Vehicle seats

Abstract

The blower is attached to the seat back frame using a simple configuration. [Solution] The vehicle seat comprises a seat back frame F1 that constitutes the frame of the seat back, a blower 20 placed inside the seat back, a bracket 40 to which the blower 20 is fixed, and a cover member 50 provided on the rear side of the seat back frame F1. The bracket 40 sandwiches the seat back frame F1 between itself and the cover member 50 and is fixed to the cover member 50.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat having an air conditioning function by a blower.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a vehicle seat with an air conditioning function has been known in which a blower is provided in a seat back, and the blower causes air on the surface of the seat back to flow (Patent Document 1). In the vehicle seat of Patent Document 1, the blower is fixed to a cross-frame passed over the left and right side frames of the seat back frame. And a duct connected to the ventilation path in the seat back pad is fitted to the air outlet of the blower.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0004] By the way, when the blower is directly fixed to a part of the seat back frame such as a cross-frame with bolts, it is necessary to separately prepare parts only for fixing, such as welding nuts to the seat back frame. Then, when manufacturing both specifications of a seat with air conditioning and a seat without air conditioning, either the seat back frame for the seat with air conditioning is a dedicated product, or in order to make the seat back frame common for both specifications, unnecessary welding nuts, etc. are provided for the seat without air conditioning.

[0005] In view of such a background, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat capable of fixing a blower to a seat back frame with a simple configuration.

[0006] Another object of the present invention is to reduce the weight of the vehicle seat and improve the design freedom.

[0007] Furthermore, the present invention aims to suppress air leakage between the duct and the blower.

[0008] Furthermore, the present invention aims to facilitate the assembly of cover members and brackets and to protect the duct connected to the blower.

[0009] Furthermore, the present invention aims to secure and protect the blower harness with a simple configuration.

[0010] Furthermore, the present invention aims to enable easy assembly of a blower into its correct position, even if there are manufacturing tolerances in the blower's dimensions.

[0011] The present invention, which solves the aforementioned problems, is a vehicle seat comprising a seat back frame that constitutes the skeleton of the seat back, a blower disposed inside the seat back, a bracket to which the blower is fixed, and a cover member provided on the rear side of the seat back frame. In this seat, the bracket is characterized in that it sandwiches the seat back frame between itself and the cover member and is fixed to the cover member.

[0012] With this configuration, the bracket to which the blower is fixed is secured to the cover member located on the rear side of the seat back frame. The bracket sandwiches the seat back frame between itself and the cover member, eliminating the need for welding nuts or other fasteners solely for fixing the blower. This allows the blower to be fixed to the seat back frame with a simple configuration. Therefore, when manufacturing seats with and without air conditioning, it is easy to share the seat back frame.

[0013] In the aforementioned vehicle seat, the seat back frame comprises a pair of side frames spaced apart to the left and right, an upper frame connecting the upper ends of the pair of side frames, a lower frame connecting the lower ends of the pair of side frames, and a bridging frame connecting the pair of side frames at an intermediate position between the upper frame and the lower frame, and the bracket can be configured to sandwich the bridging frame between itself and the cover member and be fixed to the cover member.

[0014] In the aforementioned vehicle seat, the bracket may be made of resin.

[0015] By constructing the bracket from resin, weight reduction can be achieved, and the ability to freely create its shape improves design flexibility.

[0016] In the aforementioned vehicle seat, a duct connected to the intake or outlet of the blower is provided, the duct having a first opening at one end connected to the blower, a second opening at the other end, and a flange provided around the first opening, the blower having a flat portion around the intake or outlet, the flange being positioned between the flat portion and the bracket, and the blower being fixed to the bracket so that it is sandwiched between the flat portion and the bracket.

[0017] With this configuration, the flange is clamped between the bracket and the flat surface of the blower, which helps to prevent air leakage between the duct and the blower.

[0018] In the aforementioned vehicle seat, the cover member can be formed in a cup shape that opens forward. In this configuration, it is desirable that the cover member has a first claw portion extending downward at its upper part, which can engage with the front side of the seat back frame.

[0019] According to such a configuration, by engaging the first claw portion with the front side of the upper portion of the seat back frame, the cover member can be temporarily assembled to the seat back frame, and it is easy to fix the bracket to the cover member.

[0020] And it is desirable that the cover member is disposed at a distance rearward from the first claw portion and has a second claw portion that extends downward and receives the seat back frame between the second claw portion and the first claw portion.

[0021] According to such a configuration, the cover member can be temporarily assembled to the seat back frame so that the seat back is placed between the first claw portion and the second claw portion, and it becomes easier to fix the bracket to the cover member.

[0022] In the vehicle seat described above, it is desirable that the cover member has a rib that protrudes forward and abuts against the seat back frame from the rear side.

[0023] According to such a configuration, the rib can increase the rigidity of the cover member to effectively protect the duct, and when the cover member is temporarily assembled to the seat back frame, the rib abuts against the seat back frame from the rear side, so that the positioning of the cover member in the front-rear direction can be performed. Therefore, the assembly of the cover member is easy.

