Vehicle seat frame and vehicle seat

Abstract

To obtain a vehicle seat frame which can inhibit occurrence of cracks in a recliner peripheral part while inhibiting an increase in mass of a seat frame body, and to obtain a vehicle seat.SOLUTION: A reinforcement bracket 84 is fixed to a shaft part 54 in a state that a gap t is provided at the outer side as seen in a seat width direction of a mounting bracket 66 coupled to a recliner 58 and a cushion side frame 24. Thus, when the mounting bracket 66 deforms to the outer side in the seat width direction, the mounting bracket 66 comes into contact with the reinforcement bracket 84 to inhibit further deformation of the mounting bracket 66. Further, a load transmitted to the mounting bracket 66 is transmitted to the reinforcement bracket 84 to ease distortion at the lower part side of the recliner 58 and inhibit peeling of a welding part between the mounting bracket 66 and the recliner 58. As a result, the structure inhibits cracks around the welding part and thus becomes able to inhibit a mass of a seat cushion frame 18 from being increased by increasing a plate thickness of the mounting bracket 66.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat frame and a vehicle seat. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 below discloses technology related to a backside frame that forms a side portion of the seatback frame and is recliningable. In this prior art, a stopper plate is provided on the outer side of the recliner in the seat width direction, and is rotatable in the front-to-rear direction of the seat while being independent from the backside frame.

[0003] A stopper is welded to the backside frame and has a contact portion that is generally U-shaped in plan view and opens outward in the seat width direction. An abutted portion formed on the stopper plate contacts the contact portion, thereby restricting the rotation of the backside frame.

[0004] On the other hand, when a large load is input to the backside frame toward the rear of the seat via the occupant due to inertia during a rear-end collision of the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "a rear-end collision of the vehicle"), the stopper makes it possible to distribute the stress acting on the backside frame, thereby making it possible to suppress the occurrence of cracks around the recliner. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-142580 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the above-mentioned prior art, when a large load is applied to the backside frame toward the rear of the seat, peeling occurs at the weld between the stopper and the backside frame, making it difficult to distribute the stress acting on the backside frame, and cracks may occur around the recliner.

[0007] Generally, in order to prevent peeling of welded parts, it is considered to improve the rigidity of the welded parts, for example by increasing the thickness of the welded parts. However, increasing the thickness of the welded parts increases the mass of the seat frame body accordingly.

[0008] In consideration of the above, the present invention aims to provide a vehicle seat frame and a vehicle seat that can suppress the occurrence of cracks in the area around the recliner while suppressing an increase in the mass of the seat frame body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The vehicle seat frame of the first aspect comprises a seat cushion frame that forms a skeletal member of the seat cushion on which an occupant sits; a seat back frame that forms a skeletal member of the seat back that supports the upper body of the seated occupant seated on the seat cushion; a cushion side frame that forms a side portion of the seat cushion frame and a back side frame that forms a side portion of the seat back frame, and a recliner that is fixed to both and allows the back side frame to rotate relative to the cushion side frame around an axis to which the cushion side frame is fixed when the lock is released; a mounting bracket that is joined to the recliner from the outside in the seat width direction and joined to the rear end of the cushion side frame; and a reinforcing bracket that is fixed to the axis with a gap provided outside the mounting bracket in the seat width direction, and that abuts when the lower side of the recliner on the mounting bracket deforms toward the outside in the seat width direction, thereby preventing further deformation of the mounting bracket.

[0010] A vehicle seat frame according to a first aspect includes a seat cushion frame, a seatback frame, and a recliner. The seat cushion frame forms a skeletal member of the seat cushion, and the seatback frame forms a skeletal member of the seatback. The recliner is provided between and fixed to a cushion side frame that forms a side portion of the seat cushion frame and a back side frame that forms a side portion of the seatback frame, and when the recliner is unlocked, the back side frame can rotate relative to the cushion side frame around an axis to which the cushion side frame is fixed.

[0011] In this aspect, the vehicle seat frame further includes a mounting bracket and a reinforcing bracket. The mounting bracket is joined to the recliner from the outer side in the seat width direction and to the rear end of the cushion side frame. In other words, the mounting bracket is fixed to the recliner and the cushion side frame.

[0012] The reinforcing bracket is fixed to the shaft with a gap provided on the outer side of the mounting bracket in the seat width direction, so that when the lower side of the mounting bracket below the recliner deforms toward the outer side in the seat width direction, it abuts against the reinforcing bracket, thereby preventing further deformation of the mounting bracket.

[0013] For example, when a large load is applied to the seatback frame toward the rear of the seat, the load is transmitted to the peripheral portion of the recliner below the axis of the recliner through the axis, and a reaction force is received from the vehicle floor.

