Seat back locking device and vehicle seat equipped therewith

Abstract

To provide a seat back lock device that can prevent an engaged part from rotating carelessly, while enabling tilting of a seat back in both of front and rear directions, and a vehicle seat having the same.SOLUTION: A lock device 10 for a seat back 22 has: an engagement part 42 and an engaged part 40 which is provided on a side part 22A of a seat back 22 in a vehicle seat 14, is pivotally supported so as to be rotatable in a range including a standing storage position where the same stands along a vertical direction of the seat back 22 and a horizontal projection position where the same projects from the side part 22A to an outer side in a seat width direction, and can engage with an engagement part provided on other vehicle seat 16 at the horizontal projection position; and a tension part 44 of which a lower end part is connected to the engaged part 40 and an upper end part is configured to be grippable, transfers the engaged part 40 from the standing storage position to the horizontal projection position by operation for pulling the upper end part, and transfers the engaged part 40 from the horizontal projection position to the standing storage position by operation for further pulling the upper end part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a seat back locking device and a vehicle seat equipped with the same.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a locking device for locking a seat back of a vehicle seat to a side wall of a vehicle compartment is known. The conventional locking device includes a striker (engaged portion) fixed to the side wall of the vehicle compartment and protruding inward of the vehicle compartment, and a hook (engaging portion) provided on the outer side portion in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle seat and configured to be engageable and disengageable with the striker. In the conventional locking device, when the seat back is rotated from the front side to the rear side of the seat with respect to the striker, the hook is engaged with the striker, and the seat back is locked to the side wall of the vehicle compartment. Further, when the engagement between the hook and the striker is released, the seat back can be rotated forward. In the conventional locking device, since the permanently provided striker interferes with the hook, the seat back cannot be tilted rearward of the seat with respect to the striker.

[0003] Patent Document 1 below discloses a locking device that allows the seat back to tilt rearward of the striker (engaged portion). In this technique, the seat back provided with the hook can be tilted forward in a state where the engagement between the hook and the striker is released, similar to the conventional seat back.

[0004] Here, in the technique described in Patent Document 1 below, the striker provided on the side wall of the vehicle compartment is configured to be able to select a horizontal protruding state protruding orthogonally to the side wall and a standing storage state standing along the side wall. In the standing storage state of the striker, the hook does not interfere with the striker, so the seat back of this technique can be tilted rearward of the striker. The striker is rotated in the vertical direction by pushing an operation button provided on the side wall of the vehicle compartment.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-47899 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] However, in the case of a locking device described in Patent Document 1 above, where the engaged part is rotated by pressing a release button provided on the side wall of the passenger compartment, there is a possibility that the engaged part may be unintentionally rotated by actions such as the occupant placing their hand on the side wall. Therefore, there is room for improvement in order to prevent unintentional rotation of the engaged part while allowing the seat back to tilt in both the front and rear directions.

[0007] In consideration of the above facts, the present invention aims to provide a seat back locking device that allows the seat back to tilt in both the front and rear directions while preventing unintentional rotation of the engaged portion, and a vehicle seat equipped therewith. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The seat back locking device according to claim 1 is provided on the side of a seat back in a vehicle seat and is rotatable within a range including an upright storage position in which it is erect along the vertical direction of the seat back and a horizontal protruding position in which it protrudes outward from the side in the seat width direction, and has an engaged portion configured to engage with an engaging portion provided on either another vehicle seat adjacent to the vehicle seat or the side wall of the vehicle compartment in the horizontal protruding position, and has a lower end connected to the engaged portion and an upper end configured to be grippable, and by pulling the upper end, the engaged portion is moved from the upright storage position to the horizontal protruding position, and by further pulling the upper end, the engaged portion is moved from the horizontal protruding position to the upright storage position.

[0009] According to the present invention as described in claim 1, an engaged portion provided on the side of the seat back of a vehicle seat engages with an engaged portion provided on either an adjacent vehicle seat or the side wall of the vehicle compartment when in a horizontally protruding position. When the engagement between the engaged portion and the engaged portion is released, the seat back becomes capable of tilting to one side in the front-rear direction of the seat.

[0010] When the upper end of the tensioning portion is pulled, the engaged portion moves from the horizontally protruding position to the upright, retracted position. This retraction of the engaged portion prevents it from interfering with the engaging portion. Therefore, the seatback can be tilted to the other side in the seat's front-to-back direction.

[0011] Furthermore, when the upper end of the tensioning portion is pulled in the upright storage position, the engaged portion becomes a horizontally protruding position that extends outward in the seat width direction from the side of the seat back, making the engaging portion capable of engaging again.

[0012] As described above, both the transition of the engaged portion from the horizontally protruding position to the upright retracted position and from the upright retracted position to the horizontally protruding position are performed by the tensioning operation of the tensioning part. Therefore, unintentional rotation of the engaged portion can be prevented.

[0013] The seat back locking device according to claim 2 of the present invention, in the invention according to claim 1, the engaged portion comprises a main body portion that engages with the engaging portion in the horizontally protruding position, a main body side bracket that supports the main body portion and to which the lower end of the tension portion is connected, a pivot shaft that pivotally supports the main body side bracket, and a biasing portion provided on the pivot shaft that biases the main body side bracket in a direction that raises the main body portion, wherein the lower end of the tension portion is connected to the main body side bracket on the opposite side from the main body portion, with the pivot shaft in between.

[0014] According to the present invention as described in claim 2, the main body bracket supports the main body and is biased by the biasing portion in the direction of raising the main body. Therefore, the engaged portion automatically returns to the upright storage position by the biasing force of the biasing portion.

[0015] The seat back locking device according to claim 3 of the present invention is the invention according to claim 2, wherein the engaged portion is connected to the frame of the seat back via a support unit, and the support unit comprises a rotation restricting portion having a base bracket that supports the pivot axis of the engaged portion, a shaft portion that is rotatably supported by the base bracket, a locking portion configured to lock the main body bracket in the upright storage position and the horizontally protruding position, respectively, and a link portion that connects the shaft portion and the locking portion, and the main body bracket comprises an upright posture holding portion that engages with the locking portion of the rotation restricting portion in the upright storage position, and a horizontal posture holding portion that engages with the locking portion of the rotation restricting portion in the horizontally protruding position.

[0016] According to the present invention as described in claim 3, the engaged portion is connected to the frame of the seat back via a support unit. The engaged portion is pivotally supported on the base bracket of the support unit at its pivot axis. Here, the base bracket is provided with a rotation restricting portion. The rotation restricting portion is pivotally supported on the base bracket at its shaft portion, and the locking portion moves as the link portion rotates around the shaft portion.

[0017] In the upright storage position, the upright posture holding portion of the main body bracket engages with the locking portion of the rotation restricting portion. This locks the main body bracket, allowing the engaged portion to maintain the upright position. Furthermore, when the link portion rotates around the shaft portion, the engagement between the locking portion and the upright posture holding portion is released.

[0018] Furthermore, in the horizontally protruding position, the horizontal posture-holding portion of the main body bracket engages with the locking portion of the rotation-restricting portion. This locks the main body bracket, allowing the engaged portion to maintain a horizontal position. Additionally, the engagement between the locking portion and the horizontal posture-holding portion is released when the link portion rotates around the shaft.

