Vehicle seats

Abstract

To provide a vehicle seat capable of improving sitting comfort and recyclability.SOLUTION: A vehicle seat 10 comprises: a metal cushion spring 20 that is configured to include outside spring materials 22 and 24 having wing parts 22A and 24A bent in a nearly U-shaped form and inclined outward and upward in a seat width direction, and folded parts 22B and 24B continuing from an inside end part in the seat width direction of the wing parts 22A and 24A and bent in a nearly L-shaped form, and which is installed between a front part and a rear part of a seat cushion 12; and a resin support member 30 that has a body part 32 and an inclined part 34 inclined from an outside end part in the seat width direction of the body part 32 outward and upward in the seat width direction, and which is mounted on the cushion spring 20 by having a first fitting part 34A formed on the inclined part 34 fitted to a portion extending in a longitudinal direction of the wing parts 22A and 24A and having a second fitting part 32A formed on the body part 32 fitted to a portion extending in the seat width direction of the folded parts 22B and 24B.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat.

Background Art

[0002] A vehicle seat in which a cushion pan made of an elastic synthetic resin is disposed in a central opening of a metal seat frame and the lower surface of a seat pad of the seat cushion is supported by the cushion pan has been conventionally known (for example, see Patent Document 1). This cushion pan has a spring material extending in the front-rear direction integrally formed on front-rear support portions extending from the front end to the rear end of the seat cushion, and a spring material extending in the left-right direction integrally formed on side support portions extending obliquely upward from both left and right side edges of the front-rear support portions. Therefore, the bending rigidity and torsional rigidity of the spring material are improved.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in such a cushion pan configured as described above, the bending rigidity and torsional rigidity of the spring material become too high more than necessary. Specifically, since this cushion pan has a configuration in which the spring material is embedded and integrated in the resin material, even when the spring material tries to bend and deform to receive a load, the resin material receives the load with a tensile force, making it difficult for the spring material to bend and deform. That is, in such a cushion pan, the bending deformation (cushioning property) of the spring material is inhibited more than necessary, and the sitting comfort is not necessarily good. In addition, since it is difficult to separate the resin material and the spring material, the recyclability is poor.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to obtain a vehicle seat that can improve sitting comfort and recyclability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the vehicle seat according to claim 1 of the present invention comprises a wing portion that is bent in a substantially "U" shape in a plan view or a bottom view and inclined outward and upward in the width direction of the seat, In plan view or bottom view, the above The cushion spring is constructed by including a pair of left and right outer spring members, each having a folded portion that is bent in a substantially "L" shape continuously from the inner end of the wing portion in the seat width direction, and is installed between the front and rear of the seat cushion; and a resin support member attached to the cushion spring, which has a flat main body portion and an inclined portion that slopes outward and upward in the seat width direction from the outer end of the main body portion in the seat width direction, and at least a first fitting portion formed on the inclined portion is fitted to the portion of the wing portion that extends in the seat front-rear direction, and a second fitting portion formed on the main body portion is fitted to the portion of the folded portion that extends in the seat width direction.

[0007] According to the invention described in claim 1, a metal cushion spring installed between the front and rear of the seat cushion has a wing portion that is bent in a substantially "U" shape in a plan view or a bottom view and inclined outward and upward in the seat width direction, View from above or below The structure includes a pair of left and right outer spring members, each having a folded portion that is bent in a roughly "L" shape continuously from the inner end of the wing portion in the sheet width direction. A resin support member, having a flat main body portion and an inclined portion that slopes outward and upward in the sheet width direction from the outer end of the main body portion in the sheet width direction, is attached to the cushion spring by fitting a first fitting portion formed on at least the inclined portion to the portion of the wing portion that extends in the sheet front-rear direction, and fitting a second fitting portion formed on the main body to the portion of the folded portion that extends in the sheet width direction.

[0008] Therefore, compared to designs where the spring material is embedded and integrated into the resin material, the bending deformation of the cushion spring is not unnecessarily inhibited. This improves the cushioning of the seat cushion and enhances seating comfort. Furthermore, even when the wing section bends due to the occupant sitting on the seat cushion, the slippage of the support member relative to the cushion spring (displacement in the seat's longitudinal and seat width directions) is suppressed, and the bending and torsional rigidity of the cushion spring is effectively improved by the support member. Thus, the support force (holding ability) for the occupant is also improved. In addition, since the support member is attached to the cushion spring by fitting, it is easy to separate from the cushion spring, improving recyclability.

