Vehicle seat and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle seat and a method for manufacturing the same, configured such that the assembly structure of the member covering the non-seat surface to the seat body has sufficient assembly rigidity. [Solution] The vehicle seat 1 comprises a main body and a non-seat surface cover member 7 that covers at least partially the non-seat surface of the main body. The non-seat surface cover member 7 comprises a fixed edge portion 27a fixed to the main body and a locking portion 28 that is locked to the main body at a position spaced apart from the fixed edge portion 27a. In one embodiment of the present invention, the main body is a seat back body, and the seat surface cover member 7 comprises a backboard 26 including the locking portion 28 and a second surface material 27 attached to the left and right side edges of the backboard 26 and including the fixed edge portion 27a.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat provided with a member covering the non-seating surface side and a method for manufacturing the same.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, various structures have been proposed as attachment structures of a member on the rear surface side, which is the non-seating surface side of the seat back, to the seat back body.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses attaching a back cover to a seat back frame by locking a rising piece rising from the back cover to a wire member insert-molded in a back pad and engaging a latching hook and a clip protruding from the back cover with the seat back frame.

[0004] Further, Patent Document 2 discloses attaching a back board to a seat back pad by inserting left and right convex portions formed at the lower portion of the back board into left and right concave portions formed at the lower portion of the seat back pad, tilting the back board about the rotation axis of the lower portion of the back board formed by the concave and convex portions as the rotation center, aligning a through hole provided at the upper portion of the back board and a through hole provided at the upper portion of the seat back pad with each other, and inserting a bush into both through holes.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, the structure described in Patent Document 1 required simultaneous alignment of multiple points, which meant that assembly was not easy. In the structure described in Patent Document 2, the backboard was fixed to the seat back pad only at its outer edge, which could result in insufficient assembly rigidity.

[0007] In view of the above background, the present invention aims to provide a vehicle seat and a method for manufacturing the same, configured such that the assembly structure of the member covering the non-seat side to the seat body has sufficient assembly rigidity. One aspect of the present invention further aims to facilitate the assembly work of the member covering the non-seat side to the seat body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, a vehicle seat (1) according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a main body (6) having a frame (11), a pad (13) supported by the frame, and a first surface material (14) covering the seating surface side of the pad, and a non-seat surface cover member (7) that covers at least partially the non-seat surface of the main body, wherein the non-seat surface cover member comprises a fixed edge portion (27a) fixed to the main body and a locking portion (28) that is locked to the main body at a position spaced apart from the fixed edge portion.

[0009] According to this embodiment, the rigidity of the non-seat surface cover member when assembled to the seat body is improved by fixing the locking portion and the fixed edge portion.

[0010] In the above embodiment, the vehicle seat (1) comprises a seat back (4) that supports the back of a sitter, comprising the main body (6) and the non-seat surface cover member (7), the non-seat surface cover member comprises a backboard (26) including the locking portion and a second surface material (27) attached to the left and right side edges of the backboard and including the fixing edge portion, the main body comprises a locking portion (29) for locking the locking portion, one of the locking portion and the locking portion comprises a through hole (28), the other of the locking portion and the locking portion comprises a claw portion (29) inserted through the through hole, and the fixing edge portion (27a) of the second surface material may be fixed to the first surface material by a wire fastener (23).

[0011] In this embodiment, the second surface material can be fixed to the first surface material by a wire fastener while the locking portion is temporarily holding the backboard in place via the locked portion, thus facilitating the assembly of the non-seat surface cover member to the main body (seat back body).

[0012] In the above embodiment, the main body (6) further comprises a back bracket (24) attached to the frame (11) and having the locking portion, and the claw portion (29) may also comprise a wall portion (32) extending in the vertical direction.

[0013] According to this embodiment, since the back bracket is provided with a claw portion, there is a high degree of design freedom in terms of the position of the claw portion, and a claw portion with sufficient rigidity can be obtained.

[0014] In the above embodiment, the locking portion (29) comprises the claw portion (29), the locked portion (28) comprises the through hole (28), the claw portion comprises a bottom portion (31) and a wall portion (32) extending upward from the bottom portion, and is inserted through the through hole (28) from front to rear, and the backboard (26) may be provided at a position adjacent to above the through hole and may have a recess (30) that is recessed toward the front and receives at least partially the wall portion.

[0015] According to this embodiment, when attaching the backboard to the claw portion of the back bracket, the worker can see the claw portion through the through hole, thus improving the workability of assembly. In addition, since the claw portion is at least partially received in the recess, the assembly structure can be made thinner. Furthermore, the presence of the recess makes the backboard more flexible, which helps to suppress damage to the claw portion.

[0016] In the above embodiment, the through hole (28) is formed by an elongated hole having a longitudinal direction in the left-right direction, and the through hole may have a longitudinal length that is longer than the left-right length of the recess (30).