[0019] In this way, a single rotation restricting mechanism allows the engaged part to maintain both an upright and a horizontal position, respectively.

[0020] The seat back locking device according to claim 4 is the invention according to claim 3, wherein, between the upright posture holding portion and the horizontal posture holding portion in the main body bracket, an upright posture release portion is provided which pushes up the locking portion of the rotation restricting portion to release the engagement between the upright posture holding portion and the rotation restricting portion when transitioning from the upright storage position to the horizontal protruding position.

[0021] According to the present invention as described in claim 4, when the engaged portion rotates from the upright storage position, the upright position release portion pushes up the locking portion of the rotation restricting portion. This releases the engagement between the upright position holding portion and the rotation restricting portion. In other words, the locking of the main body bracket in the upright storage position is released in conjunction with the rotational movement of the engaged portion.

[0022] The seat back locking device according to claim 5 is the invention according to claim 4, wherein the upright position release portion of the main body bracket is formed to protrude in a direction away from the pivot axis, and the lower end of the tension portion is fixed to the upright position release portion.

[0023] According to the present invention as described in claim 5, when the upper end of the tensioning portion is pulled in the upright storage position, the upright position release portion of the main body bracket connected to the lower end of the tensioning portion is pulled up. Here, since the upright position release portion is formed to protrude away from the pivot axis, a large moment can be obtained. Therefore, the engaged portion can be rotated efficiently by pulling the tensioning portion.

[0024] The seat back locking device according to the present invention described in claim 6, in the invention described in claim 5, below the rotation restricting portion, on the rotation shaft, it is pivotally supported by the base bracket, and when the tension portion is pulled from the horizontal protruding position, a link pressing portion provided inside the seat width direction pushes up the link portion of the rotation restricting portion to release the engagement between the locking portion and the horizontal posture holding portion, and a horizontal posture releasing portion is provided.

[0025] According to the present invention described in claim 6, the horizontal posture releasing portion is rotated around the rotation shaft. The link portion of the rotation restricting portion is pushed up by the link pressing portion in the horizontal posture releasing portion. Thereby, the engagement between the rotation restricting portion and the horizontal posture holding portion is released. Then, when the rotation restricting portion gets over the standing posture releasing portion and engages with the standing posture holding portion, the engaged portion is held at the standing storage position.

[0026] The seat back locking device according to the present invention described in claim 7, in the invention described in claim 6, on the main body side bracket, at the horizontal protruding position, it engages with a pressed portion provided at the end portion outside the seat width direction of the horizontal posture releasing portion, and when the tension portion is pulled from the horizontal protruding position, a protruding portion for pushing down the pressed portion of the horizontal posture releasing portion is formed.

[0027] According to the present invention described in claim 7, when the tension portion is pulled at the horizontal protruding position, the protruding portion of the main body side bracket pushes down the pressed portion of the horizontal posture releasing portion. Here, the horizontal posture releasing portion is pivotally supported by the base bracket on the rotation shaft, and when the pressed portion is pushed down, the link pressing portion rises. Thereby, the link portion of the rotation restricting portion is pushed up by the link pressing portion of the horizontal posture releasing portion, and the engagement between the rotation restricting portion and the horizontal posture holding portion is released.

[0028] The vehicle seat according to claim 8 comprises a seat cushion capable of supporting the buttocks and thighs of an occupant, and a seat back rotatably connected to the rear end of the seat cushion and equipped with a locking device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 on its side, and configured to support the back of an occupant.

[0029] According to the present invention as described in claim 8, the occupant's buttocks and thighs are supported by the seat cushion, and their back is supported by the seat back. A locking device is provided on the side of the seat back.

[0030] The engaged portion, pivotally supported on the side of the seatback, engages with an engaged portion provided on either an adjacent vehicle seat or the side wall of the passenger compartment when in a horizontally protruding position. When the engagement between the engaged portion and the engaged portion is released, the seatback can be tilted to one side in the front-to-back direction of the seat.

[0031] When the upper end of the tensioning portion is pulled, the engaged portion moves from the horizontally protruding position to the upright, retracted position. This retraction of the engaged portion prevents it from interfering with the engaging portion. Therefore, the seatback can be tilted to the other side in the seat's front-to-back direction.

[0032] Furthermore, when the upper end of the tensioning portion is pulled in the upright storage position, the engaged portion becomes a horizontally protruding position that extends outward in the seat width direction from the side of the seat back, making the engaging portion capable of engaging again.

[0033] As described above, both the transition of the engaged portion from the horizontally protruding position to the upright retracted position and from the upright retracted position to the horizontally protruding position are performed by the tensioning operation of the tensioning part. Therefore, unintentional rotation of the engaged portion can be prevented.

[0034] The vehicle seat according to claim 9 is configured in the invention described in claim 8, wherein the engaged portion of the locking device is configured to be able to engage with an engaged portion provided on another adjacent vehicle seat when in a horizontally protruding position.

[0035] According to the present invention as described in claim 9, the engaged portion pivotally supported on the side of the seat back engages with an engaged portion provided on an adjacent vehicle seat when in a horizontally protruding position. When the engagement between the engaged portion and the engaged portion is released, the seat back of the vehicle seat becomes tiltable to one side in the front-rear direction relative to the seat back of the other vehicle seat. The seat back of the other vehicle seat also becomes tiltable to the other side in the front-rear direction relative to the seat back of the vehicle seat.

[0036] Here, when the upper end of the tensioning portion is pulled, the engaged portion moves from the horizontally protruding position to the upright, retracted position. This retraction of the engaged portion prevents it from interfering with the engaging portion. Therefore, the seatback of one vehicle seat can be tilted to the other side in the front-to-back direction relative to the seatback of another vehicle seat. Conversely, the seatback of another vehicle seat can be tilted to one side in the front-to-back direction relative to the seatback of one vehicle seat. In other words, the seatbacks of one vehicle seat and the seatbacks of other vehicle seats can pass each other in both the front-to-back and rear-to-back directions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0037] As described above, the seat back locking device according to claim 1 has the excellent effect of preventing unintentional rotation of the engaged portion while allowing the seat back to tilt in both the front and rear directions.

[0038] The seat back locking device according to claim 2 has the excellent effect of having a simple configuration and mechanically storing the engaged portion.

[0039] The seat back locking device according to claim 3 has the excellent effect of being able to maintain the upright storage position and the horizontally protruding position with a simple configuration.

[0040] The seatback locking device according to claim 4 has the excellent effect of being able to release the lock in the upright storage position with a simple configuration.

[0041] The seat back locking device according to claim 5 has the excellent effect of efficiently rotating the engaged portion.

[0042] The seat back locking device according to claim 6 has the excellent effect of being able to release the locking in the horizontally protruding position with a simple configuration.

[0043] The seat back locking device according to claim 7 has the excellent effect of being able to transition from a horizontally protruding position to an upright storage position with a simple configuration.