[0009] Furthermore, the vehicle seat described in claim 2 is the vehicle seat described in claim 1, wherein the cushion spring is The system also includes an inner spring material positioned between the pair of left and right outer spring materials in a plan view or bottom view, and the inner spring material is The aforementioned wing section has a bent portion that is bent in a roughly "S" shape when viewed from above or below, at a position that is approximately the same as the front-rear direction of the seat. death The third fitting portion formed on the main body is fitted into the portion of the bent portion that extends in the front-rear direction of the sheet.

[0010] According to the invention described in claim 2, the cushion spring is It also includes an inner spring material positioned between a pair of left and right outer spring materials in a plan view or bottom view. The inner spring material is The wing section and the seat have a bent section that is bent in an approximately "S" shape when viewed from above or from below, at a position that is approximately the same in the front-rear direction. death, A third fitting portion formed on the main body is fitted into the portion of the bent section that extends in the front-rear direction of the seat. Therefore, even if the wing portion flexes and deforms when an occupant sits on the seat cushion, the slippage of the support member relative to the cushion spring (displacement in the front-rear direction and the seat width direction) is more effectively suppressed, and the bending rigidity and torsional rigidity of the cushion spring are more effectively improved by the support member. Thus, the support force (holding ability) for the occupant is more effectively improved.

[0011] Furthermore, the vehicle seat according to claim 3 is the vehicle seat according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein reinforcing ribs are formed at the boundary between the main body and the inclined portion.

[0012] According to the invention described in claim 3, reinforcing ribs are formed at the boundary between the main body and the inclined portion of the support member. Therefore, the rigidity of the support member can be increased, and thus the support force (holding ability) for the occupant is effectively improved. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to improve the seating comfort and recyclability of a vehicle seat. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a schematic side view showing the internal structure of the seat cushion of a vehicle seat according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic plan view showing an enlarged view of the cushion spring and support member according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a schematic side view showing an enlarged view of the cushion spring and support member according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a schematic front view showing an enlarged view of the cushion spring and support member according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. For the sake of explanation, in each figure, the arrow UP indicates the upward direction of the vehicle seat, the arrow FR indicates the forward direction of the vehicle seat, and the arrow RH indicates the right direction of the vehicle seat. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the directions of up and down, front and back, and left and right refer to the up and down direction of the vehicle seat, the front and back direction of the vehicle seat, and the left and right direction of the vehicle seat (seat width direction).

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle seat 10 according to the present embodiment includes a seat cushion 12 that supports the buttocks and thighs of the occupant P, a seat back 18 that supports the back of the occupant P, and a headrest (not shown) that supports the head of the occupant P. The seat cushion 12 in the present embodiment is used for a vehicle seat 10 such as an electric vehicle, and has a thin type specification in which a seat pad not shown is thinned for weight reduction.

[0017] On the front part of the lower surface side of the seat cushion 12 (seat pad), a metal front panel 14 having a substantially flat plate shape with the seat width direction (left - right direction) as the longitudinal direction is provided, and on the rear part, a cylindrical rear pipe 16 with the seat width direction as the axial direction is provided. And between the front panel 14 and the rear pipe 16, a metal cushion spring 20 including a plurality of (for example, three) spring members 22, 24, 26 (see FIG. 2) is installed.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the cushion spring 20 is configured by bending a plurality of predetermined locations of elongated metal spring members 22, 24, 26 having a circular cross - sectional shape at substantially right angles so as to have portions extending in the left - right direction and the front - rear direction in a plan view (or bottom view). And as shown in FIG. 1, hook portions 21 and hook portions 28 are integrally formed at the front end portions and the rear end portions of the respective spring members 22, 24, 26, respectively.

[0019] The hook portions 21 formed at the front end portions of the respective spring members 22, 24, 26 are respectively inserted into and locked to a plurality of (for example, three) locking holes (not shown) arranged in the left - right direction at the rear end portion of the front panel 14. And the hook portions 28 formed at the rear end portions of the respective spring members 22, 24, 26 are respectively locked to the rear pipe 16 from above.

[0020] In the following, the spring member 26 disposed at the central portion (center portion) in the sheet width direction is referred to as the "inner spring member". And the pair of left and right spring members 22 and 24 disposed symmetrically with respect to the left and right sides (outer side in the sheet width direction) of the inner spring member 26 at a predetermined interval are each referred to as an "outer spring member".

