Vehicle seat

Abstract

To provide a technique that can give attitude variation to an occupant, while suppressing buttocks of the occupant from slipping forward.SOLUTION: A vehicular seat comprises a seat cushion and a seat back connected to the seat cushion, where the seat back includes an attitude variation mechanism having a back-side support mechanism. In a fatigue relieving operation using the attitude variation mechanism, the back side support mechanism set at a position of a lumbar spine part of an occupant is moved backward from a first position state and then is set into a second position state (a), and thereafter, the back-side support mechanism is gradually moved forward, from the second position state to the first position state (b).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle seat, and more particularly to a technique effective when applied to a vehicle seat having a massage function.

Background Art

[0002] As a proposal for a vehicle seat having a massage function, for example, there is Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-198307.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present inventors have studied a technique for reducing the accumulation of fatigue during long-term driving on the occupant by periodically operating a posture change mechanism provided in a vehicle seat.

[0005] According to the study by the present inventors, when the front-rear support operation of the posture change mechanism is repeated at the buttocks of the occupant, even if the occupant is wearing a seat belt, the occupant's buttocks move forward (hereinafter referred to as "forward slip") on the seat cushion, and it was found that the forward slip gradually increases. When forward slip of the buttocks occurs, the effect of reducing the accumulation of fatigue of the occupant may not be sufficiently obtained.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of giving a posture change to an occupant while suppressing forward slip of the buttocks.

[0007] Other problems and novel features will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] The outline of typical ones among the present inventions will be briefly described as follows.

[0009] According to one embodiment, a seat cushion and a seat back connected to the seat cushion are provided, and the seat back includes a posture changing mechanism having a back support mechanism. In the fatigue reduction operation using the posture changing mechanism, a technique is provided in which a) the back support mechanism set at the position of the lumbar region of the occupant is moved from the first position state to the rearward side to be set in the second position state, and b) then, the back support mechanism is gradually moved from the second position state to the first position state toward the forward side.

[0010] That is, the back support mechanism of the posture changing mechanism is retracted rearward to the set position (second position state), and then the back support mechanism is moved forward at regular intervals by a certain amount until the neutral state (first position state) of the back support mechanism. And this operation is repeatedly performed.

Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the vehicle seat described above, it is possible to give a posture change to the occupant while suppressing the forward displacement of the buttocks, so that it is possible to reduce the fatigue of the occupant.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

Figure 1

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Figure 11

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Figure 16

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] Note that the disclosure is merely an example, and the drawings may schematically represent the width, thickness, shape, etc. of each part compared to the actual embodiment in order to make the description clearer, but it does not limit the interpretation of the present invention. Also, in this specification and each drawing, elements similar to those described above with respect to the previously presented drawings may be given the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions may be omitted as appropriate. Further, in the drawings, the front of the arrow indicates the front of the vehicle, the rear of the arrow indicates the rear of the vehicle, the left of the arrow indicates the left side of the vehicle, the right of the arrow indicates the right side of the vehicle, the top of the arrow indicates the upper side of the vehicle, and the bottom of the arrow indicates the lower side of the vehicle. Also, in the following description, unless otherwise specified, front, rear, upper, lower, left, and right shall mean the front, rear, upper, lower, left, and right with respect to the vehicle.

Embodiment

[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a vehicle seat according to an embodiment.

[0016] The vehicle seat 1 includes a seat cushion 2 on which a passenger sits, a seat back 3 against which a passenger sitting on the seat cushion 2 reclines, a headrest 4 that supports the passenger's head, and a side support 5. The seat back 3 is connected to the seat cushion 2 so as to be tiltable by a reclining mechanism. 21 provided on the side surface of the seat cushion 2 is a front-rear direction adjustment switch for adjusting the front-rear direction position of a lumbar support portion 60 described later, and 22 is an up-down direction adjustment switch for adjusting the up-down direction position of the lumbar support portion 60.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a seat back frame with members such as the skin and urethane pad on the front side (the side where the back of the seated passenger touches) of the seat back 3 removed. 31 is a left side back side frame, and 32 is a right side back side frame. 33 is an upper side back side frame, 35 is an upper panel, and 36 is a lower panel, each of which is connected to the left side back side frame 31 and the right side back side frame 32. 34 is a support portion that supports a pair of stays extending from the headrest 4 and is fixed to the upper side back side frame 33 by welding.

[0018] 60 is the lamb support part, 70 is the drive part of the lamb support part, and 71 is the drive transmission part. Also, 612 is the end of the shaft that constitutes the lamb support part 60.

