Vehicle seats
The vehicle seat design addresses cable-related problems by using a cover and slit configuration with a cable clamp to securely route the power supply cable, preventing contact and noise during reclining, thus enhancing operational reliability.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ADIENT US LLC
- Filing Date
- 2021-10-14
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-03
AI Technical Summary
The existing vehicle seat designs, as described in Patent Document 1, suffer from cable-related issues such as slack portions contacting other members during reclining operations, leading to abnormal noise and potential malfunctions due to the cable support being positioned far from the rotation center.
The vehicle seat incorporates a cover attached to the rotating device and seat back frame, featuring an opening and slit design with a narrowed portion, along with a cable clamp and arc-shaped edge, to securely route the power supply cable, preventing contact with other components during reclining.
The cable routing structure minimizes the likelihood of cable-related issues during reclining operations, ensuring smooth and noise-free movement of the seat back.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat.
Background Art
[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a vehicle seat including a seat cushion and a seat back, a rotating device provided on one side portion in the width direction for reclining the seat back with respect to the seat cushion, and an energizing cable disposed between the seat cushion and the seat back. In this vehicle seat, the cable is drawn from the seat back side through the rotating device on the side portion to the seat cushion side, and is supported by a cable support protruding from the frame of the seat back or the frame of the seat cushion.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] In the vehicle seat described in Patent Document 1, the cable is arranged with slack so as not to be taut during the reclining operation of the seat back. However, the farther the protruding position of the cable support is from the rotation center of the rotating device, the more likely problems caused by the cable arrangement occur, such as the slack portion contacting other members during the reclining operation and generating abnormal noise.
[0005] Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat in which problems caused by the cable disposed between the seat back and the seat cushion are less likely to occur during the reclining operation.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0006] To solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention has the following configuration. 1) The seat cushion installed in the vehicle, A rotating device provided at the rear of the seat cushion, A seat back having a seat back frame connected to the aforementioned rotating device, and a seat back capable of reclining by rotating within a predetermined angular range around the rotation axis relative to the seat cushion, The heater housed in the aforementioned seatback, It is attached to cover the aforementioned rotating device and to form a space between the rotating device and the seat back frame. Ta The cover and, An opening formed in the part of the cover corresponding to the rotation axis and a slit formed as a cut from the opening to the tip of the cover, A cable that supplies power from the vehicle to the heater, Equipped with 、 The cable is a vehicle seat cable that wraps around the edge of the cover from the side of the vehicle, enters the space, is pulled out from the opening, and is connected to the heater. 2) The aforementioned cover is The vehicle seat according to 1) is provided with a cable clamp near the opening to support the cable pulled out from the opening. 3) A narrow portion is formed in the vicinity of the opening in the slit, which is narrower in width than the other parts of the slit. It is a vehicle seat as described in 1) or 2). 4) The seat cushion installed in the vehicle, A rotating device provided at the rear of the seat cushion, A seat back having a seat back frame connected to the aforementioned rotating device, and a seat back capable of reclining by rotating within a predetermined angular range around the rotation axis relative to the seat cushion, The heater housed in the aforementioned seatback, A cover is attached to cover the rotating device and to form a space between the rotating device and the seat back frame, and has an opening in a portion corresponding to the axis of rotation, A cable that supplies power from the vehicle to the heater, Equipped with The cable wraps around the edge of the cover from the side of the vehicle and enters the space, is pulled out from the opening and connected to the heater. Furthermore, the edge portion is formed in an arc shape centered on the rotation axis. This is a vehicle seat. [Effects of the Invention]
[0007] According to the present invention, the effect is obtained that problems caused by cables routed between the seat back and the seat cushion are less likely to occur during reclining operations. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view taken from the upper left front, showing a vehicle seat ST, which is an embodiment of a vehicle seat according to the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows the power supply path EC in a vehicle seat ST. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view from the upper left rear, showing the cable routing structure HK in a vehicle seat ST. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a left-view plan view showing the rotating device 3 for reclining the seat back, with the cover 31 and cable 77 removed. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a left-view plan view showing the rotating device 3 with the cover 31 and cable 77 attached. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a left-view plan view showing the state of the cover 31 and cable 77 at three positions of the seat back 92 during reclining, with Figure 6(a) being the forward-tilted position, Figure 6(b) being the reference position, and Figure 6(c) being the backward-tilted position. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0009] The vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described by the vehicle seat ST of the example. In the following description, each direction of up and down, left and right, front and back shall be the direction defined by the arrows in FIG. 1.