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, the outer spring member 22 has a wing portion 22A that is bent in a substantially "U" shape in plan view and inclined upward toward the outer side in the sheet width direction at a position that supports the buttocks of the occupant P (opposing the buttocks of the occupant P in the vertical direction), and a folded-back portion 22B that is continuously bent in a substantially "L" shape from the inner end portion in the sheet width direction of the wing portion 22A.

[0022] Similarly, the outer spring member 24 has a wing portion 24A that is bent in a substantially "U" shape in plan view and inclined upward toward the outer side in the sheet width direction at a position that supports the buttocks of the occupant P (opposing the buttocks of the occupant P in the vertical direction), and a folded-back portion 24B that is continuously bent in a substantially "L" shape from the inner end portion in the sheet width direction of the wing portion 24A.

[0023] More specifically described, the wing portions 22A and 24A each have a width direction extending portion 22C and 24C that are bent outward in the sheet width direction from the rear portion side of the outer spring members 22 and 24 and extend in the sheet width direction, a front-rear direction extending portion 22D and 24D that are bent forward from the outer end portion in the sheet width direction of the width direction extending portion 22C and 24C and extend in the front-rear direction, and a width direction extending portion 22E and 24E that are bent inward in the sheet width direction from the front end portion of the front-rear direction extending portion 22D and 24D and extend in the sheet width direction.

[0024] The folded portions 22B and 24B have longitudinally extending portions 22F and 24F that are bent forward from the inner ends in the sheet width direction of the widthwise extending portions 22E and 24E and extend in the longitudinal direction, and widthwise extending portions 22G and 24G that are bent outward in the sheet width direction from the front ends of the longitudinally extending portions 22F and 24F and extend in the sheet width direction. The portions that are bent forward from the outer ends in the sheet width direction of the widthwise extending portions 22G and 24G are the front side of the outer spring members 22 and 24.

[0025] The inner spring material 26 has a bent portion 26A that is bent in a roughly "S" shape when viewed from the bottom (or in a plan view) at a position that is roughly the same as the wing portions 22A and 24A in the front-rear direction. More specifically, the bent portion 26A has a widthwise extending portion 26B that is bent outward from the rear side of the inner spring material 26 in one direction in the sheet width direction (the left side in the illustration) and extends in the sheet width direction, and a front-rear extending portion 26C that is bent forward from one of the outer ends in the sheet width direction of the widthwise extending portion 26B and extends in the front-rear direction.

[0026] Furthermore, this bent portion 26A has a widthwise extending portion 26D that extends in the sheet width direction, extending inward from the front end of the front-rear extending portion 26C, and even beyond the center of the sheet width direction to the other side of the sheet width direction (to the right in the illustration), a front-rear extending portion 26E that extends in the front-rear direction, bending forward from the other outer end of the widthwise extending portion 26D in the sheet width direction, and a widthwise extending portion 26F that extends inward from the front end of the front-rear extending portion 26E in the sheet width direction. Note that the portion of the widthwise extending portion 26F that extends forward from the inner end in the sheet width direction is the front side of the inner spring material 26.

[0027] Furthermore, a resin support member 30 is fitted to a position in the front-rear direction that is substantially the same as the wing portions 22A, 24A, folded portions 22B, 24B, and bent portion 26A of the cushion spring 20 (a position that faces the buttocks of the occupant P in the vertical direction and supports the buttocks). Specifically, this support member 30 is a member that supports the posture of the occupant P, and as shown in Figures 2 to 4, it has a substantially rectangular flat main body portion 32 with the seat width direction as its longitudinal direction, and a substantially rectangular flat inclined portion 34 that inclins integrally from the outer ends (both left and right ends) of the main body portion 32 in the seat width direction toward the outer and upward direction in the seat width direction.

[0028] Furthermore, a first fitting portion 34A, integrally formed on the lower surface of at least the front-rear center of each inclined portion 34, is fitted to the front-rear extending portions 22D and 24D, which are the front-rear extending portions of the wing portions 22A and 24A, respectively. A pair of left and right second fitting portions 32A, integrally formed on the lower surface of the front end of the main body portion 32, are fitted to the width-extending portions 22G and 24G, which are the sheet width-extending portions of the folded portions 22B and 24B, respectively. In addition, a pair of third fitting portions 32B, integrally formed on the lower surface of the front-rear center and rear end of the main body portion 32, are fitted to the front-rear extending portions 26C and 26E, which are the front-rear extending portions of the bent portion 26A.