[0019] FIG. 3 corresponds to an enlarged view when looking in the B-B direction of FIG. 2, and is a diagram showing a configuration example of the lamb support part 60, the drive part 70 of the lamb support part, and the drive transmission part 71. The drive part 70 is composed of an electric motor (701 in FIG. 9) to which a gear head is attached, and is fixed to the right side back side frame 32. 72 is the output shaft of the drive part 70, and a drive part gear 73 is fixed inside the drive transmission part 71.

[0020] 74 is a sector gear and meshes with the drive part gear 73. The sector gear 74 is rotatably supported by the right side back side frame 32 and the drive transmission part 71 by a shaft 75. The drive part 70 rocks the sector gear 74 by rotating the drive part gear 73 fixed to the output shaft 72 forward or backward. At a part (eccentric part) away from the shaft 75 of the sector gear 74, the end of the wire A61 that constitutes the lamb support part 60 is fixed.

[0021] FIG. 4 corresponds to an enlarged view when looking in the C-C direction of FIG. 3, and is a plan view for explaining the drive transmission part 71. The sector gear 74 and the drive part gear 73 are in a meshed state. The sector gear 74 has a shape in which a part is cut off, leaving only the part necessary for meshing with the drive part gear 73 among the circular gears. The output shaft 72 of the motor to which the drive part gear 73 is fixed and the shaft 75 to which the sector gear 74 is attached are each rotatably supported by the drive transmission part 71.

[0022] In the drive transmission part 71, a groove 76 for guiding the wire A61 fixed eccentrically to the sector gear 74 is formed. The groove 76 is formed in a shape that matches the locus of the wire A61 rocking with respect to the shaft 75 that supports the sector gear 74.

[0023] Returning to FIG. 3, the lumbar support portion 60 includes a wire A61, a wire B62 supported at two locations on the left and right by a block 64 on the wire A61, a resin plate 63 fixed to the wire B62, and an up-and-down drive portion 65 fixed to the wire A61 for driving the wire B62 in the vertical direction. The block 64 is fixed to the wire A61 and slidably supports the wire B62.

[0024] The left end of the wire A61 is fixed to the sector gear 74 through a groove 76 formed in the drive transmission portion 71. Near the right end of the wire A61, a portion 611 is once bent, and the end 612 of the re-bent portion is rotatably supported by the left back side frame 31. The end 612 is formed such that its central axis coincides with the central axis of the shaft 75 that supports the sector gear 74.

[0025] By configuring the lumbar support portion 60 in this way, by operating the front-rear adjustment switch 21 provided on the side portion of the seat cushion 2 to drive the drive portion 70 and rotate the output shaft 72 by a certain angle, the sector gear 74 is rotated about the shaft 75 by the drive portion gear 73 fixed to the output shaft 72. When the sector gear 74 rotates, the wire A61 whose end is fixed to the sector gear 74 rocks along the groove 76 formed in the drive transmission portion 71 about the shaft 75 of the sector gear 74.

[0026] When the wire A61 rocks along the groove 76, the resin plate 63 fixed to the wire B62 rocks about the shaft 75 of the sector gear 74, and the position of the resin plate 63 in the front-rear direction (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 3) changes. As a result, the pressing force on the back of the seated passenger can be changed by increasing or decreasing the pressing force by changing the amount of pressing on the back of the seated passenger through a member (for example, a urethane pad covered with a skin) on the front side of the seat back 3 (the side surface in contact with the back of the passenger seated on the vehicle seat 1).

[0027] Here, wire B62 is guided by a pair of blocks 64 fixed to wire A61 and is driven by an up-and-down drive unit 65 so as to be movable in the up-and-down direction (the up-and-down direction in FIG. 3) with respect to wire A61. By moving wire B62 up and down with respect to wire A61, the position of resin plate 63 in the up-and-down direction can be changed. As a result, the position where the back of the seated occupant is pressed through a member (for example, a urethane pad covered with an outer skin) on the front side of seat back 3 (the surface on the side where the back of the occupant seated on vehicle seat 1 contacts) can be adjusted in the up-and-down direction (height direction).

