Vehicle seats

Abstract

To provide an aircraft seat which miniaturizes a cover member for covering a support member supporting an arm rest by suppressing deterioration of external appearance.SOLUTION: An aircraft seat 1 includes: a seat cushion 3; a seat back 4; an arm rest 5 which extends in a longitudinal direction; a support member 20 which supports the arm rest 5; and a cover member 6 which covers the support member 20 from a side. The support member 20 has a side section 21 extending in a longitudinal direction along a side of the seat cushion 3 and a connection section 22 for connecting a rear end of the side section 21 and a rear end of the arm rest 5. A seat back rotary shaft mounting section 22b is formed in a part in a vertical direction of the connection section 22. The cover member 6 has an upper cover member 6a and a lower cover member 6b. The upper cover member 6a and the lower cover member 6b are mounted in the support member 20 in a state that an outside surface 22b1 having a substantially smooth surface of the seat back rotary shaft mounting section 22b is exposed to an outside.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat, and more particularly to an aircraft seat equipped with an armrest. [Background technology]

[0002] In conventional aircraft seats where multiple seats are arranged in a row, some seats at the end of the row have armrests supported by support members on the sides. In the aircraft seat described in Patent Document 1, decorative covers made of molded plastic or an equivalent material are attached to the sides of the support members to improve the appearance. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2013-526447 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the aircraft seat described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the support member is formed only to maintain structural strength without considering the appearance, so a decorative cover is attached to cover the entire support member to improve its appearance. This causes problems such as an increase in the size and weight of the decorative cover, as well as an increase in material costs.

[0005] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an aircraft seat in which the cover member that covers the support member that supports the armrest is made smaller while preventing deterioration of the appearance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The first invention of the present invention is a vehicle seat having a seat cushion, a seat back, an armrest extending in the front-to-rear direction provided on a side of the seat back, a support member supporting the armrest, and a cover member covering the support member from the side, wherein the support member has a side portion extending in the front-to-rear direction along the side of the seat cushion and a connecting portion connecting the rear end of the side portion to the rear end of the armrest, and a pivot shaft mounting portion is formed in a vertical portion of the connecting portion for mounting a pivot shaft extending in the left-to-right direction that supports the seat back so that it can rotate in the front-to-rear direction, and the cover member has an upper cover portion above the pivot shaft mounting portion and a lower cover portion below the pivot shaft mounting portion, and the upper cover portion and the lower cover portion are attached to the support member with the sides of the pivot shaft mounting portion, which have a substantially smooth surface, exposed to the outside.

[0007] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the support member is covered with a cover member, leaving the side of the pivot shaft mounting portion, which has a substantially smooth surface, exposed to the outside. This is because the side of the pivot shaft mounting portion of the support member has a substantially smooth surface, so leaving it exposed without covering it with a cover member does not substantially impair the appearance. This eliminates the need for the cover member to cover the side of the pivot shaft mounting portion, allowing for a smaller cover member and a reduction in seat weight. Here, "substantially smooth" is intended to include not only completely smooth surfaces but also surfaces with slight irregularities, such as those formed with a grained pattern.

[0008] The second invention of the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned first invention, a recess is formed on the surface of the support member, excluding the pivot shaft mounting portion, opposite the upper cover portion and the lower cover portion, and a cable for adjusting the tilt of the seat back is arranged in the recess.

[0009] According to the second aspect of the present invention, the cable is disposed in a recess formed on the surface of the support member opposite the upper and lower cover portions, making it difficult to see from the outside and preventing deterioration of the appearance.

[0010] A third aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the second aspect, a part of the cable arranged in the recess is covered with a cable case.