[0017] In this embodiment, the through-hole is long from left to right, making it easy to insert the claw portion during assembly, and the recess is shorter from left to right compared to the through-hole, allowing the backboard to be positioned in the left-right direction by the recess.

[0018] In the above embodiment, the backboard (26) includes a notch (9) formed downward from the upper edge, and the lower edge of the notch may include a first lower edge (36) positioned offset from the through hole (28) in the left-right direction, and a second lower edge (37) provided above the through hole and positioned above the first lower edge.

[0019] In this embodiment, since the backboard is located above the through-hole, the lowering of the backboard due to the provision of the through-hole is suppressed.

[0020] In the above embodiment, the backboard (26) further comprises at least one electrical component (38) and a plurality of routing members (39) connected to the at least one electrical component, wherein the backboard (26) has an upward extension (35) that extends upward from the extension line of the first lower edge when viewed from the rear and has the second lower edge as its upper end, and the plurality of routing members have a binding portion (41) that is bundled together with respect to each other, and the upward extension may be configured to face the back bracket (24) in the front-rear direction, with its upper end tilted backward with respect to the opposing portion of the back bracket, and to cover the binding portion from the rear.

[0021] According to this aspect, the binding portion can be protected by the upward extending portion. Since the upward extending portion is tilted backward, it becomes easier to arrange the routing member, and it becomes difficult for the upward extending portion to apply a load to the binding portion.

[0022] In the above aspect, the claw portion (29) may include an upper end portion (33) that extends upward from the upper end of the wall portion so as to bend backward with respect to the wall portion (32).

[0023] According to this aspect, it becomes easier to insert the claw portion into the through hole by the upper end portion that extends obliquely backward and upward.

[0024] In the above aspect, the claw portion (29) may include a rib (34) that extends from the upper surface of the bottom portion (31) to the front surface of the wall portion (32).

[0025] According to this aspect, the rigidity of the claw portion is improved by the rib.

[0026] In the above aspect, an airbag device (15) disposed in front of the wire fastener (23) in the seat back (4) may be further provided.

[0027] According to this aspect, when the airbag device operates, it is prevented that the bag body of the airbag device 15 is deployed from the wire fastener 23 instead of being deployed from its original position.

[0028] To solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a vehicle seat (1) having a seat back (4), the seat back comprising a seat back body (6) having a frame (11), a pad (12) supported by the frame, and a first surface material (14) covering the seating surface side of the pad, and a non-seat surface cover member (7) that at least partially covers the non-seat surface of the seat back body, the non-seat surface cover member comprising a backboard having a through hole (28) that is locked to the seat back body, and a second surface material (27) having fixing edge portions (27a) attached to the left and right side edges of the backboard and fixed to the first surface material by a wire fastener (23), the manufacturing method comprising the steps of locking the backboard to the seat back body such that a claw portion (29) provided on the seat back body is inserted into the through hole provided on the backboard, and fixing the second surface material to the first surface material by the wire fastener.

[0029] According to this embodiment, when attaching the backboard to the claw portion, the worker can see the claw portion through the through hole, thus improving the workability of assembly. With the claw portion temporarily holding the backboard in place through the through hole, the second surface material can be fixed to the first surface material by the wire fastener, making it easier to assemble the non-seat surface cover member to the seat back body. The locking of the backboard by the claw portion and the fixing of the first and second surface materials by the wire fastener improve the assembly rigidity of the non-seat surface cover member to the seat body.

[0030] In the above embodiment, the through hole (28) is provided on the upper part of the backboard (26), and the wire fastener (23) may be configured such that the first surface material (14) and the second surface material (27) engage with each other from bottom to top during the fixing step.

[0031] According to this embodiment, in the temporary fixed state in which the claw portion locks the backboard, the engagement of the teeth of the wire fastener can be started from the lower part, where the backboard is relatively easy to displace, thus facilitating the fixing of the second surface material to the first surface material by the wire fastener. [Effects of the Invention]

[0032] To solve the above problems, a vehicle seat (1) according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a main body (6) having a frame (11), a pad (13) supported by the frame, and a first surface material (14) covering the seating surface side of the pad, and a non-seat surface cover member (7) that covers at least partially the non-seat surface of the main body, wherein the non-seat surface cover member comprises a fixed edge portion (27a) fixed to the main body and a locking portion (28) that is locked to the main body at a position spaced apart from the fixed edge portion.

[0033] According to this embodiment, the rigidity of the non-seat surface cover member when assembled to the seat body is improved by fixing the locking portion and the fixed edge portion.

