Electrical component mounting brackets and vehicle seats

Abstract

To provide an electrical component mounting bracket in which an electrical component is easily mounted on a cushion spring of a seat cushion and the number of components becomes less.SOLUTION: An electrical component mounting bracket 40 includes a tabular body part 44 made of resin which is arranged under a cushion spring 32 and whose plate thickness direction is a seat vertical direction. A seat ECU is attached to a lower surface side of the body part 44. A plurality of hook parts 46 protrudes from a plurality of points on a top surface of the body part 44. Each of the plurality of hook parts 46 includes an insertion part 48 into which a part of the cushion spring 32 is inserted along a horizontal direction. The plurality of hook parts 46 is hooked over the cushion spring 32 to be capable of attaching the seat ECU 42 to the cushion spring 32 so that the seat ECU is easily installed. The electrical component mounting bracket 40 integrally includes the body part 44 and the plurality of hook parts 46, so that the number of components becomes less.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat, and particularly to an electrical component mounting bracket for mounting an electrical component on a spring of a seat cushion.

Background Art

[0002] The vehicle seat described in Patent Document 1 below includes a support spring that supports a pad on which an occupant sits from below, a fan that is located below the support spring and blows or sucks air, a duct that connects between the fan and the pad, and brackets that are respectively fixed to the fan and the support spring. The bracket has a pair of side extensions extending on both sides in the seat width direction and a rear extension extending rearward of the seat. Locking members are respectively fixed to the pair of side extensions with screws, and each locking member is locked to the support spring. The rear extension is disposed below the support spring, and a screw that penetrates a holding member disposed above the support spring is screwed into a screw hole of the rear extension. Thus, the bracket is attached to the support spring.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above prior art, screws are used to attach the fan bracket to the support spring (cushion spring), so the number of parts is large and the attachment is complicated.

[0005] In consideration of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to obtain an electrical component mounting bracket and a vehicle seat in which the attachment of an electrical component to a cushion spring of a seat cushion is easy and the number of parts is small. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The electrical component mounting bracket of the first embodiment is formed in the shape of a plate out of resin and is positioned below the cushion spring of the seat cushion of a vehicle seat with the vertical direction of the seat as the thickness direction of the plate, and includes a main body on which the electrical component is mounted on the lower surface, and includes multiple hooks that protrude from multiple locations on the upper surface of the main body, with insertion parts formed therein into which a part of the cushion spring is inserted along the horizontal direction of the seat, and which are hooked onto the cushion spring.

[0007] According to the first embodiment of the electrical component mounting bracket, a main body formed in the shape of a plate from resin is positioned below the cushion spring of the seat cushion of a vehicle seat, with the vertical direction of the seat as the plate thickness direction. Electrical components are mounted on the lower surface of this main body. Multiple hooks protrude from multiple locations on the upper surface of the main body. Each of the multiple hooks has an insertion part into which a portion of the cushion spring is inserted along the horizontal direction of the seat. Since the electrical components are attached to the cushion spring by hooking these multiple hooks onto it, installation is easy. Moreover, since this electrical component mounting bracket has the main body and the multiple hooks integrated into one unit, the number of parts is small.

[0008] In the second embodiment of the electrical component mounting bracket, the plurality of hook portions include a plurality of front-to-rear hook portions in which an insertion portion is formed into which a part of the cushion spring is inserted along the front-to-rear direction of the seat, and the opening direction of the insertion portion of the plurality of front-to-rear hook portions is the same direction.

[0009] According to the electrical component mounting bracket of the second embodiment, each of the multiple front-to-rear directional hook portions included in the multiple hook portions has an insertion portion into which a part of the cushion spring is inserted along the front-to-rear direction of the seat. The opening direction of the insertion portions of the multiple front-to-rear directional hook portions is the same. This makes it easier to insert a part of the cushion spring into the insertion portions of the multiple front-to-rear directional hook portions.