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the vehicle seat ST as seen from obliquely above to the left front. The vehicle F is, for example, an automobile. On the floor FL of the vehicle F, a pair of rails 81L and 81R are laid so as to extend in the front - rear direction and be spaced apart in parallel in the left - right direction. In addition, a power supply box 82 is installed in the vicinity of the rail 81L. The power supply box 82 is connected to the power source on the vehicle side.
[0011] The vehicle seat ST includes a seat cushion 91, a seat back 92, and a headrest 93. The seat cushion 91 has, at the lower part, seat sliders (not shown) slidably connected to the rails 81L and 81R respectively. The seat cushion 91 is attached to the rails 81L and 81R so as to be movable in the front - rear direction and lockable at an arbitrary position.
[0012] A rotating device 3 is provided on one side of the left - right at the rear part of the seat cushion 91. In this example, the rotating device 3 is on the right side of the rear part of the seat cushion 91. The seat back 92 is connected to the rear part of the frame (not shown) of the seat cushion 91 and the rotating device 3, and is rotatable and lockable within a predetermined angular range around the rotation axis CL3 as shown by the arrow DR1. When the seat back 92 is in the upright position, the predetermined rotation range is set to 0°. When the forward rotation is a negative value and the backward rotation is a positive value, for example, it is in the range of - 22° to + 93°.
[0013] The vehicle seat ST is equipped with a heater 83 and a control switch 11. The heater 83 is composed of a planar seat heater 831 housed inside the seat cushion 91, a planar back heater 832 housed inside the seat back 92, and a flexible connecting part 833 that electrically and mechanically connects the seat heater 831 and the back heater 832. The heater 83 is powered by a power supply box 82 located on the vehicle floor FL. The control switch 11 is mounted on side panel 1R, one of the side panels 1L and 1R located on the left and right sides of the seat cushion 91. The occupant of the vehicle seat ST can turn the heater 83 on / off and adjust the temperature using the control switch 11.
[0014] Figure 2 is a cable wiring diagram illustrating the power supply path EC to the heater 83 in the vehicle seat ST. As shown in Figure 2, the power supply for vehicle F and the heater 83 are electrically connected via a power supply box 82 and a relay box 84. Specifically, the power supply box 82 and the relay box 84 are connected in series by cables 70, 72, and 74. The relay box 84 and the heater are connected in series by cables 75, 77, and 79. The relay box 84 and the control switch 11 are electrically connected by cable 111.
[0015] Cable 70 and cable 72 are detachably connected at connecting part 71, and cable 72 and cable 74 are detachably connected at connecting part 73. Cable 75 and cable 77 are detachably connected at connecting part 76, and cable 77 and cable 79 are detachably connected at connecting part 78. The connecting portion 71 is connected by a removable receptacle 711 and a plug 712, the connecting portion 73 is connected by a removable receptacle 731 and a plug 732, the connecting portion 76 is connected by a removable receptacle 761 and a plug 762, and the connecting portion 78 is connected by a removable receptacle 781 and a plug 782. As a result, the heater 83 operates using power supplied from the vehicle side via the power supply box 82 and the relay box 84.
[0016] Next, with reference to Figures 1 and 3-5, the specific cable routing structure in the power supply path EC shown in Figure 2 will be described.
[0017] Figure 3 is a perspective view from the upper left rear, showing the cable routing structure HK in a vehicle seat ST. Specifically, it is a perspective view from the upper left, showing roughly the right half of the lower rear section where the seat cushion 91 and seat back 92 are connected. Figure 4 is a left-view plan view showing the rotating device 3 for reclining the seat back with the cover 31 removed, and Figure 5 is a left-view plan view showing the rotating device 3 with the cover 31 and cable 77 attached.
