Vehicle seats

Abstract

To provide a vehicle seat with a rail device which improves weld strength between components, and facilitates welding work.SOLUTION: A vehicle seat S with a rail device 40 for supporting a seat body which can move back and forth, includes a connection bracket 50 for connecting a cushion frame 10 and an upper rail 42. A welding mark 60 is formed in a manner that an outer peripheral part of an area where the connection bracket 50 and the upper rail 42 vertically in contact with each other is laser-welded from both sides in a seat width direction. The welding mark 60 in the outer peripheral part includes a first weld part 61 extending along an outside surface in the seat width direction, and a second weld part 62 extending along an inside surface in the seat width direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat, and more particularly to a vehicle seat provided with a rail device that supports a seat body so that the seat body can move in the front-rear direction. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in vehicle seats equipped with a rail device that supports the seat body relative to the vehicle floor so that the seat body can move in the fore-and-aft direction, a connecting bracket having a substantially L-shape is used to connect the seat body and the rail device. The connecting bracket is generally attached to the upper surface of the upper rail of the rail device using bolts, rivets, etc., but a new technology is known in which the bracket is joined by laser welding in order to reduce the number of parts and make the seat lighter (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] In the vehicle seats described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the connecting bracket and upper rail (movable rail) are joined together by laser welding from above the connecting bracket while they are in contact with each other in the vertical direction. The welding locations have been carefully considered to simplify the welding work while still ensuring the joint strength achieved by laser welding, and the weld bead (weld mark) formed by laser welding extends to form a predetermined shape on the upper surface of the connecting bracket. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-202814 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-107558 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] contact Further improving joint strength, Joining There was a need for technology that could make the work easier.

[0007] Book The purpose of the invention is to Connection of Improved joint strength, Joining To provide a vehicle seat with a rail device that can facilitate work. 。 [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The above-mentioned object is achieved by a vehicle seat of the present invention, which includes a seat cushion serving as a seating portion, lower rails attached to a vehicle body floor and extending in a predetermined direction, upper rails slidably attached along the lower rails and supporting the seat cushion, and a connecting bracket attached to the upper rails to connect the upper rails and the seat cushion, the connecting bracket having a bottom wall portion abutting on an upper surface of the upper rail, and a side wall portion extending upward from the bottom wall portion and to which the seat cushion is attached, and the bottom wall portion and the upper rail are welding By this, at least one of the bottom wall portion and the upper rail Welded parts and a first link and a second link are formed on the seat cushion and the connecting bracket, respectively, and are attached so as to be rotatable relative to the connecting bracket, and the connecting bracket connects the bottom wall portion and a portion of the side wall portion to which the second link is attached, and than A reinforcing portion is disposed at a lower position. An upper flange extending in the front-rear direction is formed at the upper end of the side wall portion, and a part of the upper flange is arranged so as to overlap the reinforcing portion in the vertical direction. This is solved by:

[0009] At this time, the side wall portion is formed so as to bend in a direction away from the bottom wall portion in the seat width direction as it moves from the portion where the first link is attached to the portion where the second link is attached, and the reinforcing portion is a reinforcing wall portion that extends upward from the bottom wall portion toward the side wall portion. The reinforcing wall portion extends in the front-rear direction, and a portion of the upper end flange is disposed so as to overlap a portion of the reinforcing wall portion in the vertical direction. That's good. The reinforcing portion is inclined upward from the bottom wall portion toward the side wall portion, and the reinforcing portion has a reinforcing protrusion that protrudes upward and extends from a portion that is continuous with the bottom wall portion to a portion that is continuous with the side wall portion. A portion of the upper end flange is arranged to overlap a portion of the reinforcing protrusion in the vertical direction. That's good. In addition, the connecting bracket has an abutment portion that abuts against an abutted portion provided on the upper rail, a notch is formed in part of the outer periphery of the abutment portion, and a part of the reinforcing portion is provided in a position that overlaps with the notch in the fore-and-aft direction of the seat. The notch may be formed on an outer side of the bottom wall in the seat width direction. Preferably, a plurality of the notches are formed between the first link and the second link in the seat front-rear direction. The rear end of the reinforcing portion may be located rearward of the notch. Preferably, a hole is formed in a portion of the side wall between the first link and the second link, and the hole is positioned opposite the notch in the seat front-rear direction. Preferably, the first link is disposed further forward of the seat than the second link and at a different position from the second link in the seat width direction. The seat cushion also includes a seat body having a seat cushion and a seat back, a reclining device that rotatably connects the seat back to the seat cushion, a height link device that connects the seat body to a vehicle floor so that the seat body can be raised and lowered, and a rail device that is attached to the vehicle floor and supports the seat body so that the seat body can move forward and backward. The seat cushion has a cushion frame that forms a skeleton, a cushion pad that is placed on the cushion frame, and a covering material that covers the above. The seat back has a back frame that forms a skeleton, and a The rail device has a cushion pad placed on a frame and a covering material that covers the cushion pad, and the rail device has a lower rail extending in a predetermined direction and an upper rail that is slidably attached along the lower rail and supports the seat cushion, and a connecting bracket is attached to the upper rail to connect the upper rail and the seat cushion, and the connecting bracket has a bottom wall portion that abuts on an upper surface of the upper rail and a side wall portion that extends upward continuously from the bottom wall portion and to which the seat cushion side is attached, and the bottom wall portion and the upper rail welding By this, at least one of the bottom wall portion and the upper rail Welded parts and a first link and a second link are formed to connect the seat cushion and the connecting bracket, respectively, and are attached so as to be rotatable relative to the connecting bracket, and the connecting bracket preferably has a reinforcing part that connects the bottom wall part to a part of the side wall part to which the second link is attached, and is positioned so as to overlap in the vertical direction with the part to which the second link is attached. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] Book According to the invention, It is possible to provide a vehicle seat with a rail device that can improve the joining strength between components and facilitate joining work. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a seat frame that serves as a framework of the vehicle seat. [Figure 3] 3 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 2, showing a connecting bracket for connecting the seat cushion and the rail device. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a front view illustrating a state in which the connecting bracket is attached to the rail device (upper rail). [Figure 5] 4 is a VV cross-sectional view of FIG. 3, illustrating a state where the sheets are laser-welded from the outer and inner sides in the sheet width direction. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 3, illustrating a state where the sheets are laser-welded from the outer and inner sides in the sheet width direction. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] A vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. This embodiment relates to an invention of a vehicle seat that is equipped with a rail device that supports the seat body so that it can move back and forth, and is equipped with a connecting bracket for connecting the cushion frame and the upper rail, and the outer peripheral portion of the part where the connecting bracket and the upper rail abut from above and below is laser welded from both sides in the seat width direction to form a weld mark, and the weld mark comprises a first weld portion extending along the outer surface of the outer peripheral portion in the seat width direction and a second weld portion extending along the inner surface of the seat width direction. The side of the seat back of the vehicle seat on which the occupant sits is the front side of the seat.

[0023] The vehicle seat S of this embodiment is mainly composed of a seat body having a seat cushion 1 and a seat back 2, as shown in Figure 1, a reclining device 20 that rotatably connects the seat back 2 to the seat cushion 1, as shown in Figure 2, a height link device 30 that connects the seat body to the vehicle floor so that it can be raised and lowered, and a rail device 40 that is attached to the vehicle floor and supports the seat body so that it can move back and forth.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, the seat cushion 1 is a seating portion that supports an occupant from below, and is configured by placing a cushion pad 1a on a cushion frame 10 shown in FIG. 2, which serves as a skeleton, and covering it with a skin material 1b. The seat back 2 is a backrest portion that supports the back of the occupant from behind, and is configured by placing a cushion pad 2a on a back frame that serves as a skeleton, and covering the cushion pad 2a with a skin material 2b.

