Railway seats

Abstract

To provide a railroad seat capable of lessening injury to a lower extremity region even when a passenger is subjected to a secondary collision at the time of a train collision.SOLUTION: In a railroad seat comprising a seating face and a back face, the seating face has an impact absorption part that is provided at an end in a depth direction, and a support part that is provided in an approximately central part in the depth direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to railway seats. [Background technology]

[0002] In the automotive industry, technologies based on design concepts that take into consideration reducing the damage to passengers in the event of an accident, such as safety equipment such as seat belts and airbags, are widely used.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a shock-absorbing sheet coated with a gel material that can be attached to the back of the front seats of a car. Even if a passenger in the back seat leans forward in the event of sudden braking or a collision and hits the front of their head against the front seat, the shock-absorbing sheet absorbs and receives the force of the impact, ensuring the safety of the passenger. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-112570 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] On the other hand, in the railway industry, technology based on a design concept of reducing the damage to crew and passengers in the event of such an accident has not been common until now.

[0006] For example, in conventional railway seats, as shown in Figure 1, if a passenger is thrown out of the car during a train collision, they may collide with the seat in front (hereinafter referred to as a secondary collision), which could result in injuries to their lower limbs.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above matters, and aims to provide a railway seat that can reduce injury to the lower limbs even in the event of a secondary collision of a passenger during a train collision. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention has been made to achieve the above object and has the following features.

[0009] The railway seat of the present invention is characterized in that, in a railway seat having a seat surface and a back, the seat surface has an impact absorbing portion provided at the end in the depth direction and a support portion provided at approximately the center in the depth direction.

[0010] In the railway seat according to the present invention, it is preferable that the shock absorbing portion comprises a shock absorbing frame made of a low-rigidity metal, and a shock absorbing space provided inside the shock absorbing frame in the depth direction.

[0011] In the railway seat according to the present invention, it is preferable that the impact absorbing portion is a core material made of a resin material.

[0012] In the railway seat according to the present invention, it is preferable that the shock absorbing frame is slidably supported by a channel having a substantially U-shaped cross section, and that the inside of the channel is provided with a core material made of a resin material.

[0013] In the railway seat according to the present invention, it is preferable that the low-rigidity metal is an aluminum alloy.

[0014] In the railway seat according to the present invention, it is preferable that the resin material is urethane.

[0015] In the railway seat according to the present invention, it is preferable that the back surface is attached so as to be slidable in the depth direction.

[0016] The above summary of the invention does not list all of the features necessary for the present invention, and subcombinations of these features may also constitute inventions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, even if a passenger is hit by a secondary collision during a train collision, injuries to the lower limbs can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] Reference diagram showing the situation inside the train at the time of the train collision [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view showing a railway seat according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a seat according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing a seat according to a second embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing a seat according to a third embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 6] Reference diagram showing the outline of the impact test [Figure 7] 10 is a load-displacement curve showing the results of impact tests according to a conventional embodiment and the first and third embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 8] Reference diagram showing an overview of the sled test using an anthropomorphic dummy [Figure 9] Graph showing the injury reduction effect according to a conventional embodiment and the first and third embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing a seat according to a conventional embodiment; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Preferred embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the inventions according to the claims, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0020] [Common structure] 2 is a perspective view showing a railway seat according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this specification, the terms "width direction" and "depth direction" are defined as the directions indicated by the arrows in FIG.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 2, railway seats 1a, 1b, and 1c according to the present invention comprise seat surfaces 2a, 2b, and 2c, a backrest 3, legs 4, and a convertible link 5. Railway seats 1a, 1b, and 1c are fixed to the train body so that the width direction of seat surfaces 2a, 2b, and 2c intersects with the direction of travel of the train.