[0014] As mentioned above, since the mounting bracket is fixed to the recliner and cushion side frame, when a large load is input to the seatback frame toward the rear of the seat, a buckling stress acts on the mounting bracket, causing the mounting bracket to buckle outward in the seat width direction.

[0015] Since the mounting bracket is joined (for example, by welding) to the recliner and cushion side frame (joint), if the mounting bracket joined to the outside of the seat width direction relative to the recliner and cushion side frame deforms toward the outside of the seat width direction, peeling may occur at the joint.

[0016] In contrast, in this embodiment, a reinforcing bracket is provided on the outer side of the mounting bracket in the seat width direction. Therefore, when the lower side of the mounting bracket below the recliner deforms toward the outer side in the seat width direction, the reinforcing bracket abuts against the bracket, thereby preventing further deformation of the mounting bracket and preventing separation at the joint of the mounting bracket.

[0017] In this way, by suppressing further deformation of the mounting bracket, it is possible to alleviate distortion around the periphery of the recliner and suppress cracks around the joints of the mounting bracket. In other words, in this aspect, it is possible to suppress cracks around the joints of the mounting bracket without increasing the thickness of the mounting bracket, and therefore it is possible to suppress an increase in the mass of the seat frame main body that would be caused by increasing the thickness of the mounting bracket.

[0018] In addition, when the lower side of the recliner on the mounting bracket deforms outward in the seat width direction, it abuts against the reinforcing bracket, and the load transmitted to the mounting bracket is then transmitted to the reinforcing bracket, making it possible to distribute the stress acting on the joint of the mounting bracket via the reinforcing bracket.

[0019] As a comparative example, if a reinforcing bracket is placed without a gap on the outer side of the mounting bracket in the seat width direction, the thickness of the mounting bracket increases on the recliner side by the thickness of the reinforcing bracket, improving the rigidity of the mounting bracket. On the other hand, the rigidity of the mounting bracket on the lower side of the recliner is reduced by that amount compared to the recliner side.

[0020] When this change in rigidity occurs and the lower side of the recliner in the mounting bracket deforms outward in the seat width direction, in the comparative example, there is a possibility that the mounting bracket may break, starting from the lower end of the reinforcing bracket.

[0021] In contrast, in this embodiment, the reinforcing bracket is arranged with a gap provided on the outer side of the mounting bracket in the seat width direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, the mounting bracket abuts against the reinforcing bracket without changing the thickness of the mounting bracket itself, thereby preventing the mounting bracket from breaking, and also makes it possible to transmit the load transmitted to the mounting bracket via the reinforcing bracket to the cushion side frame.

[0022] The vehicle seat frame of the second aspect is the vehicle seat frame of the first aspect, wherein the reinforcing bracket includes a main body portion fixed to the shaft portion and arranged along the up-down direction of the seat, an axial hole portion formed on the upper side of the main body portion and having an axial hole to which the shaft portion is fixed, and a pair of vertical wall portions arranged in front and behind the seat in the fore-and-aft direction between the axial hole and the main body portion, formed along the up-down direction of the seat and bent outward in the seat width direction.

[0023] In a vehicle seat frame according to a second aspect, the reinforcing bracket includes a main body portion, a shaft hole portion, and a pair of vertical wall portions. The main body portion is disposed along the vertical direction of the seat, and the shaft hole portion is formed on the upper side of the main body portion, and a shaft hole to which a shaft portion that serves as a rotation center of the back side frame is fixed is formed. The pair of vertical wall portions are disposed at the front and rear of the seat in the longitudinal direction, with the shaft hole and the main body portion between them, and are formed along the vertical direction of the seat and bent outward in the width direction of the seat.

[0024] In this way, the vertical wall portions are formed on the front and rear of the shaft hole and the main body portion in the seat fore-and-aft direction of the reinforcing bracket, thereby improving the rigidity of the reinforcing bracket. Also, the vertical wall portions are formed along the seat up-and-down direction, so that the load transmitted to the reinforcing bracket via the recliner shaft and shaft hole can be transmitted along the seat up-and-down direction.

[0025] The vehicle seat frame according to the third aspect is the vehicle seat frame according to the first or second aspect, wherein the pair of vertical wall portions are a pair of arc ribs that protrude in an approximately arc shape toward each other at approximately the center of the seat in the vertical direction when viewed from the side of the seat.

[0026] In the vehicle seat frame according to the third aspect, the pair of vertical wall portions are formed as a pair of arc ribs that protrude in a generally arc shape toward each other at a generally central portion in the up-down direction of the seat in a side view of the seat. As a result, in this aspect, it is possible to suppress deformation of the main body portion toward the outside in the seat width direction, for example, compared to a case in which the vertical wall portions of the reinforcing bracket are formed in a straight line (comparative example).

