Seat pad for vehicle
By embedding a hollow member on the outer surface of the seat pad's peripheral edge and connecting it with the pad base material, the deformation and weight issues of vehicle seat pads are addressed, resulting in improved shape retention and fuel efficiency.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024034266
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-03-06
- Publication Date
- 2025-06-30
- Estimated Expiration
- 2037-06-01
AI Technical Summary
Vehicle seat pads made of foamed resin members face challenges in preventing deformation, especially when formed into complex three-dimensional shapes, which can lead to design impairments and increased weight, negatively impacting fuel efficiency.
Incorporating a hollow member embedded in the pad base material on the outer surface side of the seat pad's peripheral edge, which enhances the rigidity of the seat pad without increasing its weight, and connects with the pad base material through a non-woven fabric or through holes for improved bonding.
This configuration effectively prevents deformation of the seat pad, reduces its weight, and enhances the shape retention of the headrest mounting portion, thereby contributing to improved fuel efficiency and maintaining quality without additional processing steps.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a seat pad for a vehicle composed of a pad base material made of a foamed resin member.
Background Art
[0002] A seat 100 installed in a passenger compartment of a passenger car or the like is generally configured to include, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, a seat cushion 102 that supports the lower body of a seated passenger, a seat back 104 that is tiltably installed at the rear of the seat cushion 102 and supports the upper body of the passenger, and a headrest 106 that is installed at the upper part of the seat back 104 and protects the head of the passenger. Such a seat cushion 102 and seat back 104 are formed so as to cover (cover) the surface of a seat pad formed of a foamed resin member such as polyurethane foam with a seat cover formed of a skin material such as fabric, synthetic leather, or leather (for example, Patent Document 1).
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] Here, since the seat cover is required to be stretched over the seat pad formed in the required design shape without slack, as in Patent Document 1, the sewing margin of the seat cover formed by sewing a skin material such as fabric, synthetic leather, or leather into a bag shape is drawn into the groove for hog rings formed in the seat pad, so that it is stretched over the surface shape of the seat pad without slack. When covering the seat pad with such a bag-shaped seat cover or when drawing the sewing margin of the skin material into the groove for hog rings, if the outer peripheral edge of the seat pad is deformed, the design of the seat pad will be impaired. Such deformation of the seat pad can be suppressed by configuring the outer peripheral edge side of the seat pad, such as the upper end portion and side portion of the seat pad, with a high-density foamed resin member to increase the rigidity, as in Patent Document 1 described above. However, it is extremely difficult to completely control the hardness of the foamed resin member constituting the seat pad during manufacturing, and variations in the hardness of the foam are inevitable. Therefore, it is difficult to completely prevent the deformation of the seat pad during covering. In addition, since the seat pad itself is composed of a foamed resin member, its elastic deformation cannot be prevented. Therefore, it is difficult to completely prevent the deformation of the seat pad during covering. In order to prevent such deformation of the seat pad, when covering, a separately prepared reinforcing part is adhered to the easily deformable part of the seat pad to increase its rigidity. However, not only does the number of working hours increase, but there are concerns that variations in the mounting accuracy of the parts will occur among workers, and a problem of inability to maintain a certain quality will arise. Further, when the seat pad is formed of a high-density foamed resin member or when a reinforcing part is attached in a separate process, while the rigidity of the seat pad can be increased, the weight of the seat pad itself will increase. In addition, recently, weight reduction of vehicles has been strongly demanded to improve fuel efficiency, and an increase in the weight of the seat pad is not preferable.
[0005] In recent years, in response to the increasing demands for seat design, the seat pad may be formed into a three-dimensional shape having a complex curved surface shape. In such a case, the seat pad is likely to be deformed. Further, as the designability of the seat pad increases, it may be formed into a three-dimensional shape in which the wall thickness is extremely thin in part. In such a case, not only deformation of the seat pad during covering but also problems such as deformation of the seat pad being likely to occur when, for example, the outer peripheral edge of the seat pad is pushed by an occupant are pointed out.
[0006] That is, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat pad that can effectively prevent deformation while achieving weight reduction.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0007] In order to solve the above problems and achieve the intended object, a first invention of the present application is a vehicle seat pad in which a pad base material is formed of a foamed resin member, and a hollow member in which at least a part is embedded in the pad base material is located on the outer surface side of the outer peripheral edge of the seat pad. The gist is that it is configured as described above. In this way, by positioning the hollow member in which at least a part is embedded in the pad base material on the outer surface side of the outer peripheral edge of the seat pad, it is possible to effectively prevent the outer peripheral edge of the seat pad from deforming without forming the pad base material of a highly rigid and high-density foamed resin member. Further, by providing the hollow member, it is possible to prevent deformation of the seat pad and reduce the weight, so that it can contribute to improving the fuel efficiency of the vehicle. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to separately attach a member for preventing deformation to the seat pad in a later process, the number of man-hours can be reduced and a certain quality can be maintained.
