied. [Figure 14] It is a top view schematically showing the state of a vehicle in which a collision from the right front diagonal direction is predicted, and is a diagram showing the amount of seat rotation when an acceleration in the vehicle interior direction is applied. [Figure 15] It is a perspective view showing the vehicle seat of the second embodiment. [Figure 16] It is a perspective view showing another example of the vehicle seat of the second embodiment. [Figure 17] It is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the configuration of the vehicle seat of the second embodiment, and is a view seen from above the seat. [Figure 18] It is a top view showing the state of the vehicle seat when a collision is predicted. ​​​​​​​​​

[0015] The configuration of a vehicle seat and the like according to embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below are merely examples to facilitate understanding of the present invention and do not limit it. That is, the present invention can be modified and improved without departing from its spirit, and of course, equivalents thereof are included in the present invention. In the following description, the materials, shapes, and sizes of the components constituting the vehicle seat are merely examples and do not limit the present invention.

[0016] Furthermore, below, we will describe an example of a vehicle seat S installed in a passenger vehicle (vehicle V), such as a minivan, as an example of a vehicle seat, and explain its configuration. Furthermore, in the following explanation, "vehicle longitudinal direction" refers to the longitudinal direction of vehicle V, which coincides with the direction of travel when the vehicle is in motion. Also, in the case of vehicle seat S, "seat longitudinal direction" refers to the longitudinal direction of vehicle seat S, which coincides with the direction of travel when the vehicle is in motion. Also, "vehicle width direction" refers to the width direction of vehicle V, which coincides with the left-right direction as viewed from an occupant seated in vehicle seat S. Also, "vertical direction" refers to the vertical direction of vehicle V and vehicle seat S, which coincides with the vertical direction when vehicle V is traveling on a horizontal plane.

[0017] Furthermore, in the following explanations, when "inside the vehicle interior" or "outside the vehicle interior" is used, it indicates the direction relative to the vehicle interior Cb of the vehicle V. When "seat" is used in various directions, such as "seat width direction" or "seat height direction," it indicates the direction relative to the vehicle seat S. In the case of vehicle seats S, the inner and outer directions may be determined based on the occupant. That is, the direction towards the center in the seat width direction is considered the inner direction, and the direction away from the center is considered the outer direction. Furthermore, for configurations provided as a pair on the left and right, a common number is assigned, and when specifying the left and right, "left side" or "right side" is added to the name indicating the configuration, and the letters "L" or "R" are added to the symbol. In cases where it is not necessary to distinguish between left and right, only a common number may be assigned and explained. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the shape, position, and orientation of each part of the vehicle seat S will be described assuming the vehicle seat S is in a seated position.

[0018] <<First Embodiment>> A vehicle seat S according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 14. Figure 1 is a schematic top view showing the configuration of a vehicle V on which the vehicle seat S is installed, and Figure 2 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the vehicle V. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the vehicle seat S seen from the front at an angle, and Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the seat frame F of the vehicle seat S. In Figure 3, for illustrative purposes, the trim cover Tr of a part of the vehicle seat S is removed, and the cushion pad P is shown exposed. Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the configuration of the vehicle seat S and its surroundings, viewed from above the seat. Figure 6A is a hardware configuration diagram of the occupant protection device PS installed in the vehicle V. Figure 6B is a software configuration diagram of the occupant protection device PS.

[0019] Figure 7A is a schematic diagram illustrating the rotation mechanism when the vehicle seat is rotated under normal conditions, and is a view from above the seat. Figure 7B is a schematic diagram illustrating the rotation mechanism when the vehicle seat is rotated when a collision is predicted, and is a view from above the seat. Figure 8 is a view of the vehicle seat from the side, and is mainly used to explain the position of the stopper portion 43. Figures 9 to 11 are flowcharts showing the seat rotation process. Figures 12 to 14 are schematic top views showing the state of the vehicle V when a collision is predicted, and are diagrams showing the amount of rotation of the vehicle seat S.

[0020] <Vehicle V> The vehicle V, on which the vehicle seat S is installed, is a four-wheeled automobile and, as shown in Figure 1, has a passenger compartment Cb where occupants H and HC are seated. The passenger compartment Cb is composed of the vehicle floor FL, ceiling C, doors Dr, back door BD, and other wall components. An engine compartment is located in front of the passenger compartment Cb, and the vehicle V is configured to be drivable by a drive unit located in the engine compartment.

[0021] The passenger compartment Cb of vehicle V is equipped with front seats S1 and rear seats S2. Front seats S1 consists of a driver's seat S1R (right front seat) located on the right side and a passenger seat S1L (left front seat) located on the left side. Rear seats S2 consists of a right rear seat S2R and a left rear seat S2L. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a child seat S3 is installed in the rear seats S2. As will be described in more detail later, each vehicle seat S is equipped with a three-point seat belt 4. A seating sensor 62 is also installed to detect when an occupant H is seated. Furthermore, the vehicle V is equipped with a child seat sensor 65 that detects whether or not a child seat is installed in the vehicle seat S. The child seat sensor 65 may be implemented, for example, by an in-vehicle camera 66, or the presence or absence of a child seat S3 may be detected by a seating sensor 62.

[0022] In front of the driver's seat S1R is the steering wheel St, which controls the vehicle V. A steering sensor 64 is attached to the steering wheel St to detect whether the occupant H is gripping the steering wheel St.

[0023] <ecu50> The vehicle V has an ECU 50 located in the instrument panel IP at the front of the passenger compartment Cb. The ECU 50 is a control device that incorporates control circuits for controlling various devices and sensors mounted on the vehicle V and the vehicle seat S. The ECU 50 is a computer and, as shown in Figure 6A, has a CPU 51 as a data calculation and control processing device and ROM / RAM 52 as a storage device. An SSD or HDD may also be provided as a storage device. The ECU 50 also has a communication interface 53 for receiving information and signals from the seat sensor 62, the in-vehicle camera 66, etc., and transmitting signals for operation. Furthermore, each component is connected to communicate with each other via a bus. Although the ECU 50 is located in the instrument panel IP of the vehicle V, the location of the ECU 50 is not limited to this, and it may be located inside the vehicle seat S or below the vehicle floor FL.