[0044] The vehicle seat according to claim 8 has the excellent effect of allowing the seat back to tilt in both the front and rear directions while preventing the engaged portion of the locking device from rotating unintentionally.

[0045] The vehicle seat according to claim 9 has the excellent effect that the seat back of one vehicle seat and the seat back of another vehicle seat can pass each other in both the front and rear directions. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0046] [Figure 1] This is a front view of the rear seat equipped with the locking device according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a rear perspective view showing the area around the locking device of the connecting side seat. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a front perspective view of the locking device in the upright storage position of the engaged portion. [Figure 4] Figure 2 is a front perspective view of the locking device at the horizontally protruding position of the engaged portion. [Figure 5]Figure 4 is a front perspective view of the locking device in the state where the locking in the horizontally protruding position shown is released and it is in the process of moving to the upright storage position. [Figure 6] This is an exploded perspective view of the area around the engaged part of the locking device. [Figure 7] Figure 4 is a bottom view of the locking device as seen from below. [Figure 8] This is an exploded perspective view of the area around the support unit of the locking device. [Figure 9] This is an enlarged perspective view showing the relationship between the link push-up plate shown in Figure 6 and the rotation restricting part shown in Figure 8. [Figure 10] Figure 3 is an enlarged front view of the main part of the locking device shown. [Figure 11] Figure 4 is an enlarged front view of the main part of the locking device shown. [Figure 12] Figure 5 is an enlarged front view of the main part of the locking device shown. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0047] The locking device 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 12. In Figure 1, the arrows UP, RH, and LH indicate the upper side, right side in the seat width direction, and left side in the seat width direction of the rear seat 12 on which the locking device 10 is mounted, respectively. In Figures 2 to 12, the arrows UP, FR, RH, and LH indicate the upper side, front side, right side in the seat back direction, and left side in the seat back direction of the connecting side seat 14, respectively. In the following description, when the directions up and down, front and back, and left and right are used unless otherwise specified, they refer to the up and down direction of the seat back, the front and back direction of the seat back, and the left and right direction of the seat back, respectively.

[0048] First, the overall configuration of the rear seat 12 will be explained using Figure 1, and then the locking device 10 will be explained using Figures 2 to 12.

[0049] [Overall configuration of rear seat 12] Figure 1 shows a front view of the rear seat 12. The rear seat 12 is provided as a rear seat in the passenger compartment 20. The rear seat 12 consists of a center seat 16 located in the center in the vehicle width direction, a connecting side seat 14 located to the right of the center seat 16, and an independent side seat 18 located to the left of the center seat 16, and is a split-folding seat with a division ratio of 4:2:4.

[0050] The connecting side seat 14 includes a seat cushion (not shown) capable of supporting the occupant's buttocks and thighs, a seat back 22 rotatably connected to the rear end of the seat cushion and configured to support the occupant's back, and a headrest 24 connected to the upper end of the seat back 22 and configured to support the occupant's head. The seat back 22 of the connecting side seat 14 is configured to maintain a predetermined reclining angle by a reclining mechanism (not shown) provided on the right side of the seat.

[0051] Similarly, the independent side seat 18 includes a seat cushion (not shown), a seat back 26, and a headrest 28. The seat back 26 of the independent side seat 18, like the seat back 22 of the connecting side seat 14, is equipped with a reclining mechanism (not shown) located on the left side of the seat to maintain a predetermined reclining angle. The center seat 16 also includes a seat cushion (not shown), a seat back 30, and a headrest 32.

[0052] Here, a vehicle (not shown) equipped with a passenger compartment 20 has a locking mechanism 34 for connecting the center seat 16 to the connecting side seat 14, a locking mechanism 36 for connecting the connecting side seat 14 to the right side wall 20A of the passenger compartment 20, and a locking mechanism 38 for connecting the independent side seat 18 to the left side wall 20B of the passenger compartment 20.

[0053] (Locking mechanism 34) The locking mechanism 34 includes a locking device 10 provided on the connecting side seat 14 and equipped with an engaging portion 40, and a hook 42 provided on the center seat 16 as an engaging portion. The locking device 10 is provided on the upper part of the left side portion 22A adjacent to the center seat 16 on the seat back 22 of the connecting side seat 14. The hook 42 is provided on the upper part of the right side portion 30A adjacent to the connecting side seat 14 on the seat back 30 of the center seat 16. The center seat 16 is connected to the connecting side seat 14 when the hook 42 engages with the engaging portion 40 of the locking device 10. In this state, with the center seat 16 connected to the connecting side seat 14, the rear seat 12 is divided into a 6:4 ratio.

[0054] Furthermore, a release mechanism (not shown) is provided at the upper end of the center seat 16. The engagement of the hook 42 with the engaged portion 40 is released by the occupant operating the release mechanism. Since the hook 42 has a well-known structure, a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0055] The engaging portion 40 is pivotally supported on the upper part of the left side portion 22A of the seat back 22 on the connecting side seat 14. The engaging portion 40 can be switched between a horizontally protruding position, where it protrudes to the left from the left side portion 22A of the seat back 22, and an upright storage position, where it stands upright along the vertical direction of the seat back 22, by a tensioning portion 44. In the horizontally protruding position, the engaging portion 40 engages with the hook 42 of the center seat 16. In Figure 1, the engaging portion 40 in the horizontally protruding position is shown by a dotted line, and the engaging portion 40 in the upright storage position is shown by a dashed line. With respect to the locking device 10, the connecting side seat 14 corresponds to the vehicle seat of the present invention, and the center seat 16 corresponds to another vehicle seat.

[0056] (Locking mechanism 36) On the other hand, the locking mechanism 36 includes a locking device 46 provided on the right side portion 22B of the seat back 22 of the connecting side seat 14 and having an engaging portion 48, and a hook 50 as an engaging portion provided on the right side wall 20A of the passenger compartment 20. The connecting side seat 14 is connected to the right side wall 20A of the passenger compartment 20 when the hook 50 engages with the engaging portion 48 of the locking device 46.

[0057] Furthermore, a release mechanism (not shown) is provided on the right side wall 20A of the passenger compartment 20. The engagement of the hook 50 with the engaged portion 48 is released when the occupant operates the release mechanism.

[0058] The engaged portion 48 is pivotally supported at the upper part of the right side portion 22B of the seat back 22. The engaged portion 48 can be switched between a horizontally protruding position, where it protrudes to the right from the right side portion 22B, and an upright storage position, where it stands upright along the vertical direction of the seat back 22, by the tension portion 52. In the horizontally protruding position, the engaged portion 48 engages with the hook 50 on the right side wall 20A of the passenger compartment 20. The locking device 46 has a symmetrical configuration with the locking device 10 on the seat back 22 of the connecting side seat 14, so a detailed explanation is omitted. The connecting side seat 14 corresponds to the vehicle seat of the present invention in relation to the locking device 46.

[0059] (Locking mechanism 38) Furthermore, the locking mechanism 38 includes a locking device 54 provided on the left side portion 26A of the seat back 26 of the independent side seat 18 and having an engaging portion 56, and a hook 58 as an engaging portion provided on the left side wall 20B of the passenger compartment 20. The independent side seat 18 is connected to the left side wall 20B of the passenger compartment 20 when the hook 58 engages with the engaging portion 56 of the locking device 54.