[0034] In the above embodiment, the vehicle seat (1) comprises a seat back (4) that supports the back of a sitter, comprising the main body (6) and the non-seat surface cover member (7), the non-seat surface cover member comprises a backboard (26) including the locking portion and a second surface material (27) attached to the left and right side edges of the backboard and including the fixing edge portion, the main body comprises a locking portion (29) for locking the locking portion, one of the locking portion and the locking portion comprises a through hole (28), the other of the locking portion and the locking portion comprises a claw portion (29) inserted through the through hole, and the fixing edge portion (27a) of the second surface material may be fixed to the first surface material by a wire fastener (23).

[0035] In this embodiment, the second surface material can be fixed to the first surface material by a wire fastener while the locking portion is temporarily holding the backboard in place via the locked portion, thus facilitating the assembly of the non-seat surface cover member to the main body (seat back body).

[0036] In the above embodiment, the main body (6) further comprises a back bracket (24) attached to the frame (11) and having the locking portion, and the claw portion (29) may also comprise a wall portion (32) extending in the vertical direction.

[0037] According to this embodiment, since the back bracket is provided with a claw portion, there is a high degree of design freedom in terms of the position of the claw portion, and a claw portion with sufficient rigidity can be obtained.

[0038] In the above embodiment, the locking portion (29) comprises the claw portion (29), the locked portion (28) comprises the through hole (28), the claw portion comprises a bottom portion (31) and a wall portion (32) extending upward from the bottom portion, and is inserted through the through hole (28) from front to rear, and the backboard (26) may be provided at a position adjacent to above the through hole and may have a recess (30) that is recessed toward the front and receives at least partially the wall portion.

[0039] According to this embodiment, when attaching the backboard to the claw portion of the back bracket, the worker can see the claw portion through the through hole, thus improving the workability of assembly. In addition, since the claw portion is at least partially received in the recess, the assembly structure can be made thinner. Furthermore, the presence of the recess makes the backboard more flexible, which helps to suppress damage to the claw portion.

[0040] In the above embodiment, the through hole (28) is formed by an elongated hole having a longitudinal direction in the left-right direction, and the through hole may have a longitudinal length that is longer than the left-right length of the recess (30).

[0041] In this embodiment, the through-hole is long from left to right, making it easy to insert the claw portion during assembly, and the recess is shorter from left to right compared to the through-hole, allowing the backboard to be positioned in the left-right direction by the recess.

[0042] In the above embodiment, the backboard (26) includes a notch (9) formed downward from the upper edge, and the lower edge of the notch may include a first lower edge (36) positioned offset from the through hole (28) in the left-right direction, and a second lower edge (37) provided above the through hole and positioned above the first lower edge.

[0043] In this embodiment, since the backboard is located above the through-hole, the lowering of the backboard due to the provision of the through-hole is suppressed.

[0044] In the above embodiment, the backboard (26) further comprises at least one electrical component (38) and a plurality of routing members (39) connected to the at least one electrical component, wherein the backboard (26) has an upward extension (35) that extends upward from the extension line of the first lower edge when viewed from the rear and has the second lower edge as its upper end, and the plurality of routing members have a binding portion (41) that is bundled together with respect to each other, and the upward extension may be configured to face the back bracket (24) in the front-rear direction, with its upper end tilted backward with respect to the opposing portion of the back bracket, and to cover the binding portion from the rear.

[0045] According to this embodiment, the upward extension protects the binding portion, and because the upward extension is tilted backward, the arrangement of the securing member becomes easier, and the upward extension is less likely to put a load on the binding portion.

[0046] In the above embodiment, the claw portion (29) may have an upper end portion (33) that extends upward from the upper end of the wall portion (32) so as to bend backward relative to the wall portion (32).

[0047] In this embodiment, the upper end portion extending diagonally upward and backward makes it easier to insert the claw portion into the through hole.

[0048] In the above embodiment, the claw portion (29) may be provided with a rib (34) extending from the upper surface of the bottom portion (31) to the front surface of the wall portion (32).

[0049] In this embodiment, the ribs improve the rigidity of the claw portion.

[0050] In the above embodiment, an airbag device (15) may be further provided, positioned in front of the wire fastener (23) within the seat back (4).

[0051] According to this embodiment, when the airbag device is activated, the bag body of the airbag device 15 is prevented from unfolding from the zipper 23 instead of from its original position.

[0052] To solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a vehicle seat (1) having a seat back (4), the seat back comprising a seat back body (6) having a frame (11), a pad (12) supported by the frame, and a first surface material (14) covering the seating surface side of the pad, and a non-seat surface cover member (7) that at least partially covers the non-seat surface of the seat back body, the non-seat surface cover member comprising a backboard having a through hole (28) that is locked to the seat back body, and a second surface material (27) having fixing edge portions (27a) attached to the left and right side edges of the backboard and fixed to the first surface material by a wire fastener (23), the manufacturing method comprising the steps of locking the backboard to the seat back body such that a claw portion (29) provided on the seat back body is inserted into the through hole provided on the backboard, and fixing the second surface material to the first surface material by the wire fastener.