[0024] <Collision prediction sensor 61> Furthermore, a collision prediction sensor 61 is mounted on the front of vehicle V to predict collisions involving vehicle V. The collision prediction sensor 61 is a sensor that predicts the precursors to a collision involving vehicle V. The collision prediction sensor 61 is composed of, for example, a camera that takes pictures of the area around vehicle V, and radar or lidar that measures the distance to vehicles and obstacles outside of vehicle V, and constantly measures the distance to external vehicles and obstacles while driving. The collision prediction sensor 61 is connected to the ECU 50 via a harness and transmits the measured distance information to the ECU 50. The ECU 50 analyzes the received distance information and predicts a collision with other vehicles or obstacles. If the collision prediction sensor 61 predicts a collision based on the distance measured, it may transmit the collision prediction information to the ECU 50. If a collision is predicted, the ECU 50 estimates the predicted time of the collision and the predicted collision load acting on the front of the vehicle V from the collision prediction information. The ECU 50 may also estimate the collision direction and collision angle of the vehicle V from the distance information received from the collision prediction sensor 61 and the collision prediction information.

[0025] <Vehicle Seat S> As described above, the vehicle seat S is a seat installed in the vehicle V. As shown in Figure 3, the vehicle seat S comprises a seat body Sh, a rotating device 7 that supports the seat body Sh so that it can rotate around a vertical axis (rotation axis 73), and a three-point seat belt 4 that protects the seated occupant H. The vehicle seat S also includes a sliding device 6 that slides the seat body Sh in the front-rear direction.

[0026] The seat body Sh of the vehicle seat S mainly consists of a seat cushion 1, a seat back 2, a headrest 3, and a reclining device 5. The seat cushion 1 is the seating part that supports the buttocks of the seated occupant (seater), and the seat back 2 is the backrest part that supports the seater's back from behind. The headrest 3 is positioned at the upper end of the seat back 2 and is a support part that supports the seater's head.

[0027] <Reclining device 5> Furthermore, the seat cushion 1 and the seat back 2 are connected by a reclining device 5. The reclining device 5 allows adjustment of the backward tilt angle (reclining angle α) of the seat back 2 relative to the seat cushion 1. In addition, a reclining cover is provided on the side of the seat cushion 1 to protect the reclining device 5. Furthermore, the reclining device 5 is equipped with a reclining angle sensor 63 (see Figure 8) that measures the reclining angle α, and the reclining angle sensor 63 is configured to transmit information of the reclining angle α to, for example, the ECU 50.

[0028] <Seat belt 4> The three-point seat belt 4 is configured to secure the abdomen of the seated occupant H (seater) to the seat body Sh, and to secure the upper body of occupant H with the shoulder belt of the seat belt 4. The shoulder belt is configured to support either the left or right shoulder of occupant H. In the driver's seat S1R shown in Figure 3, seat belt 4 supports occupant H's right shoulder. In the passenger seat S1L, seat belt 4 supports occupant H's left shoulder (see Figure 1).

[0029] <Cushion pads P, etc.> The seat cushion 1 is constructed by placing a cushion pad P on a seat cushion frame 10 (see Figure 4), and then covering the cushion pad P with a trim cover Tr. The seat back 2 is constructed by placing a cushion pad P on a seat back frame 20 (see Figure 4), and then covering it with a trim cover Tr. The cushion pad P is a cushioning material and is formed from a urethane resin (foamed resin), such as soft polyurethane foam. The cushion pad P may also be formed from biomass urethane. The trim cover Tr that covers the cushion pad P is formed from a stretchable synthetic leather material, for example. The trim cover Tr may also be formed from cloth, film, leather, etc.

[0030] <Slide device 6> The vehicle seat S of this embodiment is provided with a sliding device 6 for sliding the seat body Sh in the front-rear direction. The sliding device 6 consists of a pair of lower rails 6a arranged on the vehicle floor FL and an upper rail 6b that slides in the front-rear direction along the lower rails 6a. The base portion 70 of a rotating device 7, which will be described later, is attached to the upper rail 6b, and the seat body Sh can be slid by sliding the upper rail 6b in the front-rear direction.

[0031] <Seat frame F> As shown in Figure 4, a seat frame F (frame) is provided inside the vehicle seat S, and the seat frame F mainly consists of a seat cushion frame 10 which forms the skeleton of the seat cushion 1, a seat back frame 20 which forms the skeleton of the seat back 2, and a headrest frame 25 which forms the skeleton of the headrest 3.

[0032] <Seat cushion frame 10> The seat cushion frame 10 is formed in a rectangular frame shape, and a pair of cushion side frames 11, 11 are provided on its sides. It also has a front connecting frame 12 that connects the pair of cushion side frames 11, 11 at the front, and a rear connecting frame 13 that connects them at the rear. The front and rear connecting frames 12 and 13 located at the front and rear of the vehicle seat S are made of round pipes. A cushion pan frame 14 is provided in front of the front connecting frame 12. An S-spring 15 is attached so as to span the cushion pan frame 14 and the rear connecting frame 13. The S-spring 15 acts as a pressure-receiving member, supporting the buttocks of the seated occupant from below.

[0033] <Seat back frame 20> As shown in Figure 4, the seat back frame 20 is formed in a rectangular frame shape overall and comprises an upper frame 21, a lower frame 22, and a pair of back side frames 23, 23. Each component of the seat back frame 20 is formed by press-forming steel plates. The pair of backside frames 23, 23 are spaced apart in the seat width direction (left-right direction). The upper frame 21 is positioned between the pair of backside frames 23, 23 and connects the upper ends of the backside frames 23, 23. The lower frame 22 is positioned between the pair of backside frames 23, 23 and connects the lower ends of the pair of backside frames 23, 23.

[0034] <Headrest 3 and headrest frame 25> The headrest 3 is attached to the upper end of the seat back 2 to support the occupant's head. Inside the headrest 3, as shown in Figure 4, there is a headrest frame 25 that forms the skeleton of the headrest 3. The headrest frame 25 has a pair of pillar portions 26, 26 (also called headrest pillars or headrest stays) arranged on the left and right sides. The lower ends of the pillar portions 26, 26 are inserted through headrest guides 24 attached to the upper frame 21 of the seat back frame 20, thereby attaching the headrest 3 to the seat back frame 20.

[0035] <Rotating device 7> As described above, the vehicle seat S of this embodiment includes a rotating device 7 that supports the seat body Sh so that it can rotate around a vertical axis. In other words, the vehicle seat S includes a rotating device 7 that rotates around an axis (rotation axis 73) that extends in a direction perpendicular to the vehicle floor FL (up and down direction). The rotating device 7 is configured to be movable along the lower rail 6a of the sliding device 6 while rotatably supporting the seat body Sh.

