Vehicle seats

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle seat that allows for a simple structure for the switching device that switches the state of the seat itself. [Solution] The vehicle seat is a seat that can be switched between a "normal state" and a "moved state" in which the seat body has been moved from the normal state. The vehicle seat includes a locking member that locks the movement of the seat body when it is in the normal state, a lever mounting member 80 attached to the vehicle seat, and an operating lever 60 attached to the lever mounting member 80 via a lever pivot shaft 90, which operates to release the locked state of the locking member. The lever mounting member 80 is provided in a position that can abut the axial end of the lever pivot shaft 90 and has a movement restricting part 88 that restricts the movement of the lever pivot shaft 90 from the position in which it is pivotally supported.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a vehicle seat capable of switching between a "normal state" of a seat body and a "moved state" moved from the normal state is known. The "moved state" includes, for example, a "slide movement state" in which the seat body is slid in a predetermined position in the front-rear direction of the seat from the normal state, a "reclining state" in which the seat body (seat back) is reclined from the normal state to a predetermined position, and the like. Among the above vehicle seats, there is a vehicle seat provided with a locking member that locks the movement operation of the seat body in the "normal state" and an operation lever that is operated to release the locked state of the locking member (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The vehicle seat described in Patent Document 1 is a seat capable of switching between a "normal state" and a "reclining state" of the seat body. The vehicle seat includes a locking mechanism that locks the movement operation of the seat body, a lever attachment member (case) attached to the shoulder of the seat body, and an operation lever (operation member) attached to the lever attachment member via a lever rotation shaft and rotating to release the locked state of the locking mechanism. The lever rotation shaft is press-fitted and attached into a shaft support portion provided in the lever attachment member.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0005] Incidentally, in vehicle seats such as those described in Patent Document 1, there was a need for a simpler structure for the switching device used to switch the state of the seat body. More specifically, in the vehicle seat described in Patent Document 1, the lever pivot shaft of the switching device is press-fitted into the lever mounting member, and specialized equipment and tools were required to perform this press-fitting work. Therefore, there was a need to simplify the assembly structure of each component, including the lever pivot shaft.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and the object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat that allows the switching device for switching the state of the seat body to have a simple structure. Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat in which the assembly structure of the components in a switching device for switching the state of the seat body has been simplified. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The aforementioned problems are solved by the vehicle seat of the present invention, which comprises a seat body having a seat back and a seat cushion, and the seat body being switchable between a normal state and a moved state obtained by moving it from the normal state, comprising: a locking member attached to the vehicle seat and locking the movement of the seat body when it is in the normal state; a lever mounting member attached to the vehicle seat; a lever pivot shaft supported by a shaft support portion provided on the lever mounting member; and an operating lever attached to the lever mounting member via the lever pivot shaft and operating to release the locked state of the locking member, wherein the lever mounting member is provided in a position that can abut the axial end of the lever pivot shaft and has a movement restricting portion that, by abutting the end of the lever pivot shaft, restricts the movement of the lever pivot shaft from the position supported by the shaft support portion. The above configuration makes it possible to realize a vehicle seat with a simple switching mechanism for switching the state of the seat body. In particular, the assembly structure of the components (lever pivot axis) in the switching mechanism can be simplified. More specifically, the lever mounting member is positioned to contact the axial end of the lever pivot shaft, and by contacting the end of the lever pivot shaft, it has a movement restricting portion that restricts the movement of the lever pivot shaft from the position supported by the shaft support portion. Therefore, a lever pivot shaft retention structure can be realized with a simple structure. For example, the work of press-fitting the lever pivot shaft into the lever mounting member, as in the conventional method, can be eliminated.

[0008] In this case, the vehicle seat comprises a lower rail fixed to the vehicle floor and an upper rail slidably mounted along the lower rail and supporting the seat body from below, and the moving state is a sliding movement state in which the seat body slides to a predetermined position in the front-rear direction of the seat relative to the vehicle floor, and the locking member is preferably a member that moves between a locked position in which the upper rail is locked to the lower rail so as not to slide and an unlocked position. The above configuration simplifies the assembly structure of the components in a rail system that includes a lower rail and an upper rail.

[0009] In this configuration, the lever pivot shaft is supported while inserted inside the shaft support portion, and the movement restricting portion contacts the end face of the lever pivot shaft, thereby restricting the movement of the lever pivot shaft away from the shaft support portion in the direction of insertion of the lever pivot shaft. The above configuration allows for easy assembly of the lever pivot shaft with a simple structure, and also restricts movement of the lever pivot shaft in the insertion direction after assembly.

[0010] In this case, the operating lever is mounted on the lever mounting member so as to be rotatable between a normal position and a rotated position obtained by rotating from the normal position, and the vehicle seat is interposed between the lever mounting member and the operating lever and includes a biasing member that biases the operating lever from the rotated position side to the normal position side, and the biasing member is mounted on the lever rotation axis or around the lever rotation axis and is preferably positioned at the end side of the axial ends of the lever rotation axis that the movement restricting portion abuts. As described above, the biasing member is positioned at one end of the lever's pivot shaft where the movement restricting portion makes contact. Therefore, the biasing member can be positioned more stably compared to its position at the other end of the lever's pivot shaft.

[0011] In this case, the movement restricting portion is preferably a leaf spring provided on the lever mounting member and protruding toward the end of the lever pivot shaft, and supports the lever pivot shaft so that it can be attached to and detached from the shaft support portion. With the above configuration, a simple structure using a leaf spring can be used to create a mechanism to prevent the lever's pivot shaft from coming loose.

[0012] In this case, the movement restricting portion has a first extension portion extending from the lever mounting member, a second extension portion extending from the extension end of the first extension portion in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the first extension portion and capable of deforming to bend with the extension end of the first extension portion as a fulcrum, and a contact portion provided on the second extension portion that abuts against the end of the lever pivot shaft, and it is preferable that the extension end of the first extension portion and the contact portion are positioned so as to straddle the axis of the lever pivot shaft when viewed in the axial direction of the lever pivot shaft. The above configuration makes it easier to flex the movement restricting part relative to the lever pivot axis (the end of the lever pivot axis). Therefore, when assembling the lever pivot axis, it becomes easy to flex the movement restricting part and temporarily retract it. This allows for easy assembly of the lever pivot shaft and prevents the lever pivot shaft from coming loose after assembly.

[0013] In this case, it is preferable that the first extension portion is formed to be wider than the second extension portion. With the above configuration, the rigidity at the base end of the movement restricting part (leaf spring) can be increased.

[0014] In this case, the operating lever is mounted on the lever mounting member so as to be retractable via the lever pivot shaft, and the lever mounting member has a main body for housing the operating lever, and a first reinforcing part and a second reinforcing part that protrude from the side surface of the main body in the width direction of the lever mounting member and extend so as to intersect each other on the side surface of the main body, and the movement restricting part is preferably attached to the part where the first reinforcing part and the second reinforcing part are connected or to the surrounding part. With the above configuration, the movement restricting part is attached to a relatively rigid part of the lever mounting member. Therefore, the rigidity of the base end of the movement restricting part (leaf spring) can be further increased.