[0028] FIGS. 5 and 6 correspond to cross-sectional views when looking in the A-A direction of vehicle seat 1 in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a view showing a state in which wire B62 is slid downward with respect to wire A61 and held. FIG. 6 is a view showing a state in which wire B62 is slid upward with respect to wire A61 and held. In FIGS. 5 and 6, wire B62 is held slidably in the up-and-down direction by a block 64 fixed to wire A61. Further, an up-and-down drive unit 65 for driving wire B62 in the up-and-down direction is attached to wire A61. The up-and-down drive unit 65 is attached with a gear 66 fixed to the output shaft 67 of a motor 69 with a speed reducer. On the other hand, a spur gear 68 meshing with gear 66 is formed on wire B62, and gear 66 and spur gear 68 constitute a rack and pinion.

[0029] By configuring wire A61 and wire B62 in this way, by operating an up-and-down adjustment switch 22 provided on the side portion of seat cushion 2 and driving the motor 69 with a speed reducer of the up-and-down drive unit 65 fixed to the side of wire A61 to rotate gear 66 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 6, wire B62 is guided by a block 64 fixed to wire A61 and rises with respect to wire A61. Further, by rotating the motor 69 with a speed reducer in the reverse direction, wire B62 can be lowered with respect to wire A61, and the positional relationship between wire A61 and wire B62 can be changed from the state in FIG. 6 to the state in FIG. 5.

[0030] FIG. 7 is a view showing a state in which the resin plate 63 is pushing the urethane pad 38 downward and forward. FIG. 8 is a view showing a state in which the resin plate 63 is pushing the urethane pad 38 upward and forward. FIG. 7 shows an extrusion state in which the resin plate 63 is positioned downward and protrudes forward to push the urethane pad 38 forward, and the lumbar support portion 60 corresponds to the state shown in FIG. 5. In this state, through the urethane pad 38 and the skin 37, the lumbar region of the occupant seated on the vehicle seat 1 will be pushed.

[0031] On the other hand, FIG. 8 shows an extrusion state in which the resin plate 63 is positioned upward and protrudes forward compared to the state of FIG. 7 to push the urethane pad 38 forward, and the lumbar support portion 60 corresponds to the state shown in FIG. 6. In this state, through the urethane pad 38 and the skin 37, a portion above the lumbar region of the occupant seated on the vehicle seat 1 will be pushed.

[0032] The position of the resin plate 63 in the height direction (vertical direction) and the front-rear direction can be adjusted respectively by operating the front-rear direction adjustment switch 21 and the vertical direction adjustment switch 22.

[0033] In the present invention, by using the vehicle seat 1 described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8, an effect of reducing fatigue is given to the occupant. In the following description, it is assumed that the posture change mechanism 110 is constituted by, for example, the lumbar support portion 60, the drive portion 70, and the drive transmission portion 71. Further, the back support mechanism (63) corresponds to, for example, the resin plate 63, the support change mechanism (65) corresponds to, for example, the vertical drive portion 65 incorporating the motor 69, and the extrusion amount adjustment motor (701) corresponds to, for example, the electric motor incorporated in the drive portion 70.

[0034] FIG. 9 is a block diagram for explaining an example of the circuit configuration of the control system according to the embodiment. The control system 100 has a function of a fatigue reduction system that gives an effect of reducing fatigue to the occupant.

[0035] The control system 100 is provided in the vehicle seat 1 and includes a posture change mechanism 110, a control unit 120 that controls the operation of the posture change mechanism 110, and a plurality of switches 21, 22, 23, 24, etc. connected to the control unit 120.

[0036] The posture change mechanism 110 includes a motor (MT) 69 capable of moving the backrest support mechanism 63 in the vertical direction, and an extrusion amount adjustment motor 701 capable of moving the backrest support mechanism 63 in the front-rear direction. The posture change mechanism 110 further includes a Hall IC (HIC) 80 as a sensor for detecting the amount of operation such as the number of rotations of the motor 69, and a Hall IC (HIC) 81 as a sensor for detecting the amount of operation such as the number of rotations of the extrusion amount adjustment motor (MT) 701. The motor 69 with a speed reducer can also be referred to as the first motor, and the extrusion amount adjustment motor (MT) 701 can be referred to as the second motor. The Hall IC (HIC) 80 can be referred to as the first Hall IC, and the Hall IC (HIC) 81 can be referred to as the second Hall IC.