[0036] As shown in Figure 5, the rotating device 7 includes a base portion 70 fixed to the vehicle body floor FL of the vehicle V, a first rotating device 71, a second rotating device 72, a first locking portion 31, and a second locking portion 32. More specifically, the base portion 70 is a member that is fixed to the upper rail 6b of the sliding device 6, which is attached to the vehicle body floor FL, and supports the second rotating device 72. The first rotating device 71 supports the seat body Sh and is rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the base portion 70. The second rotating device 72 supports the first rotating device 71 and is rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the base portion 70. In other words, the first rotating device 71 and the second rotating device 72 are configured to rotate around the same axis of rotation 73.

[0037] Furthermore, the second rotating device 72 has a stopper portion 43 that stops the rotation of the first rotating device 71, and the first rotating device 71 has a contact portion 44 that comes into contact with the stopper portion 43 when it rotates, and a biasing portion that rotates the first rotating device 71 in the direction that causes the contact portion 44 to come into contact with the stopper portion 43 (direction of arrow A in Figure 5). The biasing portion is made up of a coil spring and corresponds to the first drive unit 41 which will be described later. The contact portion 44 is fixed to the turntable of the first rotating device 71 and is provided to be rotatable in accordance with the rotation of the turntable of the first rotating device 71.

[0038] The rotating device 7 is provided with a seat drive unit 40 that rotates the rotating device 7. The seat drive unit 40 consists of a first drive unit 41 that functions as a biasing unit that rotates the first rotating device 71, and a second drive unit 42 that rotates the second rotating device. The first drive unit 41 consists of a biasing unit such as a coil spring and is a biasing mechanism that biases the first rotating device 71 to rotate in a predetermined direction (for example, in the direction of arrow A in Figure 5). The second drive unit 42 may be an actuator (also called a motor mechanism) having a motor. The second rotating device 72 is configured such that the rotating disc rotates, causing both the first rotating device 71 and the seat body Sh to rotate around the rotation axis 73. Furthermore, the rotating device 7 is provided with a stopper moving part 45 that moves the stopper part 43. The stopper moving part 45 is also an actuator (motor mechanism) that has a motor or the like. Furthermore, the stopper portion 43 is provided on the base portion 70 so as to be able to rotate (move) independently of the turntable of the second rotating device 72.

[0039] <Lock part 30> The rotating device 7 is equipped with a locking unit 30 that restricts (locks) the rotation of the rotating device 7. The rotating device 7 is provided with a first locking unit 31 and a second locking unit 32 as the locking unit 30. The first locking unit 31 is a locking device that locks the rotation of the first rotating device 71. The locking and unlocking of the rotation of the first rotating device 71 by the first locking unit 31 is performed by electrical control. The first locking unit 31 is controlled by the ECU 50, and is configured to unlock the first rotating device 71 when it receives a signal to release the restriction from the ECU 50. The structure for restricting the rotation of the first rotating device 71 by the first locking unit 31 is a commonly known structure, and a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0040] The second locking mechanism 32 is a locking device that restricts (locks) the rotation of the second rotating device 72. The second locking mechanism 32 can be released from its lock, primarily by manual operation by the occupant. Under normal conditions, the second rotating device 72 is locked from rotating by the second locking mechanism 32. The occupant H releases the lock from the second locking mechanism 32 using an operating lever (not shown), allowing the second rotating device 72 to rotate. By releasing the lock from the second locking mechanism 32, the first rotating device 71 attached to the second rotating device 72 and the seat body Sh can be rotated around the rotation axis 73. That is, as shown in Figure 7A, the seat body Sh can be rotated without changing the relative positional relationship between the contact portion 44 and the stopper portion 43 of the first rotating device 71. The structure for restricting the rotation of the second rotating device 72 by the second locking mechanism 32 is a commonly known structure, and a detailed explanation is omitted. The locking and release of the rotation of the second rotating device 72 may also be performed by electrical control.

[0041] If the ECU 50 predicts a collision with the vehicle V using the collision prediction sensor 61, the ECU 50 activates the first locking unit 31 to release the restriction on the first rotating device 71. As a result, the first drive unit 41 (biasing unit) is driven, and as shown in Figure 7B, the first rotating device 71 and the seat body Sh rotate by a predetermined rotation angle θ in the direction of arrow A, and the contact part 44 comes into contact with the stopper part 43 of the second rotating device 72. When the contact part 44 comes into contact with the stopper part 43, the rotation of the first rotating device 71 and the seat body Sh stops (see Figure 7B).

[0042] The occupant H, seated in the seat body Sh, is rotated at a predetermined rotation angle θ. In other words, when a collision is predicted, the orientation of the occupant H's body is changed, which can suppress the twisting motion of the occupant H during a collision. Furthermore, since the release of the first locking unit 31 is electrically controlled, the lock can be quickly released by the first locking unit 31 when a collision is anticipated. Furthermore, since the second locking mechanism 32 is unlocked manually, the second locking mechanism will not be released when a collision is anticipated, thereby preventing the first rotating device 71 from rotating beyond a predetermined rotation angle (θ).

[0043] <Hook part 35> The rotating device 7 of the vehicle seat S has a hook portion 35. The hook portion 35 consists of a first hook portion 36 and a second hook portion 37. The first hook portion 36 is provided on the second rotating device 72 and is configured to engage with the outer peripheral end of the first rotating device 71. The second hook portion 37 is provided on the base portion 70 and is configured to engage with the outer peripheral end of the second rotating device 72. The first hook portion 36 and the second hook portion 37 are formed in a J-shape, for example, with their tips bent toward the rotation axis 73. By having the first hook portion 36 and the second hook portion 37 in the rotating device 7, it is possible to suppress the separation of the first rotating device 71 and the second rotating device 72 from the base portion 70 or the vehicle body floor FL during a collision.

[0044] <Stopper movement part 45> The stopper portion 43 provided on the second rotating device 72 is configured to be movable according to the state of the vehicle seat S. The second rotating device 72 is provided with a stopper moving portion 45 that moves the stopper portion 43 around the rotation axis 73. The stopper moving portion 45 is composed of an actuator having a motor or the like. The stopper moving portion 45 is controlled by the ECU 50 and moves the stopper portion 43 to a predetermined position based on control signals received from the ECU 50.

[0045] By moving the stopper portion 43, the rotation angle θ of the first rotating device 71 and the seat body Sh during a collision can be changed. In other words, by driving the stopper movement unit 45, the position of the stopper unit 43 can be changed so that the shoulder of the occupant H moves a predetermined distance backward by the predicted time of collision in which the collision occurs. The position of the stopper unit 43 may be changed according to the reclining angle α of the seat back 2, the collision direction estimated by the ECU 50, the collision angle, etc.

