Vehicle seats

Abstract

To provide a vehicle seat that suppresses the generation of abnormal noise when the seat body is flipped up without increasing the number of parts.SOLUTION: A vehicle seat S includes: a seat body Sh having a seat cushion 1 and a seat back 2; and a hinge mechanism 30 provided at a front end portion of the seat cushion 1 to shift the seat cushion from a forward-tilted state to an upright state. The hinge mechanism 30 has a hinge shaft 33, a shaft support member 32, a fixing member 31 that joins the shaft support member 32 and fixes the hinge mechanism 30 to the floor FL, and a biasing member 35 provided around the shaft of the hinge shaft 33 and biasing the seat body Sh. The biasing member 35 has an engaging portion 35b that engages with the fixing member 31 or the shaft support member 32. When the fixing member 31 is in an upright state, it has a first contact portion 31e contacted with the engaging portion 35b to stop the movement of the engaging portion 35b. The first contact portion 31e is provided integrally with the fixing member 31, and the fixing member 31 and the first contact portion 31e are a single component.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat, and particularly to a vehicle seat capable of flipping up a seat body.

Background Art

[0002] As a seat in the second or third row of a vehicle, there is known a tumble seat in which a seat back is rotatably attached to the rear end of a seat cushion, and the folded seat body rotates forward about its front end and assumes a standing storage state. In such a tumble seat, a hinge mechanism provided at the front end of the seat cushion allows the seat body to swing between a standing position where the rear end of the seat cushion jumps up and a forward-falling position where the seat back is folded and the rear end is locked to the vehicle floor.

[0003] In such a tumble seat, when the seat body is flipped up, abnormal noise may occur from a hinge mechanism or the like provided at the front end of the seat cushion. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for suppressing the generation of abnormal noise by providing a rubber member that contacts a member (upper member) that causes the abnormal noise in the hinge mechanism and alleviating the impact at the time of contact by elastic deformation of the rubber member.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in order to provide a rubber member or the like in the hinge mechanism to suppress the generation of abnormal noise, not only the rubber member but also a member for fixing it are required, and the number of parts may increase significantly.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its objective is to provide a vehicle seat in which the generation of abnormal noise when the seat body is flipped up is suppressed without increasing the number of parts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The aforementioned problem is solved by a vehicle seat according to the present invention, comprising: a seat body having a seat cushion and a seat back connected to the rear end of the seat cushion so as to be foldable forward; a hinge mechanism provided at the front end of the seat cushion, which causes the seat body to be raised forward relative to the floor from a folded-down state with the seat back folded forward to an upright state, wherein the hinge mechanism comprises a hinge shaft extending in the seat width direction, a shaft support member supporting the hinge shaft, a fixing member joined to the shaft support member and fixing the hinge mechanism to the floor, and a biasing member provided around the axis of the hinge shaft and biasing the seat body, wherein the biasing member has an engaging portion that engages with the fixing member or the shaft support member depending on the state of the seat body. The shaft support member has a second contact portion which, when the seat body moves from the upright state to the forward-tilted state, the engaging portion of the biasing member comes into contact with it and stops the movement of the engaging portion, and the second contact portion is provided on the shaft support member. This will resolve the issue.

[0008] Furthermore, according to the above-described vehicle seat, the shaft support member has a pair of bearing portions arranged opposite to each other in the seat width direction and supporting the hinge shaft, and a front wall portion connecting the pair of bearing portions, and the second contact portion is preferably formed in a convex shape that protrudes from the front wall portion of the shaft support member toward the biasing member. By forming the second contact portion in a convex shape on the shaft support member, the second contact portion can be easily and integrally attached to the shaft support member. Furthermore, since the second contact portion can be formed by a simple method, manufacturing costs can be reduced.

[0009] Furthermore, according to the above-described vehicle seat, the fixing member has a first contact portion that, when the seat body is flipped up and reaches the upright position, contacts the engaging portion of the biasing member to stop the movement of the engaging portion, and a plurality of second contact portions are provided on the shaft support member, the length of each of the plurality of second contact portions in the seat width direction is formed to be smaller than the length of the first contact portion in the seat width direction, and the plurality of second contact portions are preferably arranged to avoid the central portion of the shaft support member in the seat width direction. By providing multiple second contact points, the movement of the engaging portion of the biasing member can be stopped more reliably. Furthermore, manufacturing costs can be reduced by making the length of each second contact portion in the sheet width direction shorter than the length of the first contact portion in the sheet width direction. Furthermore, by arranging the multiple second contact points to avoid the central portion of the shaft support member, even if the biasing member deforms when torque is applied to it, it will not be excessively restrained, and the stress applied to the second contact points can be kept at an appropriate level.

