Vehicle seat device

Abstract

To suppress an unexpected movement of a seat body to which a forward load is added, while ensuring seat performance.SOLUTION: A vehicular seat device 10 is equipped with a base portion 11 arranged on a floor side of a vehicle, and a rotation device 20 between a seating portion 12 supporting a seat body 13 and the vehicular seat device 10 in a seat vertical direction. The seating portion 12 and the seat body 13 are coupled by a moving device (four-joint link mechanism 30) moving the seat body 13 at a getting on / off position to a door opening portion side. A supporting member 50 gradually inclining toward a seat front side based on a general position is laid between the base portion 11 and the moving device (30) so as to regulate the movement of the moving device (30).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat device that rotates a seat body between a normal position and a passenger entry / exit position. [Background technology]

[0002] A related vehicle seat device is described in Patent Document 1. In this vehicle seat device, a swivel upper supporting a seat body is connected via a rotation device to a swivel lower disposed on the vehicle floor. A vertical gap is provided between the swivel upper and the swivel lower to allow relative rotation therebetween. The rotation device allows the seat body supported by the swivel upper to rotate between a forward-facing position facing the front of the vehicle and a sideways position facing the door opening. The seat body and the swivel upper are connected by a four-bar link mechanism (front link and rear link) that constitutes a tilt mechanism. At the entry / exit position, each link of the four-bar link mechanism rotates up and down around an axis on the swivel upper side, causing the seat body to gradually tilt forward as it approaches the door opening. This configuration contributes to ensuring ease of entry and exit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-254969 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In this type of vehicle seat device, a forward load may be applied to the seat body in its normal position during a frontal collision or other event. In such cases, care must be taken to prevent unintended movement of the seat body (e.g., excessive forward tilt) due to the applied load. However, in the above-described configuration, a vertical gap is provided between the swivel upper and swivel lower. Therefore, when a forward load is applied to the seat body, the swivel upper supporting the seat body may tilt forward to close the gap. While it is possible to eliminate the gap between the swivel upper and swivel lower, doing so makes it difficult to ensure smooth rotational movement of the seat body. Furthermore, in the above-described configuration, the seat body and swivel upper are connected by a four-bar link mechanism to ensure ease of ingress and egress. Therefore, when a forward load is applied to the seat body, the four-bar link mechanism may bend, easily promoting unintended movement of the seat body. The present invention was devised in consideration of the above points, and the problem that the present invention aims to solve is to minimize unintended movement of the seat body when a forward load is applied, while ensuring seat performance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] As a means for solving the above problems, the vehicle seat device of the first invention is provided with a rotation device between a base disposed on the vehicle floor side and a seating section supporting the seat body in the seat up-down direction, which rotates the seat body between a normal position facing the front of the vehicle and a boarding / alighting position facing the door opening. The seating section and the seat body are connected by a movement device that moves the seat body toward the door opening in the boarding / alighting position. With this type of configuration, it is desirable to be able to minimize unintended movement of the seat body when a forward load is applied, while ensuring seat performance. Therefore, in this invention, a support member that is gradually inclined downward as it moves toward the front of the seat from the normal position, In general positionThe support member is installed between the base and the moving device so as to restrict the movement of the moving device. In the present invention, when a forward load is applied to the seat body in the normal position, the seat body and the seating portion can be supported by the support member installed between the base and the moving device. As a result, even if a gap is provided between the base and the seating portion, the support member can suppress unintended movement of the seat body (such as excessive forward leaning). Furthermore, by limiting the movement of the moving device with the support member, unintended movement of the moving device can be suppressed.

[0006] The vehicle seat device of the second invention is the vehicle seat device of the first invention, in which the support member is connected to only one of the base and the moving device, and when the seating portion rotates toward the boarding / disembarking position, it is displaced from a state in which it is suspended between the base and the moving device in the normal position to a state in which it is released from the suspended state between the base and the moving device. In this invention, by rotating the seating portion to the boarding / disembarking position and releasing the suspended state of the support member, the moving device can be moved at the boarding / disembarking position.

[0007] The vehicle seat device of the third invention is the vehicle seat device of the second invention, in which the support member is connected only to the movement device and is provided with a sliding portion that slides relative to the base portion when the seating portion rotates. In this invention, the support member connected to the movement device can be rotated together with the seating portion by the action of the rotation device. The support member can then smoothly rotate while sliding its sliding portion relative to the base portion.

[0008] The vehicle seat device of the fourth invention is the vehicle seat device of the third invention, wherein the base is provided with a receiving portion that can receive a lower end of the support member in the normal position. In this invention, by receiving the lower end of the support member in the receiving portion of the base, the support member in the normal position can be more stably supported between the base and the moving device.

