Vehicle seat

Abstract

To provide a comfortable seat for a vehicle by reducing inclination of an occupant when the vehicle travels on a curve.SOLUTION: A seat for a vehicle is configured so that a connection member 30 turns accompanied with turn of a shaft member 32 by turning the shaft member 32 by drive of driving means 34 and pressurizes a support elastic member 28 in an upward direction or a downward direction. Therefore, the seat for the vehicle can reduce inclination to a curving direction of an occupant and reduces fluctuation accompanied with travel of the vehicle, and hence enhances comfortableness of the occupant by turning the shaft member 32 in a direction opposed to a direction in which the vehicle travels on a curve.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, vehicle seats capable of suppressing lateral sway of a seated occupant in the vehicle have been known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a seat cushion equipped with a stabilizer having right and left plate members, support members that support the left and right plate members, and a connecting member that interlocks the support members. This seat cushion is equipped with a stabilizer that interlocks the right and left plate members, and is therefore capable of suppressing lateral sway of a seated occupant in the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-29181 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the vehicle seat described in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that the rocking motion can only be suppressed within the range of the elastic force of the elastic body, and the rocking motion is not sufficiently suppressed.

[0005] The present invention has been developed in consideration of such problems, and its main object is to provide a vehicle seat that can improve the comfort of occupants by reducing the rocking of the vehicle seat in accordance with the vehicle's driving conditions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned main object, the present invention employs the following means.

[0007] The vehicle seat of the present invention comprises: A vehicle seat having a seat cushion on which an occupant sits, a front support member positioned under the front of the seat cushion and supporting the seat cushion; a rear support member positioned below and behind the seat cushion and supporting the seat cushion; a pair of elastic support members provided between the front support member and the rear support member; a connecting member that connects the pair of support elastic members; a shaft member connected to the connecting member and rotating the connecting member; a driving means for rotating the shaft member by driving the driving means based on information relating to vehicle travel; characterized in that it comprises It is something.

[0008] This vehicle seat includes a front support member that supports the front lower side of the seat cushion on which the occupant sits, and a rear support member that supports the rear lower side. A pair of elastic support members is provided between the front support member and the rear support member to support the seated occupant. The elastic support members are connected by a connecting member, which is connected to an axle member that rotates when driven by a drive means that is driven based on information about the vehicle's traveling. Therefore, when the axle member rotates rightward or leftward due to the drive means, the connecting member swings rightward or leftward. By actively swinging the connecting member in this way, the seat cushion swings, reducing the swinging caused by the vehicle traveling and improving the comfort of the occupant. Note that in the following description, the terms "front," "frontward," "leftward," and "rightward" refer to relative directions, with the "front" being the direction of travel of the vehicle, and do not refer to absolute directions. The same applies to the up-down direction.

[0009] The vehicle seat of the present invention may be characterized in that one connecting member is provided on the front side and one on the rear side. This ensures that when an occupant sits on the seat cushion, the occupant's tailbone is positioned between the connecting member provided on the front side and the connecting member on the rear side, and the connecting members are not positioned below the occupant's tailbone. This reduces discomfort caused by the occupant's bones coming into contact with the hard connecting members when the occupant sits, thereby improving the occupant's comfort.

[0010] In the vehicle seat of the present invention, the shaft member may be connected at its front end to the drive means and not to the rear support member. In this way, the seat cushion can be swung left and right by the drive means, and the rear side of the seat cushion can move up and down within the elastic range of the elastic support member depending on the weight of the occupant and the driving state of the vehicle, thereby improving the comfort of the occupant.

[0011] In the vehicle seat of the present invention, the drive means may be configured to rotate the axle member in a direction in which the left side of the connecting member moves upward when the vehicle turns left, and to rotate the axle member in a direction in which the right side of the connecting member moves upward when the vehicle turns right. When the vehicle turns left, a force is generated in a direction that causes the occupant to lean left, but by rotating the axle member in a direction in which the left side of the connecting member moves upward, the left leaning of the occupant can be reduced, improving the comfort of the occupant. On the other hand, when the vehicle turns right, a force is generated in a direction that causes the occupant to lean right, but by rotating the axle member in a direction in which the right side of the connecting member moves upward, the right leaning of the occupant can be reduced, improving the comfort of the occupant.