[0008] The gist of the second invention is that a headrest mounting portion that opens upward and forward is provided on the upper part of the pad base material, and the hollow member is embedded in the headrest mounting portion along the front opening edge and the upper opening edge of the headrest mounting portion. In this way, by embedding the hollow member along the front opening edge and the upper opening edge of the headrest mounting portion, it is possible to improve the shape retention of the headrest mounting portion and the designability of the seat pad while enhancing the shape retention of the headrest mounting portion.
[0009] The gist of the third invention is that the hollow member and the pad base material are joined via a non-woven fabric. In this way, by joining the hollow member and the pad base material via a non-woven fabric, the bonding force between the hollow member and the pad base material can be increased, and the separation of the hollow member from the pad base material can be prevented.
[0010] The gist of the fourth invention is that the hollow member is embedded such that the foamed resin member forming the pad base material is connected through a through hole provided in the hollow member. In this way, by configuring the hollow member such that the foamed resin member forming the pad base material is connected through the through hole provided in the hollow member, the physical bonding force between the hollow member and the pad base material can be increased, and the separation of the hollow member from the pad base material can be prevented.
[0011] The gist of the fifth invention is that the hollow member is configured to connect a left hollow body disposed on the left side of the pad base material and a right hollow body disposed on the right side of the pad base material with a reinforcing support portion. In this way, by configuring the left and right hollow bodies to be connected with a reinforcing support portion, the torsional rigidity of the hollow member can be increased, and the rigidity of the seat pad can be more stably increased.
[0012] The gist of the sixth invention is that the reinforcing support portion is provided so as to be located on the front side of the seat frame that supports the pad base material, and support pieces that protrude rearward are formed at a plurality of positions spaced apart left and right in the reinforcing support portion, and the support pieces can be supported by the seat frame via the pad base material. In this way, by forming support pieces at a plurality of positions spaced apart left and right in the reinforcing support portion so that they can be supported by the seat frame, deformation of the hollow member can be effectively prevented.
[0013] The seventh invention is a method for manufacturing a seat pad for a vehicle, which forms a pad base material by foaming a foaming resin raw material in a cavity defined in a mold. A hollow member is formed to have a recessed portion on the surface side facing the rear side of the seat pad. In the lower mold of the mold in the mold-open state, the hollow member is disposed between a positioning protrusion provided on the mold surface of the lower mold and the outer peripheral edge of the mold surface of the lower mold, with the surface side facing the front side of the seat pad facing the mold surface of the lower mold. The hollow member is positioned at a predetermined position of the lower mold by the positioning protrusion. When the upper mold of the mold is clamped, an engaging protrusion provided on the upper mold is engaged with the recessed portion of the hollow member, and the hollow member is brought into close contact with the mold surface of the lower mold and the mold surface of the upper mold on the outer peripheral edge side in the cavity defined by the mold. By foaming and curing the foaming resin raw material in the cavity, the hollow member is positioned on the outer surface side of the outer peripheral edge in a state where at least a part thereof is embedded in the pad base material. In this way, by disposing the hollow member between the positioning protrusion provided on the lower mold of the mold and the outer peripheral edge of the lower mold and clamping the upper mold, the hollow member can be accurately disposed on the outer peripheral edge side in the cavity defined by the mold. Then, by foaming and curing the foaming resin raw material in the cavity to form the pad base material, the hollow member can be positioned on the outer surface side of the outer peripheral edge in a state where at least a part thereof is embedded in the pad base material, and it is possible to effectively prevent the outer peripheral edge of the seat pad from deforming without forming the pad base material with a highly rigid and high-density foaming resin member. Further, by providing the hollow member, it is possible to prevent deformation of the seat pad and reduce the weight, so that it can contribute to improving the fuel efficiency of the vehicle. Furthermore, since there is no need to separately attach a member for preventing deformation to the seat pad in a later process, the number of working steps can be reduced and a certain quality can be maintained. Also, when the upper mold of the mold is clamped, the engaging protrusion provided on the upper mold can be engaged with the recessed portion of the hollow member, and the hollow member can be brought into close contact with the mold surface of the lower mold and the mold surface of the upper mold on the outer peripheral edge side in the cavity defined by the mold. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the foaming resin raw material from entering the arrangement position of the hollow member when the foaming resin raw material foams and cures in the cavity and form a pad base material having a predetermined shape.
Effect of the Invention
[0014] According to the present invention, while reducing the weight of the seat pad, deformation can be effectively prevented.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0015]
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 8
Figure 9
Modes for Carrying Out the Invention
[0016] Next, regarding the vehicle seat pad according to the present invention, preferably A suitable embodiment will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that, as an example of a seat pad for a vehicle, the description will be given of a seat pad used for a seat back of a seat installed in a passenger compartment of a passenger car or the like, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In the present invention, when the support surface side (front surface side) that supports the back of the occupant is taken as "front" with reference to the seat pad, the back side of the support surface is taken as "back". Further, when the side on the right arm side of the occupant when the occupant is seated on the seat pad is taken as "right", the side on the left arm side is taken as "left".