[0025] As shown in Figure 2, the cushion frame 10 is a roughly rectangular frame-like body that forms the skeleton of the seat cushion 1, and is mainly composed of side frames 11 arranged on the left and right sides, a plate-shaped pan frame 12 that connects the front parts of each side frame 11, a pipe-shaped rear connecting frame 13 that connects the rear parts of each side frame 11, and three elastic springs 14 that are hooked onto the pan frame 12 and the rear connecting frame 13 and extend in a snake-like shape. The side frame 11 is a sheet metal member that extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the seat and has a generally I-shaped vertical cross section. A reclining device 20 is attached to the rear part of the side frame 11, and a rail device 40 is attached to the lower part of the side frame 11 via a height link device 30.

[0026] As shown in Figure 2, the reclining device 20 can be switched between a locked state, in which the rotational movement of the seat back 2 is locked, and an unlocked state. When the seat back 2 is locked in an upright position, the locked state can be released by operating a reclining operation lever (not shown), and the upright position of the seat back 2 can be adjusted. In more detail, the reclining device 20 is attached to the rear portion of the seat cushion 1 and is mainly composed of a back rotation shaft 21 which serves as the center of rotation, and a spiral spring 22 which urges the seat back 2 to rotate forward around the back rotation shaft 21. The back rotation shaft 21 is supported on the seat cushion 1 side and the seat back 2 side in the seat width direction, and one end of the spiral spring 22 is engaged with the seat cushion 1 side and the other end is engaged with the seat back 2 side.

[0027] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the height link device 30 is attached between the cushion frame 10 and the rail device 40, and is equipped with left and right first links 31 arranged on the front side of the seat and left and right second links 32 arranged on the rear side of the seat, and the second links 32 act as driving links to adjust the height of the seat body. In addition, at the connecting portion of the second link 32 on the cushion frame 10 (side frame 11) side, a sector gear portion (not shown) is formed as a gear on part of its outer periphery, and this gear meshes with pinion gears (not shown) provided on the left and right inner sides of the brake unit 34 described below.

[0028] The height link device 30 also includes a brake rotation shaft 33 that is pivotally supported on the side of the side frame 11 in the seat width direction and protrudes outward, a brake unit 34 that is rotatably attached via the brake rotation shaft 33 and regulates the raising and lowering movement of the seat body, and a height operation lever 35 that is rotatably attached via the brake rotation shaft 33 and the brake unit 34 and raises and lowers the seat body. When the height control lever 35 is operated, the pinion gear rotates integrally with the brake rotation shaft 33, changing the meshing position between the pinion gear and the sector gear portion. Furthermore, the left second link 32 on which the sector gear portion is formed rotates, and following the left second link 32, the right second link 32 and the left and right first links 31 also rotate. This causes the seat body to rise and fall, adjusting the seat height.

[0029] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the rail device 40 is mainly composed of left and right lower rails 41 that are fixed to the vehicle floor and extend in the fore-and-aft direction of the seat, left and right upper rails 42 that are supported slidably along the lower rails 41, a locking member (not shown) that locks the upper rails 42 so that they cannot slide, and a rail operating lever 43 that releases the locked state of the locking member. The lower rails 41 are long hollow bodies, arranged on the left and right sides with a gap in the seat width direction, and define a housing space with a generally convex cross section along the seat front-rear direction. The upper rail 42 is a long body that is inserted into the storage space of the lower rail 41 and slides along the lower rail 41, and as shown in Figure 3, its upper portion is connected to the cushion frame 10 side via a connecting bracket 50.

[0030] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the connecting bracket 50 is made of a sheet metal member with a generally L-shaped vertical cross section that extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the seat, and is a member for connecting the upper rail 42 and the links 31, 32 on the cushion frame 10 side in the vertical direction. The connecting bracket 50 is mainly composed of a bottom wall portion 51 that abuts against the upper surface of the upper rail 42, a side wall portion 52 that extends upward continuously from the inner left-right ends of the bottom wall portion 51 and to which links 31, 32 are rotatably attached, and a front wall portion 53 that extends upward continuously from the front end of the bottom wall portion 51 and is also connected to the front end of the side wall portion 52. The bottom wall portion 51 corresponds to the abutting portion that abuts against the upper surface (abutted portion) of the upper rail 42 in the claims.