[0060] The engaged portion 56 is pivotally supported at the upper part of the left side portion 26A of the seat back 26, and can be switched between a horizontally protruding position where it protrudes to the left from the left side portion 26A and an upright storage position where it stands upright along the vertical direction of the seat back 26 by the tension portion 60. The locking device 54 has the same configuration as the locking device 10, so a detailed explanation is omitted. The independent side seat 18 corresponds to the vehicle seat of the present invention in relation to the locking device 54.

[0061] [Configuration of locking device 10] The configuration of the locking device 10 will be described in detail below using Figures 2 to 12.

[0062] Figure 2 shows a view of the area around the locking device 10 of the connecting side seat 14 from the left rear. As shown in Figure 2, the engaged portion 40 of the locking device 10 can be folded and stored in the storage portion 62 when the engagement with the hook 42 (see Figure 1) is released. This storage operation is performed by pulling the tension portion 44.

[0063] The seat back 22 of the connecting side seat 14 is equipped with a seat back frame 64 as its frame. The seat back frame 64 is composed of a pair of left and right side frames 64A that extend vertically at both the left and right ends of the seat back 22, and an upper frame 64B that connects the upper ends of the pair of left and right side frames 64A in the seat width direction.

[0064] The storage compartment 62 is located on the left side 22A of the seat back 22 and includes a recess formed in a pad (not shown) and a case 66 fixed to the recess. The case 66 has a through hole 66A that penetrates in the seat width direction. The locking device 10 is housed in the case 66 and is fixed to the left side frame 64A through the through hole 66A.

[0065] Furthermore, the tensioning section 44 is composed of a strap 44A which serves as a gripping section that can be grasped by the occupant, a wire 44B connected to the strap 44A, and an annular terminal 44C (see Figure 6) fixed to the lower end of the wire 44B.

[0066] The strap 44A is exposed to the outside of the seat back 22 from the upper end of the left side portion 22A. The strap 44A is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, for example, but is not limited to this. Also, the gripping portion is not limited to a strap, but may be a lever, for example.

[0067] The wire 44B is positioned along the vertical direction of the seat back 22, passing through the inside of the pad (not shown). The upper end of the wire 44B is fixed to the strap 44A. On the other hand, the lower end of the wire 44B is provided with a terminal 44C (see Figure 6) and is fixed to the engagement portion 40.

[0068] The engaged portion 40 rotates clockwise when the strap 44A of the tensioning portion 44 is pulled, in a direction that causes it to tilt, i.e., when viewed from the front of the seat back, and moves from the upright storage position shown in Figure 3 to the horizontally protruding position shown in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 1, in the horizontally protruding position, the engaged portion 40 protrudes to the left from the left side portion 22A of the seat back 22, thereby allowing it to be engaged with the hook 42.

[0069] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, when the strap 44A of the tensioning portion 44 is further pulled from the horizontal protruding position, the engaged portion 40 rotates further clockwise when viewed from the front of the seat back, and then rotates in the upright direction, i.e., counterclockwise when viewed from the front of the seat back, and moves to the upright storage position shown in Figure 3. The mechanism for rotating the engaged portion 40 as described above will be described in detail later.

[0070] As shown in Figure 4, the locking device 10 includes a frame-side bracket 68 welded to the left side frame 64A, a support unit 70 fastened to the frame-side bracket 68 and pivotally supporting the engaged portion 40, and the engaged portion 40 configured to engage with the hook 42 (see Figure 1) of the center seat 16.

[0071] The engaged portion 40 includes a striker 72, which serves as the main body portion that engages with the hook 42 (see Figure 1) of the center seat 16. The striker 72 is formed in a roughly U-shape, and the hook 42 is designed to hook onto it when it is in a horizontally protruding position.

[0072] Furthermore, the engaged portion 40 includes a pivot shaft 74 that serves as the pivot center of the striker 72, and a main body bracket 76 that is pivotally supported by the pivot shaft 74 and also supports the striker 72. The pivot shaft 74 is provided along the front-rear direction of the seat back.

[0073] The striker 72 is formed in a roughly U-shape, open to the pivot shaft 74 side, and both ends are welded to the main body bracket 76. As a result, the striker 72 rotates together with the main body bracket 76 around the pivot shaft 74.

[0074] As shown in Figure 6, the main body bracket 76 is formed such that, when viewed from the front of the seat back, the inner end in the seat width direction at the horizontal protruding position is curved diagonally upward. Furthermore, the main body bracket 76 is formed in a roughly U-shape when viewed in a vertical cross-sectional view from the front end of the striker 72, i.e., from the left side in the seat width direction at the horizontal protruding position. In other words, the main body bracket 76 comprises a support portion 78 to which both ends of the striker 72 are welded, a front wall portion 80 formed by bending upward from the front end of the support portion 78 toward the horizontal protruding body, and a rear wall portion 82 formed by bending upward from the rear end of the support portion 78 toward the horizontal protruding position.

[0075] In the front wall portion 80, a through hole 84 is formed at the inner end in the sheet width direction when the horizontal protruding position is located, extending through in the front-rear direction. In the rear wall portion 82, a through hole 86 is formed at the inner end in the sheet width direction when the horizontal protruding position is located, coaxially with the through hole 84. The pivot shaft 74 is inserted through the through holes 84 and 86 of the main body bracket 76.

[0076] Furthermore, in the support portion 78, a substantially rectangular notch 88 is formed at the inner end in the sheet width direction at the horizontally protruding position, which is recessed toward the outer end in the sheet width direction at the horizontally protruding position.

[0077] Here, as shown in Figure 7, the engaged portion 40 is provided on the pivot shaft 74 and includes a striker biasing spring 90 as a biasing portion that biases the main body bracket 76. The striker biasing spring 90 is, as an example, a torsion coil spring.

[0078] One end 90A of the striker biasing spring 90 passes through a notch 88 in the main body bracket 76 and is hooked onto the back surface of the support portion 78. On the other hand, the other end 90B of the striker biasing spring 90 passes through a notch 88 in the main body bracket 76 and is hooked onto a biasing shaft 102 fixed to the base bracket 100, which will be described later. As a result, the striker biasing spring 90 biases the main body bracket 76 in the direction that raises the striker 72.

[0079] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, at the rear wall portion 82 of the main body bracket 76, an extension portion 92 is provided as an upright position release portion, which extends inward and upward in the seat width direction at the end on the inner side in the seat width direction when the horizontal protruding position is in place, i.e., the end on the opposite side of the striker 72 across the through hole 86. The extension portion 92 extends in a direction away from the pivot axis 74.

[0080] Here, a screw hole 92A is formed in the extension portion 92. A male screw 94 is threaded through the screw hole 92A, with the terminal 44C provided at the lower end of the tension portion 44 inserted into it. In other words, the lower end of the tension portion 44 is fastened to the extension portion 92, which is provided on the main body bracket 76 on the opposite side of the pivot shaft 74 from the striker 72. As a result, the tensioning operation of the tension portion 44 causes the main body bracket 76 and, consequently, the striker 72 to rotate around the pivot shaft 74.

