Vehicle seat

Abstract

To provide a vehicular seat which enables effective reduction of sounds in a predetermined frequency band emitted to the occupant side.SOLUTION: A vehicular seat includes: a seat frame having left and right side frames; a blower 30 disposed between the left and right side frames; a pad 21 which covers the outer side of the seat frame; and a noise reduction unit 70 disposed between the blower 30 and the pad 21 and forming a resonance space SP2. The noise reduction unit 70 has a plate 71 on which through holes 71a are opened and which faces the blower 30 and the pad 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat having a blower. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a vehicle seat that is provided with a blower inside the seat back and is configured to reduce the operating noise of the blower (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the seat described in Patent Document 1, a plate-shaped soundproof panel is arranged so as to cover a part of the blower, and an uneven surface that diffuses the operating noise of the blower is formed on the part of the soundproof panel that faces the blower. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-177027 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in a configuration in which a soundproof panel is provided as in the seat described in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to effectively reduce sounds in a specific frequency band emitted toward the occupant, such as the operating noise of a blower. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A vehicle seat according to one aspect of the present invention includes a seat frame having left and right side frames, a blower disposed between the left and right side frames, a cover portion covering the outside of the seat frame, and a resonance space forming portion disposed between the blower and the cover portion and forming a resonance space. The resonance space forming portion is formed so as to cover the entire front surface of the blower as viewed from the cover portion side, and is constituted by a noise reduction unit having a plate member having a plurality of through holes and a frame body extending from an edge of the plate member toward the cover portion. The noise reduction unit is provided integrally with the housing of the blower via an air gap. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to effectively reduce sounds in a specific frequency band emitted toward the passenger side. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a main part of a vehicle seat according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which an upper layer pad is removed from the seat back pad of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a seat frame that constitutes a framework of a vehicle seat according to a first embodiment of the present invention and an air conditioning unit attached to the seat frame; [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. [Diagram 5] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the arrangement of an air conditioning unit built into a vehicle seat; [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view of the air conditioning unit of FIG. 3 . [Figure 7] 1 is a front view showing an internal configuration of a vehicle seat according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 8] 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an internal configuration of a vehicle seat according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the noise reduction unit shown in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a modification of FIG. 9 . [Figure 11] 11 is a front view showing an internal configuration of a vehicle seat having the noise reduction unit of FIG. 10. [Figure 12A] 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 11 . [Figure 12B] FIG. 12B is a cross-sectional view showing a modification of FIG. 12A. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a modification of FIG. 9 . [Figure 14] 9 is a cross-sectional view showing an arrangement of the noise reduction unit provided in the vehicle seat according to the embodiment of the present invention, which is different from that in FIG. 8 . [Figure 15] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a noise reduction unit provided in a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention, different from that shown in FIG. 9 . [Figure 16] FIG. 6 is a front view showing an internal configuration of a vehicle seat according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a vehicle seat according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 16. [Figure 19] 19 is a perspective view of the main part of FIG. 18 as seen obliquely from the front. [Figure 20] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a main portion that illustrates a modified example of the second embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing another modified example of FIG. 9 . [Figure 22] 10 is a perspective view showing a main configuration of a noise reduction unit and a blower which are still another modified example of the noise reduction unit in FIG. 9. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] -First embodiment- A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 15. A vehicle seat according to this embodiment is provided, for example, in a driver's seat or a passenger's seat, and has a built-in air blower (e.g., a blower). The surface of the vehicle seat is covered with a skin such as natural leather.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the main configuration of a vehicle seat (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as a seat) 100 according to this embodiment, particularly a state in which the cover is removed from the seat 100. As shown in FIG. 1, the seat 100 has a seat cushion 1 that supports the buttocks of an occupant, and a seat back 2 that supports the waist and back of the occupant. Although not shown, the seat 100 also has a headrest that supports the head of the occupant. In the following, the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction are defined as shown in the figure with respect to an occupant seated on the seat 100, and the configuration of each part will be described according to these definitions. The seat cushion 1 has a seating surface on its upper surface, and the seat back 2 has a seating surface on its front surface.

[0010] The seat back 2 has a pad 21 and a pair of upper and lower upper pads 22 that fit into a pair of upper and lower recesses 211, 212 on the front surface (sitting surface) of the pad 21. The pad 21 and the upper pad 22 are made of urethane foam or the like. The upper pad 22 is provided with a plurality of through holes 220 through which air passes. Like the seat back 2, the seat cushion 1 also has a pad 23 and an upper pad 24 that fits into a recess 230 on the upper surface (sitting surface) of the pad 23, and the upper pad 24 is provided with a plurality of through holes 240 through which air passes.

[0011] 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which the upper layer pad 22 is removed from the pad 21 of the seat back 2 in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of grooves 213 having a substantially U-shaped cross section are formed on the bottom surface (rear surface) of the recesses 211 and 212 of the pad 21, which communicate with the through-hole 220 and through which air passes. More specifically, the grooves 213 include a groove 213a provided in the lower recess 211 and extending in a ladder-like manner in the vertical and horizontal directions, a groove 213b provided across the upper and lower recesses 211 and 212 and extending upward from the upper end and the center in the horizontal direction of the groove 213a, a groove 213c provided in the upper recess 212 and extending in the horizontal direction from the upper end of the groove 213b, and a groove 213d extending rightward from the center in the vertical direction of the groove 213b.

[0012] A through hole 214 is formed at the right end of the groove 213d, penetrating the pad 21 in the front-rear direction. A blower 30 and a duct 40 for intake are disposed behind the upper recess 212. One end (inlet 41) of the duct 40 communicates with the through hole 214, and the other end (blowout port 42) is connected to the blower 30. As a result, when the blower 30 rotates, air is sucked into the blower 30 via the through hole 220 of the upper pad 22, the groove 213 of the pad 21, the through hole 214, and the duct 40.