[0024] In the vehicle seat described above, it is desirable that the cover member is provided with an engaging portion to which the harness of the blower is fixed.

[0025] According to such a configuration, the harness of the blower can be easily fixed to the cover member, and the harness can be protected by the cover member.

[0026] In the vehicle seat described above, the bracket can have a first boss, a second boss, and a third boss to which fastening members for engaging with and fixing the blower are fastened. In this case, the blower can have a circular first engagement hole that fits with the first boss to determine the position of the blower with respect to the bracket, an oval second engagement hole that engages with the second boss to determine the position in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and a third engagement hole that engages with the third boss with play in the vertical, horizontal, left, and right directions.

[0027] According to such a configuration, by fitting the first boss and the first engagement hole, the position of the blower with respect to the bracket can be determined, and by engaging the second boss and the second engagement hole, the posture of the blower with respect to the bracket can be determined. Further, since the second engagement hole is oval and the third engagement hole engages with the third boss with play in the vertical, horizontal, left, and right directions, even if there are manufacturing errors in the positions of the bosses of the blower, the blower can be easily assembled to the normal position.

[0028] In a conventional vehicle seat, when trying to fix a duct to an intake or outlet provided in a flat surface portion, it cannot be fixed by fitting as it is, so it was necessary to separately provide a claw portion or the like for fixing the duct. Also, it was difficult to suppress air leakage from between the duct and the blower only by engaging the duct with the claw portion.

[0029] The present invention has been made in view of such a background, and an object thereof is to fix a duct to an intake or outlet in a flat surface portion of a blower with a simple configuration while suppressing air leakage.

[0030] The present invention, which solves the aforementioned problems, is a vehicle seat comprising a seat back frame constituting the skeleton of the seat back, a blower disposed within the seat back, a bracket to which the blower is fixed, and a duct connected to the intake or outlet of the blower. In this vehicle seat, the duct has a first opening at one end connected to the blower, a second opening at the other end, and a flange provided around the first opening, the blower has a flat portion around the intake or outlet, the flange is disposed between the flat portion and the bracket, and the blower is fixed to the bracket, thereby being sandwiched between the flat portion and the bracket.

[0031] With this configuration, the flange can be clamped between the bracket and the flat surface of the blower, allowing the flange to be tightly fitted to the flat surface. This suppresses air leakage between the duct and the blower, and allows the duct to be easily fixed to the intake or outlet on the flat surface of the blower without requiring any special configuration on the blower itself.

[0032] In the aforementioned vehicle seat, it is desirable that the duct be flexible or elastic. The flexibility or elasticity of the duct improves the degree of contact between the flange and the flat surface, thereby further suppressing air leakage between the duct and the blower.

[0033] In the aforementioned vehicle seat, it is desirable that the duct has a cylindrical portion at the edge of the first opening that enters inside the intake or outlet.

[0034] With this configuration, the cylindrical portion is positioned inside the intake or outlet, further suppressing air leakage between the duct and the blower.

[0035] In the aforementioned vehicle seat, it is desirable that the cylindrical portion be spaced a predetermined distance from the wing member of the blower.

[0036] This configuration prevents interference between the cylindrical section and the blower blade members.

[0037] In the aforementioned vehicle seat, it is preferable that the duct has a first portion located on one side of the bracket and connected to the blower, a second portion extending from the first portion and located on the other side of the bracket, and a third portion extending from the second portion and located on the one side of the bracket.

[0038] With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the duct from coming off the bracket while it is temporarily assembled to the bracket, and it becomes easier to assemble the duct and bracket to the seat back frame.

[0039] In the aforementioned vehicle seat, it is desirable that the first opening and the second opening are open in the same direction. In this case, the first opening and the second opening may be positioned offset vertically from each other. With such a configuration, air can be efficiently circulated in a compact configuration within the narrow seat back. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0040] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a vehicle seat. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the upper pad removed from the seat back pad of a vehicle seat. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the seat frame. [Figure 4] This is an exploded perspective view of the seat frame. [Figure 5] (a) An exploded perspective view of the air conditioner, and (b) a rear perspective view of the blower. [Figure 6] This is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating the connection of the blower, duct, and pad. [Figure 7] This is a front view of the air conditioner unit assembled onto the seat frame. [Figure 8] This is a perspective view showing the bracket and duct in a temporarily assembled state. [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view of the blower, duct, and bracket, corresponding to the YY section in Figure 6. [Figure 10] This is a perspective view showing the blower, cover component, and harness. [Figure 11] This is a view from the front and slightly below, showing the cover component temporarily assembled to the seat frame. [Figure 12] This is a partial cross-sectional view of a vehicle seat corresponding to the XX section in Figure 6. [Figure 13] This is a cross-sectional view of a modified seat back. [Figure 14] This is a cross-sectional view of a modified bracket. [Figure 15] This is a cross-sectional view of a modified cover member. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0041] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. In the following description, front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-and-down directions are based on the occupant seated in the vehicle seat S. As shown in Figure 1, a vehicle seat S, which is an example of a vehicle seat, is a seat that is installed in a vehicle and has an air conditioning function, and is equipped with a seat back S1 and a seat cushion S2.

