Vehicle seats

Abstract

To prevent a lock of a recliner from being released by a load input to a hinge cover from a seat belt etc. during a vehicle collision.SOLUTION: A vehicle seat 10 includes: a hinge cover 68 which is disposed at a side portion of a seat cushion 12 and has an opening 70 through which a recliner shaft 50 of a recliner 46 provided between the seat cushion 12 and a seat back 16 penetrates; and a reclining lever which is disposed at an outer side in a seat width direction with respect to the hinge cover 68 and rotated about the recliner shaft 50 to unlock the recliner 46. A part of an edge portion of the opening 70 of the hinge cover 68 is provided with facing portions 70A, 70B which protrude farther toward the recliner shaft 50 side than the other portion of the edge portion and face the recliner shaft 50 in proximity.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] The vehicle seat described in Patent Document 1 below includes a reclining lever that releases the lock of a reclining device (recliner) by being rotated, a reclining cover (hinge cover) provided on the side portion of the seat cushion inside the vehicle with respect to the reclining lever, a seat belt disposed at a position where it abuts on the reclining lever when a passenger is seated, a convex portion protruding from the reclining lever toward the inside of the vehicle, and a concave portion formed on the outer surface of the vehicle of the hinge cover. When the vehicle collides, a load is input from the seat belt to the reclining lever, so that the convex portion of the reclining lever engages with the concave portion of the hinge cover, restricting the rotation of the reclining lever. This prevents the lock of the recliner from being inadvertently released.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above prior art, the release of the lock of the recliner due to the load input from the seat belt or the like to the hinge cover during a vehicle collision is not considered.

[0005] In consideration of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to obtain a vehicle seat that can prevent the lock of the recliner from being released due to the load input from the seat belt or the like to the hinge cover during a vehicle collision.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A vehicle seat according to the first embodiment includes a hinge cover positioned on the side of a seat cushion and having an opening through which the shaft of a recliner provided between the seat cushion and the seat back passes, and a recliner lever positioned on the outside in the seat width direction relative to the hinge cover and rotating around the shaft to release the lock of the recliner, wherein a portion of the edge of the opening is provided with a facing portion that protrudes toward the shaft than the other portion of the edge and is in close proximity to the shaft.

[0007] According to the first embodiment of the vehicle seat, a hinge cover positioned on the side of the seat cushion has an opening through which the shaft of a recliner, located between the seat cushion and the seat back, passes. A recliner lever positioned on the outside in the seat width direction relative to the hinge cover is rotated around the recliner shaft to release the lock on the recliner. A portion of the edge of the opening is provided with an opposing portion that protrudes further toward the recliner shaft than other parts of the edge and is positioned in close proximity to the shaft. In this vehicle seat, when a load is applied to the hinge cover from a seat belt or the like during a vehicle collision, and the hinge cover is displaced radially relative to the recliner shaft, the opposing portion can be configured to come into contact with the shaft. This contact can limit the displacement of the hinge cover, thereby preventing the recliner from being unintentionally released due to the displacement of the hinge cover.

[0008] In the second embodiment of the vehicle seat, the opposing portion and the shaft face each other in a plane, as in the first embodiment.

[0009] In the second embodiment of the vehicle seat, an opposing portion provided on a part of the edge of the opening of the hinge cover and the axis of the recliner face each other on a surface. Therefore, when the hinge cover is displaced radially with respect to the axis of the recliner, the opposing portion and the axis can be brought into contact with each other on a surface. This makes it possible to effectively limit the displacement of the hinge cover.

[0010] In the third embodiment of the vehicle seat, the opposing portion is opposed to the axis from at least the upper side of the seat and the rear side of the seat, in the first or second embodiment.