[0046] For example, if the seatback 2 is tilted significantly backward (i.e., the reclining angle α is large), the degree to which the occupant H's upper body is twisted during a collision also changes. By changing the position of the stopper 43, the twisting behavior of the occupant H can be appropriately suppressed. For example, as shown in Figure 8, if the reclining angle α of the seat back 2 is less than a predetermined angle α3, the position of the stopper portion 43 is not changed. On the other hand, if the seat back 2 is tilted backward, that is, if the reclining angle α is greater than the predetermined angle α3 (i.e., the reclining angle α2), the stopper moving portion 45 moves the stopper portion 43 forward (in the direction of arrow D in Figure 8), reducing the rotation angle θ of the first rotating device 71. When the upper body of the occupant H is tilted backward, it is expected that the twisting behavior of the occupant H will be reduced, so by moving the stopper portion 43 forward, the twisting behavior of the occupant H can be appropriately suppressed.

[0047] Conversely, when the seatback 2 is raised forward, the stopper movement part 45 should be used to move the stopper part 43 backward. As the upper body of the occupant H rises, it is expected that the twisting behavior of the occupant H during a collision will increase. By moving the stopper part 43 forward, the rotation angle θ of the first rotating device 71 increases, and the twisting behavior of the occupant H can be appropriately suppressed.

[0048] <Airbag 9> As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the seat body Sh of the vehicle seat S is equipped with an airbag 9 to protect the occupant H in the event of a collision. The airbag 9 consists of a seat cushion airbag 91 located within the seat cushion 1 and a seat back airbag 92 located within the seat back 2.

[0049] Within the seat cushion 1, the seat cushion airbag 91 is positioned on the opposite side of the contact portion 44 in the seat width direction. That is, in the vehicle seat S (driver's seat S1R) shown in Figure 5, since the contact portion 44 is positioned on the left side in the seat width direction, the seat cushion airbag 91 is positioned on the right side. In other words, it is positioned on the right side in the seat width direction (outside the vehicle interior), which is the opposite side of the direction in which the contact portion 44 rotates (direction of arrow A in Figure 5). Furthermore, if the vehicle seat S is the passenger seat (S1L), the contact portion 44 is located on the right side, and therefore the seat cushion airbag 91 is located on the left side. In this way, by positioning the seat cushion airbag 91 on the opposite side of the contact portion 44, the occupant H can be held down by the seat cushion airbag 91 when the seat body Sh rotates, thereby suppressing the twisting motion of the occupant H.

[0050] The seatback airbag 92, like the seat cushion airbag 91, is positioned on the opposite side of the contact portion 44 in the seat width direction. That is, in the vehicle seat S (driver's seat S1R) shown in Figure 5, since the contact portion 44 is positioned on the left side in the seat width direction, the seatback airbag 92 is positioned on the right side. In other words, it is positioned on the right side (outside the vehicle interior) in the seat width direction, which is the opposite side of the direction in which the contact portion 44 rotates (direction of arrow A in Figure 5). Note that if the vehicle seat S is the passenger seat S1L, the contact portion 44 is positioned on the right side, so the seatback airbag 92 is positioned on the left side. In this way, by positioning the seatback airbag 92 on the opposite side of the contact portion 44, the occupant H can be held down by the seatback airbag 92 when the seat body Sh rotates, thereby suppressing the twisting motion of the occupant H.

[0051] <Changes due to sheet rotation angle> As described above, the vehicle seat S of this embodiment is configured to be rotatable around a vertical axis by a rotating device 7. In a head-on collision where the vehicle seat S is facing forward (towards the front of the vehicle), it is effective to suppress torsional motion by rotating the seat body Sh to rotate the occupant H by a predetermined amount. However, if the vehicle seat S is already rotated, further rotation during a collision may actually increase the torsional motion of the occupant. Therefore, if the vehicle seat S is already rotated by a certain amount, it is preferable not to rotate the seat body Sh, that is, to prohibit the rotation of the seat body Sh by the rotation device 7.

[0052] <Occupant protection device (PS)> The following describes the seat control process performed by the occupant protection device PS and the seat control device 100 installed in the vehicle V.

[0053] As shown in Figure 6A, the occupant protection device PS comprises various sensors for acquiring information, a device installed on the vehicle seat S, and an ECU 50 (seat control device 100) for controlling the various devices. The ECU 50 (seat control device 100) incorporates a control circuit for controlling the various devices and sensors installed on the vehicle V. The occupant protection device PS includes, as sensors, a rotation angle sensor 60, a collision prediction sensor 61, a seating sensor 62, a reclining angle sensor 63, a steering sensor 64, a child seat sensor 65, and an in-vehicle camera 66. The ECU 50 has a CPU 51, ROM / RAM 52, and a communication interface 53 as described above. The occupant protection device PS also includes a vehicle seat S.

[0054] As described above, the vehicle seat S comprises a seat body Sh, a rotating device 7 that supports the seat body Sh so as to be rotatable around a vertical axis, and a locking part 30 that restricts the rotation of the rotating device 7. The rotating device 7 has a first drive unit 41 (biasing unit) that biases the seat body Sh to rotate in a predetermined direction (for example, in the direction of arrow A shown in Figure 5). More specifically, the vehicle seat S has a rotating device 7 consisting of a first rotating device 71 and a second rotating device 72. The first rotating device 71 has a first locking part 31 and a first drive part 41, and the second rotating device 72 has a second locking part 32, a second drive part 42, and a stopper moving part 45 that moves the stopper part 43.

[0055] As shown in Figure 6B, the seat control device 100 includes a control unit 110, a storage unit 120, and a communication unit 130 as software for controlling various sensors or devices. The control unit 110 includes a rotation angle acquisition unit 111 for acquiring the seat rotation angle β of the seat body Sh, and a collision prediction unit 112 for predicting a collision with the vehicle V. The control unit 110 also includes a seating determination unit 113 for determining whether an occupant H is seated, a grip determination unit 114 for determining whether an occupant H is gripping the steering wheel St, a child seat determination unit 115 for determining whether a child seat is present, and a lock control unit 116 for controlling the lock unit 30.

[0056] The vehicle seat S is equipped with a rotation angle sensor 60 that measures the seat rotation angle β of the seat body Sh by the rotating device 7 (see Figures 5 and 7A). The rotation angle sensor 60 is connected to the ECU 50 and is configured to transmit the acquired information on the seat rotation angle β of the seat body Sh. For example, if the seat body Sh is driven by the second drive unit 42, the seat rotation angle β of the seat body Sh may be measured based on the rotation speed of the motor of the second drive unit 42.