[0042] The seat back S1 has a pad P1 and an upper pad P2 fitted into the pad P1. The pad P1 is made from urethane foam or the like, and the recess 100 (see Figure 2) into which the upper pad P2 is fitted is formed to be recessed towards the rear. The upper pad P2 is composed of a first pad portion P21 and a second pad portion P22, each formed from urethane foam or the like. The first pad portion P21 and the second pad portion P22 have ventilation holes H1 for drawing in air at appropriate locations on their surfaces. When the upper pad P2 is fitted into the recess 100, it is flush with the pad P1. Furthermore, on the outer circumference of the recess 100, in the portions corresponding to the upper end and both left and right ends of the first pad portion P21, an inverted U-shaped suspension groove 120 for suspending the skin material (not shown) is formed as a deep groove deeper than the recess 100. In addition, a pair of left and right suture arrangement grooves 122 are provided extending diagonally outward in the left and right direction from the upper end of the suspension groove 120, into which the suture portion (not shown) of the skin material (not shown) is inserted and positioned. The suture arrangement grooves 122 are formed as shallower grooves than the suspension groove 120. The seat cushion S2 similarly has a pad P3 and an upper pad P4 fitted into the pad P3, and the upper pad P4 has ventilation holes H1 at appropriate locations. The upper pad P4 is also flush with the pad P3 when fitted in place. Note that in Figure 1, the surface material is omitted from the illustration. The vehicle seat S is constructed by covering the pad P1 and upper pad P2 of the seat back S1, and the pad P3 and upper pad P4 of the seat cushion S2, with a breathable surface material.

[0043] As shown in Figure 2, when the upper pad P2 is removed, a ventilation passage H2 is formed on the surface of pad P1 through which air drawn in from each ventilation hole H1 flows to the duct 30, which will be described later. In detail, the recess 100 includes a first recess 102 located at a position corresponding to the first pad portion P21 and a second recess 103 located at a position corresponding to the second pad portion P22, with the first recess 102 and the second recess 103 being in communication with each other. The first recess 102 extends vertically from the center to the bottom of the pad P1. Inside the first recess 102, ladder-shaped grooves 110 are formed, extending vertically and horizontally, and these ladder-shaped grooves 110 form four protrusions 104. The grooves between the protrusions 104 are shallower than the grooves in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the first recess 102 has a vertical groove 112 that extends from the upper end of the groove 110 to the upper end of the first recess 102. The first recess 102 has a height that supports the first pad portion P21 from behind.

[0044] The second recess 103 extends left and right above the first recess 102. The second recess 103 has a through hole 106 in its lower right corner that communicates with the second opening 34 of the duct 30, which will be described later. The through hole 106 penetrates the pad P1 from front to back (see Figure 6). A T-shaped groove 114 is formed inside the second recess 103, extending to the lower end of the second recess 103. A horizontal groove 116 extends left and right from the through hole 106 to the vertical groove of the T-shaped groove 114. The second recess 103 has a height that supports the second pad portion P22 from behind.

[0045] The ladder-shaped grooves 110 and vertical grooves 112 of the first recess 102, and the T-shaped grooves 114 and horizontal grooves 116 of the second recess 103 constitute the ventilation passage H2 with the first pad portion P21 and the second pad portion P22 fixed in place. The first pad portion P21 and the second pad portion P22 are fixed to the pad P1 by being attached to the first recess 102 and the second recess 103 with adhesive. The ventilation holes H1 of the first pad section P21 and the second pad section P22 are located on the ventilation passage H2, and the air drawn in from each ventilation hole H1 flows through the ventilation passage H2 to the second opening 34 of the duct 30.

[0046] As shown in Figure 3, a seat frame F is built into the vehicle seat S. The seat frame F comprises a seat back frame F1 that forms the skeleton of the seat back S1 and a cushion frame F2 that forms the skeleton of the seat cushion S2. In the following, the configuration of the seat back S1 will be described, and the description of the seat cushion S2 will be omitted.

[0047] The seat back frame F1 is made of press-formed sheet metal and comprises a pair of sheet metal frames 12 spaced apart on the left and right sides, and a pipe frame 13 made of pipe material bent into a U shape, which is connected to the upper ends of each of the pair of sheet metal frames 12. The pipe frame 13 extends straight upward from the sheet metal frame 12 and has a pair of left and right upper side frames 13A that are slightly inclined inward. The left and right sheet metal frames 12 and upper side frames 13A are a pair of side frames 11 that are spaced apart to the left and right. The pipe frame 13 also has an upper frame 13B that connects the upper ends of the pair of upper side frames 13A, that is, the upper ends of the side frames 11. Furthermore, the seat back frame F1 has a lower frame 14 that connects the lower ends of the side frames 11.