[0037] The control unit 120 is a seat ECU (Electronic Control Unit), and includes a motor driver MDR that drives motors 69 and 701, and a central processing unit CPU. The motor driver MDR is electrically connected to motors 69 and 701 by a harness. The motor driver MDR controls the rotation of each of motors 69 and 701 based on control from the central processing unit CPU using PWM (Pulse Width Modulation). The central processing unit CPU is a general term for data processing devices with a built-in central processing unit, receives data (values) of the rotation speeds of each of motors 69 and 701 detected or measured by HICs 80 and 81, and stores them in a memory circuit built into the central processing unit CPU. The central processing unit CPU performs data processing based on the plurality of rotation speed data stored in the memory circuit, and controls the motor driver MDR, for example, based on the data processing result. The central processing unit CPU is electrically connected to HICs 80 and 81 by a harness. The central processing unit CPU is connected to a power source (PWR) 91 such as a battery and is supplied with operating power from PWR 91. The central processing unit CPU is also electrically connected to other ECUs 92 provided in the vehicle by a harness and is configured to be able to communicate.

[0038] The motor driver MDR and the central processing unit CPU are further electrically connected to a seat motor & sensor 93 that includes an electric motor of a reclining mechanism, an electric motor of a lift mechanism, an electric motor of a tilt mechanism, an electric motor of a slide mechanism, various sensors, etc. The vehicle seat 1 has an electric motor of a reclining mechanism, an electric motor of a lift mechanism, an electric motor of a tilt mechanism, an electric motor of a slide mechanism, and various sensors, although not shown in FIG. 1.

[0039] The switch 21 is a forward and backward adjustment switch for manually adjusting the forward and backward extrusion amount of the motor 701, and the switch 22 is an up and down adjustment switch for manually adjusting the up and down height of the motor 69.

[0040] Switch 23 is an operation mode switching switch that controls whether the control system 100 operates as a fatigue reduction system. The on state of switch 23 instructs the control system 100 to operate as a fatigue reduction system. On the other hand, the off state of switch 23 enables the occupant to manually operate the posture change mechanism 110 using switches 21 and 22.

[0041] Switch 24 is a switch that switches the operation mode of the fatigue reduction system. A human is composed of 7 cervical vertebrae, 12 thoracic vertebrae, and 5 lumbar vertebrae from the head side, and below that, there are the sacral vertebrae and the coccyx. In the fatigue reduction operation of the fatigue reduction system, a first posture change mode (first fatigue reduction mode) in which the support position of the back support mechanism 63 is set at the lumbar region position and a C-shaped posture mode (second posture change mode, second fatigue reduction mode) in which the support position of the back support mechanism 63 is set at the thoracic region position can be selected. The on state (first state) and off state (second state) of switch 24 are configured to enable selection of the first posture change mode and the C-shaped posture mode.

[0042] LED 25 is composed of, for example, a plurality of light emitting diodes. LED 25 is connected to the central processing unit CPU and can display the operation mode of the control system 100 by a combination of lighting and non-lighting based on a signal from the central processing unit CPU.

[0043] When switch 23 is turned on, in the control system 100, a fatigue reduction program related to the fatigue reduction system is started and executed by the central processing unit CPU.

[0044] Next, the fatigue reduction system will be described.

[0045] In the fatigue reduction system, the support position of the back support mechanism 63 is set. When the first posture change mode is specified as the operation mode of the fatigue reduction system due to the ON state of the switch 24, the central processing unit CPU sets the support position of the back support mechanism 63 at the lumbar spine position. When the C-shaped posture mode is specified as the operation mode of the fatigue reduction system due to the OFF state of the switch 24, the central processing unit CPU sets the support position of the back support mechanism 63 at the thoracic spine position.

[0046] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the S-shaped posture mode according to the comparative example. FIG. 10 is a diagram when viewed from the side of the state where the occupant is sitting on the seat cushion 2 and the seat back 3 connected to the seat cushion 2, and the back support mechanism 63 of the posture change mechanism 110 is at the lumbar spine position of the occupant. In the operation of the S-shaped posture mode according to the comparative example, the extrusion amount of the back support mechanism 63 is alternately changed between the reference position N (neutral state: a state where the extrusion amount is 0 mm, also referred to as the N state) and the maximum position M of the extrusion amount to the front FR side at regular intervals (for example, every 5 to 30 minutes). The S-shaped posture mode is a mode for changing the lumbar spine into an S shape.

[0047] FIG. 10 depicts a first state 10A at the start of driving, a second state 10B in the posture change mechanism ON state, a third state 10C in the posture change mechanism OFF state, and a fourth state 10D.

[0048] The first state 10A is the initial state of the operation of the S-shaped posture mode. The back support mechanism 63 is arranged at the lumbar spine position, and the extrusion amount of the back support mechanism 63 is at the reference position N of 0 mm. It is assumed that the hip point HP of the occupant is on the line L1.