[0017] (Example 1) The seat pad 10 according to Example 1 includes a pad base material 12 formed by foaming and curing a foamed resin raw material such as urethane resin in accordance with the outer shape of the seat back, and a hollow member 30 embedded in the pad base material 12 and formed to follow the outer peripheral edge of the pad base material 12. And it is configured to be supported by a seat frame SF (see FIG. 8) that forms the skeleton of the seat with the pad base material 12 covering the whole from the front side. As shown in FIG. 1, this pad base material 12 is configured to be divided into a plurality of support portions that support the upper body of the occupant by groove portions 12a formed on the front surface. Specifically, the pad base material 12 has a so-called bucket seat shape having a central support portion 14 that supports the upper body of the occupant from behind, and left and right side support portions 16 that project forward from the left and right side portions of the central support portion 14 and support the upper body of the occupant from the side. And the groove portion 12a is provided at the boundary portion between the central support portion 14 and the left and right side support portions 16, and a fixing member (not shown) for fixing the seat cover SC (see FIG. 8) is disposed at an appropriate position of the groove portion 12a. Here, the seat cover SC is formed in a bag shape that adheres closely to the outer surface of the pad base material 12 by sewing a plurality of skin materials formed in accordance with the shapes of the central support portion 14 and the left and right side support portions 16. In a state where the seat cover SC is put on the pad base material 12, the sewing margin of the skin material is drawn into the groove portion 12a of the pad base material 12 from the front side and fixed to the fixing member, so that the seat cover SC can be fixed to the pad base material 12 without looseness.
[0018] Further, on the upper part of the pad base material 12 (above the central support part 14), there is provided a headrest mounting part 18 for mounting a headrest HR that supports the head of the occupant. In this headrest mounting part 18, stay insertion holes 20 penetrating vertically are provided at positions spaced apart left and right, and a support stay HRa extending downward from the headrest HR can be inserted into the stay insertion holes 20 from above. Note that the support stay HRa inserted through the stay insertion hole 20 is supported by a stay fixing part (not shown) provided on the seat frame SF.
[0019] Here, this headrest mounting part 18 is formed in a concave shape that opens forward and upward by the left and right side support parts 16 that extend above the central support part 14 and face the left and right side parts of the headrest HR, and a support wall part 26 that is continuously provided at the rear end parts of the left and right side support parts 16 at the upper part of the central support part 14. That is, it is configured such that the lower side of the headrest HR can be accommodated and attached to the headrest mounting part 18, and the seat pad 10 and the headrest HR form a continuous integral design shape. Thus, the left and right side support parts 16 are parts that also have the function of supporting the occupant's temples supported by the headrest HR. In the following description, the part that forms the headrest mounting part 18 in the left side support part 16 may be particularly referred to as the left side support wall part 22, the part that forms the headrest mounting part 18 in the right side support part 16 may be particularly referred to as the right side support wall part 24, and the support wall part 26 that is continuously provided at the rear end parts of the left and right side support parts 16 may be particularly referred to as the rear side support wall part 26. That is, the left side support wall part 22 forms the left outer peripheral part of the pad base material 12, and the right side support wall part 24 forms the right outer peripheral part of the pad base material 12.
[0020] Here, the outer surfaces of the left support wall portion 22, the right support wall portion 24, and the rear support wall portion 26 are formed into a rounded curved surface shape with a gradually decreasing thickness as they approach the opening edge of the headrest mounting portion 18, so that the cross-section of the opening edge of the headrest mounting portion 18 forms an acute angle. Further, the front edge portions of the left support wall portion 22 and the right support wall portion 24 are formed in an inclined shape that separates from each other downward from the upper end portion, so that the front opening of the headrest mounting portion 18 forms a substantially trapezoidal shape. Further, the upper edge portion of the rear support wall portion 26 is formed in an arc shape that slightly protrudes rearward at the center in the left-right direction, and the upper edge portions of the left support wall portion 22, the right support wall portion 24, and the rear support wall portion 26 are formed in a continuous curved shape.
[0021] (Hollow member) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, at least a part of the hollow member 30 is embedded in the pad base material 12 so as to be located on the outer surface side of the outer peripheral edge above the pad base material 12, and is configured to reinforce the pad base material 12 and prevent its deformation. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the hollow members 30 are respectively embedded in the left support wall portion 22 and the right support wall portion 24 in the headrest mounting portion 18, and are configured to reinforce the front opening edge and the upper opening edge of the headrest mounting portion 18 and prevent deformation such as buckling. That is, the hollow member 30 embedded in the left support wall portion 22 is formed in a shape along the front edge and the upper edge of the left support wall portion 22, and the hollow member 30 embedded in the right support wall portion 24 is formed in a shape along the front edge and the upper edge of the right support wall portion 24. Here, the hollow members 30 embedded in the left support wall portion 22 and the right support wall portion 24 of the present embodiment have the same shape and configuration, and the hollow member 30 will be described below based on the hollow member 30 embedded in the right support wall portion 24.