[0048] Inside the seat back S1, an air conditioner AC is positioned to provide air conditioning for the vehicle seat S by drawing in air from near the surface of the seat back S1 through the ventilation holes H1 of the seat back S1.

[0049] As shown in Figure 4, the seat back frame F1 is provided with a bridging frame 15 for fixing the air conditioner AC. The bridging frame 15 connects a pair of side frames 11 at an intermediate position between the upper frame 13B and the lower frame 14. The bridging frame 15 is provided with a plurality of circular holes 15A arranged on the left and right sides, and square locking holes 15B formed on both the left and right sides of the plurality of circular holes 15A. Two of the circular holes 15A are the parts into which tapping bolts 91 that fix the bracket 40, which will be described later, are inserted. The locking holes 15B are also formed so that the hooks 56 of the cover member 50, which will be described later, can engage with them.

[0050] The air conditioner AC comprises a blower 20, a duct 30 connected to the blower 20, a bracket 40 to which the blower 20 is fixed, and a cover member 50 provided on the rear side of the seat back frame F1 to protect the air conditioner AC, particularly the duct 30, from the rear. These members are assembled as described later, with the bracket 40 supported on the bridging frame 15 by tapping bolts 91, and the blower 20 fixed to the bracket 40 by tapping bolts 92, which are an example of fastening members.

[0051] As shown in Figure 5(a), the blower 20 is a sirocco fan and comprises a housing 21, a blade member 22 arranged inside the housing 21, and a motor 26 (see Figure 9) that rotates the blade member 22. Note that the blower 20 is not limited to a sirocco fan; other types of fans such as propeller fans or turbo fans can be used, and it may also be possible to switch between blowing and suction by reversing the direction of rotation. The housing 21 is formed such that the ventilation passage on the outside of the wing member 22 gradually widens, and has an outlet 21B that opens to the right at the lower right portion where the ventilation passage is widest. The housing 21 can be made of a resin such as PBT (polybutylene terephthalate).

[0052] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5(b) where the rear side is visible, the housing 21 has a circular intake port 21A in the center of its rear side. The housing 21 also has a flat surface 21Z facing the rear around the intake port 21A. In addition, as shown in Figure 5(a), three mounting portions 23A, 23B, and 23C are formed on the outer circumference of the housing 21, protruding outwards. Mounting portion 23A protrudes to the upper left of the housing 21, mounting portion 23B protrudes to approximately the right of the housing 21, and mounting portion 23C protrudes to the lower left of the housing 21. A circular first engagement hole 24A is formed in mounting portion 23A, an elongated oval second engagement hole 24B is formed in mounting portion 23B, and a circular third engagement hole 24C, which is larger than the first engagement hole 24A, is formed in mounting portion 23C.

[0053] As shown in Figure 6, the duct 30 is a component that connects the blower 20 to the ventilation passage H2 within the pad P1. The ventilation passage H2 is connected to the ventilation hole H1. Returning to Figure 5(a), the duct 30 comprises left and right extending portions 31 located behind the bracket 40 and extending to the left and right, and an upper and lower extending portion 32 extending downward from the right end of the left and right extending portions 31.

[0054] The duct 30 has a circular first opening 33 that opens forward at the left end of the left and right extending portions 31 (one end of the duct 30), and a flange 35 that extends up, down, left, and right around the first opening 33. The flange 35 is positioned approximately at the same location as the front surface of the left and right extending portions 31 in the front-rear direction. A protruding portion 33A is provided on the edge of the first opening 33. The protruding portion 33A is formed to fit inside the intake port 21A of the blower 20. Furthermore, the protruding portion 33A is spaced a predetermined distance radially inward from the blade member 22 of the blower 20. This prevents interference between the protruding portion 33A and the blade member 22 of the blower 20.

[0055] The duct 30 has a forward-bending lower end (the other end of the duct 30) of the vertically extending portion 32 (see Figure 6), and a rectangular second opening 34 that opens forward at the bent end. The duct 30 also has a flange 36 that extends upward, downward, left, and right around the second opening 34. Furthermore, a cylindrical portion 34A that protrudes forward is provided at the edge of the second opening 34. The duct 30 is made of an elastic material such as rubber or a flexible material such as a polyvinyl chloride sheet. For example, the duct 30 can be manufactured by blow molding an olefin elastomer (TPO). However, the material of the duct 30 is not limited to this, and any material can be used regardless of elasticity, such as a resin such as polyethylene or a composite material such as a fiber-reinforced resin. The protruding portion 33A can be provided by leaving the remaining cut portion (burr) near the first opening 33 when a part of the molded body is cut after blow molding to form the first opening 33.

[0056] The first opening 33 and the second opening 34 open in the same direction, in this case, both facing forward. Furthermore, the first opening 33 and the second opening 34 are offset from each other vertically and horizontally. This allows the duct 30 to be compactly positioned within the narrow seat back S1, enabling efficient airflow.