[0027] In other words, in this embodiment, the rigidity of the reinforcing bracket can be improved compared to the comparative example, and when the lower side of the recliner on the mounting bracket deforms toward the outside in the seat width direction, the reinforcing bracket can more effectively suppress deformation of the mounting bracket.

[0028] The vehicle seat frame of the fourth aspect is a vehicle seat frame of any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the joint where the mounting bracket is joined to the recliner includes a first joint located below the axle and forward in the seat longitudinal direction, and a second joint located below the axle and rearward in the seat longitudinal direction, and the top of the arc rib is located on an imaginary first straight line connecting the lower end of the first joint and the lower end of the second joint when viewed from the side of the seat.

[0029] In a vehicle seat frame according to a fourth aspect, the joint where the mounting bracket is joined to the recliner includes a first joint and a second joint located below the axle, the first joint being located forward of the axle in the seat longitudinal direction, and the second joint being located rearward of the axle in the seat longitudinal direction. The apex of the arc rib is located on an imaginary first straight line connecting the lower end of the first joint and the lower end of the second joint.

[0030] When a large load is applied to the seatback frame toward the rear of the seat, the load is transmitted to the periphery of the recliner via the recliner shaft toward the lower side of the shaft. Therefore, in the mounting bracket, the load is transmitted via the first and second joints, which are located below the shaft.

[0031] In this embodiment, the apex of the arc rib is positioned on an imaginary first straight line connecting the lower end of the first joint and the lower end of the second joint in a side view of the seat. This allows the load to be transmitted to the upper and lower sides of the arc rib via the apex of the arc rib when the lower side of the mounting bracket for the recliner deforms outward in the seat width direction and abuts against the reinforcing bracket. In other words, stress acting on the joint of the mounting bracket can be reliably dispersed via the reinforcing bracket. Note that the "apex" here includes not only the apex but also its surroundings.

[0032] A vehicle seat frame according to a fifth aspect is a vehicle seat frame according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the reinforcing bracket is configured so that the intersection of an imaginary second line that is approximately perpendicular to the first line and passes through the center of the axial hole and the first line is positioned midway between the center of the axial hole and the lower end of the seat in the vertical direction.

[0033] In the vehicle seat frame according to the fifth aspect, the reinforcing bracket is configured such that the intersection of the first line and an imaginary second line that is substantially perpendicular to the first line and passes through the center of the shaft hole is located midway between the center of the shaft hole and the lower end of the reinforcing bracket, thereby providing the apex of the arc rib in the center of the main body in the seat up-down direction, thereby enabling the load transmitted to the apex to be efficiently distributed to the upper and lower sides of the arc rib.

[0034] In other words, the entire reinforcing bracket can withstand the load, the reaction force from the reinforcing bracket also increases accordingly, and when the lower side of the recliner on the mounting bracket deforms toward the outside in the seat width direction, the reinforcing bracket can more effectively suppress deformation of the mounting bracket.

[0035] A vehicle seat according to a sixth aspect includes a vehicle seat frame according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, and the seat back is reclined relative to the seat cushion via the recliner.

[0036] The vehicle seat according to the sixth aspect is provided with a recliner that allows the seat back to be reclined relative to the seat cushion, and it is possible to enjoy the effects obtained by the vehicle seat frame according to any one of the first to fifth aspects. [Effects of the Invention]

[0037] As described above, the vehicle seat frame and vehicle seat according to the present invention have the excellent effect of being able to suppress the occurrence of cracks in the area around the recliner while suppressing an increase in the mass of the seat frame body. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0038] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the diagonally front left side. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle seat frame constituting a framework member of a vehicle seat according to the present embodiment, as viewed from the diagonally front left side. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing the main part of FIG. 2 in an enlarged manner. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged exploded perspective view showing a part of FIG. 3 in an exploded manner. [Figure 5] 5 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the operation of the vehicle seat frame according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] 3 is an enlarged side view showing the main part of FIG. 2 in an enlarged scale. [Figure 7] 4 is a diagram showing the distribution of strain in a main part of the vehicle seat frame according to the present embodiment, analyzed by the finite element method. FIG. [Figure 8] 7 is an enlarged side view of a main part corresponding to FIG. 6, showing a modified example of the vehicle seat frame according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the distribution of strains in a vehicle seat frame as a comparative example, analyzed by a finite element method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0039] Hereinafter, a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the arrows FR, UP, RH, and LH shown in the drawings indicate the front side, upper side, right side, and left side of the seat as seen by an occupant seated in the vehicle seat 10, respectively. Hereinafter, when the directions of front-rear, up-down, and left-right are simply used in the description, they refer to front-rear in the seat front-rear direction, up-down in the seat up-down direction, and left-right in the seat left-right direction, unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, the seat left-right direction coincides with the seat width direction.