[0015] In this case, the lever pivot shaft has a shaft body that is supported while being inserted inside the shaft support portion, and a shaft head that is provided at one end of the shaft body in the axial direction and abuts against the opening of the shaft support portion, and the movement restricting portion is provided at positions corresponding to both ends of the lever pivot shaft in the axial direction, and is positioned so as to overlap with the shaft head when viewed in the axial direction of the lever pivot shaft, but not so as to overlap with the shaft body portion. With the above configuration, the movement restricting part contacts one end of the lever rotation shaft (the end on the shaft head side) but does not contact the other end of the lever rotation shaft (the end on the shaft body side). By doing so, it is possible to avoid the other end of the lever pivot shaft unintentionally coming into contact with the movement restricting part when assembling the lever pivot shaft into the lever support part. In other words, the assembly structure of the lever pivot shaft can be simplified.

[0016] At this time, the vehicle seat includes a cover member that is disposed between the lever attachment member and the operation lever and is attached in a state of being housed inside the lever attachment member. The cover member has an engaging portion that engages with an engaged portion provided on a side surface of the lever attachment member, and it is preferable that the movement restricting portion is disposed at a position different from the engaged portion on the side surface of the lever attachment member. With the above configuration, when assembling the cover member (engaging portion) to the lever attachment member, it is possible to suppress interference between the movement restricting portion provided on the lever attachment member and the engaging portion.

Effects of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a vehicle seat in which a switching device for switching the state of the seat body has a simple structure. In addition, the assembly structure of the components in the switching device can be simplified. Also according to the present invention, the assembly structure of the components in the rail device can be simplified. Also according to the present invention, the lever rotation shaft can be easily assembled with a simple structure, and it is possible to restrict the movement of the lever rotation shaft after assembly. Also according to the present invention, the biasing member can be arranged more stably. Also according to the present invention, a retaining structure for the lever rotation shaft can be realized with a simple structure using a leaf spring. Also according to the present invention, the rigidity can be increased at the base end portion of the movement restricting portion. Also according to the present invention, when assembling the cover member (engaging portion) to the lever attachment member, it is possible to suppress interference between the movement restricting portion provided on the lever attachment member and the engaging portion.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view of the vehicle seat of the present embodiment. [Figure 2]This is a perspective view of the seat frame, which forms the framework of a vehicle seat. [Figure 3A] This is a side view of a vehicle seat when the seat body is in its "normal state". [Figure 3B] This is a close-up view of the key part of the operating lever (locked position). [Figure 3C] This is a magnified view of the main part of the locking mechanism (lock position). [Figure 4A] This is a side view of a vehicle seat when the seat itself is in a "moving state". [Figure 4B] This is a close-up view of the main part of the operating lever (unlocked position). [Figure 4C] This is an enlarged view of the main part of the locking mechanism (unlocked position). [Figure 5A] This is an assembly perspective view of the operating lever, cover member, and lever mounting member. [Figure 5B] Figure 5A is an exploded perspective view. [Figure 6] This is an assembly perspective view from a different angle. [Figure 7] This is an assembly diagram viewed from the rear of the seat, showing the assembled state of the operating lever and connecting wire. [Figure 8] This is an assembly diagram viewed from below, showing the assembled state of the lever mounting member and connecting wire. [Figure 9A] This diagram illustrates how to attach a connecting wire to the operating lever. [Figure 9B] This figure shows the state after the connecting wire has been attached to the operating lever, compared to the state shown in Figure 10A. [Figure 9C] This figure shows the state after the connecting wire has been assembled to the lever mounting member, compared to the state shown in Figure 10B. [Figure 10] This figure shows a modified example 1 of the operating lever. [Figure 11] This diagram illustrates the arrangement of the lever pivot axis, movement restricting mechanism, and biasing member. [Figure 12] This is a perspective view of a vehicle seat according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13]This is an assembly perspective view of the operating lever and lever mounting member of the second embodiment. [Figure 14] This figure shows a modified example of Figure 13. [Figure 15] This is a cross-sectional view taken along line XV-XV in Figure 14. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 15. This embodiment relates to a vehicle seat that can switch between a "normal state" and a "moving state," and is characterized by comprising a locking member that locks the movement of the seat body, a lever mounting member, and an operating lever attached to the lever mounting member via a lever pivot shaft that operates to release the lock state of the locking member, wherein the lever mounting member is provided in a position that can abut one end of the lever pivot shaft in the axial direction and has a movement restricting part that restricts the movement of the lever pivot shaft from the position in which it is pivotally supported. In vehicle seating, the side of the seat back that the occupant sits on is considered the front of the seat.

[0020] <First Embodiment> The vehicle seat S1 of the first embodiment is, as shown in Figure 1, a rear seat corresponding to, for example, the rear seat of a vehicle. It can also be used as a middle seat in the second row in a vehicle equipped with three rows of seats in the front-to-rear direction. As shown in Figures 3A and 4A, the vehicle seat S is a seat that can be switched between a "normal state (normal position)" in which the seat is located at a reference position in the front-to-back direction of the seat, and a "sliding state (sliding position)" in which the seat body is slid to a predetermined position in the front-to-back direction of the seat. Specifically, when the vehicle seat S is in the "normal state" shown in Figure 3A, the locking member 53 that locks the movement of the seat body is in the locked state (locked position) (see Figures 3B and 3C). When the occupant pulls the operating lever 60 located at the upper end of the seat body, the locking member 53 is released, and the seat body becomes able to slide in the front-to-back direction (see Figures 4A to 4C). After the seat body has slid to its predetermined position, when the occupant releases their hand from the operating lever 60, the locking member 53 switches from the unlocked state (unlocked position) to the locked state. In this way, the vehicle seat S switches from the "normal state" to the "sliding state" shown in Figure 4A.

[0021] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vehicle seat S comprises a seat body having a seat back 1, a seat cushion 2, and a headrest 3; a support base 30 that supports the seat body from below; and a reclining device 40 that rotatably connects the seat back 1 to the support base 30 and locks the rotational movement of the seat back 1. Furthermore, the vehicle seat S is mounted between the vehicle floor and the support base 30, and is equipped with a rail device 50 that supports the seat body so that it can move in the front-to-back direction, and also locks the movement of the seat body.

[0022] As shown in Figure 1, the seat back 1 is a backrest that supports the occupant's back from behind, and is constructed by placing a pad member 1a on a back frame 10, which forms the skeleton, as shown in Figure 2, and covering it with a surface material 1b. Furthermore, an operating lever 60 is attached to the left side of the upper surface of the seat back 1 in the direction of the seat width. The seat cushion 2 is a seating portion that supports the occupant from below, and is constructed by placing a pad material 2a on a cushion frame 20, which serves as the skeleton, as shown in Figure 2, and covering it with a surface material 2b. The headrest 3 is a headrest that supports the occupant's head from the rear, and is constructed by placing a pad member 3a on a pillar (not shown) which serves as a core material and covering it with a surface material 3b.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the back frame 10 consists of a rectangular frame-like body and is mainly composed of a frame-like main frame 11 made of pipe material and a plate-like panel frame 12 attached to the rear of the seat of the main frame 11. Left and right connecting brackets 13 for connecting to the support base 30 are attached to the outer surface of the lower part of the main frame 11. The connecting bracket 13 consists of a bow-shaped plate-like member that extends vertically, with the upper end of the connecting bracket 13 attached to the back frame 10 and the lower end attached to the support base 30. A reclining device 40 (reclining body 41) is attached to the lower end of the right-side connecting bracket 13, which rotatably connects the back frame 10 to the support base 30. A back pivot shaft 42, which is pivotally supported on the support base 30 in the seat width direction, is attached to the lower end of the left-side connecting bracket 13.