[0011] In the third embodiment of the vehicle seat, an opposing portion provided on a part of the edge of the opening of the hinge cover faces the recliner axis from at least the upper and rear sides of the seat. Therefore, when the hinge cover is displaced downward and forward of the seat by the load from the seat belt during a vehicle collision, the opposing portion comes into contact with the axis. This effectively limits the displacement of the hinge cover due to the load from the seat belt. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] As described above, the vehicle seat according to the present invention prevents the recliner lock from being released by the load applied to the hinge cover from the seat belt or the like during a vehicle collision. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a side view showing a vehicle seat according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a side view showing the configuration around the recliner in a vehicle seat according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration around the recliner in a vehicle seat according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] The following describes a vehicle seat 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Note that some reference numerals may be omitted in the figures for clarity. The arrows FR, LH, and UP, as indicated in the figures, indicate the front, left, and top of the vehicle seat 10, respectively. Hereafter, when simply using the directions front, back, left, right, up, and down, these directions refer to the direction relative to the vehicle seat 10.

[0015] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle seat 10 according to this embodiment comprises a seat cushion 12 on which the occupant sits, a seat back 16 that supports the occupant's back, and a headrest 20 that supports the occupant's head. The seat cushion 12 is connected to the vehicle floor (not shown) via a well-known seat slide mechanism 22 and lifter mechanism 26. The seat back 16 is connected to the seat cushion 12 via a well-known reclining mechanism 30. The front-rear, left-right, up-down directions of this vehicle seat 10 coincide with the front-rear, left-right, up-down directions of the vehicle. This vehicle seat 10 is the left front seat of the vehicle. If this vehicle seat 10 is the right front seat of the vehicle, the configuration will be symmetrical to that of this embodiment.

[0016] An occupant seated on the seat cushion 12 of the vehicle seat 10 is restrained to the vehicle seat 10 by a well-known three-point seat belt device 72. This seat belt device 72 includes a buckle 74 located on the right side of the seat cushion 12. Although not shown in the illustration, in this seat belt device 72, one longitudinal end of the seat belt is secured to a spool of a retractor provided at the lower end of the vehicle's center pillar, and the other longitudinal end of the seat belt is secured to the floor of the vehicle body on the left side of the seat cushion 12. When an occupant seated on the seat cushion 12 connects the tongue plate provided in the longitudinal middle of the seat belt to the buckle 74, the occupant is fastened with the seat belt.

[0017] A slide lever 24 for releasing the lock of the seat slide mechanism 22 is provided at the lower front of the seat cushion 12. A hinge cover 68, a lifter lever 28, and a reclining lever 32 are provided on the left side of the seat cushion 12. The hinge cover 68, lifter lever 28, and reclining lever 32 are manufactured, for example, by resin injection molding. The hinge cover 68 is elongated, with its length in the front-to-back direction and its thickness in the left-to-right direction. The length of the hinge cover 68 in the front-to-back direction is set to be the same as the length of the seat cushion 12 in the front-to-back direction. The seat slide mechanism 22, lifter mechanism 26, and reclining mechanism 30 are covered from the left side by this hinge cover 68.

[0018] The lift lever 28 is elongated, with its length in the front-to-back direction and its thickness in the left-to-right direction, and is positioned in the center of the hinge cover 68 in the front-to-back direction. The rear end of the lift lever 28 is connected to the lift mechanism 26 on the right side (inward in the seat width direction) of the hinge cover 68. By rotating this lift lever 28 up and down, the vertical position of the seat cushion 12 relative to the floor of the vehicle body is adjusted.

[0019] The recliner lever 32 has a roughly trapezoidal shape when viewed from the left and right directions, and is dish-shaped with an opening toward the right side (inward in the seat width direction), and is located at the rear of the hinge cover 68. An upward extension 68A is provided at the rear of the hinge cover 68. This upward extension 68A covers the recliner 46 (see Figures 2 and 3) of the reclining mechanism 30 from the left side (outward in the seat width direction). The main body 48 of the recliner 46 has a disc shape with the left-right direction as its axis, and is located between the rear end of the cushion frame 14 that constitutes the skeleton of the seat cushion 12 and the lower end of the back frame 18 that constitutes the skeleton of the seat back 16.