[0010] Furthermore, in the vehicle seat described above, it is preferable that through holes are formed between the plurality of second contact portions. The weight can be reduced by providing through holes between multiple second contact points.

[0011] Furthermore, according to the above-described vehicle seat, the first contact portion is positioned on the fixing member so as to be located in a front view between the plurality of second contact portions which are spaced apart in the width direction of the seat, and the first contact portion is positioned so as not to overlap with the second contact portions in the front-rear direction. By positioning the first contact portion between multiple second contact portions, the position where the engaging portion of the biasing member contacts the first contact portion and the position where it contacts the second contact portions change in the sheet width direction. This prevents stress from concentrating in one area, thus improving the durability of the biasing member.

[0012] Furthermore, according to the above-described vehicle seat, it is preferable that the plurality of second contact portions are arranged such that the spacing between them in the seat width direction is greater than the length of the first contact portion in the seat width direction. Although each of the second contact portions has a small contact area with the engaging portion, by making the spacing between multiple second contact portions larger than the length of the first contact portion in the sheet width direction, the engaging portion can be stably supported and its movement can be stopped.

[0013] Furthermore, according to the above-described vehicle seat, the second contact portion and the first contact portion are arranged apart from each other, the engaging portion is positioned between the second contact portion and the first contact portion, and the engaging portion is positioned apart from the second contact portion and the first contact portion during the transition from the upright state to the forward-tilted state.

[0014] Furthermore, according to the above-described vehicle seat, the fixing member is preferably provided with a reinforcing portion at a position that overlaps with the first contact portion in the front-rear direction. By providing a reinforcing portion at a position that overlaps with the first contact portion in the front-to-back direction, the strength in the front-to-back direction is increased, and the first contact portion can support the engaging portion more stably.

[0015] Furthermore, according to the above-described vehicle seat, the vehicle seat comprises a seat cushion that supports the occupant's buttocks, a seat back that serves as the occupant's backrest, and a headrest that supports the occupant's head, wherein the seat back is rotatably connected to the seat cushion via a reclining mechanism, the seat cushion is constructed by placing a pad on a cushion frame that forms the skeleton and covering the pad with a trim cover, the seat back is constructed by placing the pad on a back frame that forms the skeleton and covering it with the trim cover, the headrest is constructed by placing the pad on a headrest pillar that forms the core material and covering it with the trim cover, and a slide rail for adjusting the front-to-back position of the seat body relative to the floor is provided below the cushion frame.

Advantages of the Invention

[0018] According to the present invention, when the seat body is bounced up, the engaging portion of the biasing member abuts against the first abutting portion provided on the fixing member, and the movement of the biasing member is stopped, so that the generation of abnormal noise by the biasing member can be suppressed. Further, since the first abutting portion against which the engaging portion of the biasing member abuts is provided integrally with the fixing member, the number of components is not increased. Further, by forming the first abutting portion by bending it up, the first abutting portion can be easily provided integrally with the fixing member. Further, since it is a simple method, the manufacturing cost can be reduced. Further, the cost can be reduced by making the length of the first abutting portion in the seat width direction shorter than the length of the engaging portion. Further, by not supporting the entire engaging portion of the biasing member, the biasing member is not overly constrained, and the stress applied to the first abutting portion can be made appropriate.