[0011] According to the third aspect of the present invention, even if a part of the cable is exposed to the outside, it is covered with the cable case, so that deterioration of the appearance can be further prevented. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of an aircraft seat according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the aircraft seat of the embodiment, seen from the outside with a seat cushion and a seat back removed. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the aircraft seat of the embodiment, seen from the inside with a seat cushion and a seat back removed. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a side view of the aircraft seat of the embodiment, seen from the outside with a seat cushion and a seat back removed. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a side view of the aircraft seat of the embodiment, seen from the inside with a seat cushion and a seat back removed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] An aircraft seat 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. The aircraft seat 1 is the leftmost seat in an aircraft seating arrangement S in which three seats are arranged in a row in the left-right direction. In each figure, arrows indicate the directions when the aircraft seat S is attached to the floor F of the aircraft. In the following description, descriptions of directions will be made based on these directions. The left-right direction corresponds to the seat width direction. Here, the aircraft seat 1 corresponds to the "vehicle seat" in the claims.

[0014] 1 and 2, aircraft seat 1 has a seat frame 2 that forms the framework, a seat cushion 3 that is supported by seat frame 2 to support the buttocks and thighs of a seated occupant, and a seat back 4 that is supported by seat frame 2 to support the waist and back of the seated occupant. Furthermore, aircraft seat 1 has armrests 5 that support the arms of the seated occupant, and cover members 6 that cover parts of the sides of seat frame 2.

[0015] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, a seat frame 2 forming the framework of an aircraft seat S has a front pipe 12 and a rear pipe 13 extending in the left-right direction and supported by two pairs of legs 11 at a distance above the floor F. The front pipe 12 and the rear pipe 13 are connected by four support members 20 arranged at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction so that they extend parallel to each other at a predetermined distance in the front-to-rear direction. A seat cushion 3 is disposed between the front pipe 12 and the rear pipe 13 between the support members 20 in a spanning manner. The seat cushion 3 has a structure in which a pad serving as cushioning material is placed on a plate-shaped pan frame forming the framework, and the pad is covered with a fabric cover.

[0016] 3 to 6, the support member 20 is a light alloy member that is generally L-shaped when viewed from the left-right direction, and has side portions 21 that extend in the front-to-rear direction, and connecting portions 22 that rise upward from the rear ends of the side portions 21. A front fixing portion 21a that is fixed to the front pipe 12 is formed on the front end side of the side portions 21, and a rear fixing portion 21b that is fixed to the rear pipe 13 is formed on the rear end side of the side portions 21. A plurality of lightening holes 21c that penetrate the side portions 21 in the left-to-right direction are formed in the side portions 21 to reduce weight.

[0017] As shown in Figures 3 to 6, an armrest attachment portion 22a is formed on the upper end side of the connecting portion 22. A shaft hole 22a1, through which the pivot shaft of the armrest passes, is formed so as to penetrate in the left-right direction in the armrest attachment portion 22a. In addition, an upper cable routing hole 22a2 is formed in the armrest attachment portion 22a, which extends in the up-down direction and opens to the right (toward the inside of the seat width direction). Here, the upper cable routing hole 22a2 corresponds to the "recess" in the claims.

[0018] A seatback rotation shaft mounting portion 22b is formed below the armrest mounting portion 22a, slightly above the vertical center of the connecting portion 22, and is generally rectangular in shape and extends vertically. The horizontal cross section is solid and its major axis is aligned with the front-to-rear direction. An outer surface 22b1, which is the left side surface (the outer surface in the seat width direction) of the seatback rotation shaft mounting portion 22b, is formed smooth. A rotation shaft hole 22b2 for mounting the seatback rotation shaft 23, a stopper pin hole 22b3, and a lightening hole 22b4 are formed on the right side surface (the inner surface in the seat width direction) of the seatback rotation shaft mounting portion 22b. The rotation shaft hole 22b2 and the stopper pin hole 22b3 are cylindrical in shape, with the extension of their central axes running in the left-to-right direction. The lightening hole 22b4 is generally rectangular in shape, with the extension of their central axis running in the left-to-right direction. Since the pivot shaft hole 22b2, the stopper pin hole 22b3, and the lightening hole 22b4 are all bottomed holes, the outer surface 22b1 of the seat back pivot shaft mounting portion 22b is a smooth surface. The stopper pin hole 22b3 is for mounting a pin 24 that restricts the rotation of the table support arm 25 (see FIG. 1) that rotates around the seat back pivot shaft 23. Here, the seat back pivot shaft mounting portion 22b and the outer surface 22b1 correspond to the "rotation shaft mounting portion" and the "side of the rotation shaft mounting portion" in the claims, respectively.

