Vehicle seat support leg cover assembly structure

Abstract

To provide a support leg cover body assembly structure of a vehicle seat which can properly prevent failure in assembly of a cover body.SOLUTION: In a support leg cover body assembly structure A of a vehicle seat, an attachment base part B of a support leg 12 of a vehicle seat 1 and a cover body 3 assembled to the attachment base part B are provided with first and second engaged parts 21, 22 and first and second engaging parts 31, 32. When the cover body 3 is slid so that the first engaging parts 31 and the first engaged parts 21 are engaged with each other, areas near formation positions of the second engaging parts 32 contact with the second engaged part 22 or areas near the second engaged part 22 to be in a non-engaged state with the second engaged part 22. In the non-engaged state, an operation for displacing the areas near the formation positions of the second engaging parts 32 to the second engaged part 22 side is conducted to allow the second engaging parts 32 to engage with the second engaged part 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a support leg cover assembly structure for a vehicle seat. [Background technology]

[0002] The support legs of a vehicle seat mounted on a vehicle are provided with mounting bases that secure the support legs to the floor of the vehicle using bolt fastening means, etc. In this case, if the mounting base and bolts are visible, it is unsightly, and if the mounting base has a relatively sharp part, the occupant's foot may come into contact with this part and be injured. Therefore, in the past, as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, for example, a cover body has been attached to the mounting base of the support leg of the vehicle seat, and this cover body has been used to cover and conceal the mounting base.

[0003] However, the prior art has room for improvement, as will be described below.

[0004] That is, conventionally, a so-called slide engagement method has been frequently used as a means for assembling the cover body to the mounting base of the support leg. This method provides a plurality of engaging portions and engaged portions on the cover body and the mounting base of the support leg, and the cover body is slid horizontally relative to the mounting base to engage the engaging portions with the engaged portions. However, all or some of the multiple engaging portions and engaged portions provided on the cover body and mounting base are typically positioned so as to be hidden on the back or inner side of the cover body, making them unsightly from the outside. In contrast, the above-mentioned method attempts to simultaneously engage the multiple engaging portions with the multiple engaged portions when assembling the cover body to the mounting base. Therefore, some of the multiple engaging portions and engaged portions may not properly engage with their corresponding engaged portions, and it is difficult to visually confirm this. As a result, even if some of the engaging portions and engaged portions are not properly engaged, this may be overlooked by the worker, resulting in a risk of the cover body being improperly assembled. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-218227 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-167787 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention was devised under the circumstances described above, and its objective is to provide a support leg cover body assembly structure for a vehicle seat that can appropriately prevent improper assembly of the cover body while avoiding problems such as impairing the ease of assembling the cover body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following technical solutions.

[0008] The vehicle seat support leg cover assembly structure provided by the present invention comprises an attachment base for the support leg of the vehicle seat that is attached to a desired attachment area, a cover body that is attached to the attachment base so as to cover the attachment base, and the cover body and the attachment A support leg cover body assembly structure for a vehicle seat, comprising: a first engaging portion and a first engaged portion, which are respectively provided on a base and can be engaged with each other while hidden on the back side of the cover body by sliding the cover body in a predetermined direction relative to the mounting base; and a second engaging portion and a second engaged portion, which are respectively provided on the cover body and the mounting base and spaced apart from the first engaging portion and the first engaged portion in the predetermined direction. When the cover body is slid in the predetermined direction so that the first engaging portion and the first engaged portion engage with each other, the second engaging portion is placed in a disengaged state in which it does not engage with the second engaged portion by abutting the vicinity of its formation against the vicinity of the second engaged portion, and in this disengaged state, the second engaging portion can be engaged with the second engaged portion by performing an operation to displace the second engaging portion toward the second engaged portion.

[0009] This configuration provides the following effects. That is, to assemble the cover body to the mounting base of the support leg of the vehicle seat, the cover body is first slid in a predetermined direction relative to the mounting base to engage the first engaging portion of the cover body with the first engaged portion of the mounting base. However, at this time, the second engaging portion and the second engaged portion are still disengaged, and displacement of the cover body is not restricted at these portions. In this state, even though the first engaging portion and the first engaged portion are hidden on the back or inside side of the cover body and cannot be seen from the outside, it is possible to accurately determine whether the first engaging portion and the first engaged portion are properly engaged, for example, by pressing the cover body in various directions. After confirming that the engagement is properly performed, the second engaging portion and the second engaged portion are engaged. For these reasons, according to the present invention, unlike conventional technology in which multiple engaging portions (first and second engaging portions) and multiple engaged portions (first and second engaged portions) are engaged simultaneously, it is possible to appropriately eliminate or reduce the occurrence of poor assembly of the cover body. In addition, according to the present invention, the first and second engaging portions of the cover body are not simultaneously engaged with the first and second engaged portions of the mounting base B, which reduces the assembly load of the cover body and improves assembly workability. Of course, according to the present invention, the first engaging portion and the first engaged portion can be hidden on the back or inner side of the cover body, which makes it possible to improve the design of the cover body and its assembly point, unlike when they are prominently present on the outer surface of the cover body.