[0013] Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a seat frame 101 constituting the framework of a vehicle seat 100 and an air conditioning unit 200 attached to the seat frame 101, and Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 3, the seat frame 101 has a seat cushion frame 110 forming the framework of a seat cushion 1 and a seat back frame 120 forming the framework of a seat back 2.

[0014] The seat cushion frame 110 has a pair of left and right side frames 111, 112 extending in the front-rear direction, and a pair of front and rear connecting frames 113, 114 connecting the front ends and rear ends of the side frames 111, 112, respectively, and is configured as a rectangular frame as a whole in a plan view. The seat back frame 120 has a pair of left and right side frames 121, 122 extending in the up-down direction, and a pair of upper frames 123 and lower frames 124 connecting the upper ends and lower ends of the side frames 121, 122, respectively, and is configured as a rectangular frame as a whole in a front view. The lower ends of the side frames 121, 122 of the seat back frame 120 are pivotally supported by the rear ends of the side frames 111, 112 of the seat cushion frame 110.

[0015] The configuration of the seatback frame 120 will be described in more detail. The upper frame 123 is configured from a central portion in the left-right direction of a pipe member bent into a substantially U-shape, and both left and right ends of the pipe member configure the upper portions of the side frames 121, 122. More specifically, both ends of the pipe member are inclined outward in the left-right direction, forming inclined portions 121a, 122a that are part of the side frames 121, 122. Approximately plate-shaped sheet metal members that extend in the up-down direction and are wide in the front-rear direction are welded to both ends of the pipe member, respectively, and the sheet metal members configure the lower portions of the side frames 121, 122.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 4, a generally plate-shaped connecting frame 125 that connects the lower ends of the left and right inclined portions 121a, 122a is installed below the upper frame 123. A plurality of through holes 125a that penetrate the connecting frame 125 in the front-rear direction are formed in the connecting frame 125. The air conditioning unit 200 is attached to the connecting frame 125 via the through holes 125a. A pair of left and right holders 123a for supporting a headrest are attached to the front surface of the upper frame 123 by welding or the like.

[0017] The air conditioning unit 200 has a blower 30, a bracket 50 disposed behind the blower 30, a duct 40 connected to the blower 30 via the bracket 50, and a fixing plate 60 disposed behind the connecting frame 125. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the arrangement of the air conditioning unit 200 built into the seat 100. As shown in Fig. 5, the pad 21 has a front pad 21a on the side of the occupant's seating surface (front side), a rear pad 21b on the opposite side of the occupant's seating surface (rear side), and an upper pad 21c connecting an upper end of the front pad 21a and an upper end of the rear pad 21b, and the air conditioning unit 200 is disposed in the space inside these pads 21a to 21c.

[0018] 4 and 5, the fixing plate 60 has a plate portion 61 and a hook 62 that extends forward from the upper end of the plate portion 61 and is hooked onto the upper frame 123. As shown in Fig. 5, the rear surface of the plate portion 61 is covered with the rear pad 21b, and the upper surface is covered with the upper pad 21c. The bracket 50 and the fixing plate 60 are disposed with the connecting frame 125 sandwiched between them in the front-rear direction.

[0019] FIG. 6 is an enlarged front view of the air conditioning unit 200 of FIG. 3 as viewed from the front. As shown in FIG. 6, the plate portion 61 has an outer shape that conforms to the upper frame 123 and the inclined portions 121a and 122a of the side frames 121 and 122 and the connecting frame 125 when viewed from the front. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the bracket 50 and the fixing plate 60 are fastened to each other via the bolt 5a that penetrates the through hole 125a of the connecting frame 125. As a result, the bracket 50 and the fixing plate 60 are fixed to the connecting frame 125. The bracket 50 and the fixing plate 60 are formed, for example, using resin as a constituent material. As shown in FIG. 4, substantially cylindrical bosses 50a, 50b, and 50c for fixing the blower 30 are provided on the front surface of the bracket 50 so as to protrude forward.

[0020] The duct 40 has an intake port 41 and an exhaust port 42 at one end and the other end, respectively, and is configured to form an air passage from the intake port 41 to the exhaust port 42 using, for example, resin as a constituent material. More specifically, the duct 40 has a vertical duct portion 43 extending in the up-down direction and a horizontal duct portion 44 extending leftward from the upper end of the vertical duct portion 43, and is configured to be approximately L-shaped as a whole when viewed from the front. The lower end of the vertical duct portion 43 is bent forward, and the intake port 41 is formed in front of the tip. The left end of the horizontal duct portion 44 is bent forward, and the exhaust port 42 is formed in front of the tip.

[0021] A substantially circular flange portion 45 is provided around the air outlet 42. The bracket 50 has an opening 51 penetrating in the front-rear direction. The left end of the side duct portion 44 is inserted into the opening 51, and the flange portion 45 is disposed in front of the bracket 50. The side duct portion 44 on the right side of the flange portion 45 extends in the left-right direction along the rear surface of the bracket 50. By fastening the bracket 50 and the fixing plate 60 together, the duct 40 is supported by the bracket 50 with the flange portion 45 abutting against the front surface of the bracket 50 around the opening 51.

[0022] 6, the blower 30 is a centrifugal blower such as a sirocco fan, and includes a housing 31 formed, for example, from a resin as a constituent material, and a blade member 32 that rotates within the housing 31 around a shaft portion 32a extending in the front-rear direction. The shaft portion 32a is connected to an output shaft of an electric motor 33 disposed inside the housing 31, and the blade member 32 is driven to rotate by the electric motor 33. The housing 31 has a substantially circular suction port 34 at its rear surface, the suction port 34 being centered around the shaft portion 32a. The housing 31 is disposed facing a flange portion 45 of the duct 40 such that the suction port 34 coincides with the position of the air outlet 42 of the duct 40.