[0018] As shown in Figure 1, the cable 70 connected to the power supply box 82 and the cable 111 connected to the control switch 11 are bundled together at the left-right center position below the seat cushion 91 and pulled out towards the rear through below the seat heater 831.
[0019] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the seat cushion 91 has a side frame body 15 on the right side which forms the skeleton. A similar side frame body (not shown) is also provided on the left side. The side frame body 15 is a metal component formed by overlapping and integrating an outer frame 151 and an inner frame 152. At the rear of the seat cushion 91, the outer frame 151 extends upward relative to the inner frame 152. The rotating device 3 is attached to this extended portion. The right-side frame body 15 and the left-side frame body (not shown) are connected and fixed by a rear bar 12, which is a tubular member extending in the left-right direction. The rear bar 12 is fixed to the side frame body 15 at a fixing portion 12a.
[0020] On the other hand, the seat back 92 has a seat back frame 22 as its structure. The seat back frame 22 is formed in a U-shape with an open bottom. The lower parts of the pair of U-shaped arms of the seat back frame 22 are supported by the rotation mechanism 3a of the rotating device 3 (see Figures 4 and 5) so that they can rotate around the rotation axis CL3. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3 and 5, a resin cover 31 is attached to the portion of the seat back frame 22 connected to the rotating device 3, so as to cover the lower part of the inner surface 22a of the seat back frame 22.
[0021] In Figures 3 and 5, the lower half of the cover 31 is formed as a flat, bowl-shaped portion 31d, while the upper half is a straight portion 31e that connects to the bowl-shaped portion 31d and extends along the seat back frame 22. The cover 31 is fitted and attached to the seat back frame 22 by an arm portion 31e1 (see Figure 3) formed on the upper part of the straight portion 31e that embraces the seat back frame 22, and an engaging portion (not shown).
[0022] The cover 31 has a substantially circular opening 31c (see Figure 5) on the inner surface (left side) of the bowl-shaped portion 31d, corresponding to the rotation axis CL3. A slit 31a is formed as a cut from the opening 31c to the tip 31e2 of the straight portion 31e. As shown in Figure 5, a pair of narrow sections 31a1 are formed in the vicinity of the opening 31c in the slit 31a, where the opening edge of the opening 31c is extended. As a result, the width of the slit 31a is narrowed in the pair of narrow sections 31a1. The width of the slit 31a outside of the narrow sections 31a1 remains constant.
[0023] Furthermore, the shape and thickness of the cover 31 are set such that a space V31 is formed between its inner surface 31f (see Figure 3) and the inner surface 22a of the seat back frame 22 and the protruding member 3a1 of the rotating mechanism 3a (see Figures 4 and 5), allowing at least the cable 77 to be accommodated in a free position. Furthermore, a gap H31 in the width direction (left-right direction) is formed between the arc-shaped edge 31b of the bowl-shaped portion 31d of the cover 31 and the inner surface 22a of the seat back frame 22 and the protruding member 3a1 of the rotation mechanism 3a, so that the cable 77 can pass through without resistance.
[0024] As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the cover 31 has a cylindrical projection 312 on the rear side adjacent to the opening 31c that protrudes inward (to the left). A hole (not shown) is formed in the protruding portion 312, and a cable clamp 311 for holding the cable is attached to this hole by a snap fit or the like.
[0025] As shown in Figure 3, the seat cushion 91 has plate-shaped rear lower panels 14 that connect the inner frames 152, which are provided on the left and right sides, slightly below and rear of the rear bar 12. Plate-shaped brackets 13 are fixed to the rear lower panels 14. The seat back 92 has a seat back bar 23, which is a tubular member that connects a pair of arms of the U-shaped seat back frame 22, at a position spaced apart from the pivot axis CL3 toward the front end of the seat back 92. The seat back bar 23 has a bent portion 23a in the central part in the left-right direction, which is formed to protrude downward in a two-stage bend. A plate-shaped retaining panel 231 is attached to the bent portion 23a.
