Vehicle seats

Abstract

To provide a vehicle seat with improved operability of the control lever for switching the state of the seat itself. [Solution] The vehicle seat S comprises a seat body having a seat cushion 2, and the seat body can be switched between a normal state and a moved state obtained by moving it from the normal state. The vehicle seat S comprises a locking member that locks the movement of the seat body when it is in the normal state, and an operating lever 60 that is attached to the front part of the seat cushion 2 via a lever pivot shaft and rotated to release the locked state of the locking member. The lever pivot shaft is attached to the base end portion of the operating lever 60 in the extension direction of the operating lever 60, and a hook portion is formed on the outer surface of the operating lever 60 between the lever pivot shaft and the tip portion opposite to the base end portion for the occupant to hook their finger.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat, and more particularly to a vehicle seat capable of switching a seat body having a seat back and a seat cushion from a normal state.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a vehicle seat capable of switching between a "normal state" of a seat body and a "moved state" in which the seat body is slid forward and backward from the normal state by a predetermined position is known. Among them, there is a vehicle seat including a locking member that locks the movement operation of the seat body in the "normal state" and an operation lever that is rotated to release the locked state of the locking member, and the operation lever is attached at a position that is easy for an occupant to operate (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The vehicle seat described in Patent Document 1 is a seat capable of switching between a normal state and a slidable state of a seat body, and includes a locking mechanism that locks the movement operation of the seat body and a slide lever (operation lever) for releasing the locked state of the locking mechanism. The slide lever is attached to a support frame provided on the front surface of the seat cushion so as to be rotatable via a shaft. With the above configuration, when it is desired to switch the seat body from the normal state to the slidable state, the seated occupant can operate the slide lever well.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Incidentally, in vehicle seats such as those described in Patent Document 1, there has been a need to further improve the operability of the control levers by the occupants. More specifically, in the vehicle seat described in Patent Document 1, when an occupant operates the control lever, they need to place their fingers on the tip of the control lever and pull it up. Therefore, while the control lever can be operated relatively well when an occupant seated in the vehicle seat operates it, there was a risk that the control lever could not be operated properly when another occupant reached out to operate it.

[0006] Furthermore, in vehicle seats such as those described in Patent Document 1, there was a need for a vehicle seat that ensured the operability of the operating lever used to switch the state of the seat body, while also making the structure of the slide rail device, including the operating lever, as compact as possible.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and the object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat that improves the operability of an operating lever used to switch the state of the seat body. Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat that has a compact structure for a switching device including the operating lever, while ensuring the operability of the operating lever. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The aforementioned problems are solved by the vehicle seat of the present invention, which comprises a seat body having a seat cushion, and a vehicle seat that can be switched between a normal state and a moved state obtained by moving the seat body from the normal state, comprising: a locking member attached to a predetermined position on the vehicle seat and locking the movement of the seat body when it is in the normal state; and an operating lever attached to the front portion of the seat cushion via a lever pivot shaft and rotated to release the locked state of the locking member, wherein the lever pivot shaft is attached to the base end portion or a portion close to the base end portion in the extending direction of the operating lever, and a hooking portion is formed on the outer surface of the operating lever between the lever pivot shaft and the tip portion opposite to the base end portion for the occupant to hook their finger. As described above, a gripping portion for the occupant to hook their finger is formed on the outer surface of the operating lever between the lever's pivot axis and the tip portion opposite to the base portion, thus enabling the realization of a vehicle seat with improved operability of the operating lever. For example, when a crew member operates a control lever, in addition to the conventional method of rotating the lever while placing their finger on the tip of the lever, they can also rotate the lever by using the gripping part of the lever. Therefore, the crew member can devise an appropriate method of operating the control lever depending on the situation. Furthermore, by adopting a simple configuration with a gripping part formed on the outer surface of the operating lever, the vehicle seat achieves a compact structure for the switching device, including the operating lever, while ensuring the operability of the operating lever.

[0009] In this case, the seat comprises a lower rail fixed to the vehicle floor and an upper rail slidably mounted along the lower rail and supporting the seat body from below, wherein the moving state is a sliding movement state in which the seat body slides to a predetermined position in the front-rear direction of the seat relative to the vehicle floor, and the locking member is a member that rotates between a locked position in which the upper rail is locked to the lower rail so as not to slide and an unlocked position. The above configuration makes it possible to realize a vehicle seat that improves the operability of the operating lever in a rail system equipped with a lower rail and an upper rail. Furthermore, when an occupant seated in front of the occupant seated in the seat itself wants to reach out and operate the control lever, the operability of the control lever is significantly improved.

[0010] In this case, the catch portion is preferably a catch hole formed so as to penetrate the outer surface of the operating lever. With the above configuration, when an occupant operates the control lever, they can easily hook their fingers onto the gripping part of the control lever.

[0011] In this case, the hooking portion is formed at a position closer to the tip portion than the base portion in the extension direction of the operating lever, and the length of the hooking portion in the extension direction of the operating lever is longer than the length of the tip portion in the extension direction of the operating lever. As described above, the length of the hook is relatively long, allowing the occupant to easily hook their finger onto it. Furthermore, since the gripping portion is formed closer to the tip portion than the base portion in the extending direction of the operating lever, for example, an occupant can operate the operating lever while gripping both the gripping portion and the tip portion of the lever with their fingers. This improves the operability of the operating lever.

[0012] In this case, it is preferable that the tip of the operating lever bends and extends toward the inside of the seat body in the thickness direction of the operating lever, and that the tip is positioned further inside the seat body than the lever pivot axis in the thickness direction of the operating lever. With the above configuration, the crew can easily hook their fingers onto the tip of the control lever. This improves the operability of the control lever.