[0049] The second state 10B is a state in which the back support mechanism 63 has moved or is movable all at once toward the front FR side, the extrusion amount of the back support mechanism 63 is set to the maximum position M (+M), the lumbar spine is pushed by the back support mechanism 63, and it is in a state of changing to an S-shaped posture. Since there is a limit to the curvature of the lumbar spine in the waist, the buttocks move in the front FR direction by the amount that the waist cannot be curved, and the hip point HP moves to the front FR side. The hip point HP is located, for example, on a line L2 arranged in front of the line L1. The state of the second state 10B is maintained for, example, 15 minutes.

[0050] Thereafter, as shown in the third state 10C, the extrusion amount of the back support mechanism 63 is returned from the maximum position M to the reference position N. As a result, the lumbar spine returns from the S-shaped posture shown in the second state 10B to the initial posture shown in the first state 10A. Although the buttocks also try to return to their original position, since they do not completely return to the original position (the position shown in the first state 10A), the hip point HP becomes a position slightly in front of the line L1.

[0051] Here, the second state 10B and the third state 10C are repeated a plurality of times to reduce the fatigue of the occupant. However, as shown in the fourth state 10D, the forward displacement of the buttocks gradually increases, and the hip point HP becomes a position slightly in front of the line L2.

[0052] In this way, when the front-rear support operation of the posture change mechanism (back support mechanism 63) is repeated at the buttocks of the occupant, even if the occupant is wearing a seat belt, a forward displacement of the buttocks of the occupant occurs on the seat cushion 2, and it has been found that the forward displacement gradually increases. When the forward displacement of the buttocks occurs, there is a possibility that the effect of reducing the accumulation of the occupant's fatigue cannot be sufficiently obtained.

[0053] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the first posture change mode according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a view from the side of the state where the occupant is seated on the seat cushion 2 and the seat back 3 connected to the seat cushion 2, and shows a state where the back support mechanism 63 of the posture change mechanism 110 is at the position of the lumbar spine of the occupant. In FIG. 11, a first state 11A at the start of driving, a second state 11B in which the posture change mechanism is in the ON state, and a third state 11C in which the posture change mechanism is in the OFF state are depicted.

[0054] The first state 11A is the initial state of the operation of the first posture change mode. The back support mechanism 63 is arranged at the lumbar position, and the extrusion amount of the back support mechanism 63 is at the reference position N (first position state) of 0 mm. It is assumed that the hip point HP of the occupant is on the line L1.

[0055] The second state 11B is a state where the back support mechanism 63 moves or retreats all at once to the rear RR side opposite to the front FR side. The extrusion amount of the back support mechanism 63 is set to the maximum position M (-M: second position state), and the lumbar spine curves to the rear RR side. Since the posture changes in the direction in which the lumbar spine of the waist easily curves, the forward displacement of the buttocks can be suppressed. That is, the hip point HP of the occupant is on the line L1 with almost no movement (the position of the hip point HP will be maintained without movement).

[0056] In the third state 11C, the back support mechanism 63 of the seat back 3 is gradually moved to the front FR side at regular time intervals. Here, the back support mechanism 63 is gradually moved from the maximum position M (-M: second position state) of the extrusion amount to the reference position N (first position state) of 0 mm of the extrusion amount. By operating the back support mechanism 63 of the posture change mechanism 110 step by step in this way, the posture change of the lumbar spine of the occupant can be promoted without force, so that the forward displacement of the buttocks can be suppressed. That is, the hip point HP of the occupant is on the line L1 with almost no movement (the position of the hip point HP will be maintained without movement).

[0057] This makes it possible to provide a technique that can give the occupant a change in posture while suppressing the forward displacement of the buttocks. Since the occupant can be given a change in posture, it is possible to reduce the fatigue of the occupant.

[0058] FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the operation flow of the first posture change mode in FIG. 11. FIG. 12 shows the operation when the first posture change mode is specified as the operation mode of the fatigue reduction system by the ON state of the switch 24.

[0059] (Step S1: System start) The fatigue reduction system is started by the control unit 120. At this time, the back support mechanism 63 of the posture change mechanism 110 is arranged at the reference position N (neutral state: first position state) with the extrusion amount D (= 0 mm).

[0060] (Step S2: Wait for a certain time) The back support mechanism 63 of the posture change mechanism 110 holds the neutral state for a certain time (15 to 30 minutes).

