Vehicle seats

Abstract

To obtain a vehicle seat that can prevent the reclining lever from coming off the displacement member when the reclining lever is operated. [Solution] The vehicle seat comprises a reclining seat back 14, a reclining lever 32, an inner lever 30, and a locking member 24. The inner lever 30 is displaceable together with the reclining lever 32 between a non-operated position and a maximum operating position. The locking member 24 engages with the fitting portion of the reclining lever 32 with the inner lever 30 when the reclining lever 32 and the inner lever 30 are in the maximum operating position. This prevents the reclining lever 32 from coming out of the inner lever 30.

Description

[[Technical Field]]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat. [[Background Art]]

[0002] The following Patent Document 1 discloses an operation lever that is operated when reclining a seat back. This operation lever includes a lever body and a knob member attached to the lever body. In the operation lever described in this document, the member provided on the knob member side and the tip end of the lever body are configured to have a fitting structure of a projection and a hole, thereby suppressing the knob member from coming off the tip end of the lever body. [[Prior Art Documents]] [[Patent Documents]]

[0003] [[Patent Document 1]] Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 4-71549 [[Summary of the Invention]] [[Problem to be Solved by the Invention]]

[0004] By the way, in a state where the operation lever has been operated to the full stroke position in the operation direction, if an operation load in the operation direction is further input to the operation lever, the member corresponding to the knob member (the reclining lever) may come off the member corresponding to the lever body (the displacement member).

[0005] In view of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat that can suppress a reclining lever from coming off a displacement member when the reclining lever is operated. [[Means for Solving the Problem]]

[0006] A vehicle seat according to the first embodiment includes a seat back that supports the back of a seated occupant from the rear and is provided to be reclined; a reclining lever operated by the occupant; a displacement member that is fitted with the reclining lever and is displaceable together with the reclining lever between a non-operated position and a maximum operating position, and which allows the seat back to recline when displaced together with the reclining lever toward the maximum operating position; and a locking member that, when the reclining lever and the displacement member are positioned in the maximum operating position, locks into a fitting portion of the reclining lever with the displacement member, thereby preventing the reclining lever from coming out of the displacement member.

[0007] In the first embodiment of the vehicle seat, when the reclining lever is displaced together with the displacement member from the non-operated position toward the maximum operating position, the seat back is allowed to recline. Here, when the reclining lever and the displacement member are in the maximum operating position, the locking member is locked into the fitting portion of the reclining lever with the displacement member. This prevents the reclining lever from coming off the displacement member.

[0008] In the second embodiment of the vehicle seat, the locking member is fixed to a base member provided on the seat cushion side that supports the buttocks of the seated occupant from below, the reclining lever and the displacement member are rotatably supported on the base member, the fitting portion is provided with a claw portion that protrudes toward the locking member, and when the reclining lever and the displacement member are rotated toward the maximum operating position, the fitting portion moves toward the locking member, the claw portion and the locking member are locked together, and the reclining lever is prevented from coming out of the displacement member.

[0009] In the second embodiment of the vehicle seat, when the reclining lever and displacement member are rotated to the maximum operating position, the fitting portion of the reclining lever moves toward the locking member fixed to the base member, and the claw portion and the locking member are locked together. This prevents the reclining lever from coming off the displacement member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The vehicle seat according to the present invention has the excellent effect of preventing the reclining lever from coming off the displacement member when the reclining lever is operated. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a schematic side view of a vehicle seat, showing the reclining lever in a non-operational position. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing the reclining control section, with the reclining lever separated from the shaft member and the inner lever. [Figure 3] This is a disassembled perspective view showing the reclining control unit. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of the reclining lever, seen from the shaft member and the inner lever side. [Figure 5] This is a schematic side view of a vehicle seat, showing the reclining lever in its maximum operating position. [Figure 6] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the reclining control section cut along line 6-6. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] A vehicle seat 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. In the figures, arrow FR indicates the front side of the vehicle seat 10, arrow UP indicates the upper side of the seat, arrow RH indicates the right side in the seat width direction, and arrow LH indicates the left side in the seat width direction. Furthermore, in the following description, unless otherwise specified, when the front / rear, up / down, and left / right directions are indicated, they refer to the front / rear direction of the seat, the up / down direction of the seat, and the left / right direction in the seat width direction.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle seat 10 comprises a seat cushion 12 that supports the seated occupant's buttocks from below, and a seat back 14 that supports the seated occupant's back from the rear. The seat back 14 can be reclined (tilted) in the front-to-back direction relative to the seat cushion 12. The vehicle seat 10 also includes a reclining control unit 16 that is operated when reclining the seat back 14.