[0040] (Vehicle seat configuration) First, the configuration of the vehicle seat according to this embodiment will be described.

[0041] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vehicle seat 10 of this embodiment includes a seat cushion 12 that supports the buttocks and thighs of a seated occupant (seated occupant), a seat back 14 that supports the back of the seated occupant, and a headrest 16 that supports the head of the seated occupant.

[0042] The seat cushion 12 is composed of a seat cushion frame 18 that forms the skeleton member of the seat cushion 12 and has a roughly rectangular frame shape in a plan view, a seat cushion pad 20 that covers the seat cushion frame 18 and elastically supports the seated occupant, and a seat cushion skin 22 that covers the seat cushion pad 20 and forms the design surface.

[0043] The seat cushion frame 18 is composed of a pair of left and right cushion side frames 24, 26 arranged on the left and right sides of the seat cushion 12, a front frame 28 that spans the front ends of the left and right cushion side frames 24, 26 in the seat width direction (left and right direction of the seat), and a rear frame 30 that spans the rear ends of the left and right cushion side frames 24, 26 in the seat width direction, and is connected to a vehicle floor 34 via left and right slide rails 32.

[0044] In this embodiment, for example, the left and right cushion side frames 24, 26 and the front frame 28 are manufactured by press-molding metal plate material, and the rear frame 30 is manufactured from metal pipe material, but this is not limited to this.

[0045] On the other hand, the seat back 14 is composed of a seat back frame 36 that forms the skeletal member of the seat back 14 and has a rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front, a seat back pad 38 that covers the seat back frame 36 and elastically supports the seated occupant, and a seat back skin 40 that covers the seat back pad 38 and forms the design surface.

[0046] The seatback frame 36 is composed of a pair of left and right backside frames 42, 44 arranged on the left and right sides of the seatback 14, an upper frame 46 that spans the upper ends of the left and right backside frames 42, 44 in the seat width direction, and a lower frame 48 that spans the lower ends of the left and right backside frames 42, 44 in the seat width direction.

[0047] In this embodiment, for example, the left and right back side frames 42, 44 and the lower frame 48 are manufactured by press-forming metal plate material, and the upper frame 46 is manufactured from metal pipe material, but this is not limited to this.

[0048] Here, hinge portions 50, 52 protrude upward from the rear ends of the cushion side frames 24, 26, respectively, and a shaft portion (recliner pin) 54 is fixed to the hinge portions 50, 52. The shaft portion 54 is inserted into a hole (not shown) formed in the lower end portion of the back side frames 42, 44, so that the back side frames 42, 44 can rotate about the shaft portion 54. As a result, the seat back frame 36 can rotate relative to the seat cushion frame 18 via the back side frames 42, 44.

[0049] In this embodiment, the shaft portions 54 are provided at both ends in the seat width direction. A pipe-shaped shaft portion 56 is provided in the center of the seat width direction, and shaft portions 54 are fixed to both ends of the shaft portion 56. The shaft portion 54 is solid and has a so-called double D-cut shape. In other words, in this embodiment, solid shaft portions are used in areas requiring high rigidity, and hollow shaft portions are used in other areas to ensure the minimum necessary rigidity and reduce the weight of the shaft portions. Of course, this is not limited to this, and the shaft portion may be configured with a single solid shaft portion.

[0050] Here, a disc-shaped recliner 58 is provided on the backside frame 42 side located on the left side of the vehicle seat 10. The recliner 58 is fixed to the shaft portion 54, the cushion side frame 24, and the backside frame 42, and when the recliner 58 is unlocked, the seatback frame 36 is allowed to rotate relative to the seat cushion frame 18, and the angle of the seatback frame 36 relative to the seat cushion frame 18 is adjustable.

[0051] That is, the seat back frame 36 can be reclined (tilted) relative to the seat cushion frame 18 via the recliner 58. In this embodiment, the recliner 58 is also provided on the right side of the vehicle seat 10. However, this is not limiting, and although not shown, the recliner 58 may be provided only on the right side or only on the left side.

[0052] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, protrusions 60, 62, and 64 are provided on an outer surface 58A (see FIG. 5) of the recliner 58, protruding outward in the seat width direction so that the top surface is flat.

[0053] In this embodiment, the protrusion 60 is disposed above the shaft 54 ​​and has a generally rectangular shape in a side view of the seat. The protrusion 62 is disposed on the front side of the shaft 54 ​​in the seat front-rear direction and has a generally triangular shape with an apex 62A on the front side in the seat front-rear direction in a side view of the seat. The protrusion 64 is disposed on the rear side of the shaft 54 ​​in the seat front-rear direction and has a generally rectangular shape with an extension 64A extending upward on the rear side in the seat front-rear direction in a side view of the seat. Note that the shapes of the protrusions 60, 62, 64 are merely examples and are not limited to these shapes.