[0022] The hollow member 30 of this embodiment includes a reinforcing portion 32 that reinforces the opening edge of the pad base material 12 (headrest mounting portion 18), a retaining portion 34 that prevents the hollow member 30 from coming off the pad base material 12 (headrest mounting portion 18), and a connecting portion 36 that connects the reinforcing portion 32 and the retaining portion 34. A continuous space is defined inside over the reinforcing portion 32, the retaining portion 34, and the connecting portion 36, and it is formed in a hollow shape. Each of the reinforcing portion 32 and the retaining portion 34 is formed in a substantially parallel cylindrical shape, and the connecting portion 36 is formed in a plate shape that is thinner than the diameters of the reinforcing portion 32 and the retaining portion 34. Note that the hollow member 30 of this embodiment is a member integrally formed by blow molding using a synthetic resin such as polypropylene, but the reinforcing portion 32, the retaining portion 34, and the connecting portion 36 individually molded by injection molding or the like may be fixed by adhesion or the like.
[0023] The hollow member 30 is embedded in the headrest mounting portion 18 in a posture extending back and forth along the upper opening edge (the upper end edge of the left support wall portion 22 and the upper end edge of the right support wall portion 24) of the headrest mounting portion 18. And the front edge of the hollow member 30 is formed such that the entire front edge over the reinforcing portion 32, the retaining portion 34, and the connecting portion 36 is inclined so as to follow the front opening edge (the front edge of the left support wall portion 22 and the front edge of the right support wall portion 24) of the headrest mounting portion 18. That is, the hollow member 30 of the first embodiment is configured to reinforce the front edge and the upper end edge of the headrest mounting portion 18 by the reinforcing portion 32 and the inclined edge portion 38 being located on the outer surface side so as to follow the outer peripheral edge of the seat pad.
[0024] Further, the hollow member 30 is provided with a retaining portion 34 and a nonwoven fabric 40 wound around the outer surface of the retaining portion 34, and the hollow member 30 and the pad base material 12 are joined through the nonwoven fabric 40. That is, the hollow member 30 and the pad base material 12 are joined to enhance the integrality of the two members by foaming and curing the foamed resin raw material forming the pad base material 12 in a state where the nonwoven fabric 40 is impregnated therewith. Here, the hollow member 30 and the nonwoven fabric 40 may be integrated during the molding of the hollow member 30, or may be performed after the molding of the hollow member 30. When integrating the hollow member 30 after molding, the nonwoven fabric 40 may be bonded with an adhesive tape, an adhesive, or the like.
[0025] Next, a manufacturing method of the sheet pad 10 described above will be schematically described. The sheet pad 10 according to the present invention is formed by closely attaching the hollow member 30 with a plurality of molding dies that form a cavity conforming to the shape of the sheet pad 10 (pad base material 12) when clamped, and foaming and curing a foamed resin raw material such as urethane resin in the cavity. Here, the mold surface of the lower mold in the mold is formed in a shape that matches the front side of the sheet pad 10 (pad base material 12), and the foaming is configured to be performed in a posture where the front surface of the sheet pad 10 (pad base material 12) faces downward.
[0026] Further, the lower mold is formed with positioning protrusions protruding into the cavity at positions corresponding to the arrangement positions (headrest mounting portions 18) of the hollow members 30 embedded in the pad base material 12. In a state where the mold is opened, the hollow member 30 is arranged at a predetermined position in the cavity by engaging the inclined edge portion 38 of the hollow member 30 with the positioning protrusion in a downward posture facing the mold surface of the lower mold. Then, after injecting the foamed resin raw material onto the lower mold in the mold-open state, the upper mold is clamped, and the foamed resin raw material is foamed and cured in the cavity of the mold, whereby the sheet pad 10 in which the hollow member 30 is embedded in the pad base material 12 (headrest mounting portion 18) can be integrally molded.
[0027] That is, according to the seat pad 10 for a vehicle according to the above-described Example 1, by positioning the hollow member 30 at least partially embedded in the pad base material 12 on the outer surface side of the outer peripheral edge of the seat pad 10, the outer peripheral edge of the pad base material 12 is supported by the hollow member 30, and deformation of the outer peripheral edge of the pad base material 12 during covering or the like can be effectively prevented. In particular, by forming the hollow member 30 in a shape extending from the front edge to the upper edge of the left and right upper portions of the outer periphery of the pad base material 12, the rigidity of the upper side of the pad base material 12 can be increased. Further, since the necessary rigidity can be ensured for the outer peripheral edge of the pad base material 12 by the hollow member 30, it is not necessary to form the pad base material 12 with a high-density foam or attach reinforcing parts in a separate process, and it is possible to prevent an increase in the weight of the seat pad 10 and achieve weight reduction, thus contributing to an improvement in the fuel efficiency of the vehicle. Furthermore, since the hollow member 30 is embedded in the pad base material 12, steps such as attaching a member for preventing deformation of the pad base material 12 to the pad base material 12 in a subsequent process are not required, the working efficiency is significantly improved, and a certain quality can be maintained.