[0013] In this case, the hooking portion is a hooking hole, the lever pivot shaft is attached to the upper part of the operating lever, the hooking portion is formed on the lower part of the operating lever, the operating lever is storable in a lever storage member provided on the front surface of the seat cushion via the lever pivot shaft, the lever storage member has a shape in which the bottom surface of the lever storage member is open, and the hooking hole and the open part of the lever storage member are in communication. As described above, the operating lever is mounted in a way that it can be stored in a lever storage member provided on the front of the seat cushion, so that the operating lever can be compactly positioned when not in use. Furthermore, the lever storage member has an open bottom surface, and the catch hole and the open portion of the lever storage member are in communication, which prevents foreign matter from accumulating on the edges of the catch hole or inside the lever storage member. In other words, even if foreign matter enters through the catch hole, it can be moved to the outside from the bottom surface of the lever storage member.

[0014] In this case, the hooking portion is a hooking hole, the operating lever is attached to the front surface of the seat cushion, the outer surface of the tip portion of the operating lever extends in a curve toward the inside of the seat body in the thickness direction of the operating lever, continuous with the outer surface of the operating lever, and the tip of the tip portion is positioned further inside the seat body than the hooking hole. With the above configuration, the occupant can easily hook a finger on the engaging portion and the tip portion of the operation lever. Therefore, the grip of the operation lever by the occupant is improved, and the operability of the operation lever can be enhanced.

[0015] At this time, on the outer surface of the operation lever, a display portion for indicating that the operation lever is a member operated to switch the seat body from the normal state to the moving state is formed, and it is preferable that the display portion is disposed between the proximal end portion where the lever rotation axis is attached and the engaging portion on the outer surface of the operation lever. As described above, since the display portion is disposed between the proximal end portion and the engaging portion on the outer surface of the operation lever, the occupant can easily visually confirm the display portion.

[0016] At this time, it is preferable that the length of the display portion in the extending direction of the operation lever is longer than the length of the engaging portion in the extending direction of the operation lever. With the above configuration, the occupant can more easily visually confirm the display portion.

[0017] At this time, a cable member is provided that connects the operation lever and the lock member and acts to switch the lock member from the locked state to the unlocked state by being pulled by the rotational operation of the operation lever, and it is preferable that a cable attachment portion to which the cable member is attached on the operation lever is disposed between the lever rotation axis and the engaging portion in the extending direction of the operation lever. With the above configuration, the cable member can be arranged compactly.

Advantages of the Invention

[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a vehicle seat that improves the operability of an operation lever operated to switch the state of a seat body. Also, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a vehicle seat that compactifies the structure of a switching device including the operation lever while ensuring the operability of the operation lever. Moreover, according to the present invention, a vehicle seat with improved operability of an operation lever in a rail device can be realized. Further, according to the present invention, when an occupant operates the operation lever, a finger can be easily hooked on the hooking portion of the operation lever. Furthermore, according to the present invention, the operation lever can be arranged compactly when not in use. Also, according to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the accumulation of foreign matter at the edge portion of the hooking hole or inside the lever storage member. Moreover, according to the present invention, the gripping property of the operation lever by the occupant is improved, and the operability of the operation lever can be enhanced. In addition, according to the present invention, an occupant can easily visually confirm the display portion. Also, according to the present invention, the cable member can be arranged compactly.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view of the vehicle seat of the present embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view of a seat frame serving as a skeleton of the vehicle seat. [Figure 3A] It is a perspective view when the operation lever is in the locked position. [Figure 3B] It is a perspective view when the operation lever is in the unlocked position. [Figure 4A] It is a side view of the vehicle seat when the seat body is in the normal state. [Figure 4B] It is an enlarged view of the main part of the operation lever (locked position). [Figure 4C] It is an enlarged view of the main part of the lock member (locked position). [Figure 5A] It is a side view of the vehicle seat when the seat body is in the moving state. [Figure 5B] It is an enlarged view of the main part of the operation lever (unlocked position). [Figure 5C] It is an enlarged view of the main part of the lock member (unlocked position). [Figure 6A] This is a side view of a vehicle seat when the seat body is in use. [Figure 6B] This is a perspective view of a vehicle seat when the seat itself is in its stored position. [Figure 7A] This is a perspective view showing a modified example of the operating lever. [Figure 7B] This is a perspective view showing a modified example of the operating lever, part 2. [Figure 8] The following is a perspective view of the vehicle seat according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a perspective view of a vehicle seat, showing the ottoman mechanism in a position where it has moved from its reference position to a movable position. [Figure 10] This is a front view of a vehicle seat, showing the ottoman mechanism in the tip-up position. [Figure 11] This is a perspective view of a vehicle seat, seen from a diagonal rearward angle. [Figure 12A] This is a perspective view with the operating lever in the locked position. [Figure 12B] This is a perspective view with the operating lever in the unlocked position. [Figure 13] This is a front view of a vehicle seat unit. [Figure 14] This is a side view of a vehicle seat, showing a configuration where luggage is placed on the seat cushion. [Figure 15] This is a side view of a vehicle seat, showing the seat with luggage placed on the storage floor. [Figure 16] This is a side view of a vehicle seat, showing the seat cushion and luggage placed on the storage floor. [Figure 17] This is a side view of a vehicle seat, showing the seat with luggage placed on the storage floor. [Figure 18] This is a side view of a vehicle seat, showing the seat with luggage placed on the base cover. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0020] Hereinafter, a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 18. This embodiment relates to a vehicle seat comprising a seat body having a seat cushion, the seat body being switchable between a normal state and a moved state, the vehicle seat comprising a locking member attached to a predetermined position on the vehicle seat to lock the movement of the seat body when in the normal state, and an operating lever attached to the front portion of the seat cushion via a lever pivot shaft and rotated to release the locked state of the locking member, wherein the lever pivot shaft is attached to the base end portion of the operating lever in the direction of extension of the operating lever, and a hooking portion for the occupant to hook their finger is formed on the outer surface of the operating lever between the lever pivot shaft and the tip portion opposite to the base end portion. In vehicle seating, the side of the seat back that the occupant sits on is considered the front of the seat.