[0054] In addition, a mounting bracket 66 is fixed to the outer side of the recliner 58 in the seat width direction. The mounting bracket 66 is formed, for example, by press-forming a metal plate. As shown in Fig. 6, the mounting bracket 66 includes a disk-shaped upper seating surface 68 fixed to the outer surface 58A of the recliner 58, and a lower seating surface 70 extending from the upper seating surface 68 toward the front side in the seat front-rear direction, the lower side in the seat up-down direction, and the rear side in the seat front-rear direction and fixed to the outer surface 50A of the hinge portion 50 of the cushion side frame 24.

[0055] The upper seating surface 68 is formed with a circular insertion hole 72 (see FIG. 4) through which the shaft 54 ​​can be inserted, as well as holes 74, 76, and 78 into which the protrusions 60, 62, and 64 formed on the recliner 58 can be inserted. With the protrusions 60, 62, and 64 formed on the recliner 58 inserted into the holes 74, 76, and 78 formed in the mounting bracket 66, the upper seating surface 68 of the mounting bracket 66 is fixed to the recliner 58 by welding along the inner edges of the holes 74, 76, and 78 and the outer shapes of the protrusions 60, 62, and 64 (weld 75, weld (first joint) 77, weld (second joint) 79).

[0056] Meanwhile, a hook portion 80 is formed at the rear end of the lower seat surface 70, bent so as to face the rear surface of the lower seat surface 70, and the rear end of the cushion side frame 24 can be inserted into the hook portion 80. With the rear end of the cushion side frame 24 inserted into the hook portion 80, the mounting bracket 66 is restricted from moving forward in the seat front-rear direction via the lower seat surface 70.

[0057] Furthermore, a positioning hole 82 is formed in the front end of the lower seating surface 70. A welding jig is positioned by this positioning hole 82, and the lower seating surface 70 is welded to the cushion side frame 24 in a state in which movement of the lower seating surface 70 toward the front in the seat front-rear direction is restricted via the hook portion 80. Note that the lower seating surface 70 may be fastened to the cushion side frame 24 via the positioning hole 82 with fasteners such as bolts and nuts (not shown).

[0058] In this manner, as described above, the upper seating surface 68 of the mounting bracket 66 is fixed to the recliner 58 and the lower seating surface 70 is fixed to the cushion side frame 24 .

[0059] 5, a reinforcing bracket 84 is fixed to the shaft 54 ​​on the outer side of the recliner 58 in the seat width direction, with a gap t between the reinforcing bracket 84 and the mounting bracket 66 in the seat width direction. Note that the gap t is set so that the lower seat surface 70 side of the mounting bracket 66 comes into contact with the reinforcing bracket 84 when it deforms toward the outer side in the seat width direction, as shown by the two-dot chain line.

[0060] That is, in this embodiment, the mounting bracket 66 and the reinforcing bracket 84 are provided on the outer sides of the recliner 58 in the seat width direction. As described above, in this embodiment, the recliner 58 is provided on the right and left sides of the vehicle seat 10. For this reason, although the reinforcing bracket 84 may be provided on the right and left sides of the vehicle seat 10, in this embodiment, it is provided only on the left side of the vehicle seat 10 due to its relationship with the parts around the shaft portion 54.

[0061] The reinforcing bracket 84 is formed, for example, by press-forming a metal plate. As shown in Fig. 4, the reinforcing bracket 84 includes a main body portion 86 and a shaft hole portion 88, which is provided on the upper side of the main body portion 86. A shaft hole 90 is formed in the shaft hole portion 88, which is shaped to match the shape of the shaft portion 54. With the shaft portion 54 inserted into the shaft hole 90, the reinforcing bracket 84 is prevented from rotating relative to the shaft portion 54 and is fixed to the shaft portion 54 via the shaft hole 90.

[0062] Here, an arc rib (vertical wall portion) 92 formed in an arc shape centered on the front side of the main body portion 86 is formed over approximately the entire length of the main body portion 86 at the front end portion in the seat front-rear direction, and the arc rib 92 is bent outward in the seat width direction. Furthermore, an arc rib (vertical wall portion) 94 formed in an arc shape centered on the rear side of the main body portion 86 and facing the arc rib 92 is formed over approximately the entire length of the main body portion 86 at the rear end portion in the seat front-rear direction, and the arc rib 94 is bent outward in the seat width direction. The arc ribs 92, 94 are set at a height so as not to interfere with a reclining lever (not shown) that performs a reclining operation.