[0031] The bottom wall portion 51 extends along the upper rail 42, and its outer surface in the seat width direction has multiple notches 51a formed at predetermined intervals and cut out toward the inside in the seat width direction. The notch 51a is a generally rectangular cutout portion that extends inward in the seat width direction without reaching the center of the upper rail 42. The notch 51a is also disposed between the first link 31 and the second link 32 in the seat front-rear direction. The bottom wall portion 51 is joined to the upper rail 42 by laser welding the outer periphery of the portion where the bottom surface of the bottom wall portion 51 abuts against the upper surface of the upper rail 42. More specifically, the outer peripheral portion is laser-welded from the outside and inside in the seat width direction, so that weld marks 60 are formed on both the bottom wall portion 51 and the top surface of the upper rail 42 .

[0032] The side wall portion 52 extends in the front-to-rear direction along the bottom wall portion 51, and is formed by bending in a direction away from the bottom wall portion 51 in the seat width direction as it moves from the portion where the first link 31 is attached to the portion where the second link 32 is attached. In addition, between the first link 31 and the second link 32 of the side wall portion 52, there is formed an upper end flange 52a extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the seat, and a harness passage hole 52b for passing a harness for a known device located on or around the rail device 40. The upper end flange 52a and the harness passage hole 52b are formed at positions facing the notch 51a in the seat front-rear direction.

[0033] A reinforcing wall portion 54 extending upward from the bottom wall portion 51 toward the side wall portion 52 is formed at the portion connecting the bottom wall portion 51 and the portion of the side wall portion 52 to which the second link 32 is attached. The reinforcing wall portion 54 is inclined upward from the bottom wall portion 51 toward the side wall portion 52, specifically at an angle of about 15 to 45 degrees, preferably about 30 degrees, relative to the bottom wall portion. Further, reinforcing protrusions 54a that bulge upward are formed on the reinforcing wall portion 54. The reinforcing protrusions 54a extend from the portion of the reinforcing wall portion 54 that is connected to the bottom wall portion 51 to the portion that is connected to the side wall portion 52, and are formed in plurality at predetermined intervals in the seat front-rear direction.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the weld marks 60 are formed by laser welding part of the outer periphery of the portion where the bottom wall portion 51 and the top surface of the upper rail 42 abut against each other. The weld mark 60 includes a first welded portion 61 extending along the outer surface in the seat width direction in the outer peripheral portion, and a second welded portion 62 extending along the inner surface in the seat width direction. The first welded portion 61 extends along the outer surface of the outer periphery of the bottom wall portion 51, including the notch 51a, and more specifically, extends so as to be discontinuous at the position of the notch 51a. The second welded portion 62 extends continuously along the inner surface of the outer periphery of the bottom wall portion 51 .

[0035] In the above configuration, the first welded portion 61 and the second welded portion 62 are formed by laser welding from the outside and the inside, respectively, in the sheet width direction. Therefore, welding work can be performed from a position where it is relatively easy to secure space.

[0036] In the above configuration, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the second link 32 is disposed at a different position (offset position) inward from the first link 31 in the seat width direction. Generally, in a seat equipped with a height link device 30, the second link 32 (drive link) connected to the height operation lever 35 via the brake unit 34 is offset inward in the seat width direction so that the height operation lever 35 does not protrude outward from the seat body in the seat width direction as much as possible. By offsetting the links in this way, a stronger joint strength is required for the connecting bracket 50 than usual, but with this configuration that uses laser welding as described above, sufficient joint strength for the connecting bracket 50 can be ensured.

