Seat occupancy prevention device

Abstract

This invention provides a seat occupancy prevention device that does not significantly deform the seat or backrest as a whole, can be easily deformed with a simple structure that does not require much power, reduces costs, is unaffected by surrounding equipment, offers excellent safety, does not inconvenience rear-seat passengers, and is easy to use. [Means for solving the problem] In a seat 10 equipped with a seat portion 11 and a backrest 20, a part of the surface side of the backrest 20, including the seating surface 26, is made into a deformable portion 260, and the deformable portion 260 is configured to be deformable between a seatable state in which a person can sit on the seat 10 and a seating prevention state in which a person cannot sit on the seat 10.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a seating prevention device for preventing seating on a seat having a seat part and a backrest.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, for example, regarding the use of seats installed in the passenger compartments of railway vehicles, various measures have been studied to prevent so-called unauthorized seating, such as a user accidentally sitting on a seat different from the assigned seat reserved by the user, or a user who has not reserved an assigned seat deliberately sitting on it.

[0003] Specifically, for example, in Patent Document 1, in a designated seat confirmation system for confirming whether a user of a designated seat is a regular user, the following technique is adopted to prevent unauthorized seating. That is, the entire seat part is locked in a state where its rear end is used as a starting point and it is bounced upward more greatly from the front end side.

[0004] Also, in Patent Document 2, although it is not an invention directly aimed at preventing unauthorized seating, as a technique capable of converting the seat into a state where it cannot be seated, it is disclosed that the backrest is locked in a state where it is greatly tilted forward.

[0005] Furthermore, in Patent Document 3, in a designated seat management device in which the lock of the seat is not released unless a user having a seat ticket accesses the designated seat, the following technique is adopted as the lock of the seat. That is, the entire seat part is locked in a state where it is lifted up by being greatly folded in two from its bottom surface.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

[0007] However, in the prior art described in the aforementioned Patent Documents 1 and 3, the entire seat is either flipped up or folded in half, exposing parts heated by peripheral equipment such as heaters located on the bottom of the seat to the outside, which poses a safety problem. Moreover, deforming the entire seat requires a large and complex structure, extensive modifications, and significant power, resulting in high costs.

[0008] Furthermore, even with the prior art described in Patent Document 2 mentioned above, a significant amount of power is required to lock the entire backrest in a fully reclined position, leading to high costs. In addition, the back of the backrest is generally equipped with many ancillary features for rear-seat passengers, such as monitors, back tables, and drink holders, and when the entire backrest is fully reclined, the usability of these ancillary features becomes problematic.

[0009] This invention was made in view of the problems of the prior art described above, and aims to provide a seat occupancy prevention device that does not require significant deformation of the seat or backrest as a whole in order to make the seat unusable, can be easily deformed with a simple structure and without requiring much power, reduces costs, is unaffected by the influence of surrounding equipment and is highly safe, does not inconvenience rear-seat users and is easy to use. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To achieve the aforementioned objectives, one aspect of the present invention is: In a seating prevention device for preventing sitting on a seat equipped with a seat and backrest, At least a portion of the surface side, including the seating surfaces of the seat and backrest, is made deformable. The deformable part is characterized by being able to be transformed between a seating-possible state in which a person can sit on the seat and a seating-prevention state in which a person cannot sit on the seat. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the seat occupancy prevention device of the present invention, in order to make the seat unusable, the seat and backrest are not significantly deformed as a whole, and it is easy to deform with a simple structure that does not require a lot of power, thus reducing costs. It is also unaffected by the influence of surrounding equipment, is highly safe, does not inconvenience rear-seat passengers, and is easy to use. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a front perspective view showing the seat and seating prevention device according to an embodiment of the present invention in a seating prevention state. [Figure 2] This is a front perspective view showing the seat and seating prevention device according to an embodiment of the present invention in a seatable state. [Figure 3] This is a rearward perspective view showing the seat and seating prevention device in the seating prevention state according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a rearward perspective view showing the seat and seating prevention device according to an embodiment of the present invention in a seatable state. [Figure 5] This is a front perspective view showing the gap that occurs when the seat and seating prevention device according to an embodiment of the present invention are in the seating prevention state. [Figure 6] This is a front perspective view showing the seating prevention state of a modified example 1 of the seat and seating prevention device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a front perspective view showing the seating prevention state of a modified example 2 of the seat and seating prevention device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] A front view showing the seating prevention state of a modified example 3 of the seat and seating prevention device according to the present invention. [Figure 9] This is a block diagram showing the control system that constitutes a seating prevention device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10]It is a perspective view showing a spring hinge that constitutes a seating prevention device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, representative embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. Figures 1 to 10 show an embodiment of the present invention. The seating prevention device 30 for the seat 10 according to the present embodiment is a device for preventing seating on the seat 10. Here, the type of the seat 10 is not particularly limited, but hereinafter, a seat installed in the passenger compartment of a railway vehicle will be described as an example. Note that the components, shapes, numerical values, etc. shown in the present embodiment are all examples of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0014] <Overview of Seat 10> As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the seat 10 is a single-side seat of a general two-seater seat for a railway vehicle, and supports a backrest 20 on the rear end side of the seat portion 11. Such a seat 10 is installed in the passenger compartment of a railway vehicle and is usually installed on the floor via a pedestal (not shown). Here, the seat portion 11 may be configured to be able to rotate the entire orientation of the seat 10 by 180 degrees by supporting it on the pedestal via a rotation mechanism, for example.