[0009] The vehicle seat device of the fifth invention is the vehicle seat device of any of the first to fourth inventions, wherein the moving device includes a link portion that moves the seat body toward the door opening while rotating the seat in the up-down direction, and the support member is bridged between the base and the moving device so as to restrict the rotation of the link portion. In this invention, by restricting the rotation of the link portion with the support member, unintended movement of the moving device, i.e., movement (flexion) of the seat in the fore-and-aft and up-and-down directions, can be more reliably suppressed.

[0010] The vehicle seat device of the sixth invention is the vehicle seat device of any of the first to fourth inventions, wherein the moving device includes a slider portion that slides the seat body toward the door opening, and the support member is bridged between the base and the moving device so as to restrict the sliding movement of the slider portion. In this invention, by restricting the sliding movement of the slider portion with the support member, unintended movement of the moving device, i.e., movement (rattle) in the fore-and-aft direction of the seat, can be more reliably suppressed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the first aspect of the present invention, unintended movement of the seat body when a forward load is applied can be minimized while ensuring seat performance. According to the second aspect of the present invention, the ingress / egress performance of the seat body can be more reliably ensured. According to the third aspect of the present invention, the rotation performance of the seat body can be more reliably ensured. According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, unintended movement of the seat body when a load is applied can be more reliably suppressed. According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, unintended movement of a moving device equipped with a link portion can be more reliably suppressed. And according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, unintended movement of a moving device equipped with a slider portion can be more reliably suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle showing a vehicle seat device; [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic view of a vehicle showing a vehicle seat arrangement in a normal position; [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic view of a vehicle showing a vehicle seat device in a boarding and alighting position; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a rotating device. [Figure 5] 2 is a schematic perspective side view of the vehicle seat apparatus showing a support member. FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is a schematic top view of the vehicle seat device showing the receiving portion. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective side view of a vehicle seat device in a normal position according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view of a lower part of a vehicle seat device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective side view of a vehicle seat device according to a second embodiment, in a passenger entry / exit position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 9. In each figure, for convenience, arrows indicating the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction are appropriately illustrated with reference to a vehicle and a vehicle seat device in a normal position. In addition, in each figure, the main components of the vehicle seat device are illustrated, and other components are simplified or omitted.

[0014] [Outline of the vehicle seat device according to the first embodiment] The vehicle seat apparatus 10 shown in Fig. 1 is a seat apparatus mounted on a vehicle 2, and is installed on a vehicle floor 3 on the front left side of a passenger compartment 2R. The vehicle 2 is provided with a windshield 4 on the front side of the vehicle seat apparatus 10. A door opening 5 is provided on the left side of the vehicle seat apparatus 10, and this door opening 5 is configured to be openable and closable by a door (not shown). As shown in Fig. 2, the vehicle seat apparatus 10 is provided with a base 11 disposed on the vehicle floor 3 side, and a seating portion 12 that supports a seat main body 13 above the base 11.

[0015] Here, the base 11 shown in FIG. 2 is installed on the vehicle floor 3 side via left and right longitudinal sliding devices 6 (for convenience, only the left longitudinal sliding device is shown in FIG. 2). The longitudinal sliding device 6 includes a lower rail 7 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle on the vehicle floor 3, and an upper rail 8 that slides longitudinally along the lower rail 7. The base 11 is disposed on the upper rail 8, so that the base 11 can move in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle along the lower rail 7. The upper rail 8 is configured so that it can be slidably locked in multiple stages relative to the lower rail 7 by a multistage locking mechanism (not shown). The base 11 is fixed to the left and right longitudinal sliding devices 6 so that it does not follow the rotational movement of the seat main body 13, which will be described later.

[0016] The seating portion 12 shown in FIG. 2 is disposed above the base portion 11 and supports a seat body 13. The seat body 13 includes a seat cushion 14 serving as a seating portion and a seat back 15 serving as a backrest. The seat cushion 14 is shaped like a rectangle that is long from front to back in a side view and is disposed on the seating portion 12. The seat back 15 stands upright at the rear of the seat cushion 14 toward the upper side of the vehicle. A recliner 16 that adjusts the inclination angle (reclining angle) of the seat back 15 is provided at the connecting position between the seat cushion 14 and the seat back 15. An anchor member 17 is disposed at the shoulder of the seat back 15, and the base end of a seat belt 18 is fixed to this anchor member 17. The seat belt 18 can be pulled out from the shoulder of the seat back 15, and the tip of the seat belt 18 can be fastened to a buckle member 19 provided on the seat cushion 14.