[0023] The housing 31 is formed so that the air passage on the radially outer side of the wing member 32 gradually widens, and an air outlet 35 that opens to the right is provided in the lower right part where the air passage is widest. The housing 31 has mounting parts 31a, 31b, and 31c that protrude radially outward from its outer circumferential surface. The mounting parts 31a, 31b, and 31c are provided corresponding to the positions of the bosses 50a, 50b, and 50c (FIG. 4) of the bracket 50, and the mounting parts 31a, 31b, and 31c are provided with approximately circular openings into which the bosses 50a, 50b, and 50c are inserted, respectively. The housing 31 is fixed to the bracket 50 by screwing a bolt 5b into a screw hole provided in the front center of the bosses 50a, 50b, and 50c.

[0024] In such a vehicle seat 100, the wing member 32 rotates, for example, in conjunction with the operation of a vehicle air conditioning system that manages the air conditioning in the vehicle cabin. When the wing member 32 rotates, air is sucked into the duct 40 through the through-hole 220 of the upper layer pad 22, the groove 213 of the pad 21, the through-hole 214, and the inlet 41 shown in Fig. 5. After passing through the duct 40, the sucked air flows into the housing 31 through the outlet 42 shown in Fig. 4 and the inlet 34 shown in Fig. 6, and is blown out from the outlet 35 on the left side. This allows air to flow along the surface of the seat 100, removing moisture (such as sweat) on the seat seating surface side, improving the comfort of the occupant.

[0025] However, when the air conditioning unit 200 is provided on the upper part of the seat back 2 as described above, the blower 30 is located close to the head of the occupant, so that the occupant is likely to feel the operating sound of the blower 30. As a result, the occupant perceives the operating sound of the blower 30 as noise, and the comfort of the occupant is impaired. Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to reduce sounds in a predetermined frequency band that the occupant finds unpleasant (for example, the operating sound of the blower 30), a noise reduction device is provided in the seat back 2 as described below.

[0026] 7 and 8 are a front view and a vertical cross-sectional view, respectively, showing the internal configuration of a seat 100 having a noise reduction device. Note that the area behind the blower 30 is omitted in Fig. 8. As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, a noise reduction unit 70 constituting the noise reduction device is disposed in a space SP1 between the housing 31 of the blower 30 and the pad 21.

[0027] Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the noise reduction unit 70. As shown in Fig. 9, the noise reduction unit 70 has a plate 71 that is generally rectangular in front view and extends in the up, down, left and right directions, a frame body 72 that is generally rectangular in front view and extends forward from the up, down, left and right edges of the plate 71, and a pair of upper and lower plate-like stays 73 that extend rearward from the rear surface of the plate 71. The area surrounded by the plate 71 and the frame body 72 forms a generally box-shaped space SP2 with an open front. The noise reduction unit 70 is formed by integral molding using, for example, resin as a constituent material.

[0028] 7, the plate 71 is formed so as to cover the entire front surface of the blower 30 when viewed from the front. In other words, the plate 71 is provided so as to shield the blower 30 from an occupant sitting in the seat 100 (so that the plate 71 overlaps the blower 30 when viewed from the front). For this reason, the upper and lower edges of the plate 71 are located above and below the upper and lower ends of the blower 30, respectively, and the right and left ends of the plate 71 are located to the right and left, respectively, of the right and left ends of the blower 30 (particularly the wing member 32).

[0029] As shown in FIG. 8, the plate 71 has a front surface 711 and a rear surface 712, and a plurality of through holes 71a of the same shape penetrating from the front surface 711 to the rear surface 712 in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 7, the plurality of through holes 71a are provided at equal intervals in the up-down and left-right directions over the entire area of ​​the plate 71. That is, the through holes 71a are provided at a predetermined pitch P. The through holes 71a are, for example, circles with a radius r. Note that the number, arrangement, and shape of the through holes 71a are not limited to this. For example, the through holes 71a may be elliptical or rectangular. The duct 40 is provided in a substantially L-shape when viewed from the front so as not to interfere with the noise reduction unit 70, i.e., to avoid the space in front of the blower 30, and the vertical duct portion 43 extends in the up-down direction on the right side of the plate 71.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 8, the pair of upper and lower stays 73 are respectively joined to the top and bottom surfaces of the housing 31 of the blower 30 by, for example, thermal welding. As a result, the noise reduction unit 70 is supported by the blower 30 via the stays 73 with a gap of a predetermined length between the plates 71 and the housing 31. It is preferable that the stays 73 and the housing 31 are joined before the air conditioning unit 200 is assembled, and the noise reduction unit 70 and the housing 31 are integrated. The configuration of the support part of the noise reduction unit 70 is not limited to this. For example, a through hole in the vertical direction may be provided at the rear end of the stay 73, and the stay 73 may be fixed to the housing 31 by a bolt inserted into the through hole. The noise reduction unit 70 may be molded integrally with the housing 31.

[0031] The stays 73 may be attached by abutting against the mounting parts 31a, 31b, and 31c (FIG. 6) of the housing 31. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the noise reduction unit 70 showing an example of this, FIG. 11 is a front view showing the internal structure of a seat 100 having the noise reduction unit 70 of FIG. 10, and FIG. 12A is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 11. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, three stays 73 (731 to 733) are provided on the rear surface of the plate 71 so as to protrude rearward in correspondence with the positions of the mounting parts 31a, 31b, and 31c (FIG. 6) of the housing 31. The stays 731 to 733 each have a cylindrical leg 73a having a cross-sectional shape corresponding to the shape of the periphery of the mounting parts 31a, 31b, and 31c, and a plate 73b provided on the rear end surface of the leg 73a.

