Foamed molded products and vehicle seats

Abstract

To provide a foamed molded body and a vehicle seat that can improve the design flexibility of seat pads. [Solution] The device comprises a main body portion (27) extending in the longitudinal and transverse directions and constituting a seat or backrest, side support portions (28A, 28B) located at both ends of the main body portion (27) in the first direction and molded integrally with the main body portion (27), and protruding in the second direction, and insert materials (29A, 29B) provided inside the side support portions (28A, 28B) and having a higher hardness than the side support portions (28A, 28B), wherein the insert materials (29A, 29B) have pin holes (211, 212) that can be fitted with positioning pins (52A) for positioning between the side support portions (28A, 28B) during foam molding, and the pin holes (211, 212) have openings (211A, 212B) that are open to one end in the first direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a foam molded article and a vehicle seat.

Background Art

[0002] In general, the seatback side pad and the seat cushion side pad of a vehicle seat (hereinafter simply referred to as a seat pad) are constituted by a foam molded article. Such a seat pad has side support portions that project toward the seated person at both end portions of the seating surface. For seat pads constituted by foam molded articles, an insert molding technique is known in which an insert material having higher hardness than other portions is embedded inside the side support portions, so as to improve the support performance for the seated person.

[0003] In the foam molding process of the seat pad, a mold composed of a cavity mold and a core mold that open and close in the vertical direction is used. The insert material is positioned on the core mold, and a stock solution of a soft foam material is injected into the cavity mold to be foamed and cured. Thereby, the seat pad with the insert material embedded therein is insert-molded.

[0004] To further improve the support performance of the vehicle seat, the insert material must be accurately positioned and molded at a predetermined internal position of the side support portion. In the vehicle seat described in Patent Document 1, positioning pins for positioning the insert material are also provided to project along the vertical direction in alignment with the foam molding mold. For this reason, the positioning holes of the insert material that fit with the positioning pins are also formed along the vertical direction.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] In vehicle seats, there is a demand for larger seat surfaces to improve occupant comfort while maintaining support. However, in the vehicle seat described in Patent Document 1, the insert material has positioning holes along the vertical direction, so it must be thicker in the left-right direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. In other words, it is difficult to mold the insert material thinly in the left-right direction. As a result, the insert material is thick in the left-right direction, and if the left-right dimensions of the vehicle seat are to be maintained, the seat surface cannot be enlarged. For these reasons, improving the design of the seat pad (foam molded body) is considered a challenge.

[0007] Therefore, the main objective of the present invention is to provide a foamed molded body and a vehicle seat that can improve the design flexibility of seat pads. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above objective, the foamed molded body of the present invention is a foamed molded body constituting a seat pad for a vehicle seat, comprising: a main body portion extending in a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction and constituting a seat surface or backrest; side support portions located at both ends of the main body portion in a first direction which is the transverse direction, molded integrally with the main body portion, and protruding in a second direction intersecting the first direction; and an insert material provided inside the side support portion and having a hardness higher than that of the side support portion, wherein the insert material is a positioning pin for positioning between the side support portion and the insert material during foam molding, and has a pin hole that can be fitted with a positioning pin extending in the second direction, and the pin hole has an opening that is open on one end in the first direction in order to allow the mold in which the insert material is molded to move away in the first direction.

[0009] In the above configuration, the pin hole is characterized by having a semicircular portion whose inner diameter matches the outer diameter of the positioning pin, and a straight portion that communicates with the semicircular portion and the opening, and whose dimensions in a third direction intersecting the first and second directions match the outer diameter of the positioning pin.

[0010] In the above configuration, the insert material is disposed inside the pin hole and has a projection that protrudes in the third direction, and the projection restricts the positioning pin from disengaging in the first direction when the positioning pin is fitted into the pin hole.