[0019] Further, by providing a second abutting portion on the shaft support member against which the engaging portion of the biasing member abuts, when changing from the standing state to the forward-falling state, the engaging portion abuts against the second abutting portion and the movement of the engaging portion can be stopped. Further, by providing the second abutting portion integrally with the shaft support member, the number of parts is not increased. Further, by forming the second abutting portion in a convex shape on the shaft support member, the second abutting portion can be easily provided integrally with the shaft support member. Further, since the second abutting portion can be formed by a simple method, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[0020] Furthermore, by providing multiple second contact points, the movement of the engaging portion of the biasing member can be stopped more reliably. In addition, by making the length of each second contact point in the sheet width direction shorter than the length of the first contact point in the sheet width direction, manufacturing costs can be reduced. Moreover, since the multiple second contact points are arranged to avoid the central part of the shaft support member, even if the biasing member deforms when torque is applied to it, the biasing member will not be excessively restrained, and the stress on the second contact points can be kept at an appropriate level. Furthermore, weight reduction can be achieved by providing through holes between multiple second contact points. Furthermore, by positioning the first contact portion between multiple second contact portions, the position where the engaging portion of the biasing member contacts the first contact portion and the position where it contacts the second contact portions change in the sheet width direction. This prevents stress from concentrating in one area, thus improving the durability of the biasing member. Furthermore, although each of the second contact portions has a small contact area with the engaging portion, by making the spacing between multiple second contact portions larger than the length of the first contact portion in the sheet width direction, the engaging portion can be stably supported and its movement can be stopped. Furthermore, by providing a reinforcing portion at a position that overlaps with the first contact portion in the front-to-back direction, the strength in the front-to-back direction is increased, and the first contact portion can support the engaging portion more stably. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0021] [Figure 1] This is a side view showing a vehicle seat according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing the cushion frame of a vehicle seat in the forward-folding position. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing the cushion frame of a vehicle seat in its upright position. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 3, illustrating the hinge mechanism when the vehicle seat is in the upright position. [Figure 5] This is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the hinge mechanism. [Figure 6]This is a rear view of the fixed bracket to which the shaft support member is attached. [Figure 7] This is a view from above of a fixed bracket to which a shaft support member is attached. [Figure 8] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view along the DD line, illustrating the hinge mechanism when the vehicle seat is folded forward. [Figure 9] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along line BB, illustrating the hinge mechanism when the vehicle seat is in the upright position. [Figure 10] This is a diagram illustrating a conventional hinge mechanism, and is an explanatory diagram for describing the hinge mechanism when a vehicle seat is in an upright position. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0022] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, an embodiment of the vehicle seat according to the present invention applied to the rear seats (including the second and third rows) of an automobile will be described. However, the embodiment described below is for the purpose of facilitating understanding of the present invention and does not limit it. That is, the present invention can be modified and improved without departing from its spirit, and of course, equivalents thereof are included in the present invention. Furthermore, the content regarding the material, shape, and size of the seat components in the following description is merely one example and does not limit the present invention. Moreover, the present invention is not limited to vehicle seats mounted on ground-running vehicles with wheels such as automobiles and trains, but can also be applied to seats mounted on aircraft, ships, etc. that move on surfaces other than the ground.

[0023] In the following explanation, "front-to-back direction" refers to the front-to-back direction of the vehicle seat, which coincides with the direction of travel when the vehicle is moving. "Seat width direction" and "seat left-to-right direction" refer to the width direction of the vehicle seat, which coincides with the left-to-right direction as viewed from the perspective of an occupant seated in the vehicle seat. "Up-and-down direction" refers to the up-and-down direction of the vehicle seat, which coincides with the vertical direction when the vehicle is traveling on a horizontal plane. Furthermore, left and right are determined based on the position of an occupant seated in a vehicle seat. In the left-right direction, the center of the seat is called the inward side, and the opposite side is called the outward side. Furthermore, in the seat width direction, "outside of the vehicle" refers to the side closer to the outside of the vehicle body (more simply, the side closer to the nearest door), while "inside of the vehicle" refers to the side closer to the inside of the vehicle body (more simply, the side further away from the nearest door). Furthermore, in the following explanation, "rotation" refers to rotational movement around an axis along the width direction of the sheet, unless otherwise specified.

[0024] <Vehicle Seat S> The vehicle seat S in this embodiment is a seat that is placed on the vehicle floor FL and on which the vehicle's occupants sit. The vehicle seat S is used as a rear seat, corresponding to the rear seat of the vehicle. However, it is not limited to this, and the vehicle seat S can also be used as a second-row mid-seat or a third-row rear seat in a vehicle equipped with three rows of seats in the front-to-back direction.

[0025] Figure 1 is a side view showing a vehicle seat S according to this embodiment. The vehicle seat S has a seat body Sh which forms its main body. The vehicle seat S is a tumble seat in which the seat body Sh can be folded up and stored relative to the vehicle floor (floor) FL. Note that in Figure 1, a portion of the vehicle seat S is shown with the trim cover T removed for illustrative purposes.