[0037] In the above configuration, the connecting bracket 50 has a reinforcing wall portion 54 formed as a chamfered portion having an inclined shape in accordance with the offset arrangement of the second link 32 . Generally, when attempting to perform laser welding from the inside in the seat width direction, the portion of the connecting bracket 50 that protrudes toward the second link 32 gets in the way, making it difficult to properly irradiate the laser. However, with the configuration of the present invention, the reinforcing wall portion 54 can avoid the portion that gets in the way of laser irradiation. Specifically, when a laser is irradiated onto a target area, some of the laser is reflected and bounces back, so it is necessary to avoid placing components in the area where the reflected laser passes.However, the configuration of this connecting bracket 50 makes it possible to carry out laser welding work in an optimal manner.

[0038] <Other embodiments> In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle seat S is configured with a height link device 30, but this is not necessarily required, and the cushion frame 10 (side frame 11) and the connecting bracket 50 may be directly connected. Also, instead of the connecting bracket 50, a connecting portion may be integrally provided at the lower end portion of the side frame 11, and the connecting portion and the upper rail 42 may be connected to each other.

[0039] In the above embodiment, the connecting bracket 50 is attached to the upper rail by laser welding, but this is not limited to laser welding, and various welding methods such as arc welding and spot welding may also be used.

[0040] In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the connecting bracket 50 is joined to the upper rail 42 by laser welding the outer periphery of the portion that abuts against the upper rail 42 from both sides in the seat width direction, but the direction and location of the laser welding can be changed without any particular limitations. For example, the outer peripheral portion may be laser welded only from the outside in the seat width direction, or may be laser welded only from the front side of the seat. When the outer peripheral portion is laser welded only from the outside in the sheet width direction, the weld mark 60 is formed only at the first welded portion 61. In this case, the welding location of the first welded portion 61 is also arbitrary, and for example, when the notch 51a is not formed, the first welded portion 61 may extend continuously along the outer surface of the outer periphery, or may extend discontinuously with intervals. Furthermore, even when the notch 51a is formed, the first welded portion 61 may extend continuously along the outer surface including the entire periphery of the notch 51a.

[0041] In the above embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the outer periphery of the part where the connecting bracket 50 and the upper rail 42 abut is laser welded, so that weld marks 60 are formed on both the connecting bracket 50 and the upper rail 42, but it is not necessary that weld marks 60 are formed on both. Generally, the connecting bracket 50 has a greater thickness than the upper rail 42, so by laser welding the contacting portion of the upper rail 42 slightly closer to the connecting bracket 50, the upper rail 42 can be made less susceptible to the effects of heat. At this time, a large weld mark 60 is formed on the connecting bracket 50.

[0042] In the above embodiment, a vehicle seat used in an automobile was described as a specific example, but the present invention is not limited to this and can also be used as a vehicle seat for trains, buses, etc., as well as for airplanes, ships, etc.

[0043] In the present embodiment, the vehicle seat according to the present invention has been mainly described. However, the above embodiment is merely an example for facilitating understanding of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention. The present invention can be modified and improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and the present invention naturally includes equivalents thereof. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] S vehicle seat 1 seat cushion 1a, 2a cushion pad 1b, 2b Skin material 2 seat backs 10 Cushion Frame 11 Side frame 12 Pan Frame 13 Rear connecting frame 14 Elastic Spring 20 Reclining device 21 Back rotation axis 22 Spiral spring 30 Height Link Device 31 First Link 32 Second Link 33 Brake rotating shaft 34 Brake unit 35 Height control lever 40 Rail Device 41 Lower rail 42 Upper Rail 43 Rail operation lever 50 Connecting bracket 51 Bottom wall part (contact part) 51a Notch 52 Side wall 52a Upper flange 52b Harness passage hole (hole) 53 Front wall 54 Reinforced wall 54a Reinforcement protrusion 60 Weld marks (Joined part) 61 First Welding Section 62 Second Welding Section