[0057] The bracket 40 is manufactured by injection molding of a resin such as polypropylene and comprises a main body portion 41 extending to the left and right, an upper support portion 42 positioned above the main body portion 41, a first connecting portion 43A connecting the main body portion 41 and the upper support portion 42 at the left end of the upper support portion 42, and a second connecting portion 43B connecting the main body portion 41 and the upper support portion 42 at the right end of the upper support portion 42. Through holes 44 are formed between the main body portion 41, the upper support portion 42, the first connecting portion 43A, and the second connecting portion 43B.

[0058] The front surface of the upper support portion 42, the front surface of the first connection portion 43A, and a predetermined range of the front surface of the main body portion 41, including the portion corresponding to the flange 35 of the duct 30, are flush with the surface. The second connection portion 43B is located in front of these flush portions.

[0059] The bracket 40 is provided with a first boss 45A, a second boss 45B, and a third boss 45C that protrude forward from the front surface for mounting the blower 20. Each boss 45A, 45B, and 45C has a cylindrical shape and has a hole formed on its front end surface for engaging with a tapping bolt 92 (reference numerals omitted). Each boss 45A, 45B, and 45C is the same shape and is positioned to correspond to the first engagement hole 24A, the second engagement hole 24B, and the third engagement hole 24C, respectively.

[0060] Furthermore, the bracket 40 is provided with ribs (not shown) that connect the outer surfaces of each boss 45A, 45B, and 45C to the front surface of the bracket 40. The front surface of each rib faces forward, and the front-to-back positions of each boss 45A, 45B, and 45C are aligned, allowing the front-to-back position of the blower 20 to be determined by the contact of the respective mounting portions 23A, 23B, and 23C of the blower 20.

[0061] Furthermore, the bracket 40 has a first fixing hole 46A that penetrates from front to back in the right portion of the main body 41 from the center, a second fixing hole 46B that penetrates from front to back in the left portion of the main body 41 from the center, and a third fixing hole 46C that penetrates from front to back at the right end of the upper support portion 42. The first fixing hole 46A, the second fixing hole 46B, and the third fixing hole 46C are portions through which tapping bolts 91 are inserted to fix the bracket 40 to the cover member 50. The first fixing hole 46A is a circular hole that fits with a boss 54A (see Figure 10), which will be described later, to determine the position of the bracket 40 at the position of the first fixing hole 46A. The second fixing hole 46B is an elongated oval shape, and when the boss 54B (see Figure 10), which will be described later, engages with it, it determines the vertical position perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the oval, and thus determines the orientation of the bracket 40 with respect to the seat back frame F1. The third fixing hole 46C has a circular shape that is slightly larger than the first fixing hole 46A, and is designed to engage with the boss 54C (see Figure 10), which will be described later, with some play in the up, down, left, and right directions.

[0062] Furthermore, the bracket 40 has extensions 47 that extend rearward from the upper end of the main body 41 and the upper end of the upper support portion 42, and each extension 47 has a harness fixing hole 47A for fixing the harness of the blower 20 and the harnesses of other electrical components.

[0063] As shown in Figure 7, the first engagement hole 24A is formed to fit with the outer circumference of the first boss 45A, thereby determining the front-rear, left-right, and right positions of the blower 20 within the first engagement hole 24A. The second engagement hole 24B is formed to engage with the second boss 45B, thereby determining the position in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the second engagement hole 24B, i.e., the vertical direction, and thus determining the orientation of the blower 20. The third engagement hole 24C is slightly larger than the first engagement hole 24A, so it engages with the third boss 45C with some play in the up-down, left-right, and right directions. Therefore, even if there are manufacturing errors in the positions of each boss 45A, 45B, and 45C of the blower 20, the blower 20 can be easily assembled into its correct position.

[0064] When assembling the duct 30 shown in Figure 5 to the bracket 40, the lower end of the upper and lower extension portion 32, that is, the end on the second opening 34 side, is passed through the through hole 44 of the bracket 40 from front to back. Then, the flange 35 is pulled until it approaches the perimeter of the through hole 44, and the upper and lower extension portion 32 is wrapped around to the front side of the right portion of the bracket 40, as shown in Figure 8. In this state, as shown in the cross-sectional view in Figure 9, the flange 35 is located on the front side (one side) of the portion of the bracket 40 around the through hole 44, the left and right extension portions 31 extend from the flange 35 and are located on the rear side (the other side) of the second connection portion 43B of the bracket 40, and the upper and lower extension portion 32 extends from the left and right extension portions 31 and are located on the front side (one side) of the bracket 40. In other words, the flange 35 is an example of the first portion, the left and right extension portions 31 are an example of the second portion, and the upper and lower extension portion 32 is an example of the third portion.

[0065] In this way, the flange 35 is located on the front side of the bracket 40, the left and right extending portions 31 are located on the rear side of the bracket 40, and the upper and lower extending portions 32 are located on the front side of the bracket 40. This prevents the duct 30 from coming off the bracket 40 when it is temporarily assembled to the bracket 40, making it easy to assemble the duct 30 and bracket 40 to the seat back frame F1.