[0026] The seat body Sh comprises a seat cushion 1 that supports the occupant's buttocks, a seat back 2 that serves as the occupant's backrest, and a headrest 3 that supports the occupant's head. The seat back 2 is rotatably connected to the rear end of the seat cushion 1 in the front-rear direction via a well-known reclining mechanism 5, and as shown by the dashed line in Figure 1, the seat back 2 can be folded forward relative to the seat cushion 1.

[0027] Furthermore, the vehicle seat S is equipped with a pair of hinge mechanisms 30 located at the front end of the seat cushion to flip up the seat body Sh when the seat back 2 is folded forward. The pair of hinge mechanisms 30 are located on both the left and right sides of the underside of the front end of the seat cushion 1 (see Figure 2).

[0028] As shown by the solid line in Figure 1, the vehicle seat S can be moved from a usable state in which an occupant can sit (hereinafter referred to as the seated state) to a state in which the seat back 2 is tilted forward in the direction of arrow C in Figure 1 (hereinafter referred to as the tilted state). Furthermore, from the tilted state, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 1, the seat body Sh can be switched to a state in which the seat is raised forward relative to the vehicle floor FL in the direction of arrow E in Figure 1 (hereinafter referred to as the upright state). Specifically, the occupant pulls an operating lever (not shown), causing the seatback 2 to fold forward. The occupant can then lift the rear end of the seat cushion 1 to raise the seat body Sh to an upright position. Alternatively, the occupant can manually tilt the seat body Sh backward from the upright position, raise the seatback 2 upward, and rotate it backward to return to a seated position.

[0029] The seat cushion 1 is a seating area that supports the occupant from below, and as shown in Figure 2, it is constructed by placing a pad P on a cushion frame 10 which forms the skeleton, and covering the pad P with a trim cover T. The seat back 2 is a backrest that supports the occupant's back from the rear, and is constructed by placing a pad P on a back frame (not shown) which forms the skeleton, and covering it with a trim cover T. The headrest 3 is a headrest that supports the occupant's head from the rear, and is constructed by placing a pad P on a headrest pillar (not shown) which serves as a core material, and covering it with a trim cover T.

[0030] As described above, a reclining mechanism 5 is provided at the rear end of the seat cushion 1. The reclining mechanism 5 consists of a known device and is capable of rotating the seat back 2 forward in the direction of arrow C in Figure 1, around the seat pivot axis 5a. The reclining mechanism 5 also includes a spiral spring (not shown) that biases the seat back 2 to maintain the forward-tilted state.

[0031] <Cushion frame 10> The structure of the cushion frame 10, which forms the framework of the seat cushion 1, will be explained in more detail using Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the cushion frame 10 when the seat body Sh is in a seated position or in a tilted-forward position, and Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the cushion frame 10 when the seat body Sh is in an upright position.

[0032] The cushion frame 10 consists of a roughly rectangular frame-like body that forms the skeleton of the seat cushion 1, and as shown in Figure 2, it is mainly composed of left and right side frames 11, 11 arranged on the left and right sides, a front connecting pipe 12 that connects the front ends of each side frame 11, 11, and a rear connecting pipe 13 that connects the rear ends of each side frame. Furthermore, a wire 14 is provided, spanning across the side frames 11, 11. This wire 14 receives the load from the seat cushion 1 and functions as a pressure-receiving member.

[0033] <Slide Rail 20> Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, slide rails 20, 20 are provided below the cushion frame 10 for adjusting the front-to-rear position of the seat body Sh relative to the vehicle floor FL. The slide rails 20, 20 are conventionally known and consist of upper rails 21, 21 connected to each side frame 11, 11, and lower rails 22, 22 that slidably support each of the upper rails 21, 21.

[0034] Hinges 30, 30 are provided at the front ends of the lower rails 22, 22 on the left and right slide rails 20, 20, and the seat body Sh is connected to the vehicle floor FL via the hinges 30, 30. Furthermore, the configuration is not limited to one in which left and right slide rails 20, 20 are provided on the underside of the seat cushion 1; a configuration in which the left and right slide rails 20, 20 are omitted is also possible. In that case, hinge mechanisms 30, 30 are provided at the front ends of the left and right side frames 11, 11, and the seat body Sh is connected to the vehicle floor FL via the left and right hinge mechanisms 30, 30.