[0022] The back 3 is attached to the legs 4 via a conversion link 5. The back 3 is also attached to the seats 2a, 2b, and 2c via the conversion link 5 so that it can slide in the depth direction. In this embodiment, the seats 2a, 2b, and 2c have a symmetrical structure with the center of the depth direction as the plane of symmetry. Therefore, the railway seats 1a, 1b, and 1c can be used facing either forward or backward in the direction of train travel.

[0023] The railway seats 1a, 1b, and 1c according to the first to third embodiments of the present invention have different structures, with only the seat surfaces being different components. Therefore, in the description of each embodiment below, only the seat surfaces 2a, 2b, and 2c will be described. Furthermore, because the seat surfaces 2a, 2b, and 2c are symmetrical in the depth direction, only one side of the structure in the depth direction will be described, and a detailed description of the other side will be omitted.

[0024] [First embodiment] A railway seat 1a according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes a seat surface 2a.

[0025] 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a seat 2a according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The seat 2a includes a support portion 10, an impact absorbing portion 15, and a seat portion 51. A seat cover (not shown) is attached to the seat 2a when in use.

[0026] The support portion 10 has a structure for supporting the mass of a passenger when the passenger is seated, and includes a base frame 11 and a top plate 41 as shown in FIG.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 3, the base frame 11 is composed of a pair of first frames 11a and a pair of second frames 11b.

[0028] The first frames 11a are located at both widthwise ends of the seat 2a and extend in the depth direction. Both ends of the first frames 11a are connected to ends of the impact absorbing frames 12 (described later), and the pair of first frames 11a and the pair of impact absorbing frames 12 form the four sides of the seat 2a, forming the outer shape of the seat 2a. The connection parts of the first frames 11a and the impact absorbing frames 12 are firmly connected by known fastening members, welding, etc.

[0029] The second frame 11b is located inside in the depth direction relative to the shock absorbing frames 12 located at both ends in the depth direction, and is disposed so as to form a gap between it and the shock absorbing frames 12. The second frame 11b also extends in the width direction and is connected to connect the pair of first frames 11a. The connection between the first frame 11a and the second frame 11b is firmly connected by known fastening members, welding, or the like.

[0030] In this embodiment, the first frame 11a and the second frame 11b are made of hollow square steel pipes or the like, and for example, square steel pipes for machine structures (STKMR material or the like) are preferably used. The outer dimensions and thicknesses of the cross sections of the first frame 11a and the second frame 11b are appropriately set so as to obtain sufficient strength to support the mass of passengers.

[0031] The top plate 41 is attached so as to span the pair of first frames 11a and the pair of second frames 11b, as shown in Fig. 3. The top plate 41 is made of a steel plate, and for example, cold-rolled steel (such as SPCC) is preferably used.

[0032] The impact absorbing section 15 is a section that absorbs impact when a secondary collision occurs, and includes an impact absorbing frame 12 and an impact absorbing space 13 .

[0033] As shown in Fig. 3, the impact absorbing frames 12 are located at both ends of the seat surface 2a in the depth direction and extend in the width direction. Both ends of the impact absorbing frames 12 are connected to both ends of the first frame 11a and, as described above, form the outer shape of the seat surface 2a together with the first frame 11a. The impact absorbing frames 12 are also located in areas that will be behind the knees of a passenger when seated.

[0034] The impact absorbing frame 12 is made of a metal (hereinafter referred to as low-rigidity metal) with lower rigidity than the material of the first frame 11a and the second frame 11b (for example, a general structural square steel pipe). In this specification, low-rigidity metal refers to a metal that deflects more when the same force is applied compared to the material of the first frame 11a and the second frame 11b. In this embodiment, the impact absorbing frame 12 is made of a rectangular pipe or the like with a hollow square cross section, and an aluminum alloy (such as A6063) is preferably used as the low-rigidity metal, for example. The outer dimensions and thickness of the cross section of the impact absorbing frame 12 are appropriately set so as to obtain sufficient strength to support the lower legs of a passenger when seated.