[0066] As shown in Figure 10, the cover member 50 has a main body 51, a retaining claw portion 52 provided at the upper end of the left and right center of the main body 51, ribs 53A, 53B, bosses 54A, 54B, 54C, an engaging portion 55 for fixing the harness, and a hook 56.

[0067] The main body 51 is formed in a cup shape that opens forward, with the left and right edges and the upper edge extending forward.

[0068] The latching claw portion 52 consists of a first claw portion 52A extending downward and forward from the upper end of the main body portion 51, and a second claw portion 52B positioned rearward and spaced apart from the first claw portion 52A, extending downward from the upper end of the main body portion 51. The first claw portion 52A is positioned to engage with the front side of the upper frame 13B of the seat back frame F1. The second claw portion 52B is spaced apart from the first claw portion 52A by a distance corresponding to the thickness of the upper frame 13B so that it can receive the seat back frame F1 between the first claw portion 52A and the second claw portion 52B. Therefore, the cover member 50 can be hooked onto the upper frame 13B by inserting the upper frame 13B between the first claw portion 52A and the second claw portion 52B (see Figures 6 and 11).

[0069] The rib 53A is formed to protrude forward from the lower part of the front (inner surface) of the main body 51 and is positioned to abut the bridging frame 15 of the seat back frame F1 from the rear (see Figure 6). The ribs 53B are formed to protrude forward from both the left and right ends on the front surface of the main body 51, and are positioned to abut against the upper side frame 13A of the seat back frame F1, as shown in Figure 11.

[0070] As shown in Figure 10, the bosses 54A, 54B, and 54C have a cylindrical shape that protrudes from the inner surface of the main body 51. The bosses 54A, 54B, and 54C have holes (not shown in numerals) on their front end faces into which tapping bolts 91 are inserted to fix the bracket 40 to the seat back frame F1. The bosses 54A, 54B, and 54C are all the same shape and are positioned to correspond to the first fixing hole 46A, the second fixing hole 46B, and the third fixing hole 46C of the bracket 40, respectively.

[0071] Furthermore, the cover member 50 is provided with ribs (not shown) that connect the outer circumferential surfaces of each boss 54A, 54B, and 54C to the front surface of the main body 51, and bosses 54A and 54B are also connected to rib 53A.

[0072] The four engaging portions 55 are arranged on the front surface of the main body portion 51, approximately in the center in the vertical direction, spaced apart from each other on the left and right. Each engaging portion 55 consists of a pair of claw portions that are spaced apart vertically and protrude forward, with a passage running through the pair of claw portions in the front-to-back direction.

[0073] The hook 56 is formed to protrude forward from the front surface of the main body 51, is flexible to the left and right, and has claw portions (reference numerals omitted) that protrude inward to the left and right.

[0074] The cover member 50 can be manufactured, for example, by injection molding a resin such as polypropylene.

[0075] The harness connecting the blower 20 to a control device (not shown) includes a first cable 81 extending from the blower 20 and a second cable 82 connected to the first cable 81. The first cable 81 has a connector 81A at one end. The second cable 82 has a connector 82A at one end that connects to the connector 81A, and four retaining members 82B are fixed at an intermediate position at a pitch corresponding to the pitch of the engaging portion 55. The first cable 81 is pulled out to the right from the blower 20, and the connector 81A is connected to the connector 82A. The second cable 82 then extends to the right from the end on the connector 81A side, then turns in a U-shape and is routed to the left, with each retaining member 82B engaged with the engaging portion 55 (not shown). The left end of the second cable 82 is routed downward and connected to a control device (not shown).

[0076] When assembling the bracket 40 to the seat back frame F1, first, the cover member 50 is placed on the upper frame 13B by inserting the upper frame 13B between the first claw portion 52A and the second claw portion 52B of the cover member 50. Then, the cover member 50 is pushed forward and the hook 56 is inserted into the locking hole 15B and engaged, as shown in Figure 11. At this time, the rib 53B comes into contact with the upper side frame 13A, and as shown in Figure 12, the rib 53A comes into contact with the bridging frame 15, determining the position of the cover member 50 and temporarily assembling the cover member 50 to the seat back frame F1. Next, the bosses 54A and 54B are inserted into the two round holes 15A of the bridging frame 15. Furthermore, the tapping bolt 91 is passed through the second fixing hole 46B and one of the round holes 15A of the bridging frame 15, and the tapping bolt 91 is screwed into the hole of the boss 54B to fix the bracket 40 to the bridging frame 15. In other words, the bracket 40 is fixed to the cover member 50 by sandwiching the bridging frame 15 between itself and the cover member 50, thereby indirectly fixing the bracket 40 to the bridging frame 15 (seat back frame F1).

[0077] The area around the first fixing hole 46A and the boss 54A are fixed in the same manner as the area around the second fixing hole 46B and the boss 54B shown in Figure 12. The area around the third fixing hole 46C is fixed to the cover member 50 by passing a tapping bolt 91 through the third fixing hole 46C and screwing the tapping bolt 91 into the hole of the boss 54C.