[0015] The seat 10 shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 is the original seatable state where a user can sit, and the seat 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 is a seating prevention state where a user cannot sit. The seating prevention device 30, which forms the core of the present invention, will be described in detail later. It is a device for specially transforming the backrest 20 of the seat 10 from the original seatable state to the seating prevention state based on reasons such as preventing unauthorized seating.

[0016] The seat portion 11 is constructed by attaching a cushion 13, which forms the outer shape, to a seat frame 12, and the surface of the cushion 13 is covered with a cover. The surface of the main part of the seat portion 11, between the two side portions 14, serves as the seating surface 15 on which the user sits, and is shaped to provide a comfortable seating experience, for example, based on ergonomics. Suitable materials for the cushion 13 include, for example, polyurethane foam.

[0017] The lower ends of the side portions 210 of the backrest frame 21, described below, are supported at the rear end of the seat frame 12. Although not shown, armrests may be attached to the sides of both sides 14 of the seat 11. Additionally, a foldable leg rest may be attached to the lower front end of the seat 11, although this is not shown.

[0018] The backrest 20 is constructed by attaching a cushion 22 that forms the outer shape to a backrest frame 21, which is a back frame supported at the rear end of the seat frame 12, and the surface of the cushion 22 is covered with a cover. As shown in Figure 3, the backrest 20 is preferably configured so that the lower ends of both side portions 210 of the backrest frame 21 are rotatably supported at fixing points on the rear end side of the seat frame 12, and can be adjusted to any tilt angle by a reclining mechanism (not shown).

[0019] A headrest 23 is provided on the upper side of the backrest 20, with both the left and right sides extending forward. A handrail 24 is also provided on one end of the headrest 23. As shown in Figure 1, the surface of the main part of the backrest 20 located below the headrest 23 and between the two side parts 25, 25 is connected to the seating surface 15 of the seat 11, forming a seating surface 26 that the user leans against, and is shaped to provide a comfortable seating experience, for example, based on ergonomics. The material of the cushion 22 is also suitable, for example, polyurethane foam.

[0020] The backrest frame 21, although only partially shown in Figure 3, for example, is generally constructed as a rectangular framework. Specifically, the backrest frame 21 is assembled from both sides 25 of the backrest 20, a pair of left and right side sections 210 positioned on the back of 25, a lower pipe section 211 installed between the lower ends of each side section 210, and an upper panel section 212 covering the upper parts of each side section 210. The lower parts of each side section 210 are also covered by a lower panel section 215 (see Figure 6), and the lower end of this lower panel section 215 is fixed to the lower pipe section 211 via a pair of left and right mounting brackets 213.

[0021] <Seating prevention device 30> In the main part of the backrest 20, the surface side including the seating surface 26 is configured as a deformable part 260. The deformable part 260 can be transformed between its original seatable state (see Figure 2) and a specially designated seating-prevention state (see Figure 1). The deformable part 260 as a whole is formed as the surface side of the main part of the backrest 20, and is formed as a vertically elongated rectangle extending from the top to the bottom of the backrest 20, and is divided into two parts, upper and lower, approximately in the middle. That is, the deformable part 260 is divided into an upper half 261 that is closer to the top of the backrest 20 and a lower half 262 that is closer to the bottom.