[0010] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1A is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a support leg cover assembly structure for a vehicle seat according to the present invention, and FIG. 1B is an enlarged perspective view of a portion Ib in FIG. 1A. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the main part of FIG. 1(b) (support legs are omitted). [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded cross-sectional view of the main part of FIG. 3 (support legs are omitted). [Figure 5] 10 is a cross-sectional view of the main part (with the support leg omitted) showing a state during the operation of assembling the cover body to the mounting base of the support leg. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view of a main part (support legs are omitted) showing an operation performed subsequent to the operation shown in FIG. 5 when assembling the cover body to the mounting base of the support legs. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0013] The support leg cover body assembly structure A for a vehicle seat shown in Figures 1 to 3 (hereinafter simply referred to as "cover body assembly structure A") comprises a vehicle seat 1 mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile, and a cover body 3 assembled to an attachment base B of a support leg portion 12 of the vehicle seat 1. The cover body 3 has first and second engaging portions 31, 32, and the mounting base B has first and second engaged portions 21, 22.

[0014] The vehicle seat 1 is, for example, a bench-type rear seat and includes a seat cushion 10 and a seat back 11. A pair of left and right support legs 12 are connected to the underside of the front of the seat cushion 10. The pair of support legs 12 are connected to each other via a bar-shaped connecting member 13. The cover assembly structure of the present invention is not applied to the support structure on the rear side of the seat cushion 10, and is therefore omitted from FIG. 1. Although a description of the cover assembly structure A' for the support leg 12 on the right side in FIG. 1 will be omitted, the configuration of this portion is bilaterally symmetrical with the cover assembly structure A for the support leg 12 on the left side.

[0015] The mounting base B of the support leg 12 includes, as a main component, a bracket 2 to which the lower part of the support leg 12 is attached. This bracket 2 is made of metal and has a generally inverted Π-shaped cross section, and includes a bottom plate 20 that is fixed to the vehicle floor 9 using bolts 90, and a pair of left and right upright plate portions 25 that stand upward from both side edges in the left and right width direction of the bottom plate 20. In addition, in Figures 3 to 6, reference numeral 91 denotes a reinforcing member for reinforcing the mounting location of the mounting base B. The first engaged portion 21 is the portion with which the first engaging portion 31 of the cover body 3 engages, and in this embodiment is configured as a substantially horizontal protruding piece-like portion that protrudes outward in a curved manner from the upper portion of the portion near the front end of the pair of upright plate portions 25, and is provided in a pair on the left and right.

[0016] Of the pair of upright plate portions 25 of the bracket 2, a pair of convex portions 25a that are partially higher in height than the other portions are formed on the rear side of the first engaged portion 21. The second engaged portion 22 is the portion with which the second engaging portion 32 of the cover body 3 engages, and in this embodiment, is configured as a horizontal support pin that is horizontally installed between a pair of convex portions 25a and has an approximately cylindrical shaft portion that rotatably supports the lower portion of the support leg portion 12.

[0017] The cover body 3 is a member for covering the area directly below the support leg 12 and the area in front of the mounting base B. The cover body 3 is made of, for example, synthetic resin, and includes an upper plate portion 33 disposed above the mounting base B, and an outer peripheral wall portion 34 that rises downward from the outer peripheral edge of the upper plate portion 33 and covers the outer periphery of the mounting base B. The rear area of the mounting base B is covered with an auxiliary cover 7, but this auxiliary cover 7 does not correspond to a cover having the configuration intended by the present invention, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The specific configuration and attachment method of the auxiliary cover 7 are not limited, and it is also possible to omit the auxiliary cover 7.