[0057] Furthermore, a collision prediction sensor 61 is provided in front of the vehicle V, as described above, to detect obstacles outside the vehicle V. The collision prediction sensor 61 measures, for example, the distance between the obstacle and the vehicle V and transmits the measurement result to the ECU 50.

[0058] The control unit 110 of the ECU 50 acquires the seat rotation angle β of the seat body Sh from the rotation angle sensor 60 using the rotation angle acquisition unit 111. The collision prediction unit 112 predicts a collision with an obstacle based on the information acquired from the collision prediction sensor 61. If a collision is predicted, the collision prediction unit 112 estimates the time at which the collision will occur (collision prediction time) and the predicted collision load acting from the front of the vehicle V. The collision prediction unit 112 may also estimate the collision direction and collision angle of the vehicle V. The control unit 110 also controls the lock unit 30 provided on the rotating device 7 using the lock control unit 116.

[0059] Referring to Figure 9, the seat rotation process by the seat control device 100 of the occupant protection device PS will be explained. The collision prediction sensor 61 detects vehicles, obstacles, etc., outside the vehicle V (step S101). The collision prediction unit 112 predicts a collision based on the information acquired by the collision prediction sensor 61 (step S102). If no collision is predicted (No in step S102), the seat rotation process is terminated, and the detection of vehicles, obstacles, etc. by the collision prediction sensor 61 (step S101) is continued.

[0060] If the collision prediction unit 112 predicts a collision (Yes in step S102), the control unit 110 rotation angle acquisition unit 111 acquires the seat rotation angle β of the seat body Sh from the rotation angle sensor 60 (step S103). In addition, if a collision is predicted, the collision prediction unit 112 estimates the predicted collision time, predicted collision load, collision direction, and collision angle.

[0061] If the seat rotation angle β of the seat body Sh is less than a predetermined angle, for example 30 degrees (Yes in step S104), the control unit 110 moves the stopper part 43 by the predicted collision time (step S105). The movement of the stopper part 43 is performed so that the shoulders of the occupant not supported by the seat belt 4 move backward by a predetermined distance according to the estimated predicted collision load. After the stopper part 43 has moved by the predetermined distance, the lock control unit 116 releases the restriction (lock) of the first lock part 31 (step S106). With the restriction released, the first rotating device 71 is rotated by the first drive unit 41 (biasing unit) until the contact part 44 contacts the stopper part 43 of the second rotating device 72 (step S107). The rotation of the first rotating device 71 rotates the seat body Sh, which can suppress the twisting behavior of the occupant during a collision. If an airbag 9 is installed, the airbag 9 may be activated along with the rotation by the first rotating device 71.

[0062] If the sheet rotation angle β of the sheet body Sh is greater than or equal to a predetermined angle, for example 30 degrees (No in step S103), the control unit 110 does not release the restriction (lock) of the first lock unit 31 by the lock control unit 116 and terminates the sheet rotation process. When a collision is predicted and the seat rotation angle β of the seat body Sh is less than a predetermined angle, the seat body Sh can be rotated to change the orientation of the occupant H's body. If the angle is greater than or equal to the predetermined angle, the orientation of the occupant H's body will not be changed, thus properly protecting the occupant H.

[0063] This seat rotation process does not need to be performed if occupant H is not seated in the vehicle seat S. Furthermore, if occupant H is holding the steering wheel, the rotation of the seat body Sh could potentially confuse occupant H. Considering these issues, it is advisable to perform the seat rotation process.

[0064] Referring to Figure 10, we will explain the process that takes into account the seating of occupant H and gripping of the steering wheel St. The collision prediction sensor 61 detects vehicles, obstacles, etc., outside the vehicle V (step S201). Next, the seating determination unit 113 of the control unit 110 acquires seating information from the seating sensor 62 (step S202). The seating determination unit 113 determines whether or not the occupant is seated (step S203). If, based on the seating information, it is determined that the occupant H is not seated in the vehicle seat S, the seat rotation process is not executed and this process is terminated (No in step S203). If it is determined that occupant H is seated in the vehicle seat S, a process is performed to determine whether or not H is gripping the steering wheel St (Yes in step S203).

[0065] The grip determination unit 114 of the control unit 110 acquires information from the steering sensor 64 indicating whether the occupant H is gripping the steering wheel St. If the grip determination unit 114 determines that the occupant H is gripping the steering wheel St (Yes in step S205), the seat rotation process is not performed and the process ends. If it is determined that the occupant H is not gripping the steering wheel St (No in step S205), the seat rotation process shown in Figure 9 is performed (step S206). Steps S204 and S205 are performed when the vehicle seat S is the driver's seat S1R. They are not performed when the vehicle seat S is the passenger seat S1L or the rear seat S2. Furthermore, the order in which the steps for determining seating (steps S202-S203) and detecting gripping of the steering wheel (steps S204-S205) are performed is not limited to the order shown in Figure 10, and may be reversed. That is, the seating of the occupant H may be determined after determining whether the steering wheel St is being gripped.

[0066] <Child Car Seat S3> Furthermore, if a child seat S3 is installed in the vehicle seat S, there is no risk of twisting motion occurring in the occupant H. Therefore, if the child seat determination unit 115 determines, based on the information obtained from the child seat sensor 65, that a child seat S3 is installed in the vehicle seat S, the seat control device 100 refrains from performing the seat rotation process. The presence or absence of the child seat S3 may also be determined based on information obtained from the seat sensor 62. Alternatively, the presence or absence of the child seat S3 may be determined from image information obtained using the in-vehicle camera 66 installed inside the vehicle.

[0067] <In the event of a head-on collision> When vehicle V collides with an obstacle or another vehicle, the collision may occur head-on, as shown in Figure 12. In this case, the acceleration applied to the vehicle seats S during the collision is in the longitudinal direction, and typically the acceleration applied to the front seat S1 is greater than the acceleration applied to the rear seat S2. Therefore, it is expected that the twisting behavior of the occupant H seated in the front seat S1 will also be greater. For this reason, by making the rotation angle of the driver's seat S1R greater than the rotation angle of the right rear seat S2R, the twisting of the occupant H can be suppressed more effectively. In Figure 12, vehicle V is in autonomous driving mode, and occupant H, seated in the driver's seat S1R, is not holding the steering wheel St. Furthermore, a child seat S3 is positioned in the left rear seat S2L, so seat rotation is not performed. Also, the passenger seat S1L is not rotated because the amount of rotation is expected to be too large.