[0010] In the third embodiment of the electrical component mounting bracket, in the first or second embodiment, the plurality of hook portions include a plurality of left-right oriented hook portions in which an insertion portion is formed into which a part of the cushion spring is inserted along the left-right direction of the seat, and the opening direction of the insertion portion of the plurality of left-right oriented hook portions is the same direction.

[0011] According to the third embodiment of the electrical component mounting bracket, each of the multiple left-right oriented hook portions included in the multiple hook portions has an insertion portion into which a part of the cushion spring is inserted along the left-right direction of the seat. The opening direction of the insertion portions of the multiple left-right oriented hook portions is the same. This makes it easier to insert a part of the cushion spring into the insertion portions of the multiple left-right oriented hook portions.

[0012] In the fourth embodiment, the electrical component mounting bracket, in the third embodiment, includes a plurality of hook portions, a plurality of front-to-back hook portions and a plurality of left-to-right hook portions.

[0013] According to the electrical component mounting bracket of the fourth embodiment, the plurality of hook portions include both a plurality of front-to-rear hook portions in which an insertion portion is formed into which a part of the cushion spring is inserted along the front-to-rear direction of the seat, and a plurality of left-to-right hook portions in which an insertion portion is formed into which a part of the cushion spring is inserted along the left-to-right direction of the seat. This allows the main body to be positioned relative to the cushion spring in both the front-to-rear direction and the left-to-right direction of the seat.

[0014] A vehicle seat of the fifth embodiment comprises a seat cushion having a cushion spring, and an electrical component mounting bracket of any one of the first to fourth embodiments, on which electrical components are mounted on the main body located below the cushion spring, and the plurality of hooks are hooked onto the cushion spring.

[0015] In the fifth embodiment of the vehicle seat, the main body of the electrical component mounting bracket is positioned below the cushion spring of the seat cushion, and the electrical component is mounted on the main body. The electrical component is attached to the cushion spring by hooking the hook portion of this electrical component mounting bracket onto the cushion spring. Since this electrical component mounting bracket is of any one of the first to fourth embodiments, the aforementioned effects are obtained. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] As described above, the electrical component mounting bracket and vehicle seat according to the present invention make it easy to attach electrical components to the cushion springs of the seat cushion and reduce the number of parts. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a plan view mainly showing the frame of a vehicle seat according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing the configuration around the cushion spring in the seat cushion of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the configuration shown in Figure 2, taken from a different direction than in Figure 2. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing the cushion spring and the mounting bracket for electrical components. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view of a part of the configuration shown in Figure 4, viewed from a different direction than in Figure 4. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view of a part of the configuration shown in Figure 5, viewed from a different direction than in Figure 5. [Figure 7]A perspective view of a part of the configuration shown in FIG. 5 as seen from a direction different from that of FIG. 5. [Figure 8] A perspective view of a part of the configuration shown in FIG. 5 as seen from a direction different from that of FIG. 5. [Figure 9] A perspective view of a part of the configuration shown in FIG. 5 as seen from a direction different from that of FIG. 5. [Figure 10] A front view showing the left - right direction hook part which is a locking hook part. [Figure 11] A front view showing the left - right direction hook part which is a sliding hook part.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, the vehicle seat 10 and the electrical component mounting bracket 40 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11. In each figure, some reference numerals may be omitted for the sake of clarity of the drawing. Also, the arrows FR, LH, and UP appropriately shown in each figure indicate the front, left, and upper directions of the vehicle seat 10, respectively. Hereinafter, when explaining using the front - rear, left - right, and up - down directions, it shall indicate the direction with respect to the vehicle seat 10.

[0019] Figure 1 shows the frame 12 of a vehicle seat 10 according to this embodiment. This vehicle seat 10 is a power seat, and for example, the position of the seat in the front-rear direction relative to the vehicle, the reclining angle of the seat back 16, and the vertical position of the seat cushion 14 can be adjusted electrically. The frame 12 of this vehicle seat 10 has a cushion frame 22 that constitutes the skeleton of the seat cushion 14 and a back frame 24 that constitutes the skeleton of the seat back 16. The lower end of the back frame 24 is connected to the rear end of the cushion frame 22 via a well-known reclining mechanism. A headrest 20 is connected to the upper end of the back frame 24. The cushion frame 22 is covered with a cushion pad (not shown) covered with a cushion surface, which is placed over the seat from above, and the back frame 24 is covered with a back pad (not shown) covered with a back surface.