[0021] The vehicle seat S in this embodiment is, for example, a rear seat corresponding to the rear seat of a vehicle. It can also be used as a middle seat in the second row in a vehicle equipped with three rows of seats in the front-to-rear direction. As shown in Figures 4A and 5A, the vehicle seat S is a seat that can be switched between a "normal state" in which the seat is positioned at a reference position in the front-to-back direction and a "sliding state" in which the seat body is slid to a predetermined position in the front-to-back direction. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 6A and 6B, the vehicle seat S is a seat that can be arranged in two ways: a "used state" in which an occupant can sit, and a "storage state" in which the seat body is stored in the vehicle floor. Specifically, the vehicle seat S switches from the "used state" shown in Figure 6A to the "stored state" shown in Figure 6B when the occupant pulls the reclining lever 44 located at the upper end of the seat body, causing the seat body to fold forward and be stored in the vehicle floor. Then, from the stored state, the occupant manually raises the seat body upward to return it to the "used state".

[0022] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vehicle seat S comprises a seat body having a seat back 1, a seat cushion 2, and a headrest 3; a support base 30 that supports the seat body from below; and a reclining device 40 that rotatably connects the seat back 1 to the support base 30 and locks the rotational movement of the seat back 1. Furthermore, the vehicle seat S is mounted between the vehicle floor and the support base 30, and is equipped with a rail device 50 that supports the seat body so that it can move in the front-rear direction, and also locks the movement of the seat body.

[0023] As shown in Figure 1, the seat back 1 is a backrest that supports the occupant's back from behind, and is constructed by placing a pad member 1a on a back frame 10, which is the skeleton shown in Figure 2, and covering it with a surface material 1b. The seat cushion 2 is a seating portion that supports the occupant from below, and is constructed by placing a pad member 2a on a cushion frame 20, which serves as the frame, as shown in Figure 2, and covering the pad member 2a with a surface material 2b. Furthermore, a mounting recess 2c for attaching the operating lever 60 is formed on the right side of the front surface of the seat cushion 2 in the seat width direction. The headrest 3 is a headrest that supports the occupant's head from the rear, and is constructed by placing a pad member 3a on a pillar (not shown) which serves as a core material, and covering it with a surface material 3b.

[0024] As shown in Figure 2, the back frame 10 consists of a rectangular frame-like body that forms the skeleton of the seat back 1, and left and right connecting brackets 11 for connecting to the support base 30 are attached to the lower part of the outer surface of the back frame 10 in the seat width direction. The connecting bracket 11 consists of a bow-shaped sheet metal member that extends vertically, with its upper end attached to the back frame 10 and its lower end attached to the support base 30. A reclining device 40 (reclining body 41) that rotatably connects the back frame 10 to the support base 30 is attached to the lower end of the right-side connecting bracket 11, and a back pivot shaft 42 that is pivotally supported by the support base 30 in the seat width direction is attached to the lower end of the left-side connecting bracket 11.

[0025] As shown in Figure 2, the cushion frame 20 consists of a rectangular frame-like body that forms the skeleton of the seat cushion 2, and is mainly composed of left and right side frames 21 arranged laterally in the seat width direction, a plate-shaped pan frame 22 connecting the front portions of each side frame 21, a pipe-shaped rear connecting frame 23 connecting the rear portions of each side frame 21, and a plurality of elastic springs 24 that are attached to the pan frame 22 and the rear connecting frame 23 respectively and extend in a snake-like manner.

[0026] The side frame 21 is made of a sheet metal member that extends in the front-rear direction of the seat. A connecting link 25 for connecting to the rail device 50 is attached to the front portion of the inner surface of the side frame 21. A cushion pivot shaft 26 for connecting to the back frame 10 is attached to the rear portion of the inner surface of the side frame 21. The connecting link 25 is a component that rotates to store the seat body (seat cushion 2) towards the vehicle floor, and is installed as a pair between the cushion frame 20 and the rail device 50. On the front surface of the pan frame 22, a mounting hole 22a is formed on the right side in the sheet width direction for attaching the operating lever 60 and the lever storage member 70 shown in Figure 1.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, the support base 30 is a base member that supports the seat body and connects the back frame 10 (connecting bracket 11) and the rail device 50 (upper rail 52) in the vertical direction. More specifically, the support base 30 is positioned laterally in the width direction of the seat and comprises a roughly L-shaped side base portion 31 attached to the upper surface of the upper rail 52, and a pipe-shaped base connecting portion 32 that connects the left and right side base portions 31.

[0028] As shown in Figure 2, the reclining device 40 is positioned between the right-side connecting bracket 11 and the right-side support base 30 (base connecting portion 32) in the seat width direction. The reclining device 40 mainly consists of a reclining body 41 that is driven when the back frame 10 is rotated, a back rotation shaft 42, a spiral spring 43 that biases the back frame 10 to rotate forward around the back rotation shaft 42, a reclining operation lever 44 shown in Figure 1 that is operated to release the locked state of the back frame 10, and a reclining cable (not shown) that connects the reclining operation lever 44 and the reclining body 41.