[0024] A mounting bracket 14 for attaching the operating lever 60 and the lever mounting member 80 from above is fixed to the left side portion of the upper surface of the back frame 10. The mounting bracket 14 may be fixed to the right side of the seat width direction on the upper surface of the back frame 10, or it may be fixed to the back surface of the back frame. Alternatively, the mounting bracket 14 may be fixed to the front surface of the cushion frame 20.

[0025] As shown in Figure 2, the cushion frame 20 consists of a roughly rectangular frame-like body and is mainly composed of side frames 21 arranged on the left and right sides, plate-shaped pan frames 22 (erecting frames) erected on the front portion of each side frame 21, pipe-shaped rear connecting frames 23 that connect the rear portions of each side frame 21, and a plurality of elastic springs 24 (elastic support members) that are attached to the pan frames 22 and the rear connecting frames 23 and extend in a snake-like manner in the front-rear direction of the seat.

[0026] The side frame 21 is a long, plate-shaped frame extending in the front-to-back direction of the seat. A connecting link 25 for connecting to the rail device 50 is attached to the front portion of the side frame 21. A cushion pivot shaft 26 for connecting to the back frame 10 is attached to the rear portion of the side frame 21. The connecting link 25 is a component that rotates to store the seat body (seat cushion 2) towards the vehicle floor, and is installed as a pair between the cushion frame 20 and the rail device 50.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, the support base 30 is a base member that supports the seat body and connects the back frame 10 (connecting bracket 13) and the rail device 50 (upper rail 52) in the vertical direction. More specifically, the support base 30 is arranged on the left and right sides in the width direction of the seat and comprises a roughly L-shaped side base portion 31 attached to the upper surface of the upper rail 52, and a pipe-shaped base connecting portion 32 that connects the left and right side base portions 31.

[0028] As shown in Figure 2, the reclining device 40 is positioned between the right-side connecting bracket 13 and the right-side support base 30 (base connecting portion 32) in the seat width direction. The reclining device 40 mainly consists of a reclining body 41 that is driven when the back frame 10 is rotated, a back rotation shaft 42, a spiral spring 43 that biases the back frame 10 to rotate forward around the back rotation shaft 42, a reclining operation lever (not shown) that is operated to release the locked state of the back frame 10, and a connecting wire (not shown) that connects the reclining operation lever and the reclining body 41.

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

[0030] In the above configuration, the reclining device 40 locks the back frame 10 in an upright position, and when the reclining operation lever is operated, the lock state of the back frame 10 is released, and the biasing force of the spiral spring 43 rotates the back frame 10 forward, allowing it to be folded toward the vehicle floor together with the cushion frame 20.

[0031] As shown in Figures 1-4C, the rail device 50 is a device that supports the seat body so that it can slide in the front-rear direction of the seat, and is positioned between the seat body and the vehicle floor. The rail device 50 includes left and right lower rails 51 fixed to the vehicle floor and extending in the front-rear direction of the seat, left and right upper rails 52 slidably supported along the lower rails 51, left and right locking members 53 that lock the upper rails 52 to the lower rails 51 so that they cannot slide, an operating lever 60 operated to release the locked state of the locking members 53, and left and right connecting wires 54 that connect the left and right locking members 53 and the operating lever 60.

[0032] As shown in Figures 3C and 4C, the locking member 53 is positioned between the left and right upper rails 52 and is a member that rotates between a locked position, which locks the upper rails 52 to the lower rail 51 so that they cannot slide, and an unlocked position. The left locking member 53 corresponds to the "first locking member 53A," and the right locking member 53 corresponds to the "second locking member 53B."

[0033] The locking member 53 mainly consists of a lock body 53a and a rotating lever 53c that connects the lock body 53a and the connecting wire 54, and rotates around a pivot axis 53b in response to the pulling of the connecting wire 54. The lock body 53a and the rotating lever 53c are biased to the locked position by a spring (not shown).

[0034] The lock body 53a is attached to the inner surface of the upper rail 52, and as the rotating lever 53c rotates, it operates (rotates) to disengage the engagement groove provided in the upper rail 52 from the engagement claw provided in the lower rail 51, thereby releasing the locked state of the upper rail 52. The rotating lever 53c is a vertically elongated rotating member that is attached to the inner surface of the upper rail 52 via a pivot shaft 53b. It functions as a transmission member that transmits the pulling action of the connecting wire 54 to the locking body 53a.

[0035] As shown in Figures 4A, B, and C, the connecting wire 54 is a connecting member that is pulled by the rotational movement of the operating lever 60 and acts to switch the locking member 53 from the locked position to the unlocked position. As shown in Figures 5A and 5B, the left connecting wire 54 corresponds to the "first connecting wire 54A," and the right connecting wire 54 corresponds to the "second connecting wire 54B."

[0036] The connecting wire 54 has one end 54a attached to the operating lever 60, a folded portion that extends downward from the one end 54a and is folded back, and the other end 54b that extends forward from the folded portion and is attached to the locking member 53 (rotating lever 53c). More specifically, as shown in Figures 5A and 5B, one end 54a of the connecting wire 54 is fitted with a T-shaped connector 55 that is attached to the operating lever 60 (mounting part 62), and a support 56 that is supported by the lever mounting member 80 (support part 86). The same applies to the other end 54b.

[0037] <<Operating lever, cover member, and lever mounting member>> As shown in Figures 3A to 6, the operating lever 60 is a lever that is rotated to release the locked state of the rail device 50, and is mounted on the upper surface of the seat back 1. More specifically, the operating lever 60 is housed in a cover member 70 and a lever mounting member 80 provided on the upper surface of the seat back 1. It is rotatably mounted to the lever mounting member 80 via a lever pivot shaft 90. The operating lever 60 is a long lever in the front-to-back direction of the seat, with its front end corresponding to the "base end" and its rear end corresponding to the "tip end".

[0038] The operating lever 60 is mounted so that it can rotate between the "normal position" shown in Figure 3B and the "rotated position" shown in Figure 4B, which is the result of rotating it from the normal position. The operating lever 60 is biased from the rotational position to the normal position by a biasing spring 95 interposed between the operating lever 60 and the lever mounting member 80.

[0039] As shown in Figures 5A and 5B, the operating lever 60 has an upper wall portion 60a that forms the outer surface of the operating lever 60 and extends in a curved manner in the front-rear direction of the seat, a front wall portion 60b that extends downward from the front end of the upper wall portion 60a, left and right side wall portions 60c that extend downward from the left and right sides of the upper wall portion 60a and are connected to the upper wall portion 60a and the front wall portion 60b, a bottom wall portion 60d that connects the left and right side wall portions 60c and protrudes toward the rear of the seat from the left and right side wall portions 60c, and left and right reinforcing wall portions 60e that connect the rear portions of the upper wall portion 60a and the bottom wall portion 60d, respectively. Furthermore, the operating lever 60 has left and right second side wall portions 60f that protrude downward from the left and right sides of the bottom wall portion 60d (see Figure 7). The side wall portion 60c and the second side wall portion 60f are positioned opposite each other in the sheet width direction, with the side wall portion 60c positioned further outward than the second side wall portion 60f.