[0017] A rotation device 20 (described in detail below) for rotating the seat body 13 is disposed between the base 11 and the seating portion 12 shown in FIG. 2 in the seat vertical direction. A gap 100 is provided between the base 11 and the seating portion 12 in the seat vertical direction to allow relative rotation therebetween. The vehicle seat apparatus 10 is configured such that the rotation device 20 can rotate the seat body 13 supported by the seating portion 12 between a normal position facing forward of the vehicle shown in FIG. 2 and an entry / exit position facing the door opening 5 shown in FIG. 3. The seating portion 12 and the seat body 13 are connected by a four-bar linkage mechanism 30 (described in detail below) as a movement device. The vehicle seat apparatus 10 is configured such that the four-bar linkage mechanism 30 can move the seat body 13 from the entry / exit position toward the door opening 5 as shown in FIG. 3. 2 and 3, the rotational performance is ensured by the rotation device 20 and the gap 100 between the base 11 and the seating portion 12, and the four-bar link mechanism 30 ensures the ease of getting in and out.

[0018] In the vehicle seat apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 2 , a forward load F may be applied to the seat body 13 in the normal position. For example, in the above-described configuration, the seat belt 18 restrains an occupant (not shown) on the seat body 13, thereby suppressing the occupant's forward movement in the event of a frontal collision. At this time, the seat belt 18 is pulled toward the front of the vehicle, causing the forward load F to be applied to the anchor member 17 of the seat body 13, i.e., the shoulders of the seat back 15. In the vehicle seat apparatus 10, it is desirable to be able to suppress unintended movement of the seat body 13 (such as excessive forward tilt) when the forward load F is applied to the seat body 13. In particular, in the above-described configuration, the gap 100 is provided between the base 11 and the seating portion 12 from the perspective of ensuring seat performance. However, even in such a case, the movement of the seat body 13 should be suppressed. Therefore, in this embodiment, the support member 50 described below is used to minimize unintended movement of the seat body 13 when the forward load F is applied, while ensuring seat performance. Hereinafter, each component of the vehicle seat device 10 will be described in detail in the order of the rotation device 20, the movement device (four-bar link mechanism 30), and the support member 50.

[0019] [Rotating device] First, the rotation device 20 shown in FIG. 2 is a device that rotates the seat body 13 supported by the seating portion 12 between a normal position and a boarding / alighting position as described above. As shown in FIG. 4, the rotation device 20 includes an inner ring 21 fixed on a base 11 and an outer ring 22 rotatably supported on the inner ring 21 (outer periphery), with the seating portion 12 fixed on the outer ring 22. The base 11 or the seating portion 12 is provided with a drive unit (not shown) that rotates the outer ring 22 relative to the inner ring 21. The seat body 13 supported by the seating portion 12 is rotated about the axes of the inner ring 21 and the outer ring 22, thereby rotating the seat body 13 relative to the base 11 by approximately 90° as viewed from above (see the direction indicated by reference numeral 12A in FIG. 1). The rotation of the seating portion 12 by the rotation device 20 can be locked by a rotation lock device (not shown).

[0020] [Four-bar link mechanism (movement device)] Next, the four-bar link mechanism 30 as a moving device shown in Fig. 3 is a mechanism that moves the seat body 13 from the entry / exit position toward the door opening 5 as described above. As shown in Fig. 5, this four-bar link mechanism 30 is formed by axially connecting the base frame 12F of the seating portion 12 and the cushion frame 14F of the seat cushion 14 via a front link portion 31 and a rear link portion 32. Here, the front and rear link portions 31, 32 are provided on both sides (left and right sides) of the vehicle seat apparatus 10 in the seat width direction (for convenience, only the left link portion is shown in each drawing). Since the left and right link portions have substantially the same basic configuration, the following will explain in detail the left link portions 31, 32 of the vehicle seat apparatus 10 as an example.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 5 , the front link portion 31 and the rear link portion 32 are formed in the shape of a strip extending generally in the up-down direction of the seat. The upper end of the front link portion 31 is vertically rotatably connected to the cushion frame 14F via a first shaft member 41. The lower end of the front link portion 31 is vertically rotatably connected to the front portion of the base frame 12F via a second shaft member 42. The rear link portion 32 is formed relatively short and is located rearward of the seat relative to the front link portion 31. The upper end of the rear link portion 32 is vertically rotatably connected to the rear end of the cushion frame 14F via a third shaft member 43. The lower end of the rear link portion 32 is vertically rotatably connected to the upper rear end of the base frame 12F via a fourth shaft member 44. 5, the front link 31 stands above the seat from the second shaft 42 on the seating side, and the rear link 32 stands above the seat and tilts rearward from the fourth shaft 44 on the seating side. The upper end (first shaft 41) of the front link 31 and the upper end (third shaft 43) of the rear link 32 are positioned at approximately the same height.