[0081] Furthermore, in the extended portion 92, on both sides in the approximately vertical direction at the horizontally protruding position, there is an upper recess 96 which serves as an upright posture support portion and a lower recess 98 which serves as a horizontal posture support portion, both of which are formed as approximately L-shaped recesses when viewed from the front-rear direction of the seat back.

[0082] As shown in Figure 10, the upper recess 96 engages with the stopper 118, which acts as a locking part for the rotation restricting part 104 (described later), in the upright storage position, and has the function of maintaining the upright position of the striker 72.

[0083] Furthermore, when the extension portion 92 moves from the upright storage position shown in Figure 10 to the horizontally protruding position shown in Figure 11, it has the function of pushing up the stopper 118 of the rotation restricting portion 104, which will be described later, thereby releasing the engagement between the upper recess 96 and the rotation restricting portion 104, that is, releasing the upright position of the engaged portion 40.

[0084] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 11, the lower recess 98 engages with the stopper 118 of the rotation restricting portion 104 when in the horizontally protruding position, and has the function of maintaining the horizontal posture of the striker 72.

[0085] Next, the support unit 70 will be described using Figure 8. The support unit 70 consists of a base bracket 100 fixed to the frame-side bracket 68, a biasing shaft 102 welded to the lower side of the outer end in the seat width direction of the base bracket 100, and a rotation restricting part 104 pivotally supported on the base bracket 100.

[0086] The base bracket 100 is formed in a substantially U-shape that is open to the outside in the seat width direction when viewed from the vertical direction of the seat back, and includes a base portion 106 fixed to the frame-side bracket 68, a front wall portion 108 formed by bending outward in the seat width direction from the front end of the base portion 106, and a rear wall portion 110 formed by bending outward in the seat width direction from the rear end of the base portion.

[0087] The base portion 106 has a pair of upper and lower through holes 106A. The frame-side bracket 68 is also provided with a pair of upper and lower weld nuts 68A. The base bracket 100 is fixed to the frame-side bracket 68 by inserting bolts 112 through the pair of upper and lower through holes 106A and screwing each bolt 112 into the weld nut 68A.

[0088] A through hole 108A is formed in the front wall portion 108 at the outer end in the sheet width direction. Similarly, a through hole 110A is formed in the rear wall portion 110 at the outer end in the sheet width direction. The pivot shaft 74 is inserted through the through hole 108A in the front wall portion 108 and the through hole 110A in the rear wall portion 110. As a result, the engaged portion 40 (see Figures 3 to 5) is pivotally supported on the base bracket 100.

[0089] Furthermore, in the base bracket 100, a through hole 110B is formed at the inner end and upper end of the rear wall portion 110 in the seat width direction for pivotally supporting the rotation restricting portion 104. In addition, a substantially rectangular through hole 110C is formed in the center of the rear wall portion 110 in the seat width direction. As shown in Figure 9, the link pushing portion 130 of the link pushing plate 124, which will be described later, is inserted through the through hole 110C, and the link pushing portion 130 is movable substantially vertically within the through hole 110C.

[0090] Here, as shown in Figure 8, the rotation restricting portion 104 comprises a rivet 114 as a shaft portion inserted through the through hole 110B and crimped, a link portion 116 pivotally supported by the rivet 114, and a substantially cylindrical stopper 118 provided at the outer end of the link portion 116 in the sheet width direction, protruding toward the front of the sheet.

[0091] The rivet 114 is inserted through the through hole 116A formed in the link portion 116 and the through hole 110B in the base bracket 100 and crimped in place. As a result, the link portion 116 is configured to be rotatable with the rivet 114 as its axis, that is, with the front-rear direction of the seat as its axial direction.

[0092] As shown in Figure 10, in the upright storage position, the stopper 118 engages with the upper recess 96 of the main body bracket 76. Also, as shown in Figure 11, in the horizontally protruding position, the stopper 118 engages with the lower recess 98 of the main body bracket 76. In other words, the rotation restricting part 104 has the function of restricting the rotation of the engaged part 40 in the upright storage position and the horizontally protruding position, respectively.

[0093] As shown in Figure 9, a through hole 116B is formed between the rivet 114 and the stopper 118 in the link portion 116. In addition, a flange 120 is provided at the lower part of the rear wall portion 110 of the base bracket 100, which is bent toward the front. A through hole 120A is formed in the flange 120.

[0094] Here, the link portion 116 of the rotation restricting section 104 is biased downward by the link biasing spring 122. One end 122A of the link biasing spring 122 is hooked into the through hole 116B of the link portion 116 in the rotation restricting section 104. On the other hand, the other end 122B of the link biasing spring 122 is hooked into the through hole 120A of the flange 120 in the base bracket 100. As a result, the link biasing spring 122 biases the rotation restricting section 104 in a direction that causes it to rotate clockwise when viewed from the front side of the seat. The link biasing spring 122 is, as an example, a tension coil spring.

[0095] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 6 and 9, a link push-up plate 124 and a plate biasing spring 126 are provided between the rear wall portion 110 of the base bracket 100 and the rear wall portion 82 of the main body bracket 76, respectively, as horizontal posture release parts, and are pivotally supported on the pivot shaft 74.

[0096] As shown in Figure 6, the link push-up plate 124 has an annular portion 128 in which a through hole 128A is formed. The pivot shaft 74 is inserted through the through hole 128A of the link push-up plate 124. In addition, a link push-up portion 130 that is bent to the rear is formed on the inner side of the annular portion 128 in the sheet width direction. Furthermore, a pressed-down portion 132 that is bent to the rear is formed on the outer side of the annular portion 128 in the sheet width direction.

[0097] As shown in Figure 9, the link pushing portion 130 of the link pushing plate 124 is positioned below the link portion 116 of the rotation restricting portion 104 and is inserted through a through hole 110C formed in the rear wall portion 110 of the base bracket 100.

[0098] As shown in Figure 11, when the tension portion 44 (see Figure 4) is pulled from its horizontally protruding position, the link pushing portion 130 is configured to push up the link portion 116 of the rotation restricting portion 104, thereby disengaging the stopper 118 from the lower recess 98, as shown in Figure 12.

[0099] Here, as shown in Figures 10 to 12, a roughly cylindrical projection 82A is provided on the rear surface of the rear wall portion 82 of the main body bracket 76, projecting toward the rear of the seat. As shown in Figure 11, the projection 82A engages with the pressed portion 132 of the link push-up plate 124 when in the horizontally protruding position. When the tension portion 44 (see Figure 4) is pulled from the horizontally protruding position, as shown in Figure 12, the projection 82A of the main body bracket 76 pushes down the pressed portion 132 of the link push-up plate 124, thereby causing the link push-up plate 124 to rotate.

[0100] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, one end 126A of the plate biasing spring 126 is hooked to the biasing shaft 102 from the outside and below in the width direction of the seat. On the other hand, the other end 126B of the plate biasing spring 126 is hooked to the pressed lower part 132 of the link push-up plate 124 from the inside and below in the width direction of the seat. In other words, the plate biasing spring 126 is configured to bias the link push-up plate 124 in a direction that rotates it counterclockwise when viewed from the front side of the seat, that is, in the direction that raises the pressed lower part 132 and lowers the link push-up part 130. The plate biasing spring 126 is, as an example, a torsion coil spring.