[0011] To achieve the above objective, the vehicle seat of the present invention is a vehicle seat comprising a foamed molded body having the above configuration and a frame supporting the foamed molded body, wherein the frame includes a frame member extending in a third direction intersecting the first and second directions, and the insert material comprises an insert material body supported by the frame member and a first leg portion and a second leg portion arranged on both sides of the frame member in the first direction and formed integrally with the insert material body portion, wherein the first leg portion and the second leg portion position the foamed molded body in the first direction relative to the frame member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a foamed molded body and a vehicle seat that can improve the design freedom of the seat pad. Other problems, configurations, and effects will be clarified by the following description of embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a front view of the vehicle seat shown. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view along line III-III in Figure 2. [Figure 4]It is an exploded perspective view of a seat cushion. [Figure 5] It is a bottom side perspective view of the seat cushion side pad (seat pad) (foam molded body). [Figure 6] They are a front side perspective view (A) and a back side perspective view (B) of an insert material. [Figure 7] It is a right side view of the insert material. [Figure 8] It is a front view of the insert material. [Figure 9] It is a cross-sectional view taken along the IX-IX line of Figure 7. [Figure 10] It is a cross-sectional view taken along the X-X line of Figure 7. [Figure 11] It is an explanatory view showing the manufacturing process of the insert material. [Figure 12] It is an explanatory view showing the manufacturing process of the seat cushion side pad (seat pad) (foam molded body). [Modes for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0014] Hereinafter, the vehicle seat according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the vehicle seat 1 according to the present embodiment. Figure 2 is a front view of the vehicle seat 1. In the following description and the arrows in the drawings, the left-right direction, up-down direction, and front-rear direction correspond to the left-right direction, up-down direction, and front-rear direction of the vehicle seat 1. Further, in the present embodiment, the first direction in the claims corresponds to the left-right direction of the vehicle seat 1, the second direction corresponds to the up-down direction of the vehicle seat 1, and the third direction corresponds to the front-rear direction of the vehicle seat 1.

[0015] [Configuration of Vehicle Seat 1] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle seat 1 is a seat for use in vehicles such as automobiles. In the present embodiment, the vehicle seat 1 is configured to allow one person to be seated thereon. The vehicle seat 1 includes a seat cushion 2, and a seat back 3 attached to the seat cushion 2 so as to be tiltable forward. The seat cushion 2 constitutes the seating surface for the seated person, and the seat back 3 constitutes the backrest for the seated person. The seat cushion 2 is fixed to a floor panel (not shown) of the vehicle by bolt fastening or the like via leg members or the like constituting a seat frame (not shown).

[0016] Note that an actual vehicle seat is provided with a headrest attached to the upper side (upper surface portion) of the seat back 3, a reclining mechanism for adjusting the angle of the seat back 3 relative to the seat cushion 2, and the like, but since these have no direct relation to the present invention, illustration and description of these configurations are omitted.

[0017] [Configuration of Seat Cushion 2] Hereinafter, the configuration of the seat cushion 2 will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 5. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of Figure 2. Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the seat cushion 2. Figure 5 is a bottom side perspective view of the seat cushion side pad 21.

[0018] As shown in Figure 3, the seat cushion 2 includes a seat cushion side pad 21 (seat pad) and a seat cushion side frame 22. The seat back 3 includes a seat back side pad 31 and a seat back side frame 32. The seat back side frame 32 is tiltably connected to the rear end of the seat cushion side frame 22 via a reclining device through a rotation mechanism (not shown).

[0019] [Configuration of Seat Cushion Side Frame 22] As shown in Figure 4, the seat cushion side frame 22 comprises a pair of left and right side frames 23A and 23B (frame members), a front frame 24, and a rear frame 25. The side frames 23A and 23B, the front frame 24, and the rear frame 25 that constitute the seat cushion side frame 22 form a rectangular frame when viewed from above. The seat cushion side frame 22 is made of, for example, a metal material.

[0020] The side frames 23A and 23B are formed in a plate shape and extend in the front-rear direction. The side frames 23A and 23B are members formed, for example, by bending a metal plate. The rear ends of the side frames 23A and 23B are connected by the rear frame 25. The rear frame 25 is formed in a cylindrical or cylindrical shape and extends in the left-right direction.