[0026] In relation to the above-described structure of the vehicle seat ST, the power supply path EC shown in Figure 2 is mounted by the following cable routing structure HK. In Figure 1, the cable 70, which is routed backward through the area below the seat heater 831, is connected to the cable 72 at the connecting part 71, and the cable 72 is shown in Figure 3. Cable 72 is connected to cable 74 at connector 73, and cable 74 is connected to junction box 84. Cable 111 is also connected to junction box 84.
[0027] Cable 75 is drawn out from the junction box 84 and connected to cable 77 by a connector 73. Cable 77 is supported by a cable clamp 131 attached to the right end of bracket 13. The cable 77, supported by the cable clamp 131, extends further to the right, wraps around from the edge 31b which is the arc-shaped end of the bowl-shaped portion 31d in the cover 31, and passes inside the cover 31.
[0028] The cable 77, routed inside the cover 31, extends outward through the opening 31c via the internal space V31 of the cover 31. The cable 77 extending from the opening 31c is supported by the cable clamp 311 in a position close to the opening 31c, maintaining its position as if being pulled out from the opening 31c. Furthermore, the cable 77 passed through the opening 31c is less likely to move towards the slit 31a side because the width of the slit 31a is narrowed by the pair of narrow sections 31a1, making it difficult for the cable 77 to pass through, and thus maintains its position within the opening 31c.
[0029] Cable 77 extends further to the left from cable clamp 311 and connects to cable 79 at connecting section 78. The cable 79 is supported by a cable clamp 232 attached to the retaining panel 231 and connected to the heater 83 at the connection point 832a of the rear heater 832.
[0030] The position of the cover 31 and cable 77 during reclining operation in this cable routing structure HK will be explained with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 is a left-view plan view showing the state of the cover 31 and cable 77 at three positions of the seat back 92 during reclining operation, with Figure 6(a) being the forward-tilted position, Figure 6(b) being the reference position, and Figure 6(c) being the backward-tilted position.
[0031] In Figure 6, angles θa to θc represent the tilt angle of the seat back 92 relative to the vertical during the reclining motion. As previously described, relative to the upright position (the vertical direction), the forward side is considered negative and the rear side is considered positive. Figure 6(a) shows the seat back 92 in its furthest forward position, where angle θa is -22°. Figure 6(b) shows the normal reference position of the seat back 92, where angle θb is +25°. Figure 6(c) shows the seat back 92 in its furthest rearward position, where angle θc is +93°. The area near the plug 762 attached to one end of the cable 77 is supported by the cable clamp 131.
[0032] As shown in Figures 6(a) to 6(c), the portion of the cable 77 from the cable clamp 131 to the edge 31b of the cover 31 that is pulled into the interior remains substantially unchanged in position and orientation because it is supported by the cable clamp 131. As the reclining motion occurs, the cover 31 rotates around the pivot axis CL3, causing the portion of the cable 77 from the opening 31c to the cable clamp 311 to rotate around the pivot axis CL3. In other words, the portion of the cable 77 passing through the opening 31c merely twists, while the portion exiting the opening 31c and being supported by the cable clamp 311 rotates within a small radius circle.
[0033] Thus, in the cable routing structure HK of the vehicle seat ST, the portion of the cable 77 that is pulled from the relay box 84 into the interior of the cover 31 wraps around the lower part of the cover 31, around the arc-shaped edge 31b with the rotation axis CL3 roughly at its center, and enters the interior. Therefore, even when the seat back 92 is reclined and rotated around the rotation axis CL3, the cable 77 only slides along the rotating edge 31b of the cover 31, and there is almost no change in its posture. As a result, even when the seat back 92 is reclined and rotated around the pivot axis CL3, no problems such as the part of the cable 77 from the cover 31 to the junction box 84 coming into contact with other components and producing abnormal noise will occur.