[0078] Next, when assembling the blower 20 to the bracket 40, first, as shown in Figure 9, the flat portion 21Z of the blower 20 is brought into close contact with the flange 35. Then, with the flange 35 sandwiched between the bracket 40 and the blower 20, the tapping bolts 92 are passed through the first engagement holes 24A, second engagement holes 24B, and third engagement holes 24C of the mounting portions 23A, 23B, and 23C, and the tapping bolts 92 are screwed into the holes of the first boss 45A, second boss 45B, and third boss 45C. As a result, the flange 35 of the duct 30 is positioned between the flat portion 21Z and the bracket 40, and the blower 20 is fixed to the bracket 40, thereby being sandwiched between the flat portion 21Z and the bracket 40.

[0079] The vehicle seat S with the above configuration can provide the following effects. The bracket 40 for fixing the blower 20 sandwiches the bridging frame 15 of the seat back frame F1 between itself and the cover member 50 provided on the rear side of the seat back frame F1, and is fixed to the cover member 50. Therefore, there is no need to provide nuts or the like on the bridging frame 15 solely for fixing the blower 20. As a result, the blower 20 can be fixed to the seat back frame F1 with a simple configuration. Consequently, when manufacturing seats with both air conditioning and non-air conditioning specifications, it is easy to share the seat back frame F1.

[0080] Furthermore, by constructing the bracket 40 from resin, its weight can be reduced, and its shape can be freely created, thus improving the design flexibility of the bracket 40.

[0081] Furthermore, since the flange 35 is sandwiched between the bracket 40 and the flat portion 21Z of the blower 20, the flange 35 can be tightly pressed against the flat portion 21Z, thereby suppressing air leakage between the duct 30 and the blower 20. As a result, the duct 30 can be easily fixed to the intake port 21A of the blower 20 without requiring any special configuration of the blower 20. Moreover, because the duct 30 is elastic, the degree of contact between the flange 35 and the flat portion 21Z is improved, further suppressing air leakage between the duct 30 and the blower 20.

[0082] Furthermore, since the protruding portion 33A of the duct 30 is positioned inside the intake port 21A, air leakage between the duct 30 and the blower 20 can be further suppressed.

[0083] Furthermore, by engaging the first claw portion 52A with the upper frame 13B of the seat back frame F1, the cover member 50 can be temporarily assembled to the seat back frame F1. In particular, since the cover member 50 can be temporarily assembled to the seat back frame F1 so that the seat back frame F1 is sandwiched between the first claw portion 52A and the second claw portion 52B, it is easy to fix the bracket 40 to the cover member 50.

[0084] Furthermore, the ribs 53A and 53B increase the rigidity of the cover member 50, effectively protecting the duct 30. Additionally, when the cover member 50 is temporarily assembled to the seat back frame F1, the ribs 53A and 53B contact the seat back frame F1 from the rear, allowing for the front-to-back positioning of the cover member 50. This facilitates the assembly of the cover member 50.

[0085] Furthermore, the engaging portion 55 of the cover member 50 allows the second cable 82 of the blower 20 to be easily fixed to the cover member 50, and the cover member 50 protects the second cable 82. As a result, malfunctions such as breakage or short circuits of the second cable 82 can be suppressed, and the ease of assembly of the second cable 82 is also improved.

[0086] Furthermore, the position of the blower 20 relative to the bracket 40 can be determined by the fitting of the first boss 45A and the first engagement hole 24A, and the orientation of the blower 20 relative to the bracket 40 can be determined by the engagement of the second boss 45B and the second engagement hole 24B. In addition, because the second engagement hole 24B is oval-shaped and the third engagement hole 24C engages with the third boss 45C with play in the up, down, left, and right directions, the blower 20 can be easily assembled to the correct position even if there are manufacturing errors in the positions of each boss 45A, 45B, and 45C of the blower 20.

[0087] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Specific configurations can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0088] For example, although the latching claw portion 52 was positioned at the upper end of the cover member 50, it can be stably attached to the upper frame 13B even if it is positioned slightly below the upper end, as long as it is above the center of gravity of the cover member 50. Also, the second claw portion 52B is not required, but by positioning the second claw portion 52B at a distance corresponding to the upper frame 13B relative to the first claw portion 52A, the position of the cover member 50 can be roughly determined simply by attaching the latching claw portion 52 to the upper frame 13B.

[0089] In the above embodiment, a U-shaped pipe frame 13 is used at the upper end of the seat back frame F1, but a seat back frame made of press-formed sheet metal can also be used. Specifically, as shown in Figure 13, the seat back frame 130 comprises a pair of left and right side frames 132 whose upper parts are curved inward in the left-right direction, an upper frame 134 connected to the upper ends of each of the pair of side frames 132, and a lower frame 140 connected to the lower ends of each of the pair of side frames 132.