[0021] The front ends of the side frames 23A and 23B are connected by a front frame 24. More specifically, the front frame 24 has covering portions 24A and 24B and a connecting portion 24C. The covering portions 24A and 24B cover the upper surfaces of the front end portions of the side frames 23A and 23B, respectively. The connecting portion 24C is formed in a flat plate shape that connects the covering portions 24A and 24B. The covering portions 24A and 24B and the connecting portion 24C are integrally formed using a metal plate.

[0022] [Composition of the seat cushion side pad 21] The seat cushion side pad 21 is composed of a foamed molded body comprising a main body 27, side support parts 28A and 28B, and insert materials 29A and 29B. The main body 27 extends in the front-rear and left-right directions and constitutes a seat surface that supports the occupant. In the main body 27, the front-rear direction is the longitudinal direction, and the left-right direction is the short direction.

[0023] The side support sections 28A and 28B are located at both ends of the main body section 27 in the left-right direction. The main body section 27 and the side support sections 28A and 28B are integrally formed from a foamed material (flexible foam) such as flexible polyurethane foam by foam molding. The side support sections 28A and 28B protrude vertically from the main body section 27 toward the seated person. As a result, the side support sections 28A and 28B support the seated person from the side.

[0024] The side support portions 28A and 28B are formed in a mountain-like shape when viewed from the side (left or right) of the seat cushion side pad 21, with the central part in the front-to-back direction being higher and the front and rear ends being lower than the central part. However, the shape of the side support portions 28A and 28B is not limited to this, and for example, when viewed from the side of the seat cushion side pad 21, one of the front and rear ends may have a sloping surface that is lower than the other, or it may have any other shape.

[0025] The insert materials 29A and 29B are provided inside the side support sections 28A and 28B and have a higher hardness than the side support sections 28A and 28B. The insert materials 29A and 29B are formed to be smaller in dimensions than the side support sections 28A and 28B in the front-to-back, up-and-down, and left-to-right directions.

[0026] As shown in Figure 5, grooves 27A to 27D are formed on the bottom surface of the main body 27 (seat cushion side pad 21). Grooves 27A and 27B extend in the front-rear direction, grooves 27C and 27D extend in the left-right direction, and grooves 27A to 27D form a rectangular frame shape. The side frames 23A and 23B, the front frame 24, and the rear frame 25 are inserted into grooves 27A to 27 of the seat cushion side pad 21. As a result, the peripheral edge of the seat cushion side pad 21 is supported by the seat cushion side frame 22.

[0027] [Composition of insert materials 29A and 29B] The detailed configurations of insert materials 29A and 29B will be described below with reference to Figures 6 to 10. Figure 6(A) is a front side perspective view of insert material 29A, and Figure 6(B) is a rear side perspective view of insert material 29A. Figure 7 is a right side view of insert material 29A (a side view seen from the right side in the left-right direction). Figure 8 is a front view of insert material 29A (a view seen from the front in the front-back direction). Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view along the line IX-IX in Figure 7. Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view along the line XX in Figure 7. Note that insert materials 29A and 29B have similar configurations, and below, we will mainly describe insert material 29A, and omit the description of insert material 29B.

[0028] As shown in Figures 6(A) and 6(B), insert material 29A comprises an insert material body portion 200, a first leg portion 201, and a second leg portion 202. Insert materials 29A and 29B have higher hardness than side support portions 28A and 28B. More specifically, the insert material body portion 200, the first leg portion 201, and the second leg portion 202 of insert materials 29A and 29B are integrally molded from a foam material (in this embodiment, made of bead-molded polypropylene). The insert material body portion 200 is supported by the side frame 23A via the covering portion 24A of the front frame 24 (see Figure 3). The insert material body portion 200 of insert material 29B is supported by the side frame 23B via the covering portion 24B of the front frame 24.

[0029] As shown in Figure 7, the insert material body portion 200 has the same shape as the side support portions 28A and 28B, but its dimensions in the front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-to-down directions are smaller than those of the side support portions 28A and 28B.