[0022] The upper half 261 and lower half 262 of the deformable section 260 are basically constructed by attaching a rigid sheet metal or resin plate or other reinforcing material to the back side of a cushion 22 that molds the shape of the respective section. The upper half 261 and the lower half 262 are connected at their opposing upper and lower ends by a hinge 263 located midway between the upper and lower ends of the entire deformable section 260. As a result, the deformable section 260 as a whole can bend so that the hinge 263 located midway in the vertical direction protrudes forward.

[0023] The hinge 263 restricts bending in the opposite direction (towards the rear of the seat) from the direction in which it protrudes forward. Specifically, the hinge 263 may be a spring hinge or the like, as shown in Figure 10, in which a pair of plates 263a and 263b are biased to overlap in opposite directions, but do not bend in one direction (the opposite direction) with respect to the pivot axis 263c. The pair of plates 263a and 263b of the hinge 263 are fixed to the lower end of the upper half 261 and the upper end of the lower half 262, respectively, where the reinforcing material is located.

[0024] The lower end of the lower half 262 is maintained as a fixed end 262a at a predetermined height position on the original seating surface 26. On the other hand, the upper end of the upper half 261 is movable as a movable end 261a and can move vertically along the original seating surface 26 to move away from or closer to the fixed end. Therefore, the deformable part 260 is set such that when the movable end 261a, which is the upper end of the upper half 261, moves away from the fixed end 262a, which is the lower end of the lower half 262, it enters a seating-possible state as shown in Figure 2, etc., and conversely, when the movable end of the upper half 261 approaches the fixed end of the lower half 262, it enters a seating-prevention state as shown in Figure 1, etc.

[0025] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the fixed end 262a of the lower half 262 is supported so as to be able to swing in the front-rear direction at a predetermined height position on the original seating surface 26 of the backrest 20. More specifically, a lower end rod 265 extending horizontally in both directions is attached to the fixed end 262a of the lower half 262, and both ends of the lower end rod 265 are pivotally supported at a predetermined height position, for example, between the lower ends of each side portion 210 and above the lower pipe portion 211. The lower end rod 265 may also be configured so that only both ends protrude laterally from the fixed end 262a of the lower half 262, omitting its middle portion.

[0026] On the other hand, the movable end 261a of the upper half 261 is connected so as to be movable vertically along the original seating surface 26 of the backrest 20. More specifically, an upper end rod 264 extending horizontally in both directions is attached to the movable end 261a of the upper half 261, and both ends of the upper end rod 264 are slidably fitted into, for example, a pair of left and right guide rails 214 provided along the inside of each side portion 210.

[0027] <<Electric Cylinder 31>> Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, a linear-acting electric cylinder 31 is provided on the back side of the deformable part 260 as an actuator that deforms the deformable part 260 by power. The electric cylinder 31 is configured such that a drive rod 311 extends and retracts axially from the tip of a cylinder body 310 that extends in the longitudinal direction by electric force. Here, the drive rod 311 reciprocates via a gear such as a worm by the forward and reverse rotation of an electric motor and can be held in any extended or retracted position.

[0028] The electric cylinder 31 extends vertically along the centerline in both directions on the back side of the deformable portion 260, with the cylinder body 310 on the lower side and the drive rod 311 on the upper side. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, grooves 261b and 262b are appropriately formed on the back sides of the upper half 261 and the lower half 262, respectively, to create clearance spaces so that the electric cylinder 31 does not interfere when it is driven.

[0029] The base end of the cylinder body 310 is pivotably connected in the front-rear direction via a rotating shaft 312 to a support bracket (not shown) fixed to the lower rear side of the lower half 262, for example. On the other hand, the upper end rod 264 passes through the tip of the drive rod 311 so as to be perpendicular to it and rotatably connected, and the movable end 261a of the upper half 261 is pivotably connected to the tip of the drive rod 311 so as to be pivotably connected in the front-rear direction.

[0030] As the electric cylinder 31 is driven, the deformable part 260 deforms into a seatable state, extended along the original seating surface 26 of the backrest 20, and a seating prevention state, bent forward from the original seating surface 26 in a roughly V-shape starting from the hinge 263. That is, as shown in Figure 4, when the drive rod 311 protrudes to its maximum extent from the tip of the cylinder body 310, the movable end 261a of the upper half 261 is furthest from the fixed end 262a of the lower half 262, and the deformable part 260 is maintained in the seatable state.

[0031] On the other hand, as the electric cylinder 31 is driven, when the drive rod 311 is retracted from the tip of the cylinder body 310, as shown in Figure 3, the movable end 261a of the upper half 261 comes closest to the fixed end 262a of the lower half 262, so that the deformable part 260 is in a seating prevention state. This seating prevention state is set to lock with a holding force that prevents the deformable part 260 from easily deforming back to its original seating state even if some external force is applied to it.