[0053] According to this embodiment, when attaching the backboard to the claw portion, the worker can see the claw portion through the through hole, thus improving the workability of assembly. With the claw portion temporarily holding the backboard in place through the through hole, the second surface material can be fixed to the first surface material by the wire fastener, making it easier to assemble the non-seat surface cover member to the seat back body. The locking of the backboard by the claw portion and the fixing of the first and second surface materials by the wire fastener improve the assembly rigidity of the non-seat surface cover member to the seat body.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the through hole (28) is provided on the upper part of the backboard (26), and the wire fastener (23) may be configured such that the first surface material (14) and the second surface material (27) engage with each other from bottom to top during the fixing step.

[0055] According to this embodiment, in the temporary fixed state in which the claw portion locks the backboard, the engagement of the teeth of the wire fastener can be started from the lower part, where the backboard is relatively easy to displace, thus facilitating the fixing of the second surface material to the first surface material by the wire fastener. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0056] [Figure 1] Perspective view of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment [Figure 2] Partial cross-sectional perspective view of the seat back according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] Rear view of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] Cross-sectional view along line IV-IV in Figure 3 [Figure 5] Perspective view of the back bracket according to the embodiment [Figure 6] Enlarged perspective view of the lower part of the back bracket according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] Cross-sectional view along line VII-VII in Figure 3 [Figure 8] Perspective view of the top of the backboard according to the embodiment [Figure 9] A perspective view showing the mounting state of the back bracket, backboard, and locking cover member according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] A perspective view showing the mounting state of the back bracket, backboard, and locking cover member according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] A cross-sectional view showing the engagement state of the side portion of the backboard locking cover member according to the embodiment (a horizontal cross-sectional view passing through the side engagement piece of the locking cover member). [Figure 12]A vertical cross-sectional view showing the engagement state between the backboard and the lower part of the locking cover member according to the embodiment (a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the left-right direction passing through the lower locking piece of the locking cover member). [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0057] The vehicle seat 1 according to the embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-and-down directions are defined based on a person seated in the vehicle seat 1.

[0058] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle seat 1 comprises a slide rail 2 fixed to the floor of the vehicle's interior, a seat cushion 3 attached to the slide rail 2 so as to be slidable forward and backward to support the occupant's buttocks, a seat back 4 extending upward from the rear end of the seat cushion 3 to support the occupant's back, and a headrest 5 attached to the upper end of the seat back 4 to support the occupant's head. The vehicle seat 1 is used as a driver's seat or a passenger seat. A gripping member 49 is attached to the upper part of the seat back 4, behind the headrest 5, for a person attempting to sit in the seat behind the vehicle seat 1 (not shown) or attempting to stand up from a seated position to grasp with their hand.

[0059] The seat back 4 comprises a seat back body 6, a non-seat surface cover member 7 that partially covers the non-seat surface side (rear side) of the seat back body 6, a locking part cover member 8 that covers the locking structure between the seat back body 6 and the non-seat surface cover member 7 from the rear, and a notch cover part 10 that covers the notch 9 provided in the non-seat surface cover member 7 from the rear.

[0060] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the seat back body 6 comprises a frame 11 supported by the frame (not shown) of the seat cushion 3, a pad 13 supported by the frame 11 via a pressure receiving member 12, a first surface material 14 covering the seating surface side (front side) of the pad 13, and an airbag device 15 positioned on the side of the seat back 4.

[0061] The frame 11 comprises a pair of side frames 16 that are spaced apart from each other to the left and right and extend substantially vertically, a lower frame 17 that extends in the left-right direction and is connected to the lower part of the pair of side frames 16 at both ends, an upper frame 18 that extends in the left-right direction and is connected to the upper part of the pair of side frames 16 at both ends, and a middle frame 19 that extends in the left-right direction and is connected to the middle part of the pair of side frames 16 at both ends. A cylindrical support member 20 that supports the frame (not shown) of the headrest 5 is fixed to the upper frame 18.

[0062] The pressure-receiving member 12 comprises a wire 21 supported by the frame 11 and a plate-shaped member 22 supported by the frame 11 or the wire 21.

[0063] Most of the pad 13 is positioned on the seating surface side relative to the frame 11 and pressure-receiving member 12, while a portion of the pad 13 is positioned outward to the left and right of the side frame 16. The pad 13 functions as a cushioning material for the occupant. The pad 13 is formed of, for example, urethane foam.

[0064] The first surface material 14 is formed from a flexible seat material such as artificial leather, natural leather, or fabric. The first surface material 14 covers the area from the seating surface (front) of the pad 13 to the intermediate position in the front-to-back direction on the left and right sides.