[0030] [Configuration of the first leg section 201 and the second leg section 202] The first leg portion 201 and the second leg portion 202 are positioned at both ends of the insert material body portion 200 in the left-right direction. Furthermore, the first leg portion 201 and the second leg portion 202 are located on both sides in the left-right direction with respect to the groove 27A of the main body portion 27 (seat cushion side pad 21). More specifically, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the first leg portion 201 is located at the left end of the insert material body portion 200 in the left-right direction (to the left of the groove 27A) and at the front end in the front-rear direction, and extends vertically. The second leg portion 202 is located at the right end of the insert material body portion 200 in the left-right direction (to the right of the groove 27A) and at the rear end in the front-rear direction, and extends vertically. In other words, when the insert material body portion 200 is supported by the side frame 23A, the first leg portion 201 is located on the left side of the side frame 23A, and the second leg portion 202 is located on the right side of the side frame 23A. Therefore, the first leg portion 201 and the second leg portion 202 are arranged to sandwich the side frame 23A, and the seat cushion side pad 21 can be positioned in the left-right direction relative to the side frame 23A.

[0031] When the insert material body portion 200 of the insert material 29B is supported by the side frame 23B, the first leg portion 201 is located on the right side of the side frame 23B, and the second leg portion 202 is located on the left side of the side frame 23A. Therefore, the first leg portion 201 and the second leg portion 202 of the insert material 29B position the seat cushion side pad 21 in the left-right direction relative to the side frame 23B.

[0032] [Configuration of pin holes 211 and 212] As shown in Figures 7 and 9, the insert material body portion 200 has pin holes 211 and 212. The pin holes 211 and 212 are arranged side by side in the front-to-back direction. The pin holes 211 and 212 are pin holes that extend vertically from the bottom surface 200A (lower end surface in the vertical direction) of the insert material body portion 200, and each has an opening 211A and 212A with one end (right side in this embodiment) open in the left-to-right direction. The pin holes 211 and 212 can be fitted along the vertical direction with the positioning pin 52A (see Figure 12) used when foam molding the seat cushion side pad 21. The internal shape of the pin holes 211 and 212 is the same.

[0033] The pin holes 211 and 212 each have semicircular portions 211B and 212B whose inner diameter matches the outer diameter of the positioning pin 52A, and straight portions 211C and 212C which communicate with the semicircular portions 211B and 212B and the openings 211A and 212A, and whose dimensions in the front-rear direction match the outer diameter of the positioning pin 52A.

[0034] Furthermore, the insert material 29A has a pair of projections 213 formed inside the pin holes 211 and 212. The projections 213 are projections that protrude in the front-rear direction from the respective surfaces of the straight sections 211C and 212C. The projections 213 extend in the vertical direction. When the positioning pin 52A is fitted into the pin holes 211 and 212, the projections 213 restrict the positioning pin 52A from disengaging in the left-right direction.

[0035] [Manufacturing process for insert material 29A] Next, the manufacturing process of insert material 29A will be described with reference to Figure 11. The manufacturing process of insert material 29B is the same as that of insert material 29A, and therefore will not be described. The left-right, up-down, and front-back directions shown in Figures 11 and 12 correspond to the left-right, up-down, and front-back directions of the vehicle seat 1.

[0036] As shown in Figure 11(A), the mold 40 is the mold in which the insert material 29A is molded. The mold 40 consists of a cavity mold 41 that opens and closes in the left-right direction and a core mold 42. In the manufacturing process of the insert material 29A, the mold 40 is used, and foam material is injected into the inside of the closed mold 40 to mold the insert material 29A.