[0012] In the vehicle seat of the present invention, the information about the vehicle traveling may be information about the steering angle of wheels provided on the vehicle. By using the information about the steering angle of the wheels, it is possible to predict acceleration that will occur before acceleration occurs due to the vehicle turning, and by using the information about the steering angle of the wheels, it is possible to rotate the shaft member in a direction that cancels the swaying of the occupant before the swaying of the occupant due to the acceleration, thereby reducing the swaying of the occupant and improving the comfort of the occupant. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the outline of the configuration of a vehicle seat 20. As shown in FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an outline of the internal structure of the vehicle seat 20. As shown in FIG. [Figure 3] 3A and 3B are perspective views showing the outline of the configuration of the connecting member 30 and the elastic support member 28, with (A) showing a top view and (B) showing a bottom view. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view for explaining a state in which the connecting member 30 is swung in the left-right direction. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the rear side of the connecting member 30 is inclined downward. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Next, a vehicle seat 20 will be described in detail as an example of an embodiment of the present invention. The embodiments and drawings described below exemplify a portion of the embodiment of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention to these configurations. Appropriate modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Corresponding components in each drawing are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals. In addition, an example of the movement of the vehicle seat 20 will be shown to clarify an example of how the vehicle seat of the present invention can be used.

[0015] 1 and 2, a vehicle seat 20, which is an example of an embodiment of the present invention, includes a seat cushion 22 on which an occupant sits, a front support member 24 that supports the front side of the seat cushion from below, a rear support member 26 that supports the rear side of the seat cushion from below, a pair of elastic support members 28a and 28b (see FIG. 3, hereinafter also referred to as "elastic support members 28") provided between the front support member 24 and the rear support member 26, connecting members 30a and 30b (hereinafter also referred to as "connecting member 30") that connect the elastic support members, a shaft member 32 (see FIG. 3) that connects to the connecting member 30 and swings the connecting member 30 as it rotates, and a drive means 34 (see FIG. 3) that rotatably connects the shaft member 32. When the drive means 34 is driven based on information related to the traveling of the vehicle, the vehicle seat 20 rotates the shaft member 32 as the drive means 34 is driven, and swings the connecting member 30. The seat cushion 22 can be swung by the elastic support member 28 oscillating in accordance with the oscillation of the connecting member 30, and therefore, by oscillating the seat cushion 22 based on information related to the vehicle's traveling, it is possible to reduce the swaying of the occupant associated with the vehicle traveling and improve comfort. In this case, one end of the connecting member 30 is connected to the elastic support member 28a, and the other end is connected to the elastic support member 28b, so the connecting member 30 functions as a stabilizer, thereby increasing the stability of the seat surface when traveling around curves and improving the comfort of the occupant.

[0016] The seat cushion 22 is a known seat cushion that is attached to a pair of slide rails (not shown) so as to be movable in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and has a seat back 21 attached to the rear side of the upper surface. The seat cushion 22 is supported by a seat frame 23 that is attached to a pair of slide rails (not shown).

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the front support member 24 is a metal member attached at both ends to the left and right sides in front of the seat frame 23, and supports the front side of the seat cushion 22 from below.

[0018] The rear support member 26 is a metal member attached at both ends to the left and right sides of the rear of the seat frame 23, and supports the rear side of the seat cushion 22 from below.

[0019] 2 and 3, the elastic support members 28 are fixed at one end to the front support member 24 and at the other end to the rear support member 26, and are generally S-shaped elastic members that are continuously curved alternately left and right, supporting the seat cushion 22 from below. The elastic support members 28 sandwich the center of the seat frame 23, with elastic support member 28a on the right side and elastic support member 28b on the left side. This configuration allows the seat cushion 22 to be supported from both the left and right sides. Note that the elastic bodies used here may be, for example, well-known S-springs (S-shaped springs).

[0020] The connecting member 30a is a metal plate-like member located forward of the connecting member 30b and formed with a shape that slopes upward toward the front. This allows the buttocks of an occupant to be supported at a low position and the area close to the knees to be supported at a high position when the occupant is seated, thereby improving the fit of the seat cushion and increasing comfort. One end of the connecting member 30a is fixed to the upper surface of the elastic support member 28a, and the other end is fixed to the upper surface of the elastic support member 28b. The connecting member 30a is fixed at a position where the distance between the continuously curved elastic support members 28 is short (where the elastic support members 28 are close to each other). This enhances the role of the connecting member 30a as a stabilizer. A through-hole 31a, through which the shaft member 32 passes, is provided in the center of the back side of the connecting member 30a, and the shaft member 32 is fixed to the through-hole 31a. By doing so, when the shaft member 32 rotates rightward or leftward as a result of the driving of the driving means 34, the connecting member 30a also rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the shaft member 32. For example, when the shaft member 32 rotates counterclockwise, as shown in Fig. 4, the connecting member 30a also rotates counterclockwise (in the direction in which the left side moves upward), and the elastic support member 28a can be pressed upward, and the elastic support member 28b can be pressed downward.