[0022] When the seat body 13 shown in FIG. 5 is moved toward the door opening, the four-bar link mechanism 30 is operated by a drive unit (not shown) to rotate the front and rear link members 31, 32 up and down. Referring to FIG. 3 , the front link member 31 is rotated downward about the second shaft member 42 on the seating side, and its upper end (first shaft member 41) is moved toward the door opening 5 and below the seat. This causes the front side of the seat cushion 14, where the first shaft member 41 is provided, to relatively lower. Meanwhile, the rear link member 32 is rotated upward about the fourth shaft member 44 on the seating side, and its upper end (third shaft member 43) is moved toward the door opening 5 and above the seat. This causes the rear end of the seat cushion 14, where the third shaft member 43 is provided, to relatively rise. In this way, the seat body 13 in the entry / exit position is gradually displaced toward the door opening 5 by the action of the four-bar link mechanism 30, with its front gradually lowered as it moves toward the door opening 5.

[0023] [Supporting member] 5 is a member that is installed between the base 11 and the four-bar link mechanism 30 (movement device) in the normal position, and can restrict the movement of the four-bar link mechanism 30 when installed. The support member 50 is formed in the shape of a strip that is long in the front-rear direction of the seat, and is disposed on both sides (right and left) of the vehicle seat apparatus 10 in the seat width direction (for convenience, only the left support member is shown in each drawing). The left and right support members 50 have approximately the same basic configuration, so the following will explain the details of the left support member 50 of the vehicle seat apparatus 10 as an example.

[0024] 5 can be installed between the four-bar link mechanism 30 and the base 11 so as to restrict the movement of the four-bar link mechanism 30. Restricting the movement of the four-bar link mechanism 30 means restricting the up and down rotation of each link 31 (32) around the seat-side shaft 41 (43). The support member 50 is installed between the base 11 and a portion of the four-bar link mechanism located above the seat-side shaft 41 (43), thereby restricting the up and down rotation of each link 31, 32. Examples of this four-bar link portion located above the seat include the link 31 (32) located above the seat-side shaft 41 (43) and the cushion frame 14F.

[0025] The upper end of the support member 50 shown in Figure 5 is pivotally connected to the third shaft 43 of the four-bar linkage 30 so as to be vertically rotatable. In addition, in the normal position, the support member 50 extends from the third shaft 43 toward the base 11, inclined downward and toward the front of the seat, i.e., tilted downward toward the front, so that the support member 50 is bridged between the third shaft 43 (four-bar linkage 30) and the base 11. Furthermore, the lower end of the support member 50 is disposed on the base 11 at a position closer to the front of the seat than the lower end of the rear link 32. In the above-described configuration, the band-shaped support member 50 and the rear link 32 are pivotally connected at their upper ends (third shaft 43), and are tilted in directions that gradually move away from each other as they move toward the underside of the seat. This forms a truss structure from the support member 50 and the rear link portion 32, and when a forward load is applied to the seat body 13 as described below, an axial force (axial force) in a predetermined direction is applied to the support member 50 and the rear link portion 32.

[0026] [Sliding part, receiving part] As shown in FIG. 6 , the support member 50 has a plate-like lower end that protrudes inward (to the right) in the seat width direction. A sliding portion 51 that can slide against the upper surface of the base 11 is provided at the lower end of the support member 50 that protrudes inward in the seat width direction. The sliding portion 51 is a vertically oriented roller-shaped member rotatably supported on a shaft A that faces the front-rear direction in the normal position, and is configured to rotate while in contact with the base 11. The lower end of the support member 50 in the normal position is supported by a receiving portion 60 provided at the front of the base 11 (see the state indicated by the two-dot dashed line in FIG. 6 ). The receiving portion 60 is a vertically oriented roller-shaped member rotatably supported on the base 11 and is provided at the front position of the base 11. The receiving portion 60 is fitted into a locking groove 52 provided at the front end of the support member 50 in the normal position. That is, the arc-shaped locking groove 52 is provided at the front end of the support member 50 so as to extend in the seat width (left-right) direction. The locking groove 52 is formed in an arc shape that follows the rotational path of the seat body 13, and the left edge side of the locking groove 52 is open.

[0027] 5 and 6, the support member 50 in the normal position has a locking groove 52 formed in the lower end thereof, and the receiving portion 60 of the base 11 is fitted into the locking groove 52 (see the state indicated by the two-dot dashed line in FIG. 6). This allows the lower end of the support member 50 to be received in a locked state relative to the receiving portion 60 of the base 11. When the support member 50 rotates toward the boarding / disembarking position, as will be described later, the receiving portion 60 is released from the locking groove 52 of the support member 50 (see the state indicated by the solid line in FIG. 6). In the above-described configuration, the rotation of the support member 50 releases the lock (lock) on the base 11, eliminating the need for a separate unlocking mechanism, which contributes to reducing costs.