[0032] More specifically, each leg 73a has an outer wall 73a1 that is substantially arc-shaped and located on the radially outer side, and an inner wall 73a2 that is substantially arc-shaped and located on the radially inner side. The outer wall 73a1 and the inner wall 73a2 are both formed to be convex toward the radially outer side. The outer wall 73a1 and the inner wall 73a2 are connected to each other at both end edges to form the leg 73a. The leg 73a can be formed integrally with the plate 71, for example, by integral molding. The plate 73b has the same shape as the mounting parts 31a, 31b, and 31c, and a substantially circular through hole 73c is provided in the plate 73b in a position corresponding to the position of the opening of the mounting parts 31a, 31b, and 31c. The plate 71 has through holes 71c having the same shape as the plate portions 73b at the attachment positions of the stays 731 to 733, and the inside of the frame body 72 communicates with the inside of the leg portions 73a via the through holes 71c.

[0033] The inner wall portion 73a2 of the leg portion 73a is formed in a convex and arcuate shape toward the radially outward direction, so that the stay 73 can be attached to the mounting portions 31a, 31b, and 31c without interfering with the peripheral surface of the housing 31. With the plate portion 73b of the stay 73 in contact, the bolt 5b is inserted from the front into the through hole 73c of each plate portion 73b. That is, as shown in FIG. 12A, the bolt 5b passes through the through hole 71c of the plate, the inside of the cylindrical side wall portion 73a of each stay 73, and the opening 31d of the mounting portion 31a, 31b, and 31c, and is screwed into the screw hole 50d of the boss 50a, 50b, and 50c. This eliminates the need to provide a separate mounting portion for the stay 73, and allows the noise reduction unit 70A to be fixed with a simple configuration.

[0034] 12B, which is a modification of Fig. 12A, the stay 73 may be attached to the mounting portions 31a, 31b, and 31c of the housing 31 without using the screw holes 50d of the bosses 50a, 50b, and 50c. That is, the noise reduction unit 70 may be fixed to the housing 31 by screwing a nut 5d onto the tip end of a bolt 5c that is inserted from the front through the through hole 71c of the plate 71, the through hole 73c of the plate portion 73b of the stay 73, and the opening 31d of the mounting portions 31a, 31b, and 31c of the housing 31.

[0035] The stays 73 may be fixed to a support member other than the housing 31. Fig. 13 is a perspective view that shows an example of such a configuration. In Fig. 13, a pair of left and right stays 73 are provided at both left and right ends of the rear surface of the plate 71, and the stays 73 are fixed to the inclined portions 121a, 122a of the left and right side frames 121, 122 via, for example, bolts (not shown). The stays 73 may be fixed to, for example, the upper frame 123, the connecting frame 125, or the bracket 50. In this case, the stays 73 may be formed according to the shape of the support member.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 8, the front surface of the frame 72 is in contact with the rear surface of the front pad 21, and the space SP2 between the plate 71 and the frame 72 is an enclosed space with the through hole 71a as an opening. This space SP2 constitutes a resonance space for reducing noise. That is, the noise reduction unit 70 constitutes a Helmholtz resonator. In the noise reduction unit 70 having such a pipe section (through hole 71a) provided facing the blower 30 and a container (space SP2) on the back side of the pipe section, the generation of sound of a predetermined frequency f0 can be reduced by the resonance effect. In this case, the predetermined frequency f0 is simply expressed by the following formula (I). f0=c / (2π)·√(S / (t·V))···(I)

[0037] 8, the thickness of plate 71, which is the tube length of the resonance tube, is represented by t, and the length of space SP2 from plate 71 to pad 21 is represented by L. In the above formula (I), c is the speed of sound, S is the opening area of ​​through hole 71a, and V is the volume of space SP2. When focusing on a single through hole 71a, S is calculated as π·r·r (where r is the radius of through hole 71a), and V is calculated as L·P·P (where P is the pitch of through holes 71a).

[0038] In this embodiment, the radius r of the through hole 71a, the length L of the space SP2, the thickness t of the plate 71, and the like are set so that the predetermined frequency f0 in the above formula (I) coincides with a target frequency for reducing the operating noise of the blower 30. This makes it possible to reduce the operating noise of the blower 30 that reaches an occupant seated in the seat 100, improving the comfort of the occupant.

[0039] In FIG. 8, the front of the frame body 72 of the noise reduction unit 70 is open and the front surface of the frame body 72 abuts against the rear surface (inner surface) of the front pad 21a, but a substantially rectangular front wall may be joined to the front surface of the frame body 72 and the front surface of the frame body 72 may be closed by the front wall instead of the front pad 21a. That is, the surface facing the front surface of the plate 71 may be configured by the front wall instead of the front pad 21a, and the noise reduction unit 70 itself may have a resonance space inside. In this case, there may be a gap between the front wall and the front pad 21a. The inner surface of the front pad 21a facing the front wall may be formed unevenly so as to diffusely reflect sound.

[0040] The noise reduction unit 70 can also be provided behind the blower 30. Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a seat 100 that shows an example of such a configuration. Note that the duct 40, bracket 50, and the like are omitted from Fig. 14. As shown in Fig. 14, the noise reduction unit 70 is disposed in the space SP3 between the housing 31 of the blower 30 and the fixed plate 60, with a gap of a predetermined length from the rear surface of the housing 31. The plate 71 extends in the up-down and left-right directions so as to cover the entire rear surface of the housing 31, i.e., so as to shield the housing 31 when viewed from behind (so that the plate 71 overlaps with the housing 31).

[0041] The rear end of the frame 72 is joined to the front surface of the fixed plate 60, and the noise reduction unit 70 is supported by the fixed plate 60. Therefore, a stay 73 (FIG. 8) for supporting the noise reduction unit 70 is not required. A substantially box-shaped space SP2 between the plate 71, the frame 72, and the fixed plate 60 becomes a resonance space, and the space SP2 communicates with the space between the blower 30 and the plate 71 via the through-hole 71a. This allows the noise reduction unit 70 to effectively reduce the operating noise of the blower 30 to the rear. As a result, the passengers in the rear seats of the seat 100 are less likely to feel noise, improving the comfort of the passengers.