[0021] The connecting member 30b is a metal plate-like member located rearward of the connecting member 30a. One end of the connecting member 30b is fixed to the upper surface of the elastic support member 28a, and the other end is fixed to the upper surface of the elastic support member 28b. The connecting member 30b is fixed at a position where the spacing between the continuously curved elastic support members 28 is short (where the elastic support members 28 are close to each other). This enhances the role of the connecting member 30a as a stabilizer. Furthermore, an insertion hole 31b into which the shaft member 32 can be inserted is provided in the center of the back side of the connecting member 30a, and the shaft member 32 is fixed to the insertion hole 31b. As a result, when the shaft member 32 rotates rightward or leftward as the driving means 34 is driven, the connecting member 30ab rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the shaft member 32. For example, when the shaft member 32 rotates counterclockwise, as shown in FIG. 4, the connecting member 30b also rotates counterclockwise (the direction in which the left side moves upward), and the support elastic member 28a can be pressed upward, and the support elastic member 28b can be pressed downward.

[0022] In this way, by fixing the connecting member 30 to the front side of the center of the elastic support member 28 and the connecting member 30b to the rear side, when an occupant sits on the seat cushion 22, the connecting member 30a is located in front of the occupant's buttocks and the connecting member 30b is located at the rear side, thereby reducing the possibility that the occupant's bones will come into contact with the connecting member 30. If the occupant's bones come into contact with the hard connecting member 30, this may cause a loss of comfort for the occupant, so by positioning the connecting members 30 on the front and rear sides of the elastic support member 28, the occupant's comfort can be improved.

[0023] The shaft member 32 is a rod-shaped member made of metal, and is provided at a position between the elastic support members 28a and 28b with the front side connected to the drive means 34, and is connected to the connecting member 30. With this configuration, when the drive means 34 is driven based on information related to the vehicle's traveling, the shaft member 32 rotates in response to the driving of the drive means 34, the connecting member 30 swings in response to the rotation of the shaft member 32, and the elastic support member 28 moves up and down in response to the swing of the connecting member 30. For example, when the vehicle is traveling on a road that curves leftward, as shown in FIG. 4, by rotating the shaft member 32 counterclockwise, the left side of the connecting member 30 moves upward, thereby reducing the tendency of the occupant to lean leftward and improving the comfort of the occupant.

[0024] Furthermore, the rear side of the shaft member 32 is inserted into the insertion hole 31b of the connecting member 30b, and is not fixed to the rear support member 26. Therefore, when an occupant sits on the seat cushion 22, the weight of the occupant causes the seat cushion 22 to tilt downward within the range of the elastic force of the elastic support member 28 (see FIG. 5). In this way, by not connecting the rear side of the shaft member 32 to the rear support member 26, the rear side of the seat cushion 22 can move up and down, thereby improving the comfort of the occupant.

[0025] The drive means 34 is, for example, a known electric motor, and is connected to the shaft member 32 by engaging with the surface of the shaft member 32 or by engaging with a gear fixed to the shaft member 32. In this manner, the shaft member 32 can be rotated by driving the drive means 34, and the rotation direction of the shaft member 32 can be controlled by controlling the drive direction of the drive means 34. At this time, the presence or absence of drive and the drive direction of the drive means 34 are controlled based on information related to the vehicle's traveling. Specifically, when the vehicle is traveling around a left curve, the drive of the drive means 34 is controlled so that the shaft member 32 rotates upward on the left side of the connecting member 30 (counterclockwise as viewed from the front). In this manner, when the vehicle is traveling around a left curve, the drive means 34 rotates the shaft member 32 in the upward rotation direction on the left side of the connecting member 30, and the elastic support member 28a moves upward, thereby preventing the occupant's posture from leaning leftward and improving the comfort of the occupant. Note that, here, the information related to the vehicle's traveling can be, for example, information related to the steering angle of the wheels provided on the vehicle. By using the information related to the steering angle of the wheels as information related to the vehicle's traveling, it is possible to obtain information related to the near-future turning direction of the vehicle, and therefore, before the occupant leans to the left or right due to the force generated by the turning, it is possible to rotate the connecting member 30 in a direction that counteracts the occupant's leaning, thereby reducing the occupant's leaning before it occurs and improving comfort. Furthermore, although the movement when turning left has been described, the movement when turning right is similar, so a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0026] According to the vehicle seat 20 of the embodiment described above in detail, when the shaft member 32 is rotated by driving the drive means 34, the connecting member 30 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the shaft member 32 and presses the support elastic member 28 upward or downward. Therefore, by rotating the shaft member 32 in the direction opposite to the direction in which the vehicle is curving, it is possible to reduce the inclination of the occupant in the curving direction, reduce rocking caused by the vehicle traveling, and improve the comfort of the occupant.