[0029] The reclining body 41 has a known locking mechanism, which allows the state of the back frame 10 to be switched between a locked state in which it is fixed to the support base 30 and an unlocked state in which it is rotatable relative to the support base 30. The back pivot shaft 42 is pivotally supported on the back frame 10 side and the support base 30 side in the seat width direction, and the spiral spring 43 has one end locked to the back frame 10 side and the other end locked to the support base 30 side. The reclining cable (not shown) is pulled by the operation of the reclining lever 44 and acts to switch the seat back 1 from the locked state to the unlocked state.

[0030] In the above configuration, the reclining device 40 locks the back frame 10 in the upright position shown in Figure 6A. When the reclining operation lever 44 is operated, the lock is released, and the biasing force of the spiral spring 43 rotates the back frame 10 forward, allowing it to be folded toward the vehicle floor together with the cushion frame 20 (see Figure 6B).

[0031] As shown in Figures 1-5C, the rail device 50 is a device that supports the seat body so that it can slide in the front-rear direction of the seat, and is positioned between the seat body and the vehicle floor. The rail device 50 mainly consists of left and right lower rails 51 fixed to the vehicle floor and extending in the front-rear direction of the seat, left and right upper rails 52 supported so as to be slidable along the lower rails 51, a locking member 53 that locks the upper rails 52 to the lower rails 51 so as not to slide, an operating lever 60 operated to release the locked state of the locking member 53, a lever pivot shaft 54 ​​that serves as the pivot axis of the operating lever 60, and a rail cable 55 that connects the locking member 53 and the operating lever 60.

[0032] As shown in Figures 4C and 5C, the locking member 53 is positioned between the left and right upper rails 52 and is a member that rotates between a locked position, which locks the upper rails 52 to the lower rail 51 so that they cannot slide, and an unlocked position. More specifically, the locking member 53 mainly consists of a lock body 53a and a rotating lever 53c that connects the lock body 53a and the rail cable 55, and rotates around a pivot axis 53b in conjunction with the pulling of the rail cable 55. The lock body 53a and the rotating lever 53c are biased to the locked position by a spring (not shown).

[0033] The lock body 53a is attached to the inner surface of the left upper rail 52, and as the rotating lever 53c rotates, it operates (rotates) to disengage an engagement groove (not shown) provided on the upper rail 52 from an engagement claw (not shown) provided on the lower rail 51, thereby releasing the locked state of the upper rail 52. The rotating lever 53c is a vertically elongated rotating member that is attached to the inner surface of the upper rail 52 via a pivot shaft 53b. It functions as a transmission member that transmits the pulling action of the rail cable 55 to the locking body 53a.

[0034] As shown in Figures 4A-4C, the rail cable 55 has one end 55a attached to the operating lever 60, a folded portion (not shown) that extends from the one end 55a to the rear of the seat and is folded back, and the other end 55b that extends from the folded portion to the front of the seat and is attached to the locking member 53 (rotating lever 53c). The rail cable 55 is pulled by the rotational movement of the operating lever 60 and acts to switch the locking member 53 from the locked position to the unlocked position.

[0035] As shown in Figures 1, 3A, 3B, and 4B, the operating lever 60 is a lever that is rotated to release the locked state of the rail device 50, and is attached to the front part of the seat cushion 2 in the vehicle seat S. More specifically, the operating lever 60 is stored in a lever storage member 70 provided on the front surface of the seat cushion 2, and is rotatably mounted to the lever storage member 70 via a lever pivot shaft 54. The operating lever 60 is a lever that is long in the vertical direction, with its upper end portion corresponding to the "base portion" and its lower end portion corresponding to the "tip portion".

[0036] The operating lever 60 is mainly composed of a lever front portion 60a that forms the outer surface of the operating lever 60 and extends lengthwise in the vertical direction, a lever upper portion 60b that extends from the upper end of the lever front portion 60a toward the rear of the seat, left and right lever side portions 60c that extend toward the rear of the seat from both ends of the lever front portion 60a in the seat width direction and are connected to the lever front portion 60a and the lever upper portion 60b, and a lever central portion 60d that has an inverted U-shape in vertical cross-section and protrudes toward the rear of the seat from the central part of the lever front portion 60a in the seat width direction.

[0037] An indicator 61 is formed on the outer surface of the front portion 60a of the lever to indicate that the operating lever 60 is a component operated to switch the seat body from the "normal state" to the "sliding state". Furthermore, on the outer surface of the front portion 60a of the lever, below the position of the display portion 61, a hook portion 62 is formed that penetrates the front portion 60a of the lever and is used for the occupant to hook their finger onto. The display unit 61 and the latching unit 62 are arranged vertically on the outer surface of the operating lever 60.

[0038] A lever pivot shaft 54, which is elongated in the seat width direction, is pivotally supported at the upper end portion (base end portion) of the left and right lever side portions 60c. The lever pivot shaft 54 ​​is pivotally supported in the seat width direction by the operating lever 60 (lever side portion 60c) and the lever storage member 70. On the outer surface of the central portion 60d of the lever, a cable attachment portion 63 is formed between the lever pivot shaft 54 ​​and the hook portion 62 in the vertical direction for attaching a rail cable 55 (one end 55a).