[0019] A lower cable routing hole 22c1 that extends vertically and opens to the right (toward the inside in the seat width direction) is formed in the lower portion 22c, which is the lower portion of the seatback rotation shaft mounting portion 22b of the connecting portion 22. The lower cable routing hole 22c1 is a hole with a bottom, but a plurality of through holes 22c2 are formed in the bottom surface portion as lightening holes, and the left side surface (outer surface in the seat width direction) is not a smooth surface. Here, the lower cable routing hole 22c1 corresponds to the "recess" in the claims.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the armrest 5 has a main body 5a extending in the front-rear direction and opening upward, and a cover 5b attached from above to cover the opening of the main body 5a. A button hole 5a1 for arranging the operation button 7a of the cable device 7 is formed on the front right side of the main body 5a. The cover 5b has a cushioned upper surface to provide comfortable support for the arms of a seated occupant. The armrest 5 is rotatable up and down relative to the support member 20 by inserting a rotation shaft (not shown) extending left and right through the shaft hole 22a1 of the support member 20. The armrest 5 is configured to facilitate seating of the occupant when rotated upward to align with the side of the seat back 4, and to support the arms of the seated occupant when rotated horizontally.

[0021] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the cable device 7 has a structure in which an operation button 7a at one end and an operation mechanism 7b at the other end are connected by a control cable with an inner cable passing through an outer pipe. Pressing the operation button 7a activates a cylinder device (not shown) via the operation mechanism 7b, allowing the tilt angle of the seatback 4 relative to the seat cushion 3 to be adjusted. The upper end of the cable device 7 is disposed within the main body 5a of the armrest 5, with the operation button 7a protruding to the right from the button hole 5a1. The portion of the cable in the cable device 7 below the rotation axis of the armrest 5 is attached to the right side of the support member 20, with a cable cover 7c attached from the right side. Specifically, the cable cover 7c is made of resin and is formed in a shape that opens to the left and extends vertically. It is fitted from the right side over the portion corresponding to the cable connection portion 22, and is positioned and fixed within the upper cable routing hole 22a2 and the lower cable routing hole 22c1. The portion corresponding to the seatback pivot shaft mounting portion 22b is in contact with the right side surface of the seatback pivot shaft mounting portion 22b. The portion corresponding to the side portion 21 of the cable is hidden by the seat cushion 3 and the lower cover member 6b so as not to be visible from the outside. Here, the cable cover 7c corresponds to the "cable case" in the claims.

[0022] As shown in Figures 3 to 6, a resin cover member 6 is attached to the uneven surface of the left side of the support member 20, excluding the seatback pivot shaft attachment portion 22b, to prevent deterioration of the appearance. Specifically, a case-shaped upper cover member 6a that opens to the right is attached by screws to the portion below the armrest attachment portion 22a and above the seatback pivot shaft attachment portion 22b. The upper cover member 6a covers the left and rear surfaces below the armrest attachment portion 22a. A case-shaped lower cover member 6b that opens to the right is attached by screws to the lower portion 22c, which is the portion below the seatback pivot shaft attachment portion 22b of the connecting portion 22, and the side portion 21. The lower cover member 6b covers the left and rear surfaces of the lower portion 22c and the left, front, and bottom surfaces of the side portion 21 so that they cannot be seen from the outside. Here, the upper cover member 6a and the lower cover member 6b correspond to the "upper cover portion" and the "lower cover portion" in the claims, respectively.

