Vehicle seats

Abstract

To suppress vibration of a front leg of a vehicle seat.SOLUTION: A vehicle seat 12 is arranged so as to straddle a step 71 of a vehicle interior floor 70 and has a front leg 20 fixed to a lower part of the step being longer than a rear leg 40 fixed to an upper part of the step. The front leg 20 includes two front leg elements 22 arranged with an interval therebetween in a vehicle width direction. Each of the two front leg elements 22 extends from a lower part of a seat cushion 14 toward the vehicle interior floor 70 and is fixed to the lower part of the seat cushion 14 and the vehicle interior floor 70. The vehicle seat 12 includes a connection part 50 that connects the two front leg elements 22. The connection part 50 is provided at a position offset in a vehicle front direction further from a central position C of a vehicle front and rear direction of each of the front leg elements 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat, and particularly to a structure of a seat arranged across a step on the vehicle floor.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, rear seats such as second seats and third seats provided in the interior of a vehicle and arranged across a step on the vehicle floor are known. The rear seat has rear legs fixed on the upper step and front legs fixed on the lower step. Also, a structure is known in which the rear seat is folded and moved forward to widen the luggage space at the rear of the vehicle interior (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] For a seat arranged across a step on the vehicle floor, the front legs fixed on the lower step are longer than the rear legs fixed on the upper step. In such a seat, when the vehicle is running, the front legs are likely to vibrate left and right around the rear legs, and there is a risk that the riding comfort of the passengers sitting on the seat deteriorates.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to improve the riding comfort of passengers sitting on a seat arranged across a step on the vehicle floor.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The vehicle seat according to the present invention is a vehicle seat that is positioned to straddle a step in the interior floor of a vehicle, and has front legs that are fixed below the step that are longer than rear legs that are fixed above the step, and the front legs include two front leg elements that are spaced apart in the width direction of the vehicle. Each of the two front leg elements extends from the lower part of the seat cushion toward the interior floor of the vehicle and is fixed to the lower part of the seat cushion and the interior floor of the vehicle. The vehicle seat has two front leg elements of Including the connecting parts, The connecting portion includes a first connecting element which is connected to the upper part of one of the front leg elements and to the lower part of the other front leg element, and a second connecting element which is connected to the upper part of the other front leg element and to the lower part of one of the front leg elements. teeth, each The aforementioned Foreleg elements of The front and rear It is characterized by being located at a position offset forward of the vehicle from the center position in the vehicle's longitudinal direction.

[0007] In the vehicle seat according to the present invention, each The aforementioned Foreleg elements The upper end is rotatably fixed to the lower part of the seat cushion, each The aforementioned Foreleg elements The lower end is rotatably fixed to the interior floor of the vehicle. The vehicle seat is moved by tilting the seat back toward the seat cushion, releasing the fixing of the rear legs to the interior floor of the vehicle, and moving the rear portion of the seat cushion upward and forward of the vehicle. each The aforementioned Foreleg elements but The aforementioned vehicle interior floor The seat cushion can be rotated forward around its pivot axis, moving further forward, and the seat cushion and seat back can be lowered into the step at the front of the vehicle to form the seat stowed state. Furthermore, in the vehicle seat according to the present invention, each of the two front leg elements has an inner wall, the inner walls of the two front leg elements face each other, the first connecting element is coupled to the upper part of the inner wall of one of the front leg elements and to the lower part of the inner wall of the other front leg element, and the second connecting element is coupled to the upper part of the inner wall of the other front leg element and to the lower part of the inner wall of one of the front leg elements. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, the connecting portion is provided at a position far from the rear legs of the seat (offset forward of the vehicle from the center position of each front leg element), and the mass at that position is large, so vibrations of the front legs around the rear legs of the seat caused by vehicle movement can be suppressed. In addition, the rigidity of the part that is far from the rear legs of the seat and is prone to deformation due to vibration is increased by the connecting portion, so vibrations of the front legs can be suppressed. As a result, the ride comfort of the occupant sitting in the seat is improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a left side view of the sheet according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a front perspective view of the lower part of the seat according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a plan view of the sheet according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing the left front leg element and part of the connecting section. [Figure 5] This is a side view showing the sheet storage process. [Figure 6] This is a side view showing the sheet storage process. [Figure 7] This is a side view showing the seat's stored position. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In all drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0011] In the following explanation, unless otherwise specified, terms indicating directions and orientations such as front, back, left, right, up, and down refer to directions and orientations related to the vehicle. In each diagram, the arrow FR indicates the front of the vehicle, the arrow UP indicates the top of the vehicle, and the arrow RH indicates the right side of the vehicle.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a left side view of the seat 12 according to the embodiment, FIG. 2 is a front side perspective view of the lower part of the seat 12, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of the seat 12. The seat 12 is a rear seat mounted on a vehicle. Two rear seats are arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction, but only the rear seat (seat 12) arranged on the left side of the vehicle is shown in each of the figures described below.