[0068] <When a lateral component is generated in acceleration> When vehicle V collides with another vehicle or obstacle, the collision may occur from the left front of vehicle V, as shown in Figure 13. In this case, the vehicle seat S will experience acceleration not only in the longitudinal direction but also to the right. Specifically, the collision prediction unit 112 predicts that the driver's seat S1R and the right rear seat S2R of the vehicle seat S will experience acceleration toward the outside of the vehicle cabin during the collision. In this case, the occupant H's body may experience greater twisting motion, so to properly suppress the twisting, it is advisable to increase the rotation angle of the seat body Sh compared to the frontal collision case shown in Figure 12. Furthermore, if the collision angle predicted by the collision prediction unit 112 exceeds a certain angle, for example, if the collision direction is from the side of vehicle V, the seat control device 100 may prohibit the movement of the seat body Sh by the seat drive unit 40.

[0069] In other words, when the seat control device 100 performs seat rotation processing, it rotates the first rotation device 71 by adding a predetermined amount of rotation according to the estimated collision direction and collision angle. Specifically, the position of the stopper portion 43 of the second rotation device 72 is moved backward by the stopper movement portion 45, and the amount of rotation of the first rotation device 71 is increased. For example, the amount of rotation of the first rotation device 71 is increased by 1.5 times. By controlling the rotation device 7 in this way, the occupant H can be protected more appropriately.

[0070] Furthermore, when vehicle V collides with an obstacle or another vehicle, the collision may occur from the front right of vehicle V, as shown in Figure 14. In this case, the vehicle seats S will experience acceleration not only in the longitudinal direction but also in the leftward direction. Specifically, the collision prediction unit 112 predicts that the driver's seat S1R and the right rear seat S2R of the vehicle seats S will experience acceleration toward the interior of the vehicle during the collision. In this case, it is expected that the occupant H's body will experience relatively small twisting. Therefore, in order to appropriately suppress the twisting, it is preferable to reduce the amount of rotation of the seat body Sh compared to the case of a frontal collision shown in Figure 12.

[0071] In other words, when the seat control device 100 performs seat rotation processing, it rotates the first rotation device 71 by subtracting a predetermined amount of rotation. Specifically, the position of the stopper portion 43 of the second rotation device 72 is moved forward by the stopper movement portion 45, thereby reducing the amount of rotation of the first rotation device 71. For example, the amount of rotation of the first rotation device 71 is reduced to 0.5 times. By controlling the rotation device 7 in this way, the occupant H can be protected more appropriately. The amount of rotation to be subtracted may be set by the collision direction and collision angle predicted by the collision prediction unit 112.

[0072] Furthermore, if acceleration toward the interior of the vehicle is expected, activating the seat cushion airbag 91 and seat back airbag 92 installed in the vehicle seat S will push the occupant H in a more twisting direction. Therefore, it is preferable to keep the seat cushion airbag 91 and seat back airbag 92 from activating.

[0073] The seat rotation process when a lateral component is generated in the acceleration will be explained with reference to Figure 11. Steps S301, which detects the proximity of a vehicle or obstacle, and S304, which determines that the seat rotation angle of the seat body Sh is smaller than a predetermined value, are the same as steps S101 to S104 shown in Figure 9, so the explanation will be omitted.

[0074] The collision prediction unit 112 determines whether or not a lateral component is included in the predicted collision (step S305). If the lateral component is not included for the vehicle seat S, it is determined that the collision direction is frontal (frontal in step S305). If the predicted collision direction is frontal, an appropriate seat rotation amount is set from the estimated predicted collision load.

[0075] If an airbag 9 is present, the airbag 9 is activated (step S308). Then, the stopper portion 43 is moved based on the set seat rotation amount by the estimated collision prediction time (step S310). At the same time, the restriction (lock) of the first lock portion 31 is released (step S311), and the first rotation device 71 is rotated to rotate the seat body Sh (step S312). Note that the activation of the airbag 9 (step S308) may be performed simultaneously with the rotation of the first rotation device 71 (step S311).

[0076] Furthermore, if it is determined in step S305 that acceleration occurs outside the vehicle interior (outside the vehicle interior in step S305), the amount of seat rotation is increased (step S307). Specifically, the position of the stopper part 43 is moved backward by the stopper movement part 45. If an airbag 9 is present, the airbag 9 is activated (step S309). The stopper part 43 is moved by the estimated collision prediction time (step S310).

[0077] With the seat rotation amount increased (stopper portion 43 moved to the rear), the restriction (lock) of the first lock portion 31 is released (step S311). The first rotation device 71 rotates at a larger rotation angle than in its normal state, rotating the seat body Sh (step S312).

[0078] In step S305, if it is determined that acceleration occurs on the inside of the vehicle interior (inside the vehicle interior in step S305), the amount of seat rotation is reduced (step S306). The amount of seat rotation is calculated based on the estimated collision angle and collision direction. Specifically, the stopper movement part 45 moves the position of the stopper part 43 forward (step S310). In this case, the airbag 9 is not deployed. With the amount of rotation reduced (with the stopper part 43 moved forward), the restriction (lock) of the first lock part 31 is released (step S311). The first rotation device 71 rotates in a smaller rotation angle than the normal state, rotating the seat body Sh (step S312).

[0079] In this way, the seat control device 100 controls the rotation device 7, which allows for an appropriate change in the orientation of the occupant H and suppresses the twisting behavior of the occupant H.

[0080] <Crew Protection Methods> The following describes the occupant protection method for protecting the occupant H of vehicle V. As described above, vehicle V includes a seat body Sh on which occupant H sits, a seat belt 4 that holds occupant H, who is seated in the seat body Sh, a seat drive unit 40 that moves the seat body Sh relative to the vehicle body of vehicle V, a collision prediction sensor 61 that predicts a collision of vehicle V, and a seat control device 100 that controls the seat drive unit 40 and the collision prediction sensor 61. The seat belt 4 holds one of occupant H's left and right shoulders. The collision prediction sensor 61 predicts a collision of vehicle V. Next, the collision prediction sensor 61 estimates the predicted collision time at which the collision will occur and the predicted collision load acting on the front of vehicle V. The seat control device 100 calculates a predetermined distance that the other shoulder of occupant H, which is opposite to the one shoulder, should move by the predicted collision time, according to the magnitude of the predicted collision load. The seat control device 100 moves the seat body Sh by the predetermined distance using the seat drive unit 40. The seat control device 100 may perform the estimation of the collision prediction time and collision prediction load. The above occupant protection method allows the orientation of occupant H's body to be set in an appropriate direction when a collision is predicted, thereby reducing the twisting motion of occupant H during a collision.