[0039] As shown in Figure 3A, the display unit 61 illustrates that the operating lever 60 is an operating member for sliding the seat body, and this illustration is formed by a concave and convex shape on the front surface of the operating lever 60. The vertical length of the display unit 61 is longer than the vertical length of the hooking unit 62. The hook portion 62 is a roughly rectangular hook hole, formed closer to the lower end portion (tip portion) of the operating lever 60 than to the upper end portion (base portion). The vertical length of the latching portion 62 is longer than the vertical length of the lower end portion of the operating lever 60. Furthermore, the widthwise length of the latching portion 62 is longer than the widthwise length of the display portion 61.

[0040] In the above configuration, as shown in Figure 3A, the operating lever 60 is equipped with a catch portion 62, so that the occupant can easily rotate the operating lever 60 by using the catch portion 62. More specifically, the crew can easily grasp the operating lever 60 by hooking their fingers onto the gripping portion 62 (the edge portion of the gripping portion 62) and the lower end portion of the operating lever 60.

[0041] As shown in Figure 7A, a retaining recess 64 may be separately formed on the lower end portion of the operating lever 60 (the edge portion of the hooking portion 62) to make it easier for the occupant to grip it with their finger. The latching recess 64 is formed on the upper surface of the lower end portion of the operating lever 60, and it is preferable that two latching recesses are formed at a predetermined distance apart in the seat width direction. It is also preferable that the latching recess 64 has a smooth curved surface. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 7B, a hooking groove 65 may be separately formed on the lower end of the operating lever 60 to make it easier for the occupant to hook their finger into it. The latching groove portion 65 is a fine grooved portion formed by textured processing the entire upper surface of the lower end portion of the operating lever 60.

[0042] Furthermore, in the above configuration, as shown in Figure 4B, the lower end of the operating lever 60 is bent and extends toward the inside of the seat cushion 2 in the thickness direction of the operating lever 60. More specifically, the lower end of the operating lever 60 is positioned inside the seat cushion 2 in the thickness direction of the operating lever 60, relative to the lever pivot axis 54. Therefore, the crew can easily hook their fingers onto the lower end of the control lever 60. This improves the operability of the control lever 60.

[0043] Furthermore, in the above configuration, as shown in Figure 4B, the outer surface of the lower end portion of the operating lever 60 is formed continuously with the outer surface of the operating lever 60 and extends in a curve toward the inside of the seat cushion 2 in the thickness direction of the operating lever 60. Furthermore, the lower end of the operating lever 60 is positioned further inside the seat cushion 2 than the hook portion 62. Therefore, the crew can easily hook their fingers onto the gripping portion 62 and the lower end portion of the operating lever 60. As a result, the crew's grip on the operating lever 60 is improved, and the operability of the operating lever 60 is enhanced.

[0044] As shown in Figures 1, 3A, 3B, and 4B, the lever storage member 70 is a storage plate that rotatably supports the operating lever 60 and is fitted into the mounting recess 2c of the seat cushion 2. The lever storage member 70 has a box shape with an open bottom. More specifically, the lever storage member 70 is mainly composed of left and right lateral portions 70a arranged at a predetermined distance in the seat width direction, an upper portion 70b connecting the upper ends of the left and right lateral portions 70a, a rear portion 70c connecting the rear ends of the left and right lateral portions 70a, left and right lateral flange portions 70d that bend from the front ends of the left and right lateral portions 70a and protrude outward in the seat width direction, and an upper flange portion 70e that bends from the front end of the upper portion 70b and protrudes upward.

[0045] A lever pivot shaft 54, which is elongated in the seat width direction, is pivotally supported at the upper end of the left and right side portions 70a. The rear section 70c has a cable attachment section 71 for attaching a rail cable 55 (one end 55a) and a frame attachment section 72 for attaching to the cushion frame 20 (pan frame 22). The cable mounting section 71 is positioned above the frame mounting section 72.

[0046] In the above configuration, as shown in Figure 4A, the catch portion 62 of the operating lever 60 and the open portion 73 located at the lower end of the lever storage member 70 are in communication. Therefore, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from accumulating on the edges of the catch portion 62 or inside the lever storage member 70. In other words, even if foreign matter enters through the catch portion 62, it can be moved to the outside from the bottom surface of the lever storage member 70.

[0047] Furthermore, in the above configuration, as shown in Figures 1 and 4A, when the operating lever 60 is in the locked position, the front surface of the seat cushion 2, the front surface of the operating lever 60, and the front surface of the lever storage member 70 are substantially flush. Therefore, the operating lever 60 can be compactly positioned on the front part of the seat cushion 2 without compromising the design of the vehicle seat S.

[0048] Next, the vehicle seat unit U will be explained based on Figure 1. A vehicle seat unit U is composed of multiple vehicle seats S arranged in the width direction of the seat. In the vehicle seat unit U, the operating levers 60 (60A, 60B) provided on adjacent vehicle seats S are positioned towards the center of the seat width direction of the vehicle seat unit U. Therefore, for example, occupants can operate their respective control levers 60 from a position in front of the vehicle seat S, and can switch the state of adjacent seat bodies together.

[0049] <Second embodiment of a vehicle seat> Next, a second embodiment of the vehicle seat will be described with reference to Figures 8-18. Note that explanations that overlap with the vehicle seat S described above will be omitted. The vehicle seat S2 of the second embodiment differs from the vehicle seat S mainly in that it is equipped with an ottoman device 180, and the configuration of the operating lever 160 is also different.