[0020] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the cushion frame 22 has a pair of left and right side frames 26, a front frame 28 (not shown in Figures 1 and 3), and a rear frame 30. The left and right side frames 26 and the front frame 28 are manufactured, for example, by press-forming sheet metal, and the rear frame 30 is made of, for example, a metal pipe. The left and right side frames 26 are positioned on the left and right sides of the seat cushion 14 and are elongated plate-shaped with the front-to-back direction of the seat as the longitudinal direction and the left-to-right direction of the seat as the thickness direction. The front frame 28 is positioned at the front of the seat cushion 14 and is elongated plate-shaped with the left-to-right direction of the seat as the longitudinal direction and the up-to-down direction of the seat as the thickness direction. This front frame 28 is spanned between the upper ends of the front of the left and right side frames 26. The rear frame 30 is positioned with the left-to-right direction of the seat as the axial direction and is spanned between the rear ends of the cushion frame 22.

[0021] As shown in Figure 4, a cushion spring (suspension mat) 32 is stretched between the front frame 28 and the rear frame 30. The cushion spring 32 is composed of, for example, a plurality (in this case, four) S-springs 34, a plurality of covering portions 36 that cover the ends of each S-spring 34, and a plurality of connecting portions 38 that connect the plurality of S-springs 34, and elastically supports the cushion pad from the lower side of the seat.

[0022] Multiple S-springs 34 are formed by bending linear spring material into a zigzag shape, with each having its longitudinal direction in the front-rear direction of the seat and being arranged side by side in the left-right direction of the seat. The front end of each S-spring 34 is bent downwards toward the seat and is covered by a resin covering portion 36. The front end of each S-spring 34 is inserted into and locked into a locking hole (reference numeral omitted) formed on the rear edge of the front frame 28. The rear end of each S-spring 34 is bent in an arc shape that protrudes upwards toward the seat and is covered by a resin covering portion 36. The rear end of each S-spring 34 is hooked onto the rear frame 30 from above the seat. The covering portions 36 provided on the rear end of each S-spring 34 are connected in the left-right direction of the seat.

[0023] Each S-spring 34 has a zigzag bend in the middle of its lengthwise direction in the seat's front-to-back direction, with a portion extending in the front-to-back direction of the seat and a portion extending in the left-to-right direction of the seat. The multiple connecting portions 38 are made of resin and are plate-shaped with the left-to-right direction of the seat as the longitudinal direction and the up-to-down direction of the seat as the thickness direction. These connecting portions 38 connect each S-spring 34 to each other in the left-to-right direction of the seat.

[0024] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, an electrical component mounting bracket 40 according to an embodiment of the present invention is positioned below the cushion spring 32. The electrical component mounting bracket 40 is a bracket for attaching an electrical component, a seat ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 42, to the cushion spring 32. The seat ECU consists of a microcomputer with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), and an input / output I / F (Interface) connected to a bus.

[0025] The input / output interface of the seat ECU 42 is electrically connected to various vehicle-side electrical components such as vehicle ECUs and batteries installed in the vehicle, as well as motors such as a slide motor, a reclining motor, and a lifter motor (all not shown) provided on the vehicle seat 10. The operation of each of these motors is controlled by the seat ECU 42. This allows the vehicle seat 10 to adjust its position in the front-to-back direction relative to the vehicle, the reclining angle of the seat back 16, and the vertical position of the seat cushion 14.