[0028] [Seat body in normal position] In the vehicle seat apparatus 10 in the normal position shown in FIG. 2 , the seat body 13 is positioned facing the front of the vehicle and faces the windshield 4. In the vehicle seat apparatus 10, an occupant (not shown) seated in the seat body 13 can be restrained by a seat belt 18 pulled out from the shoulder of the seat back 15. In the above-described configuration, the seat belt 18 is pulled toward the front of the vehicle during a frontal collision, causing a forward load F to be applied to the anchor member 17 of the seat body 13, i.e., the shoulder of the seat back 15. In this type of configuration, it is desirable to suppress unintended movement of the seat body 13 to which the forward load F is applied while ensuring various seat performances (such as rotation performance and ingress / egress performance), as described above. Therefore, in the vehicle seat apparatus 10, as shown in FIG. 5 , a support member 50 that is gradually inclined downward from the normal position toward the front of the seat is installed between the base 11 and the four-bar link mechanism 30 (movement device) so as to suppress movement of the four-bar link mechanism 30. In the above-described configuration, the seat body 13 and other components to which a forward load F is applied are supported by the support member 50, thereby making it possible to suppress unintended movement (such as excessive forward leaning) of the seat body 13. Hereinafter, the function of the support member 50 will be described in more detail.

[0029] [Function of support members] In the above-described configuration, the support member 50 shown in FIG. 5 is installed between the base 11 and the four-bar link mechanism 30 in a state in which it is tilted downward toward the front (like a diagonal brace), and is arranged so as to support the seating portion 12 and the seat body 13 from below the seat. Therefore, when a forward load F is applied to the seat body 13, the seat body 13 and the seating portion 12 can be supported by the support member 50 as shown in FIG. 5. Furthermore, by supporting the seating portion 12 shown in FIG. 5 with the support member 50, even if a gap 100 is provided between the base 11 and the seating portion 12, the seating portion 12 is less likely to tilt forward to close the gap 100. At this time, the lower end of the support member 50 is supported by the support portion 60 of the base 11 as shown in FIG. 6, and therefore the seating portion 12 can be supported with as little rattle as possible. Furthermore, the support member 50 has its upper end connected to the third shaft member 43 of the four-bar linkage 30, thereby restricting the movement of the third shaft member 43 (movement in the direction indicated by arrow 43A in FIG. 5) when a load is applied. This restricts the up and down rotation of the front and rear link sections 31, 32, making it possible to suppress unintended movement (deflection) of the four-bar linkage 30. In particular, the third shaft member 43 of the four-bar linkage 30 is disposed at the position where the anchor member 17 is disposed, i.e., at the position closest to the load input point. Therefore, by restricting the movement of the third shaft member 43 with the support member 50, it is possible to more reliably suppress unintended movement of the four-bar linkage 30.

[0030] 5, as described above, a truss structure is formed by the support member 50 and the rear link portion 32. When a forward load F is applied to the seat main body 13, a compressive axial force F1 is applied to the support member 50, and a tensile axial force F2 is applied to the rear link portion 32. This makes it difficult for forces other than the axial force (for example, a bending force) to be applied to the support member 50, so that the support member 50 can withstand the load from the seating portion 12 with a compact configuration that does not require excessive rigidity.

[0031] Thus, with the above-described configuration, even if a gap 100 is provided between the base 11 and the seating portion 12 as shown in Fig. 5, the support member 50 functions to suppress unintended movement of the seat body 13 (excessive forward tilt). The support member 50 also functions to suppress unintended movement of the four-bar linkage 30, i.e., rotation (flexure) of each link portion 31, 32 in the front-to-rear and up-to-down directions of the seat. Furthermore, suppressing the movement of the seat body 13 also suppresses movement of the anchor member 17 toward the front of the vehicle, resulting in a configuration that contributes to reducing the amount of movement of the EAP (Effective Anchor Point).

[0032] [Seat body position displacement] Next, the displacement of the seat body 13 will be described. First, the seat body 13 in the normal position shown in FIG. 5 is rotated toward the boarding / disembarking position by the rotation device 20. At this time, the support member 50, which is pivotally connected only to the third shaft member 43 of the four-bar linkage 30, rotates toward the boarding / disembarking position together with the seating portion 12 supporting the seat body 13. Then, referring to FIG. 6, as the support member 50 rotates toward the boarding / disembarking position, the receiving portion 60 disengages from the locking groove 52 provided at its lower end. This releases the support member 50 from its suspended state, allowing the four-bar linkage 30 shown in FIG. 5 to move. The support member 50 smoothly follows the seating portion 12 during rotation by sliding the sliding portion 51 at its lower end relative to the base 11.