[0042] The noise reduction unit 70 behind the blower 30 may be fixed to a support member other than the fixed plate 60, such as the side frames 121 and 122, the upper frame 123, the connecting frame 125, or the bracket 50. When a support member other than the fixed plate 60 is provided, a substantially rectangular rear wall may be fixed to the rear surface of the frame 72 of the noise reduction unit 70, and a resonance space may be formed between the plate 71 and the rear wall. That is, the noise reduction unit 70 itself may have a resonance space therein. In this case, there may be a gap between the rear wall and the fixed plate 60. The inner surface of the rear pad 21b facing the rear wall may be formed unevenly so as to diffusely reflect sound.

[0043] The noise reduction units 70 may be provided both in front and behind the blower 30. That is, as shown in Fig. 8, the noise reduction unit 70 may be disposed in front of the blower 30, and as shown in Fig. 14, the noise reduction unit 70 may also be disposed behind the blower 30. The front and rear noise reduction units 70 may be connected to each other. Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a seat 100 that shows an example of such a configuration. Note that the pad 21, the duct 40, the bracket 50, the fixing plate 60, etc. are omitted from Fig. 15.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 14, the noise reduction unit 70 has a pair of front and rear noise reduction units 70A and 70B, that is, a front noise reduction unit 70A disposed in front of the blower 30 and a rear noise reduction unit 70B disposed in the rear of the blower 30. The front noise reduction unit 70A has a plate 71 with a plurality of through holes 71a opened therein, disposed facing the front surface of the blower 30 (housing 31), a frame body 72 protruding forward from the plate 71, and a front wall 74 covering the front surface of the frame body 72, and a space SP2 between the plate 71, the frame body 72, and the front wall 74 forms a resonance space. The rear noise reduction unit 70B has a plate 71 with a plurality of through holes 71a opened therein, disposed facing the rear surface of the blower 30 (housing 31), a frame body 72 protruding rearward from the plate 71, and a rear wall 75 covering the rear surface of the frame body 72, and a space SP2 between the plate 71, the frame body 72, and the rear wall 75 forms a resonance space.

[0045] An upper end of the plate 71 of the rear noise reduction unit 70B is bent forward. A hook portion 71b is provided midway on the upper end, and the hook portion 71b engages with the upper frame 123. A hinge 76 is provided at the front end of the plate 71 forward of the upper frame 123, and the upper end of the plate 71 of the front noise reduction unit 70A is connected to the front end of the plate 71 of the rear noise reduction unit 70B via the hinge 76. As a result, the front noise reduction unit 70A is supported by the rear noise reduction unit 70B so as to be rotatable in the up-down direction (the direction of the arrow AB).

[0046] The lower end of the plate 71 of the front noise reduction unit 70A is bent rearward and has an engagement portion 77a at its tip. The lower end of the plate 71 of the rear noise reduction unit 70B is bent forward and has an engagement portion 77b at its tip. The engagement portions 77a, 77b are formed, for example, in an uneven shape so that they can engage with each other, and the front noise reduction unit 70A and the rear noise reduction unit 70B are connected via the engagement portions 77a, 77b. Note that instead of connecting via the engagement portions 77a, 77b, the front and rear noise reduction units 70A, 70B may be connected using fastening members such as bolts.

[0047] In this way, by providing the front noise reduction unit 70A rotatably relative to the rear noise reduction unit 70B via the hinge 76, a pair of noise reduction units 70A, 70B can be easily arranged in front of and behind the blower 30. In addition, since the front noise reduction unit 70A is connected to the rear noise reduction unit 70B, the upper hook portion 71b of which is supported by the upper frame 123, via the engagement portions 77a, 77b, it is easy to support the pair of noise reduction units 70A, 70B arranged in front of and behind the blower 30. In addition, although the front wall 74 is provided on the front noise reduction unit 70A in FIG. 15, the front wall 74 may be omitted and the front surface of the frame body 72 may be abutted against the inner surface of the front pad 21a or the like. In addition, although the rear wall 75 is provided on the rear noise reduction unit 70B in FIG. 15, the rear wall 75 may be omitted and the rear surface of the frame body 72 may be abutted against the front surface of the fixing plate 60 or the inner surface of the rear pad 21b or the like.

[0048] According to this embodiment, the following advantageous effects can be obtained. (1) The vehicle seat 100 includes a seat frame 101 having left and right side frames 121, 122, a blower 30 disposed between the left and right side frames 121, 122, a pad 21 and an upper pad 22 as a cover covering the outside of the seat frame 101, and a noise reduction unit 70 disposed between the blower 30 and the pad 21 (spaces SP1, SP3) and forming a resonance space SP2 (FIGS. 1, 3, 8, 11, 12). This configuration effectively reduces sounds in a predetermined frequency band that are harsh to the ears of occupants (for example, the operating sound of the blower 30), improving the comfort of the occupants.

[0049] (2) The noise reduction unit 70 has a plate 71 extending in the left-right direction (FIG. 9). The plate 71 has a front surface 711 facing the front pad 21a, a rear surface 712 facing the blower 30, and a plurality of through holes 71a penetrating from the front surface 711 to the rear surface 712 (FIGS. 8 and 9). This makes it possible to efficiently reduce the operating noise of the blower 30 with a simple configuration.

[0050] (3) The plate 71 is disposed between the blower 30 and the front pad 21a on the seating surface side (front side) of the occupant (FIGS. 8 and 12). This makes it possible to efficiently reduce the operating noise of the blower 30 emitted toward the occupant.

[0051] (4) The seat 100 further includes a duct 40 that forms an air passage connecting the blower 30 and the ventilation groove 213 provided in the pad 21 on the seating side (FIG. 2). The duct 40 extends along the resonance space SP2 on the left-right outer side of the resonance space SP2 (FIG. 7). This allows the duct 40 to avoid interfering with the resonance space SP2, and provides a good resonance effect.