[0040] The operating lever 60 is formed on the left and right side walls 60c, and has left and right shaft support portions 61 that protrude outward in the seat width direction from each side wall 60c and pivotally support the lever pivot shaft 90. Furthermore, the operating lever 60 has a first mounting portion 62A formed across the left side wall portion 60c and the second side wall portion 60f for attaching the connector 55 of the first connecting wire 54A, and a second mounting portion 62B formed across the right side wall portion 60c and the second side wall portion 60f for attaching the connector 55 of the second connecting wire 54B. Furthermore, the operating lever 60 protrudes from the rear end portion of the upper wall portion 60a toward the rear of the seat and has a lever operating portion 64 for the occupant to grip with their finger. The lever operating portion 64 is formed to be substantially flush with the upper surface of the cover member 70.

[0041] As shown in Figures 5B and 11, the left and right shaft support portions 61 have shaft support holes through which the lever rotation shaft 90 can be inserted along the width direction of the seat. Specifically, by inserting the lever rotation shaft 90 from the left shaft support portion 61, the left and right shaft support portions 61 can pivotally support the lever rotation shaft 90. Furthermore, the shaft support portion 61 is preferably surrounded by multiple reinforcing ribs. For example, the reinforcing ribs may protrude outward from the side wall portion 60c and connect the upper wall portion 60a and the shaft support portion 61.

[0042] As shown in Figures 5B and 7, the first mounting portion 62A (62) is an elongated elliptical mounting hole in the vertical direction, which holds the connector 55 of the first connecting wire 54A by sandwiching it. More specifically, the first mounting portion 62A (62) holds the connector 55 from the front-rear direction and from below through an outer through hole 62a formed in the side wall portion 60c and an inner through hole 62b formed in the second side wall portion 60f. Furthermore, the operating lever 60 has a notch formed in the rear end of the second side wall portion 60f, and further has a wire passage portion 63 (wire passage hole) for guiding the first connecting wire 54A into the first mounting portion 62A. The same applies to the second mounting portion 62B.

[0043] As shown in Figures 3A to 6, the cover member 70 is a cover plate that supports the operating lever 60, and is attached to the lever mounting member 80 while being housed inside the lever mounting member 80. Specifically, the cover member 70 is configured to sandwich a portion of the surface material 1b (the outer periphery of the opening formed in the surface material 1b) between itself and the lever mounting member 80. This improves the appearance of the area around the operating lever 60.

[0044] As shown in Figure 5B, the cover member 70 has a box shape with an open bottom. More specifically, the cover member 70 is mainly composed of left and right side wall portions 70a arranged at predetermined intervals in the sheet width direction, a front wall portion 70b connecting the front ends of the left and right side wall portions 70a, a bottom wall portion 70c connecting the lower ends of the left and right side wall portions 70a, left and right lateral flange portions 70d extending outward in the sheet width direction from the upper and rear ends of the left and right side wall portions 70a, a front flange portion 70e extending forward from the upper end of the front wall portion 70b, and a rear flange portion 70f extending downward from the rear end of the bottom wall portion 70c.

[0045] A roughly rectangular cover opening 71 is formed in the front portion of the bottom wall portion 70c of the cover member 70, extending vertically. The cover opening 71 is an opening formed by cutting out from the bottom wall portion 70c to the lower portion of the left and right side wall portions 70a. The lower portion of the operating lever 60 is assembled so as to pass through the cover member 70 through the cover opening 71. The lever pivot shaft 90 is also assembled so as to pass through the cover member 70.

[0046] As shown in Figures 5B and 6, the cover member 70 has left and right cover engaging claws 72 that protrude outward from the left and right side wall portions 70a and engage with the lever mounting member 80 (engagement hole 82). Furthermore, the cover member 70 has left and right cover engagement protrusions 73 that protrude downward from the left and right lateral flange portions 70d and engage with the lever mounting member 80 (engagement recess 83), and a second cover engagement protrusion 74 that protrudes downward from the bottom wall portion 70c and engages with the lever mounting member 80 (second engagement recess 84).

[0047] In the above configuration, as shown in Figure 1, the operating lever 60 and the cover member 70 are assembled to the back frame 10 (lever mounting member 80) such that they are partially exposed from the outer surface of the seat back 1. When the operating lever 60 is in the locked position, the outer surface of the seat back 1, the outer surface of the operating lever 60, and the outer surface of the cover member 70 are substantially flush. By doing so, the operating lever 60 can be compactly positioned on the upper part of the seat back 1 without compromising the design aesthetics of the vehicle seat S.

[0048] As shown in Figures 2, 5A, 5B, and 6, the lever mounting member 80 is a storage plate that rotatably supports the operating lever 60, and is mounted by being partially fitted into the mounting bracket 14 of the back frame 10.

[0049] As shown in Figure 5B, the lever mounting member 80 has a box shape with an open rear surface. More specifically, the lever mounting member 80 has left and right side wall portions 80a in an inverted L shape, which are spaced apart in the seat width direction; a front wall portion 80b that connects the front ends of the left and right side wall portions 80a; a bottom wall portion 80c that connects the lower ends of the front portions of the left and right side wall portions 80a; a second bottom wall portion 80d that connects the lower ends of the rear portions of the left and right side wall portions 80a; and a rear wall portion 80e that connects the rear end of the bottom wall portion 80c and the front end of the second bottom wall portion. Furthermore, the lever mounting member 80 has left and right lateral flange portions 80f that protrude outward in the seat width direction from the upper and rear ends of the left and right side wall portions 80a, and a front flange portion 80g that protrudes forward from the upper end of the front wall portion 80b.

[0050] As shown in Figures 5B and 6, the lever mounting member 80 has left and right shaft support portions 81 formed in the front portion of the left and right side wall portions 80a, which pivotally support the lever rotation shaft 90. Furthermore, the lever mounting member 80 is formed in the rear portion of the left and right side wall portions 70a and has left and right engagement holes 82 that engage with the cover member 70 (cover engagement claws 72). Furthermore, the lever mounting member 80 has left and right engaging recesses 83 formed on the upper surface of the left and right lateral flange portions 80f that engage with the cover member 70 (cover engaging projection 73), and a second engaging recess 84 formed on the second bottom wall portion 80d that engages with the cover member 70 (second cover engaging projection 74).

[0051] Multiple engagement holes 82 are formed in the side wall portion 80a at different positions in the front-rear direction and the up-down direction of the sheet. The engaging recess 83 is formed in the lateral flange portion 80f so as to extend along the front-rear direction of the sheet. Multiple second engagement recesses 84 are formed so as to be aligned in the width direction of the sheet. Furthermore, it is sufficient that the cover engaging claw 72 and engaging hole 82, the cover engaging projection 73 and engaging recess 83, and the second cover engaging projection 74 and second engaging recess 84 each have a shape that allows them to engage with each other, and they can be engaged by any engaging means.

[0052] <<Common opening, first support, second support>> As shown in Figures 6 to 8, the lever mounting member 80 has a substantially rectangular opening 85 in the rear wall portion 80e that penetrates in the front-rear direction of the seat. The opening 85 is a vertically elongated opening that corresponds to a "common opening" formed to guide the first connecting wire 54A into the first mounting portion 62A and the second connecting wire 54B into the second mounting portion 62B.