[0033] 3 and 6, the seating portion 12, which supports the seat body 13, is rotated together with the support member 50 to the entry / exit position. When the seat body 13 reaches the entry / exit position as shown in FIG. 3, the seat body 13 is oriented toward the door opening 5. In this state, the four-bar link mechanism 30 (movement device) is operated to rotate the front and rear link portions 31, 32 up and down. This allows the seat body 13 to be swung out toward the door opening 5 while maintaining a forward-downward posture, ensuring ease of entry and exit. Note that, by pivotally connecting the support member 50 to the third shaft member 43 so as to be vertically rotatable, the rear link portion 32 can be rotated up and down with minimal interference from the support member 50.

[0034] As described above, in this embodiment, when a forward load is applied to the seat body 13 in the normal position, the seat body 13 and the seating portion 12 can be supported by the support member 50 installed between the base 11 and the four-bar linkage mechanism 30 (movement device). As a result, even if a gap 100 is provided between the base 11 and the seating portion 12, the support member 50 can suppress unintended movement of the seat body 13 (such as excessive forward leaning). Furthermore, by limiting the movement of the four-bar linkage mechanism 30 with the support member 50, unintended movement (such as deflection) of the four-bar linkage mechanism 30 can be suppressed. In particular, by limiting the up-and-down rotation of each link portion 31, 32 with the support member 50, unintended movement of the four-bar linkage mechanism 30, i.e., movement (deflection) in the fore-and-aft and up-and-down directions of the seat, can be more reliably suppressed. Therefore, according to this embodiment, unintended movement of the seat body 13 when a load is applied can be suppressed as much as possible while maintaining seat performance.

[0035] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by rotating the seat 12 to the boarding / disembarking position and releasing the support member 50 from its suspended state, the four-bar linkage 30 (movement device) can be moved at the boarding / disembarking position. Also, in this embodiment, the support member 50 connected to the four-bar linkage 30 (third shaft member 43) can be rotated together with the seat 12 by the action of the rotation device 20. The support member 50 can then smoothly rotate while sliding its sliding portion 51 relative to the base 11. In this embodiment, the lower end of the support member 50 is received by the receiving portion 60 of the base 11, so that the support member 50 in the normal position can be more stably suspended between the base 11 and the four-bar linkage 30.

[0036] [Vehicle seat device according to the second embodiment] Next, a vehicle seat device 10A according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 9. The vehicle seat device 10A according to the second embodiment has substantially the same basic configuration as the vehicle seat device according to the first embodiment, and therefore, in the vehicle seat device 10A according to the second embodiment, the same configuration as that according to the first embodiment will be denoted by corresponding reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The vehicle seat device 10A according to the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a movement device 30A thereof is configured to slide and move a seat main body 13.

[0037] 7 and 8, a vehicle seat apparatus 10A according to a second embodiment includes a base 11, a seating portion 12, and a rotation device 20, similar to the first embodiment. A vertical gap 100 is provided between the base 11 and the seating portion 12 to allow relative rotation therebetween. The seating portion 12 and a seat body 13 are connected to each other by a movement device 30A that slides the seat body 13 toward the door opening 5, as shown in FIG. 7. The movement device 30A can be configured with a rail portion 31A and a slider portion 32A. The rail portion 31A, which extends in the front-rear direction of the seat based on a normal position, is provided along the upper surface of the base 11. The slider portion 32A, which supports the seat body 13 so that it can tilt, is slidably connected to the rail portion 31A. The slider portion 32A slides along the rail portion 31A, so that the seat body 13 supported by the slider portion 32A can slide toward the door opening 5 (see FIG. 9).

[0038] 7 and 9, the vehicle seat apparatus 10A is also provided with a tilt mechanism 60A that displaces the seat main body 13 supported by the slider portion 32A into a forward-downward position. The tilt mechanism 60A is composed of a cam groove portion 61 provided in the seating portion 12, a movable arm portion 62 extending between the cam groove portion 61 and the slider portion 32A, and a connecting portion 63 that connects the movable arm portion 62 to the seat main body 13. The seating portion 12 in the normal position is provided with the cam groove portion 61 on the underside of the rail portion 31A. The cam groove portion 61 has a straight portion 610 that extends in the front-rear direction of the seat along the upper surface of the seating portion 12, and a bent portion 611 that is continuous with the front end of the straight portion 610. The bent portion 611 is bent downward so as to gradually move away from the rail portion 31A as it moves toward the front of the seat.