[0035] The shock absorbing space 13 is a gap that extends in the width direction and is formed between the shock absorbing frame 12 and the second frame 11b. Even if an impact load is applied to the shock absorbing frame 12 and the shock absorbing frame 12 bends, the amount of deformation is contained within the shock absorbing space 13, preventing interference between the shock absorbing frame 12 and the second frame 11b. The length of the shock absorbing space 13 in the depth direction is determined appropriately depending on the expected amount of bending of the shock absorbing frame 12.

[0036] The seat portion 51 is attached to the upper part of the support portion 10. The seat portion 51 is made of a cushioning material such as urethane, and its dimensions in the width direction and depth direction are the same as the external shape formed by the first frame 11a and the shock absorbing frame 12. The thickness and shape of the upper surface of the seat portion 51 are set appropriately depending on the specifications of the vehicle in which the seat is to be installed.

[0037] [Second embodiment] In the first embodiment described above, a railway seat 1a was described that includes a seat surface 2a in which an impact absorbing frame 12 made of a low-rigidity metal is positioned behind the knees of a passenger when the seat is in use. In the second embodiment described next, a railway seat 1b that includes a seat surface 2b having a different structure from that of the first embodiment will be described. Note that components that are the same as or similar to those in the first embodiment described above are given the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0038] A railway seat 1b according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes a seat surface 2b.

[0039] 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a seat 2b according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The seat 2b includes a support portion 20, a core material 22 that serves as a shock absorbing portion, and a seat portion 51. A seat cover (not shown) is attached to the seat 2b when in use.

[0040] The support portion 20 has a structure for supporting the mass of a passenger when the passenger is seated, and includes a base frame 21 and a top plate 41 as shown in FIG.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 4, the base frame 21 is made up of a pair of first frames 21a and a pair of second frames 21b.

[0042] The first frame 21a is located at both widthwise ends of the seat surface 2b and extends in the depth direction. The second frame 21b is located inside both depthwise ends of the seat surface 2b and extends in the width direction. The ends of the first frame 21a and the second frame 21b are connected to each other, forming a rectangular outer shape with its longitudinal axis in the width direction. The connection between the first frame 21a and the second frame 21b is firmly connected by known fastening members, welding, etc.

[0043] In this embodiment, the first frame 21a and the second frame 21b are made of rectangular steel pipes with a hollow square cross section, and for example, rectangular steel pipes for machine structures (STKMR material, etc.) are preferably used. The outer dimensions and thicknesses of the cross sections of the first frame 21a and the second frame 21b are appropriately set so as to obtain sufficient strength to support the mass of passengers.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 4, the core material 22 is located on the outer side of the base frame 21 in the depth direction, and is positioned behind the knees of a passenger when seated. The core material 22 is a member made of a foamed resin material, and since it is positioned behind the knees of a passenger as described above, it has the strength to support the passenger's lower limbs. In this embodiment, for example, urethane foam or the like is preferably used as the core material 22. Note that the core material 22 made of urethane foam or the like is a member with lower rigidity than the first frame 21a and the second frame 21b made of a metal material. The length of the core material 22 in the depth direction is determined appropriately depending on the expected deformation amount of the core material 22 when a collision load is applied.

[0045] [Third embodiment] In the second embodiment described above, a railway seat 1b is described that has a core material 22 made of urethane foam or the like in a position that will be behind the knees of a passenger when the seat is in use. In the third embodiment described next, a railway seat 1c is described that has a seat surface 2c with a different structure from the first and second embodiments. Note that components that are the same as or similar to those in the first and second embodiments described above are given the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0046] A railway seat 1c according to the third embodiment of the present invention includes a seat surface 2c.

[0047] 5 is an exploded perspective view showing a seat 2c according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The seat 2c includes a support portion 20, an impact absorbing portion 31, and a seat portion 51. A seat cover (not shown) is attached to the seat 2c when in use.