[0035] Furthermore, the rear ends of the lower rails 22, 22 are provided with locking mechanisms 25, 25 that prevent the seat cushion 1 from rotating when the seat body Sh is in a seated position. Each of the locking mechanisms 25, 25 is equipped with a hook 26 that engages with a striker 27 (see Figure 1) provided on the vehicle floor FL. By rotating the hook 26, the locking mechanism 25 can be released, and the occupant can lift the rear of the seat cushion 1 to raise the folded seat body Sh.

[0036] <<Hinge mechanism 30>> The hinge mechanism 30, which is the core of the present invention, will be described below with reference to Figures 4-10. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the left hinge mechanism 30 consists of a fixed bracket 31, a shaft support member 32, a hinge shaft 33, a spacer 34, and a coil spring 35. The right hinge mechanism 30 has basically the same configuration as the left hinge mechanism 30, so detailed illustrations and explanations are omitted. Below, the overall configuration and operation of the hinge mechanism 30 will be described first, followed by a detailed description of the positional relationship between the first contact portion 31e and the second contact portion 32d.

[0037] <Fixing bracket 31> The fixing bracket 31 is a fixing member of the present invention and is a member that is fixed to the vehicle floor FL. The fixing bracket 31 is formed, for example, by press molding a steel plate. The fixing bracket 31 consists of a base portion 31a that connects to the shaft support member 32, a front leg portion 31b, and a rear leg portion 31c.

[0038] The base portion 31a is formed in the shape of a rectangular plate and is arranged with the vehicle's vertical direction as the thickness direction. The front leg portion 31b extends downward from the front end of the base portion 31a. A bolt hole 31h is formed in the front leg portion 31b, and the front end of the fixing bracket 31 is fixed to the vehicle floor FL by passing a fastening member such as a bolt through this bolt hole 31h and fastening it. The rear leg portion 31c is provided so as to extend downward and inclined toward the rear from the rear end of the base portion 31a. A bolt hole 31i is also formed at the rear end of the rear leg portion 31c, and by passing a fastening member such as a bolt through this bolt hole 31i and fastening it, the rear end of the fixing bracket 31 can be fixed to the vehicle floor FL. A flange 31d is provided around the fixing bracket 31 to reinforce the fixing bracket 31.

[0039] A first contact portion 31e is formed in the center of the base portion 31a. When the engaging portion 35b of the coil spring 35 comes into contact with the first contact portion 31e, the movement of the engaging portion 35b is stopped, and the rotation of the coil spring 35 is suppressed. The first contact portion 31e is integrally provided with the fixing bracket 31, and the fixing bracket 31 and the first contact portion 31e are formed as a single member. More specifically, the first contact portion 31e is formed by cutting and raising a part of the fixing bracket 31, more precisely the base portion 31a, so as to protrude upward. In addition, a through hole 31f is formed around the first contact portion 31e for cutting and raising the first contact portion 31e.

[0040] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5 and 7, the first contact portion 31e extends upward from the rear of the through hole 31f. By forming the first contact portion 31e by cutting and bending, it is possible to increase the height that supports the engaging portion 35b compared to when it is formed by embossing. Furthermore, the first contact portion 31e is provided on the rear side of the through hole 31f. With this arrangement, when the engaging portion 35b of the coil spring 35 makes contact, a force acts in the direction of compression on the first contact portion 31e. On the other hand, if, for example, the first contact portion 31e is provided on the front side of the through hole 31f, a force acts in the direction of extension on the first contact portion 31e. Since strength can be improved in the compression direction, providing the first contact portion 31e on the rear side of the through hole 31f allows for more stable support of the engaging portion 35b.

[0041] Furthermore, the length L1 of the first contact portion 31e in the sheet width direction is configured to be shorter than the length L4 of the engaging portion 35b in the sheet width direction. By making the length L1 of the first contact portion 31e in the sheet width direction shorter than the length L4 of the engaging portion 35b, costs can be reduced. Furthermore, by not supporting the entire engaging portion 35b, the coil spring 35 is not excessively restrained, and the stress applied to the first contact portion 31e can be kept at an appropriate level.