[0029] The first fitting portion 34A, the second fitting portion 32A, and the third fitting portion 32B are each composed of a pair of claws of a predetermined width and length, and the pair of claws are elastically deformable in a direction that separates them from each other. Therefore, the first fitting portion 34A, the second fitting portion 32A, and the third fitting portion 32B are fitted from above onto the front-rear extension portions 22D, 24D, the width extension portions 22G, 24G, the front-rear extension portion 26C, and the front-rear extension portion 26E, respectively. This allows the support member 30 to be attached to the cushion spring 20.

[0030] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, a reinforcing rib 36 is integrally formed on the lower surface of the boundary between the main body portion 32 and the inclined portion 34 of the support member 30. This rib 36 is formed in a substantially right-angled triangular prism shape when viewed with the front-rear direction as the height direction, and is designed to reinforce the inclined portion 34 so that it does not split from both the left and right ends of the main body portion 32 even if a load is applied to the inclined portion 34 from above. As shown in Figure 3, this rib 36 is formed at the center of the support member 30 in the front-rear direction for a predetermined length, but it may also be formed along the entire length of the support member 30 in the front-rear direction.

[0031] The vehicle seat 10 according to this embodiment, which has the configuration described above, will now be explained in terms of its operation.

[0032] As described above, the metal cushion spring 20 installed between the front panel 14 and the rear pipe 16 of the seat cushion 12 is composed of a pair of left and right symmetrical outer spring members 22 and 24, each having wing portions 22A and 24A that are bent in a substantially "U" shape in a plan view or bottom view and inclined outward and upward in the seat width direction, and folded-back portions 22B and 24B that are bent in a substantially "L" shape continuously from the inner ends of the wing portions 22A and 24A in the seat width direction.

[0033] The resin support member 30, which has a roughly rectangular flat main body portion 32 and a roughly rectangular flat inclined portion 34 that inclins integrally from the outer ends (both left and right ends) of the main body portion 32 in the sheet width direction toward the outer and upward in the sheet width direction, is attached to the cushion spring 20 by fitting a first fitting portion 34A formed on at least the inclined portion 34 to the front-rear extending portions 22D, 24D of the wing portions 22A, 24A, and fitting a second fitting portion 32A formed on the main body portion 32 to the width-extending portions 22G, 24G of the folded-back portions 22B, 24B.

[0034] In other words, a resin support member 30, separate from the metal cushion spring 20, is attached to the cushion spring 20. Therefore, the bending and torsional rigidity of at least a portion of the cushion spring 20 to which the support member 30 is attached can be improved, and the cushion spring 20 and the support member 30 can support the posture of the occupant P (via the seat pad).

[0035] Furthermore, since sufficient deflection deformation can be ensured in the remaining portion of the cushion spring 20, excluding the portion to which the support member 30 is attached, it is possible to suppress the deflection deformation (stroke feel) of the cushion spring 20 from being unnecessarily hindered compared to a spring material that is embedded and integrated with a resin material.

[0036] Therefore, even if the seat pad is made thinner and the seat cushion 12 is made thinner to reduce weight, it is possible to suppress the loss of cushioning properties of the seat cushion 12 (improve cushioning properties) and suppress the loss of seating comfort (improve seating comfort). In other words, even if the seat cushion 12 is thin, it is possible to suppress the decrease in the sense of posture support for the occupant P and provide a comfortable riding environment.

[0037] Furthermore, since the first fitting portion 34A is fitted to the longitudinally extending portions 22D and 24D, and the second fitting portion 32A is fitted to the widthwise extending portions 22G and 24G, even if the wing portions 22A and 24A flex and deform when the occupant P sits on the seat cushion 12, the slippage of the support member 30 relative to the cushion spring 20 (displacement in the longitudinal direction and the seat width direction) can be suppressed, and the bending rigidity and torsional rigidity of the cushion spring 20 can be more effectively improved by the support member 30. Thus, the support force (holding ability) for the occupant P can be improved.

[0038] Furthermore, since inclined portions 34 are formed on both the left and right ends of the main body 32, sloping outward and upward in the seat width direction, it is possible to suppress the difference in the amount of deflection deformation between the wing portions 22A and 24A, which are also sloping outward and upward in the seat width direction, thereby suppressing or preventing the occurrence of a malfunction in which the support member 30 detaches from the cushion spring 20 while the occupant P is seated on the seat cushion 12.