[0032] The drive of the electric cylinder 31 is controlled by a controller 32, which will be described later. The seating prevention device 30 includes the deformable part 260 of the backrest 20 mentioned above, the electric cylinder 31 which is an actuator that deforms the deformable part 260 by power, and a controller 32 which is a control unit that controls the drive of the electric cylinder 31. A power supply line 313 (see Figure 3) for supplying power from an external source is connected to the electric cylinder 31.

[0033] <<Controller 32>> As shown in Figure 9, the controller 32 consists of, for example, a microcomputer and peripheral electronic equipment, and specifically, a processor (CPU), non-volatile memory (ROM) for storing programs executed by the processor and various fixed data, and volatile memory (RAM) for storing data temporarily required for program execution, etc., as its main components. The controller 32 is installed, for example, in the conductor's compartment of a railway vehicle.

[0034] The controller 32 has the following functions: an input unit 321, a control unit 322, an output unit 323, a storage unit 324, etc. The controller 32 is connected to an information reading unit 33 and a seat detection unit 34 via wireless or wired connections, enabling them to send and receive signals from each other. The controller 32 is also connected to standard peripheral devices such as an operation terminal 35 and a display unit 36 ​​for displaying various information. Furthermore, the controller 32 is connected to an external server that centrally manages information such as reserved seat ticketing and the operation of railway vehicles. Details of the controller 32's control of the electric cylinder 31 will be described later.

[0035] The information reading unit 33 reads reservation information regarding designated seats, etc., from a recording medium such as an IC card owned by the user. Here, reservation information includes the seat number and boarding date and time on a pre-specified train. The specific configuration of the information reading unit 33 is general, so a detailed explanation is omitted, but it is preferable to place it in a user-friendly location, for example, on the armrest of seat 10 (not shown in the illustration). The reservation information output from the information reading unit 33 is input to the control unit 322 via the input unit 321 of the controller 32. The storage unit 324 of the controller 32 has reservation information for each seat 10 pre-recorded, for example, transmitted from an external server.

[0036] The seating detection unit 34 detects whether a user is seated in the seat. Specifically, the seating detection unit 34 may be, for example, a distance sensor located on the armrest (not shown) of the seat 10 to detect whether a user is on the seat portion 11, or a pressure sensor located on the backrest 20 to detect whether the seating surface 26 is being pressed by a user, or a combination of these sensors to distinguish whether someone is actually seated or if luggage is simply placed on the seat. The detection information output from the seating detection unit 34 is also input to the control unit 322 via the input unit 321 of the controller 32.

[0037] As will be described in more detail later, the controller 32 drives the electric cylinder 31 to deform the deformable part 260 into a seating prevention state based on a seating prevention command output under predetermined conditions, while also driving the electric cylinder 31 to deform the deformable part 260 into a seating prevention state based on a seating permission command output under conditions other than the predetermined conditions. Furthermore, if a user is seated in the seat 10 when a seating permission command is input, the controller 32 is set to prioritize the execution of a control that does not deform the deformable part 260 into a seating prevention state.

[0038] <<Concealment method 40>> As shown in Figure 5, when the deformable part 260 is deformed to the seating prevention state, a gap is actually created between the two ends of the deformable part 260 that are bent forward and the two ends of the original seating surface 26 of the backrest 20. Since such a gap may impair the appearance and may allow foreign matter to enter the interior, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, a flap 40 is provided as a concealing means to cover the gap.

[0039] The flap 40 is made of, for example, a sheet of a stretchable, flexible material and is formed into an isosceles triangle that covers the space between both ends of the deformable part 260 when it is bent forward and both ends of the original seating surface 26 of the backrest 20. When the deformable part 260 is in a seating position, the flap 40 stretches out into an elongated shape and is stored between both ends of the deformable part 260 and both ends of the original seating surface 26 of the backrest 20. When the deformable part 260 is deformed into a seating prevention position, the flap 40 is configured to unfold into an isosceles triangle to cover the gap created between both ends of the deformable part 260 and both ends of the original seating surface 26 of the backrest 20.