[0061] (Step S3: The back support mechanism retreats backward to the RR side) The back support mechanism 63 of the posture change mechanism 110 is activated to immediately retreat the back support mechanism 63 backward to the RR side. The extrusion amount D of the back support mechanism 63 is set to, for example, 10 mm or more on the rear RR side (second position state: D > -10 mm).

[0062] (Step S4: Wait for a certain time) The state of the back support mechanism 63 of the posture change mechanism 110 is held in the state of step S3 for a certain time td. Here, the certain time td is, for example, about 1 minute to 2 minutes.

[0063] (Step S5: Extrusion of the back support mechanism 63 by a certain amount d toward the FR side) The back support mechanism 63 of the posture change mechanism 110 is activated to operate so as to extrude the back support mechanism 63 by a certain amount d toward the FR side (neutral state side). Here, the certain amount d is, for example, about 2 mm to 5 mm.

[0064] (Step S6: Repeating Operation) After step S5, steps S4 and S5 are repeated in this order until the back support mechanism 63 of the posture changing mechanism 110 returns to the neutral state.

[0065] (Step S7: Continuing until System End) The operations of steps S2 to S6 are continuously executed until the system ends. When the system ends, the control unit 120 controls the position of the back support mechanism 63 of the posture changing mechanism 110 to return to the neutral state.

[0066] Next, with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14, the operation pattern of the first posture change mode will be described. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the operation pattern of the second posture change mode (C-shaped posture mode). FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining the operation pattern of the first posture change mode of FIG. 11. In FIGS. 13 and 14, the vertical axis represents the extrusion amount D (mm) as the operation amount of the back support mechanism 63 of the posture changing mechanism 110, the + side represents the forward direction (FR), the - side represents the rear direction (RR), 0 mm represents the neutral state, and the horizontal axis represents the time t (minutes: min).

[0067] As shown in FIG. 13, in the operation pattern of the second posture change mode (C-shaped posture mode), the back support mechanism 63 is set at the position of the thoracic vertebra, and the back support mechanism 63 is moved rearward to the RR side by the extrusion amount D which is the operation amount of the posture changing mechanism: D1 = -20 mm. Then, after a predetermined waiting time of 5 minutes between 15 minutes (m) and 20 minutes (m), the back support mechanism 63 is moved forward to the RR side to the neutral state. Here, let A2 be the second value (the area of the hatched portion 130) calculated by the product of the predetermined waiting time (5 minutes) of the back support mechanism 63 in the second posture change mode and the operation amount (20 mm) of the back support mechanism 63.

[0068] As shown in Fig. 14, in the operation pattern of the first posture change mode, the back support mechanism 63 is set at the lumbar position. At the 15th minute (min), the back support mechanism 63 is moved so that the extrusion amount D indicated by the operation amount of the posture change mechanism to the rear RR side is D1 = -20 mm. In this state, it waits for a fixed time td. Then, the back support mechanism 63 is operated so as to extrude a fixed amount d to the front FR side (neutral state side). Then, in this state, it waits for a fixed time td. Until the back support mechanism 63 returns to the neutral state (D = 0 mm), the operation of extruding the back support mechanism 63 by a fixed amount d to the front FR side (neutral state side) is repeated. In this example, the fixed amount d is 5 mm, the fixed time td is 2 minutes, and the number of repetitions is 4 times.

[0069] Here, the area (first value) A1 of the shaded portion 140 calculated by the product of the operation time (2, 2, 2, 2) of the back support mechanism 63 in the first posture change mode and the operation amount (20 mm, 15 mm, 10 mm, 5 mm) of the back support mechanism is set to be the same value (A1 = A2) as the area A2 of the shaded portion 130. This is a setting for obtaining a fatigue reduction effect equivalent to that of the second posture change mode (C-shaped posture mode) in the first posture change mode.

[0070] In this example, the area A1 is set to be 100, where the area A1 in Fig. 13 (5 (min) × 20 (mm)) = the area A1 in Fig. 14 (2 (min) × 20 (mm) + 2 (min) × 15 (mm) + 2 (min) × 10 (mm) + 2 (min) × 5 (mm)) = 100.