[0052] (5) The plate 71 can also be disposed between the blower 30 and the rear pad 21b on the opposite side (rear side) of the seating surface of the occupant (FIGS. 14 and 15). This can efficiently reduce the operating noise of the blower 30 emitted toward the opposite side of the occupant, and improve the comfort for the occupant behind the seat 100.

[0053] (6) The noise reduction unit 70 has a pair of front and rear plates 71 sandwiching the blower 30, i.e., the plate 71 of the front noise reduction unit 70A arranged between the blower 30 and the front pad 21a, and the plate 71 of the rear noise reduction unit 70B arranged between the blower 30 and the rear pad 21b (FIG. 15). The noise reduction unit 70 further has engagement parts 77a, 77b that connect the plate 71 of the front noise reduction unit 70A and the plate 71 of the rear noise reduction unit 70B (FIG. 14). This makes it possible to reduce noise that is uncomfortable for both the passenger seated in the seat 100 and the passenger behind the seat 100. In addition, the provision of the engagement parts 77a, 77b makes it possible to easily attach the noise reduction units 70A, 70B having the pair of front and rear plates 71.

[0054] (7) The noise reduction unit 70 further includes a stay 73 that supports the plate 71 from the blower 30 (FIGS. 8 and 9). This allows the blower 30 and the noise reduction unit 70 to be provided integrally, and the noise reduction unit 70 can be easily incorporated into the seat 100.

[0055] (8) The noise reduction unit 70 can also be supported from the side frames 121, 122 via stays 73 (FIG. 13). In this case, the noise reduction unit 70 can be easily attached with a simple structure.

[0056] -Second embodiment- A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 16 to 20. In Figures 16 to 19, the same reference numerals are used for the same parts as in Figures 1 to 15, and the following mainly describes the differences from the first embodiment. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment mainly in the configuration of the noise reduction unit 70. That is, while in the first embodiment (for example, Figure 5), the noise reduction unit 70 is attached to the blower 30, in the second embodiment, the noise reduction unit 70 is provided on a pressure-receiving member.

[0057] Fig. 16 is a front view showing an internal configuration of a vehicle seat 100 according to a second embodiment, and Fig. 17 is a perspective view of the vehicle seat 100. As shown in Fig. 16, stays 123b are provided extending downward from a pair of left and right holders 123a fixed to an upper frame 123, and a blower 30 is disposed inside the left and right stays. An upper end and a lower end of the blower 30 are supported by the upper frame 123 and the connecting frame 125, respectively, via bolts.

[0058] A pair of left and right wires 127 extend between the connecting frame 125 and the lower frame 124. The left and right wires 127 each have an upper wire portion 127a fixed to both left and right ends of the connecting frame 125 and extending obliquely downward and inward in the left-right direction, a central wire portion 127b extending downward from a lower end of the upper wire portion 127a, and a lower wire portion 127c extending obliquely downward and outward in the left-right direction from a lower end of the central wire portion 127b and fixed to the lower frame 124.

[0059] A resin pressure-receiving member 126 is disposed in front of the wire 127. The pressure-receiving member 126 is a generally plate-shaped elastic member that extends in the up-down and left-right directions to support the back of the occupant, and its rear surface is engaged with and supported by the wire 127. The pressure-receiving member 126 is disposed inside the cover 25 and the pad 21 of the seat back 2, but for convenience, the pressure-receiving member 126 is shown emphasized by solid lines in FIG. 17. As shown in FIG. 17, the pressure-receiving member 126 has a pressure-receiving portion 126a supported by the wire 127, a plate portion 126b disposed above the pressure-receiving portion 126a facing the blower 30, and a connecting portion 126c that connects the pressure-receiving portion 126a and the plate portion 126b.

[0060] The pressure receiving portion 126a is generally rectangular in front view and is formed to be wide in the left-right direction so as to cover the entire wire 127. The plate portion 126b is formed generally rectangular in front view along the left and right stays 123b and the upper frame 123. The connecting portion 126c has the same or approximately the same left-right length as the plate portion 126b and is formed generally rectangular in front view. A through hole 126d, generally rectangular in front view, penetrating the pressure receiving member 126 in the front-rear direction is opened at the lower end of the connecting portion 126c or the upper end of the pressure receiving portion 126a.

[0061] Fig. 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 16. As shown in Fig. 18, one end of a duct 40 extending in the up-down direction behind the pressure-receiving member 126 is connected to the through-hole 126d of the pressure-receiving member 126. The other end of the duct 40 is connected to the blower 30. As a result, air blown out from the blower 30 is blown out toward the occupant through the duct 40, the through-hole 126d, the groove 213 formed in the pad 21 in front of the pressure-receiving member 126, and the through-hole 214 penetrating the pad 21 in the front-rear direction. Alternatively, conversely, air is sucked into the blower 30 through the through-hole 214, the groove 213, the through-hole 126d, and the duct 40.

[0062] The plate portion 126b of the pressure receiving member 126 constitutes the plate 71 (FIG. 8) of the noise reduction unit 70. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 16, the plate portion 126b has a plurality of through holes 71a that penetrate the plate portion 126b in the front-rear direction. The plate portion 126b may be formed to have a thickness thicker or thinner than the pressure receiving portion 126a. That is, since the thickness of the plate 71 is a parameter for the resonance effect (the above formula (I)), the thickness may be set appropriately. Although not shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, as shown in FIG. 18, a frame body 72 that is generally rectangular in front view is provided on the front surface of the plate portion 126b. The frame body 72 is formed integrally with the plate portion 126b, for example, by integral molding.