[0028] Also, by configuring to foam-cure the foam resin raw material impregnated in the non-woven fabric 40 provided on the hollow member 30 to join the pad base material 12 and the hollow member 30, the bonding force between the hollow member 30 and the pad base material 12 can be increased, and separation of the hollow member 30 from the pad base material 12 can be prevented.
[0029] Also, by embedding the hollow member 30 so as to be located on the outer surface side of the pad base material 12, even if the thickness of the pad base material 12 is reduced, rigidity can be ensured and shape stability can be maintained. That is, even when a thin-walled portion of the headrest mounting portion 18 is formed to achieve design integration with the headrest HR as in the seat pad 10 according to the present invention, by embedding the hollow member 30 formed along the front opening edge and the upper opening edge of the headrest mounting portion 18, the rigidity of the headrest mounting portion 18 can be ensured, and it becomes easily possible to diversify the design of the seat pad 10 while enhancing the shape retention of the headrest mounting portion 18.
[0030] (Example 2) Next, the seat pad 50 according to Example 2 will be described. Since the basic configuration of the seat pad 50 of Example 2 is common to the seat pad 10 of Example 1, the parts different from the seat pad 10 of Example 1 will be described in detail, and for the common configurations and members thereof, the same reference numerals will be given and the detailed description will be omitted.
[0031] As shown in FIG. 4, the seat pad 50 of Example 2 is configured such that a hollow member 60 is joined to the end of the pad base material 12, and the hollow member 60 forms the outer surface of the seat pad 50. Specifically, the pad base material 12 of Example 2 is formed such that the upper ends of the left and right side support portions 16 extend to substantially the same height position as the upper end of the central support portion 14, and the hollow member 60 is joined to the upper ends of the left and right side support portions 16 so as to extend upward from the central support portion 14. That is, the left and right side portions of the headrest mounting portion 52 of Example 2 are formed by the hollow member 60. Further, on the rear surface 62b facing the rear side of the seat pad 50 in the left and right hollow members 60, the rear side support wall portion 26 extending upward from the rear portion of the central support portion 14 is joined, and the headrest mounting portion 52 is configured to have a concave shape that opens forward and upward. In this Example 2, the rear side support wall portion 26 is configured to be joined from a position above the upper and lower central portions on the rear surface 62b of the hollow member 60 to the lower end portion. Further, a recessed portion 62c is provided on the rear surface 62b of the hollow member 60 on the upper side (the outer peripheral edge side of the seat pad 50) from the joining position of the rear side support wall portion 26. Note that the shape of the headrest mounting portion 52 of Example 2 is formed to be the same as the shape of the headrest mounting portion 18 of Example 1.
[0032] As shown in FIG. 4, the hollow member 60 includes a hollow box-shaped main body 62 joined to the end face of the pad base material 12 to form the outer surface of the sheet pad 50, and a joint portion 64 that protrudes from the joint surface of the main body 62 with the pad base material 12 and is embedded in the pad base material 12. The hollow member 60 is positioned on the outer surface side of the outer peripheral edge of the sheet pad with at least the joint portion 64 embedded in the pad base material 12. Here, in the second embodiment, the lower surface 62a and the rear surface 62b of the main body 62 of the hollow member 60 serve as joint surfaces that are joined to the pad base material 12, and the joint portion 64 protrudes from the lower surface 62a of the main body 62. Further, a non-woven fabric 66 is provided on the joint surfaces (the lower surface 62a and the rear surface 62b) of the main body 62 of the hollow member 60 with the pad base material 12, and the hollow member 60 and the pad base material 12 are joined via the non-woven fabric 66. That is, the hollow member 60 and the pad base material 12 are combined to enhance the integrality of the two members by the foaming resin raw material forming the pad base material 12 foaming and curing in a state of being impregnated into the non-woven fabric 66. Here, the hollow member 60 and the non-woven fabric 66 may be integrated during the molding of the hollow member 60, or may be performed after the molding of the hollow member 60. When integrating the hollow member 60 after molding, the non-woven fabric 66 may be bonded with an adhesive tape, an adhesive, or the like.
[0033] Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the joint portion 64 is provided with through holes 65 penetrating in the front-rear direction and opening at a plurality of locations (three locations in the embodiment) spaced apart in the left-right direction. Then, the foaming resin raw material forming the pad base material 12 foams and cures in a state of entering the through holes 65, so that the foaming resin members forming the pad base material 12 are connected via the through holes 65, and the hollow member 60 and the pad base material 12 are combined to enhance the integrality of the two members.