[0014] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the reclining operation unit 16 is provided at the connection point between the seat cushion 12 and the seat back 14. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the reclining operation unit 16 comprises a base member 18 fixed to a cushion frame (not shown) that constitutes the skeleton of the seat cushion 12, and a locking member 20, a spring bracket 22, and a locking member 24 fixed to the base member 18. The reclining operation unit 16 also includes a spiral spring 26 locked to the spring bracket 22. Furthermore, the reclining operation unit 16 comprises a shaft member 28, an inner lever 30, and a reclining lever 32, which are rotatably supported on the base member 18 via the locking member 20.

[0015] The base member 18 is formed, for example, by press-forming a steel plate. The lower part of the base member 18 is a frame fixing part 18A that is fixed to a cushion frame (not shown). The upper part of the base member 18 has a circular insertion hole 18B into which a shaft member 28, which will be described later, is inserted.

[0016] The locking member 20 is provided on the left side of the base member 18, between the base member 18 and the back frame (not shown) that constitutes the skeleton of the seat back 14. The axial core of the locking member 20 is provided with a shaft member fitting portion 20A into which a shaft member 28, described later, is fitted. The locking member 20 can be switched between a locked state and a permissible state by operation via the shaft member 28, described later. When the locking member 20 is in the locked state, the tilting of the back frame relative to the base member 18 is locked. That is, the reclining of the seat back 14 relative to the seat cushion 12 is restricted. Conversely, when the locking member 20 is in the unlocked state, the tilting of the back frame relative to the base member 18 is permitted. That is, the reclining of the seat back 14 relative to the seat cushion 12 is permitted.

[0017] The spring bracket 22 is formed, for example, by press-forming a steel plate. This spring bracket 22 includes a base member fixing portion 22A fixed to the base member 18 and positioned along the right side surface of the base member 18, and a spring locking portion 22B extending to the right from the upper edge of the base member fixing portion 22A. The base member fixing portion 22A has a circular insertion hole 22C into which a shaft member 28, described later, is inserted. This insertion hole 22C and the insertion hole 18B formed in the base member 18 are arranged coaxially. The spring locking portion 22B has an arc-shaped curve when viewed from the right side. The inner end of the spiral spring 26 is locked to this spring locking portion 22B. The outer end of the spiral spring 26 is locked to a back frame (not shown). As a result, the seat back 14 is biased to tilt forward by the spiral spring 26.

[0018] The locking member 24 is formed, for example, by applying press working or the like to a steel plate. This locking member 24 includes a base member fixing portion 24A fixed to the base member 18 in a state of being arranged along the right side surface of the base member 18 on the rear side of the spring bracket 22. The locking member 24 also includes an intermediate extending portion 24B extending toward the right side from the rear end of the base member fixing portion 24A. Further, the locking member 24 includes a locking piece portion 24C extending toward the rear side from the right end of the intermediate extending portion 24B.