[0040] Such a flap 40 should be made of a flexible material, specifically, not just a thin rubber sheet, but a stretchable fabric that stretches and contracts significantly in both the vertical and horizontal directions. The edges of the flap 40 corresponding to the long side of the isosceles triangle described above may be slidably attached to the guide rail 214 via fasteners such as hooks. Of course, the concealing means 40 is not limited to the flap 40 described above, and the gap may be concealed by other configurations.

[0041] <Operation of the seating prevention device 30> Next, the operation of the seat occupancy prevention device 30 for the seat 10 according to this embodiment will be described. For example, a passenger with a reserved seat on a train can confirm their reserved seat after boarding the train by touching the recording medium containing their reservation information to the information reading unit 33 located on the armrest or other part of the reserved seat 10.

[0042] The control unit 322 of the controller 32 receives the reservation information output from the information reading unit 33 via the input unit 321 and compares it with the reservation information for the seat 10 that has been previously recorded in the storage unit 324. If the designated seat ticket information matches the designated seat information, the control unit 322 determines that the user of the seat 10 is a legitimate user and outputs a seating permission command via the output unit 323.

[0043] At this time, if seat 10 was in a seating prevention state until just before, the electric cylinder 31 of the seating prevention device 30 is driven based on the seating permission command. That is, the drive rod 311 protrudes from the cylinder body 310, and as shown in Figures 2 and 4, the deformable part 260 extends vertically to become seatable. As a result, a legitimate user of seat 10 can sit down in seat 10.

[0044] On the other hand, if the reservation information output from the information reading unit 33 does not match the reservation information for the seat 10 that has been previously recorded in the storage unit 324, the control unit 322 determines that the user of the seat 10 is an unauthorized user. The control unit 322 then outputs a seating prevention command through the output unit 323. At this time, if the seat 10 was in a seating prevention state until immediately before, it remains in that state. If the seat 10 was in a seating-allowed state, the electric cylinder 31 of the seating prevention device 30 is driven based on the seating prevention command to deform the deformable part 260 of the seat 10 into a seating prevention state.

[0045] Therefore, unauthorized sitting on seat 10 can be reliably prevented. When seat 10 is in the anti-sitting state, even if some external force is applied to the deformable part 260, it is locked with a holding force that prevents it from easily deforming back to the seatable state. Furthermore, to change seat 10 from the seatable state to the anti-sitting state, for example, when the train carrying the passenger of seat 10 arrives at the disembarking station and the passenger has passed the boarding section, the electric cylinder 31 can be driven again to automatically change the deformable part 260 of seat 10 back to the anti-sitting state.

[0046] At this time, the control unit 322 determines whether a user is seated in the seat 10 based on the detection result from the seat detection unit 34. If the control unit 322 determines that a user is seated in the seat 10, it is preferable to control the system so as not to drive the electric cylinder 31, even if the conditions for outputting the seating prevention command are met. In addition to the automatic control described above, it is also possible to manually change between the seating prevention state and the seating-allowed state by manual operation using the operation unit 35 of the controller 32.

[0047] Furthermore, in cases such as in the Green Car of a train, where there are an unspecified number of seats 10 and a user who has purchased a Green Car ticket can choose any seat 10 to sit in, the initial setting may be to prevent seating, and the system may be controlled to change seat 10 to a seatable state when a user is properly seated.

[0048] Furthermore, in the seat 10 anti-seating state, the space after the upper half 261 of the deformable part 260 bends and shifts downward relative to the original seating surface is concealed from the front view by the upper panel 212 of the backrest frame 21, as shown in Figure 1. The upper panel 212 may also be marked with, for example, a notice prompting the user to read the reservation information using the information reading unit 33.

[0049] <Modified example of the seating prevention device 30> Next, a modified example of the seating prevention device 30 of this embodiment will be described. Figure 6 shows the seating prevention device 30A according to Modification 1, Figure 7 shows the seating prevention device 30B according to Modification 2, and Figure 8 shows the seating prevention device 30C according to Modification 3. All of these seating prevention devices 30A to 30C according to Modifications 1 to 3 deform the deformable parts 260A to 260C, which are part of the surface of the backrests 20A to 20C of the seats 10A to 10C, including the seating surface 26.