[0063] 6, the arc ribs 92, 94 are formed such that their apexes 92A, 94A approach each other at approximately the center in the height direction of the main body 86. Note that the apexes 92A, 94A include not only the apexes but also their peripheral portions. The apexes 92A, 94A are set so as to be positioned approximately on an imaginary straight line (first straight line) P connecting the lower ends of the welds 77, 79 that are welded along the outer shapes of the protrusions 62, 64 formed on the recliner 58. In this embodiment, the straight line P is an imaginary straight line connecting the lower ends of the welds 77, 79; however, it is not necessarily the lower ends of the welds 77, 79, as long as it is a straight line connecting the lower ends of the welds 77, 79.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in the reinforcing bracket 84, an intersection O between an imaginary line (second line) Q that is approximately perpendicular to the line P and passes through the center of the axial hole 90 and the line P is set to be located midway between the center of the axial hole 90 and the lower end of the reinforcing bracket 84 (dimension a ≒ dimension b).

[0065] (Actions and Effects of Vehicle Seats) Next, the operation and effects of the vehicle seat according to this embodiment will be described.

[0066] 3 is provided between the cushion side frame 24 and the back side frame 42 and fixed to both, and when the recliner 58 is unlocked, the back side frame 42 is allowed to rotate relative to the cushion side frame 24 around the shaft 54 ​​to which the cushion side frame 24 is fixed. In this embodiment, a mounting bracket 66 and a reinforcing bracket 84 are fixed to the shaft 54.

[0067] The mounting bracket 66 is joined to the recliner 58 from the outer side in the seat width direction and fastened to the hinge portion 50 of the cushion side frame 24. In other words, the mounting bracket 66 is fixed to the recliner 58 and the cushion side frame 24.

[0068] 5, the reinforcing bracket 84 is fixed to the shaft 54 ​​with a gap t provided on the outer side in the seat width direction relative to the mounting bracket 66. The lower seat surface 70 of the mounting bracket 66 (the side of the mounting bracket 66 below the recliner 58) comes into contact with the reinforcing bracket 84 when deformed outward in the seat width direction, thereby making it possible to suppress further deformation of the mounting bracket 66.

[0069] For example, as shown in Figure 2, when a large load (F) is applied to the seatback frame 36 toward the rear of the seat, the load (F1) is transmitted to the peripheral portion of the recliner 58 via the shaft 54 ​​of the recliner 58 toward the lower side of the shaft 54, as shown in Figure 5, and a reaction force (N) is also received from the vehicle floor 34 (see Figure 2).

[0070] Here, since the mounting bracket 66 is fixed to the recliner 58 and the cushion side frame 24, when a large load (F; see Figure 2) directed toward the rear of the seat is input to the seatback frame 36, a buckling stress acts on the mounting bracket 66, and the mounting bracket 66 attempts to buckle outward in the seat width direction.

[0071] As a comparative example, a case where the reinforcing bracket 84 is not provided on the outer side of the mounting bracket 66 in the seat width direction will be described. Here, FIG. 9 shows a strain distribution diagram obtained by finite element analysis in the comparative example, where the darker the dots, the greater the strain. Note that FIG. 7, which will be described later, is the same as FIG. 9. As shown in FIG. 9, the strain is greater on the lower side of the recliner 100, and there is a possibility that peeling will occur at the welds 104, 106 between the mounting bracket 102 and the recliner 100.

[0072] In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, a reinforcing bracket 84 is provided on the outside of the mounting bracket 66 in the seat width direction, so when the lower seat surface 70 of the mounting bracket 66 deforms toward the outside in the seat width direction, it abuts against the reinforcing bracket 84, thereby suppressing further deformation of the mounting bracket 66 and transmitting the load transmitted to the mounting bracket 66 to the reinforcing bracket 84.

[0073] As a result, in this embodiment, it is possible to alleviate distortion on the lower side of recliner 58, as shown in Fig. 7. As an example, by applying this embodiment, the distortion value of welded portions 77, 79 was significantly improved from 21.7% in the comparative example to 13.8%.

[0074] That is, in this embodiment, it is possible to suppress peeling at the welded portions 77, 79 of the mounting bracket 66, and to suppress cracks around the welded portions 77, 79. In this way, in this embodiment, cracks around the welded portions 77, 79 of the mounting bracket 66 are suppressed without increasing the plate thickness of the mounting bracket 66, and therefore it is possible to suppress an increase in the mass of the seat cushion frame 18 that would be caused by increasing the plate thickness of the mounting bracket 66.

[0075] In addition, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, when the lower seat surface 70 of the mounting bracket 66 deforms outward in the seat width direction, it abuts against the reinforcing bracket 84, and the load transmitted to the mounting bracket 66 is also transmitted to the reinforcing bracket 84, making it possible to distribute the stress acting on the welded portions 77, 79 (see Figure 6) of the mounting bracket 66 via the reinforcing bracket 84.