[0050] The S2 vehicle seat offers three possible seat configurations: a "used state" where an occupant can sit, a "storage state" where the seat is stored in the vehicle floor, and a "tip-up state" where the seat is flipped up. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 14, a recessed storage floor is provided on the front side of the vehicle seat S2, which is positioned lower than the vehicle floor.

[0051] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the ottoman device 180 is attached to the front end portion of the seat cushion 102 and is positioned in the central portion of the seat cushion 102 in the seat width direction. The ottoman device 180 mainly consists of an ottoman pivot shaft 181 that extends in the seat width direction and is pivotally supported at the front end portion of the seat cushion 102, a leg support member 182 that rotates with respect to the seat cushion 102 about the ottoman pivot shaft 181 as the pivot point, and a movable unit (not shown) for moving the leg support member 182.

[0052] The leg support member 182 is rotatable between the "storage position" shown in Figure 8, where it is stored inside the seat cushion 102; the "deployed position" shown in Figure 9, where it is extended forward of the seat cushion 102 from the storage position; and the "tip-up position" shown in Figure 10, where it is raised (vertically) above the "deployed position." The leg support member 182 mainly consists of a support-side end 182a supported at the front end of the seat cushion 2, and an unfolding-side end 182b that is wider in the seat width direction than the support-side end 182a.

[0053] As shown in Figure 10, multiple hook-shaped locking members 183 are attached to the front end portion of the bottom surface of the leg support member 182 (unfolded end portion 182b) at predetermined intervals in the sheet width direction. The locking member 183 is an umbrella-shaped hook member, and is positioned at the center of the leg support member 182 in the sheet width direction and at both ends in the sheet width direction, respectively. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 11, multiple hook-shaped locking members 184 are attached to the upper part of the rear surface of the seat back 101 at predetermined intervals in the seat width direction.

[0054] With the above configuration, it is possible to realize a vehicle seat S2 that allows for seat arrangement and compactly positions the ottoman device 180. Furthermore, with the above configuration, by moving the leg support member 182 to the "tip-up position" as shown in Figure 10, when, for example, luggage with a handle is placed on the seat cushion 102, the handle of the luggage can be locked to the locking member 183. This prevents the luggage from moving. Furthermore, with the above configuration, by moving the leg support member 182 to the "tip-up position," when, for example, a luggage with a handle is placed on the seat cushion 102, the mesh net can be attached to the locking members 183 and 184 so as to cover the luggage from above. This makes it easy to secure the luggage.

[0055] As shown in Figures 8, 12A, and 12B, the operating lever 160 is a lever that is rotated to release the locked state of the rail device 150. The operating lever 160 has a roughly box-like shape with an open bottom. More specifically, the operating lever 160 is mainly composed of a lever front portion 160a that forms its outer surface and extends lengthwise in the vertical direction, a lever upper portion 160b that extends from the upper part of the lever front portion 160a toward the rear of the seat, left and right lever side portions 160c that extend toward the rear of the seat from both ends of the lever front portion 160a in the seat width direction and are connected to the lever front portion 160a and the lever upper portion 160b, and a lever rear portion 160d that connects the rear ends of the left and right lever side portions 160c.

[0056] The outer surface of the front portion 160a of the lever has a display portion 161 and a hook portion 162. The vertical length of the hook portion 162 is longer than the vertical length of the display portion 161. Therefore, the hole in the hook portion 162 can be made larger. A lever pivot shaft 154, which is elongated in the seat width direction, is pivotally supported at the upper end portion of the left and right lever side portions 160c. The lever pivot shaft 154 is pivotally supported by the operating lever 160 and the lever storage member 170 in the seat width direction. A cable attachment section is formed on the inner surface of 160d at the rear of the lever for attaching a rail cable (not shown).

[0057] Even with the above configuration, it becomes easier for the crew to grip the operating lever 160 with their fingers, thereby improving the operability of the rail device 150. In particular, when the vehicle seat S2 is a rear seat (middle seat), an occupant seated in the front seat can reach out and place their fingers on the gripping part 162, and then operate the operating lever 160. Specifically, by having the occupant place their fingers on the operating lever 160 and pulling the vehicle seat S2 forward, the vehicle seat S2 can be easily moved forward. Naturally, the vehicle seat S2 can also be moved backward by pushing it backward.

[0058] Next, the vehicle seat unit U2 will be explained based on Figure 13. The vehicle seat unit U2 is composed of multiple vehicle seats S arranged in the width direction of the seat. In the vehicle seat unit U, the operating levers 160 (160A, 160B) provided on adjacent vehicle seats S are positioned towards the center of the seat width direction of the vehicle seat unit U. At this time, the reclining lever 144, the armrest 4, and the operating lever 160 are arranged so that at least a portion of them overlap in the seat width direction.

[0059] In the above configuration, as shown in Figure 13, a floor contact portion 190 is attached to the front end of the bottom surface of the seat cushion 102, which contacts the vehicle floor when the seat body is stored in the vehicle floor. The floor contact portion 190 is made of an elastic resin material and is attached to both ends of the seat cushion 102 in the seat width direction. The floor contact portion 190 and the operating lever 160 are positioned at the same location in the seat width direction.

[0060] Next, an example of a case where luggage is placed on the vehicle seat S2 will be described based on Figures 14-18. The embodiment shown in Figure 14 illustrates the case where luggage B is placed on the seat cushion 102 of the vehicle seat S2. More specifically, the vehicle seat S2 is in the "used state," the ottoman device 180 (leg support member 182) is in the "tip-up position," luggage B is placed on the seat cushion 102, and a mesh net N is attached to cover the luggage B from above. The net N is secured to the locking member 183 of the ottoman device 180 and the locking member 184 of the seat back 101. With the above configuration, luggage B can be easily secured on the vehicle seat S2.