[0065] The airbag device 15 is positioned inside the first surface material 14 on the side of the seat back 4. The non-seat surface cover member 7 is fixed to the first surface material 14 by a wire fastener 23, but the airbag device 15 is positioned in front of the wire fastener 23.

[0066] As shown in Figures 3 to 6, the seat back body 6 further includes a back bracket 24 for engaging the non-seat surface cover member 7. The back bracket 24 is positioned in the center and upper part of the seat back body 6 in the left-right direction. The back bracket 24 is fixed to the frame 11 via other members or mounting hardware (not shown). The back bracket 24 has a generally curved plate shape, is made of, for example, a hard resin, and has a plurality of weight-reducing holes 25.

[0067] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the non-seat surface cover member 7 comprises a backboard 26 that covers the seat back body 6 from the rear, and a U-shaped second surface material 27 fixed to the lower edge and left and right side edges of the backboard 26 by sewing or the like.

[0068] As shown in Figures 3 and 8, the backboard 26 is a plate-shaped member with its left and right sides gently curved backward, and is made of, for example, a hard resin. A notch 9 is formed in the backboard 26, extending downward from the upper edge. A through hole 28 is provided in the upper part of the backboard 26, in the center in the left-right direction below the notch 9, and as shown in Figures 3 to 7, the back bracket 24 is provided with a claw portion 29 that is inserted through the through hole 28. The claw portion 29 functions as a locking portion that secures the backboard 26, and the through hole 28 functions as a locked portion that is locked to the back bracket 24. The backboard 26 is provided with a recess 30 adjacent to the upper part of the through hole 28, which is recessed forward more than the adjacent parts to its left, right and above, so as to partially receive the claw portion 29. The through hole 28 is provided above the center in the vertical direction of the backboard 26, preferably above a position 1 / 4 of the vertical length from the upper end.

[0069] The claw portion 29 comprises a bottom portion 31 extending rearward from the central left-right portion of the lower edge of the plate-shaped part of the back bracket 24, a wall portion 32 extending substantially straight upward from the rear end of the bottom portion 31, an upper end portion 33 extending upward from the upper end of the wall portion 32 so as to curve rearward relative to the wall portion 32, and a plurality of ribs 34 extending perpendicularly in the left-right direction from the upper surface of the bottom portion 31 to the front surface of the wall portion 32. The upper surface of the bottom portion 31 supports the portion that defines the upper edge of the through hole 28 in the backboard 26. The wall portion 32 is generally received in the recess 30 and abuts against the left and right side walls that define the recess 30 in the backboard 26, thereby positioning the backboard 26 in the left-right direction.

[0070] The through-hole 28 is an elongated hole with its longitudinal direction in the left-right direction. The left-right length of the through-hole 28 is longer than the left-right length of the claw portion 29 to facilitate insertion of the claw portion 29. The left-right length of the recess 30 is longer than the left-right length of the claw portion 29, but shorter than the left-right length of the through-hole 28 to facilitate left-right positioning of the backboard 26.

[0071] As shown in Figures 3, 4, and 8, the backboard 26 is provided with an upward extension 35 that extends upward from the vicinity of the upper edge of the recess 30. The upward extension 35 is located in the center of the backboard 26 in the left-right direction and has a width in the left-right direction that is longer than the left-right length of the through hole 28 at its lower part. The width of the upward extension 35 in the left-right direction narrows upward. Since the upward extension 35 is provided to protrude into the notch 9, the notch 9 has a pair of first lower edges 36 that are offset to the left and right of the through hole 28, and a second lower edge 37 that is provided above the through hole 28 and is located above the first lower edges 36. The upward extension 35 extends upward from the extension line of the pair of first lower edges 36, and the upper end of the upward extension 35 becomes the second lower edge 37. The upward extension portion 35 faces the flat plate-shaped portion of the back bracket 24 in the front-rear direction, and its upper end is tilted backward so that it is further away from the flat plate-shaped portion of the back bracket 24 than its lower end.

[0072] As shown in Figure 4, the seat back 4 comprises one or more electrical components 38 and a plurality of routing members 39 connected to any of the electrical components 38. Some of the routing members 39 pass between the back bracket 24 and the backboard 26, and this portion is bundled together with cable ties 40. The bundled portion 41 of the routing members 39 bundled together with cable ties 40 is covered from the rear by the upward extension 35 of the backboard 26.

[0073] As shown in Figure 1, the rear edge of the second surface material 27 is fixed to the backboard 26 by sewing. The second surface material 27 is made of a flexible sheet material such as artificial leather, natural leather, or fabric. The front edges of the left and right sides of the second surface material 27 become fixed edges 27a that are fixed to the first surface material 14. One of the pair of teeth 23a of the wire fastener 23 is provided on the fixed edge 27a of the second surface material 27, and the other is provided on the rear edge of the portion of the first surface material 14 that covers the side of the pad 13, and the second surface material 27 is fixed to the first surface material 14 by the wire fastener 23. Preferably, the wire fastener 23 is positioned such that the first outer material 14 and the second outer material 27 engage with each other from bottom to top, that is, when a slider (not shown) that engages and disengages a pair of teeth 23a is moved from bottom to top, the pair of teeth 23a engage with each other.