[0076] In this embodiment, the reinforcing bracket 84 is fixed to the shaft portion 54 with a gap t provided on the outer side of the mounting bracket 66 in the seat width direction.

[0077] Here, as a comparative example (not shown), if the reinforcing bracket 84 is arranged without providing the gap t on the outer side of the mounting bracket 66 in the seat width direction, the thickness of the mounting bracket 66 on the recliner 58 side of the mounting bracket 66 will increase by the thickness of the reinforcing bracket 84, improving the rigidity of the mounting bracket 66. On the other hand, the rigidity of the lower seat surface 70 of the mounting bracket 66 will be reduced by that amount compared to the recliner 58 side.

[0078] When this change in rigidity occurs and the lower seat surface 70 of the mounting bracket 66 deforms outward in the seat width direction, in the comparative example, there is a possibility that the mounting bracket 66 may break, starting from the lower end of the reinforcing bracket 84.

[0079] In contrast to this, in this embodiment, as described above, the reinforcing bracket 84 is disposed with a gap t provided on the outer side in the seat width direction relative to the mounting bracket 66. Therefore, in this embodiment, the mounting bracket 66 abuts against the reinforcing bracket 84 without changing the plate thickness of the mounting bracket 66 itself, thereby preventing the mounting bracket 66 from breaking, and also makes it possible to transmit the load (F1) transmitted to the mounting bracket 66 via the reinforcing bracket 84 to the cushion side frame 24 side.

[0080] 4 and 6, the reinforcing bracket 84 is configured to include a main body portion 86, a shaft hole portion 88, and a pair of arc ribs 92, 94. The main body portion 86 is arranged along the up-down direction of the seat, and the shaft hole portion 88 is formed on the upper side of the main body portion 86, and a shaft hole 90 is formed therein to fix the shaft portion 54 that serves as the rotation center of the back side frame 42. The pair of arc ribs 92, 94 are arranged at the front and rear in the front-rear direction of the seat with the shaft hole 90 and the main body portion 86 between them, and are formed along the up-down direction of the seat and are bent outward in the seat width direction.

[0081] In this way, by forming the arc ribs 92, 94 at the front and rear of the shaft hole 90 and the main body 86 in the seat front-rear direction in the reinforcing bracket 84, it is possible to improve the rigidity of the reinforcing bracket 84. Furthermore, by forming the arc ribs 92, 94 along the seat up-down direction, it is possible to transmit the load (F2; see FIG. 5) transmitted to the reinforcing bracket 84 via the shaft portion 54 and shaft hole 90 of the recliner 58 along the seat up-down direction.

[0082] Furthermore, the pair of arc ribs 92, 94 are formed so as to protrude in an approximately arc shape toward each other at approximately the center of the seat in the up-down direction, thereby making it possible to suppress deformation of the main body portion 86 toward the outside in the seat width direction, for example, in the reinforcing bracket 84, although not shown, compared to when the arc ribs 92, 94 are formed in a straight line (comparison example).

[0083] In other words, in this embodiment, it is possible to improve the rigidity of the reinforcing bracket 84 compared to the comparative example, and when the lower seat surface 70 of the mounting bracket 66 deforms toward the outside in the seat width direction, the reinforcing bracket 84 more effectively suppresses deformation of the mounting bracket 66.

[0084] Furthermore, in this embodiment, of welds 75, 77, 79 where mounting bracket 66 is joined to recliner 58, weld 77, which is located below axle 54, is located forward in the seat front-to-rear direction of the seat from axle 54, and weld 79 is located rearward in the seat front-to-rear direction of the seat from axle 54. Peaks 92A, 94A of arc ribs 92, 94 are located on an imaginary straight line P that connects the lower ends of weld 77 and weld 79.

[0085] 2, when a large load (F) directed toward the rear of the seat is input to the seatback frame 36, the load (F1) is transmitted to the peripheral portion of the recliner 58 via the shaft 54 ​​of the recliner 58 toward the lower side of the shaft 54, as shown in FIG. 5. Therefore, in the mounting bracket 66, the load (F1) is transmitted via the welds 77 and 79, which are located below the shaft 54.

[0086] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 6, the apexes 92A, 94A of the arc-shaped ribs 92, 94 are arranged on the straight line P. Therefore, when the lower seating surface 70 of the mounting bracket 66 deforms outward in the seat width direction and abuts against the reinforcing bracket 84, the load (F2; see Fig. 5) can be transmitted to the upper and lower sides of the arc-shaped rib 92 via the apexes 92A, 94A of the arc-shaped ribs 92, 94. In other words, the stress acting on the welds 77, 79 of the mounting bracket 66 can be reliably dispersed via the reinforcing bracket 84.