[0050] The overall shape of each deformable part 260A to 260C is the same as that of the deformable part 260 described above, but the specific form of the seating prevention state of each deformable part 260A to 260C differs from that of the deformable part 260 described above, and these will be explained below. In all three of the modified examples 1 to 3, the basic configuration of the seats 10A to 10C is the same as that of the seat 10 described above, and the same reference numerals are used for similar parts, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0051] <<Seating prevention device 30A according to modified example 1>> As shown in Figure 6, in the seating prevention device 30A according to the modified example 1, the deformable part 260A is bent forward at the intermediate point connecting the upper half 261 and the lower half 262, similar to the deformable part 260, to create a seating prevention state. However, in the deformable part 260A, unlike the deformable part 260, the upper end of the upper half 261 is maintained at a certain height position, and the lower end of the lower half 262 is configured to slide vertically. With such a deformable part 260A, the backrest 20A can be reliably deformed into a seating prevention state with a configuration almost identical to the deformable part 260 of the seating prevention device 30 described above.

[0052] <<Seating prevention device 30B according to modified example 2>> As shown in Figure 7, in the modified example 2 of the anti-seat device 30B, the deformable part 260B is not divided into two upper and lower halves but remains as a single unit, and is deformed into an anti-seat state by using its upper end as the pivot point and pushing its lower end forward. Even with this deformable part 260B, the backrest 20B can be reliably deformed into an anti-seat state using the electric cylinder 31, which is the drive source for the aforementioned anti-seat device 30.

[0053] <<Seating prevention device 30C according to modified example 3>> As shown in Figure 8, in the seating prevention device 30C according to Modification 3, the deformable part 260C is not divided into two upper and lower halves but is deformed as a single unit, similar to Modification 2. However, by using one end of the deformable part 260C as the pivot point and opening the other end forward, it is deformed into a seating prevention state. Although the drive system of this deformable part 260C is different from that of the electric cylinder 31 mentioned above, the backrest 20C can be reliably deformed into a seating prevention state.

[0054] Thus, the deformable parts 260A to 260C provided on the backrests 20A to 20C can be configured to undergo various deformation variations. Furthermore, although not shown in the illustration, the deformable part 260 may be configured to be provided on the seat 11 instead of the backrest 20. That is, a part of the surface of the seat 11, including the seating surface 15 extending from the front to the rear, may be made into a deformable part, and this deformable part may be made bendable in the middle, similar to the deformable part 260, and folded upwards into a roughly V-shape to prevent sitting.

[0055] Of course, the deformable parts of the seat 11, which are not shown in the figures, can also be configured to deform into a seating prevention state in various ways, as shown in the modified examples 1 to 3 in Figures 6 to 8. However, the deformable parts of the seat 11 must be set so as not to interfere with, for example, the armrests provided on the sleeves.

[0056] <Construction and Effects of the Invention> Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. The present invention derived from the embodiments described above will be described below.

[0057] First, the present invention relates to a seating prevention device 30 for preventing sitting on a seat 10 which is equipped with a seat portion 11 and a backrest 20, At least a portion of the surface side, including the seating surfaces 15 and 26 of the seat portion 11 and the backrest 20, is made into a deformable portion 260. The deformable part 260 is characterized by being able to be transformed between a seatable state in which a person can sit on the seat 10 and a seating prevention state in which a person cannot sit on the seat 10.

[0058] With this type of seating prevention device 30, the deformable part 260 that deforms to a state where it is impossible to sit on the seat 10 is not the entire seat 11 or backrest 20, but only a part of the surface side including the seating surfaces 15 and 26. Therefore, the deformation of the deformable part 260 that makes it impossible to sit on the seat 10 does not have a significant effect on the posture of the entire seat 11 or backrest 20, but is limited to only a local part of the surface side.

[0059] This eliminates the need to significantly flip up the entire seat 11 or fold it in half to make the seat 10 unusable. The simple structure requires no significant power and can be easily transformed, reducing costs. Furthermore, it does not expose equipment (such as a heater) located on the underside of the seat to the outside, providing superior safety. Additionally, since the entire backrest is not tilted back significantly, there is no risk of inconveniencing passengers in the rear seats.

[0060] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that the deformable portion 260 is provided on the backrest 20. With this configuration, the user's weight does not bear as much weight as it does on the seat 11, eliminating the need to specially increase resistance to heavy loads, and allowing for further structural simplification.

[0061] Furthermore, in this invention, a portion of the surface layer including the seating surface 26 extending from the upper to the lower side of the backrest 20 is made into the deformable portion 260. The deformable portion 260 is bendable such that the hinge 263 protrudes forward, by a hinge 263 located between the upper end and lower end of the backrest 20. Either the upper or lower end of the deformable portion 260 is maintained as a fixed end 262a at a predetermined height position on the original seating surface 26, and the other end is movable as a movable end 261a, which can move vertically along the original seating surface 26 so as to be separated from or closer to the fixed end 262a. The deformable portion 260 is characterized in that it enters a seatable state when the movable end 261a moves away from the fixed end 262a, and enters a seating prevention state when the movable end 261a approaches the fixed end 262a. With this specific configuration, it is possible to reliably prevent improper seating without changing the tilt angle or other posture of the backrest 20 itself, and with a relatively simple configuration that does not increase costs.