[0019] The shaft member 28 is formed using a steel material as an example. The shaft member 28 includes a first shaft portion 28A and a second shaft portion 28B arranged on an axially extending extension of the first shaft portion 28A. The first shaft portion 28A is located on the right side with respect to the second shaft portion 28B. The shaft member 28 also includes a flange portion 28C protruding outward in the radial direction of the shaft member 28 from the boundary between the first shaft portion 28A and the second shaft portion 28B. The shape of the first shaft portion 28A is formed to correspond to the inside of a first fitting portion 32C of a reclining lever 32, which will be described later. The shape of the second shaft portion 28B is formed to correspond to the inside of a shaft member fitting portion 20A provided in the lock member 20. The second shaft portion 28B is adapted to be fitted into the shaft member fitting portion 20A provided in the lock member 20 through an insertion hole 22C formed in the spring bracket 22 and an insertion hole 18B formed in the base member 18.

[0020] The inner lever 30, which serves as a displacement member, is formed, for example, by press working on a steel plate. This inner lever 30 is provided with a rotation center 30A positioned along the right side surface of the base member fixing portion 22A of the spring bracket 22. An insertion hole 30B is formed in this rotation center 30A into which the second shaft portion 28B of the shaft member 28 is inserted from the right side. The flange portion 28C of the shaft member 28 is joined to the rotation center 30A by welding or the like. As a result, the inner lever 30 and the shaft member 28 are joined so that they can rotate as a single unit. The inner lever 30 also has a first extension portion 30C that extends forward and diagonally downward from the rotation center 30A. The inner lever 30 also has a second extension portion 30D that extends rearward from the rotation center 30A. Furthermore, the inner lever 30 has an insertion portion 30E that extends to the right from the end of the second extension portion 30D opposite to the rotation center 30A. One end of a tension coil spring (not shown) is locked to the first extension 30C. This biases the inner lever 30 to rotate clockwise when viewed from the right side. In addition, a portion of the second extension 30D abuts against the spring locking portion 22B of the spring bracket 22, thereby preventing the inner lever 30 from rotating clockwise when viewed from the right side.

[0021] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the reclining lever 32 is formed using a resin material as an example. This reclining lever 32 includes a cover portion 32A formed in a shape open on the left side, and a pull-up portion 32B protruding forward from the cover portion 32A. Further, as shown in Figure 4, the reclining lever 32 includes a cylindrical first fitting portion 32C protruding leftward from the center of the bottom of the cover portion 32A. The reclining lever 32 also includes a second fitting portion 32D serving as a fitting portion protruding leftward from the bottom of the cover portion 32A on the rear side relative to the first fitting portion 32C. The second fitting portion 32D includes a rectangular cylindrical portion 32E formed in a rectangular cylindrical shape whose longitudinal direction corresponds to the rotation direction of the reclining lever 32 (direction of arrow C) when viewed from the left side. Here, the direction of arrow C is the direction in which a rotation operation is performed on the reclining lever 32, and the direction opposite to arrow C is the direction in which the rotationally operated reclining lever 32 returns to a non-operating position described later. In the following description, the direction of arrow C may be simply referred to as the "operation direction", and the direction opposite to arrow C may be simply referred to as the "return direction". Further, the direction of arrow R indicates the radially outer side of the circle drawn by the movement trajectory of the second fitting portion 32D in a left side view, and in the following description, the direction of arrow R and the direction opposite to the direction of arrow R may be simply referred to as the "radial direction". The second fitting portion 32D includes a pair of claw portions 32F that protrude toward the operation direction side from the outer peripheral portion of the rectangular cylindrical portion 32E and are arranged at intervals in the radial direction. Each of the pair of claw portions 32F is formed with a recess 32G open on the operation direction side.

[0022] The first shaft portion 28A of the shaft member 28 is fitted into the first fitting portion 32C of the reclining lever 32 described above in an inserted state. Further, the insertion portion 30E of the inner lever 30 is fitted into the rectangular cylindrical portion 32E of the second fitting portion 32D of the reclining lever 32 in an inserted state. Accordingly, the reclining lever 32 is attached to the shaft member 28 and the inner lever 30, and the reclining lever 32 is rotatable together with the shaft member 28 and the inner lever 30.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, when the reclining lever 32 is not operated, a portion of the second extension 30D of the inner lever 30 abuts against the spring locking portion 22B of the spring bracket 22, preventing the inner lever 30 from rotating clockwise in a right-side view. The position of the reclining lever 32 in this state is the non-operational position. When the reclining lever 32 is in the non-operational position, the locking member 20 is locked. Therefore, the reclining of the seat back 14 relative to the seat cushion 12 is restricted.