[0061] The embodiment shown in Figure 15 illustrates a case where luggage B with a handle is placed on a storage floor formed in front of the vehicle seat S2. More specifically, the vehicle seat S2 is in the "used state," the ottoman device 180 is in the "tip-up position," and luggage B with a handle is placed on the storage floor. The handle of luggage B is locked to the locking member 183 of the ottoman device 180. With the above configuration, luggage B with a handle can be easily stored on the storage floor, and the movement of luggage B can also be suppressed.

[0062] The embodiment shown in Figure 16 illustrates the case where luggage items B1 and B2 with handles are placed on the seat cushion 102 and storage floor of the vehicle seat S2, respectively. More specifically, the vehicle seat S2 is in the "used state," the ottoman device 180 (leg support member 182) is in the "tip-up position," luggage B1 with a handle is placed on the seat cushion 102, and luggage B2 with a handle is placed on the storage floor. The handle of luggage B1 with a handle is secured to the locking member 183 of the ottoman device 180 and the locking member 184 of the seat back 101. Also, the handle of luggage B2 with a handle is secured to the locking member 183 of the ottoman device 180. With the above configuration, luggage items B1 and B2 with handles can be stored compactly, and the movement of luggage items B1 and B2 can also be minimized.

[0063] The embodiment shown in Figure 17 illustrates a case where luggage B with a handle is placed on the storage floor of the vehicle seat S2. More specifically, the vehicle seat S2 is in the "used position," the ottoman device 180 is in the "tip-up position," and the handle of luggage B with a handle, which is stored on the storage floor, is locked to the locking member 183 of the ottoman device 180. The locking member 183 is a two-stage hook member in which the second stage hook is extendable, and the handle of luggage with a handle, or the handle of an umbrella or walking stick can be easily locked between the first stage hook and the second stage hook.

[0064] The embodiment shown in Figure 18 illustrates a case where luggage B with a handle is placed on the base cover 133 of a vehicle seat S2. More specifically, the vehicle seat S2 is in the "tip-up position," the ottoman device 180 is in the "storage position," and the handle of luggage B with a handle, which is stored on the base cover 133, is locked to a locking member 183 provided on the bottom surface of the seat cushion 102. The base cover 133 is a resin cover that covers the support base 130 and the rail device 150 from above, and also has the function of guiding the movement of the seat body (seat cushion 102) when the seat body switches from the "seated state" to the "storage state". A cover-receiving recess 133a for accommodating contents is formed in the central part of the base cover 133. The cover-receiving recess 133a is formed to narrow towards the center as it moves from its opening towards the bottom surface. In other words, the front, rear, left, and right side walls of the cover-receiving recess 133a are inclined surfaces. The locking member 183 is a two-stage hook member in which the second stage hook is extendable and retractable. With the above configuration, luggage B with a handle can be stored compactly and stably, and its movement can be further reduced.

[0065] <Other Embodiments> In the above embodiment, the "moving state" of the seat body is described as corresponding to the "sliding movement state," but this is not particularly limited, and the "storage state" or "tip-up state" of this embodiment may also correspond to the moving state.

[0066] In the above embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the vehicle seat S is equipped with a reclining device 40 and a rail device 50, but the reclining device 40 may be omitted without any particular limitation. Alternatively, the rail device 50 may be omitted. If the reclining device 40 is not required, it is preferable that the vehicle seat S is equipped with a rail device 50. If the rail device 50 is not required, it is preferable that the vehicle seat S is equipped with a reclining device 40. In this case, it is preferable that the reclining operation lever corresponds to the "operating lever" and the reclining body corresponds to the "locking member". Furthermore, it is preferable that the moving state of the vehicle seat S corresponds to the "storage state".

[0067] In the above embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the operating lever 60 is attached to the front surface of the seat cushion 2, but this can be changed without any particular limitation. For example, the operating lever 60 may be attached to the upper or lower surface of the seat cushion 2. In that case, it is preferable that the operating lever 60 is elongated in the front-to-back direction of the seat, with the base portion of the operating lever 60 being the rear end portion and the tip portion of the operating lever 60 being the front end portion. Alternatively, for example, the operating lever 60 may be attached to the left outer side or the right outer side of the seat cushion 2. In that case, it is preferable that the operating lever 60 is elongated in the front-rear direction of the seat, with the base end of the operating lever 60 being the rear end and the tip of the operating lever 60 being the front end. Alternatively, for example, the operating lever 60 may be attached to the rear surface of the seat cushion 2. In that case, it is preferable that the operating lever 60 is elongated in the vertical direction, with the base portion of the operating lever 60 being the upper end portion and the tip portion of the operating lever 60 being the rear end portion.

[0068] In the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the operating lever 60 is a vertically elongated lever, and the lever pivot shaft 54 ​​is pivotally supported at its upper end (base end), but this is not particularly limited and can be changed. For example, the lever pivot shaft 54 ​​may be pivotally supported at the lower end of the operating lever 60. In that case, the lower end of the operating lever 60 corresponds to the "base end," and its upper end corresponds to the "tip end." Alternatively, for example, the operating lever 60 may be a lever that is elongated in the seat width direction, and a lever pivot shaft 54 ​​that is elongated in the vertical direction may be pivotally supported at one end of the lever in the seat width direction. In that case, one end of the operating lever 60 corresponds to the "base end," and the other end corresponds to the "tip."