[0042] Furthermore, a bead 31g is formed on the rear leg portion 31c of the fixing bracket 31 as a reinforcing portion, thereby reinforcing the fixing bracket 31. As can be seen from Figure 7, the bead 31g is provided in a position that overlaps with the first contact portion 31e, which will be described later, in the front-rear direction. By providing the bead 31g in a position that overlaps with the first contact portion 31e in the front-rear direction, the strength of the fixing bracket 31 in the front-rear direction is improved, and the first contact portion 31e can stably support the engagement portion 35b of the coil spring 35.

[0043] <Shaft support member 32> The shaft support member 32 is a member that supports the hinge shaft 33 which extends in the width direction of the sheet. The shaft support member 32 has a pair of bearing portions 32a that extend rearward from both the left and right sides of the front side wall portion 32c, and a front side wall portion 32c that connects the pair of bearing portions 32a, 32a. The shaft support member 32 is formed to be U-shaped overall by bending a steel plate. In addition, each of the bearing portions 32a, 32a has a bearing hole 32b through which a cylindrical hinge shaft 33 passes, and the shaft support member 32 supports the hinge shaft 33 by inserting the hinge shaft 33 through the bearing hole 32b. Furthermore, the shaft support member 32 is joined to the fixing bracket 31 by welding the lower end of the bearing portion 32a to the base portion 31a of the fixing bracket 31 (more specifically to the flange 31d of the base portion 31a). Figure 4 shows the weld marks 36.

[0044] <Hinge axis 33> The hinge shaft 33 is positioned with the sheet width direction as its axial direction. In addition, as shown in Figure 4, the front end of the lower rail 22 is positioned inside the shaft support member 32, and the lower rail 22 is rotatable around the hinge shaft 33.

[0045] Around the axis of the hinge shaft 33, a coil spring 35 is provided that biases the lower rail 22 relative to the fixing bracket 31 in one direction around the axis of the hinge shaft 33 (in the direction of flipping up the seat body Sh), and a cylindrical spacer 34 is provided that holds the coil spring 35 concentrically with respect to the hinge shaft 33. The hinge shaft 33 is composed of a bolt 33a and a nut 33b. By fastening with the nut 33b, the hinge shaft 33 is fixed to the shaft support member 32 while rotatably supporting the coil spring 35.

[0046] <Coil spring 35> The coil spring 35 has an engaging portion 35b that extends downward from the right end of the spring body 35a, bends toward the spring body 35a, and then extends along the width direction of the seat. The engaging portion 35b is configured to engage with the fixing bracket 31 or the shaft support member 32 depending on the state of the seat body Sh.

[0047] More specifically, as shown in Figure 8, when the seat body Sh is in the forward-tilted position, the rail support portion 35c of the coil spring 35 engages with the lower rail 22 and rotates to tilt backward, causing the engaging portion 35b to also rotate in the direction of arrow F. As a result, the engaging portion 35b engages with the front wall portion 32c of the shaft support member 32.

[0048] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 9, when the seat body Sh is flipped up to an upright position, the rail support portion 35c of the coil spring 35 rises upward in accordance with the rising lower rail 22. The coil spring 35 rotates in the direction of arrow G around the axis of the hinge shaft 33, and the engaging portion 35b of the coil spring 35 engages with the fixed bracket 31. At this time, the engaging portion 35b is configured to contact the first contact portion 31e protruding from the fixed bracket 31, thereby stopping its movement.

[0049] In the conventional hinge mechanism 130, as shown in Figure 10, the fixed bracket 131 was not provided with a first contact portion that would come into contact with the engaging portion 135b to stop movement. Therefore, when the seat body Sh was flipped up, the engaging portion 135b held by the front side wall portion 132c of the shaft support member 132 moved backward, causing the coil spring 135 to fall freely. As a result, the engaging portion 135b hit the fixing bracket 131, generating a collision sound (abnormal noise). In the hinge mechanism 30 of this embodiment, a first contact portion 31e is provided, and the engaging portion 35b makes contact with it, thereby suppressing the free fall of the coil spring 35 and preventing the generation of collision noise.

[0050] Furthermore, as described above, the first contact portion 31e is integrally provided with the fixing bracket 31 by cutting and bending a part of the fixing bracket 31. Since the fixing bracket 31 and the first contact portion 31e are formed as a single part, the increase in the number of parts can be suppressed.