[0053] Furthermore, the lever mounting member 80 is formed in the bottom wall portion 80c and includes a first support portion 86A for supporting the support 56 of the first connecting wire 54A, a second support portion 86B for supporting the support 56 of the second connecting wire 54B, and a common guide hole 87 formed to guide the first connecting wire 54A into the first support portion 86A and the second connecting wire 54B into the second support portion 86B.

[0054] As shown in Figure 8, the guide hole 87 is formed by cutting a notch forward from the rear end of the bottom wall portion 80c, and forms a passage from the opening 85 to the first support portion 86A and the second support portion 86B. More specifically, the guide hole 87 has a first hole portion 87a that is formed to be narrower than the opening 85 and is continuous with the opening 85, and left and right second hole portions 87b that are formed to be continuous with the first hole portion 87a and branch off from the first hole portion 87a, extending toward the first support portion 86A and the second support portion 86B, respectively. The left and right second holes 87b each extend in a direction intersecting the direction of operation of the operating lever 60.

[0055] The first support portion 86A is a support hole that holds the support device 56 of the first connecting wire 54A by sandwiching it. Furthermore, the second support portion 86B is a support hole that holds the support member 56 of the second connecting wire 54B by sandwiching it between them. The first support portion 86A and the second support portion 86B are positioned side by side in the seat width direction and are positioned symmetrically on the lever mounting member 80.

[0056] <<Method for assembling connecting wires>> Next, the method for attaching the connecting wire 54 to the operating lever 60 will be explained based on Figures 9A to 9C.

[0057] Figure 9A illustrates the assembled state of the operating lever 60, cover member 70, lever mounting member 80, and lever pivot shaft 90. The cover member 70 is omitted from the diagram. Figure 9B shows the state after the connecting wire 54 (connector 55) has been attached to the operating lever 60 (mounting part 62) from the state shown in Figure 9A. Figure 9C shows the state after attaching the connecting wire 54 (support member 56) to the lever mounting member 80 (support part 86) from the state shown in Figure 9B.

[0058] First, the worker performs the step (step S1) of attaching the connector 55 of the first connecting wire 54A to the first mounting portion 62A of the operating lever 60 from the rear (see Figure 9A). To explain in more detail, first, the connector 55 of the first connecting wire 54A is moved to the space R located between the first mounting portion 62A and the second mounting portion 62B of the operating lever 60 (step S1-1). At this time, the first connecting wire 54A (connector 55) can reach the operating lever 60 by passing through the opening 85 of the lever mounting member 80. Furthermore, the coupling 55 is positioned in the front-rear direction of the seat by contacting a guide member 65 provided in the space R of the operating lever 60. The guide member 65 is a protruding member that is attached to the front wall portion 60b of the operating lever 60 and protrudes toward the rear of the seat. The guide member 65 is positioned in the center between the first mounting portion 62A and the second mounting portion 62B. As an example of a modified guide member 65, as shown in Figure 10, the guide member 65 may be a protruding member with a substantially U-shaped cross-section. That is, the guide member 65 may be composed of left and right side wall portions and a contact wall portion that connects the left and right side wall portions and abuts against the connector 55.

[0059] Then, as shown in Figure 9B, the first connecting wire 54A and the connector 55 are moved outward in the width direction of the operating lever 60 (step S1-2). At this time, the first connecting wire 54A needs to be moved in a long direction in the front-rear direction of the seat in order to pass through the wire passage portion 63 of the operating lever 60. By doing so, the first connecting wire 54A can pass through the wire passage portion 63 and the connector 55 can pass through the inner through hole 62b. The connector 55 is inserted into both the side wall portion 60c (outer through hole 62a) and the second side wall portion 60f (inner through hole 62b), and one end of the first connecting wire 54A is located in the space R2 between the side wall portion 60c and the second side wall portion 60f.

[0060] Then, as shown in Figure 9B, the connector 55 of the first connecting wire 54A is assembled to the first mounting part 62A (step S1-3). Specifically, the connector 55 is inserted slightly downwards, and the connector 55 is held in place by the outer through hole 62a and the inner through hole 62b.

[0061] Subsequently, as shown in Figure 9C, the worker performs the step (step S2) of assembling the support 56 for the first connecting wire 54A to the first support portion 86A of the lever mounting member 80 from the rear. To explain in more detail, first, the first connecting wire 54A is rotated downwards using the connector 55 as a pivot point and moved toward the lever mounting member 80 (first support part 86A) (step S2-1). At this time, the support member 56 can move toward the first support member 86A by passing through the opening 85 of the lever mounting member 80.

[0062] Then, as shown in Figure 9C, the support member 56 is inserted into the guide hole 87 (step S2-2). At this time, by tilting the first connecting wire 54A toward the center position in the width direction of the lever mounting member 80, the support member 56 can be inserted into the guide hole 87 (first hole portion 87a).

[0063] Then, the support member 56 is assembled to the first support part 86A (step S2-3). Specifically, the support member 56 is inserted into the first support portion 86A (first support hole) while being guided by the guide hole 87 (second hole portion 87b). In this way, the support member 56 is sandwiched between the first support portion 86A in the front-to-back direction of the sheet.

[0064] Subsequently, the worker performs the step (step S3) of attaching the connector 55 of the second connecting wire 54B to the second mounting portion 62B of the operating lever 60 from the rear. Then, the worker performs the step (step S4) of assembling the support 56 for the second connecting wire 54B to the second support portion 86B of the lever mounting member 80 from the rear. The series of work processes is completed after going through steps S1 to S4 described above.

[0065] With the above method of assembling the connecting wire 54, the first connecting wire 54A and the second connecting wire 54B can be easily assembled with a simple structure, and the first connecting wire 54A and the second connecting wire 54B can be assembled stably.

[0066] In addition, as shown in Figure 7, in the above configuration, the first mounting portion 62A and the second mounting portion 62B of the operating lever 60 are positioned inward from both edges of the opening 85 in the width direction of the opening 85, and are positioned below the upper edge of the opening 85. Furthermore, the first mounting portion 62A and the second mounting portion 62B are positioned symmetrically on the operating lever 60. This makes it easier to visually inspect the first connecting wire 54A and the second connecting wire 54B from the outside through the opening 85. As a result, the assembly structure can be further simplified.

[0067] In the above configuration, as shown in Figures 7, 8, and 9C, the first mounting portion 62A and the first support portion 86A are positioned so as to overlap in the direction of alignment of the first connecting wire 54A and the second connecting wire 54B, and also so as to overlap in the direction of operation of the operating lever 60. Furthermore, the second mounting portion 62B and the second support portion 86B are positioned to overlap in the direction of alignment described above, and are also positioned to overlap in the direction of operation of the operating lever 60. Therefore, the assembly structure of the operating lever 60, the lever mounting member 80, and the multiple connecting wires 54 can be simplified. In addition, the operating efficiency of the first connecting wire 54A and the second connecting wire 54B by the operating lever 60 can be improved.