[0013] The seat 12 has a foldable structure and can form a deployed state (see FIG. 1) and a stored state (see FIG. 7). FIGS. 1 to 3 show the seat 12 in the deployed state. As shown in FIG. 1, the seat 12 is arranged across the step 71 in the deployed state. The front leg 20 fixed below the step is longer than the rear leg 40 fixed above the step of the seat 12. The seat 12 includes a seat cushion 14, a seat back 16 arranged on the upper rear part of the seat cushion 14, a rear leg 40 arranged on the lower rear part of the seat cushion 14, and a front leg 20 arranged on the lower front part of the seat cushion 14.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2, the rear leg 40 includes two rear leg elements 42 arranged at intervals in the vehicle width direction. The two rear leg elements 42 have the same structure. The upper end of the rear leg element 42 is fixed to the seat cushion 14 (specifically, the cushion frame), and the lower end of the rear leg element 42 is detachably fixed to a striker 76 in a recess 74 provided on the vehicle interior floor 70 as shown in the perspective view in the inset of FIG. 2. The striker 76 fits into a recess provided at the tip of the rear leg element 42, and the rear leg element 42 can be engaged with and disengaged from the striker 76 by a locking portion 46 (detailed structure not shown) of the rear leg element 42.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 2, the front leg 20 includes two front leg elements 22 arranged at intervals in the vehicle width direction. The two front leg elements 22 have the same structure. The front leg element 22 extends from the lower part of the seat cushion 14 (specifically, the cushion frame) toward the vehicle interior floor 70.

[0016] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the left front leg element 22 and a portion of the connecting section 50 before assembly to the seat 12. The front leg element 22 comprises an upper end 24, an overhang 25, and a lower end 26. The overhang 25 is located between the upper end 24 and the lower end 26 and extends forward of the upper end 24 and the lower end 26. The front leg element 22 is formed by an inner wall 53, a front wall 54, and an outer wall 55. The overhang 25 of the front leg element 22 has a U-shaped cross-section due to the inner wall 53, the front wall 54, and the outer wall 55, as shown in cross section AA of Figure 4.

[0017] The upper end portion 24 of the front leg element 22 has a cutout in the front wall 54, and holes 28 are formed at the upper ends of the two side walls 53 and 55, respectively. As shown in Figure 2, a fixing portion 60 provided on the seat cushion 14 (specifically the cushion frame) fits into the center of the upper end portion 24 of the front leg element 22 (the cutout portion of the front wall 54). The upper end portion 24 of the front leg element 22 is rotatably fixed to the lower part of the seat cushion 14 by passing pins through the two holes 28 in the upper end portion 24 (see Figure 4) and holes (not shown) provided in the fixing portion 60 of the seat cushion 14.