[0074] As shown in Figures 9 to 12, the locking cover member 8 is a member that covers the locking structure from the rear in order to conceal the locking structure, which is composed of a through hole 28 in the backboard 26 and a claw portion 29 of the back bracket 24 inserted through the through hole 28. The locking cover member 8 comprises a smooth plate-shaped plate portion 42, side engaging pieces 43 that protrude from the left and right sides of the plate portion 42 and engage with the backboard 26, a pair of lower engaging pieces 44 that protrude from the lower part of the plate portion 42 and engage with the backboard 26, and intermediate engaging pieces 45 that protrude from intermediate positions in the left-right and up-down directions between the side engaging pieces 43 and the lower engaging pieces 44 on the plate portion 42 on both the left and right sides and engage with the back bracket 24.

[0075] The board portion 42 covers approximately the lower half of the cutout portion 9 of the backboard 26. A cutout portion 42a is formed on the upper part of the board portion 42, extending downward from the upper edge. The width of the cutout portion 42a in the left-right direction is shorter than the width of the cutout portion 9 of the backboard 26, and when viewed from the rear, the cutout portion 42a is smaller than the cutout portion 9 and is configured to overlap the cutout portion 9.

[0076] The side engaging piece 43 protrudes rearward from a position slightly inward from the left-right outer edge of the portion adjacent to the side of the notch 42a of the plate portion. The tip portion of the side engaging piece 43 is bent outward in the left-right direction relative to the base portion. When viewed in a horizontal cross-section passing through the side engaging piece 43, the side engaging piece 43 and the portion of the plate portion 42 that extends outward in the left-right direction beyond the side engaging piece 43 cooperate to form a U-shape, and this U-shaped portion receives and engages with the portion that defines the side edge of the notch 9 in the backboard 26.

[0077] The lower engaging piece 44 protrudes diagonally downward and forward from a position slightly above the lower edge of the plate portion 42, and is inserted into and engaged with a through hole 28 provided in the backboard 26 from rear to front. The claw portion 29 of the back bracket 24 is also inserted into the through hole 28 (see Figure 3), but the pair of lower engaging pieces 44 are arranged adjacent to the left and right sides of the claw portion 29. Therefore, the distance between the pair of lower engaging pieces 44 is greater than or equal to the length of the claw portion 29 in the left-right direction, and the length of the through hole 28 in the left-right direction is greater than or equal to the sum of the left-right lengths of the claw portion 29 and the pair of lower engaging pieces 44. The tip portion of the lower engaging piece 44 is bent downward compared to the base portion. When viewed in a cross-section perpendicular to the left-right direction through the lower engaging piece 44, the lower engaging piece 44 and the portion of the plate portion 42 that extends below the lower engaging piece 44 cooperate to form a U-shape, and this U-shaped portion receives and engages with the portion that defines the lower edge of the through hole 28 in the backboard 26. The lower part of the back bracket 24 is provided with a bracket notch 47 that extends upward from the lower edge to avoid the lower engaging piece 44.

[0078] The intermediate engaging piece 45 protrudes forward from the plate portion 42 and is inserted into and engaged with an engaging hole 48 provided in the back bracket 24.

[0079] As shown in Figure 1, the notched cover portion 10 covers the entire notch portion 9 of the backboard 26 from the rear. The left and right side edges and the bottom edge of the notched cover portion 10 are substantially aligned with the left and right side edges and the bottom edge of the backboard 26 when viewed from the rear. The notched cover portion 10 may be made of the same material as the second surface material 27 and is fixed to the backboard 26 by sewing or the like. The notched cover portion 10 is intended to conceal the notch portion 9 and only needs to cover the notch portion 9 from the rear, either by itself or in cooperation with the locking cover member 8. For this reason, its size and material may be changed. For example, some device such as a cup holder or a smartphone holder may be used as the notched cover portion 10.

[0080] The manufacturing method for the vehicle seat 1 will be described below. The worker assembles the slide rail 2, seat cushion 3, seat back 4, and headrest 5 separately (see Figure 1).

[0081] In assembling the seat back 4, the worker assembles the seat back body 6 and fixes the second surface material 27 to the backboard 26 by sewing or other means. Next, the worker inserts the claw portion 29 of the back bracket 24 through the through hole 28 of the backboard 26 and locks the backboard 26 to the back bracket 24 (see Figure 3). The claw portion 29 is partially received by the recess 30 of the backboard 26, thereby positioning the backboard 26 in the left-right direction. In this state, the non-seat surface cover member 7 is temporarily fixed to the seat back body 6. Next, the worker fixes the second surface material 27 to the first surface material 14 with a wire fastener 23. The non-seat surface cover member 7 is permanently fixed to the seat back body 6 by the locking structure of the through hole 28 and the claw portion 29 and the fixing by the wire fastener 23.