[0068] <<Movement Restriction Department>> As shown in Figures 6 and 11, the lever mounting member 80 has left and right movement restricting portions 88 formed on the outer surfaces of the left and right side wall portions 80a, positioned to abut against one end of the lever pivot shaft 90 in the axial direction, and restricting movement of the lever pivot shaft 90 from the position where it is pivotally supported. More specifically, the lever mounting member 80 has a first reinforcing portion 89A and a second reinforcing portion 89B that protrude outward from the outer surface of the side wall portion 80a and extend so as to intersect each other on the outer surface of the side wall portion 80a. The movement restricting section 88 is integrally attached to a connecting section 89C, which connects a first reinforcing section 89A extending in the vertical direction and a second reinforcing section 89B extending in the front-rear direction. The movement restriction section 88 may also be attached to the area surrounding the connecting section 89C.

[0069] The movement restricting part 88 is a leaf spring that has the connecting part 89C as its base end and protrudes from the base end toward the end of the lever pivot shaft 90, and supports the lever pivot shaft 90 so that it can be attached and detached. The movement restricting portion 88 includes a first extension portion 88a extending forward from the connecting portion 89C of the lever mounting member 80, a second extension portion 88b extending from the extension end of the first extension portion 88a in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the first extension portion 88a (upward), and a contact portion 88c protruding from the second extension portion 88b toward the lever rotation axis 90 and abutting against one end of the lever rotation axis 90.

[0070] As shown in Figure 11, the first extension portion 88a is formed to be wider than the second extension portion 88b. The second extension 88b is deformable so as to bend with the extension end of the first extension 88a as a fulcrum. The contact portion 88c protrudes from the extended end of the second extended portion 88b in a direction intersecting (orthogonal to) the extension direction of the second extended portion 88b, and contacts the shaft head 92 of the lever pivot shaft 90.

[0071] As shown in Figure 11, the lever pivot shaft 90 has a long shaft body portion 91 that is supported while being inserted inside the lever mounting member 80 (shaft support portion 81), and a shaft head portion 92 provided at one axial end of the shaft body portion 91 and in contact with the opening of the shaft support portion 81. The movement restricting portion 88 (contact portion 88c) restricts the movement of the lever pivot shaft 90 by contacting the end face (more precisely, the outer circumference of the end face) of the shaft head 92.

[0072] In the above configuration, the movement restricting parts 88 are provided at positions corresponding to both ends in the axial direction of the lever rotation axis 90. As shown in Figure 11, the movement restricting portion 88 (contact portion 88c) is positioned so as to overlap with the shaft head portion 92 when viewed in the axial direction of the lever pivot shaft 90, but not so as to overlap with the shaft body portion 91. Therefore, the movement restricting part 88 is configured to contact one end of the lever pivot shaft 90 (the end on the shaft head side 92) while not contacting the other end of the lever pivot shaft 90 (the end on the shaft body side 91). By doing so, when assembling the lever pivot shaft 90 into the lever mounting member 80 (shaft support portion 81), it is possible to avoid the other end of the lever pivot shaft 90 unintentionally coming into contact with the movement restricting portion 88. In other words, the assembly structure of the lever pivot shaft 90 can be simplified.

[0073] In the above configuration, as shown in Figure 11, when the movement restricting portion 88 is viewed in the axial direction of the lever pivot shaft 90, the extended end of the first extended portion 88a and the contact portion 88c are positioned with the axis of the lever pivot shaft 90 in between. By doing so, the movement restricting portion 88 can be easily bent relative to one end of the lever pivot shaft 90. In other words, when assembling the lever pivot shaft 90, it becomes easy to bend the movement restricting portion 88 and temporarily retract it. Therefore, the lever pivot shaft 90 can be easily assembled, and it is also possible to prevent the lever pivot shaft 90 from coming loose after assembly.

[0074] In the above configuration, as shown in Figure 11, the biasing spring 95 is attached to the lever pivot shaft 90 and is positioned at one end of the axial ends of the lever pivot shaft 90 where the movement restricting portion 88 makes contact. By doing so, the biasing spring 95 can be positioned more stably compared to the position of the other end of the lever pivot shaft 90. The biasing spring 95 may also be attached to a position around the lever pivot axis 90.

[0075] In the above configuration, as shown in Figure 6, the movement restricting portion 88 is positioned on the outer surface of the lever mounting member 80 at a different location from the plurality of engagement holes 82. By doing so, interference between the movement restricting portion 88 and the cover engaging claw 72 can be prevented when assembling the cover member 70 (cover engaging claw 72) to the lever mounting member 80.

[0076] In the above configuration, as shown in Figure 6, the first reinforcing portion 89A and the second reinforcing portion 89B are connected, and the first reinforcing portion 89A is connected to the lateral flange portion 80f, and the second reinforcing portion 89B is also connected to the lateral flange portion 80f. Furthermore, the first reinforcing portion 89A and the second reinforcing portion 89B are arranged to surround the plurality of engagement holes 82. This increases the rigidity of the lever mounting member 80. In particular, it increases the rigidity of the engagement hole 82 and the movement restricting portion 88.

[0077] In the above configuration, as shown in Figure 6, the lever mounting member 80 has reinforcing ribs 89D and 89E that protrude outward from the outer surface of the side wall portion 80a and extend in the vertical direction. The reinforcing ribs 89D and 89E are spaced apart in the front-rear direction. Reinforcing rib 89D is connected to the shaft support portion 81, and reinforcing rib 89E is connected to the second reinforcing portion 89B. By doing so, the rigidity of the portion of the lever mounting member 80 surrounding the lever pivot axis 90 can be increased.

[0078] In the above configuration, as shown in Figure 11, the protrusion amounts of the first reinforcing portion 89A and the second reinforcing portion 89B are greater than the protrusion amount of the movement restricting portion 88. By doing so, the rigidity of the movement restricting section 88 can be increased.

[0079] In the above configuration, when the cover engaging claw 72 engages with the engaging hole 82, the tip of the cover engaging claw 72 protrudes outward from the movement restricting portion 88. By doing so, the assembly rigidity of the cover member 70 and the lever mounting member 80 can be increased.

[0080] In the above configuration, as shown in Figure 11, the movement restricting section 88 extends along the extension directions of the first reinforcing section 89A and the second reinforcing section 89B, respectively. In other words, the movement restricting section 88 is arranged to be aligned with the first reinforcing section 89A and the second reinforcing section 89B, respectively. Furthermore, the base end of the movement restricting section 88 is positioned close to one end of the lever pivot shaft 90. By doing so, the rigidity of the movement restricting section 88 can be further increased.

[0081] <Second Embodiment> Next, the vehicle seat S2 of the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 12 and 13. Note that explanations that overlap with the vehicle seat S1 described above will be omitted. The vehicle seat S2 differs from the vehicle seat S1 mainly in that it does not have a cover member 70, but instead has a lever mounting member 180 in which the cover member 70 and the lever mounting member 80 are integrated. The vehicle seat S2 includes a lever mounting member 180 provided on the upper surface of the seat back 102, and an operating lever 160 that is rotatably attached to the lever mounting member 180 via a lever pivot shaft 190.

[0082] The operating lever 160 is a lever that is operated to release the locked state of the rail device 150, and is directly housed in the lever mounting member 180. The operating lever 160 has a shaft support portion that pivotally supports the lever pivot shaft 190, a first mounting portion 162A to which one end of the first connecting wire 154A is attached, and a second mounting portion 162B to which one end of the second connecting wire 154B is attached.