[0020] At the axial center of the main body 48 of the recliner 46, a recliner shaft 50 with the left - right direction as the axial direction is provided. The recliner shaft 50 corresponds to the "shaft" in the present invention. A lock - release plate 52 for releasing the lock of the recliner 46 is attached to the recliner shaft 50.

[0021] The lock - release plate 52 is, for example, manufactured by press - forming a metal plate material. As shown in FIG. 2, it has an L - shape when viewed from the left - right direction. This lock - release plate 52 has a shaft - fixing part 54 fixed to the recliner shaft 50, a front - arm part 56 extending forward and downward from the shaft - fixing part 54, and a rear - arm part 58 extending rearward and downward from the shaft - fixing part 54. The recliner shaft 50 passes through the shaft - fixing part 54, and the shaft - fixing part 54 is fixed to the recliner shaft 50 by means such as welding.

[0022] When the lock - release plate 52 is rotated clockwise in FIG. 2 around the recliner shaft 50, the lock of the recliner 46 is released, and the reclining angle of the seat back 16 with respect to the seat cushion 12 can be adjusted. The back frame 18 is urged in the upright direction with respect to the cushion frame 14 by a torsion spring 62 shown in FIG. 2.

[0023] An opening 70 through which the recliner shaft 50 passes is formed in the upper - extending part 68A of the hinge cover 68. The opening 70 is formed in a region facing the lock - release plate 52 and the torsion spring 62 in the left - right direction. The upper - edge part of the opening 70 is formed in a substantially arc shape concentric with the recliner shaft 50. On the left side (outer side in the seat - width direction) of the upper - extending part 68A, the recline lever 32 is arranged, and the above - mentioned opening 70 is covered by the recline lever 32.

[0024] As shown in Figure 3, a through hole 34 is formed in the center of the recliner lever 32. The tip of the recliner shaft 50 is inserted into this through hole 34. Below the through hole 34, the tip of the forearm portion 56 of the release plate 52 is fixed to the front of the recliner lever 32 by screws. Below the through hole 34, a fitting portion (not shown) is provided on the rear of the recliner lever 32 into which the tip of the rear arm portion 58 of the release plate 52 is fitted. The tip of the rear arm portion 58 is bent toward the left side (outward in the seat width direction) and fits into the fitting portion from the right side (inward in the seat width direction). The recliner lever 32 is integrated with the recliner 46 and is made immovable relative to the cushion frame 14 of the seat cushion 12 in the radial direction of the recliner shaft 50.

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, a recess 40 is formed at the lower front end of the reclining lever 32, recessed to the right (inward in the seat width direction). When an occupant seated on the seat cushion 12 hooks the fingers of their left hand into the recess 40 and lifts the reclining lever 32 upward, the reclining lever 32 rotates together with the release plate 52 around the recliner shaft 50. This releases the lock on the recliner 46. When the occupant stops the lifting operation, the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 60 shown in Figure 2 returns the recliner shaft 50, the release plate 52, and the reclining lever 32 to their original positions, and the recliner 46 is locked again.

[0026] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the hinge cover 68 has upper opposing portion 70A and rear opposing portion 70B on a part of the edge of the opening 70 that protrudes toward the recliner shaft 50 side than the rest of the edge of the opening 70. The upper opposing portion 70A is positioned in close proximity to the recliner shaft 50 from above, and the rear opposing portion 70B is positioned in close proximity to the recliner shaft 50 from the rear. The upper opposing portion 70A and the recliner shaft 50 face each other on a surface. Similarly, the rear opposing portion 70B and the recliner shaft 50 face each other on a surface. The gap between the upper opposing portion 70A and the recliner shaft 50, and the gap between the rear opposing portion 70B and the recliner shaft 50 are both set to a few millimeters. The upper opposing portion 70A and the rear opposing portion 70B correspond to the "opposing portion" in this invention.