[0018] The first engagement portions 31 are provided in a pair on the left and right sides on the back surface (downward surface) near the front end of the cover body 3, spaced apart from each other in the left-right width direction of the cover body 3, and are in the form of approximately horizontal protruding pieces, with a gap C formed between these first engagement portions 31 and the upper plate portion 33 of the cover body 3. As shown in Figure 5, by positioning the cover body 3 on the area near the front end of the mounting base B and then sliding it in the direction of arrow Na, as shown in Figure 6, the first engaged portion 21 can be inserted into the gap C and the first engaging portion 31 can be engaged with the first engaged portion 21.

[0019] The second engaging portion 32 is a pair of left and right protruding ribs 37 connected to an upright wall portion 35 and an upper wall portion 36 provided near the rear end of the cover body 3, and each protruding rib 37 is provided with a partially cutout opening 38 having a notch 38a. The upright wall portion 35 is a portion formed by bending a part of the upper plate portion 33 of the cover body 3 upward and standing up, and the upper wall portion 36 is a substantially horizontal piece-like portion connected to the upper portion of the upright wall portion 35. The protruding rib 37 protrudes from the rear surface side of the upright wall portion 35 and the underside of the upper wall portion 36. 3, the upright wall portion 35 can be swung back and forth around a bent portion 35a at the bottom of the upright wall portion 35. The protruding rib 37 constituting the second engaging portion 32 is moderately hard, but can be elastically deformed when a relatively strong force is applied.

[0020] The second engaging portion 32 has the following configuration in relation to the second engaged portion 22. 5 and 6 , when the cover body 3 is slid in the direction of the arrow Na to engage the first engaging portion 31 with the first engaged portion 21, the second engaging portion 32 does not immediately engage with the second engaged portion 22, and for example, the lower portion of the hole 38 abuts against the second engaged portion 22 (an example of a disengaged state in the present invention). At this time, the upright wall portion 35 is pushed in the direction of the arrow Nb in FIG. 6 , and its upright angle differs from its original upright angle. In contrast, in this state, if the upright wall portion 35 is pushed with a relatively strong force in the direction of the arrow Nc to approach the second engaged portion 22, the lower portion of the hole 38 of the second engaging portion 32 is pressed against the second engaged portion 22 and elastically deformed, the second engaged portion 22 can be inserted into the hole 38. This allows the second engaging portion 32 to engage with the second engaged portion 22 as shown in FIGS.

[0021] An additional protruding rib 37a is provided on the underside of the upper plate portion 33 of the cover body 3, extending in the front-rear direction of the cover body 3 so as to be connected to the protruding rib 37, for reinforcement. However, at a location corresponding to a bent portion 35a, which is the boundary between the protruding rib 37 and the additional protruding rib 37a, the rib protrusion dimension Lc is made locally smaller than other locations (the dimension Lc may be zero or almost zero). This configuration is preferable in that it allows the upright wall portion 35 to swing in the directions of the arrows Nb and Nc, using the bent portion 35a as a base point.

[0022] Of the portion of the cover body 3 closer to the rear end, on both the left and right sides of the location where the pair of second engaging portions 32 described above are provided, a pair of raised portions 39a and 39b are provided which raise a part of the upper plate portion 33 of the cover body 3 upward. These pair of raised portions 39a and 39b are portions for covering and hiding the outer surface side of the pair of convex portions 25a of the bracket 2. Also, in FIG. 2, the widths La and Lb of the pair of raised portions 39a and 39b are such that La < Lb. This is because the lower region of the raised portion 39b is set as the arrangement region of the harness 6 to secure space volume. The harness 6 is, for example, for transmitting an electrical signal of a pressure sensor (a pressure sensor for determining whether or not an occupant is seated on the vehicle seat 1), which is a component of a belt reminder of a seat belt device not shown in the figure. In the configuration shown in FIG. 2, a clip 60 for supporting the harness 6 is attached to the standing plate portion 25.

[0023] Next, the operation of the cover body assembly structure A described above will be explained.

[0024] To assemble the cover body 3 to the attachment base B of the support leg 12, as described above, first, the cover body 3 is positioned on the attachment base B and then slid in the direction of arrow Na in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 6, the first engaging portion 31 is engaged with the first engaged portion 21. Here, these first engaging portion 31 and first engaged portion 21 are located on the back surface side (lower surface side) of the cover body 3, and it is difficult to visually determine from the outside whether or not they are properly engaged. However, since the second engaging portion 32 and the second engaged portion 22 are not yet engaged, by pressing the portion of the cover body 3 closer to the front end, for example, vertically and horizontally, and observing the movement of the cover body 3, it is possible to accurately determine whether or not the first engaging portion 31 and the first engaged portion 21 are properly engaged. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate or reduce the risk of overlooking the fact that the first engaging portion 31 and the first engaged portion 21 are not properly engaged. This is difficult. However, since the second engaging portion 32 and the second engaged portion 22 are not yet engaged, by pressing the portion of the cover body 3 closer to the front end, for example, vertically and horizontally, and observing the movement of the cover body 3, it is possible to accurately determine whether or not the first engaging portion 31 and the first engaged portion 21 are properly engaged. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate or reduce the risk of overlooking the fact that the first engaging portion 31 and the first engaged portion 21 are not properly engaged.