[0039] 7 is formed in a band-like shape, and a cam 71 journaled at its lower end engages with a straight portion 610 of the cam groove 61. The movable arm 62 is in a basic position tilted gradually toward the rear of the seat toward its upper end, and its upper end is journaled to the rear of the slider 32A via an upper shaft 72 so as to be vertically rotatable. The movable arm 62 moves along the straight portion 610 of the cam groove 61 while being maintained in the basic position. As the movable arm 62 moves toward the tip of the bent portion 611 of the cam groove 61, it gradually rises upward from the basic position toward the door opening (see FIG. 9).

[0040] 7 is a portion that connects the above-mentioned movable arm portion 62 to a fixed arm portion 66 provided on the seat main body 13, and is composed of a front link 64 and a rear link 65. This fixed arm portion 66 is a strip-shaped portion that extends approximately parallel to the movable arm portion 62, and is fixed to the rear end portion of the seat main body 13. At the connecting portion 63, front and rear links 64, 65 of approximately equal lengths are stretched between the fixed arm portion 66 and the movable arm portion 62 and pivotally supported so as to be vertically rotatable, thereby forming a four-joint link.

[0041] [Supporting member] 7 and 8, in the vehicle seat device 10A, a support member 50A that gradually inclines downward toward the front of the seat is also installed between the base 11 and the moving device 30A so as to restrict movement of the moving device 30A. Restricting the movement of the moving device 30A means restricting the sliding movement of the slider portion 32A. The support member 50A is installed between the base 11 and either the slider portion 32A or the movable arm portion 62 (including the connecting portion 63), thereby restricting the sliding movement of the slider portion 32A.

[0042] For example, the upper end of the support member 50A shown in Fig. 7 is pivotally supported on the upper shaft 72 of the movement device 30A described above so as to be vertically rotatable. Referring to Figs. 7 and 8, the support member 50A in the normal position extends from the upper shaft 72 toward the base 11 while tilting downward and toward the front of the seat, so that the support member 50A is suspended between the upper shaft 72 (the movement device 30A) and the receiving portion 60 of the base 11. According to the above-described configuration, the seat body 13 to which a forward load F is applied in the event of a vehicle frontal collision can be received and supported by the support member 50A suspended between the base 11 and the movement device 30A. By supporting the seat body 13 with the support member 50, even if a gap 100 is provided between the base 11 and the seating portion 12, the seating portion 12 is less likely to tilt forward to close the gap 100.

[0043] 7, the upper end of the support member 50 is connected to the upper shaft 72 of the moving device 30A, thereby restricting the movement of the upper shaft 72 when a load is applied. This restricts the sliding movement of the slider portion 32A, making it possible to more reliably suppress unintended movement of the moving device 30A, i.e., movement in the fore-and-aft direction of the seat (rattle). In particular, the third shaft 43 of the four-bar linkage 30 is disposed in a position closest to the position of the anchor member 17 (the load input point). Therefore, by restricting the movement of the third shaft 43 with the support member 50, it is possible to more reliably suppress unintended movement of the moving device 30A.

[0044] [Seat body position displacement] Next, with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9, the displacement of the seat body 13 will be described. In this embodiment, too, the rotation device 20 allows the seat body 13 to be rotated from the normal position to the boarding / disembarking position. Furthermore, since the support member 50A is axially connected only to the upper shaft 72 of the moving device 30A, it rotates toward the boarding / disembarking position together with the seating portion 12 that supports the seat body 13. When the support member 50A rotates toward the boarding / disembarking position, the receiving portion 60 disengages from the locking groove 52 provided at its lower end. This releases the support member 50A from its suspended state, allowing the moving device 30A to move. Furthermore, the sliding portion 51 at its lower end slides relative to the base 11, allowing the support member 50A to smoothly follow the seating portion 12 during rotation.

[0045] 9, after the seating portion 12 reaches the entry / exit position, the slider portion 32A is slid along the rail portion 31A to move the seat body 13 toward the door opening 5. At this time, in the vehicle seat apparatus 10A, the tilt mechanism 60A can swing the seat body 13 toward the door opening 5 while maintaining a forward-tilting posture. That is, as the slider portion 32A slides toward the door opening 5, the movable arm portion 62 pivotally connected to the slider portion 32A moves along the bent portion 611 of the cam groove portion 61. As a result, the movable arm portion 62 rises above the seat from its basic position. Then, the fixed arm portion 66 connected to the movable arm portion 62 also rises above the seat, causing the rear end of the seat body 13, to which the fixed arm portion 66 is fixed, to rise. As a result, the seat body 13 can be swung toward the door opening 5 while maintaining a forward-tilting posture, ensuring ease of entry and exit.