[0037] As shown in Figure 11(B), the pin holes 211 and 212 have openings 211A and 212A that are open to one end in the left-right direction, allowing the cavity mold 41 and core mold 42 to be opened and closed in the left-right direction. In other words, the core mold 42 (mold 40) into which the insert material 29A is molded can be moved in the left-right direction. In addition, projections 213 are arranged inside the pin holes 211 and 212, and when the core mold 42 is moved in the opening direction, the core mold 42 comes into contact with the projections 213. However, since the insert material 29A is molded from an elastic foam material, it does not hinder the movement of the core mold 42 (it can be moved in the left-right direction), and so-called undercuts do not occur. The insert materials 29A and 29B manufactured as described above are used for foam molding of the seat cushion side pad 21.

[0038] [Foam molding of seat cushion side pad 21] Next, with reference to Figure 12, the foam molding process, which is the manufacturing process for the seat cushion side pad 21, will be described. In the manufacturing process for the seat cushion side pad 21, a mold 50 consisting of a cavity mold 51 that opens and closes in the vertical direction and a core mold 52 is used.

[0039] As shown in Figure 12(A), in foam molding, insert materials 29A and 29B are positioned in the core mold 52 in the open mold 50, and a soft foam raw material is injected into the cavity mold 51. During foam molding, the positioning of the insert materials 29A and 29B relative to the side support parts 28A and 28B is performed by fitting the positioning pin 52A with the pin holes 211 and 212 of the insert materials 29A and 29B along the vertical direction. The positioning pin 52A is provided integrally with the core mold 52. The positioning pin 52A is formed in a substantially columnar shape and extends in the vertical direction.

[0040] As shown in Figure 12(B), the core mold 52 is moved to change the mold 50 from an open state to a closed state. This causes the foam material to foam and harden inside the mold 50, and the seat cushion side pad 21 with the insert materials 29A and 29B embedded inside is foamed and molded. Then the mold 50 is opened, and the foamed and molded seat cushion side pad 21 is removed from the mold 50.

[0041] Next, the effects of this embodiment, configured in this way, will be described.

[0042] In this embodiment, the seat cushion side pad 21, which is made of a foamed molded body, is equipped with insert materials 29A and 29B inside the side support portions 28A and 28B, and the insert materials 29A and 29B are fitted vertically with positioning pins 52A for positioning between the side support portions 28A and 28B when the seat cushion side pad 21 is foamed molded, and have pin holes 211 and 212 with one end open in the left-right direction, so that the insert materials 29A and 29B can be molded thinly in the left-right direction. Conventionally, when the insert material has a positioning hole that engages with the positioning pin 52A, the thickness must be increased in the left-right direction perpendicular to the positioning hole. However, in this embodiment, since one end of the pin holes 211 and 212 that engage with the positioning pin 52A is open, it is not necessary to increase the thickness on the open end of the pin holes 211 and 212 in the left-right direction, and the insert materials 29A and 29B can be molded to be thinner. This makes it possible to enlarge the seating surface of the seat cushion side pad 21, thereby improving the design flexibility of the seat cushion side pad 21.

[0043] Furthermore, the pin holes 211 and 212 have semicircular sections 211B and 212B whose inner diameter matches the outer diameter of the positioning pin 52A, and straight sections 211C and 212C that communicate with the semicircular sections 211B and 212B and the openings 211A and 212A, and whose dimensions in the front-rear direction match the outer diameter of the positioning pin 52A. This makes it possible to reliably move the mold 40 in which the insert material 29A and 29 is molded in the left-right direction, further improving the design freedom of the seat cushion side pad 21.

[0044] Furthermore, projections 213 are formed inside the pin holes 211 and 212, and protrude in the front-rear direction. When the positioning pin 52A is fitted into the pin holes 211 and 212, the projections 213 can restrict the positioning pin 52A from detaching in the left-right direction. This allows the insert materials 29A and 29B to be accurately positioned inside the side support portions 28A and 28B, enabling the foam molding of the seat cushion side pad 21.

[0045] Furthermore, the insert materials 29A and 29B are equipped with first legs 201 and second legs 202, respectively, located on both sides in the left-right direction of the side frames 23A and 23B. The first legs 201 and second legs 202 are positioned to sandwich the side frame 23A, allowing the seat cushion side pad 21 to be positioned in the left-right direction relative to the side frames 23A and 23B. This allows the insert materials 29A and 29B to be precisely positioned in the left-right direction relative to the side frames 23A and 23B, thereby improving the support of the seat cushion side pad 21.