[0025] 6, the second engaging portion 32 can be engaged with the second engaged portion 22 by pressing the standing wall portion 35 with a relatively strong force in the direction of the arrow Nc. After performing this operation, by touching the standing wall portion 35 and applying an appropriate amount of pressure, it is possible to accurately determine whether the second engaging portion 32 and the second engaged portion 22 are properly engaged, and it is possible to eliminate or reduce the risk of overlooking a misengagement between them.

[0026] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to determine whether or not the engagement between the first engaging portion 31 and the first engaged portion 21 and the engagement between the second engaging portion 32 and the second engaged portion 22 is in an appropriate state. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately prevent an assembly failure of the cover body 3 from occurring and being left unnoticed.

[0027] The first engaging portion 31 can be engaged with the first engaged portion 21 by sliding the cover body 3 along the mounting base B. The second engaging portion 32 can be engaged with the second engaged portion 22 by pressing the upright wall portion 35 toward the second engaged portion 22. Therefore, these operations are easy and the assembly workability is good. Unlike the present embodiment, if multiple engaging portions are to be engaged simultaneously, the assembly load becomes large, but this embodiment does not have such a disadvantage.

[0028] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the specific configuration of each part of the support leg cover assembly structure for a vehicle seat according to the present invention can be freely designed and modified in various ways within the intended scope of the present invention.

[0029] In the above-described embodiment, the first and second engaging portions 31, 32 and the first engaged portion 21 are provided in pairs on the left and right, respectively, but this is not limited thereto. For example, they may be provided in one pair each, or in more than one pair. The number of second engaged portions 22 is also not limited. Furthermore, the first and second engaging portions and the first and second engaged portions according to the present invention are not limited to the above-described configurations, and the mounting base of the cover body or the support leg may be configured to further include an engaging portion and an engaged portion (such as a third engaging portion and a third engaged portion) other than those.

[0030] In the above-described embodiment, the mounting base B of the support leg 12 has as its main component the bracket 2 formed separately from the support leg 12, but the present invention is not limited to this. The mounting base of the support leg is a portion that enables the support leg to be mounted to a desired mounting target area of the vehicle, and can be configured, for example, such that a portion of the support leg is bent substantially horizontally and this bent portion serves as the mounting base. The target area to which the mounting base is mounted is generally the floor of the vehicle, but it may also be an area other than the floor of the vehicle. The vehicle seat is not limited to a rear seat, but may be a front seat, etc., and the specific type thereof is not limited. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] A. Vehicle seat support leg cover assembly structure B Mounting base (of support leg) 1. Vehicle seat 12 Support legs 21, 22 First and second engaged portions 3 Cover body 31, 32 First and second engagement portions

Claims

[Claim 1] a mounting base for a support leg of a vehicle seat that is mounted in a desired mounting area; a cover body attached to the mounting base so as to cover the mounting base; a first engaging portion and a first engaged portion that are respectively provided on the cover body and the mounting base, and that can be engaged with each other while being hidden behind the cover body by sliding the cover body in a predetermined direction relative to the mounting base; a second engaging portion and a second engaged portion of the cover body and the mounting base, the second engaging portion and the first engaged portion being disposed in a spaced-apart relationship in the predetermined direction; A support leg cover assembly structure for a vehicle seat, comprising: The cover body is configured such that when the cover body is slid in the predetermined direction so that the first engaging portion and the first engaged portion are engaged with each other, and the cover body is placed in a final assembly position, the vicinity of the formation location of the second engaging portion abuts against the vicinity of the second engaged portion and is partially deformed, and the second engaging portion is not engaged with the second engaged portion, thereby entering a disengaged state; A support leg cover body assembly structure for a vehicle seat, characterized in that in the non-engaged state, the second engaging portion can be engaged with the second engaged portion without sliding the cover body in the specified direction by performing an operation to displace the second engaging portion toward the second engaged portion so as to eliminate partial deformation near the location where the second engaging portion is formed.

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