[0101] (Operation of this embodiment) Next, the modes in which the engaged portion 40 of the locking device 10 is stored and deployed by the pulling operation of the tension portion 44 will be described, and the operation of this embodiment will be explained through this description.

[0102] (Transition from horizontally extended position to upright storage position) First, we will describe how the engaged portion 40 moves from a horizontally protruding position to an upright, retracted position and is stored by the tensioning operation of the tensioning portion 44.

[0103] First, when the release mechanism (not shown) located at the upper end of the center seat 16, as shown in Figure 1, is operated, the engagement of the hook 42 with the engaged portion 40 is released. As a result, the seat back 30 of the center seat 16 is released from its connection with the seat back 22 of the connecting side seat 14, allowing it to tilt forward independently.

[0104] On the other hand, even if the engagement between the hook 42 and the engaged portion 40 is released, if the engaged portion 40 remains in the horizontally protruding position, the seat back 30 cannot be tilted backward beyond the locking device 10 because the hook 42 interferes with the engaged portion 40, even if the seat back 30 is attempted to be tilted backward by itself.

[0105] Here, as the tensioning portion 44 is pulled, the engaged portion 40 moves from the horizontally protruding position to the upright retracted position.

[0106] Specifically, when the strap 44A (see Figure 2) of the tensioning portion 44 is pulled in the horizontally protruding position shown in Figures 4 and 11, the extension portion 92 of the main body bracket 76, which is connected to the terminal 44C at the lower end of the wire 44B, is pulled up. Since the main body bracket 76 is pivotally supported on the pivot shaft 74, when the extension portion 92 is pulled up, the engaged portion 40 is rotated clockwise when viewed from the front side of the seat, as shown in Figures 5 and 12.

[0107] Here, as shown in Figure 11, the main body bracket 76 is provided with a projection 82A that engages with the pressed-down portion 132 of the link push-up plate 124 when it is in a horizontally protruding position. Therefore, when the engaged portion 40 is rotated clockwise when viewed from the front of the seat, as shown in Figure 12, the pressed-down portion 132 is pushed down by the projection 82A, causing the link push-up plate 124 to rotate around the pivot axis 74.

[0108] At this time, the link pushing portion 130 of the link pushing plate 124 moves approximately upward. Then, the link portion 116 of the rotation restricting portion 104, which is located above the link pushing portion 130, is pushed up. As a result, the engagement between the stopper 118 of the rotation restricting portion 104 and the lower recess 98 of the main body bracket 76 is released.

[0109] When the engagement between the stopper 118 of the rotation restricting part 104 and the lower recess 98 of the main body bracket 76 is released, the engaged part 40 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the front of the seat, i.e., in the upward direction, due to the biasing force of the striker biasing spring 90. At this time, the stopper 118 of the rotation restricting part 104 moves over the extension 92. Then, as shown in Figure 10, the upper recess 96 of the main body bracket 76 and the stopper 118 engage with the engaged part 40 in the upright position. As a result, the engaged part 40 can maintain the upright position.

[0110] As shown in Figure 1, by retracting the engaged portion 40, the engaged portion 40 does not interfere with the hook 42. Therefore, the seat back 30 can be tilted further back than the engaged portion 40, and the center seat 16 can be made completely flat on its own. As a result, for example, even if the occupant of the connecting side seat 14 remains in an upright position, the occupant seated on the center seat 16 can tilt the seat back 30 backward and relax.

[0111] (Transition from upright storage position to horizontally extended position) Next, we will describe how the engaged portion 40 moves from the upright storage position to the horizontally protruding position by the tensioning operation of the tensioning portion 44.

[0112] For example, if the seat back 30 of the center seat 16 shown in Figure 1 is tilted further back than the seat back 22 of the connecting side seat 14, and the engaged portion 40 is in the upright storage position, first the occupant raises the seat back 30 of the center seat 16 and positions it forward of the seat back 22 of the connecting side seat 14.

[0113] Then, as shown in Figures 3 and 10, when the strap 44A (see Figure 2) of the tensioning section 44 is pulled, the extension 92 of the main body bracket 76 connected to the lower end of the wire 44B is pulled up. Since the main body bracket 76 is pivotally supported on the pivot shaft 74, the pulled-up extension 92 causes the engaged section 40 to rotate clockwise when viewed from the front of the seat. Here, since the extension 92 is formed to protrude away from the pivot shaft 74, a large moment can be obtained. Therefore, the engaged section 40 can be rotated efficiently by the pulling of the tensioning section 44.

[0114] As shown in Figure 10, when the engaged portion 40 is rotated from the upright storage position, the extension portion 92 pushes up the stopper 118 of the rotation restricting portion 104. This releases the engagement between the stopper 118 and the upper recess 96 of the main body bracket 76, causing the stopper 118 to move over the extension portion 92 and be positioned below the extension portion 92. At this time, the link portion 116 of the rotation restricting portion 104 is biased downward by the link biasing spring 122, allowing the rotation restricting portion 104 to smoothly move over the extension portion 92. In other words, the locking in the upright storage position is smoothly released in conjunction with the rotational movement of the engaged portion 40.

[0115] Then, as shown in Figure 11, the stopper 118 engages with the lower recess 98 of the main body bracket 76, and the engaged portion 40 is in a horizontally protruding position.

[0116] As a result, the hook 42 provided on the center seat 16 shown in Figure 1 becomes capable of engaging with the engaging portion 40. When the seat back 30 of the center seat 16 is moved towards the rear of the seat with the engaging portion 40 protruding in this manner, the engaging portion 40 engages with the hook 42, and the center seat 16 is connected to the connecting side seat 14.

[0117] As described above, the transition of the engaged portion 40 from the horizontally protruding position to the upright retracted position and from the upright retracted position to the horizontally protruding position is both performed by the pulling operation of the tensioning portion 44. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the engaged portion 40 from rotating unintentionally.

[0118] As a comparative example, in a configuration where a release button located on the side wall of the passenger compartment rotates an engaging part located on the side wall of the passenger compartment, there is a possibility that the engaging part may be unintentionally rotated by actions such as the occupant placing their hand on the side wall. In particular, if the engaging part is accidentally deployed while the seat back is tilted backward, for example, the engaging part and the engaging part will interfere with each other, making it impossible to return the seat back to an upright position.

[0119] In contrast, the engaged portion 40 of the locking device 10 according to this embodiment is rotated by the pulling operation of the tension portion 44, thus preventing the engaged portion 40 from rotating unintentionally.

[0120] The operation of locking device 10 has been described in detail above, but similar operations can be obtained with locking devices 46 and 54.