[0071] The operation pattern of the first posture change mode can be changed within a range that satisfies all of the following conditions. 1) In order to obtain a fatigue reduction effect, the area (integral value) of the shaded portion 140 is made equal to the area of the shaded portion 130. 2) Since it is necessary to give a clear posture change for fatigue reduction, the variable D1 (posture change mechanism operation amount: the value of the extrusion amount D = D1 of the back support mechanism 63) is set to be -10 mm or more. The value of D1 is preferably in the range of 10 mm to 25 mm. In the example of Fig. 14, the variable D1 is -20 mm. 3) Since maintaining the C-shaped posture for a long time has a small fatigue reduction effect, the variable T1 (the operating time during which the posture changing mechanism (the back support mechanism 63) is operating) is set to "10 minutes or less". In the example of FIG. 14, the variable T1 is 23 minutes - 15 minutes = 8 minutes. 4) Since it is necessary to return to the neutral state step by step to prevent the forward displacement of the buttocks, the variable td (the time for maintaining the back support mechanism 63: a fixed time) is set to "1 minute or more". In the example of FIG. 14, the variable td is 8 minutes / 4 times = 2 minutes. 5) The moving speed from the support pulling state of the back support mechanism 63 (the extrusion amount D1 of the back support mechanism 63 = -20 mm) to the neutral state (the extrusion amount D of the back support mechanism 63 = 0 mm) is preferably within the range of 1.5 mm / s to 3.5 mm / s. More preferably, the moving speed of the back support mechanism 63 is about 2.5 mm / s.

[0072] Next, an example of the operation flow and operation pattern of the first posture change mode will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16. FIG. 15 is an operation flow diagram of the first posture change mode according to the embodiment. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the operation pattern of the first posture change mode corresponding to the operation flow of FIG. 15. In FIG. 15, it is assumed that the first posture change mode is designated as the operation mode of the fatigue reduction system by the on state of the switch 24, and the support position of the back support mechanism 63 is set at the lumbar spine position. The vertical axis and the horizontal axis in FIG. 16 are the same as those in FIGS. 13 and 14.

[0073] (Step S11) The central processing unit CPU detects that an occupant has seated on the vehicle seat 1 by the seat motor & sensor 93. Thereby, the fatigue reduction program is executed by the central processing unit CPU, and the fatigue reduction system is activated. In the fatigue reduction program, the on state of the switch 24 is detected, and the operation flow of the first posture change mode is started. At the start of the operation of the first posture change mode, the back support mechanism 63 of the posture changing mechanism 110 is initially set to the neutral state (the extrusion amount D = 0 mm). Thereafter, the operation flow proceeds to step S12.

[0074] (Step S12) The central processing unit CPU sets "0" to the flag provided in the fatigue reduction program. This flag is a flag for setting the number of repetitions. In this example, as shown in FIG. 16, the number of repetitions is 4 times. After that, the operation flow shifts to step S13.

[0075] (Step S13) The central processing unit CPU causes the back support mechanism 63 of the posture change mechanism 110 to maintain its state for 15 minutes. As shown in FIG. 16, the back support mechanism 63 maintains the neutral state (extrusion amount = 0 mm) for 15 minutes. After that, the operation flow shifts to step S14.

[0076] (Step S14) The central processing unit CPU controls the extrusion amount adjustment motor 701 to drive the back support mechanism 63 of the posture change mechanism 110 20 mm in the rearward direction RR (D1 = -20 mm). As shown in FIG. 16, the back support mechanism 63 retracts the extrusion amount (D1 = -20 mm) all at once in the rearward direction RR from the neutral state (extrusion amount = 0 mm). After that, the operation flow shifts to step S15.

[0077] (Step S15) The central processing unit CPU causes the back support mechanism 63 of the posture change mechanism 110 to maintain its state for 2 minutes (td = 2, T1 = 8). As shown in FIG. 16, the back support mechanism 63 maintains the state of the extrusion amount (-20 mm) for 2 minutes. After that, the operation flow shifts to step S16.

[0078] (Step S16) The central processing unit CPU adds "1" to the flag and stores it in the flag. As a result, the flag is set to 1 (flag = 1). After that, the operation flow shifts to step S17.

[0079] (Step S17) The central processing unit CPU controls the extrusion amount adjustment motor 701 based on flag = 1, and drives the back support mechanism 63 of the posture change mechanism 110 5 mm forward in the FR direction. As shown in FIG. 16, when flag = 1, the back support mechanism 63 is moved 5 mm forward in the FR direction from the state of the extrusion amount (-20 mm) to the state of the position of the extrusion amount (-15 mm). Thereafter, the operation flow proceeds to step S18.