Claims

1. A seat cushion that serves as a seating area, a lower rail attached to a vehicle body floor and extending in a predetermined direction; and an upper rail attached slidably along the lower rail and supporting the seat cushion; a connecting bracket attached to the upper rail for connecting the upper rail and the seat cushion, The connecting bracket has a bottom wall portion that abuts against an upper surface of the upper rail, and a side wall portion that extends upward continuously from the bottom wall portion and to which the seat cushion is attached, The bottom wall portion and the upper rail are welded together to form a welded portion on at least one of the bottom wall portion and the upper rail, a first link and a second link that connect the seat cushion and the connecting bracket, respectively, and are attached so as to be rotatable relative to the connecting bracket; the connecting bracket connects the bottom wall portion and a portion of the side wall portion to which the second link is attached, and has a reinforcing portion that is located below the portion to which the second link is attached, An upper end flange extending in the front-rear direction is formed at the upper end of the side wall portion, A vehicle seat, wherein a portion of the upper end flange is arranged to overlap the reinforcing portion in the vertical direction.

2. the side wall portion is formed to be bent in a direction away from the bottom wall portion in the seat width direction from a portion to which the first link is attached toward a portion to which the second link is attached, the reinforcing portion is a reinforcing wall portion extending upward from the bottom wall portion toward the side wall portion, The reinforcing wall portion extends in the front-rear direction, The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the upper end flange is disposed so as to overlap a portion of the reinforcing wall portion in the vertical direction.

3. The reinforcing portion is inclined upward from the bottom wall portion toward the side wall portion, The reinforcing portion has a reinforcing protrusion formed thereon, the reinforcing protrusion protruding upward and extending from a portion continuous with the bottom wall portion to a portion continuous with the side wall portion, 3. The vehicle seat according to claim 2, wherein a portion of the upper end flange is disposed so as to overlap a portion of the reinforcing protrusion in the vertical direction.

4. the connecting bracket has an abutting portion that abuts against an abutted portion provided on the upper rail, A notch is formed in a part of the outer periphery of the contact portion, 4. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the reinforcing portion is provided at a position overlapping with the notch in the seat front-rear direction.

5. 5. The vehicle seat according to claim 4, wherein the notch is formed in an outer portion of the bottom wall portion in the seat width direction.

6. 6. The vehicle seat according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of the notches are formed between the first link and the second link in the seat front-rear direction.

7. 7. The vehicle seat according to claim 4, wherein a rear end portion of the reinforcing portion is disposed rearward of the notch.

8. a hole is formed in a portion of the side wall portion between the first link and the second link; 8. The vehicle seat according to claim 4, wherein the hole is disposed at a position facing the notch in the seat front-rear direction.

9. 9. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the first link is disposed forward of the seat relative to the second link and at a different position from the second link in the seat width direction.

10. a seat body having a seat cushion and a seat back; a reclining device that rotatably connects the seat back to the seat cushion; a height link device that connects the seat body to a vehicle floor so that the seat body can be raised and lowered; a rail device attached to the vehicle body floor and supporting the seat body so that the seat body can move back and forth; The seat cushion includes a cushion frame as a skeleton, a cushion pad placed on the cushion frame, and a skin material covering the cushion frame, The seat back includes a back frame serving as a skeleton, a cushion pad placed on the back frame, and a skin material covering the back frame, the rail device includes a lower rail extending in a predetermined direction and an upper rail slidably attached along the lower rail and supporting the seat cushion; a connecting bracket attached to the upper rail for connecting the upper rail and the seat cushion; The connecting bracket has a bottom wall portion that abuts against an upper surface of the upper rail, and a side wall portion that extends upward continuously from the bottom wall portion and to which the seat cushion is attached, The bottom wall portion and the upper rail are welded together to form a welded portion on at least one of the bottom wall portion and the upper rail, a first link and a second link that connect the seat cushion and the connecting bracket, respectively, and are attached so as to be rotatable relative to the connecting bracket; The connecting bracket connects the bottom wall portion and the portion of the side wall portion to which the second link is attached, and has a reinforcing portion that is positioned in a position that overlaps in the vertical direction with the portion to which the second link is attached.

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