[0121] For example, according to the locking device 54 of this embodiment, the engaged portion 56 pivotally supported on the left side portion 26A of the seat back 26 of the independent side seat 18 engages with a hook 58 provided on the left side wall 20B of the passenger compartment 20 when in a horizontally protruding position. When the engagement between the hook 58 provided on the left side wall 20B of the passenger compartment 20 and the engaged portion 56 provided on the independent side seat 18 is released, the connection between the independent side seat 18 and the left side wall 20B of the passenger compartment 20 is released. As a result, the seat back 26 of the independent side seat 18 can be tilted forward of the seat relative to the hook 58 on the left side wall 20B of the passenger compartment 20.

[0122] Similarly, according to the locking device 46 of this embodiment, the engaged portion 48 pivotally supported on the right side portion 22B of the seat back 22 of the connecting side seat 14 engages with the hook 50 provided on the right side wall 20A of the passenger compartment 20 when in a horizontally protruding position. When the engagement between the hook 50 provided on the right side wall 20A of the passenger compartment 20 and the engaged portion 48 provided on the connecting side seat 14 is released, the connection between the connecting side seat 14 and the right side wall 20A of the passenger compartment 20 is released. As a result, the seat back 22 of the connecting side seat 14 can be tilted forward of the seat relative to the hook 50 on the right side wall 20A of the passenger compartment 20.

[0123] At this time, if the engaged portion 40 of the locking device 10 on the connecting side seat 14 is engaged with the hook 42 of the center seat 16, the center seat 16 will tilt forward in conjunction with the connecting side seat 14.

[0124] As described above, when the engagement between the hook 42 provided on the center seat 16 and the engaging portion 40 provided on the connecting side seat 14 is released, the connection between the center seat 16 and the connecting side seat 14 is released. This allows the center seat 16 to be tilted forward, for example, while the connecting side seat 14 is locked to the right side wall 20A of the passenger compartment 20.

[0125] When the tension portion 44 of the independent side seat 18 is pulled, the engaged portion 56 moves from the horizontally protruding position to the upright storage position. By storing the engaged portion 56 in this way, the engaged portion 56 does not interfere with the hook 58. Therefore, the seat back 26 can be tilted further rearward than the hook 58, and the independent side seat 18 can be made completely flat.

[0126] Similarly, when the tension portion 44 of the connecting side seat 14 is pulled, the engaged portion 48 moves from the horizontally protruding position to the upright storage position. By storing the engaged portion 48 in this way, the engaged portion 48 does not interfere with the hook 50. Therefore, the seat back 22 can be tilted further rearward than the hook 50, and the connecting side seat 14 can be made completely flat. At this time, if the engaged portion 40 of the locking device 10 and the hook 42 are engaged, the center seat 16 will become completely flat in conjunction with the connecting side seat 14.

[0127] In other words, according to the rear seat 12 of this embodiment, the center seat 16 can be tilted forward and backward together with the connecting side seat 14, and the connecting side seat 14, the center seat 16, and the independent side seat 18 can each be tilted forward and backward individually.

[0128] [Supplementary explanation of the above embodiment] In the above embodiment, the rear seat 12 was described as a three-part seat with a division ratio of 4:2:4, and the center seat 16 was described as being connected to a connecting side seat 14 provided on the right side of the vehicle, but it is not limited to this. For example, the connecting side seat connected to the center seat may be provided on the left side of the vehicle. Also, for example, the rear seat is not limited to a three-part seat, but may be a two-part seat. In this case, the division ratio of the rear seat may be 5:5, 6:4, or 4:6.

[0129] Furthermore, although the above embodiment was described as having a substantially U-shaped striker 72 that engages with the hook 42, the shape of the main body portion at the engaged portion is not limited to this. For example, the main body portion may be a rod-shaped pin.

[0130] Furthermore, although the above embodiment was described as having the striker 72 welded to the main body bracket 76, the invention is not limited to this, and for example, the main body and the main body bracket may be formed integrally as a single component.

[0131] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the main body bracket 76 is biased by the striker biasing spring 90, and the engaged portion 40 is raised by the biasing force. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and the engaged portion may be raised by other means.

[0132] Furthermore, although the above embodiment described the engaged portion 40 as being connected to the side frame 64A of the seat back 22 via the base bracket 100 and the frame-side bracket 68, it is not limited to this configuration. For example, the engaged portion may be connected to the frame of the seat back by a single bracket.

[0133] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an upper recess 96 and a lower recess 98 are formed in the main body bracket 76, and the engaged portion 40 can be held in an upright position and a horizontal position, respectively, by the engagement of the upper recess 96 and the lower recess 98 with the stopper 118 of the rotation restricting portion 104. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and the upright position and horizontal position of the engaged portion may be held by other means.

[0134] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, it was explained that the engagement between the upper recess 96 and the stopper 118 is released when the extension portion 92 pushes up the stopper 118 of the rotation restricting portion 104. However, the invention is not limited to this, and the engagement between the upright posture holding portion and the locking portion may be released by other means.

[0135] Furthermore, although the above embodiment was described as having the lower end of the tension portion 44 connected to the extension portion 92, the invention is not limited to this, and the tension portion may be connected to the engaged portion at other positions.

[0136] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the engagement between the stopper 118 and the lower recess 98 was released by the link pushing plate 124 pushing up the link portion 116 of the rotation restricting portion 104. However, the engagement between the horizontal posture holding portion and the locking portion may be released by other means.

[0137] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the link push-up plate 124 was described as rotating when the pressed-down portion 132 of the link push-up plate 124 is pushed down by a projection 82A provided on the main body bracket 76. However, the link push-up plate is not limited to this, and may rotate by other mechanisms.

[0138] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the engagement of each locking device 10, 46, 54 with its respective hooks 42, 50, 58 is released by the release mechanism (not shown), allowing the seatbacks 30, 22, 26 to tilt forward, and the engaged parts 40, 48, 56 are retracted, allowing the seatbacks 30, 22, 26 to tilt backward. However, the embodiment is not limited to this configuration. In other words, the seatback may be able to tilt backward by releasing the engagement, and the seatback may be able to tilt forward by retracting the engaged parts.

[0139] The following additional information is disclosed regarding the embodiments described above.