[0051] <Second contact part 32d> As shown in Figures 6-8, two second contact portions 32d are formed on the front wall portion 32c of the shaft support member 32. Each of the second contact portions 32d is formed in a convex shape that protrudes rearward from the front wall portion 32c, that is, toward the coil spring 135 side. More specifically, the second contact portion 32d is formed into a convex shape that bulges out in a hemispherical shape by embossing. The engagement portion 35b of the coil spring 135 comes into contact with the hemispherical surface of the second contact portion 32d, thereby preventing the movement of the engagement portion 35b. As shown in Figure 8, when the seat body Sh moves from an upright position to a forward-tilted position, the rail support portion 35c of the coil spring 35 tilts backward, causing the coil spring 35 to rotate around the hinge axis 33. The engaging portion 35b moves in the direction of arrow F and comes into contact with the second contact portion 32d. The movement of the engaging portion 35b is stopped when it comes into contact with the second contact portion 32d.

[0052] The second contact portion 32d is integrally formed with the shaft support member 32 by embossing, and the shaft support member 32 and the second contact portion 32d are formed as a single part. Therefore, the number of parts does not increase. In addition, since the convex shape is formed by a relatively simple method, manufacturing costs can be reduced compared to cases where the second contact portion is provided by a separate part. The second contact portion 32d is formed in a convex shape that bulges out in a hemispherical shape, but it may also be formed by cutting and bending a part of the shaft support member 32, similar to the first contact portion 31e.

[0053] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, the second contact portion 32d is provided at a predetermined distance L2 away from the front wall portion 32c of the shaft support member 32. In addition, the length L3 in the sheet width direction of each second contact portion 32d is formed to be smaller than the length L1 in the sheet width direction of the first contact portion 31e. Manufacturing costs can be reduced by making the length L3 in the sheet width direction of each second contact portion 32d shorter than the length L1 in the sheet width direction of the first contact portion 31e.

[0054] Furthermore, the two second contact portions 32d are positioned to avoid the central portion of the shaft support member 32 in the sheet width direction. By positioning the second contact portions 32d to avoid the central portion of the shaft support member 32, even if the coil spring 35 deforms when torque is applied to it, the coil spring 35 is not excessively restrained, and the stress on the second contact portions 32d can be kept at an appropriate level.

[0055] Furthermore, three or more second contact portions 32d may be provided on the shaft support member 32. By forming multiple second contact portions 32d on the shaft support member 32, the engaging portion 35b can be supported and its movement can be stopped more reliably. Furthermore, a through hole 32e is formed between the two second contact portions 32d, as shown in Figure 6. The through hole 32e is formed in the shape of an elongated oval in the sheet width direction. By providing a through hole 32e between the two second contact portions 32d, the shaft support member 32 can be made lighter. Furthermore, in the shaft support member 32, the lower end portion 32f, which is located below the two second contact portions 32d, is formed to be inclined toward the rear, as shown in Figure 8. Because 32f is inclined, the shaft support member 32 no longer holds the engaging portion 35b, so when the unit is in an upright position, the coil spring 35 does not detach from the shaft support member 32 and fall freely, and the generation of collision noise caused by the engaging portion 35b hitting the fixed bracket 31 can be suppressed.

[0056] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, the first contact portion 31e is positioned on the fixing bracket 31 so as to be located in a front view between two second contact portions 32d that are spaced apart by a predetermined distance L2 in the seat width direction. Also, as shown in Figure 7, the first contact portion 31e is positioned so as not to overlap with the second contact portions 32d in the front-rear direction. By arranging them in this way, the position where the engaging portion 35b contacts the first contact portion 31e and the position where it contacts the second contact portion 32d in the seat width direction changes, preventing the force from being concentrated in one area, thus improving the durability of the coil spring 35.

[0057] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, the second contact portion 32d is arranged such that the spacing (predetermined distance L2) in the sheet width direction is greater than the length L1 of the first contact portion 31e in the sheet width direction. Although each of the second contact portions 32d has a small contact area with the engaging portion 35d, by making the spacing between the second contact portions 32d (a predetermined distance L2) larger than the length L1 in the sheet width direction of the first contact portion 31e, the engaging portion 35b can be stably supported and its movement can be stopped.