[0034] The portion of cable 77 that extends from cover 31 toward heater 83 is drawn out from opening 31c centered on the pivot axis CL3. As a result, even when the seat back 92 is reclined and rotated around the pivot axis CL3, the portion of the cable 77 passing through the opening 31c only twists, and its position does not substantially change. Only the portion supported by the cable clamp 311 rotates slightly, and there is almost no change in the overall posture. This prevents problems such as the cable 77 coming into contact with other components and producing abnormal noise.
[0035] Thus, during the reclining operation of the seat back 92, the position of the cable 77 on the relay box 84 side remains unchanged until its edge 31b is pulled inside the cover 31, and there is no significant change in the position of the cable 77 after it is pulled out from the cover 31 through the opening 31c to the outside. Therefore, during the reclining operation, there is almost no change in the posture of the part of the cable 77 inside the cover 31. Even if a change in posture occurs, it is limited to movement only inside the cover 31. Therefore, the cable routing structure HK in the vehicle seat ST is less prone to malfunctions caused by cables routed between the seat back and the seat cushion during reclining operation.
[0036] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. The cover 31 does not need to have a protrusion 312. In that case, the cable clamp 311 only needs to be attached to a portion of the cover 31 near the opening 31c in the bowl-shaped portion 31d. The rotation angle range for the reclining motion is not limited to the aforementioned -22° to +93°. In particular, forward tilting may be possible down to approximately -90°. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0037] 1L, 1R Side Panel 11 Control Switches 111 Cable 12 Rear bar 12a Fixed part 13 brackets 131 Cable Clamp 14 Rear lower panel 15 Side frame body 151 Outer Frame 152 Inner Frame 22 Seat back frame 22a Inner surface 23 Seat back bar 23a Folded section 231 Retaining panel 232 Cable Clamps 3 Rotating mechanism 3a Rotating mechanism 3a1 Protruding member 31 Cover 31a Slit 31a1 Narrow part 31b Edge 31c opening 31d Bowl-shaped part 31e Straight part 31e1 Arm 31e2 Tip 31f Inner 311 Cable Clamp 312 Protrusion 70, 72, 74, 75, 77, 79 Cables 71,73,76,78 Connection part 711,731,761,781 receptacles 712,732,762,782 plugs 81L, 81R rails 82 Power supply box 83 Heater 831 Seat heater 832 Back heater 832a Connection 833 Connecting part 84 Relay Box 91 Seat Cushion 92 Seatback 93 Headrest CL3 Rotation axis EC power supply route F Vehicle FL floor HK Cable Routing Structure H31 gap ST Vehicle Seats V31 space θa, θb, θc angle
Claims
1. The seat cushion installed in the vehicle, A rotating device provided at the rear of the seat cushion, A seat back having a seat back frame connected to the aforementioned rotating device, and a seat back capable of reclining by rotating within a predetermined angular range around the rotation axis relative to the seat cushion, The heater housed in the aforementioned seatback, A cover is attached to cover the rotating device and to form a space between the rotating device and the seat back frame, An opening formed in the part of the cover corresponding to the rotation axis and a slit formed as a cut from the opening to the tip of the cover, A cable that supplies power from the vehicle to the heater, Equipped with, The cable is a vehicle seat cable that wraps around the edge of the cover from the side of the vehicle, enters the space, is pulled out from the opening, and is connected to the heater.
2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the cover is provided with a cable clamp near the opening for supporting the cable pulled out from the opening.
3. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a narrow portion is formed in the vicinity of the opening in the slit, and the width of the narrow portion is narrower than the width of the other parts of the slit.
4. The seat cushion installed in the vehicle, A rotating device provided at the rear of the seat cushion, A seat back having a seat back frame connected to the aforementioned rotating device, and a seat back capable of reclining by rotating within a predetermined angular range around the rotation axis relative to the seat cushion, The heater housed in the aforementioned seatback, A cover is attached to cover the rotating device and to form a space between the rotating device and the seat back frame, and has an opening in a portion corresponding to the axis of rotation, A cable that supplies power from the vehicle to the heater, Equipped with The cable wraps around the edge of the cover from the side of the vehicle, enters the space, is pulled out from the opening, and is connected to the heater, and the edge is formed in an arc shape with respect to the pivot axis of the vehicle seat.