[0080] (Step S18) The central processing unit CPU determines whether the value of the flag (flag) is 4. If the value of the flag (flag) is not 4 (No), the operation flow proceeds to step S15, and steps S15 to S18 are repeatedly executed until the value of the flag (flag) becomes 4. As shown in FIG. 16, when flag = 2, the back support mechanism 63 is moved 5 mm forward in the FR direction from the state of the extrusion amount (-15 mm) and maintains the state of the position of the extrusion amount (-10 mm) for 2 minutes. When flag = 3, the back support mechanism 63 is moved 5 mm forward in the FR direction from the state of the extrusion amount (-10 mm) and maintains the state of the position of the extrusion amount (-5 mm) for 2 minutes. When flag = 4, the back support mechanism 63 is moved 5 mm forward in the FR direction from the state of the extrusion amount (-5 mm) to the state of the position of the extrusion amount (0 mm).

[0081] If the value of the flag (flag) is 4 (Yes), the operation flow proceeds to step S19.

[0082] (Step S19) The central processing unit CPU sets the flag (flag) from "4" to "0" (flag = 0), and the operation flow proceeds to step S13. As a result, steps S13 to S19 are repeatedly executed. For example, while the occupant is driving the vehicle, the fatigue reduction system is continuously executed.

[0083] According to the embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0084] 1) Since it is possible to give the occupant a change in posture while suppressing the forward displacement of the buttocks, it is possible to reduce the fatigue of the occupant.

[0085] 2) The backrest support mechanism 63 is used without installing a mechanism for suppressing the forward displacement of the buttocks inside the seat cushion. As a result, it is possible to suppress the forward displacement of the buttocks without increasing the number of parts and the weight.

[0086] As described above, the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described based on the embodiments. However, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and examples, and various modifications are possible.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0087] 1: Vehicle seat 21, 22, 23, 24: Plurality of switches 60: Lumbar support part 63: Resin plate (backrest support mechanism) 65: Vertical drive part (support change mechanism) 69: Motor (motor with reducer) 70: Drive part 71: Drive transmission part 80, 81: Hall IC 100: Control system 110: Posture change mechanism 120: Control unit 701: Electric motor (extrusion amount adjustment motor) CPU: Central processing unit (data processing device)

Claims

1. A seat cushion and, a seat back connected to the seat cushion, comprising: The seat back includes a posture changing mechanism having a back support mechanism, In the fatigue reduction operation using the posture changing mechanism, a) moving the back support mechanism set to the position of the lumbar region of the occupant from the first position state to the rear side to set it to the second position state; b) Thereafter, moving the back support mechanism stepwise from the second position state to the first position state in the forward direction, The posture changing mechanism is a first motor capable of moving the vertical position of the back support mechanism; a second motor capable of moving the front-rear position of the back support mechanism; and a control unit for controlling the first motor and the second motor, The control unit is A first posture change mode in which the vertical position of the back support mechanism is changed by the first motor, and the front-rear position of the back support mechanism is changed by the second motor so that the back support mechanism is positioned at the lumbar region of the occupant, to perform a) and b); and a second posture change mode in which the vertical position of the back support mechanism is changed by the first motor, and the front-rear position of the back support mechanism is changed by the second motor so that the back support mechanism is positioned at the thoracic region of the occupant, can be set, In the second posture change mode, a1) moving the back support mechanism from the first position state to the rear side to set it to the second position state; b1) configured to move the back support mechanism from the second position state to the first position state after a predetermined waiting time. A vehicle seat.

2. In the vehicle seat according to claim 1, The vehicle seat is such that the distance between the first position state and the second position state is 10 mm to 25 mm.

3. In the vehicle seat according to claim 2, further, c) The vehicle seat that repeatedly executes a) and b).

4. In the vehicle seat according to claim 3, In b), the vehicle seat that moves the backrest support mechanism stepwise forward from the second position state to the first position state at regular intervals of a fixed amount over a fixed time.

5. In the vehicle seat according to claim 4, The vehicle seat where the fixed amount is 2 mm to 5 mm.

6. In the vehicle seat according to claim 5, The vehicle seat where the fixed time is 1 minute to 2 minutes.

7. In the vehicle seat according to claim 6, The vehicle seat where the operating time of the backrest support mechanism in a) and b) is 10 minutes or less.

8. In the vehicle seat according to claim 1, A first value calculated by multiplying the operating time of the backrest support mechanism in the first posture change mode by the operating amount of the backrest support mechanism represents the fatigue reduction effect of the first posture change mode, and a second value calculated by multiplying the predetermined standby time of the backrest support mechanism in the second posture change mode by the operating amount of the backrest support mechanism represents the fatigue reduction effect of the second posture change mode, and the first value and the second value are the same value. Vehicle seat.

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