[0026] The electrical component mounting bracket 40 is manufactured by resin injection molding and, as shown in Figures 2 to 5, integrally comprises a main body 44 and multiple (in this case, seven) hook portions 46. The main body 44 is plate-shaped with the left-right direction of the seat as the longitudinal direction and the up-down direction of the seat as the plate thickness direction. Reinforcing ribs are formed in a roughly grid pattern on the upper surface of the main body 44. The seat ECU 42 is attached (fixed) to the lower surface of the main body 44 by means of claw fitting, screw fastening, etc.

[0027] Multiple hook portions 46 protrude upward from multiple locations on the upper surface of the main body portion 44 towards the seat. Each of the multiple hook portions 46 has an insertion portion 48 into which a part of the cushion spring 32 is inserted along the horizontal direction of the seat, and each hook portion 46 is hooked onto the cushion spring 32. The multiple hook portions 46 include multiple (in this case, four) left-right oriented hook portions 46A and multiple (in this case, three) front-rear oriented hook portions 46B.

[0028] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the four left-right directional hook portions 46A protrude from the upper surface of the front end of the main body portion 44 and are arranged side by side in the left-right direction of the seat. Each of the four left-right directional hook portions 46A has an insertion portion 48 that opens on one side in the left-right direction of the seat (in this case, the left side of the seat) when viewed from the front-rear direction of the seat. The opening direction of the insertion portion 48 is the same for all four left-right directional hook portions 46A. Parts of the four S-springs 34 of the cushion spring 32 (the parts that extend in the front-rear direction of the seat) are inserted into the insertion portion 48 of the four left-right directional hook portions 46A along the left-right direction of the seat, and each left-right directional hook portion 46A is hooked onto each S-spring 34. In other words, the four left-right directional hook portions 46A are hooked onto the four S-springs 34 from the right side of the seat. Alternatively, each of the four left-right directional hook portions 46A may be configured to open on the right side of the seat. In that case, the four left-right hook sections 46A are configured to hook onto the four S-springs 34 from the left side of the seat.

[0029] As shown in Figures 4, 5, and 7-9, the three front-to-rear hook portions 46B protrude from the upper surface of the rear of the main body portion 44 and are arranged side by side in the left-to-right direction of the seat. Each of the three front-to-rear hook portions 46B has an insertion portion 48 that opens on one side of the front-to-rear direction of the seat (in this case, the rear side of the seat) when viewed from the left-to-right direction of the seat. The opening direction of the insertion portion 48 is the same for all three front-to-rear hook portions 46B. Parts of two S-springs 34 (the parts that extend in the left-to-right direction of the seat) located on the outside of the left-to-right direction of the seat are inserted into the insertion portion 48 of the two front-to-rear hook portions 46B, and the two front-to-rear hook portions 46B are hooked onto the two S-springs 34. Furthermore, a portion of a connecting portion 38, also located on the center side of the seat in the left-right direction, is inserted into the insertion portion 48 of one front-rear directional hook portion 46B located on the center side of the seat in the left-right direction, and the front-rear directional hook portion 46B is hooked onto the connecting portion 38. In other words, the three front-rear directional hook portions 46B are hooked onto the two S-springs 34 and the connecting portion 38 from the front side of the seat. Alternatively, each insertion portion 48 of the three front-rear directional hook portions 46B may be configured to open towards the front of the seat. In that case, the three front-rear directional hook portions 46B will be hooked onto the two S-springs 34 and the connecting portion 38 from the rear side of the seat.

[0030] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the left-right directional hook portions 46A include those with and without locking portions 50. The left-right directional hook portions 46A with locking portions 50 correspond to the "locking hook portions" in the present invention, and the left-right directional hook portions 46A without locking portions 50 correspond to the sliding hook portions in the present invention. In this embodiment, the two left-right directional hook portions 46A located on the central side in the left-right direction of the seat are designated as locking hook portions, and the two left-right directional hook portions 46A located on the outer side in the left-right direction of the seat are designated as sliding hook portions. Hereinafter, the left-right directional hook portions 46A with locking portions 50 may be referred to as "locking hook portions 46A," and the left-right directional hook portions 46A without locking portions 50 may be referred to as "sliding hook portions 46A."