[0087] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the intersection O of the line Q and the line P in the reinforcing bracket 84 is set to be located midway between the center of the axial hole 90 and the lower end of the reinforcing bracket 84 (dimension a ≈ dimension b). As a result, in the present embodiment, the apexes 92A, 94A of the arc-shaped ribs 92, 94 are provided in the center of the main body 86 in the seat up-down direction in the reinforcing bracket 84. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently distribute the load (F2) transmitted to the apexes 92A, 94A to the upper and lower sides of the arc-shaped ribs 92, 94, respectively.

[0088] In other words, the entire reinforcing bracket 84 can withstand the load (F2; see Figure 5), the reaction force from the reinforcing bracket 84 also increases accordingly, and when the lower seat surface 70 of the mounting bracket 66 deforms outward in the seat width direction, the reinforcing bracket 84 can more effectively suppress deformation of the mounting bracket 66.

[0089] As described above, in this embodiment, the reinforcing bracket 84 is provided only on the left side of the vehicle seat 10, but the above-mentioned effect can be obtained by simply providing the reinforcing bracket 84 on one side of the vehicle seat 10. Therefore, by providing the reinforcing bracket 84 on both sides of the vehicle seat 10, the above-mentioned effect is doubled.

[0090] In this embodiment, the welds 75, 77, and 79 where the mounting bracket 66 is joined to the recliner 58 are located below the shaft 54, but the welds differ depending on the position of the recliner 58.

[0091] 8, there may be one weld 96 provided below the seat shaft 54. In this case, imaginary straight lines P and Q are formed based on the weld 96.

[0092] In addition, the present invention can be implemented with various modifications within the scope of the gist thereof. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the scope of the rights of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 10 Vehicle seats 12 seat cushions 14 Seat back 18 Seat cushion frame (vehicle seat frame) 24 Cushion side frame 36 Seat back frame (vehicle seat frame) 42 Backside Frame 54 Shaft 56 Shaft 58 Reclining chair 66 Mounting bracket 75 Welded section (joint) 77 Welding section (first joint, joint) 79 Welded section (second joint, joint) 84 Reinforcement bracket 86 Main body (reinforcement bracket) 88 Shaft hole (reinforcement bracket) 90 shaft hole 92 Arc rib (vertical wall, reinforcing bracket) 92A Top 94 Arc rib (vertical wall, reinforcing bracket) 94A Top 96 Welded joints (joints) P straight line (first straight line) Q straight line (second straight line) O intersection

Claims

1. a seat cushion frame that forms a framework of a seat cushion on which an occupant sits; a seat back frame that forms a framework of a seat back that supports the upper body of a seated occupant seated on the seat cushion; a recliner that is provided between a cushion side frame that constitutes a side portion of the seat cushion frame and a back side frame that constitutes a side portion of the seatback frame and is fixed to both, and that is arranged along the seat width direction when unlocked and allows the back side frame to rotate relative to the cushion side frame around an axis to which the cushion side frame is fixed; Equipped with a mounting bracket joined to the recliner from the outer side in the seat width direction and joined to a rear end of the cushion side frame; a reinforcing bracket that is fixed to the shaft portion with a gap provided on the outer side of the mounting bracket in the seat width direction, and that abuts against the mounting bracket when a lower side of the recliner in the mounting bracket deforms toward the outer side in the seat width direction to suppress further deformation of the mounting bracket; A vehicle seat frame having:

2. The reinforcing bracket is A main body portion arranged along the up-down direction of the seat; a shaft hole portion formed on an upper side of the main body portion and having a shaft hole to which the shaft portion is fixed; a pair of vertical wall portions arranged in front and behind the seat front-rear direction with the axial hole and the main body portion therebetween, the vertical wall portions being formed along the seat up-down direction and bending outward in the seat width direction; The vehicle seat frame according to claim 1, comprising:

3. 3. The vehicle seat frame according to claim 2, wherein the pair of vertical wall portions are a pair of arc ribs that protrude in a generally arc shape toward each other at approximately the center of the seat in the up-down direction in a side view of the seat.

4. a joint at which the mounting bracket is joined to the recliner includes a first joint located below the shaft and forward in the seat front-rear direction, and a second joint located below the shaft and rearward in the seat front-rear direction, 4. The vehicle seat frame according to claim 3, wherein the apex of the arc rib is located on an imaginary first straight line connecting a lower end of the first joint portion and a lower end of the second joint portion in a side view of the seat.

5. 5. The vehicle seat frame according to claim 4, wherein the reinforcing bracket is configured so that an intersection of an imaginary second line, which is substantially perpendicular to the first line and passes through the center of the axial hole, and the first line is positioned midway between the center of the axial hole and the lower end of the seat in the vertical direction.

6. A vehicle seat comprising the vehicle seat frame according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the seat back is reclined relative to the seat cushion via the recliner.

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