[0083] The lever mounting member 180 is a storage plate that rotatably supports the operating lever 160, and is attached by being partially fitted into the mounting bracket of the back frame 110. The lever mounting member 180 has a box shape with an open bottom. More specifically, the lever mounting member 180 has left and right side walls 180a, a front wall 180b, a bottom wall 180c, a rear wall 180e, left and right lateral flanges 180f, and a front flange 180g.

[0084] The lever mounting member 180 is formed in the front portion of the left and right side wall portions 180a and has left and right shaft support portions 181 (shaft support holes) that pivotally support the lever rotation shaft 90. Furthermore, the lever mounting member 180 has a substantially rectangular opening 185 that penetrates vertically through the bottom wall portion 180c. Furthermore, the lever mounting member 180 is formed on the outer surfaces of the left and right side wall portions 180a and is provided in a position where it can abut against one end of the lever pivot shaft 190 in the axial direction, and has left and right movement restricting portions 188 that restrict the movement of the lever pivot shaft 190.

[0085] In the above configuration, as shown in Figure 13, the side wall portion 180a is positioned so as not to cover one end of the connecting wire 154 (connector 155) from the outside. In other words, when viewed in the axial direction of the lever pivot shaft 190, the side wall portion 180a and one end of the connecting wire 154 are positioned so as not to overlap. This makes it easy to check the assembly status of the connecting wire 154.

[0086] As a modified example of the above configuration, as shown in Figures 14 and 15, the side wall portion 180a may be arranged to cover the lever pivot shaft 190 from the outside, and also to cover one end of the connecting wire 154 (connector 155) from the outside. Specifically, the lever mounting member 180 may further have a hanging portion 180h that hangs downward from the front portion of the side wall portion 180a. It is preferable that the hanging portion 180h covers one end of the connecting wire 154 from the outside and also restricts the position of the connector 155. By doing so, the position of the connecting wire 154 (connector 155) can be restricted with a simple configuration without increasing the number of components. In addition, the connector 155 can be easily assembled. Preferably, the hanging portion 180h has a bent shape and is bent inward toward the connector 155. This allows the hanging portion 180h to suitably restrict the position of the connector 155 without increasing the thickness of the side wall portion 180a. It also improves the rigidity of the hanging portion 180h. As shown in Figure 14, the lever mounting member 180 has frame engaging portions 180i formed on the outer surfaces of the left and right side wall portions 180a that engage with the engaged portions provided on the back frame 110 (mounting bracket). Therefore, the lever mounting member 180 can be easily assembled to the back frame 110.

[0087] In the above configuration, as shown in Figure 13, a portion of the operating lever 160 (the lower end) passes through the opening 185 formed in the lever mounting member 180 and protrudes downward toward the first connecting wire 154A and the second connecting wire 154B. This allows the operating lever 160, the lever mounting member 180, and the multiple connecting wires 154 to be arranged compactly. Furthermore, the process of attaching the first connecting wire 154A and the second connecting wire 154B to the operating lever 160 becomes easier.

[0088] In the above configuration, as shown in Figure 12, the lever mounting member 180 is attached to the back frame 110 (mounting bracket) such that it is partially exposed from the outer surface of the seat back 101. By doing so, for example, the lever mounting member 180 attached to the back frame 110 and the cover material (bezel) partially exposed from the outer surface of the seat back 101 can be integrated. This makes it possible to reduce the number of component parts.

[0089] In the above configuration, for example, the back frame 110 may have a first support part (corresponding to the first support part 86A) that supports the first connecting wire 154A and a second support part (corresponding to the second support part 86B) that supports the second connecting wire 154B. Furthermore, it is preferable that the first mounting portion 162A and the first support portion are positioned so as to overlap in the direction of alignment of the first connecting wire 154A and the second connecting wire 154B, and also so as to overlap in the direction of operation of the operating lever 160. The second mounting portion 162B and the second support portion are also preferably positioned so as to overlap in the direction of alignment described above, and also so as to overlap in the direction of operation of the operating lever 160. This allows the operating lever 160, the lever mounting member 180, and the multiple connecting wires 154 to be arranged compactly. Furthermore, the process of attaching the first connecting wire 154A and the second connecting wire 154B to the lever mounting member 180 becomes easier.

[0090] <Other embodiments> In the above embodiment, the "movement state" of the seat body is described as corresponding to the "sliding movement state," but this is not particularly limited. For example, the "moving state" may correspond to the "reclining state" where the seat body (seat back) is tilted backward to a predetermined position. Alternatively, it may correspond to the "storage state" where the seat body is stored towards the vehicle floor, or the "tip-up state" where the seat body (seat back) is flipped up to a predetermined position. For example, if the vehicle seat S is equipped with a height linkage device, the "moving state" may also refer to the "height-changed state" in which the height position of the seat body has been changed. For example, if the vehicle seat S is equipped with an ottoman device, the "moving state" may also refer to the "ottoman deployed state" in which the leg support members, which are part of the seat body, are deployed.

[0091] In the above embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the vehicle seat S is equipped with a reclining device 40 and a rail device 50, but the reclining device 40 may be omitted without any particular limitation. Alternatively, the rail device 50 may be omitted. If the reclining device 40 is not required, it is preferable that the vehicle seat S is equipped with a rail device 50. If the rail device 50 is not required, it is preferable that the vehicle seat S is equipped with a reclining device 40. In this case, it is preferable that the reclining operation lever corresponds to the "operating lever" and the reclining body corresponds to the "locking member". Furthermore, it is preferable that the moving state of the vehicle seat S corresponds to the "reclined state".

[0092] In the above embodiment, the left locking member 53 in the rail device 50 corresponds to the "first locking member," and the right locking member 53 corresponds to the "second locking member," but this is not particularly limited. For example, the "first locking member" may correspond to the reclining body 41 of the reclining device 40, and the "second locking member" may correspond to the locking member 53 of the rail device 50. Alternatively, for example, the "first locking member" may correspond to the reclining body 41 of the reclining device 40, and the "second locking member" may correspond to the locking member of a height link device (not shown).

[0093] In the above embodiment, the vehicle seat S (rail device 50) has a plurality of locking members 53 and a plurality of connecting wires 54, but is not particularly limited. For example, the rail device 50 may have one locking member 53 and one connecting wire 54.

[0094] In the above embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the operating lever 60 is attached to the left portion of the upper surface of the seat back 1, but this is not particularly limited and can be changed. For example, the operating lever 60 may be attached to the right side of the upper surface of the seat back 1, or it may be attached to the left outer side, right outer side, or rear of the seat back 1. Alternatively, the operating lever 60 may be attached to the front, bottom, or rear of the seat cushion 2. Or, it may be attached to the left outer side or the right outer side of the seat cushion 2.

[0095] In the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the operating lever 60 is a lever that is elongated in the front-rear direction of the seat, and the lever pivot shaft 90 is pivotally supported at its front end portion (base end portion), but this is not particularly limited and can be changed. For example, the lever pivot shaft 90 may be pivotally supported at the rear end of the operating lever 60. In that case, the rear end of the operating lever 60 corresponds to the "base end," and its front end corresponds to the "tip end." Alternatively, for example, the operating lever 60 may be a lever that is elongated in the seat width direction, and a lever pivot shaft 90 that is elongated in the seat front-rear direction may be pivotally supported at one end of the lever in the seat width direction. In that case, one end of the operating lever 60 corresponds to the "base end," and the other end corresponds to the "tip."