[0034] The seat pad 50 according to Example 2 is formed by injecting a foaming resin raw material such as urethane resin into a cavity while disposing a hollow member 60 in a plurality of molding dies that form a cavity conforming to the shape of the seat pad 50 when compression molding, in the same manner as the seat pad 10 of Example 1 described above. Here, the manufacturing method of the seat pad 50 according to Example 2 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the molding die of this seat pad 50 includes a lower die 68 that is installed on a frame (not shown) and molds the support surface side that supports the back of the occupant of the seat pad 50, and an upper die 69 that molds the rear side of the support surface of the seat pad 50. The lower die 68 and the upper die 69 are connected to each other so as to be rotatable via a shaft (hinge), and are configured to be displaceable between an open die state in which the upper die 69 is open with respect to the lower die 68 and a closed die state in which the upper die 69 is closed with respect to the lower die 68. And in the compression molding state where the upper die 69 is closed with respect to the lower die 68, a cavity having the same spatial shape as the outer shape of the seat pad 50 is defined inside.
[0035] Here, on the mold surface of the lower die 68, a positioning protrusion 68a that protrudes upward is formed in accordance with the arrangement position of the hollow member 60 (see FIG. 5 etc.). When the hollow member 60 is disposed in the installation region R1 between the positioning protrusion 68a and the outer peripheral edge of the mold surface of the lower die 68 with the front surface 62d side of the main body portion 62 facing the front side of the seat pad 50 facing the mold surface of the lower die 68, it is provided at a position close to and facing the lower surface 62a of the main body portion 62 in the hollow member 60. That is, when the hollow member 60 is disposed in the installation region R1, the hollow member 60 is positioned by the positioning protrusion 68a so that the hollow member 60 is disposed at a predetermined position in the space formed by the lower die 68.
[0036] Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the upper mold 69 is provided with an engaging protrusion 69a that engages with the recessed portion 62c in the hollow member 60 disposed in the installation region R1. That is, when the upper mold 69 is clamped to the lower mold 68, the engaging protrusion 69a of the upper mold 69 engages with the recessed portion 62c of the hollow member 60, and the hollow member 60 positioned in the installation region R1 of the lower mold 68 by the positioning protrusion 68a is held in a predetermined posture on the outer peripheral edge side within the cavity defined by the molding die.
[0037] Further, when the upper mold 69 is clamped to the lower mold 68 and the engaging protrusion 69a of the upper mold 69 is engaged with the recessed portion 62c of the hollow member 60, the hollow member 60 is sandwiched between the lower mold 68 and the upper mold 69, so that the hollow member 60 is brought into close contact with the mold surface of the lower mold 68 and the mold surface of the upper mold 69, and an injection region R2 for the foam resin raw material surrounded by the mold surface of the lower mold 68, the mold surface of the upper mold 69, and the hollow member 60 is defined on the lower surface 62a side of the hollow member 60. Then, after injecting the foam resin raw material into the injection region R2 of the lower mold 68 in the mold open state, the upper mold 69 is clamped, and the foam resin raw material is foamed and cured within the cavity of the molding die to form the pad base material 12 joined with the hollow member 60. At this time, the non-woven fabric 66 provided on the hollow member 60 is foamed and cured in a state impregnated with the foam resin raw material, so that the hollow member 60 and the pad base material 12 can be firmly joined. Thereafter, the upper mold 69 is displaced to the mold open state with respect to the lower mold 68, and the sheet pad 50 is taken out from the cavity.
[0038] That is, according to the seat pad 50 for a vehicle according to the above-described Example 2, by positioning the hollow member 60 at least partially embedded in the pad base material 12 on the outer surface side of the outer peripheral edge of the seat pad 50, the outer peripheral edge of the seat pad 50 is formed by the hollow member 60, and it is possible to effectively prevent the outer peripheral edge of the pad base material 12 from deforming during covering or the like. Further, since it is not necessary to form the pad base material 12 with a high-density foam or attach a reinforcing part in a separate process, it is possible to prevent an increase in the weight of the seat pad 50 and achieve weight reduction, thus contributing to an improvement in the fuel efficiency of the vehicle. Furthermore, there is no need for a process such as attaching a reinforcing part in a subsequent process, the working efficiency is significantly improved, and a certain quality can be maintained.
[0039] Also, by configuring the foam resin raw material impregnated in the nonwoven fabric 66 provided on the hollow member 60 to foam and cure to join the pad base material 12 and the hollow member 60, the bonding force between the hollow member 60 and the pad base material 12 can be increased, and it is possible to prevent the hollow member 60 from separating from the pad base material 12. Further, since the foam resin member forming the pad base material 12 is embedded so as to be connected through the through hole 65 provided in the hollow member 60, the physical bonding force between the hollow member 60 and the pad base material 12 can be increased, and it is possible to effectively prevent the hollow member 60 from separating from the pad base material 12.