[0082] Next, the worker attaches the locking cover member 8 to the backboard 26 such that a pair of lower engaging pieces 44 are inserted through the through hole 28, sandwiching the claw portion 29, the intermediate engaging piece 45 is inserted through the engaging hole 48 of the back bracket 24, and the side engaging piece 43 receives the edge portion that defines the notch portion 9 on the backboard 26 (see Figures 9 to 12). Next, the worker fixes the notch cover portion 10 to the non-seat surface cover member 7 by sewing or the like (see Figure 1).

[0083] The effects of the vehicle seat 1 will now be explained. Since the backboard 26 is locked to the claw portion 29 of the back bracket 24 via the through hole 28, and the second surface material 27 is fixed to the first surface material 14 by the wire fastener 23, the non-seat surface cover member 7 engages with the seat back body 6 at the middle and edge portions, thereby improving assembly rigidity. In particular, if the through hole 28 and the claw portion 29 are positioned in the center in the left-right direction of the seat back 4, the fixing points are well-balanced, further improving assembly rigidity.

[0084] Since the backboard 26 is provided with through holes 28, workers can see the claw portion 29 through the through holes 28 when assembling the backboard 26 to the back bracket 24, making assembly easier. Furthermore, the fact that the length of the through holes 28 in the left-right direction is sufficiently longer than the length of the claw portion 29 in the left-right direction, that the claw portion 29 faces upward, that the wall portion 32 of the claw portion 29 extends upward from the rear end of the bottom portion 31, and that an upper end portion 33 is provided that is tilted backward relative to the wall portion 32, makes it even easier to assemble the backboard 26 to the back bracket 24.

[0085] Since the backboard 26 is temporarily fixed to the seat back body 6 by the through holes 28 and claws 29, the work of fixing the second surface material 27 to the first surface material 14 with the wire fasteners 23 becomes easier.

[0086] Since the through hole 28 is provided in the upper part of the backboard 26, in a temporary fixed state where the backboard 26 is locked to the claw portion 29 and not fixed by the wire fastener 23, the non-seat surface cover member 7 is easier to displace at the lower part than at the upper part. Since the wire fastener 23 is configured to engage from bottom to top, operations such as inserting the lower end (butterfly pin) of one tooth 23a into the slider located at the lower end of the other tooth 23a can be performed on the lower side of the backboard 26, which is easier to displace, making the fixing work with the wire fastener 23 easier.

[0087] The rigidity of the claw portion 29 is improved by the inclusion of ribs 34 in the claw portion 29.

[0088] The backboard 26 is provided with recesses 30 that partially receive the claw portion 29, which facilitates the left-right positioning of the backboard 26, reduces the thickness of the assembled backboard 26 and back bracket 24, and makes the backboard 26 more flexible, thereby suppressing damage to the claw portion 29.

[0089] In the backboard 26, an upward extension 35 is provided above the through hole 28, so the reduction in rigidity of the backboard 26 due to the through hole 28 is suppressed by the upward extension 35. The upward extension 35 covers the binding portion 41 of the routing member 39 from the rear, thus protecting the binding portion 41. Since the upward extension 35 is tilted backward with respect to the flat plate-shaped portion of the back bracket 24 that faces it in the front-rear direction, it becomes easier to position the routing member 39 between the upward extension 35 and the back bracket 24, and the upward extension 35 is less likely to put a load on the binding portion 41.

[0090] Because the claw portion 29 is provided on the back bracket 24, there is greater design freedom in the placement of the claw portion 29 compared to when the claw portion 29 is provided on the frame 11, and the rigidity of the claw portion 29 is higher compared to when the claw portion 29 is provided on the pad 13.

[0091] Since a pair of lower engaging pieces 44 of the locking cover member 8 are inserted into the through hole 28 so as to be adjacent to the left and right sides of the claw portion 29, the claw portion 29 and the lower engaging pieces 44 inserted into the through hole 28 restrict the lateral displacement of the backboard 26, further improving the rigidity of the assembly of the non-seat surface cover member 7 to the seat back body 6.

[0092] The airbag device 15, located on the side of the seatback 4, has a burst line on the seat surface side. When the airbag device 15 is activated, the bag body of the airbag device 15 ruptures along the burst line and deploys towards the seat surface. By positioning the airbag device 15 in front of the zipper 23, it is prevented that the bag body of the airbag device 15 will not deploy through the burst line but rather by disengaging from the pair of teeth 23a of the zipper 23.