[0062] Furthermore, in the present invention, the fixed end 262a of the deformable part 260 is supported so as to be able to swing in the front-rear direction at a predetermined height position on the original seating surface 26 of the backrest 20. The movable end 261a of the deformable part 260 is characterized in that it is connected so as to be movable in the vertical direction along the original seating surface 26 of the backrest 20. With this configuration, it becomes possible to easily bend only the surface side of the backrest 20 forward into a roughly U-shape, or extend it to conform to the original seating surface.

[0063] Furthermore, the present invention includes an actuator 31 that deforms the deformable part 260 by power, The actuator 31 is characterized in that it is disposed on the back side of the deformable portion 260. With such an actuator 31, it becomes possible to automatically deform the deformable part 260 using power.

[0064] Furthermore, in the present invention, the actuator 31 consists of an electric cylinder 31 that extends and retracts a drive rod 311 from the tip of the cylinder body 310 by power. The base end of the cylinder body 310 is supported on the back side of the fixed end 262a of the deformable part 260 so as to be able to swing in the front-rear direction. The tip of the drive rod 311 is supported on the back side of the movable end 261a of the deformable part 260 so as to be able to swing in the front-rear direction. The hinge 263 of the deformable portion 260 is characterized in that it restricts bending in the direction opposite to the direction in which the hinge 263 protrudes forward.

[0065] In this way, by utilizing the electric cylinder 31 as the actuator 31, the space required for placement on the back side of the deformable part 260 can be reduced, and the space requirement can be met without significantly hindering the placement of other components. Furthermore, the adoption of the hinge 263 ensures that the deformable part 260 is reliably guided to bend in the correct direction.

[0066] Furthermore, the present invention includes a control unit 322 that controls the drive of the electric cylinder 31. Based on a seating prevention command output under predetermined conditions, the control unit 322 drives the electric cylinder 31 to deform the deformable part 260 into a seating prevention state, Based on a seating permission command output under conditions other than the predetermined conditions, the control unit 322 drives the electric cylinder 31 to deform the deformable part 260 into a seating prevention state. When the seating permission command is input, if a user is seated in seat 10, the deformable part 260 is not deformed to a seating prevention state.

[0067] With this control of the electric cylinder 31 by the control unit 322, under predetermined conditions where there is a high possibility of improper seating, a seating prevention command is output, and based on this seating prevention command, the deformable part 260 can be automatically, reliably, and quickly deformed into a non-seating state.

[0068] On the other hand, when a user is seated legitimately and not improperly, a seating permission command is output under conditions different from the predetermined conditions, and based on this seating permission command, the deformable part 260 can be automatically, reliably, and quickly deformed into a seating-ready state. In this case, if a user is seated in seat 10, safety can be enhanced by not deforming the deformable part 260 into a seating prevention state.

[0069] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that, when the deformable portion 260 is deformed into the seating prevention state, it has a concealing means 40 that covers the gap that is created between the two ends of the deformable portion 260 that are bent forward and the two ends of the original seating surface 26 of the backrest 20.

[0070] Such a concealing means 40 can conceal the gap that occurs when the deformable part 260 is deformed into a seating prevention state, not only making the internal structure invisible through this gap, but also preventing foreign matter from entering through the gap.

[0071] Furthermore, in the present invention, the concealing means 40 consists of a flap 40 made of an expandable and flexible material, and is provided between both ends of the deformable portion 260 and both ends of the original seating surface 26 of the backrest 20 into which the two ends are housed. When the deformable portion 260 is in the seating position, the flap 40 extends and is stored between the two ends of the deformable portion 260 and the two ends of the original seating surface 26 of the backrest 20. When the deformable portion 260 is deformed into the seating prevention state, the flap 40 unfolds to cover the gap created between both ends of the deformable portion 260 and both ends of the original seating surface 26 of the backrest 20.

[0072] This specific configuration of the flap 40 as a concealing means 40 makes it possible to easily and reliably conceal the gap that occurs when the deformable part 260 is deformed into a seat-preventing state. Furthermore, when the concealing means 40 is not in use, it can be compactly stored without affecting seating.