[0063] As a result, a resonance space SP2 surrounded by the frame body 72 is formed between the plate portion 126b and the pad 21, and the resonance effect can reduce sounds in a predetermined frequency band (for example, the operating sound of the blower 30). In particular, in the second embodiment, the noise reduction unit 70 is formed integrally with the pressure-receiving member 126, so there is no need to provide a separate member for supporting the noise reduction unit 70 (for example, the stay 73 in FIG. 8), and the configuration can be simplified.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 18, an upper surface portion 128 extending rearward along the inner surface of the pad 21 and the inner surface of the skin 25 is connected to the upper end of the plate portion 126b of the pressure receiving member 126, and a rear surface portion 129 extending downward is connected to the rear end of the upper surface portion 128. The upper surface portion 128 and the rear surface portion 129 are formed integrally with the pressure receiving member 126, for example, by integral molding. It is also possible to mold one or both of the upper surface portion 128 and the rear surface portion 129 separately from the pressure receiving member 126 and then join them to the pressure receiving member 126. The rear surface portion 129 extends in the vertical and horizontal directions so as to cover the entire rear surface of the blower 30. The rear surface of the rear surface portion 129 is joined to the front surface of the pad 21 arranged at the rear of the seat back 2.

[0065] 19 is a perspective view of the rear portion 129 as viewed obliquely from the front. As shown in FIG. 19, the front surface of the rear portion 129 is provided with an uneven portion 1290 over the entire area. More specifically, the uneven portion 1290 has recesses 1291 and protrusions 1292 that are substantially rectangular when viewed from the front and are arranged alternately in the up-down direction and alternately in the left-right direction, and is formed in a lattice shape as a whole. By providing the uneven portion 1290 on the front surface of the rear portion 129 in this way, the rear portion 129 functions as a soundproof panel, and the generation of noise behind the seat back 2 can be suppressed.

[0066] In the second embodiment, the resonance space SP2 is formed in front of the pressure receiving member 126, but the resonance space SP2 may be formed behind the pressure receiving member 126. FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a main part that shows an example of such a case. In FIG. 20, a substantially plate-shaped pressure receiving member 126 is disposed between the left and right side frames 121 and 122. The left and right ends of the pressure receiving member 126 are supported by the side frames 121 and 122, for example. A noise reduction unit 70 having a plate 71 with a plurality of through holes 71a is integrally attached to the rear surface of the pressure receiving member 126, facing the blower 30. That is, the noise reduction unit 70 is integrally formed with the pressure receiving member 126 by integral molding with the pressure receiving member 126, and a resonance space is formed between the rear surface of the pressure receiving member 126 and the plate 71. This allows the noise reduction unit 70 to be easily attached to the pressure receiving member 126, and there is no need to provide a separate member for attaching the noise reduction unit 70, thereby reducing the number of parts.

[0067] The above embodiment can be modified in various ways. Some modified examples will be described below. In the above embodiment, the frame body 72 is provided in the noise reduction unit 70, but the frame body 72 may be omitted as shown in FIG. 21, which is a modified example of FIG. 9. That is, the space SP2 (FIG. 8) between the plate 71 and the front pad 21a may not be a sealed space, and the plate 71 having the through hole 71a may simply be arranged with a gap between the inner surface of the pad 21 or the like. In this case, the resonance effect according to the above formula (I) can be obtained. Similarly, the frame body 72 may be omitted from the noise reduction unit 70 (FIG. 14) arranged behind the blower 30, and a non-sealed resonance space SP2 may be formed between the plate 71 and the rear pad 21b. Instead of omitting the entire frame body 72, a part of it may be left. For example, the frame body 72 may be formed by a pair of upper and lower or left and right plate members. Instead of the frame body 72, a columnar member may be protruded in the front-rear direction from the plate 71, and the tip of the columnar member may abut against the pad 21 or the fixed plate 60 to ensure the resonance space SP2.

[0068] In the above embodiment, the duct 40 is provided to form an air passage connecting the groove 213 as a ventilation part provided in the front pad 21a and the blower 30, but the duct 40 as a passage forming part may be omitted. Fig. 22 is a perspective view showing a schematic view of a main part of such an example. In Fig. 22, an intake port 34 is provided on the front surface of the housing 31 of the blower 30, which draws air into the housing 31 by the rotation of the wing member 32. An outlet port for blowing air out of the housing 31 may be provided on the front surface of the housing 31.

[0069] The noise reduction unit 70 is disposed in front of the blower 30 and behind the front pad 21a (not shown). Although not shown, the noise reduction unit 70 is supported by the housing 31 and the side frames 121, 122 via a stay 73 (FIGS. 8 and 10). The front surface of the frame 72 of the noise reduction unit 70 abuts against the inner surface of the front pad 21a, and a resonance space SP2 is formed between the plate 71 of the noise reduction unit 70 and the front pad 21a. The frame 72 is provided with an opening 72a that communicates with the resonance space SP2. For example, as shown in the figure, the right surface of the frame 72 is opened to form the opening 72a. The opening 72a may be located somewhere other than the right surface of the frame 72. As in FIG. 21, the frame 72 may be omitted, and the entire periphery of SP2 may be opened.

[0070] In the configuration of FIG. 21, when the blade member 32 rotates, air is sucked into the housing 31 from the suction port 34 through the opening 72a and the through hole 71a. That is, the noise reduction unit 70 also functions as an air passage leading to the blower 30. In this way, by arranging the plate 71 having the through hole 71a facing the suction port 34 of the blower 30, it is possible to obtain a resonance effect by the noise reduction unit 70 while suppressing the obstruction of the air flow. Note that the suction port or the outlet may be provided on the rear surface of the housing 31 of the blower 30, and the plate 71 of the noise reduction unit 70 may be arranged facing the suction port or the outlet. In other words, as long as an opening for intake or exhaust (suction port or outlet) is provided facing the through hole 71a of the plate 71, the opening may be provided on either the front surface or the rear surface of the blower.

[0071] Note that a plurality of through holes 71a may be opened in the pressure receiving member 126 to cause the pressure receiving member 126 to function as the plate 71 of the noise reduction unit 70, and a resonance space SP2 may be formed between the pressure receiving member 126 and the front pad 21a in front of it. The pressure receiving member 126 may be divided into left and right halves and the blower 30 may be disposed between the left and right pressure receiving members 126. In this case, the left and right ends of the plate 71 may be supported by the left and right pressure receiving members 126, respectively.