[0024] As shown in Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5, when the lifting portion 32B of the reclining lever 32 is lifted, the reclining lever 32 is rotated in the operating direction together with the shaft member 28 and the inner lever 30, and the locking member 20 is released. As a result, the seat back 14 is allowed to recline relative to the seat cushion 12.

[0025] Here, as shown in Figure 6, when the reclining lever 32 is rotated in the operating direction together with the shaft member 28 and the inner lever 30, the second fitting portion 32D of the reclining lever 32 moves toward the locking member 24 fixed to the base member 18, and the claw portion 32F of the second fitting portion 32D and the locking piece portion 24C of the locking member 24 are locked together. More specifically, the locking piece portion 24C of the locking member 24 is positioned within the recess 32G formed in the claw portion 32F of the second fitting portion 32D, and the claw portion 32F of the second fitting portion 32D and the locking piece portion 24C of the locking member 24 are locked together in the left-right direction. In addition, the rotation of the reclining lever 32 in the operating direction is restricted when the locking piece portion 24C of the locking member 24 comes into contact with the rectangular cylindrical portion 32E of the second fitting portion 32D. In this state, the position of the reclining lever 32 is the maximum operating position.

[0026] When the reclining lever 32 is in its maximum operating position, the claw portion 32F of the second fitting portion 32D and the locking piece portion 24C of the locking member 24 are locked in the left-right direction. This prevents the insertion portion 30E of the inner lever 30 from coming out of the rectangular cylindrical portion 32E of the second fitting portion 32D of the reclining lever 32. In addition, it prevents the first shaft portion 28A of the shaft member 28 from coming out of the first fitting portion 32C of the reclining lever 32.

[0027] In this embodiment, an example has been described in which the locking piece 24C of the locking member 24 is positioned in a recess 32G formed in the claw portion 32F of the second fitting portion 32D, so that the claw portion 32F of the second fitting portion 32D and the locking piece 24C of the locking member 24 are locked in the left-right direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, other configurations can be adopted to prevent the reclining lever 32 from coming out of the inner lever 30 when the reclining lever 32 and the inner lever 30 are in their maximum operating positions.

[0028] Furthermore, although the above embodiment described the case in which the present invention is applied to seats for vehicles, the present invention is also applicable to seats for vehicles other than vehicles (for example, aircraft and ships).

[0029] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above, and it is of course possible to implement it in various other ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, some of the components of this embodiment can be omitted, or other components can be added to the configuration of this embodiment. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0030] 10 Vehicle seats 14 Seatback 18 Base member 24 Locking member 30. Inner lever (displacement member) 32 Reclining levers 32D 2nd fitting part (fitting part) 32F Claw

Claims

1. A seatback that supports the back of the seated occupant from the rear and is also designed to recline, A reclining lever operated by the occupant, A displacement member that is engaged with the reclining lever and is displaceable together with the reclining lever between the non-operated position and the maximum operating position, and which allows the seat back to recline when displaced together with the reclining lever toward the maximum operating position, When the reclining lever and the displacement member are positioned in the maximum operating position, a locking member is provided that engages with the fitting portion of the reclining lever with the displacement member, thereby preventing the reclining lever from coming out of the displacement member. A vehicle seat equipped with [a specific feature / feature].

2. The locking member is fixed to a base member provided on the seat cushion side that supports the seated occupant's buttocks from below. The reclining lever and the displacement member are rotatably supported on the base member. The fitting portion is provided with a claw portion that protrudes toward the locking member side, The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the reclining lever and the displacement member are rotated toward the maximum operating position, causing the fitting portion to move toward the locking member, thereby locking the claw portion and the locking member together, and preventing the reclining lever from coming out of the displacement member.

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