[0073] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and any changes or additions that do not depart from the spirit of the present invention are also included. For example, in the above embodiment, the deformable part 260 that forms the core of the seating prevention device 30 is provided on the backrest 20, but it may also be provided on the seat 11, or on both the backrest 20 and the seat 11.

[0074] Furthermore, although the above embodiment described a single seat on one side of a two-seater bench for a railway vehicle as an example of seat 10, it may also be configured as a single-seater, two-seater, or three-seater seat. Also, seat 10 is not limited to benches for railway vehicles, but may also be applied to seats for other vehicles such as aircraft, automobiles, and ships. [Industrial applicability]

[0075] This invention can be widely applied to seats for vehicles installed in passenger compartments such as railway cars, aircraft, automobiles, and ships, as well as to seats for audiences installed in movie theaters, theaters, and the like. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0076] 10… seats 11... Seat part 12…Seat frame 15…Seat surface 20...backrest 21...Backrest frame 26…Seat surface 260...Deformable part 261...upper half 262…lower half 263... Hinge 30… Anti-seat device 31…Electric cylinder (actuator) 32…Controller 40...Flap (means of concealment)

Claims

1. In a seating prevention device for preventing sitting on a seat equipped with a seat and backrest, At least a portion of the surface side, including the seating surfaces of the seat and backrest, is made deformable. The seat seating prevention device is characterized in that the deformable part is capable of being transformed between a seating-possible state in which a person can sit on the seat and a seating-prevention state in which a person cannot sit on the seat.

2. The seat occupancy prevention device according to claim 1, characterized in that the deformable portion is provided on the backrest.

3. A portion of the surface, including the seating surface extending from the upper to the lower part of the backrest, is designated as the deformable portion. The deformable portion is bendable such that the hinge protrudes forward, via a hinge between the upper end and lower end of the backrest. Either the upper or lower end of the deformable part is maintained as a fixed end at a predetermined height position on the original seating surface, and the other end is movable as a movable end, so as to move vertically along the original seating surface to move away from or closer to the fixed end. The seating prevention device according to claim 2, characterized in that the deformable part enters the seating-possible state when the movable end moves away from the fixed end, and enters the seating-prevention state when the movable end approaches the fixed end.

4. The fixed end of the deformable part is supported so as to be able to swing in the front-rear direction at a predetermined height position on the original seating surface of the backrest. The seat anti-sitting device according to claim 3, characterized in that the movable end of the deformable part is connected so as to be movable in the vertical direction along the original seating surface of the backrest.

5. The device has an actuator that deforms the deformable part using power, The seat occupancy prevention device according to claim 4, characterized in that the actuator is disposed on the back side of the deformable part.

6. The actuator consists of an electric cylinder that extends and retracts a drive rod from the tip of the cylinder body by power, The base end of the cylinder body is supported on the back side of the fixed end of the deformable part so as to be able to swing in the front-rear direction. The tip of the drive rod is supported on the back side of the movable end of the deformable part so as to be able to swing in the front-rear direction. The seat occupancy prevention device according to claim 5, characterized in that the hinge of the deformable part restricts bending in the direction opposite to the direction in which the hinge protrudes forward.

7. It has a control unit that controls the drive of the electric cylinder, The control unit drives the electric cylinder based on a seating prevention command output under predetermined conditions to deform the deformable part into a seating prevention state, The control unit drives the electric cylinder based on a seating permission command output under conditions other than the predetermined conditions, thereby deforming the deformable part into a seating prevention state. The seat occupancy prevention device according to claim 6, characterized in that, when a user is seated in the seat at the time of inputting the seating permission command, the deformable part is not deformed to an occupancy prevention state.

8. The seat anti-seating device according to claim 3, characterized in that when the deformable part is deformed into the anti-seating state, it has a concealing means to cover the gap that is created between the two ends of the deformable part that are bent forward and the two ends of the original seating surface of the backrest.

9. The concealing means consists of a flap made of an expandable and flexible material, and is provided between the two ends of the deformable part and the two ends of the original seating surface of the backrest into which the two ends are housed. When the deformable portion is in the seating position, the flap extends and is stored between the two ends of the deformable portion and the two ends of the original seating surface of the backrest. The seat anti-seating device according to claim 8, characterized in that when the deformable part is deformed into the anti-seating state, the flap unfolds to cover the gap created between both ends of the deformable part and both ends of the original seating surface of the backrest.

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