[0018] The lower end portion 26 of the front leg element 22 has a cutout in the front wall 54, and holes 29 are formed at the lower ends of the two side walls 53 and 55 (see Figure 4). As shown in Figure 2, a fixing portion 62 provided on the interior floor 70 fits into the center of the lower end portion 26 of the front leg element 22 (the cutout portion of the front wall 54). The lower end portion 26 of the front leg element 22 is fixed to the interior floor 70 so as to be rotatable by passing pins through the two holes 29 in the lower end portion 26 (see Figure 4) and holes (not shown) provided in the fixing portion 62 on the interior floor 70.

[0019] As shown in Figure 2, the sheet 12 includes a connecting portion 50 that connects the two front leg elements 22. The connecting portion 50 includes two plate-shaped connecting elements 52. The two connecting elements 52 have a similar structure. As shown in Figure 4, the connecting elements 52 are strip-shaped sheet reinforcing members with bulges at both ends in the short direction. It is preferable that the connecting elements 52 have a large mass, and are made of metal, for example.

[0020] As shown in Figure 4, one connecting element 52 is connected to the upper part of the inner wall 53 of the overhang 25 of the left front leg element 22, extends downward to the right, and is connected to the lower part of the inner wall of the overhang 25 of the right front leg element 22 (see Figure 2). The other connecting element 52 is connected to the lower part of the inner wall 53 of the overhang 25 of the left front leg element 22, extends upward to the right, and is connected to the upper part of the inner wall of the overhang 25 of the right front leg element 22 (see Figure 2). As shown in Figure 2, the two connecting elements 52 are fastened together with bolts or the like at the point where they intersect, forming a fastening portion 57.

[0021] Figure 1 shows the connection points of the two connecting elements 52 to the left front leg element 22, indicated by dashed lines. The two connecting elements 52 are connected at a position offset forward of the vehicle from the longitudinal center position C of the left front leg element 22. Although not shown, the connection points of the two connecting elements 52 to the right front leg element 22 are similar.

[0022] Here, we will explain how to transform the seat 12 from the unfolded state (see Figure 1) to the stowed state (see Figure 7). First, pull up the reclining knob 80 located on the shoulder of the seat back 16 on the outside of the vehicle. This releases the fixed angle of the seat back 16, allowing the seat back 16 to be folded into the upper surface of the seat cushion 14, as shown in Figure 5. Next, operate the release means 82, such as a strap or lever, located at the rear of the seat cushion 14. This activates the locking parts 46 (see Figure 2) located at the tips of the two rear leg elements 42 of the seat cushion 14, releasing the engagement between the locking parts 46 of the rear leg elements 42 and the striker 76 in the recess 74 of the interior floor 70. Next, move the rear of the seat cushion 14 upward and forward of the vehicle, as shown in Figure 6. As a result, the two front leg elements 22 rotate forward around the pivot axis of the seat cushion 14 (the joint between the front leg elements 22 and the fixing part 60 (the pin provided in the hole 28)) and / or the pivot axis of the interior floor 70 (the joint between the front leg elements 22 and the fixing part 62 (the pin provided in the hole 29)). Then, the seat cushion 14 is moved further forward, and as shown in Figure 7, the seat cushion 14 and seat back 16 are dropped into the step at the front of the vehicle. This creates the stowed state of the seat 12. To return the seat 12 to the unfolded state, the reverse operation of the above is performed.

[0023] Next, the effects and benefits of the sheet 12 in this embodiment will be described.

[0024] In this embodiment, the seat 12 is positioned to straddle the step 71 of the vehicle interior floor 70, and the front legs 20, which are fixed below the step, are longer than the rear legs 40, which are fixed above the step. With such a seat, when the vehicle is in motion, as shown by the thick arrows in Figure 3, the front part of the seat (front legs) is more likely to resonate from side to side, with the rear part of the seat (rear legs), where the distance between the seat cushion and the vehicle interior floor is shorter, as the axis.