[0040] Also, by arranging the hollow member 60 so as to be located on the outer surface of the seat pad 50, it is possible to ensure rigidity and maintain shape stability without adjusting the thickness of the pad base material 12. That is, even when a thin-walled portion of the headrest mounting portion 52 is formed to achieve design integration with the headrest HR as in the seat pad 50 according to the present invention, the hollow member 60 forms the front opening edge and the upper opening edge of the headrest mounting portion 52, so that the rigidity of the headrest mounting portion 52 can be ensured, and it is easily possible to diversify the design of the seat pad 50 while enhancing the shape retention of the headrest mounting portion 52.
[0041] Further, by disposing the hollow member 60 in the installation region R1 between the positioning protrusion 68a provided on the lower mold 68 and the outer peripheral edge of the lower mold 68 and clamping the upper mold 69, the hollow member can be accurately disposed on the outer peripheral edge side within the cavity defined by the molding die. By foaming the foaming resin raw material injected into the cavity (injection region R2) before mold clamping to form the sheet pad 50, the hollow member 60 can be positioned on the outer surface side of the outer peripheral edge in a state where at least a part thereof is embedded in the sheet pad 50. Further, when the upper mold 69 is clamped, the engaging protrusion 69a provided on the upper mold 69 is engaged with the recessed portion 62c of the hollow member 60, so that the hollow member 60 can be brought into close contact with the mold surfaces of the lower mold 68 and the upper mold 69 on the outer peripheral edge side within the cavity (the lower mold 68 and the upper mold 69) defined by the molding die. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the foaming resin raw material injected into the cavity from entering the arrangement position of the hollow member 60 and form the sheet pad 50 having a predetermined shape.
[0042] (Example 3) Next, the sheet pad 70 according to Example 3 will be described. Since the basic configuration of the sheet pad 70 of Example 3 is common to the sheet pad 10 of Example 1, the parts different from the sheet pad 10 of Example 1 will be described in detail, and for the common configurations and members, the same reference numerals will be given and the detailed description will be omitted.
[0043] As shown in FIG. 7, the hollow member 71 of Example 3 is configured by connecting a left hollow body 72 disposed on the left side of the pad base material 12 and a right hollow body 74 disposed on the right side of the pad base material 12 with a reinforcing support portion 76. Here, since the left hollow body 72 and the right hollow body 74 are formed in the same configuration and shape as the left and right hollow members 30 in Example 1, the details thereof are omitted. The reinforcing support portion 76 may be integrally formed by injection molding or blow molding of the left hollow body 72, the right hollow body 74, and the reinforcing support portion 76, or the left hollow body 72, the right hollow body 74, and the reinforcing support portion 76 may be individually molded and connected by an adhesive or the like.
[0044] The reinforcing support portion 76 is provided with through holes 77 penetrating therethrough at a plurality of positions (six positions in the embodiment) spaced apart in the left-right direction. Then, the foaming resin raw material forming the pad base material 12 foams and cures in a state of entering the through holes 77, so that the foaming resin members forming the pad base material 12 are connected via the through holes 77, and the hollow member 71 and the pad base material 12 are combined to enhance the integrality of the two members.
[0045] Further, on the rear surface side of the reinforcing support portion 76, a plurality of positions (four positions in the embodiment) spaced apart in the left-right direction are formed with a first support piece 78 and a second support piece 80 protruding rearward. In this embodiment, the first support piece 78 is provided at the left-right intermediate position on the rear surface side of the reinforcing support portion 76, and the second support piece 80 is provided at both left and right end portions of the reinforcing support portion 76. The first support piece 78 and the second support piece 80 are provided so as to be located on the front side of the seat frame SF that supports the seat pad 70. When the hollow member 71 (reinforcing support portion 76) is deformed so as to bend rearward During this time, by sandwiching the pad base material 12 and supporting the first support piece 78 and the second support piece 80 by the seat frame SF, the bending deformation is suppressed and damage to the hollow member 71 is prevented.
[0046] Here, the first support piece 78 is formed in a plate shape extending in the vertical direction of the reinforcing support portion 76, and an arc-shaped recess 78a (see FIG. 8) is formed at the rear end portion. Here, the arc-shaped recess 78a is formed with a curvature that matches the diameter of the metal pipe constituting the seat frame SF. When the occupant assumes a posture of leaning on the seat pad 10, for example, the central portion of the reinforcing support portion 76 bends backward, so that the seat frame SF meshes with the arc-shaped recess 78a of the first support piece 78 with the pad base material 12 sandwiched therebetween. Similar to this first support piece 78, the second support piece 80 is formed in a plate shape extending in the vertical direction of the reinforcing support portion 76, and an arc-shaped recess (not shown) is formed at the rear end portion, and the arc-shaped recess of the second support piece 80 is supported with the pad base material 12 sandwiched therebetween. That is, when a force that pushes both the left and right side portions of the pad base material 12 backward acts, for example, both the left and right side portions of the reinforcing support portion 76 bend backward, so that the seat frame SF meshes with the arc-shaped recess of the second support piece 80 with the pad base material 12 sandwiched therebetween.