[0039] Furthermore, since the wing sections 22A, 24A and the inclined section 34 are both inclined outward and upward in the seat width direction, compared to, for example, a case where the wing sections 22A, 24A are not inclined outward and upward in the seat width direction, when a load is applied from the occupant P (from above), the load can be effectively received by the wing sections 22A, 24A and the inclined section 34. In other words, cracking of the inclined section 34 from the main body section 32 can be prevented, and a decrease in the holding performance of the inclined section 34 can be suppressed. Therefore, the support force (holding performance) for the occupant P can be improved.

[0040] Furthermore, the cushion spring 20 also includes an inner spring material 26 having a bent portion 26A that is bent in a roughly "S" shape when viewed from the bottom (or in a plan view) at a position that is substantially the same in the front-rear direction as the wing portions 22A, 24A and the folded portions 22B, 24B. Then, a pair of third fitting portions 32B formed on the main body portion 32 are fitted into the front-rear extending portions 26C and 26E of the bent portion 26A.

[0041] Therefore, even if the wing sections 22A and 24A flex and deform when the occupant P sits on the seat cushion 12, the slippage of the support member 30 relative to the cushion spring 20 (displacement in the longitudinal direction and the seat width direction) can be more effectively suppressed, and the bending rigidity and torsional rigidity of the cushion spring 20 can be more effectively improved by the support member 30. Thus, the support force (holding ability) for the occupant P can be more effectively improved.

[0042] Furthermore, a reinforcing rib 36 is integrally formed at the boundary between the main body portion 32 and the inclined portion 34 of the support member 30. Therefore, the rigidity of the support member 30, particularly the inclined portion 34, can be increased, thereby effectively improving the support force (holding ability) for the occupant P.

[0043] Furthermore, since the support member 30 is attached to the cushion spring 20 by the fitting of the first fitting portion 34A, the second fitting portion 32A, and the third fitting portion 32B, it is easy to separate from the cushion spring 20. Therefore, the recyclability of the cushion spring 20 and the support member 30 can be improved compared to those in which the spring material is embedded in the resin material and integrated.

[0044] The vehicle seat 10 according to this embodiment has been described above based on the drawings. However, the vehicle seat 10 according to this embodiment is not limited to the illustrated version, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the inclined portion 34 may be formed only on either the left or right end of the main body portion 32.

[0045] Furthermore, the inclined portion 34 may also be formed at, for example, the rear end of the main body portion 32. Also, the bent portion 26A is not limited to being formed in a substantially "S" shape when viewed from below as shown in the figure, but may also be formed in a substantially "S" shape when viewed from above. In that case, the formation position of the pair of third fitting portions 32B is also changed to match the shape of the bent portion 26A. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0046] 10 Vehicle seats 12 seat cushions 20 Cushion springs 22 Outer spring material 22A wing section 22B Folded part 24 Outer spring material 24A wing section 24B Folded part 26 Inner spring material 26A Bend part 30 Support member 32 Main body 32A 2nd fitting part 32B 3rd fitting part 34 Slope 34A First mating section 36 Rib

Claims

1. A metal cushion spring is installed between the front and rear of the seat cushion, comprising a pair of left and right outer spring members having a wing portion that is bent in a roughly "U" shape when viewed from above or from below and inclined outward and upward in the seat width direction, and a folded portion that is bent in a roughly "L" shape continuously from the inner end of the wing portion in the seat width direction when viewed from above or from below, The support member, made of resin, is attached to the cushion spring. The support member has a flat main body and an inclined portion that slopes outward and upward in the sheet width direction from the outer end of the main body in the sheet width direction, and at least a first fitting portion formed on the inclined portion is fitted to the portion of the wing that extends in the sheet front-rear direction, and a second fitting portion formed on the main body is fitted to the portion of the folded portion that extends in the sheet width direction. A vehicle seat equipped with [a specific feature / feature].

2. The cushion spring also includes an inner spring material positioned between the pair of left and right outer spring materials in a plan view or a bottom view, The inner spring material has a bent portion that is bent in a substantially "S" shape in a plan view or bottom view at a position that is substantially the same as the wing portion in the front-rear direction of the sheet, The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the third fitting portion formed on the main body is fitted to the portion of the bent portion that extends in the front-rear direction of the seat.

3. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein reinforcing ribs are formed at the boundary between the main body and the inclined portion.

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