[0027] Furthermore, since one connecting member 30 is provided on the front side and one on the rear side of the center of the seat cushion 22, when an occupant sits on the seat cushion 22, the occupant's coccyx is positioned between the connecting members 30a and 30b, and the connecting members 30 are not positioned below the occupant's coccyx, thereby reducing the possibility of the occupant's bones coming into contact with the connecting members 30 and reducing the possibility of the occupant feeling uncomfortable.

[0028] Furthermore, since the shaft member 32 is connected to the drive means 34 at its front end and not connected to the rear support member 26, the seat cushion 22 can be swung left and right by the drive means 34, and the rear side of the seat cushion 22 can move up and down within the elastic range of the support elastic member 28 depending on the weight of the occupant and the driving condition of the vehicle, thereby improving the comfort of the occupant.

[0029] Furthermore, when the vehicle turns left, the drive means 34 rotates the shaft member 32 in a direction that moves the left side of the connecting member 30 upward, and when the vehicle turns right, the drive means 34 rotates the shaft member 32 in a direction that moves the right side of the connecting member 30 upward. When the vehicle is traveling on a left curve, the drive means 34 rotates the shaft member 32 in a direction that rotates the left side of the connecting member 30 upward, and the elastic support member 28a moves upward, thereby preventing the posture of the occupant from leaning to the left and improving the comfort of the occupant. The same applies when traveling on a right curve.

[0030] Furthermore, by using information about the steering angle of the wheels on the vehicle as information about the vehicle's running, it is possible to predict the acceleration that will occur when the vehicle turns before it actually occurs, and therefore it is possible to rotate the shaft member 32 in a direction that counteracts the swaying of the occupant before it is caused by the acceleration, thereby reducing the swaying of the occupant and improving their comfort.

[0031] It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in various forms as long as they fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0032] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the information regarding the vehicle's traveling is information regarding the steering angle of the wheels provided on the vehicle, but is not limited to this as long as it is information regarding the vehicle's traveling, and may be, for example, information regarding the vehicle's traveling route guided based on photographic information taken by a photographing means provided on the vehicle or vehicle position information. In either case, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained. [Industrial Applicability]

[0033] As shown in the above-described embodiment, the present invention can be used in the field of vehicle seats, particularly as a vehicle seat that can swing in the left-right direction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 20...vehicle seat, 21...seat back, 22...seat cushion, 23...seat frame, 24...front support member, 26...rear support member, 28...support elastic member, 28a...support elastic member, 28b...support elastic member, 30...connecting member, 30a...connecting member, 30b...connecting member, 31a...through hole, 31b...insertion hole, 32...shaft member, 34...driving means.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat having a seat cushion on which an occupant sits, a front support member located under a front side of the seat cushion and supporting the seat cushion; a rear support member located on a rear lower side of the seat cushion and supporting the seat cushion; A pair of elastic support members provided between the front support member and the rear support member; a connecting member that connects the pair of elastic support members; a shaft member connected to the connecting member and rotating the connecting member; a driving means for rotating the shaft member by driving the driving means based on information regarding the running of the vehicle; The present invention is characterized in that it comprises Vehicle seat.

2. The connecting member is provided on each of the front side and the rear side. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 .

3. The shaft member is connected to the driving means at a front end thereof and is not connected to the rear support member. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the drive means rotates the shaft member in a direction in which a left side of the connecting member moves upward when the vehicle turns leftward, and rotates the shaft member in a direction in which a right side of the connecting member moves upward when the vehicle turns rightward. The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The information regarding the vehicle's running is information regarding the steering angle of wheels provided on the vehicle. Characterized in that The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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