[0140] (Note 1) A part provided on the side of the seat back of a vehicle seat, which is rotatable between an upright storage position in which it is upright along the vertical direction of the seat back and a horizontal protruding position in which it protrudes outward from the side in the width direction of the seat, and which is configured to engage with an engaging part provided on either another vehicle seat adjacent to the vehicle seat or the side wall of the vehicle compartment in the horizontal protruding position, A tensioning part is provided, the lower end of which is connected to the engaged portion and the upper end of which is configured to be grippable, wherein a tensioning operation of the upper end moves the engaged portion from the upright storage position to the horizontally protruding position, and a further tensioning operation of the upper end moves the engaged portion from the horizontally protruding position to the upright storage position, A seatback locking device having a seatback locking mechanism. (Note 2) The engaged portion is, The main body portion that engages with the engagement portion at the horizontally protruding position, A main body side bracket that supports the main body portion and to which the lower end of the tension portion is connected, A pivot shaft that supports the bracket on the main body side, A biasing part provided on the pivot shaft that biases the main body bracket in the direction that causes the main body to stand upright, Equipped with, The lower end of the tension portion is connected to the main body bracket on the opposite side from the main body, with the pivot axis in between. The seatback locking device described in Appendix 1. (Note 3) The engaged portion is connected to the frame of the seat back via a support unit. The aforementioned support unit is A base bracket that supports the pivot shaft of the engaged portion, A rotation restricting unit comprising: a shaft portion rotatably supported on the base bracket; a locking portion for locking the main body bracket in the upright storage position and the horizontal protruding position, respectively; and a link portion connecting the shaft portion and the locking portion, It consists of, The main body bracket comprises an upright posture holding portion that engages with the locking portion of the rotation restricting portion in the upright storage position, and a horizontal posture holding portion that engages with the locking portion of the rotation restricting portion in the horizontal protruding position. The seatback locking device described in Appendix 2. (Note 4) In the main body bracket, between the upright posture holding portion and the horizontal posture holding portion, there is an upright posture release portion that pushes up the locking portion of the rotation restricting portion to release the engagement between the upright posture holding portion and the rotation restricting portion when transitioning from the upright storage position to the horizontal protruding position. The seatback locking device described in Appendix 3. (Note 5) The upright position release portion of the main body bracket is formed to protrude in a direction away from the pivot axis, The lower end of the tensioning portion is fixed to the upright position release portion. The seatback locking device described in Appendix 4. (Note 6) Below the rotation restricting portion, there is a horizontal posture release portion that is pivotally supported by the base bracket on the rotation axis, and when the tension portion is pulled from the horizontal protruding position, a link pushing portion provided on the inside in the seat width direction pushes up the link portion of the rotation restricting portion to release the engagement between the locking portion and the horizontal posture holding portion. The seatback locking device described in any one of the appendices 3 to 5. (Note 7) The main body bracket has a projection that engages with a pressed portion provided at the outer end of the horizontal posture release portion in the seat width direction when the horizontal protruding position is reached, and pushes down the pressed portion of the horizontal posture release portion when the tension portion is pulled from the horizontal protruding position. The seatback locking device described in Appendix 6. (Note 8) A seat cushion capable of supporting the occupant's buttocks and thighs, A seat back is rotatably connected to the rear end of the aforementioned seat cushion and equipped with a locking device on the side as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 7, and configured to support the back of the occupant, A vehicle seat having the following features. (Note 9) The engaged portion of the locking device is configured to engage with an engaged portion provided on an adjacent vehicle seat when in a horizontally protruding position. Vehicle seats as described in Appendix 8. [Explanation of symbols]

[0141] 10, 46, 54 Locking device 12 Rear Seats 14. Side seats on the connecting side (vehicle seats) 16. Center seat (seat for other vehicles) 18. Independent side seats (vehicle seats) 20 Cabin 20A Right side wall (side wall of the passenger compartment) 20B Left side wall (side wall of the passenger compartment) 22 Seat back of the connecting side seat 22A Left side of the seat back of the connecting side seat 22B Right side of the seat back of the connecting side seat 26. Seat back of the independent side seat 26A Left side of the seat back of the independent side seat 40, 48, 56 Engaged parts 42, 50, 58 Hooks (engaging parts) 44, 52, 60 Tensile section 44A Strap (upper end of the tensioning section) 44C terminal (lower end of tension section) 64. Seat back frame (skeleton) 70 Support Unit 72. Striker (main body) 74 Rotary shafts 76 Main unit bracket 82A Protrusion 90. Striker biasing spring (biasing part) 92 Extension part (standing position release part) 96 Upper recess (part for maintaining an upright posture) 98 Lower recess (horizontal posture holding part) 100 Base Bracket 104 Rotation Restriction Unit 114 Rivet (shaft part) 116 Link section 118 Stopper (locking part) 124 Link push-up plate (horizontal attitude release part) 130 Click the link at the top 132 Pressed part

Claims

1. An engaged portion is provided on the side of the seat back of a vehicle seat, and is rotatable within a range that includes an upright storage position in which it stands upright along the vertical direction of the seat back and a horizontal protruding position in which it protrudes outward from the side in the width direction of the seat, and is configured to engage with an engaging portion provided on either another vehicle seat adjacent to the vehicle seat or the side wall of the vehicle compartment in the horizontal protruding position, A tensioning part is provided, the lower end of which is connected to the engaged portion and the upper end of which is configured to be grippable, wherein a tensioning operation of the upper end moves the engaged portion from the upright storage position to the horizontally protruding position, and a further tensioning operation of the upper end moves the engaged portion from the horizontally protruding position to the upright storage position, A seatback locking device having a seatback locking mechanism.

2. The engaged portion is, The main body portion that engages with the engagement portion at the horizontally protruding position, A main body side bracket that supports the main body portion and to which the lower end of the tension portion is connected, A pivot shaft that supports the bracket on the main body side, A biasing part provided on the pivot shaft and biasing the main body bracket in the direction that causes the main body to stand upright, Equipped with, The lower end of the tension portion is connected to the main body bracket on the opposite side from the main body, with the pivot axis in between. A seatback locking device according to claim 1.

3. The engaged portion is connected to the frame of the seat back via a support unit. The aforementioned support unit is A base bracket that supports the pivot shaft of the engaged portion, A rotation restricting unit comprising: a shaft portion rotatably supported on the base bracket; a locking portion configured to lock the main body bracket in the upright storage position and the horizontal protruding position, respectively; and a link portion connecting the shaft portion and the locking portion, It consists of, The main body bracket comprises an upright posture holding portion that engages with the locking portion of the rotation restricting portion in the upright storage position, and a horizontal posture holding portion that engages with the locking portion of the rotation restricting portion in the horizontal protruding position. The seat back locking device according to claim 2.

4. Between the upright posture holding portion and the horizontal posture holding portion of the main body bracket, an upright posture release portion is provided, which pushes up the locking portion of the rotation restricting portion to release the engagement between the upright posture holding portion and the rotation restricting portion when transitioning from the upright storage position to the horizontal protruding position. A seatback locking device according to claim 3.

5. The upright position release portion of the main body bracket is formed to protrude in a direction away from the pivot axis, The lower end of the tensioning portion is fixed to the upright position release portion. A seatback locking device according to claim 4.

6. Below the rotation restricting portion, there is a horizontal posture release portion that is pivotally supported by the base bracket on the rotation axis, and when the tension portion is pulled from the horizontal protruding position, a link pushing portion provided on the inside in the seat width direction pushes up the link portion of the rotation restricting portion to release the engagement between the locking portion and the horizontal posture holding portion. A seatback locking device according to claim 3.

7. The main body bracket has a projection that engages with a pressed portion provided at the outer end of the horizontal posture release portion in the seat width direction when the horizontal protruding position is reached, and pushes down the pressed portion of the horizontal posture release portion when the tension portion is pulled from the horizontal protruding position. The seat back locking device according to claim 6.

8. A seat cushion capable of supporting the occupant's buttocks and thighs, A seat back is rotatably connected to the rear end of the seat cushion and equipped with a locking device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 on its side, and configured to support the back of the occupant, A vehicle seat having the following features.

9. The engaged portion of the locking device is configured to engage with an engaged portion provided on an adjacent vehicle seat when in a horizontally protruding position. A vehicle seat according to claim 8.

Images