[0048] The shock absorbing portion 31 is a portion that absorbs shock when a secondary collision occurs, and includes a shock absorbing frame 12 , a core material 32 , a channel 33 and a shock absorbing space 13 .

[0049] The channel 33 has a U-shaped cross section and is located at both widthwise ends of the seat surface 2c, connected to the first frame 21a, and extends outward in the depth direction, as shown in Fig. 5. The channel 33 has a guide structure (not shown) and supports the shock absorbing frame 12 so that it can slide freely in the depth direction. A core material 32 is provided inside the channel 33.

[0050] The core material 32 is a member made of a foamed resin material, and for example, urethane foam is preferably used. The core material 32 is fixed inside the channel 33, and its outer end in the depth direction is connected to the shock absorbing frame 12.

[0051] The impact absorbing frame 12, slidably supported in the channel 33, is located behind the knees of the passenger when seated. The core material 32 connected to the impact absorbing frame 12 has sufficient strength to support the backs of the knees of the passenger's lower legs in the depth direction, and in normal use, the impact absorbing frame 12 is supported in the depth direction by the core material 32 without sliding.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 5, the shock absorbing frame 12, the core material 32, and the channel 33 arranged in this manner form a shock absorbing space 13 between the shock absorbing frame 12 and the second frame 21b.

[0053] Next, the reaction load that occurs when a secondary collision occurs will be explained using the results of impact tests that were conducted on a conventional seat surface and the seat surfaces 2a and 2c according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0054] FIG. 6 is a reference diagram showing an outline of the impact test, FIG. 7 is a load-displacement curve showing the results of the impact test for the conventional embodiment and the first and third embodiments of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing the seat surface 102 according to the conventional embodiment.

[0055] First, a seat surface according to a conventional embodiment will be described.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 10, a seat 102 according to a conventional embodiment includes a seat frame 111, a top plate 112, and a seat portion 51. The seat frame 111 is composed of frames arranged on all four sides, and these frames are made of hollow steel pipes for general structural use. The connections between the frames are firmly connected by known fastening members or welding. On top of the seat frame 111 configured in this way, a top plate 112 made of a steel plate and a seat portion 51 made of cushioned urethane or the like are attached.

[0057] When comparing the seat surface 102 according to the conventional embodiment with the seat surfaces 2a and 2c according to the embodiments of the present invention, the conventional seat surface 102 differs in that it does not have an impact absorbing portion like the embodiments of the present invention.

[0058] Next, an outline of the impact test and the test results will be explained.

[0059] As shown in Fig. 6, the impact test is performed by applying an impact load using an impactor to the frame located at the end of the seat in the depth direction. That is, for the seat 102 according to the conventional embodiment, the impact load is applied to the seat frame 111 formed from a steel pipe. For the seats 2a and 2c according to the first and third embodiments, the impact load is applied to the shock-absorbing frame 12 made of a low-rigidity metal. The reaction load generated at this time and the amount of deflection displacement of the frame are measured to confirm the maximum reaction load due to differences in the configuration of each embodiment.

[0060] 7, it can be seen that the shock absorbing frame 12 in the first and third embodiments is deflected more significantly than the conventional seat frame 111. At the same time, it can be seen that the maximum reaction load is significantly reduced in the first and third embodiments compared to the conventional embodiment.

[0061] Furthermore, since an impact absorbing space 13 is formed between the impact absorbing frame 12 and the second frames 11b, 21b, even if the impact absorbing frame 12 is bent significantly in this manner, there is no risk of the impact absorbing frame 12 interfering with the second frames 11b, 21b.

[0062] Next, we will explain the effect of reducing injuries to the lower limbs in the event of a secondary collision, using the results of a sled test using an anthropomorphic dummy.

[0063] FIG. 8 is a reference diagram showing an outline of a sled test using an anthropomorphic dummy, and FIG. 9 is a graph showing the injury reduction effect according to a conventional embodiment and an embodiment of the present invention.