[0081] <<Second Embodiment>> The vehicle seats SA1 and SA2, which are second embodiments of the present invention, will be described with reference to Figures 15 to 20. Figure 15 is a perspective view showing the vehicle seat SA1 of the second embodiment, and Figure 16 is a perspective view showing the vehicle seat SA2, which is another example of the second embodiment. Figure 17 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the configuration of the vehicle seat SA1, and is a view from above the seat. Figure 18 is a top view showing the state of the vehicle seat SA1 when a collision is predicted, and Figure 19 is a front view showing the state of the vehicle seat SA1 when a collision is predicted. Figure 20 is a flowchart showing the process of moving the bolster 8 of the vehicle seat SA1.

[0082] The vehicle seat SA1 of the second embodiment is a vehicle seat mounted on a vehicle V. Similar to the vehicle seat S of the first embodiment, it has a seat cushion 1 and a seat back 2. The vehicle seat SA1 is provided with seat cushion bolsters 81 on both sides of the seat cushion 1 and seat back bolsters 82 on both sides of the seat back 2. More specifically, the vehicle seat SA1 has a right seat cushion bolster 81R on the right side of the seat cushion 1 and a left seat cushion bolster 81L on the left side. Also, the seat back 2 has a right seat back bolster 82R on the right side and a left seat back bolster 82L on the left side.

[0083] Actuators 84 are provided on the sides of the seat cushion 1 and seat back 2 as bolster drive units 83. The actuators 84 can individually rotate the seat cushion bolster 81 and the seat back bolster 82, thereby deforming the seat cushion bolster 81 and the seat back bolster 82. The actuators 84 are connected to an ECU 50 mounted on the vehicle V via a harness and are controlled by the ECU 50. In other words, the seat cushion bolster 81 and the seat back bolster 82 are deformed by the ECU 50. The configurations of the headrest 3, seat belt 4, reclining device 5 and sliding device 6, seat frame F, etc. are the same as those of the vehicle seat S in the first embodiment, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0084] The vehicle seat SA1 shown in Figure 17 is the driver's seat S1R located in the right front seat of the vehicle V. The rotating device 7 of the vehicle seat SA1 in the second embodiment is configured to rotate the seat body Sh when a collision with an external obstacle is predicted. More specifically, as shown in Figure 17, it has a base portion 70 fixed to the vehicle body floor FL of the vehicle V, a first rotating device 71, a second rotating device 72, a first locking portion 31, and a second locking portion 32. When a collision is predicted, the restriction by the first locking portion 31 is released, and the first rotating device 71 is biased by the first drive portion 41 and rotates around the rotation axis 73 in the direction of arrow A. As shown in Figure 18, the contact portion 44 of the first rotating device 71 is configured to contact the stopper portion 43 of the second rotating device 72, thereby stopping its rotation.

[0085] In the vehicle seat SA1 of the second embodiment, when a collision is predicted by the collision prediction sensor 61 and the first rotating device 71 rotates, the seat surface (support surface that supports the occupant) of the bolster 8 is configured to face the center in the width direction of the seat. Specifically, in the vehicle seat SA1 shown in Figure 18, the left bolster 81L for the seat cushion and the left bolster 82L for the seat back rotate so that their seat surfaces face the center in the width direction of the seat. By deforming the bolster 8 in this way, the occupant H can be safely supported during a collision. In this embodiment, the left bolster 81L for the seat cushion and the left bolster 82L for the seat back on the side where the contact portion 44 is located (left side of the seat) are deformed. When the first rotating device 71 rotates, not only the bolster 8 on the left side of the seat but also the bolsters on the right side of the seat (right bolster 81R for the seat cushion and right bolster 82R for the seat back) may be deformed simultaneously.

[0086] <Rotation angle changes according to the reclining angle> The amount of deformation of the seat back bolster 82 should be changed according to the reclining angle α set by the reclining device 5. For example, when the reclining angle α is α3 (see Figure 8) or greater, the bolster drive unit 83 deforms the seat back bolster 82 by reducing the amount of deformation of the seat back bolster 82 to a predetermined amount. For example, the amount of deformation is set to 0.5 times the amount of deformation in the normal state (when the reclining angle is α1) and the seat back bolster 82 is rotated. When the reclining angle α is α3 or greater, the twisting behavior of the occupant H also decreases, so the occupant H can be properly supported by reducing the amount of deformation of the seat back bolster 82. Furthermore, if the reclining angle α is smaller than angle α3, the deformation amount of the seat back bolster 82 may be set to 1.5 times the normal deformation amount, and the seat back bolster 82 may be rotated.

[0087] <Change in rotation angle according to the rotation angle of the sheet body Sh> The amount of deformation of the seat cushion bolster 81 may be changed according to the seat rotation angle β of the seat body Sh with respect to the front direction. Specifically, when the seat body Sh is rotating facing the interior of the vehicle V, the bolster drive unit 83 sets the amount of deformation of the seat cushion bolster 81 to be greater than the amount of deformation in the normal state (when the seat body Sh is facing forward) and deforms the seat cushion bolster 81. For example, when the seat body Sh is facing the interior, the amount of rotation of the seat cushion bolster 81 is set to 1.5 times the normal amount and rotates the seat cushion bolster 81.

[0088] Furthermore, when the seat body Sh is rotating and facing outwards from the vehicle V, the bolster drive unit 83 deforms the seat cushion bolster 81 by reducing the amount of deformation of the seat cushion bolster 81 to less than the normal amount of deformation. For example, the amount of deformation of the seat cushion bolster 81 is set to 0.5 times the amount of deformation in the normal state (when the seat body Sh is facing forward) and the seat cushion bolster 81 is rotated. If a collision is predicted, the ECU 50 releases the first locking part 31 and rotates the seat body Sh, as well as the seat cushion bolster 81 and the seat back bolster 82.

[0089] The seat rotation process, which includes the deformation of the seat cushion bolster 81 by the bolster drive unit 83 described above, will be explained with reference to Figure 20. Steps S401, which detects the proximity of vehicles and obstacles, and S404, which determines that the seat rotation angle of the seat body Sh is smaller than a predetermined angle, are the same as steps S101 to S104 shown in Figure 9, so their explanation is omitted.