[0031] As shown in Figure 10, in the locking hook portion 46A, the vertical width of the insertion portion 48 is set to be sufficiently larger than the diameter of the S spring 34. In the locking hook portion 46A, the locking portion 50 extends diagonally from the upper edge of the opening of the insertion portion 48 toward the back of the opening and toward the bottom of the seat. At the tip of the locking portion 50, a branch portion 50A is formed that branches off and extends toward the front of the opening and toward the bottom of the seat when viewed from the front-rear direction of the seat. When a part of the S spring 34 is inserted into the insertion portion 48 of the left-right hook portion 46A having the locking portion 50, a part of the S spring 34 slides against the tip of the locking portion 50, and the locking portion 50 undergoes elastic deformation. When a part of the S spring 34 is inserted all the way to the back of the insertion portion 48, the locking portion 50 elastically returns to its original position and the tip of the locking portion 50 engages with a part of the S spring 34. In this state, the branch portion 50A engages (contacts) with a portion of the S-spring 34 from the right side of the seat (i.e., the opposite side from the direction in which a portion of the S-spring 34 is inserted into the insertion portion 48), thereby preventing a portion of the S-spring 34 from shifting relative to the locking hook portion 46A.

[0032] As shown in Figure 11, in the sliding hook portion 46A, the vertical width of the inner side of the insertion portion 48 is set to be equal to the diameter of the S spring 34, and a portion of the S spring 34 inserted into the insertion portion 48 is slidable relative to the sliding hook portion 46A along the insertion direction into the insertion portion 48 (i.e., along the left-right direction of the seat). In this embodiment, when a vehicle occupant is seated on the vehicle seat 10, the two S springs 34 located on the outer side in the left-right direction of the seat deflect more in the left-right direction of the seat than the two S springs 34 located on the central side in the left-right direction of the seat, but this deflection is permitted by the sliding described above.

[0033] In this embodiment, of the three front-to-rear hook portions 46B, the two front-to-rear hook portions 46B located on the outer side in the left-to-right direction of the seat are locking hook portions having locking portions 50 similar to those described above, while the one front-to-rear hook portion 46B located on the central side in the left-to-right direction of the seat is a sliding hook portion that does not have a locking portion 50 similar to those described above. A part of the S spring inserted into the insertion portion 48 of the front-to-rear hook portion 46B, which is a locking hook portion, prevents displacement relative to the locking hook portion. The connecting portion 38 inserted into the insertion portion 48 of the front-to-rear hook portion 46B, which is a sliding hook portion, is slidable in the front-to-rear direction of the seat relative to the sliding hook portion.

[0034] (Mechanism of Action and Effects) Next, the operation and effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0035] In the electrical component mounting bracket 40 of the vehicle seat 10 with the above configuration, a main body portion 44 formed in the shape of a plate out of resin is positioned below the cushion spring 32 of the seat cushion 14, with the vertical direction of the seat as the thickness direction of the plate. The seat ECU 42 is mounted on the lower surface of this main body portion 44. Multiple hook portions 46 protrude from multiple locations on the upper surface of the main body portion 44. Insertion portions 48 are formed in the multiple hook portions 46 into which a part of the cushion spring 32 is inserted along the horizontal direction of the seat. The seat ECU 42 can be attached to the cushion spring 32 by hooking these multiple hook portions 46 onto the cushion spring 32, making installation easy. Moreover, since this electrical component mounting bracket 40 has the main body portion 44 and the multiple hook portions 46 integrated into one unit, the number of parts is small.

[0036] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, each of the multiple left-right oriented hook portions 46A included in the multiple hook portions 46 has an insertion portion 48 into which a part of the cushion spring 32 is inserted along the left-right direction of the seat. The opening direction of the insertion portion 48 of the multiple left-right oriented hook portions 46A is the same direction (to the left of the seat). This makes it easier to insert a part of the cushion spring 32 into the insertion portion of the multiple left-right oriented hook portions 46A.