[0064] As shown in Figure 8, the sled test is conducted with the seat to be evaluated placed at the front of the sled, and a seat with a dummy seated in it placed at the rear. An impact acceleration simulating a collision situation is applied from the front to the rear of the sled, causing the dummy to collide with the seat to be evaluated. The dummy is equipped with multiple sensors on various parts of the body, and the extent of injury to the passenger is evaluated using an index (hereinafter referred to as injury value) calculated from the load, etc. measured by these sensors.

[0065] The results of the above-mentioned thread test performed on the seat surface 102 of the conventional embodiment and the seat surfaces 2a and 2c of the first and third embodiments of the present invention are shown in Fig. 9. Note that for the seat surface 2c of the third embodiment, the test was performed under two conditions, namely, third embodiments A and B, in which the length of the core material 32 is different. The length of the core material 32 of third embodiment A is set shorter than that of the core material 32 of third embodiment B.

[0066] 9, it was confirmed that in both the first and third embodiments of the present invention, the lower limb injury value was reduced compared to the conventional embodiment. In particular, it was confirmed that the third embodiment was able to obtain a significant effect of reducing the lower limb injury value, and that by extending the length of the core material 32, it was possible to further increase the effect of reducing the lower limb injury value.

[0067] In this way, railway seats 1a, 1b, 1c equipped with seat surfaces 2a, 2b, 2c of the present invention have shock absorbing parts, which make it possible to reduce injuries to passengers' lower limbs even in the event of a secondary collision during a train collision.

[0068] Although the above description assumes that the railway seats 1a, 1b, and 1c are convertible cross seats whose seat backs 3 are slidable in the depth direction, the railway seats 1a, 1b, and 1c are not limited to this type and may be swivel cross seats whose seat orientation can be changed by rotating the seat. Furthermore, while the above description assumes that the first frames 11a, 21a and the second frames 11b, 21b are made of general structural rectangular steel pipes with hollow square cross sections, the materials of the first frames 11a, 21a and the second frames 11b, 21b are not limited to this type and may be any suitable material as long as they have the mechanical properties necessary to support the weight of passengers. Furthermore, the above description assumes that the first frames 11a, 21a and the second frames 11b, 21b are separate components firmly connected to each other. However, the configuration of the first frames 11a, 21a and the second frames 11b, 21b is not limited to this type and may be a single, integrated member. It is clear from the claims that such modifications and improvements may also be included within the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 1a, 1b, 1c railway seat, 2a, 2b, 2c seat surface, 3 back, 4 leg portion, 5 conversion link, 10, 20 support portion, 11, 21 base frame, 11a, 21a first frame, 11b, 21b second frame, 12 impact absorbing frame, 13 impact absorbing space, 15, 31 impact absorbing portion, 22, 32 core material, 33 channel, 41 top plate, 51 seat portion

Claims

1. In a railway seat having a seat and a back, The seating surface is an impact absorbing portion provided at an end portion in the depth direction; a support portion provided at approximately the center in the depth direction; A railway seat comprising:

2. 2. The railway seat according to claim 1, The shock absorbing portion is an impact absorbing frame made of low-rigidity metal; an impact absorbing space provided inside the impact absorbing frame in a depth direction; A railway seat comprising:

3. 2. The railway seat according to claim 1, A railway seat, wherein the shock absorbing portion is a core material made of a resin material.

4. 3. The railway seat according to claim 2, The shock absorbing frame is slidably supported by a channel having a substantially U-shaped cross section, A railway seat characterized in that a core material made of a resin material is provided inside the channel.

5. 3. The railway seat according to claim 2, 10. A railway seat, wherein the low-rigidity metal is an aluminum alloy.

6. The railway seat according to claim 3 or 4, A railway seat characterized in that the resin material is urethane.

7. The railway seat according to any one of claims 1 to 6, A railway seat characterized in that the back surface is attached so as to be slidable in the depth direction.

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