[0090] If the seat rotation angle β is smaller than a predetermined angle (Yes in step S404), the orientation of the seat body Sh is determined (step S405). If the orientation of the seat body Sh is facing forward (forward in step S405), the stopper part 43 is moved according to the estimated predicted collision load (step S408). Then, the restriction of the first lock part 31 is released without changing the amount of rotation of the seat cushion bolster 81 (step S409). Next, the first drive unit 41 rotates the first rotating device 71 and the seat body Sh, and rotates the seat cushion bolster 81 by a predetermined amount so that the seat surface of the seat cushion bolster 81 faces the center in the seat width direction (step S410).

[0091] In step S405, if it is determined that the orientation of the seat body Sh is toward the outside of the vehicle (outside the vehicle in step S405), the amount of rotation of the seat cushion bolster 81 is reduced (step S406). The stopper part 43 is moved according to the estimated predicted collision load (step S408). The restriction (lock) of the first lock part 31 is released (step S409). The first drive unit 41 rotates the first rotating device 71 and the seat body Sh, and rotates the seat cushion bolster 81 by a predetermined amount so that the seat surface of the seat cushion bolster 81 faces the center in the width direction of the seat (step S410).

[0092] In step S405, if it is determined that the orientation of the seat body Sh is towards the interior of the vehicle (inside the vehicle in step S405), the amount of rotation of the seat cushion bolster 81 is increased (step S407). Then, the restriction of the first locking part 31 is released (step S408). The first drive unit 41 rotates the first rotating device 71 and the seat body Sh, and rotates the seat cushion bolster 81 by a predetermined amount so that the seat surface of the seat cushion bolster 81 faces the center in the width direction of the seat (step S409). By changing the amount of rotation of the seat cushion bolster 81 according to the orientation of the seat body Sh, the occupant H can be properly supported.

[0093] In the vehicle seat SA1, the bolster 8 is deformed using an actuator 84. However, as shown in the vehicle seat SA2 in Figure 17, the bolster 8 may be deformed by using an air cell 85 as the bolster drive unit 83 instead of the actuator 84. The air cell 85 is connected to and controlled by the ECU 50. By inflating the air cell 85, the seat surface of the bolster 8 can be directed towards the center in the width direction of the seat.

[0094] Embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the figures. The present invention may be applied not only to ground-running vehicles with wheels, such as automobiles and trains, and vehicle seats mounted thereon, but also to aircraft and ships that move on surfaces other than the ground, and seats mounted thereon. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] V Vehicle Cb cabin Dr. Door C Ceiling BD back door FL vehicle floor Steering IP Instrument Panel S, SA1, SA2 Vehicle Seats Sh Seat Body S1 Front Seats S1R Driver's Seat S1L passenger seat S2 Rear Seats S2R right rear seat S2L Left rear seat S3 Child Seat H, HC crew P Cushion Pad Tr Trim Cover F Seat Frame 1 seat cushion 2 seatbacks 3 Headrests 4. Seat belts 5. Reclining device 6. Slide device 6a Lower Rail 6b Upper rail 7 Rotating device 70 Base section 71 First Rotating Device (First Rotating Section) 72 Second Rotating Device (Second Rotating Section) 73 Rotation axis 8 bolster 81 Bolster for seat cushion Right side bolster for 81R seat cushion 81L Left side bolster for seat cushion 82 Seat back bolster Right-side bolster for 82R seat back 82L Left-side bolster for seat back 83 Bolster drive unit 84 Actuators 85 Air Cells 9 Airbags 91 Seat cushion airbag 92 Seatback airbags 10 Seat Cushion Frames 11 Cushion side frame 12 Front connecting frame 13. Rear connecting frame 14 Cushion Pan Frame 15 S spring 20 Seat Back Frame 21 Upper Frame 22 Lower Frame 23 Backside Frame 24 Headrest Guides 25 Headrest Frame 30 Locking part 31 First Lock Section 32 Second Rock Section 35 Hook section 36 First hook section 37 Second hook section 40 Seat drive unit (seat drive unit) 41 First drive unit (biasing unit) 42 Second drive unit (rotational drive unit) 43 Stopper section 44 Contact part 45 Stopper movement part 50 ECU (Control Unit) 51 CPU 52 ROM / RAM 53 Communication Interface 60° rotation angle sensor 61 Collision prediction sensor 62. Seat occupancy sensor 63 Reclining Angle Sensor 64 Steering Sensor 65 Child seat sensor 66 In-car camera PS occupant protection system 100-seat control device (control device) 110 Control Unit 111 Rotation angle acquisition unit 112 Collision prediction unit 113 Seating determination unit 114 Grip determination unit 115 Child seat detection unit 116 Lock control unit 120 Storage section 130 Communications Department

Claims

1. A vehicle seat installed in a vehicle, A seat body having a seat cushion, a seat back, bolsters provided on both sides of the seat cushion or on both sides of the seat back, and a bolster drive unit for deforming the bolsters, The sheet body is supported by a rotating device that allows it to rotate around a vertical axis, The rotating device is configured to rotate the seat body when a collision with an external obstacle is anticipated. The bolster drive unit is characterized in that, when the rotating device rotates in the event of a predicted collision, it deforms the bolster by a predetermined amount so that the seat surface of the bolster faces the center in the width direction of the seat.

2. The seat body has a reclining device that rotates the seat back relative to the seat cushion, The vehicle seat according to claim 1, characterized in that when the reclining angle of the seat back by the reclining device is greater than or equal to a predetermined angle, the bolster drive unit deforms the bolster by reducing the amount of deformation of the bolster to less than the predetermined amount.

3. The vehicle is equipped with an angle sensor that measures the rotation angle of the seat body relative to the forward direction. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, characterized in that the bolster drive unit changes the amount of deformation of the bolster according to the rotation angle of the seat body, thereby deforming the bolster.

4. When the seat body is facing the interior of the vehicle, the bolster drive unit deforms the bolster by reducing the amount of deformation of the bolster to less than the predetermined amount. The vehicle seat according to claim 3, characterized in that, when the seat body is facing outward from the vehicle, the bolster drive unit deforms the bolster by increasing the amount of deformation of the seat body to a predetermined amount.

5. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, characterized in that the bolster drive unit simultaneously deforms the bolsters provided on both sides of the seat cushion or on both sides of the seat back when the collision is predicted and the rotating device rotates.

6. The bolster drive unit includes an actuator, The vehicle seat according to claim 1, characterized in that the bolster is deformed by rotating relative to the seat cushion or the seat back by the actuator.

7. The bolster drive unit is equipped with an air cell. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, characterized in that the bolster deforms as the air cells expand.

Images