[0047] Thus, in the seat pad 70 of Embodiment 3 in which the left hollow body 72 and the right hollow body 74 are connected by the reinforcing support portion 76 to form the hollow member 71, it has the same effects as the seat pad 10 of Embodiment 1 described above, and the following specific effects can be expected. That is, by connecting the left hollow body 72 and the right hollow body 74 with the reinforcing support portion 76 to form the hollow member 71, the torsional rigidity of the hollow member 71 can be increased. Further, the reinforcing support portion 76 is embedded at a position corresponding to the front side of the seat frame SF that supports the seat pad 70, and the first support piece 78 and the second support piece 80 are formed on the reinforcing support portion 76 so that when the reinforcing support portion 76 is deformed to bend rearward, the first support piece 78 and the second support piece 80 are supported by the seat frame SF via the pad base material 12. Thus, the deformation of the hollow member 71 can be suppressed and damage and the like can be prevented, so that the reinforcing effect of the pad base material 12 by the hollow member 71 is not impaired. Also, when the central portion of the reinforcing support portion 76 bends rearward, such as when the occupant assumes a posture of leaning on the seat pad 10, the seat frame SF meshes with the arc-shaped recess 78a of the first support piece 78 with the pad base material 12 interposed therebetween, so that the embedded hollow member 71 (left hollow body 72 and right hollow body 74) is held at a predetermined position of the pad base material 12, and a problem such as displacement of the hollow member 71 (left hollow body 72 and right hollow body 74) inside the pad base material 12 can be effectively prevented.
[0048] Also, by providing the second support piece 80 so as to be located on the left and right end portions of the hollow member 71, when a force that pushes the side support portion 16 (left support wall portion 22 and right support wall portion 24 of the headrest mounting portion 18) of the seat pad 70 rearward acts, the second support piece 80 is supported by the seat frame SF via the pad base material 12 to suppress the deformation of the hollow member 71, so that the deformation of the side support portion 16 can be suppressed and the shape retention of the side support portion 16 can be improved.
[0049] (Modified Example) The seat pad for a vehicle according to the present invention is not limited to the form exemplified in the embodiments, and various modifications are possible. An example of a modified example is shown below. (1) Although the seat pad used for the seat back of the vehicle seat is taken as an example, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a seat pad used for a seat cushion on which an occupant sits may be used. (2) The hollow members do not have to be arranged symmetrically with respect to the seat pad, and may be formed in a shape along the outer peripheral edge of the seat pad. (3) Although the hollow members are integrally formed of synthetic resin, they may be formed of metal or the like, or a plurality of members may be combined to form the hollow members. (4) In Example 3, the configuration in which the hollow members embedded in the pad base material are connected by the reinforcing support portions was described, but the hollow members joined to the end face of the pad base material as in Example 2 may be connected by the reinforcing support portions. (5) In the embodiment, the pad base material is formed by injecting the foaming resin raw material into the cavity of the lower mold in the mold-open state and then clamping the mold, but the pad base material may be formed by injecting the foaming resin raw material into the cavity after clamping the mold. (6) In order to enhance the integration of the pad base material and the hollow members, uneven portions may be provided on the surface of the hollow members. (7) In Example 3, the hollow members (left hollow body and right hollow body) embedded in the pad base material are connected by one reinforcing support portion, but they may be connected by a plurality of reinforcing support portions. For example, when the left hollow body and the right hollow body are connected by a plurality of reinforcing support portions, they may be provided on the front end side (support surface side) and the rear end side of the retaining portion in each hollow body, or on the retaining portion and the connecting portion in each hollow body. Further, one or a plurality of the reinforcing support portions connecting the left hollow body and the right hollow body may be configured to be embedded in the rear support wall portion of the headrest mounting portion. When the reinforcing support portion is embedded in the rear support wall portion, by embedding the reinforcing support portion along the upper end edge of the rear support wall portion on the upper end edge side, the shape retention of the headrest mounting portion can be further enhanced and its deformation can be prevented.
Explanation of Reference Numerals
[0050] 12 Pad base material, 18 Headrest mounting part, 30 Hollow member (left hollow body, right hollow body), 40 Non-woven fabric, 60 Hollow member 65 Through-hole, 66 Non-woven fabric, 71 Hollow member, 76 Reinforcing support part, 77 Through-hole 78 First support piece (support piece), 80 Second support piece (support piece), SF Seat frame
Claims
[Claim 1] A seat pad for a vehicle in which a pad base material is formed of a foamed resin member, The seat pad is A headrest mounting portion that opens upward and forward on an upper portion of the pad base material; a member for reinforcing the pad base material that forms a side portion of the headrest attachment portion, The member reinforcing the pad base material is A box-shaped main body; a joint portion protruding from the main body portion and embedded in the pad base material, The member reinforcing the pad base material and the pad base material are joined via a nonwoven fabric. A seat pad for a vehicle.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
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