[0096] In the above embodiment, as shown in Figure 11, the movement restricting portion 88 is a flexible leaf spring integrally formed with the lever mounting member 80, but it is not particularly limited and can be changed. For example, the movement restricting part 88 may be a hinge member having a hinge mechanism, which is separately attached to the lever mounting member 80. Even with this configuration, the movement restricting part 88 can detachably support the lever pivot shaft 90. Alternatively, the movement restricting section 88 may be a member having a sliding mechanism. Even with this configuration, the movement restricting section 88 can detachably support the lever pivot shaft 90.

[0097] In the above embodiment, a vehicle seat used in an automobile was described as a specific example, but it is not particularly limited and can be used for various types of seats, including motorcycle seats, seats in trains and buses, seats in airplanes and ships, as well as office chairs for work, wheelchairs, and children's seats in shopping carts.

[0098] In this embodiment, the vehicle seat according to the present invention was described primarily. However, the embodiments described above are merely examples to facilitate understanding of the present invention and do not limit it. The present invention can be modified and improved without departing from its spirit, and of course, equivalents thereof are included. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0099] S, S2 Vehicle Seats Sa seat frame 1. 101 Seatback 1a, 2a, 3a Pad members 1b, 2b, 3b Skin material 2,102 Seat Cushion 3 Headrests 10, 110 back frame 11 Mainframe 12 Panel Frame 13 Connecting brackets 14 Mounting brackets 20 Cushion Frames 21 Side Frames 22 Pan Frames 23 Rear connecting frame 24 Elastic springs 25 Linking Links 26 Cushion pivot shaft 30 Support base 31 Side base section 32 Base connection section 40 Reclining devices 41 Reclining chair body 42 Back pivot axis 43. Spiral spring 50, 150 rail device 51 Lower Rail 52 Upper Rail 53 Locking member 53A First locking member 53B Second locking member 53a Lock body 53b Rotary shaft 53c Rotating lever 54, 154 Connecting wire (connecting component) 54A, 154A First connecting wire 54B, 154B Second connecting wire 54a One end 54b Other end 55, 155 connectors 56 Supports 60, 160 Operating lever (rail operating lever) 60a Upper wall section 60b Front wall 60c side wall part 60d bottom wall 60e Reinforced wall section 60f 2nd side wall part 61, 161 Shaft support part 62, 162 Mounting part 62A, 162A First mounting section 62B, 162B Second mounting section 62a Outside through hole 62b Internal through hole 63 Wire threading section 64 Lever operating section 65 Guide member 70 Cover component 70a Side wall part 70b Front wall 70c bottom wall 70d Side flange section 70e Front flange section 70f Rear flange section 71 Cover opening 72 Cover engaging claw (engaging part) 73 Cover engagement protrusion 74 Second cover engagement projection 80, 180 Lever mounting member 80a, 180a side wall 80b, 180b front wall 80c, 180c bottom wall 80d Second bottom wall 80e, 180e rear wall 80f, 180f Side flange section 80g, 180g Front flange section 180h Hanging part 180i Frame engagement part 81, 181 Shaft support part 82 Engagement hole (engaged part) 83 Engaging recess 84 Second engagement recess 85, 185 opening 86 Support part 86A 1st support part 86B 2nd support part 87 Guide hole (guide section) 87a 1st hole 87b 2nd hole 88, 188 Movement Restriction Department 88a 1st extension 88b 2nd extension 88c Contact part 89A First Reinforcement Section 89B Second Reinforcement Section 89C connection part 89D, 89E Reinforcement section 90, 190 Lever pivot axis 91 Shaft body 92 Shaft head 95. Biasing spring (biasing member) R, R2 space

Claims

1. The seat body includes a seat back and a seat cushion, A vehicle seat that can switch between a normal state and a moving state in which the seat body has been moved from the normal state, A locking member attached to the vehicle seat, which locks the movement of the seat body when in the normal state, A lever mounting member attached to the vehicle seat, The lever pivot shaft is supported by the shaft support portion provided on the lever mounting member, The lever mounting member is attached via the lever pivot shaft and includes an operating lever that operates to release the locked state of the locking member, The seat for a vehicle is characterized in that the lever mounting member is provided at a position where it can abut against the axial end of the lever pivot shaft, and has a movement restricting portion that, by abutting against the end of the lever pivot shaft, restricts the movement of the lever pivot shaft from the position supported by the shaft support portion.

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

3. The lever pivot shaft is supported while being inserted inside the shaft support portion. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the movement restricting portion contacts the end face of the lever pivot shaft, thereby restricting the movement of the lever pivot shaft from the shaft support portion in the insertion direction of the lever pivot shaft.

4. The operating lever is mounted on the lever mounting member so as to be rotatable between a normal position and a rotated position obtained by rotating from the normal position. The vehicle seat includes a biasing member interposed between the lever mounting member and the operating lever, which biases the operating lever from the rotational position side to the normal position side. The biasing member is Attached to the lever pivot shaft or around the lever pivot shaft, The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it is positioned at the end side of the axial ends of the lever pivot shaft that the movement restricting portion contacts.

5. The aforementioned movement control unit is, A leaf spring provided on the lever mounting member and protruding toward the end of the lever pivot shaft, A vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the lever pivot shaft is supported in a manner that allows it to be detached from the shaft support portion.

6. The aforementioned movement control unit is, The first extension portion extending from the lever mounting member, A second extension extends from the extension end of the first extension in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the first extension, and is deformable to bend with the extension end of the first extension as a fulcrum, The second extension portion is provided with a contact portion that abuts against the end of the lever pivot shaft, The vehicle seat according to claim 5, characterized in that, when viewed in the axial direction of the lever rotation shaft, the extended end of the first extension and the contact portion are positioned with the axis of the lever rotation shaft in between.

7. The vehicle seat according to claim 6, characterized in that the first extension portion is formed to be wider than the second extension portion.

8. The operating lever is mounted on the lever mounting member so as to be retractable via the lever pivot shaft. The lever mounting member is A main body for housing the aforementioned operating lever, It has a first reinforcing portion and a second reinforcing portion that protrude from the side surface of the main body in the width direction of the lever mounting member and extend so as to intersect each other on the side surface of the main body, The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the movement restricting portion is attached to the portion where the first reinforcing portion and the second reinforcing portion are connected or to the surrounding portion thereof.

9. The lever pivot axis is, The shaft body portion is supported while being inserted inside the shaft support portion, The shaft has a shaft head provided at one axial end of the shaft body and abutting against the opening of the shaft support, The aforementioned movement control unit is, They are provided at positions corresponding to both ends in the axial direction of the lever pivot shaft, A vehicle seat according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that it is positioned so as to overlap with the head of the lever pivot shaft when viewed in the axial direction of the lever pivot shaft, but so as not to overlap with the main body of the shaft.

10. The vehicle seat comprises a cover member positioned between the lever mounting member and the operating lever, and installed while housed inside the lever mounting member. The cover member has an engaging portion that engages with a engaged portion provided on the side surface of the lever mounting member, The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 5 to 9, characterized in that the movement restricting portion is located on the side surface of the lever mounting member at a position different from the engaged portion.

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