[0027] Next, the operation and effects of this embodiment will be described. In the vehicle seat 10 with the above configuration, the hinge cover 68 positioned on the side of the seat cushion 12 has an opening 70 through which the recliner shaft 50 of the recliner 46, which is provided between the seat cushion 12 and the seat back 16, passes. The recliner lever 32, positioned on the outside in the seat width direction relative to the hinge cover 68, unlocks the recliner 46 by rotating around the recliner shaft 50. A portion of the edge of the opening 70 of the hinge cover 68 is provided with opposing portions 70A and 70B that protrude toward the recliner shaft 50 side more than other parts of the edge and are positioned in close proximity to the recliner shaft 50.

[0028] Therefore, when a vehicle collision occurs, the seat belt or the like comes into contact with the hinge cover 68, applying a load to the hinge cover 68. When the hinge cover 68 is displaced forward and downward relative to the recliner axis 50 (see arrow D in Figure 2), the opposing parts 70A and 70B come into contact with the axis 50. This limits the displacement of the hinge cover 68, preventing the recliner 46 from being unintentionally released due to the displacement of the hinge cover 68. In other words, if the displacement of the hinge cover 68 is not limited, the hinge cover 68 may come into contact with the forearm portion 56 or rear arm portion 58 of the release plate 52, potentially causing the release plate 52 to rotate in the direction of releasing the recliner 46. In that case, the recliner 46 would be released at a time unintended by the occupant, but this can be avoided in this embodiment.

[0029] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the opposing portions 70A and 70B, which are provided on a part of the edge of the opening 70 of the hinge cover 68, and the recliner shaft 50 face each other on a surface. Therefore, when the hinge cover 68 is displaced radially with respect to the recliner shaft 50, the opposing portions 70A and 70B and the recliner shaft 50 can be brought into contact on a surface. This makes it possible to effectively limit the displacement of the hinge cover 68.

[0030] Furthermore, in this embodiment, opposing portions 70A and 70B, provided on a part of the edge of the opening 70 of the hinge cover 68, face the recliner shaft 50 from above and the rear. Therefore, when the hinge cover 68 is displaced downward and forward due to the load from the seat belt during a vehicle collision, the opposing portions 70A and 70B come into contact with the recliner shaft 50. This effectively limits the displacement of the hinge cover 68 due to the load from the seat belt.

[0031] In the above embodiment, the opposing portions 70A and 70B provided on a part of the edge of the opening 70 of the hinge cover 68 are configured to face the recliner axis 50 from above and from the rear, respectively, but the embodiment is not limited to this configuration. The opposing portions provided on a part of the edge of the opening of the hinge cover may also be configured to face the recliner axis from the front or from below.

[0032] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the opposing parts 70A and 70B and the reclining shaft 50 are configured to face each other on a surface, but the configuration is not limited to this, and the opposing parts 70A and 70B and the reclining shaft 50 may be configured to face each other on multiple lines or points.

[0033] Furthermore, the present invention can be implemented with various modifications without departing from its spirit. Of course, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 10 Vehicle seats 12 seat cushions 16 Seatback 32 Reclining lever 46 Reclining seats 50 Reclining axis (axis) 68 Hinge Cover 70 aperture 70A Upper opposing section (opposing section) 70B Rear opposing part (opposing part)

Claims

1. A hinge cover positioned on the side of the seat cushion, having an opening through which the shaft of a recliner provided between the seat cushion and the seat back passes, A recliner lever is positioned on the outside in the seat width direction relative to the hinge cover and rotates around the axis to release the lock on the recliner, Equipped with, A portion of the edge of the opening is provided with a facing portion that protrudes toward the axis more than other parts of the edge and is positioned in close proximity to the axis. A vehicle seat in which, during a vehicle collision, the seat belt comes into contact with the hinge cover, thereby applying a load to the hinge cover, and when the hinge cover is displaced forward and downward relative to the axis, the opposing portion comes into contact with the axis.

2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the opposing portion and the shaft face each other in a plane.

3. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the opposing portion faces the axis from at least the upper side of the seat and the rear side of the seat.

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