[0023] The present embodiment configured as described above provides the following advantageous effects. The left side surface (the outer surface in the seat width direction) of the seatback rotation shaft mounting portion 22b of the support member 20 is formed with a substantially smooth surface, so that deterioration of the appearance can be prevented without covering it with the cover member 6. As a result, the cover member 6 can be made up of two small cover members: an upper cover member 6a that covers the upper part of the seatback rotation shaft mounting portion 22b, and a lower cover member 6b that covers the lower part of the seatback rotation shaft mounting portion 22b, so that the cover members can be made smaller and the seat weight can be reduced.

[0024] Additionally, in the support member 20, an upper cable routing hole 22a2 is formed above the seatback pivot shaft mounting portion 22b, and a lower cable routing hole 22c1 is formed below the seatback pivot shaft mounting portion 22b. The cables of the cable device 7 are arranged in the upper cable routing hole 22a2 and the lower cable routing hole 22c1. This makes the cables of the cable device 7 less visible from the outside, thereby preventing the deterioration of the appearance.

[0025] Furthermore, the cables of the cable device 7 are arranged in the upper cable routing hole 22a2 and the lower cable routing hole 22c1 while being covered from the right side by the cable cover 7c. This further prevents the deterioration of the appearance, even if a part of the cable is exposed to the outside, because it is covered by the cable cover 7c.

[0026] Although specific embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to those external appearances and configurations, and various modifications, additions, and deletions are possible within the scope of the present invention. For example, the following can be mentioned.

[0027] 1. In the above embodiment, the cover member 6 is configured as two separate parts, the upper cover member 6a and the lower cover member 6b. However, this is not limiting, and the upper cover member 6a and the lower cover member 6b may be partially connected to form a single part as long as the outer surface 22b1 corresponding to the side of the seatback rotation shaft mounting portion 22b is exposed to the outside. In this case, the weight of the parts can be reduced while making it easier to attach them to the support member 20.

[0028] 2. In the above embodiment, the cable cover 7c is formed in a shape that opens to the left and extends in the vertical direction. However, this is not limited to this, and the cable cover 7c may be formed in a hollow pipe shape that extends vertically and covers the cables of the cable device 7 from the left and right.

[0029] 3. In the above embodiment, the aircraft seat 1 is configured as the leftmost seat of an aircraft seat S in which multiple seats are arranged in a row in the left-right direction. However, this is not a limitation, and the aircraft seat 1 may also be configured as a single seat. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to aircraft seats and may be applied to seats installed in automobiles, ships, trains, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] 1. Aircraft seats (vehicle seats) 3 seat cushions 4 seat backs 5 Armrest 6 Cover member 6a Upper cover member (upper cover part) 6b Lower cover member (lower cover part) 7 Cable Device 7c Cable cover (cable case) 20 Support member 21 Side part 22 Connecting part 22a2 Upper cable routing hole (recess) 22b Seat back pivot shaft mounting portion (Pivot shaft mounting portion) 22b1 Outer surface (side of rotating shaft mounting part) 22c1 Lower cable routing hole (recess) 23 Seatback rotation axis F Floor

Claims

1. A vehicle seat having a seat cushion, a seat back, armrests extending in the front-rear direction and provided on the sides of the seat back, support members supporting the armrests, and cover members covering the support members from the sides, the support member has a side portion extending in the front-rear direction along a side of the seat cushion, and a connecting portion connecting a rear end of the side portion with a rear end of the armrest, and a rotation shaft mounting portion is formed in a vertical part of the connecting portion to mount a rotation shaft extending in the left-right direction and supporting the seat back so that it can rotate in the front-rear direction; The cover member has an upper cover portion above the pivot shaft mounting portion and a lower cover portion below the pivot shaft mounting portion, and the upper cover portion and the lower cover portion are attached to the support member with the side of the pivot shaft mounting portion, which has a substantially smooth surface, exposed to the outside.

2. 2. A vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein a recess is formed on the surface of the support member, excluding the pivot shaft mounting portion, opposite the upper cover portion and the lower cover portion, and a cable for adjusting the inclination of the seat back is arranged in the recess.

3. 3. The vehicle seat according to claim 2, wherein a portion of the cable disposed in the recess is covered with a cable case.

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