[0025] However, according to the seat 12 of the embodiment described above, the connecting portion 50 is provided far from the rear legs 40 of the seat 12 and at a position where the amplitude of vibration tends to be large (a position offset forward of the vehicle from the longitudinal center position C of each front leg element 22), and the mass at that position is large, so it is possible to suppress vibrations of the two front leg elements 22 that are pivoted around the rear legs 40 of the seat 12 due to vehicle movement. In addition, the rigidity of the part that is far from the rear legs 40 of the seat 12 and prone to deformation due to vibration is increased by the connecting portion 50, so it is possible to suppress vibrations of the two front leg elements 22. As a result, the ride comfort of the occupant sitting in the seat 12 can be improved.

[0026] In the embodiments described above, the front leg element 22 had a U-shaped cross-section, but the front leg element 22 may also have a cylindrical or solid structure.

[0027] Furthermore, although the connecting portion 50 was composed of two connecting elements 52 in the embodiments described above, the connecting portion 50 may be composed of one or three or more connecting elements 52. For example, one or more plate-shaped connecting elements 52 may be placed between the two front leg elements 22 parallel to or across the vehicle width direction. The connecting elements 52 may also be cylindrical, columnar, prismatic, or the like.

[0028] The vehicle seat of the above embodiment can also be applied to seats used in automobiles other than passenger cars, as well as seats used in vehicles other than automobiles, such as railway cars, ships, and aircraft. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0029] 12 Seat, 14 Seat cushion, 16 Seat back, 20 Front leg, 22 Front leg element, 24 Upper end, 25 Protruding part, 26 Lower end, 28, 29 Holes, 40 Rear leg, 42 Rear leg element, 46 Locking part, 50 Connecting part, 52 Connecting element, 53 Inner wall (side wall), 54 Front wall, 55 Outer wall (side wall), 57 Fastening part, 60, 62 Fixing part, 70 Interior floor, 71 Step, 74 Recess, 76 Striker, 80 Reclining knob, 82 Release means.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat that is positioned to straddle a step in the vehicle floor, with longer front legs fixed below the step compared to rear legs fixed above the step. The aforementioned front leg includes two front leg elements that are spaced apart in the vehicle width direction, Each of the two front leg elements extends from the bottom of the seat cushion toward the interior floor of the vehicle and is fixed to the bottom of the seat cushion and the interior floor of the vehicle. The vehicle seat includes a connecting portion that connects the two front leg elements, The aforementioned connecting portion is A first connecting element is connected to the upper part of one of the front leg elements and to the lower part of the other front leg element, It includes a second connecting element which is connected to the upper part of the other front leg element and to the lower part of the one front leg element, The first and second connecting elements are positioned offset forward of the vehicle from the center position in the vehicle's longitudinal direction at the foremost and rearmost parts of each front leg element. A vehicle seat characterized by the following features.

2. In the vehicle seat according to claim 1, The upper end of each of the front leg elements is rotatably fixed to the lower part of the seat cushion. The lower end of each of the front leg elements is rotatably fixed to the interior floor of the vehicle. The aforementioned vehicle seat is By tilting the seatback toward the seat cushion, releasing the rear legs from the vehicle floor, and moving the rear portion of the seat cushion upward and forward of the vehicle, each of the front leg elements rotates forward of the vehicle around the pivot axis of the vehicle floor. By moving the aforementioned seat cushion further forward in the vehicle and dropping the seat cushion and seat back into the step located at the front of the vehicle, the seat can be retracted. A vehicle seat characterized by the following features.

3. In the vehicle seat according to claim 1 or 2, Each of the two front leg elements has an inner wall, The inner walls of the two front leg elements face each other, The first connecting element is coupled to the upper part of the inner wall of one of the front leg elements and to the lower part of the inner wall of the other front leg element. The second connecting element is coupled to the upper part of the inner wall of the other front leg element and to the lower part of the inner wall of one of the front leg elements. A vehicle seat characterized by the following features.

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