[0072] In the above embodiment, the blower 30 is disposed between the left and right side frames 121, 122, but the blower may be a fan instead of a blower. In the above embodiment, the blower 30 (blower) is disposed in the seat back 2, but the blower may be disposed between the left and right side frames 111, 112 of the seat cushion 1, and the noise reduction unit 70 may be provided facing the blower. In the above embodiment, the outside of the seat frame 101 is covered with the pads 21, 23, the upper pads 22, 24, the skin, etc., but the configuration of the cover portion is not limited to the above.

[0073] In the above embodiment, the noise reduction unit 70 is arranged between the blower 30 and the pad 21, but the configuration of the resonance space forming part may be any as long as it is arranged between the blower and the cover part to form a resonance space. In other words, as long as a plate having a through hole is arranged between the blower and the cover part with a gap between the blower and the cover part, the configuration of the resonance space forming part is not limited to the above. In the above embodiment, the noise reduction unit 70 is configured to reduce the operating noise of the blower, but the resonance space forming part may be configured to reduce operating noise of other frequency bands emitted to the occupants.

[0074] In the above embodiment, the plate 71 (plate member) extending in the left-right direction constituting the resonance space forming portion is arranged so as to cover the entire blower 30, but the plate member may be arranged so as to cover a part of the blower 30, that is, so as to overlap at least a part of the blower when viewed from the front-rear direction. That is, the plate member may have any configuration as long as it has a first surface (for example, the front surface 711) facing a cover portion such as the pad 21, a second surface (for example, the rear surface 712) facing the blower, and a plurality of through holes 71a penetrating from the first surface to the second surface. Note that the first surface facing the cover portion means that the first surface is provided facing the cover portion (approximately parallel to the surface of the cover portion), and another member may be provided between the first surface and the cover portion. Note that the second surface facing the blower means that the second surface is provided facing the blower (approximately parallel to the surface of the blower), and another member may be provided between the second surface and the blower.

[0075] In the above embodiment (Fig. 8), the plate 71 is arranged between the blower 30 and the front pad 21a, i.e., between the blower and the seating side cover part on the side of the seating surface of the occupant, and in the above embodiment (Fig. 14), the plate 71 is arranged between the blower 30 and the rear pad 21b, i.e., between the blower and the non-seating side cover part on the opposite side of the seating surface of the occupant, but the plate member may be arranged in another position. In the above embodiment (Fig. 15), the plate 71 (first plate member) of the front noise reduction unit 70A and the plate 71 (second plate member) of the rear noise reduction unit 70B are connected via the engagement parts 77a, 77b, but the configuration of the connection part may be any.

[0076] In the above embodiment, the plate 71 of the noise reduction unit 70 is supported from the blower 30 or the seat frame 101, but the configuration of the support part is not limited to the above. In the above embodiment, the noise reduction unit 70 is made of a resin material, but instead of this, it may be made of a metal or a copolymer or elastomer molded into a planar shape. In the above embodiment, the blower 30 is supported in the seat 100 via the bracket 50 and the fixing plate 60, but the bracket and the fixing plate may be omitted and the blower may be supported from the seat frame. In the above embodiment, a ventilation groove is formed on the front side (seat side) of the pad 21, but a ventilation groove may be formed on the back side (opposite side of the seat side) of the pad 21.

[0077] The above description is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment and modifications, as long as the features of the present invention are not impaired. The above-mentioned embodiment and one or more modifications can be arbitrarily combined, and modifications can be combined with each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 2 seat back, 21 pad, 30 blower, 40 duct, 70 noise reduction unit, 71 plate, 71a through hole, 73 stay, 100 seat, 101 seat frame, 121, 122 side frame, 200 air conditioning unit

Claims

1. a seat frame having left and right side frames; A blower disposed between the left and right side frames; A cover portion that covers the outside of the seat frame; a resonance space forming portion disposed between the blower and the cover portion and forming a resonance space, the resonance space forming portion is formed so as to cover the entire front surface of the blower as viewed from the cover portion side, and is composed of a noise reduction unit having a plate member having a plurality of through holes and a frame body extending from an edge portion of the plate member toward the cover portion, The vehicle seat, wherein the noise reduction unit is integrally provided with a housing of the blower via a gap.

2. In the vehicle seat according to claim 1, The vehicle seat, wherein the plate member is disposed between the blower and a seating side cover portion on a seating surface side of the cover portion for an occupant.

3. In the vehicle seat according to claim 2, a passage forming portion that forms an air passage connecting the blower and a ventilation portion provided in the seating side cover portion, The vehicle seat, wherein the passage forming portion is provided on a left-right outer side of the resonance space and extends along the resonance space.

4. In the vehicle seat according to claim 1, The vehicle seat, wherein the plate member is disposed between the blower and a non-seating side cover portion on an opposite side to a seating surface of the cover portion for a passenger.

5. In the vehicle seat according to claim 1, the plate member includes a first plate member disposed between the blower and a seating side cover portion on a side of the cover portion where an occupant sits on, and a second plate member disposed between the blower and a non-seating side cover portion on an opposite side of the cover portion to the seating surface where an occupant sits on, The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the resonance space forming portion further includes a connecting portion that connects the first plate member and the second plate member.

6. The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The vehicle seat, wherein the blower has an opening for intake or exhaust facing the plurality of through holes of the plate member.

7. The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the resonance space forming portion further includes a support portion that supports the plate member from the seat frame.

8. The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the resonance space forming portion further includes a support portion that supports the plate member from the blower.

9. The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 8, The vehicle further includes a substantially plate-shaped pressure-receiving member extending between the left and right side frames and supporting an occupant. The vehicle seat, wherein the plate member is integrally formed with the pressure-receiving member.

Images