[0093] This concludes the description of specific embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments or modifications and can be broadly modified and implemented. The attachment structure for the non-seat surface cover member to the seat back body (main body) may also be applied to seat cushions and headrests. Other fastening means such as hook-and-loop fasteners may be used instead of wire fasteners. The back bracket may include a through hole as a locking part, and the backboard may include a claw that extends downward and is inserted into the through hole as a locked part. The locking part may be provided on other members of the seat back body such as the frame or pad instead of the back bracket. The backboard may not have a cutout, and the vehicle seat may not have a cutout cover part. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 1: Vehicle seats 4: Seat back 6: Seat back body (main body) 7: Non-seat surface cover member 9: Notch 14: First skin material 15: Airbag system 23: Line fastener 24: Back bracket 26: Backboard 27:Second skin material 27a: Fixed edge 28: Through hole (locked part) 29: Claw part (locking part) 30: Recess 31: Bottom 32: Wall part 33: Upper end 34: Rib 35: Upper extension part 36: First lower edge 37: Second lower edge 38: Electrical components 39: Handling member 41: Binding part

Claims

1. A main body comprising a frame, a pad supported by the frame, and a first surface material covering the seating surface side of the pad, The system includes a non-seat surface cover member that covers at least partially the non-seat surface of the main body, The non-seat surface cover member comprises a fixed edge portion that is fixed to the main body portion and a locked portion that is locked to the main body portion at a position spaced apart from the fixed edge portion, for use as a vehicle seat.

2. The aforementioned vehicle seat includes the main body and the non-seat surface cover member, and a seat back that supports the back of the occupant. The non-seat surface cover member comprises a backboard including the locking portion and a second surface material attached to the left and right side edges of the backboard and including the fixed edge portion. The main body portion includes a locking portion for locking the locked portion, One of the locking portion and the locked portion is provided with a through hole. The locking portion and the other of the locked portion are provided with a claw portion that is inserted into a through hole, The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the fixed edge of the second surface material is fixed to the first surface material by a wire fastener.

3. The main body is attached to the frame and further includes a back bracket which has the locking portion, The vehicle seat according to claim 2, wherein the claw portion comprises a wall portion extending in the vertical direction.

4. The locking portion includes the claw portion, The locked portion has the through hole, The claw portion comprises a bottom portion and a wall portion extending upward from the bottom portion, and is inserted into the through hole from front to rear. The vehicle seat according to claim 3, wherein the backboard is provided adjacent to the above-ground through-hole and has a recess that is recessed toward the front for at least partially receiving the wall portion.

5. The through hole is formed by an elongated hole having a longitudinal direction in the left-right direction, The vehicle seat according to claim 4, wherein the through hole has a longitudinal length that is longer than the lateral length of the recess.

6. The backboard has a notch formed from the upper edge downwards, The vehicle seat according to claim 4, wherein the lower edge of the notch comprises a first lower edge positioned offset in the left-right direction with respect to the through hole, and a second lower edge provided above the through hole and positioned above the first lower edge.

7. At least one electrical component, The system further comprises a plurality of routing members connected to at least one of the aforementioned electrical components, The backboard has an upward extension portion that extends upward from the extension line of the first lower edge when viewed from the rear, with the second lower edge as its upper end. The aforementioned plurality of routing members are equipped with binding portions that are bundled together, The vehicle seat according to claim 6, wherein the upward extension portion faces the back bracket in the front-rear direction, its upper end is tilted backward with respect to the opposing portion of the back bracket, and is configured to cover the fastening portion from the rear.

8. The vehicle seat according to claim 4, wherein the claw portion has an upper end portion that extends upward from the upper end of the wall portion so as to bend backward relative to the wall portion.

9. The vehicle seat according to claim 4, wherein the claw portion is provided with a rib extending from the upper surface of the bottom portion to the front surface of the wall portion.

10. The vehicle seat according to claim 2, further comprising an airbag device positioned in front of the wire fastener within the seat back.

11. A method for manufacturing a vehicle seat equipped with a seat back, The seat back comprises a seat back body having a frame, a pad supported by the frame, and a first surface material covering the seating surface side of the pad, and a non-seat surface cover member that at least partially covers the non-seat surface of the seat back body. The non-seat surface cover member comprises a backboard having through holes for engaging with the seat back body, and a second surface material having fixing edges attached to the left and right side edges of the backboard and fixed to the first surface material by wire fasteners, The aforementioned manufacturing method is The step of locking the backboard to the seat back body such that the claw portion provided on the seat back body is inserted into the through hole provided on the backboard, The steps include fixing the second outer material to the first outer material using the aforementioned wire fastener, A manufacturing method that includes the following features.

12. The aforementioned through hole is provided in the upper part of the backboard, The manufacturing method according to claim 11, wherein the wire fastener is configured such that the first surface material and the second surface material engage with each other from bottom to top during the fixing step.

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