[0069] In the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 3A, the hook portion 62 is formed as a hook hole, but this is not particularly limited and can be changed. For example, the hook portion 62 may be formed as a concave hook recess or as a convex hook protrusion.

[0070] In the above embodiment, a vehicle seat used in an automobile was described as a specific example, but it is not particularly limited and can be used as a seat for vehicles such as trains and buses, as well as for vehicles such as airplanes and ships.

[0071] In this embodiment, the vehicle seat according to the present invention was described primarily. However, the embodiments described above are merely examples to facilitate understanding of the present invention and do not limit it. The present invention can be modified and improved without departing from its spirit, and of course, equivalents thereof are included. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] U, U2 Vehicle Seat Unit S, S2 Vehicle Seats Sa, Sa2 seat frame 1. 101 Seatback 1a, 2a, 3a Pad members 1b, 2b, 3b epidermis 2,102 Seat Cushion 2c Mounting recess 3 Headrests 4. 104 Armrest 10, 110 back frame 11 Connecting brackets 20 Cushion Frames 21 Side Frames 22 Pan Frames 22a Mounting holes 23 Rear connecting frame 24 Elastic springs 25 Linking Links 26 Cushion pivot axis 30, 130 support base 31 Side base section 32 Base connection section 133 Base Cover 133a Recessed housing 40 Reclining devices 41 Reclining chair body 42 Back pivot axis 43. Spiral spring 44, 144 Reclining lever 50, 150 rail device 51 Lower Rail 52 Upper Rail 53 Locking member 53a Lock body 53b Rotary shaft 53c Rotating lever 54, 154 Lever pivot axis 55 Rail cables (cable components) 55a One end 55b Other end 60, 160 Operating lever (rail-mounted operating lever) 60A, 60B, 160A, 160B operating lever 60a, 160a Front part of lever 60b, 160b Upper part of lever 60c, 160c Lever side 60d Lever center 160d Rear of the lever 61, 161 Display section 62, 162 catching part 63 Cable mounting section 64 Recessed hook 65 Hooking protrusions 70, 170 Lever storage member 70a Lateral part 70b Upper part 70c rear part 70d Side flange section 70e Upper flange section 71 Cable mounting section 72 Frame mounting section 73 Open part 180 Ottoman device 181 Ottoman pivot axis 182 Leg support member 182a Support side end 182b Expanded end 183, 184 Locking member 190 Floor contact area B, B1, B2 luggage, luggage with handles N Net

Claims

1. Equipped with a seat body having a seat cushion, A vehicle seat that can be switched between a normal state and a moving state in which the seat body has been moved from the normal state, A locking member is attached to a predetermined position on the seat of the vehicle and locks the movement of the seat body when it is in the normal state, The seat cushion is equipped with an operating lever attached to the front portion of the seat cushion via a lever pivot shaft, which is rotated to release the locked state of the locking member, The lever pivot shaft is attached to the base end portion or a portion close to the base end portion of the operating lever in the extension direction. A vehicle seat characterized in that a hook portion for the occupant to grip is formed on the outer surface of the operating lever between the lever pivot axis and the tip portion opposite to the base portion.

2. It comprises a lower rail fixed to the vehicle floor, and an upper rail slidably mounted along the lower rail and supporting the seat body from below, The aforementioned moving state is a sliding movement state in which the seat body slides to a predetermined position in the front-rear direction relative to the vehicle floor, The vehicle seat according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking member is a member that rotates between a locked position that locks the upper rail so that it cannot slide relative to the lower rail and an unlocked position.

3. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the aforementioned hooking portion is a hooking hole formed to penetrate the outer surface of the operating lever.

4. The aforementioned gripping portion is formed in the extending direction of the operating lever at a position closer to the tip portion than to the base portion, The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the length of the hook portion in the extension direction of the operating lever is longer than the length of the tip portion in the extension direction of the operating lever.

5. The tip of the aforementioned operating lever is bent and extends toward the inside of the sheet body in the thickness direction of the operating lever. The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the tip is positioned inside the seat body in the thickness direction of the operating lever, relative to the lever pivot axis.

6. The aforementioned hooking portion is a hooking hole, The lever pivot shaft is attached to the upper part of the operating lever. The aforementioned hooking portion is formed in the lower part of the operating lever, The operating lever is mounted so as to be retractable via the lever pivot shaft in a lever storage member provided on the front surface of the seat cushion. The lever storage member has a shape in which the bottom surface of the lever storage member is open. The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the aforementioned hooking hole and the open portion of the lever storage member are in communication.

7. The aforementioned hooking portion is a hooking hole, The aforementioned operating lever is attached to the front surface of the seat cushion. The outer surface of the tip portion of the operating lever extends in a curve toward the inside of the sheet body in the thickness direction of the operating lever, continuous with the outer surface of the operating lever. The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the tip of the tip portion is positioned inside the seat body beyond the hooking hole.

8. An indicator is formed on the outer surface of the operating lever to show that the operating lever is a component operated to switch the seat body from the normal state to the moving state. The seat for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the display unit is positioned on the outer surface of the operating lever between the base end portion to which the lever pivot shaft is attached and the hooking portion.

9. The vehicle seat according to claim 8, characterized in that the length of the display portion in the extension direction of the operating lever is longer than the length of the hook portion in the extension direction of the operating lever.

10. The operating lever and the locking member are connected, and a cable member is provided which acts to switch the locking member from a locked state to an unlocked state when pulled by the rotational operation of the operating lever. The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the cable attachment portion to which the cable member is attached in the operating lever is positioned between the lever pivot axis and the hooking portion in the extending direction of the operating lever.

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