[0046] The vehicle seat device of this embodiment is not limited to the above-described embodiment and may be embodied in various other ways. While the present embodiment illustrates the configuration of the support member, this is not intended to limit the configuration of the support member. For example, the support member may be connected between the base and the moving device in a general position, and need not be connected only to the moving device. That is, the support member may be connected to both the seat and the base, or only to the base. When the support member is connected to both the seat and the base, it is desirable to provide a separate mechanism for disconnecting the support member from the base. When the support member is connected only to the base, it is desirable to provide a separate mechanism for moving the support member out of the rotational movement path of the seat (e.g., a mechanism for tilting the support member) so that it does not interfere with the rotational movement of the seat. The support member may have a strip-like shape or various other shapes that can be connected to the moving device and the base. The sliding member may be a vertical roller-shaped member or various other structures, such as a ball roller. A rail may be provided on the base, and the sliding member may be slidably connected to the rail. If the lower end of the support member can rotate on the base, it is not necessary to provide a sliding portion. Furthermore, various structures can be used as the receiving portion of the base, such as a roller-shaped member or a vertical wall-shaped portion (a convex portion on the base or the inner wall surface of a recessed portion provided in the base). It is also possible to provide a vertical wall-shaped receiving portion on the front side of the seat at the lower end of the support member, so that the lower end of the support member abuts against the receiving portion. In this case, the locking groove portion can be omitted from the support member. If the lower end of the support member can be stably positioned on the base, the receiving portion can also be omitted.

[0047] Although the present embodiment illustrates the configurations of the moving device and the rotating device, the configuration of each device is not intended to be limited. For example, the moving device may be configured to move the seat body toward the door opening, and does not necessarily have to be configured to tilt the seat body forward. Furthermore, the rotating device may employ a mechanism that rotates the base and the seating portion via a link. The vehicle seat apparatus can be installed in any suitable location within the vehicle cabin and may have a seat body for one or multiple passengers. Furthermore, while the vehicle seat apparatus has been described as being configured to apply a forward load to the seat body by attaching a seat belt to an anchor member provided on the seat body, this configuration is not intended to be limited. For example, when another component, such as a child seat, is installed on the seat body, it is expected that a forward load will be applied to the seat body through the connection point with the other component (e.g., the connection point with the ISOFIX bar). [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 2 vehicles 2R cabin 3 Vehicle floor 4. Windshield 5 Door opening 6. Front and rear sliding device 7 Lower rail 8 Upper rail 10 Vehicle seat device 11 Base 12 Seating area 12F base frame 13 Seat body 14 seat cushion 14F Cushion Frame 15 Seat back 16 Reclining chair 17 Anchor member 18 Seatbelt 19 Buckle member 20 Rotating device 21 Inner Circle 22 outer ring 30 Four-bar link mechanism (movement device of Example 1) 31 Front link 32 Rear link 41 First shaft material 42 Second shaft member 43 Third shaft member 44 Fourth shaft member 50 Support member 51 Sliding part 52 Locking groove 60 Receiving part 61 Cam groove 62 Movable arm 63 Connecting part 64 previous link 65 Later Links 66 Fixed arm part 71 Cam 72 Upper shaft material 10A (Second embodiment) vehicle seat device 30A (Example 2) moving device 31A Rail section 32A slider part 50A (Example 2) Support Member 60A Tilt mechanism 610 Straight line part 611 Bending part

Claims

1. A vehicle seat device is provided with a rotation device that rotates and moves the seat body between a normal position facing forward of the vehicle and a boarding / exiting position facing a door opening, between a base disposed on the vehicle floor side and a seating portion that supports the seat body in the seat up-down direction, The seating portion and the seat body are connected by a moving device that moves the seat body toward a door opening at a boarding / exiting position, A support member that is gradually inclined downward from the normal position toward the front of the seat is installed between the base and the moving device so as to restrict the movement of the moving device in the normal position.

2. The vehicle seat device according to claim 1, wherein the support member is connected to only one of the base and the moving device, and when the seating portion rotates and moves toward the boarding / disembarking position, the support member is displaced from a state in which it is connected to the base and the moving device in a normal position to a state in which it is released from the state in which it is connected to the base and the moving device.

3. 3. The vehicle seat device according to claim 2, wherein the support member is connected only to the movement device and is provided with a sliding portion that slides relative to the base portion when the seating portion rotates and moves.

4. 4. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the base portion is provided with a receiving portion for receiving a lower end portion of the support member in a normal position.

5. the moving device includes a link portion that moves the seat body toward the door opening while rotating the seat up and down, 5. The vehicle seat device according to claim 1, wherein the support member is bridged between the base and the movement device so as to restrict rotation of the link portion.

6. the moving device includes a slider portion that slides the seat body toward the door opening side, 5. The vehicle seat device according to claim 1, wherein the support member is bridged between the base and the movement device so as to restrict sliding movement of the slider portion.

Images