[0037] Similarly, according to this embodiment, each of the multiple front-to-rear hook portions 46B included in the multiple hook portions 46 has an insertion portion 48 into which a part of the cushion spring 32 is inserted along the front-to-rear direction of the seat. The opening direction of the insertion portion 48 of the multiple front-to-rear hook portions 46B is the same direction (rear of the seat). This makes it easier to insert a part of the cushion spring 32 into the insertion portion 48 of the multiple front-to-rear hook portions 46B.

[0038] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the multiple hook portions 46 include both a plurality of left-right oriented hook portions 46A, each having an insertion portion 48 into which a part of the cushion spring 32 is inserted along the left-right direction of the seat, and a plurality of front-rear oriented hook portions 46B, each having an insertion portion 48 into which a part of the cushion spring 32 is inserted along the front-rear direction of the seat. This allows the main body portion 44 to be positioned relative to the cushion spring 32 in both the front-rear and left-right directions of the seat.

[0039] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the plurality of hook portions 46 include hook portions 46 having a locking portion 50 (locking hook portion) and hook portions 46 without a locking portion 50 (sliding hook portion). The locking portion 50 slides against a part of the cushion spring 32 inserted into the insertion portion 48, undergoes elastic deformation, and then elastically returns to its original position, engaging with the part of the cushion spring 32 from the opposite side of the insertion direction. This prevents displacement of a part of the cushion spring 32 relative to the hook portion 46 having a locking portion 50. In addition, in the hook portion 46 without a locking portion 50, a part of the cushion spring 32 inserted into the insertion portion 48 is made slidable along the insertion direction. This sliding allows for the absorption of differences in the amount of deflection in each part of the cushion spring 32. As a result, for example, the generation of abnormal noise can be prevented, and the risk of damage can be reduced.

[0040] In the above embodiment, the case in which the electrical component in the present invention is a seat ECU42 was described, but the invention is not limited to this, and the electrical component may be a blower fan or the like.

[0041] Furthermore, although the above embodiment described a case where the vehicle seat 10 is a power seat, the vehicle seat according to the present invention is not limited to this case, and may also be a manual seat.

[0042] Furthermore, the present invention can be implemented with various modifications without departing from its spirit. Of course, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0043] 10 Vehicle seats 14 Seat Cushions 32 cushion springs 40. Electrical component mounting bracket 42 Seat ECU (Electrical Components) 44 Main body 46 Hook section 46A Left and right hook section 46B Front and rear hook section 48 Insertion part 50 Locking part

Claims

1. A main body formed from resin in a plate shape, positioned below the cushion spring of a vehicle seat cushion with the vertical direction of the seat as the plate thickness direction, and with electrical components mounted on the lower surface, Multiple parts protrude from multiple locations on the upper surface of the main body, and insertion parts are formed into which a part of the cushion spring is inserted along the horizontal direction of the seat, and multiple hook parts are provided to hook onto the cushion spring, Equipped with, The plurality of hook portions include a plurality of front-to-back hook portions in which an insertion portion is formed into which a part of the cushion spring is inserted along the front-to-back direction of the seat, and a plurality of left-to-right hook portions in which an insertion portion is formed into which a part of the cushion spring is inserted along the left-to-right direction of the seat. The opening direction of the insertion portion of the multiple front-to-back hook portions is the same. The opening direction of the insertion portion of the multiple left-right directional hook portions is the same. The plurality of hook portions include a locking hook portion having a locking portion, and when a part of the cushion spring is inserted into the insertion portion of the locking hook portion, the locking portion elastically deforms and then elastically returns to its original state, and the tip of the locking portion engages with the part, The aforementioned mounting bracket for electrical components includes a sliding hook portion in which a part of the cushion spring inserted into the insertion portion is slidable along the insertion direction.

2. A seat cushion having a cushion spring, An electrical component mounting bracket according to claim 1, wherein an electrical component is mounted on the main body portion located below the cushion spring, and the plurality of hook portions are hooked onto the cushion spring, A vehicle seat equipped with the following features.

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