[0090] The upper frame 134 consists of a press-formed upper member 135 and a lower member 136. The upper member 135 is connected to the upper ends of a pair of left and right side frames 132 by spot welding. The lower member 136 is located below the upper member 135 and is connected to the sides of the pair of left and right side frames 132 and the upper member 135 by spot welding. An opening 138 is provided between the upper member 135 and the lower member 136 for engaging the latching claw portion 52 of the cover member 50.

[0091] The lower frame 140 consists of a press-formed main member 142 and an auxiliary member 144, and is connected to the lower ends of a pair of left and right side frames 132 by spot welding.

[0092] In the seat back frame 130 configured in this way, a bridging frame 15 is provided between the upper frame 134 and the lower frame 140. Then, as in the above embodiment, when assembling the blower 20, duct 30 and bracket 40, the cover member 50 is fixed to the bridging frame 15 with its retaining claw portion 52 hooked onto the lower member 136 through the opening 138, and the bracket 40 is fixed to the cover member 50 with the bridging frame 15 sandwiched between it and the cover member 50. Furthermore, the blower 20 and duct 30 are fixed to the bracket 40, and the second opening 34 of the duct 30 is connected to the through hole 106 formed in the second recess 103 of the pad P1.

[0093] Furthermore, in order to reduce the weight of the bracket 40 in the above embodiment, an opening for weight reduction can be added to the bracket 40. For example, as shown in Figure 14, the bracket 40 has two openings 48A side by side in the center of the main body 41 (below the through hole 44), and openings 48B on the right and left sides of the main body 41 (above the first fixing hole 46A and the second fixing hole 46B). Furthermore, to compensate for the reduction in rigidity of the bracket 40 due to the formation of the opening 48A, three vertically extending reinforcing ribs 49A are provided in the central part of the main body 41, between the two openings 48A and on the outside. Similarly, to compensate for the reduction in rigidity of the bracket 40 due to the formation of the opening 48B, a horizontally extending reinforcing rib 49B is provided on the right side of the main body 41 adjacent to the opening 48B, and a vertically extending reinforcing rib 49C is provided on the left side of the main body 41 adjacent to the opening 48B.

[0094] Similarly, in order to reduce the weight of the cover member 50 in the above embodiment, openings for weight reduction can be added to the cover member 50. For example, as shown in Figure 15, the cover member 50 has two openings 58A on both sides of the boss 54C and two openings 58B on the outside of the hook 56. Furthermore, in order to compensate for the reduction in rigidity of the cover member 50 due to the formation of the opening 58A, the main body 51 is provided with four vertically extending reinforcing ribs 59A on both sides of the latching claw portion 52, above and outside each opening 58A, and a pair of vertically extending reinforcing ribs 59B between the two openings 58A and the engaging portion 55. Similarly, in order to compensate for the reduction in rigidity of the cover member 50 due to the formation of the opening 58B, the main body 51 is provided with horizontally extending reinforcing ribs 59C below each opening 58B.

[0095] In the above embodiment, an air conditioner installed on the seat back was described, but the air conditioner may also be installed on the seat cushion. In this case as well, the blower and bracket can be fixed to the seat frame in the same way as in the case of the seat back. The same applies to the structure for fixing the duct to the bracket and blower.

[0096] In the above embodiment, an air conditioner was described in which air is drawn in by a blower through a duct from the surface of the seat back. However, the present invention can also be applied to an air conditioner in the opposite way, in which air is blown out from a blower through a duct from the surface of the seat back. In this case, a flat surface can be provided around the outlet, the flange of the duct can be pressed against this flat surface, and the flange can be sandwiched between a bracket and a fan to connect the duct to the blower.

[0097] In the above embodiment, the bracket 40 was fixed to the cover member 50 with tapping bolts 91 and the blower 20 was fixed to the bracket 40 with tapping bolts 92. However, simple insertable clips may be used instead of tapping bolts 91 and 92. Alternatively, the bracket 40 may be fixed to the cover member 50 by welding a boss provided on one of the bracket 40 or the cover member 50 to the other.

[0098] In the above embodiment, the blower 20 was fixed to the bracket 40 after the bracket 40 was fixed to the seat frame F. However, the blower 20 may be fixed to the bracket 40 first, and then the bracket 40, which is now assembled with the blower 20, may be fixed to the seat frame F.

[0099] In the above embodiment, the bracket 40 was fixed to the bridging frame 15 of the seat back frame F1, but it may also be fixed to a part other than the bridging frame 15.

[0100] In the above embodiment, a vehicle seat for an automobile was given as an example of a vehicle seat, but the vehicle seat may also be a seat for a railway car, aircraft, ship, etc.

Claims

[Claim 1] The seat back frame, which constitutes the frame of the seat back, A blower located inside the seatback, The blower is fixed to a bracket at at least two locations above the center of rotation of the blower, and the bracket has harness fixing holes for which the harness of an electrical component is fixed, The seat back frame comprises a cover member positioned on the rear side, The cover member is characterized by having an engaging portion to which the blower harness is fixed.

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