[0046] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. All technical matters included in the technical concept described in the claims are subject to the present invention. The embodiments described above are preferred examples, but those skilled in the art can realize various alternative examples, modifications, variations, combinations, or improvements from the contents disclosed herein, and these are included in the technical scope described in the appended claims.

[0047] For example, in the above embodiment, the seat cushion side pad 21 is exemplified as a seat pad made of a foamed molded body, but it is not limited to this, and a seat back side pad 31 may also be applied as a seat pad made of a foamed molded body. In this case, the seat back side pad 31 comprises a main body portion that constitutes the backrest, a side support portion, and an insert material. The main body portion extends in the vertical and horizontal directions (first direction), and the side support portions are located at both ends of the main body portion in the horizontal direction (first direction), are foam-molded integrally with the main body portion, and protrude in the front-rear direction (second direction). Furthermore, in this case, the insert material has a higher hardness than the side support portion, is able to fit with the positioning pin used when foam-molding the seat back side pad 31 along the front-rear direction (second direction), and has a pin hole with one end open in the horizontal direction (first direction). This makes it possible to obtain the same effects as in the above embodiment. In this case, the seat back frame 32 also includes a pair of side frames (frame members) similar to the seat cushion frame 22, and the insert material is positioned in a first direction relative to the side frames of the seat back frame 32.

[0048] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the first, second, and third directions are arranged to be orthogonal to each other, but the system is not limited to this arrangement; the first, second, and third directions can be arranged to intersect to each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1. Vehicle seat 2 seat cushions 3 Seatback 21 Seat cushion side pad 21 (foam molded body) 22 Seat cushion side frame 23A, 23B Side frame (frame component) 27 Main body 28A, 28B Side support section 29A, 29B insert material 31 Seat back side pad 32 Seat back side frame 40, 50 molds 52A Positioning pin 200 Main body 201 1st leg 202 Second leg 211, 212 pin holes 211A, 212A opening 211B, 212B Semicircular section 211C, 212C Straight section 213 Protrusion

Claims

1. A foamed molded body that constitutes a seat pad for a vehicle seat, A main body extending in the longitudinal and transverse directions, which constitutes the seat or backrest, The main body is located at both ends in the first direction, which is the shorter direction, and is molded integrally with the main body, and the side support portions protrude in a second direction intersecting the first direction, The side support portion is provided inside the side support portion and comprises an insert material having a higher hardness than the side support portion, The insert material is a positioning pin for positioning between itself and the side support portion during foam molding, and has a pin hole that can be fitted with a positioning pin extending in the second direction. The foamed molded body is characterized in that the pin hole has an opening that is open on one end in the first direction in order to allow the mold in which the insert material is molded to escape in the first direction.

2. In the foamed molded body according to claim 1, The aforementioned pin hole is A semicircular portion whose inner diameter matches the outer diameter of the positioning pin, It has a straight section that communicates with the semicircular section and the opening, and whose dimensions in a third direction intersecting the first and second directions are matched to the outer diameter of the positioning pin, A foamed molded body characterized by the following:

3. In the foamed molded body according to claim 2, The aforementioned insert material is A projection is formed inside the pin hole, which protrudes in the third direction. The projection prevents the positioning pin from disengaging in the first direction when the positioning pin is fitted into the pin hole. A foamed molded body characterized by the following:

4. A foamed molded body according to claim 1, A vehicle seat comprising a frame that supports the aforementioned foamed molded body, The frame includes frame members extending in a third direction intersecting the first and second directions, The aforementioned insert material is The insert material body portion is supported by the frame member, The frame member comprises a first leg portion and a second leg portion, which are respectively arranged on both sides in the first direction and are integrally formed with the insert material body portion, The first leg portion and the second leg portion position the foamed molded body in the first direction relative to the frame member. A vehicle seat characterized by the following features.

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