[0058] Embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the figures. In the vehicle seat S of this embodiment, a coil spring was used as the biasing member, but the biasing member may be a means other than a coil spring, for example, an elastically deformable member such as a leaf spring. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] S Vehicle Seat Sh Seat Body T Trim Cover P Pad FL Vehicle Floor (Floor) 1 seat cushion 2 seatbacks 3 Headrests 5. Reclining mechanism 10 Cushion Frames 11 Side Frames 12 Front connecting pipe 13 Rear connecting pipe 14 wires 20 slide rails 21 Upper Rail 22 Lower Rail 25 Locking mechanism 26 hooks 27 Strike 30 Hinge mechanism 31 Fixing bracket (fixing component) 31a Base section 31b Front leg 31c Posterior leg 31d flange 31e 1st contact part 31f through hole 31g bead (reinforcement part) 31h Bolt holes 31i Bolt holes 32 Axle support member 32a Bearing section 32b Bearing hole 32c Front wall 32d 2nd contact part 32e through hole 32f lower end 33 Hinge axis 34 Spacers 35. Coil spring (biasing member) 35a Spring body 35b Engagement part 35c Rail support section 36 Weld marks

Claims

1. A seat body having a seat cushion and a seat back that is foldable forward and connected to the rear end of the seat cushion, The seat cushion is provided with a hinge mechanism that moves the seat body from a tilted-forward position (where the seat back is tilted forward) to an upright position (where the seat body is flipped forward relative to the floor), The aforementioned hinge mechanism is, A hinge axis extending in the width direction of the seat, A shaft support member that supports the hinge shaft, A fixing member that connects to the shaft support member and fixes the hinge mechanism to the floor, A biasing member provided around the axis of the hinge shaft and biasing the seat body, It has, The biasing member has an engaging portion that engages with the fixing member or the shaft support member depending on the state of the seat body. The shaft support member has a second contact portion which, when the seat body moves from the upright state to the forward-tilted state, the engaging portion of the biasing member comes into contact with it and stops the movement of the engaging portion. A vehicle seat characterized in that the second contact portion is provided on the shaft support member.

2. The shaft support member has a pair of bearing portions arranged opposite to each other in the sheet width direction and supporting the hinge shaft, and a front wall portion connecting the pair of bearing portions. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, characterized in that the second contact portion is formed in a convex shape that protrudes from the front side wall portion of the shaft support member toward the biasing member.

3. The fixing member has a first contact portion which, when the seat body is flipped up and in the upright position, the engaging portion of the biasing member comes into contact with the first contact portion to stop the movement of the engaging portion, Multiple second contact portions are provided on the shaft support member, and the length of each of the multiple second contact portions in the sheet width direction is smaller than the length of the first contact portion in the sheet width direction. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the plurality of second contact portions are arranged to avoid the central portion of the shaft support member in the seat width direction.

4. The vehicle seat according to claim 3, characterized in that through holes are formed between the plurality of second contact portions.

5. The vehicle seat according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the first contact portion is positioned on the fixing member so as to be in a front view between a plurality of second contact portions arranged at intervals in the seat width direction, and the first contact portion is positioned so as not to overlap with the second contact portions in the front-rear direction.

6. The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the plurality of second contact portions are arranged such that the spacing between them in the seat width direction is greater than the length of the first contact portion in the seat width direction.

7. The second contact portion and the first contact portion are arranged apart from each other, The engagement portion is positioned between the second contact portion and the first contact portion. The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that, during the transition from the upright state to the forward-tilted state, the engaging portion is separated from the second contact portion and the first contact portion, respectively.

8. The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that the fixing member is provided with a reinforcing portion at a position that overlaps with the first contact portion in the front-rear direction.

9. The vehicle seat is The seat comprises a seat cushion that supports the occupant's buttocks, a seat back that serves as the occupant's backrest, and a headrest that supports the occupant's head. The seat back is rotatably connected to the seat cushion via a reclining mechanism. The aforementioned seat cushion is constructed by placing a pad on a cushion frame that forms the skeleton, and then covering the pad with a trim cover. The aforementioned seat back is constructed by placing the pad on a back frame that forms the skeleton, and covering it with the trim cover. The headrest is constructed by placing the pad on a headrest pillar, which serves as the core material, and covering it with the trim cover. A vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a slide rail for adjusting the front-to-back position of the seat body relative to the floor is provided below the cushion frame.

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